Hate me. (Minsung)

//2//

han jisung hated the taste of butterscotch.

he couldn't stand it.

he hated the way it coated his throat, the way it would smell. the way the sweetness would linger on his tastebuds for hours on end.

but most of all, he hated the memories connected to it.

and he was certain that this fact and dislike would never die.

"jisung, you're making that face again." the voice of his friend, yang jeongin, tore through his accidental meditative state and made him look over to where the ravenette was sitting across from him.

they were sat in a comic store, on a comfortable futon in a little cubby meant to grant customers privacy and coziness while they read what was available at the time.

a sheepish smile formed on jisung's lips as he brought his hand up to lightly scratch his cheek. "ha sorry, just nervous for tomorrow i guess." he looked back over to scan the pages of the manga he had in his hand.

he didn't even know what it was about, nor where his spot was in the book due to his mindless page flipping. he just thought the art style was pretty.

"why? it should be fun and exciting! try not to think too hard about it." jeongin nudged jisung's knee lightly with his foot, words coming from a place of genuine encouragement.

jisung put down the manga, not even bothering with it anymore and stopped trying to pretend like he was comprehending any of it.

the two of them decided to go to this comic store as a last 'huzzah' before starting their first day of college.

it was going to be new, and sure, possibly exciting, but that did not change the fact that it was equally- if not more- terrifying.

"you're forgetting my crippling social anxiety, dear child." jisung sighed, leaning his back up against the wall of the spacious cubby they were in.

"first, don't call me that. and second, i didn't forget." the younger continued to speak with his eyes glued to the pages of his comic. "but you still have to face it even if it's hard for you."

"yeah i know." jisung looked down at his striped white and pink fluffy socks. still, he ended up deeply sighing and letting go of a whine.

"but i'm so scared! there's going to be so many people there. and they're gonna look at me with their eyes and perceive me..! they're gonna look at my hair, my face, or what i'm wearing!" jisung shivered at the very thought.

and jeongin couldn't help but let go of a soft laugh, putting down his comic momentarily. "well of course people are gonna look at you, they have eyes after all."

"and that's the problem..!" jisung complained, swallowing down the nerves that had already built themselves up in his throat. "i hate when people i don't know look at me. and i'm so scared of embarrassing myself.. ugh i'm just nervous."

jeongin had been one of jisung's friends throughout high school. he and a few others (who were also going to the same college thankfully) already knew everything there was to know about jisung's social issues, so this wasn't news to the younger.

jeongin, lee felix, and bang chan had heard their fair share of jisung's worries about change and new places. and each didn't mind trying to soothe and relax the blonde.

"try to look on the bright side," jeongin's voice made jisung move his hands away from his face to look at the boy as he spoke. "didn't you already get settled into your dorm? and didn't you say you had a nice roommate?"