stray kids ; minsung | no.4419✦

06 : top of teenagers ft.andup

0:30 ──⊙──────── 2:13
↻ ◁ ▢ ▷ ↺

we sat by a circular table in one of the learning-support rooms, designed for small classes and tutor sessions like these, which were quite common nowadays.

it gave ordinary failing kids (like me) a chance to catch up in a far more friendly and less pressurised environment, but it also helped out smart kids (like changbin) get extra teaching marks which looked good on his college applications.

which overall, meant that everyone in the room had a reason to be present.

hyunjin for instance, missed a load of classes this semester due to basketball, always in and out of training, always away for matches and always too exhausted to deal with the given homework.

felix then, still found it difficult to adjust. his korean was gradually improving, but sometimes he felt awkward and out of place. i think the more he stuck to changbin, the more he forgot about that discomfort, because the older boy made him feel at home.

meanwhile changbin needed these sessions for recommendations, since he wanted to attend seoul's number one college in order to live up to his parents' expectations. he was never really against it, but he often found himself feeling overwhelmed and on the verge of breakdowns because of all the stress.

then minho? i wouldn't know for sure, but gathering from the fact that he's never in school - it made sense why he'd need some help.

and well, me? i'm just a hopeless cause.

"so today we'll go over logarithms and their proofs," changbin pulled out his textbooks and personal notes as everyone followed him suit.

i found myself sitting between hyunjin and minho, realising that my math book was calmly sitting back at home and snoring all day.

i sighed tiredly and just stared at changbin as he wrote up an example on the blackboard, having completely no sense of what was going on.

"hey, you alright?" minho suddenly lingered in close, whispering as others were focused on their own doings.

i was taken aback by his closeness, "what? i-i'm fine."

he chuckled, finding my wide startled eyes amusing, while i found his quite mesmerising.

"here, look into my book," he abruptly pulled away and moved the heavy load to the centre.

"thanks," i couldn't stop the blush from arising onto my cheeks, hiding the redness as i reached into by bag for a spare notebook.

and when i pulled back up, changbin was just about finished sprawling the board with hieroglyphics.

the shorter boy must have noticed my astounded face expression because he burst out laughing immediately. "don't worry jisung, i'll go over and break down everything," he assured me in moments later.

and to my surprise, changbin kept to his promise well.

because in the next hour, i found myself actually understanding the nonsense that i've jotted down on some random pages in my copy. i kept to my silence, but others (especially hyunjin) weren't embarrassed to ask for help or for changbin to repeat a segment. felix then often asked the older to come over and check his work, while minho - just as i, quietly focused on his own.

another hour easily passed by until our headaches kicked in and all the chocolate snacks were gone as we now moved onto exam-styled questions, or absolute death in other words.

like who the hell will ever need to know how boiled water cools using times, differences and constants when you can just wait and let it get cool.

the question obviously irritated me with its absurdity, but changbin thoroughly explained the question in detail and showed us how it would get marked, surprising me for the millionth time that day.

changbin really had it in him to teach, he was patient and interactive, he understood our thoughts before we even got to form them.

i figured i zoned out on my best friend as he wrote up a new question - because i was completely startled out of my thoughts when i felt minho's knee bump against mine.

"oh, sorry!" he whisper shouted at me as i shook my head with a smile to indicate that it was alright.

but it wasn't alright.

unless you don't consider the fact that my heart was beating out of my chest and my face was a shade belonging to a set of pink fade-outs.

what the hell was going on with me?

why was i so nervous around a stranger i've known for months?

what was minho doing to me?

then as if from somewhere afar, i heard changbin flop down onto his seat, "right, how about we wrap up early for tonight?"

i sighed in relief while hyunjin proceeded to crack every bone in his body as he stretched out, felix violently shut every copy close, and minho just slammed his head against the table and seemed to be passed out dead.

i couldn't help but giggle a little at the situation, four boys defeated by the power of mathematics would always be an entertaining scene to witness.

slowly enough, we packed up. felix eagerly washed off the blackboard, his excitement radiating from the fact that they've only got whiteboards in australia, while changbin and i cleared the chocolate wrappers off the table.

minho remained laying dead, but that changed once hyunjin decided to put on some music to fill up the silence, that of which included got7's recent track lullaby.

"hey you played that last time! it's my turn to pick," minho aggressively pouted, which was quite a sight.

"no, you chose last time! and all you played was old bts titles," hyunjin reasoned.

"okay but bts are legends so—"

"have you even heard got7—?"

"everyone agrees that bts is better—"

"where are the receipts, huh—?"

"look even jisung here will say bts are the best—"

"no, jisung is an intellectual and will obviously pick got7—"

and that's how i got dragged in and two pairs of eyes battled me down.

"well you see," i mumbled, "i believe twice rule the nation."

"yes!" felix cheered and broke out into dance the night away choreography.

hyunjin looked disappointed as he shook his head, making note to never put me on the spot again.

i scratched the back of my neck nervously with a chuckle, hair falling messily onto my lashes until i found myself locking gazes with minho who was already busy staring at me. his amused smile never seemed to roll off his lips, such a thin margin between it to a smirk.

and i don't know what was drawing me to him, but i didn't mind it.

  2:13 ──────────⊙ 2:13
↻ ◁ ▢ ▷ ↺

✎ published: november 18, 2018