"Jisungie!" he heard a voice say as he walked into school the next morning. He sighed, already knowing who it was.
"D-didn't Felix s-say he w-would make you h-have detention if you d-didn't leave me a-alone?"
"Felix doesn't have to know about it. Let's go talk in private Jisungie." She said and grabbed Jisung's hand, pulling him into some random empty classroom.
"Mina-"
"Jisungie, I can't believe you let Felix threaten me like that yesterday. That was really rude. You owe me a date after school because of it, okay?"
"I a-already t-told y-you that I don't like y-you. P-please leave me a-alone so I won't h-have to tell Felix."
Mina glared at him for a second before moving a bit closer and showing a fake smile.
"I can make your life at this school a living hell Han Jisung. Felix may be able to get me detention but he can't be by your side 24/7."
"I-" Jisung was about to speak but Mina placed a finger over his lip.
"I don't really have time to listen to you stutter out a response Jisungie. You should fix that issue, by the way, it's extremely annoying. Anyway, meet me by the gate after school." She smiled before walking out of the classroom.
That did kind of hurt him. He was already insecure about his stuttering but he couldn't really help it unless he was completely comfortable which was really only when he wasn't around anyone at all.
He tried not to take it too personally although he knew it was going to be something he would be thinking about a lot even if he didn't want to.
Jisung walked out of the classroom, obviously still planning to tell Felix that she had bothered him again. Not thinking that her threats should be taken very seriously.
He stopped when he heard another person say his name, causing him to look up for a second and see Minho standing there with Seungmin and two other boys who he had never seen before.
"H-hi Minho," he said nervously feeling the other's eyes on him.
"Why were you in that classroom? Who was that girl that walked out before you?"
"D-don't worry a-about it," Jisung said and quickly left before Minho could ask any more questions.
"So that was your boyfriend?" Chan asked once Jisung had walked away from them.
"Shut up."
"Minho are you sure he's single? What if that was his girlfriend?" Hyunjin questioned.
"She's not," Minho responded simply.
"What do you mean no? How would you know?"
"He said he's never dated anyone before a couple of days ago and he's definitely not the type of person to jump into a relationship so quickly."
"Then who do you think that girl was?" Seungmin asked.
"I'm hoping he'll tell me that but he doesn't really open up about anything." Minho frowned.
"He will eventually. You've only known him for a few day's and try not to force him to." Chan explained.
"I don't want to force him to tell me anything but I'm worried about him."
~~~~~~~~
Minho didn't get the chance to say much to Jisung in their first-hour class. He silently walked Jisung to his second class, the only thing he had said was "See you at lunch" to which Jisung had just responded with a nod.
Once it was finally lunchtime, Minho quickly rushed off to Jisung's class to see him talking to Felix again. He quickly realized how Felix looked concerned but then he saw him ruffle Jisung's hair and saying one last thing before walking away from him.
Jisung noticed Minho and walked past him, expecting Minho to follow him outside, which he did.
"Is everything okay?' Minho asked once they sat down and Jisung just nodded as he took out his notebook and pencils so he could work on his drawing.
Great, we're back to the nonverbal responses. Minho thought sarcastically to himself.
"I know you said not to worry about it but I am worried about it because you're acting weird. So, I'm asking again, who was that girl you were in the classroom with this morning?"
Minho sighed when he only got a shrug in response as Jisung looked up at him for a quick second before going back to his drawing.
"Jisung."
"Hm?"
"Why aren't you talking?"
He got a shoulder shrug as a response again.
"Please talk to me. I know we aren't close yet and you probably don't trust me but the only way we can become close is if you try to trust me."
"It's...nothing," Jisung said slowly, trying hard not to stutter.
"Then why aren't you talking."
"B-because I stutter a-and it's f-freaking a-annoing." Jisung said quietly, still not looking up from his drawing.
"No, it's not. Who told you that it was? Was it that girl who was in the classroom with you?"Minho took the silence he got in return as a 'yes.'
"Her opinion is invalid. I love your voice even with the stuttering so please talk to me. What happened in that classroom?"
"R-remember how I- s-said that I r-rejected someone?"
"Yes...was that person the girl you were in the classroom with?"
"H-her name is Mina and y-yeah. She w-won't exactly except t-the f-fact that I'm n-not interested so she tried t-threatening me."
"What's her last name?" Minho asked, already planning on telling the principal about the issue, or finding this 'Mina' girl himself.
"Felix is a-already taking c-care of it. Apparently s-she bothered h-his boyfriend b-before t-they started dating too."
"So that's why you've been talking to Felix...wait- she stopped bothering his boyfriend once she found out they were dating?"
"I g-guess so. Why?"
"Be my boyfriend," Minho stated. Obviously not thinking before he said it.
Jisung froze but stayed staring down at his notebook, not sure how to comprehend the words that had just come out of Minho's mouth.
"I-I mean fake boyfriend. So that she leaves you alone."
"Felix i-is already t-taking care o-of it. That's n-not n-necessary."
"It could be an extra precaution," Minho said, wanting Mina to never go near Jisung again in fear that she was the one that had been hurting him.
"W-we're barely friends. I d-doubt I could e-even p-pull something like that o-off. I'm s-sure Felix h-has it u-under control."
Ouch
Minho thought to himself when he heard the words 'We're barely friends.' but at least it was better than not being friends at all.
"You could just follow my lead and go along with what I say." Minho explained, "it won't be difficult. And this way you'd know for sure that she'll leave you alone.
"It's n-not n-necessary. Thank y-you anyways though."
"Jisung has she hasn't actually hurt you or anything right? She just threatened you?"
Jisung stayed quiet as he thought about it. She did make him bleed but it was still technically his fault since he was the one that cut himself in the first place. It's not like she knew she had made him bleed. He definitely wasn't going to tell Minho about it, regardless.
"No? What d-do you mean?"
"Nothing...just promise me that you'll tell me if she still bothers you after Felix talks to her, okay?"
"Mhm."
"Promise?" Minho asked again, holding his pinky out towards Jisung who seemed to think about it for a minute before finally hooking his pinky with Minho's.
Progress.
Minho smiled to himself.