Say My Name | A Minsung Fan-Fiction

chapter twenty-nine

Oh God, you're coming up to me. Don't react. Don't react.

Do not show fear.

"Han! How are you?" Minho asked me, resting his elbow on my shoulder. "Can I just say that you did an amazing job planning all of this? You've really outdone yourself this time. This is the best company dinner we've ever had and it's all thanks to you."

"It's my job," I said, completely and utterly bitter about the events of the day previous.

Fuck, you can't know I'm upset with you.

"I'm good, by the way. Thanks for asking. How are you, dear? How's therapy treating you?" I asked him, trying my best to come off as personable as possible.

"That's a very strange question to be asking in public, don't you think?" Minho asked. "I'll answer, but I have to ask."

"There's nothing shameful about going to therapy," I said to him, dumbfounded. "I'd go back to therapy if I could afford it but I can hardly afford to live in my apartment alone, I'm considering getting roommates."

"I can pay for it, you know," Minho offered. "It's no big deal."

I laughed, "No, I'm not taking your money. I feel bad enough about the car you gave me."

"You're still on about that?" Minho rolled his eyes. "I told you it wasn't a problem."

"Yeah, I know you did," I said to him. "That's not what matters to me, though."

Minho removed his elbow from my shoulder and turned to face me, "What matters to you?"

Don't look at me like that.

"My integrity," I chuckled.

"How is your integrity affected by getting a free car?" Minho asked me, baffled.

"Just like how you can't answer the question about how therapy is in front of all of these people, I can't answer that here either," I said to him bluntly.

"Okay, now you've got me curious. Let's go outside, shall we?" Minho asked me.

I nodded my head and we exited the banquet hall and walked down the steps, our hands brushing against one another's on multiple occasions. It would've been romantic had I not been so angry about seeing what I saw.

We sat down next to each other on a bench placed not far from the entrance in silence for a moment before Minho spoke up, "So, are you going to tell me?"

"Answer my question first," I said, not looking at him as I spoke.

"Therapy's fine, I've been learning new ways to cope with my shit," Minho shrugged, now speaking informally as we were away from the general public.

"I told you it'd be good for you," I said to him, crossing my arms and slouching in my spot.

"It's your turn now," Minho said, "Why is the car such a problem to you?"

"I don't like taking free shit. I've worked for every single goddamn thing I have and I don't need some hot rich guy to swoop in and fix my life for me. I can do that shit on my own just like I have been for the past seventeen years since my family died," I spoke, rather bluntly. "I don't need you, I really don't. And honestly? I'm still incredibly offended that you tried to quote unquote buy me back knowing full-well who I am as a person."

"I...hadn't thought about it like that," Minho mumbled.

"Yeah, of course you didn't. I get that you didn't grow up rich but you have the mindset of someone that does," I said to him. "I know you don't mean any harm by trying to offer me your money but I don't want it, I can promise you I don't. I don't know if you're trying to test me by offering me things so you can see if I'm a leech like the majority of people in your life but I am not the one, I can tell you that right fucking now."