You understand me - Minsung

Chapter 8

For the next few weeks, Minho had been even worse.

The intrusive thoughts left him, but his mind was completely empty. He didn't feel giddy seeing Jisung again, he didn't want to fight with Hyunjin anymore, and hadn't felt the necessity of his two best friends anymore. He was tired, and lived like it.

He took 2 or 3 pills per day, and they were blocking him from reality completely. He didn't enjoy the sweet sound of his music while walking to class, he didn't hate the silence neither, he was just blanking.

He started doing things out of pure automatism, waking up, walking to school, coming back, getting to sleep. Nothing more, nothing less.

Everyone noticed the sudden shift in his behavior. They all questioned it, but they didn't have the guts to talk to Minho, nor talk about it with each other. They wanted it to stay a stupid idea they had in their own mind, they didn't want to confirm their doubts.

But Minho was acting so weirdly. He had never been that talkative, but he was still sarcastic, still annoying, still there. Now he wasn't. It was as if they were just with his physical enveloppe, but nothing more. They started getting weirded out from their encounters, all of them discussing lightly, but Minho stood still, staring at nothing, sometimes not even listening to the conversation ongoing.

Chan was the most worried. He couldn't bear with the sight. He knew, deep down, that Minho wasn't doing well at all. He could tell, it was obvious. But he didn't know how to shook Minho out of it, how to talk to him about.

He tried, but to no avail. Minho shut him down the second he tried to get in his head. 

He had just finished his class and was waiting for Changbin to join him when Jisung spooked him, as the squirrel loves to.

"Gosh, you have to stop doing that" Chan said, placing his hand on his heart as Jisung's laugh echoed in the corridors.

"It's too funny to stop" He said in between laughs

"You're not doing that to Minho aren't you?" Chan teased, but stopped smiling as he saw the face Jisung made at the mention of the boy. Jisung silenced himself. He wanted to ask something, but was scared, he wasn't the closest to him and didn't want to invade his personal space.

"Chan... I know I don't know Minho that much but ... Isn't he weird lately?" Jisung asked, unsure. He started fiddling with his hoodie.

"Yeah..." Chan said, letting all his worries flood out for once.

"Oh, are you okay Channie?" Jisung asked as he saw his friend's face fall so quickly.

"I just miss my happy Minho" He sighed "The little shit that was always taunting us and making us laugh" Chan explained to Jisung, feeling tears prickle in his eyes.

What Chan wasn't expecting was the hurt in the voice he heard so suddenly. The small, almost inaudible 'me too' that came from behind him.

He turned back, seeing Minho just behind him. Minho's face had fallen for a slight second, making his uninterest act back immediately. But this time Chan saw it, he saw how hurt Minho looked, he had never seen it before. His eyes widened worriedly.

Minho felt a wave crush him down and his throat felt tightening. The worry in his friend's eyes looked way too similar to his own parents. He didn't want them to worry, to be sugarcoated by everyone anymore. He sighed and shook his head as was about to leave, but he stopped and looked back at them when he heard a small chuckle.

"He still looks like a little shit to me" Jisung said, the joke evident in his tone.

Minho liked it. He liked how Jisung actually understood the situation. He didn't want to be sugar coated, he wanted to be treated as everyone else, even though he knew he was annoying everyone with his stupid behavior. A ghost of a smile appeared on his face, as Jisung looked at it in satisfaction.

"He still is, don't get me wrong" Chan said, as the worry washed out of his face as he saw how Minho relaxed when Jisung treated him like nothing had happened 

"Remember that time when you got so drunk you puked on my shirt? I had to carry you home and you didn't stop annoying the shit out of me the whole way back. I had to throw the shirt in the bin" Chan told as he chuckled slightly remembering the beginning of the year, seeing how Minho's eyes rolled and a small grin appeared on his face.

"Shut up" Minho muttered, slightly nudging his friend.

"Let's go drink soon" Chan offered, wanting to recreate this kind of memory.

"I won't drink" Minho explained, knowing that he shouldn't mix his medication and alcohol. "But I'll come, perhaps" He added, not wanting to disappoint his friend.

"Perhaps?" Jisung asked teasingly

"Yes, I like when my presence is wanted, I'll make it a surprise" Minho explained, his strange humor back, making the two boys chuckle lightly.

"You're something else Minho" Jisung said in between his chuckles, and Minho hated how it lingered in his mind.