Treasured | Minho [TMR]

Eight

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"Mira, how are-

"I'm fine, alright!" I basically shout when Minho asks. He seems surprised by my outburst. Even I'm surprised by my outburst. But it doesn't stop me. "Nothing even really happened yesterday, everyone is overreacting when I'm clearly fine. Just leave me alone, won't you!" I insist.

"Hey hey, I'm just checking." Minho says in a delicate tone, as if afraid to set me off if he speaks even a decibel higher. Just as I'm stepping into my cabin he pulls me back gently by my shoulder. "What's going on? You can tell me." He asks, and that sets me off.

"What's going on is that I've had way too many people asking if I'm okay, how I'm feeling, making sure I'm even up to my job!" I blurt out in a fit of rage, turning around to look at Minho. "It's like I'm some fragile thing to everyone, this delicate thing that can't handle a little uncomfortable situation." I throw my arms in the air, getting all my frustration out from today. I feel tears prickling in my eyes and I shake my head lightly, not wanting them to fall. "If I felt weak this morning, then I don't think there's a word that even exists for how I'm feeling right now."

"Mira...." Minho sighs, clearly unsure of how to respond. I find myself looking up at the sky, blinking back tears. "Hey, you can cry. It's fine if you do." He steps closer, lightly grazing my arm which I promptly pull away. I look back down towards him.

"Cry?" I laugh bitterly. "No, that would mean something was wrong..." I shake my head. "And I'm fine!"

"You're clearly not." Minho replies. I don't want to look at him anymore and so I lower my eyes to the ground. "And you don't have to be." He continues. "After what happened yesterday-

"What happened yesterday, huh?" My voice raises and I now glare at him. "You weren't there! You don't know! Nothing happened. Everyone is just being dramatic. It's fine, I'm fine." I roll my eyes.

"But-

"No." I groan, cutting him off before he can say whatever more rubbish he wants to come out with. "I just want everything to go back to normal. Is that too much to ask?"

Minho doesn't reply. He just stares at me. I have to look away, anywhere else, but I still feel his gaze burning into me. I want to tell him to go, leave me alone. But I don't say anything, not a word. I think a part of me wants him to stay with me. A part of me that doesn't really want to be alone.

"Back to normal, then?" Minho finally pipes up and I nod. I sigh in relief at the change of topic. "Back to when you wouldn't shut up about that stupid wall...." He says and I lift my head. He smiles softly at me and I can't help but return it. "Let's finally get your name on it, shall we?"

I nod eagerly and Minho starts to walk away. Quickly, I rush to follow where he leads. He doesn't seem to be walking to the wall but instead, to the Homestead. I don't know what he's doing as he isn't narrating his actions. So I just watch, wait and follow along. Once we're closer he turns back to me.

"Just wait here a minute." He instructs, to which I nod my head and stay put. I look about to see quite a lot of Gladers around. My heart beats quicker when I realise I'm alone. My eyes wander to a particular group of Gladers, a particular group of boys. That group of five that I can't help but recognise. My heart races. I watch as five pairs of eyes fall on me. They exchange a couple of words but do nothing. And yet, I still find myself intimidated. I still find myself scared.

"Mira." A hand on my shoulder startles me and I practically jump out of my skin. But I'm fine, it's just Minho. I'm fine. "You good?"

"Yes." I say with a stern voice. He seems to raise a hand in defense at this point.