CHAEBEOL | minsung

nine

･῾ ᵎ⁺◦ ❥ ✧.

Minho wouldn't admit it, but he was starting to enjoy his routine at school. Dozing through his classes, confident in intelligence that came to him easily, and then spending the breaks with his friends.

He hadn't expected to make friends, not here, not in a place where everyone came with a seven-figure inheritance. But a couple of other poor kids had slipped through the cracks.

Hyunjin was funny when he was able to be, when no one else was watching. His humour was dry and for someone who kept their head down, he always had great gossip. Jeongin loved this, too, always eager to slag off the kids who made their lives hell.

"And then that tall guy in my English class, Choi Soobin, went crazy because Kang Taehyun said he was copying off that other guy's glasses. Choi... Yeonbun? Yeonjin?" Hyunjin was dishing the dirt during their lunch break, spent in an empty classroom. 

"Choi Yeonjun?" Jeongin laughed. "God, I bet Soobin hated that. Especially after all the rumours about them dating.

"Rich people really do argue about the stupidest things, huh?" Minho muttered as he picked at the snacks that the three had bought to share.

"Seriously. I mean, I'm only here because my parents won the fucking lottery. I thought it would be good to come to a rich school, but all I learned was that rich people are fucked up," complained Jeongin. 

The three nodded in silent companionship. It was one thing they all agree on. Rich people really were fucked up. 

"I meant to say, I'm going out to the Han river this weekend to do some painting. Anyone wanna come?" Hyunjin asked as he pushed Jeongin's hand out the way to grab his own handful of crisps. 

Minho considered the offer. It felt nice, this easy and natural friendship that Minho was finding himself in the middle of. And it would be good to get out the house. He'd not spoken to many of his friends from his own school when he left, and life had gotten pretty lonely.

Jeongin shot a glare at the older before sighing and answering. "Sure. What time?" 

"Earlyish, maybe 12? Or 1 in the afternoon?"

Jeongin's face straightened. "That's early to you?"

Hyunjin pulled a face at him. "Early for me. We can't all be morning people or society would collapse."

"Sounds good to me," added Minho, decision made. "I can be there whenever."

Hyunjin was going to discuss his plans further when a noise at the door drew the attention of all three boys. They'd shut the door behind them when they came in, not expecting to be disturbed. Someone hadn't got the memo and stood awkwardly in the now open doorway.

Minho's eyes lingered on the blonde in the doorway. An expanse of freckles spattering an upturned nose, small form, made smaller by the way his shoulders shrunk inwards. He recognised the boy, but couldn't think of his name.

"Your friends aren't here. Fuck off." Jeongin's voice was harsh and the boy flinched slightly.

"I'm not looking for my friends." When he spoke, the boy's words were articulated slowly and clearly, the clear work of a foreign speaker.

"Oh, so the prefects work on their own now, huh? You think you can take all three of us at once?" Jeongin stood up, only to be pushed back into his seat by Hyunjin.

"Leave it," Hyunjin warned.

"I... Um, I'm actually here for him." The boy pointed at Minho.

Jeongin and Hyunjin whipped their heads round to stare in shock at Minho, who remained unbothered. He stayed leaned back in his chair, casual, arms folded over his chest and his brows lifted only slightly in expectation.