Egocentric [Book I]

Late Talk

Minah’s house had a guest room they never used that was supposedly given to Minjae as a bedroom, if only it wasn’t too big for a little kid like him. It was almost as big as their parents’ room and Minah thought it was too big for her as well.

The guest room was a little dirty and dusty from being vacant ever since they moved in, and Minah and her mother cleaned it together while Xiumin changed into clothes that aren’t drenched with rainwater. They lent him some of Appa’s clothes that were stored inside his dresser for a long time because it didn’t fit him right.

It wasn’t anything special or whatever, just a cotton shirt and shorts.

Minah was waiting for him to come out of the bathroom, which she would never do if only Umma didn’t order her to do so. When Xiumin did, Minah was estranged to see him in a casual outfit instead of his uniform, just like he was with her earlier.

“Don’t look at me like that.” Xiumin said flatly. “I told you it was unusual to see someone from school in normal clothing.”

“Here’s a hanger so you could hang your uniform. There’s a small closet inside the guest bedroom and you could put it there.” Minah handed him the stuff in her hands. “Also, here’s a spare toothbrush you can use. Don’t worry, it’s clean. I was going to dip it into the toilet, but Umma told me not to.”

“You’re still obnoxious?” Xiumin asked sarcastically as he stepped inside the bathroom again.

“You’re still an insufferable ass?” Minah asked back as she spun on her heel to leave.

He met her minutes later at the living room, when she was the only one still awake. Minah’s brother and parents went to bed and instructed her to lead Xiumin into his temporary room.

Minah stood up and turned the television off. She opened the guest room and walked inside, shutting the window completely to keep the wind and rain from getting in.

“There are extra pillows and blankets inside the closet if you need more.” Minah pointed. Xiumin crossed his arms over his chest and followed her inside the room. He looked around and sat on the bed. “The light switch is there next to the door and ceiling fan switch. I doubt you’d be using that anyway, it’s already so cold.”

“Can I borrow a phone charger?”

“No, my charger jack is different from yours.” Mina shrugged. “If you need to contact someone, you can use the lined phone in the living room. If you get hungry or thirsty in the middle of the night, you know where the kitchen is... same thing with the bathroom. Just don’t make any sudden loud noises. I might mistake you for a burglar and beat you up.”

“Are your parents still awake?” Xiumin asked, ignoring Minah’s remark even though he wanted to say something back to her.

“Everyone’s in bed except for me.” Minah said unemotionally while walking to the door. “Also, don’t just leave this house without saying goodbye and thanking my parents. It’s the least you can do for all they’ve done.”

“Hey, you’re the one who invited me over.” Xiumin argued and stood up.

“I didn’t know you were gonna have to stay all night.” Minah replied. She didn’t want to argue anymore, it’s a very ungodly hour for that. “Plus, I was aggressively opposed about you crashing here but I would never win against Appa’s orders.”

“Alright, I want to sleep now.” Xiumin spat so Minah would stop talking. “Get out.”

“You’re fortunate that my parents are kind people and that they’re in command, otherwise I could’ve easily kicked you out of this house because of that last sentence.”