nightfall || minsung

Chapter 11

Hyunjin got up and joined our brothers, crowding toward the door.

"Wait," I whined, "I'm not loose yet."

"Don't you wanna see Minho?"

I scrambled off the floor and shoved past them.

We headed down the path and into the garage.

"Oh, right," I murmured as they climbed into the Volvo. "Can you guys take Jeongin's car?"

"Why?"

"I'm driving Minho to school."

They didn't really know what to do with that. They gave each other looks, starting to smile, and filed out of the car. Jeongin petted my head and Seungmin smirked at me.

Finally outta the friend zone, he thought. Proud of you.

"No."

Felix clapped me on the shoulder. Was just a matter of time.

"It doesn't mean anything."

Oh, on the contrary, loverboy — Felix revved the Buick's engine — it means more than you know.

~ * ~

I parked outside of Minho's house. I guess he was having a stressful morning. Inside, I heard him run down the stairs with untied shoelaces, swallow a food-bar in three bites, almost drown in tainted orange juice. I was grimacing the whole time, halfway out of the car, ready to save him from himself.

He peeked out the front window and disappeared just as fast.

He sprinted out the door — muttering swear words I'd never heard before — and stopped mid-bound, took on a flamingo's strut as he made his way to the car. Very cool, my love.

"Good morning," I said.

"Good morning," he replied.

I headed down his street, peeking at him from the corner of my eye. His hair was neat, eyes clear. The sleeves of his navy sweater were too long for him — his fingers poked out like a cat's paw. His lips were pinned up in a little smile, a smile that told me he was happy to be here, to be with me. I felt like screaming. I was so in love with him.

"Are we gonna hold hands again today?" Minho asked.

I shrugged, staring forward.

"I know you held my hand in the night."

Anxiety ripped through my insides like a bullet. Probably an overreaction. He didn't sound disgusted with me, rather teasing, playful.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I went too far."

"No, it helped. I was having a nightmare."

"I know. I was only in your room for a few minutes, I promise."

"Oh. You could have gotten comfortable."

"It felt weird to me."

I think he liked that. He smiled and wiggled his shoulders a bit. I had to bite my tongue. Some kind of romantic declaration was always halfway out of my mouth when we were together.

I wasn't surprised that people were thinking about us as we crossed the parking lot. Not all the students were as oblivious as Jessica Stanley. Most thoughts were supportive, curious, a few with a mocking edge, some even threatening. Then they were gone, lost in a swirl of other voices. I drifted closer to Minho, walked in his bubble, like I could protect him from thoughts he couldn't even hear.