xo, minho | xo, kitty ff

t w o :

soundtrack; xoxo - jeon somi

Studying in this school, Adelaide rapidly realised that there's a certain caliber of social standing one must uphold in order to fit in. And that's exactly what she did, keeping her head down she floated amongst the students, aimlessly listening to their conversations during lunch and break times. Days had passed and she'd grown used to hearing news of the trending fashion items of the day or the latest updates on hot celebrities or students at KISS.

One name in particular stayed on the tip of everyone's tongues. "Did you see Minho after summer break? I didn't know it was possible for him to get even hotter!"

"I know! And that bag he's been wearing isn't even out in the market yet! Apparently he's modelling for Givenchy this season." The girls in Adelaide's class gushed over him between bites of their bibimbap. Apparently, Minho and his group of friends were at the top of the food chain in this school.

"Yuri's outfit too, my girlfriend's been looking everywhere for her designer dress at the welcome party." Another guy chipped in.

"Bomi? Didn't her dad cut off her black card for because of that whole yacht fiasco?"

"So? Why does she need him when she has me?" Whistles and cheers surrounded the table as they all were immersed in their extravagant lifestyles. Excitedly, Jane waved to gather everyone's attention to the front of the hall. "Yah, yah! That's Minho and Q!!"

Looking over her shoulder, Adelaide watched as the two walked past the crowd, parting the sea as everyone stopped to stare at them. Visually, putting them side by side was an attraction explosion for hormonal teenagers alike. Gone was Minho's usually tousled bangs hiding his eyes, now they were suavely styled back to reveal his pretty complexion.

Begrudgingly, Adelaide's heart still pounded in her chest as she thought of their walks by the pier. How could she not have known that he was this kind of person back then? The signs were glaringly obvious- from the way his clothes always seemed to fit him perfectly with no creases in sight to the twang of his overseas British slang showing through his Korean accent. No good would come out of telling anyone about their summer and so she kept silent- which proved difficult to do when Adelaide saw Kitty spilling tea every day.

Discretely, Q waved to her courteously as Minho whizzed past her table uncaringly. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts she refocused back on herself. Why was she wasting time mulling about him when she had a whole stack of materials to study?

Finishing her meal quickly, she headed to the direction of the library but got stopped in her tracks by a running boy.

"Adelaide! Wait up!" Q caught up to her effortlessly, not even breaking a sweat.

"I'm heading to the library," She apologised, secretly hoping he wouldn't follow her. To her dismay he simply nodded his head and stuffed his hands in his pocket, "Great, I'll walk you there."

Sighing to herself, Adelaide smiled politely; technically her problem didn't involve Q or Minho's other friends so she should cut them some slack as they seemed like decent people. "Did Kitty tell you about the movie night this Friday?" Q began,"You should come! We're planning to go grocery shopping and make dinner plus a movie."

"Yeah, she did ask about that... but I don't wanna intrude on your friend group."

"What d'ya mean?" Q paused as he seemed to be reading Adelaide's sheepish expression. "Okay, I don't know exactly what happened between you and Minho but setting that aside, I just thought it'd be cool if you wanna join us. It's not easy being so far away from home and you seem like a genuine person so..."

Instantly, Q's warm words washed over Adelaide, as if soothing the anxiety in her. "Thanks, that's actually really nice of you to say."

"But how do you do it? Aren't things really awkward with everyone in the group now?" She blurted out before she could stop her curiosity and instantly shirked back with a hand covering her mouth. Laughter bubbled in Q's chest as he shook his head, his eyes sparkling in amusement. "So, did Minho tell you about all that drama last semester?" He joked smoothly.

Deflecting, she looked elsewhere. "Why'd you think that? Kitty talks a lot too..." She could hear his concealed smile from the way he spoke."Mhmm. No reason."

"So you'll be there, right?"

Talking with Q was so easy and lighthearted that it was a quiet relief for Adelaide, away from all the tension. If Q was there, surely the night wouldn't be that bad, right?

. . .

And so, Adelaide and Kitty showed up to the boys dorm, arms filled with a bag of her beloved Malaysian snacks as a show of camaraderie which could also act as a bribe to have the boys forget about what happened the last time she was there.

"I'm so nervous! It's gonna my first time properly hanging out with Yuri, Minho and Dae in a looong time. How am I gonna survive?" Kitty yelped as the door swung open.

"Ah, you guys are here!" Q exclaimed.

"I brought snacks..." Adelaide held out the bag. "I was just about to head out to get the groceries from the car. Dae and Yuri are here, y'all can head in first."

"Let me come with, I'll help you." Adelaide offered, glancing at Kitty and the people in the living room. "No it's all right... wait, actually sure."

"What?! No!" Kitty shrieked. "You'll be fine... just take my snacks and think of it as a way of breaking the ice before the night starts." Adelaide said mischievously pushing Kitty in the direction of her infamous love triangle.

They watched as Kitty stumbled inside and Q abruptly turned to Adelaide seriously. "I like you."

"Many people do?" Cringing before she could properly deliver her feeble joke. Their walk through the scenic campus greenery ended at their schools parking lot where a sleek and spotless white Tesla was parked.

"Finally! I've been waiting for y'all for forever!" Minho pushed off of the side of the car, noticing that Q wasn't alone. His muddled look lingered on Adelaide's outfit for a beat before turning to Q. "The groceries are in the boot."

Silently, they unloaded the car and Adelaide marvelled when seeing the inside of a Tesla. "How come you can drive, aren't you underage in Korea?" She asked, genuinely curious. For a moment, Minho seemed stunned that the girl was actually addressing him- much less speaking to him.

"Minho's got an International Driving Permit. Which lets him drive this beast." Q said over the plastic bags of groceries.

"Yeah, besides I'm older than you by half a year." Minho shot back sassily. "With the maturity of a child." Adelaide replied dryly, her bags swinging in the air as she walked away. "Yah!" He ran after her.

Q shook his head as he followed them closely, "You're both literally the same person."

. . .

Author's note 💌
Can I just say, out of everyone in the series... Q has my heart. He's just so precious and we need to protect him at all costs! 🥹