never | h.rj

10.

While Renjun is downstairs gathering supplies like trash bags, disinfectant wipes, and Lysol spray, Mina ties up her short hair and removes her blazer.

She looks around the room to determine where to start. Clothes. Mina looks for a hamper but upon seeing that it's full, she decided just to make a pile for Renjun to sort out later.

Eventually, the boy returns with the cleaning supplies in a small white basket. He's surprised to see immense progress already.

"Wow, it already looks better in here," he commented, still checking out his room.

"All I did was move all the clothes to a pile," Mina chuckled. She could tell he was pretty new to this. "When it comes to a messy room, clothes are always at least eighty-five percent of the problem."

Renjun nodded his head at her more than likely accurate statistic.

Mina took charge of the whole process, giving out orders and jobs. She even created a list for them to check everything off.

Slowly but surely, Renjun's room was beginning to look decent again.

~

All it took was two trash bags, half a container of wipes, and a third of a can of Lysol. Renjun's room was finally clean, looking even better than before.

He couldn't help but feel gratitude towards the sweaty girl sitting at his desk adding items to the list.

"Okay, you need to do laundry, vacuum, and shower. I don't even want to look at your bathroom if it's dirty but if so, clean that too."

"Aye aye captain," he saluted with a soft, barely audible chuckle.

Mina heard it however and it brought a smile to her face. She figured the same fond memory had popped into his head that did hers.

When the two were around seven or eight, Renjun wasn't allowed to go outside and play until his room was clean. The boy was distraught but Mina came to his rescue and helped rectify his mess so that they could play together.

"Mina... do you remember-"

"When your mom wouldn't let you go outside until your room was clean? Yep." She laughs feeling bittersweet.

This moment would be way more enjoyable if they were still friends and not whatever title they've slapped on their broken friendship.

This brought Mina to her question.

"Renjun, promise me right now that you'll answer my question with one-hundred percent honesty," Mina says sternly, a serious look in her eyes to match her tone.

"I promise," he looks her straight in the eyes but Mina's not buying it and her question is way too important.

She extends her pinky out towards him.

"Are you being serious? A pinky promise? Was my word not enough?"

Mina doesn't budge, despite the slight sting of immaturity she feels. 

"Ugh, fine," he wraps his pinky around hers ignoring the way her hands are now nearly the same size as his. It had been forever since they'd pinky promised each other anything.

"What happened to us?" Mina looks him dead in the eyes. "Why did we just stop being friends?"

Renjun can't seem to meet her eyes anymore. He knows exactly why he started distancing himself from her but he felt stupid for it.

"I don't know, Mina. People just grow apart sometimes, I guess." He tries to avoid further questioning by checking the window and the time.

It had stopped raining halfway through their cleaning process and Mina still had an hour before she needed to be home. Nice try.

"That's true but I didn't think our friendship was like other people's. It doesn't even make any sense to me because it happened so quickly. You just stopped talking to me out of nowhere, Renjun."

Mina felt herself becoming emotional and decided to stop there. She took a deep breath.

"It's okay if you're not ready to tell me what really happened but I want something else." She states.

"Let's call a truce."

"A truce?" He cocks an eyebrow.

"Yeah, no petty arguments, no nitpicking at each other, and no cruel names or comments." Mina stands to her feet. "Let's treat each other like human beings for the remainder of this project."

"We got so much done today in such a short amount of time because we didn't keep taking breaks to start petty arguments." She points out to him. "To minimize unnecessary time spent together, let's cut that out."

"I can't promise the last one but the rest of it, sure." Renjun accepts the truce.

"Okay good, I'll be leaving now," Mina said gathering her things and finally making it out of the door this time.

~

"Good morning students of Hayan Academy, this is Principal Suh here to announce that the Union Games against Euntae High will be nearing. All sports teams will resume after-school practice."

"I repeat, all sports teams will resume after-school practice. Please see the coach of your sport for information regarding practice days and times."

Mina wanted to bang her head on the locker in front of her. Unfortunately for her, she was instead hit by the one next to her when its owner flung it open in his own fit of rage.

"Owww!" She winced, placing a hand near her left eyebrow where she was sure there was a bruise now.

Renjun just stared at her briefly as if he was the one in shock from being assaulted by a locker before turning back to the contents of his bookbag.

"Sorry," he muttered.

Before Mina could question him on who peed in his cereal, the boy was already down the hallway.

Mina entered her class, thankful to have beaten the bell despite having an injury. She slipped into her seat next to Jeno.

Then, she sees a bag of ice sitting on her desk. It has to be fresh from the nurse's office.

She whispered a small thank you to Jeno, then asked him how he knew about her encounter with Renjun's locker.

"I didn't leave that..." he said pointing to the bag of ice. There's a hint of that tone he uses when he knows something she doesn't.

"But you know who did," Mina states. "Tell me."

"Okay class, let's get started," their teacher announced, unintentionally saving Jeno from his interrogation.

Dropping her head in frustration, and pain, Mina looks down at her desk to see a small, folded piece of paper. She opened the small note to see the singular word "Thanks" written on it.

She instantly recognized the handwriting on the anonymous note and wanted to burst out laughing.

Because it was funny? Or was it a defense mechanism?

Kind of a short update but I promise the plot will start to pick up after this chapter...👀

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