the moment seungmin dropped the words, your world seemed to tilt. he sat across from you, feigning nonchalance, but the slight tremble in his fingers gave him away. "i need to tell you something," he had said, and then came the lie—sharp, cruel, and utterly unforgivable. "i cheated on you." he expected a reaction—shock, anger, maybe even tears—but he didn’t expect the way your entire body seemed to shut down. your face went blank, your hands stilling in your lap as you stared at him, unblinking. the air between you grew impossibly thick.

he tried to hold the silence, tried to play it out for just a little longer, but the ache in your eyes was unbearable. it wasn’t anger he saw—it was hurt, deep and silent, the kind that couldn’t be undone with a simple "it was just a prank." his chest tightened as regret sank in fast and hard. "wait—baby, i didn’t mean it. it’s not true, i swear." he reached for you, but you flinched, and that broke him more than anything. your lips parted like you wanted to say something, but nothing came out. without another word, you stood up and walked away.

panic surged through him as he followed, pleading, voice shaking. "please, i was joking, i thought you’d know i’d never do that to you!" but you didn’t turn back. you disappeared into your shared bedroom, locking the door behind you, leaving him standing there, heart pounding, hands trembling. his own reflection in the hallway mirror looked as devastated as he felt. this wasn’t supposed to happen. he wanted to make you laugh, not break you.

minutes stretched into an eternity before he sank onto the floor outside the door, head in his hands. "i’m sorry," he whispered, voice hoarse. "please, just… talk to me." silence. and then, after what felt like forever, he heard the lock click. the door didn’t open, but it was enough. he would spend the rest of the night making this right, proving to you that even as a joke, the thought of losing you was his worst nightmare. some jokes aren’t worth the risk when the love of your life is on the line.