Neglect - Ji Changmin

chapter 11

as planned, the group came over juyeon's house. in sunday, minji and juyeon hanged out.

"changmin!" minji heard chaewon call for changmin when he entered the room.

chaewon signed changmin to seat beside her and he did. the professor came and minji just stared at changmin.

she watched his every moves. she melted at his smile. at his small chuckles. and how he ate secretly. she chuckled at herself.

"pathetic. why are you staring at your friend." she said and focused in the discussion.

lunch came and she was infront of changmin in their table. she found herself staring at him again. learning his features. she loved his smiles.

she adored how he ate. she shook her head and slightly slapped herself.

"ah kim minji stop." she whispered to herself.

"are you okay?" juyeon asked the girl.

"yes. why'd you ask?" she whispered.

"nothing. you seemed occupied." juyeon said. she sighed.

"no. i'm not." minji said and smiled.

"i'll be going to be far for a month changmin. would you be okay?" chaewon said. changmin frowned.

"where are you going?" changmin whined.

"cheongju-si." she replied and changmin whined more.

"i wanna comeeee." changmin whined again.

"no no changmin stay here." chaewon said and changmin slumped his back against the chair, like a child. minji chuckled unknowingly.

"i wanna come though." he said and frowned and chaewon chuckled at him.

younghoon suddenly stood up and looked at minji.

"minji..." younghoon looked at her.

"what?" she asked her brother, nervous.

he showed his phone. showing minho, her ex, instagram post. with the caption, 'single life is a lot better'.

"he's single again woohoo!" younghoon said and bowed of embarassment infront of the students.

"why? you gay? you like him? oh my gosh nooo i can't imagine my brother and my ex together." minji said and pretended to be crying.

"silly! no! i'm not gay! i'm just saying that you can comeback to him. duh? he's available and so you are!" younghoon told her and she widened her eyes.

"are you crazy? why would i go back to him? we're already the past." minji said and rolled her eyes.

"but do you like someone now? do you secretly have a boyfriend?" jaehyun asked her.

"i don't like someone, i don't have a boyfriend." she said and stood up.

"where are you going?" changmin asked her.

"it's almost time." she said and left.

---

it was saturday again, and changmin was not going out of his room always. back then, he would annoy everyone here and there. so minji decided to knock on his room. no one answered so she opened the door slowly.

"changmin? are you sleeping?" she saw the boy has his earphones on and eyes closed.

when he noticed someones presence, he opened his eyes and sat up. minji smiled at him slightly.

"what are you doing here minji?" the boy asked.

"nothing. you're not going out of your room. are you okay?" minji asked him. he just stared at her.

he thought those feelings faded. the butterflies and his heart flipping. but no, it didn't fade.

"what? yes. i am. you?" he asked her back. she sighed.

"not really." she replied and changmin furrowed his eyebrows.

"why? anything wrong?" changmin asked.

"i don't know. let's not talk about it." minji said.

changmin suddenly pulled her beside him and laid the both of them in his bed.

"cuddle? let's talk about some things. i missed you." changmin said and smiled sweetly at her. she melted. she felt butterflies in her stomach.

"sure. start with it." minji said.

she laid in his left arm and they have their legs tangled with each other.

"have you ever felt butterflies in your stomach? heart flipping?" changmin asked her and she cleared her throat.

"of course. you know i had a boyfriend." minji said and they chuckled.

"how 'bout, bonding with others to see if those feelings would fade, but it didn't?" changmin asked her again.

"of courseeee! back then when i was with minho, i felt insecure. he's so perfect. i am not. i tried bonding with his other friends. but everytime he hugs me, everytime he kiss me in the forehead, everytime he compliments me, it's back." minji said, reminiscing her days.

"if ever he wants comeback. will you accept it?" changmin asked.

"maybe yes, maybe not. but i think, mostly no. we're friends now. we'll be contented just being friends." minji said.

"can i tell you something?" changmin asked and minji nodded.

"go ahead." minji said and is ready to listen to him.

"do you know. i liked chaewon when we were younger." he said and her heart ached for an unknown reason.

"okay." she said and signed him to continue. she hugged him closer.

"she didn't know. we were friends since we're 10. i liked her since then until i was 15. when we were 16, she left to go to america. that time my feelings faded. as in, nothing. but when we're at the airport, she confessed that she likes me. i was shocked. i don't know what to say. their flight was called already. she kissed me before she left. that was my first kiss." changmin said.

minji listened to him. but she don't know why her heart is aching.

"what a tragic story." she commented.

"do you have any other friends beside minho?" changmin asked.

"actually, yes. but no one knows. except for minho. we were a trio. i never told anyone about him though. our friendship is hidden, we're mysterious infact. we have our own roles. minho as the cold but cute, mysterious guy. the other as the nerd, quiet, tall, gorgeous, mysterious guy. and i was the cold, unhappy, mysterious, miserable girl. we fit so perfect. but he needed to leave. he left us, me. when minho and i said that we were dating. he suddenly need to left." a lone tear escaped her eye and wiped it.

"did you like, bumped to him or something these days?" changmin asked.

"how i wish." minji replied.

"go tell me about your friendship." changmin said.

"well, we always go out in weekends. we do our assignments together. we eat outside, but in a quiet place. we always go to a specific place. we bring foods. and we have fun there." she cried hardly and changmin hugged her. he caressed her hair.

"shh, it's okay. you'll see him soon." changmin said.

half an hour later, the two fell asleep.

"changmin? minji?" juyeon knocked. he gasped and called the other boys. they cooed.

"they're together again." sangyeon cooed.

"let them be, they'll go out if they're hungry." jaehyun said and they left the room.