It was Tuesday, another day of clubs. Mingyu hated to admit, but not joining Clubs, like his mother had declared, would have been the better option. It was hell for him, especially today, when each and every one in the auditorium snickered behind his back, making unpleasant remarks of his episode the previous day. Wonwoo, surprisingly, hadn't said anything. At least, not yet.
Thankfully, Professor Lee didn't care about Mingyu's incident at all. He continued like it was any other day, and introduced the preparations of a huge show to be presented towards the end of the next academic year. Mingyu couldn't wait to get started, although this term would mostly be the students getting familiar with each other in order to present a spectacular play.
And so began the most cringeworthy, yet entertaining, time Mingyu had ever spent in his life. He never knew the stern-faced Professor Lee could actually be quite chaotic when it came to introducing various activities for everyone to be able to work as a team.
Students were being separated into groups of three, according to the Professor randomly shouting names from the list to be put together as a trio. Mingyu anticipated his teammates with whom he would work with. "Kim Mingyu, Lee Chaeyeon, Jeon Wonwoo!" Professor announced.
Mingyu groaned, loud and clear. He swore he caught the girl – Chaeyeon – sending a pitiful smile his way when Wonwoo came up to both of them, a cocky air on his face, as he deliberately stood next to Mingyu. "I hope to have fun here," he said smugly, sticking his hand out for him and Chaeyeon to shake. Mingyu didn't want to take it, wincing at the fact that he had actually touched Wonwoo's hair yesterday, like Soonyoung had mentioned.
He ignored Wonwoo's waiting hand. Wonwoo, having expected this, indifferently shoved it back into his pocket, turning towards Professor's direction. Mingyu honestly felt bad for Chaeyeon – she shouldn't have to deal with the tension between him and Wonwoo. When Mingyu glanced at her, she looked really uncomfortable between him and Wonwoo.
When the boy's attention was focused on Professor, Mingyu leaned down and silently whispered in her ear, "there's the group, at the very end right there." Mingyu pointed, "You could join that one if you want, Professor won't notice. I'm sorry if we're making you uncomfortable."
Chaeyeon smiled at him, bowed, and silently left, joining the duo Mingyu pointed at.
Mingyu realised he'd dug his own grave by doing that, since he was stuck with Wonwoo until Professor Lee decided to switch the groups up. "Playing saint, are we?" Wonwoo spoke, after Chaeyeon had left, eyes not having averted from Professor.
"She doesn't have to deal with your sorry ass, Jeon. I was just being nice."
--
The piles of assignments only kept on growing taller and taller as the year progressed. All of Mingyu's stuff had been shipped and arranged in his room by this time, and he finally had a bed to sleep on.
Much to his delight, he'd made friends with Chaeyeon after that day. Mingyu felt like he'd achieved something huge, now that he had one more friend.
Like he found out a while later, Lee Chaeyeon was none other than the daughter of Kim Industries' close partner – Lee Minjun. Mingyu's mother had quite a good relationship with the man.
The term-end neared, and Mingyu kept dreading it. Anyone would expect him to dread the examinations, but he was put off for another reason; examinations were the last of his worries. Soonyoung and Minghao had to leave soon. Not having interacted outside of Pledis, Mingyu still didn't want to let go of them just yet.
He knew he wouldn't be able to meet up as final goodbye, for his mother would allow nothing of that sort.
On their last day at Pledis, Mingyu made them swear none of them would ever change their numbers. Both of them texted him the phone numbers they use in their country, and the trio sealed a promise of never ghosting each other. "We'll talk whenever possible, okay?" Minghao assured a dejected Mingyu, as the three exited the building in the afternoon that day.
"Yeah."
A week later, Mingyu made up a brilliant lie to tell his mother. Desperationto go and see his friends off at the airport had overpowered the feeling of dread at some point during the week.
"Chaeyeon and I are meeting up briefly tomorrow, Mother, I hope that's alright." Mingyu announced at dinner, a day before Soonyoung and Minghao left.
"Lee Chaeyeon?"
"Yes Mother."
"Very well, it's a pleasure to hear you finally have the sense to associate with people of our kind."
"Thank you, Mother."
And Mingyu hurriedly finished his dinner, waited for his mother to follow as well, and then sprinted off to his room the moment she finished.
He sent texts to both Soonyoung and Minghao, letting them know that he would be able to see them off, getting replies within the next five minutes. Mingyu couldn't wait for the sun to rise again.
The next day, Mingyu eagerly anticipated the clock to strike twelve in the noon. He'd even set an alarm, and the moment it went off, Mingyu sprang off his chair and, grumbling, travelled to the second, and the top-most, floor of the mansion, knocked on his mother's office, and informed her of his departure. "I'll be back in an hour or so, Mother."
"That's it."
"I won't be late, Mother."
He'd previously bribed, and succeeded, another chauffeur to remain silent and drop him at the airport – all while pretending that Mingyu, in fact, had visited the Lees, if his mother happened to notice the chauffeur's absence in the meantime.
On his way, Mingyu called Chaeyeon briefly, to tell her that he was supposed to be at her place. "Make up whatever you want if Mother happens to get nosy, I'll play along," he told Chaeyeon, and she, thankfully, agreed without many questions.
When he reached, he didn't wait for his door to be opened, and soon blended in with the people inside the airport. Soonyoung and Minghao arrived a few minutes later, and Mingyu walked them till the latter's departure gate, since his flight was set to leave before Soonyoung's. The trio spent a while simply talking, Mingyu suddenly having a lot more to talk about. When an attendant announced the boarding for the flight, Minghao stood up with his luggage, bid a final, sad, goodbye to Mingyu and Soonyoung, and soon disappeared amongst the others travelling with him.
The same followed for Soonyoung, just Mingyu kept getting more and more downcast. Soonyoung surprised him with a quick hug just as he was about to board. After whispering a last 'goodbye', Mingyu turned and walked back to where he came from.
He badly wanted to stay here for some more time; it felt much better than being in the house, with the dread of his Mother's constant presence. But he chose against doing so; the chauffeur still couldn't be trusted much.
