𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘔𝘦 || 𝘚𝘒𝘡 𝘓𝘌𝘌 𝘒𝘕𝘖𝘞 𝘍𝘍.

10

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Maybe putting my playlist on shuffle wasn't such a good idea... - Minji had thought as the songs had quickly changed from Signal by TWICE to Lipstick by NCT127.
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She took out her phone, ready to switch up the music as it was too late in the evening for any horny bullshit, only to be distracted by someone frantically looking around as if searching for something.

They had seemed like they were in distress or some type of pain.

Minji had stopped playing her music & took out her earphones, shoving them away into her pocket as she was focused on the person in front of her. The girl squinted as she had begun walking closer to them, analyzing their features.

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Minho?
---

It really was him.

Minho had looked like he had just realised who was standing in front of him as well, although he was taken aback as a smoke-type scent had filled his nose. He had held in his breath, trying to figure out where it was coming from.

- Minji, what the hell are you doing?! - the boy asked, almost shouting in worry as he rushed towards the girl.

It almost seemed like he was fighting back tears in his eyes.

Minho had ripped out a lit-up cigarette out of Minji's mouth, having the small flame quickly die out as snowflakes gently landed on it, slowly melting afterwards.

Minji had blown a small puff of smoke through her mouth as she stared at Minho with an emotionless face, preparing herself for a reaction she even expected to receive.

- You smoke?!

- It's a coping mechanism, - Minji responded, rolling her eyes as her voice sounding dead yet a bit annoyed at the same time.

At that same moment, as Minji was about to add a snarky comment to her previous words, Minho had suddenly pulled her into his chest, his arms tightly wrapping around her body. Minji's eyes had widened as she felt everything go down in slow motion, taking moments to comprehend the sudden situation she was placed in.

The hug felt as if a warm blanket had abruptly wrapped around her cold figure. As if a pair of delicate wings shielded her body from the wintery & icy surroundings.

It was simply comforting.

Yet, what Minho hadn't expected were salty, cold drops of tears that slowly welled up in the girl's eyes, gradually falling down her pale cheek.

Minji's arms, without her consciousness, gently had raised themselves & hugged Minho back, her hand patting his back.

Minho slowly released Minji from his tight embrace, haltingly taking a step back:

- I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry-

- It's okay, - Minji replied, her voice, what was previously cold & annoyed, had now become low & soft. - I really needed that.

...

Minji had leaned her back into the wall of the dance academy, letting out a tired exhale as Minho stood next to her, watching the snowflakes gradually fall from the sky.

- Minji, please, tell me what's been going on with just-... just everything.

The girl had stayed silent for a few moments, unsure of how to respond as memories flooded into her mind. She didn't know where to even begin as there was so much to simply review, let alone actually start solving problems.

- Well, I guess everything's been happening because my mother likes to overreact to almost everything I do or exaggerate situations with the people I talk to, which includes you.

- Does she hate me or something?

- Oh, she does with her whole heart. My mum wouldn't hesitate to cut my lungs off just so I wouldn't be able to even breathe next to you if she found me like this.

- Oh... oh wow.

- Yup, she'll kill me and then put my ashes in a rice cooker without mercy.

- Why, though? Does she not allow you to have guy friends or just friends in general?

Minji bit her lip as she turned her head to the other side, embarrassed about the truth she'd been running away from ever since she met Minho.

Not just running away from it, but hiding it away from Minho as well.

It didn't feel right to like him. It wasn't just a feeling but also somewhat of a fact.

- Uhm, you see, my mother had placed me into an arranged marriage.

Once Minji finished her sentence, she waited for Minho to start yelling, for him to start asking questions, to show any type of aggression or confusion, but... he didn't?

Minho had simply nodded his head, showing that he was listening to her & had wanted Minji to continue speaking.

- A-and, her seeing me with a person that isn't the one I'm supposed to marry really upsets her.

- Does your partner know about me? - Minho asked calmly, almost seeming like he wasn't bothered by the situation at all.

- The thing is, she's been seeing someone as well. We're both fine with each other seeing other people, but since our parents don't know about this... they'd think we're cheating on each other.

- Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?

- I-I don't know, Minho. I'm so sorry... I just don't know what to do anymore. Everything has been so out of place. It feels like everything is just falling apart and constantly building itself back up in an unstable way, and then it falls back to the ground again.

Minho didn't speak up or try to add anything to Minji's vents. He silently listened & while hugging the sniffling girl.

- I just don't know what to do anymore... - Minji softly sobbed into Minho's jacket.

Snow gently began falling from the sky, spiralling out of control, flying down to different places as flimsy wind flew it to separate directions.

Minho had carefully patted & caressed Minji's back & hair, quietly comforting Minji as he let her vent out everything she needed to speak out about.

- Can you tell me... how long have you been smoking?

- A few years now. I started when I was sixteen(15 in international age). Ever since then, I've been kind of dependant on cigarettes to help me cope with things.

- How did you even get cigarettes? You can't buy cigarettes at age sixteen, - Minho asked, shocked.

- My brother used to buy me them since he's a lot older than me... Now that my birthday was a couple of days ago, I'm legally able to buy them.

The snow was starting to well up Minho's hair, slightly worrying Minji as she had realised that they were both standing out in the cold, both shaking.

At that same moment, Minho also had realised how cold his face had become due to being out in the frosty weather as his skin was becoming dry & stiff, maybe even almost scaly.

- Hey, Minho, we should probably go back home now or at least somewhere where it's warm. We'll catch a cold or get frostbite if we're going to be here any longer...

As those words had left Minji's mouth, an idea had darted into Minho's mind.

- Minji, there are a few people I'd like for you to meet, - Minho exclaimed before intertwining Minji's hand with his as he began to lead her to that somewhere the girl had mentioned.