C-33
I blink multiple times to make sure that I'm not dreaming.
"...What?"
He takes a deep breath before sitting on the floor.
"You heard me."
"But Min-"
"Stay there!" He puts his hand up. "Damn, this is so embarrassing."
He clears his throat and finally faces me.
"Before anything else, I have to clear something first. You know about the rumours, right?" he asks and I nod. "They're half-true. I was never part of a gang, but I did get involved in a fight when I was younger. I had to join for someone. It was just supposed to be a childish fight, but then it got ugly when the opposing group lost... and an innocent person got dragged in our mess. After that, the same people I fought for starts fighting me instead. Whatever bond we had was crushed for the pettiest reason, and then we went our separate ways." He laughs sarcastically. "That's how I got my reputation."
"Is that why you didn't want to be friends with me?" He nods at my question.
"I hated everyone after that. Well, I still do. It's been years since it happened and past is past, but the rumours stuck. I don't really care what people think and say about me, it's even convenient because people don't bother me... until you came." He clicks his tongue as he glares at me jokingly.
"Hehe, sorry." I show him a peace sign.
"At first, I thought you were a nuisance. Judging me just like everyone else then wanting to be friends? What a joke..." He rolls his eyes. "I kept pushing you away but you're so persistent. I wonder whether you're too innocent or just a complete dummy."
I pout. "Now you're just insulting me."
He chuckles. "I don't know when it started, but a day just came where you're not a bother anymore. Suddenly, I don't hate everyone anymore... and then I start caring about another person's opinion of me again."
My breath hitch as I anticipate his next words.
"Suddenly, I'm craving for this scaredy-cat crybaby loner's company. How weird is that?" He scoff in disbelief. "And then when you stopped being a loner, all your friends became the most annoying people in the world."
Oh.
"Suddenly, I get annoyed when people scare the scaredy-cat. Suddenly, I hate it when the crybaby is not crying out of joy... and when you look at me with those goggly eyes, I just want to kick you off the rooftop because it's fvcking disgusting how you turn me into this protective piece of shit."
"You want to kick me?!"
"Just sometimes."
"Huh?!"
He laughs at my reaction, then he turns serious again.
"I tried suppressing these mushy sentiments, since it won't really benefit either of us. You know how I'm a bad boy, right?" He quotes with his fingers. "I still have gangster wannabes coming after me to assert their dominance, like that one in the locker area. I don't wanna put you through any of that."
"But it's not your fault!"
He presses his lips into a thin line. "Despite the danger, I can't ignore these icky feelings anymore... I sound so clichéd right now and it's all your fault. Liking you is harder than I thought."
The bad boy likes me.
Oh no... I like him too.
My lips start quivering and I slowly cover my face with both hands, bursting into tears. Minho's eyes widen in shock and starts walking towards me, but I scoot farther into the pillow fort away from him.
"Hey, it's okay if you don't feel the same. Don't cry..."
"It's n-not that." I cry harder as I shield my face from him.
"Then look at me. What's wrong?"
I peak through my fingers and glare at him. "I have a crush on you!"
"O-Oh?" He blinks, and then his lips slowly rise into a smile.
"No, stay there!"
"Okay, okay, geez!" He puts his hands up, laughing a little as he sits in front of me, leaving two feet of distance between us.
"No one has ever liked me before." I sob. "I'm just so touched."
"Uh-huh?" He props one arm up on his knee, resting his chin on the palm of his hand as he listens to me with a little grin on his face.
"Y-You also just opened up to m-me and I'm so happy..." I wipe my eyes as my tears start to blur my vision. "I feel the same way, but I'm just so overwhelmed. I've never felt this way before... You make me feel weird, but the good kind of weird, y-you know?"
Minho nods and I cover my face again as another wave of emotion rushes through me.
"I'm sorry for being a crybaby. Maybe you don't like me now?"
"I'm basically a pro at handling your tears now, silly." He chuckles.
"B-But you always say that you don't wanna deal with people like that though?"
"They're not you." He shrugs.
I pout at his words, breathing deeply to regulate my overflowing feelings.
Minho stares at me and a serene smile appeared on his face. He slowly inches into me and rests a hand on my head, caressing my hair gently.
I look up at him, lips still trembling a little. "Minho, I'm scared."
"Hmm, my scaredy-cat?"
"I don't know how to be in a relationship... and I don't know if I'm ready to be in one. All I expected from people is friendship, you're the only one who went beyond a... a crush."
"I am?" He suddenly stops petting my hair, using the back of his hand to cover his face this time. I blink up at him and nod, then he suddenly groans and covers my face with his other hand.
"Hey, what is that for?"
"Nothing..." He clears his throat and finally uncovers my face and cups them with both hands. "Can I hug you now?"
