Minsung | Rule Number Five

forty-four

today's theme: irritations

Marcus was really regretting this trip.

There weren't enough things in this world that would make him want to redo it ever again.

In less than a single afternoon, he had been labeled as sad and small virgin, a maniac wielding retail weaponry, and a complete loser that trailed after one painfully ignorant lovesick puppy for an hour.

But as worse as it got, nothing, absolutely nothing in his conscience pointed him towards the possibility of him having to hide behind a goddamn potted plant while his friend ogled the shit out of his partner and his mysterious plus one.

And unfortunately for Marcus, luck drew the card that sent him right to that scenario.

All this, for a couple hundred bribery dollars from Brandon? None of it was worth the embarrassment. If he wanted money, he could've just opened his stupid wallet.

"Quit elbowing me!"

"Shut up! I'm trying to see!" Jisung pulled down a leaf to better hide his face.

Marcus groaned, sliding himself down on the floor. "If security starts chasing after us again, I will throw you in front of me."

"Remind me to never survive a zombie apocalypse with you."

"Dude. Let's just go. You still need a present, right? You can talk to Minho la—"

"Wait, wait, I see her, she turned around! I see her!" Jisung swatted him, pulling him up beside him. "Over there."

The two of them watched as Minho spoke to a girl sitting next to him as she typed something into her laptop, nodding. She smiled at him, responding with some weird hand gestures, and he laughed.

Marcus scoffed. "So it's a girl. That he's talking to. You are being so dramatic here—he has friends other than you, you do know that, right?"

Jisung kept his eyes on them. "Minho told me he had work today. This is not work."

"It could be work-related. What would you know about it?"

"He teaches dance and babysits a few neighbour kids," he hissed. "Not go on one-on-one little outings with pretty girls in the middle of nowhere. And why here in First Sector? He lives in Gaslamp and works in Ninth! And why's she sitting so close to him? If she's here for business, move out!"

Marcus bumped his head against the rim of the plant pot, exasperated. "You know what, I think I have my answer to that last question."

Jisung's calves were beginning to ache from the squatting, but he stood there, staring at his partner.

Marcus wasn't half wrong about the dramatization of this situation—it really wouldn't be a big deal otherwise. Minho had his own life and social circles to deal with, some aspects of which Jisung would never be a part of. As important as he was to the prodigy, he was still an independent person, after all.