Object of Affection [Mina X Male Reader]

Ch. 5

"She's the person you've been talking about, right?"

"Yeah, but I'm getting ahead of myself; she hasn't accepted my feelings yet." Chaeyounf ruffles his hair.

They turn to Mina, and she's surprised they know each other. Haru looks at Mina intently. When Mina saw Haru, she was still upset and felt compelled, so she chose to accept Chaeyoung's proposal to begin dating. Seeing all this unfold in front of him, Haru had no choice but to force a smile and congratulate Chaeyoung. Deep down, he couldn't help but feel a sense of loss and sadness, knowing that his feelings for Mina would never be reciprocated. He left them quickly as he felt his nose flare up, and soon tears would follow.

Chaeyoung, on the other hand, is thrilled that he was finally accepted.

A few weeks pass, and Haru sees Chaeyoung and Mina together a lot as he visits a lot, like dropping off treats or gifts to Mina and taking her home every day after work. Haru couldn't help but notice the genuine bond between Chaeyoung and Mina, which brought a bittersweet feeling to his heart. Despite his unrequited feelings, he couldn't deny feeling reassured that it was Chaeyoung who was with Mina. To Haru, if anyone's worthy of Mina, it's Chaeyoung. It was clear that Chaeyoung truly cared for Mina and would do anything to make her smile. Furthermore, Chaeyoung is in a better position to help Mina than he is because they share the same social status.

Both Haru and Mina behaved distantly, as though they were merely employers and workers and had no personal relationship. Chaeyoung wanted his best friend and girlfriend to be happy and comfortable around each other, so he made an effort to spend time with both of them together. He organized outings and activities that would allow Haru and Mina to bond and get to know each other better. Chaeyoung hoped that by doing so, their relationship would become more than just a professional one, and they would eventually develop a personal connection. Despite his efforts, however, Haru and Mina remained distant and reserved in each other's presence.

With his last hope, he asks Sana for help. Sana, also being a close friend of Chaeyoung, agreed to help him out. At the same time does what Mina asks of her, which is to act as if she's never known Haru. She suggests that drinks would help break the tension between Haru and Mina. Sana hoped that they could get along again for the sake of Chaeyoung, especially Mina.

They stop by Lowkey, the place that once was "theirs." As they entered Lowkey, the nostalgia hit them both. The familiar ambiance and memories flooded their minds, reminding them of the memories they shared. To ease the tension, Sana ordered beers for them.

"Wow, the beer is tasty!" Sana exclaimed, taking a sip and gesturing for them to do the same. It made Haru and Mina chuckle since it was the same thing Sana had said before. It made them finally look at each other. They drank in silence, their eyes locked in a mixture of longing and regret. The beer seemed to act as a catalyst, breaking down the walls that had separated them for so long. As they continued to drink, Chaeyoung excused himself to the restroom, and that's when Haru decided to break the silence. "You know, it's been too long since we've all been together like this," Haru said, his voice filled with nostalgia. Mina nodded in agreement, with a hint of sadness in her eyes. Haru chugs the beer and extends his hand to shake Mina's hand. "Can we be friends...again? I'm sorry for..." he whispered the last part. Mina looked into Haru's eyes, her heart filled with a mix of emotions. She could see the sincerity in his gaze. Taking a deep breath, she nodded and smiled. "Yes, let's start over and be friends again." The weight of their past began to lift, and when Chaeyoung got back, they ordered another round of drinks.

Time skip: 1 month

One month passed, and they got comfortable again as they started hanging out all together. One of the days they went out to drink at LowKey, Mina and Chaeyoung left early as their parents wanted to spend some quality time with them. Due to their parents knowing each other through business and being long-time friends, both their parents were delighted to see their children dating.

Sana was left with Haru, but they didn't mind at all. She was drunk and curious, so she just asked, "Haru, are you a womanizer?"

"Where is this coming from?" Haru chuckled, shaking his head.

"From my fair share of experience, most guys tend to be womanizers; even Chaeyoung, who loves Mina, still dated around and stuff," Sana casually explained, taking another sip of her drink.

"To be honest, I've only dated once, and the girl cheated on me," Haru says, taking a sip of his drink too.

"This guy is trying to play innocent, huh?" Sana thought.

"Well, then why were you—" Sana was cut off when Haru's phone rang. Sana glanced and saw the picture of the girl who was with Haru that day.

"Hey, noona?" Haru answered the call, his voice softening as he spoke to the person on the other end. "Noona?" Sana thought and couldn't help but eavesdrop on the call.

"What's up?" Haru asked. Sana's curiosity grew as she listened to Haru's conversation with his older sister. The exchange sounded gentle and endearing. As he caught up with his sister, Haru's voice was full of warmth and love.

After a few minutes, he ends the call and says, "Sorry about that, my sister called to check in on me." "Sister?" Sana's mind raced with confusion as she tried to process the new information.

"Yeah, she and my mom live in the US, while I live alone here."

"Ahh... Are you close to her?" Sana asked, genuinely curious about their relationship. Haru smiled softly and nodded, explaining that despite the distance, they were very close and always made an effort to stay connected.

"Well yeah, we're a very close family since there's only three of us. Me, my sister, and mom. I've always been their primary focus since I'm the youngest, but I've always felt the same way towards them; I love them more than anything." Haru smiles fondly as he talks about them. Hearing all of this, Sana realized they had misunderstood Haru in the worst way possible, and Mina is now in a relationship without fully understanding the situation.

After that day, Sana desperately wanted to tell Mina, but she couldn't because every time she tried, Mina shut her down, not wanting to dwell on the past. The timing was bad because shortly after that, Sana needed to travel to the United States for business. She promised to talk to Mina when she returned.