Chapter 2: A Game of Pretend

The following week, Felix found himself sitting across from Hyunjin at the coffee shop on campus. It was a usual hangout spot for him and Jihan, though today Jihan was absent, leaving Felix to his own devices. As soon as he stepped inside, Felix’s gaze immediately landed on Hyunjin, who was hunched over a textbook, looking like the weight of the world was on his shoulders.

“Hey,” Felix greeted with a cheerful smile, sliding into the seat across from him. “What’s up? You studying or avoiding work again?”

Hyunjin didn’t look up. He merely flicked a lazy glance in Felix’s direction, his expression a perfect mask of indifference. “I’m not avoiding anything,” he muttered, tapping his pen on the table. “You should go back to your friends. I’m busy.”

Felix laughed, unfazed by Hyunjin’s coldness. “It’s okay. I just wanted to hang out. Besides, I’m too tired to do anything else. You look like you’re going to explode from all that studying, though.”

Hyunjin finally looked up, his dark eyes narrowing slightly, though there was a hint of something softer beneath the surface. “You’ve been hanging out with Jihan too much. He’s a bad influence on you.”

Felix grinned. “Jihan’s fun. He knows how to make things interesting.”

“Interesting is an understatement,” Hyunjin replied dryly, his gaze flicking back to his textbook.

Felix leaned in, propping his chin on his hand, and studied Hyunjin for a moment. “Are you always this serious?”

Hyunjin didn’t answer right away, tapping his pen on the desk as if the response was a secret he wasn’t sure he should share. He finally sighed, setting the pen down with exaggerated care. “You don’t understand.”

Felix tilted his head. “What don’t I understand?”

Hyunjin hesitated. For a brief moment, Felix thought he might say something else, something real, but instead, he just shook his head. “Nothing. Forget it.”

Felix was about to press him for more when the barista called out his name. “Felix! Your order’s ready!”

“Be right back,” Felix said, flashing Hyunjin one last smile before heading to the counter.

Hyunjin watched him go, his expression softening imperceptibly as he let out a long, frustrated breath. He wasn’t sure why Felix’s presence always unsettled him. Was it because of their history? Because of the role they played in each other’s lives as step-siblings? Or was it something more, something Hyunjin couldn’t put into words?

Felix returned moments later, carrying his coffee with a carefree smile. He set it down in front of Hyunjin and took a seat again. “You look like you need something sweet. I got you a mocha. I know you don’t like the fancy stuff, but you’ll like this one. I promise.”

Hyunjin stared at the mocha, almost suspiciously. “Why do you care?”

Felix shrugged, his smile unwavering. “Because you’re my stepbrother, and I don’t like seeing you all moody and stressed out.”

Hyunjin didn’t know how to respond to that. He could have rejected the drink, could have pointed out how awkward it was that they were sitting here, acting like everything was normal. But instead, he found himself taking a sip, his lips curling into a barely-there smile.

“I didn’t ask for this,” he muttered, but Felix’s grin only widened.

“Sure you didn’t,” Felix teased, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Hyunjin’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly looked away, his fingers tightening around the cup. He couldn’t let Felix see how much it hurt to feel this way, to care this much, and still be unable to tell him the truth. Instead, he focused on the mocha, pretending it was the only thing that mattered.

But the truth was, Felix was the one thing that mattered, and Hyunjin didn’t know how long he could keep pretending.

TBC...

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***