Stuck With You// Kim Seungmin

13

Seungmin pov

Today was the start of the college entrance exam, and Chan hyung was up early, preparing to head to school. The rest of us were gathered around him, offering well wishes and encouragement. 

Suddenly, the door swung open, and in rushed Lee Minju, looking slightly out of breath and holding a steaming bowl of ginseng soup. 

"Channie Oppa! This is for you," Minju exclaimed, holding out the soup for Chan hyung. My brother accepted the bowl with a smile, clearly amused by Minju's sudden entrance.

"Thanks, Minju. That's really thoughtful," Chan hyung said as he took a sip of the soup. "This is great!"

Minju beamed with pride. "No pressure today, okay? Just do your best like you always do." She gave him an encouraging nod.

"Did you steal that from Minho hyung?" I asked, teasingly. knowing her too well.

Minju shot me a playful glare. "Hey, it's not stealing if it's for a good cause!" she shot back.

My parents laughed at our typical conversation. "You two never stop, do you?" Mom commented with a shake of her head.

 I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her. It was rare to see her being so thoughtful towards someone, especially with something as huge as stealing ginseng soup from her own brother. In all my years of knowing Minju, she had never gone out of her way to treat me like this. It seemed like she reserved her softer side for people other than me, what a good friend I have.

................................................................................................................................................................

We were standing by the school entrance, saying goodbye to Chan hyung and Minho hyung as they prepared to take the college entrance exams. As Chan hyung accepted our well wishes and headed toward the school, I noticed Minju off to the side, getting an earful from her mom.

"Minju, what were you thinking, taking your brother's soup?" Minju's mom questioned, her tone a mix of surprise and frustration.

"Minho Oppa doesn't need ginseng soup, Mom. He can always do well. Channie Oppa is the one who needs the soup," Minju retorted confidently.

"Are you serious? Do you know how much trouble I had to go through to get that ginseng?" Her mom replied, a hint of exasperation in her voice.

"I don't care. My priority right now is Channie Oppa, and he deserves everything. He's even cooler than your own son," Minju shot back, her grin widening as she defended her actions.

"Yah, I'm the one who's going to sit for the exam. Don't you think stealing my soup is a little too much?" Minho hyung said, giving Minju a curious look.

"So what? You never treat me like a proper little sister and now you're jealous?" Minju shot back, not backing down.

"Minju, it's okay. You don't have to steal the soup for me," Chan hyung said, trying to diffuse the situation.

"No, I'm going to do everything for you because only you treat me like a little sister, unlike my own brother," Minju insisted, giving a mock glare at Minho hyung. Minho hyung could say nothing but just let out a defeated sigh.

With that, Chan hyung and Minho hyung entered the school, ready to tackle their exams, while the rest of us headed home. On the way back, Minju and I found ourselves lost in thought about our own futures.

"I wonder what we'll be like in two years when it's our turn for the college entrance exam," Minju mused, breaking the silence as we walked.

I thought about her question as we walked. "I don't know. I just hope I can get into medical school. It's not going to be easy."