Once I nodded, he instantly lifts and moves me to his lap, wrapping his arms around me and rubbing my back soothingly with his chin on my shoulder. I bury my face in the crook of his neck because I'm aware that it's burning right now. We're so close and it's a mixture of comfort and nervousness. I'm not used to it and it's a second for me to be in this very intimate position with someone... the former being him too.
Minho's taking all of my firsts and I'm not complaining.
He breaks the silence as he turns sideways so we're facing each other.
"Just because we like each other doesn't mean we should have to be together now. I'd never force you to do something you don't want to do." He tilts my chin up. "Let's take it slow. I can wait until you're ready to claim what's yours."
I blush at his words. "Sure?"
"Sure. It's only fair since I made you wait for the friendship you wanted for so long."
"So it's fair to reject you- no, just kidding!"
He flicks my forehead accompanied by a cold glare. I pout and bump my forehead on his chin in return. He smiles at the gesture and tilts my chin up.
"I'm still allowed to touch you, right?" He moves his fingers from my chin to my cheek, his thumb grazing the side of my lips. "Is this okay?"
"I-I don't know yet."
"Tell me when it's too much, I don't want to break you. I know you're probably stronger than you look since you survived in life this far, but... but I just need to make sure you're safe."
I smile at him. "I've never felt harmed when I'm with you. I think it's cool how you always made me feel safe in your presence despite claiming that you're dangerous."
He looks at me intently.
"Be careful, I mean it. Tell me if anyone bothers you, if you see those stupid thugs again, any weird feeling about something, or just anything that upsets you. Tell me right away, okay?"
"I pinky promise," I say and show my pinky finger to him. "But you also have to promise me to do the same, no lying and keeping things anymore!"
Minho connects his pinky with mine. "Pinky promise."
My eyes widen when I accidentally saw the time in my watch. I immediately let go of the hug as panic courses through my body.
"Minho, my mum's gonna kill me!"
"She won't."
"How'd you know that? You haven't experienced her wrath!"
He snickers. "I made a deal with your neighbour. He told your mum that you'll stay at their house for a project as a cover so you can stay... if you want to."
"But I didn't bring the stuff I need for a sleepover."
He looks away. "I have clothes."
"Well, I don't."
He sighs. "I'm saying you can wear them."
"Really? Thank you!"
We sit back down on each of our pillow forts that are a few feet apart. I'm just smiling from ear to ear as a random action movie plays on the background.
"Tsk. You're really so easy to please."
"Not yet."
"Oh yeah?"
"I will never be satisfied until we take pictures!"
"What if I don't want to?"
I pout. "But you said you like me..."
His eyes widen. "That's... that's not fair."
I giggle. "Please me?"
He rolls his eyes before taking my phone and starts taking shots.
"We should try this app that Hyunjin told me about," I say and show him the SNOW app.
"No way. I don't need filters unlike him." His face went dark at the mention of my friend, lips pursing a little.
"Oh." I slowly put my phone down and walk back to my own pillow fort. "I'll just eat here then."
I sadly opened a bag of crisps and starts munching away.
I hear a sigh and shuffling until Minho's suddenly beside me. He took my phone and looks at me with a glare.
"Fine, where's that app for ugly people?" he asks and my smile instantly jumped out before tapping on my phone.
We took so many shots and I almost forgot that I'm the one who wanted this because Minho got so into the weird filters and stickers that he even took solo photos.
I just watch him play with the camera since this is what I wanted. I wanna take advantage of his smile because it's so rare that he keeps showing it to me today. He's smiling more than usual and I had to get receipts to look back at.
We messed with the fairy lights and had a mini photoshoot around the dance studio that we got shocked when the ending credits from the random movie we chose start playing on the screen. We look at each other and giggle. After that, we move our forts closer for easier access and ate dinner.
Minho connected his phone to the speaker and played some chill songs as we stayed sprawled on the cold floor to rest for a bit. I checked the time and it's just early in the evening.
"Let's do something exciting!" I told him after we're done resting. I still have so much energy in me and I doubt I'd be able to sleep in this condition.
"Five minutes," he said and turns away from me.
"We've been doing nothing for 20 minutes... Please?"
He lifts his head and rubs his eyes before finally sitting up, finishing his PhD Pepper.
"What do you wanna do?"
I look at the soda in his hand then to the stuff Chan paid for at the convenience store, remembering what we talked about. That's right! I know where to put my energy in!
"Chan said that we'll do something to make us out of breath and sweaty."
"What?" Minho suddenly straightens his posture at my words, his Adam's apple bobbing prominently.
"That's what he told me earlier. Let's do that!"
"You wanna do... that?" He blinks at me, scooting closer. "Sure?"
"Uh... Sure?"
"Okay then."
Minho smirks and pulls me up by my waist, trapping me in his arms. His other hand moves my hair back and a shiver run down my spine when his finger accidentally brushes against my neck.
"You asked for this, Y/n... Now let me please you."