Minchan: Fighting The Storms With You

05

"So, you want to know why everyone treats Minho like trash?" Jisung asked sarcastically.

I nodded, curious.

"Well... he's just incredibly unlucky." Jisung sighed, then continued, "The Lee family, Minho's family, is filthy rich. All the kids here come from wealthy families, and their parents are somehow connected to the Lee family's business. Minho's father is a terrible person. Everyone fears and hates him, but they can't confront him directly. Instead, they take it out on Minho because they know he means nothing to his father. Mr. Lee doesn't care if Minho is alive or dead. So, those who can't stand up to his father vent their frustration on Minho. Simple as that."

Jisung chuckled bitterly.

"He's always at the hospital, always alone. He does everything by himself. No matter what happens at school, his father is never summoned. So, the rich kids use him as a punching bag to relieve their stress."

"Just talking about it makes me restless. I don't know how he manages to smile so sweetly."

"His father hates him. Everyone does. I wish his misery stopped there. But no, Kim Seungmin had to add more pain. Seungmin was Minho's childhood friend, the only person who showed him any love. Now, he hates Minho for something Mr. Lee did. It's insane. At least Seungmin should understand Minho. But he doesn't. Minho keeps chasing him, and Seungmin just pushes him away harder. It's heartbreaking."

"And then there's Minho's heart condition, which makes everything worse. He can't run, can't walk, can't sing or dance like he loves to. He can barely do anything. He can't eat cold food. A little push, and he faints."

"Aaaaaah... I hate it. How can people be so cruel to one person?!"

Jisung sighed deeply again. I sighed too, feeling the weight of his words. It was absurd for one person to endure so much.

The image of Minho from the rooftop flashed in my mind. He looked happy, just like any normal guy.

"I want to save him," I mumbled, surprised by my own words. I didn't even know him, but I felt an overwhelming concern for him.

Maybe Jisung heard me because he smiled warmly.

"He'd be happy to have one more person who doesn't hate him. Talk to him when he comes back, okay?"

I nodded.

"Maybe he won't come back today... so tomorrow. But he's like a cat, you know? He'll ignore you, act annoyed. But deep down, he loves it. And he's so cute."

"How did you two get close?" I asked.

"First, I couldn't believe someone could be that pretty. Then, I saw everyone hating him, and I felt like if no one else would hold his hand, I would. So, I approached him. He pushed me away. He still does because he thinks he's a burden. But I never leave him. I will never leave him."

Jisung smiled at me then.

"I will never leave him." Those words echoed in my mind.

I wanted to bring up Hyunjin. I hesitated but decided to go for it.

"So, why not clear things with Hyunjin?" I asked.

Jisung looked a little hurt and surprised.

"You think I haven't tried? I can't leave Minho alone. I don't know what to do."

I nodded.

"I get it. He'll stop. Don't worry." I smiled at Jisung, and he smiled back.

I couldn't wait to meet Minho the next day.

-------

The next day, I found Minho on the rooftop again, but this time he wasn't sleeping. He had earphones on, and whatever he was listening to, he loved it. His eyes were closed, his body moved subtly with the beat, and he was humming softly.

"Beautiful," I thought, captivated by the moment.

But I startled him again. He jumped like a frightened cat when he saw me.

~Beep beep beep~

I felt an immediate surge of guilt.

"What the hell, dude!" he exclaimed, clutching his chest.

"I'm sorry. Are you okay?" I asked, moving toward him with concern. He gestured for me to keep my distance, so I stopped.

The beeping gradually subsided.

"I get startled easily," he said, looking down, almost as if he felt bad about it.

I found it endearing.

"No, it's my fault," I said.

He smiled at me.

"Why are you here so early?" I asked.

"So that no one gets the chance to bully me. I come early and hide out here, and I leave when the bell rings," he said with a small smile. I felt a pang of sympathy for him.

I stayed quiet, unsure of what to say.

"So, what kinds of songs do you sing?" he asked.

"Mostly pop."

"Whoa! I also listen to pop. Are you into K-pop?"

"I'm a Stay."

"No way, I'm a Stay too!"

He stood up and did the 'Stay pose.' He was adorable, talking about music with such enthusiasm. He looked genuinely happy.

We went back to class together that day, and spent all our breaks together. Jisung joined us too. It was fun.

The Minho from that day was pretty, mischievous, happy, lively, and sassy.

I loved it.