Outcast || Meanie

11

When the last bell rings, Mingyu immediately stands up from his seat and slings his bag over his shoulder. He walks towards Wonwoo, who is now standing up after packing his stuff into his bag. Mingyu taps his shoulder and stands in front of Wonwoo, tightly gripping his bag strap as he meets Wonwoo's surprised gaze. “Hey, you free this summer break?” Mingyu asks, trying to keep his voice casual.

Wonwoo, who has seems more withdrawn than usual during class, looks up with a hesitant nod. “Yeah, I guess.”

“Great. Let’s head to my place and work on that project this weekend.  I mean, I know it’s a long way off, but I thought we could get a head start on our assignment. ” Mingyu says, his tone leaving little room for argument which makes Wonwoo hesitates for a moment, his eyes flickering with uncertainty but after a brief pause, he finally nod. Mingyu smile by the answer and then shifts nervously, glancing around as if he is making sure no one else is listening. "Uh, so... my parents aren't gonna be home this weekend. We can have the whole place to ourselves."

Wonwoo raises an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Oh, really? That sounds... peaceful."

“Yeah,” Mingyu replies, scratching the back of his neck. “We can, you know, spread out and really focus. Plus, they have a great collection of snacks.”

Wonwoo’s lips curl into a small smile. “Sounds good. What time should I come over?”

“Maybe around ten? We can get a good start and, you know, take breaks whenever.”

“Sure thing,” Wonwoo says. “It’ll be nice to hang out outside of school. Looking forward to it.”

Mingyu nods, trying to suppress the grin that threatens to spread across his face. He shifts on his feet, suddenly acutely conscious of how close they are standing. He clears his throat lightly, hoping Wonwoo doesn’t notice his sudden nervousness. “Me too.” Mingyu manages to say, though his voice comes out a touch higher than usual. He quickly looks away, pretending to adjust the strap of his bag. “Um, so, I’ll see you then?”

"Yeah, see you," Wonwoo replies, he waves his hand to Mingyu and walk away but as he is about heads out of the classroom, he pauses at the door, turning back to Mingyu with a small, contemplative smile playing on his lips.

"You know," Wonwoo starts, his voice softer than before, "it's been a while since someone invited me over like this."

Mingyu's heart skips a beat at Wonwoo's words, and he couldn't help but let out a nervous chuckle. He scratches the back of his neck again, his cheeks warming unexpectedly. "Yeah, well, it's just for the project, you know," Mingyu replies quickly, trying to maintain his composure. He shifts his weight from one foot to the other, suddenly feeling the weight of Wonwoo's gaze on him. "I mean, you're welcome to stay over if it gets too late or something. My parents won't be back until Wednesday afternoon anyway."

Wonwoo tilts his head slightly as he look at Mingyu with genuine curiosity.

Mingyu swallows hard.

"Um, yeah," Mingyu stammers, feeling a bit flustered under Wonwoo's gaze. "I mean, uh, if you want to stay over, you can. I mean, just if it's easier, you know? No pressure or anything."

Wonwoo chuckles softly, oblivious to Mingyu’s growing nervousness. "See you on Saturday then." He gives a final nod to Mingyu before turning to leave, his steps calm and unhurried. As he disappears down the hallway, Mingyu lets out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. His mind races, wondering why he’s so flustered around Wonwoo all of a sudden. He shakes his head, trying to push the confusing thoughts away.