pet, meanie

IX

"Something's definitely up."

Seokmin slammed both his hands on the table, turning to Wonwoo, and interrupting the usual atmosphere they had at lunch.

Minghao looked relieved at Seokmin's outburst, and joined in with him, declaring that Wonwoo was acting differently since the morning.

"What?! I'm literally so normal right now, it's not like anything happened,"

As he claimed so, Wonwoo knew well enough there was no way he'd be able to hide stuff — especially important shit like this morning — from his friends. He could only avoid eye contact, and hope he wouldn't get confronted by any of his friends.

It wasn't like he didn't want to admit he and Kim Mingyu had something going on. But he didn't trust himself to stay in check as he admitted all of it to the three people eagerly waiting for him to deny what he'd just said, and spill the beans.

"You're shit at lying, and I think we've known this since middle school,"

"Yeah,"

Gods, could Wonwoo get any more stupid?

To his relief, the bell signalling the end of lunch rang just seconds later, and Wonwoo bustled off immediately. Before he could get away, Jun held him back by grabbing his sleeve. "It's a Thursday. We're talking after school,"

Oh, fuck the universe for it being a Thursday.

As Wonwoo walked to his locker, he recalled he had Chemistry now, meaning he'd be seeing Mingyu. Just the thought of him had blood rushing to his cheeks, especially after all that had happened since six that morning.

There he was — Kim Mingyu in all his glory, scrolling aimlessly through his phone on the desk at the very back of the classroom, looking bored. Wonwoo wondered what it meant when he'd unknowingly searched for Mingyu the moment he'd entered the classroom. Surely it wasn't that deep?

Before he knew it, Mingyu's eyes had landed on him. He looked a bit flustered at first, but his face soon broke into his signature grin, as he beckoned Wonwoo forward.

Wonwoo found himself complying without much resistance, like he was drawn to the person Mingyu was. It was hard not to. Kim Mingyu's presence was always loud — not necessarily because he was loud too. He was just too nice and well-mannered and funny and gorgeous and-

"Wonwoo?"

Whoops. Wonwoo shook his head, emptying his thoughts about what made Kim Mingyu so attractive. He smiled, feeling sheepish that he might have just stood there for a while, and cautiously settled himself on the desk next to Mingyu's.

That was when he realised Mingyu was seated at Wonwoo's regular desk. "You sit in the middle rows, though," Wonwoo blurted.

"I have a reason to take a seat at the back of the classroom now," Mingyu spoke through a smile. Wonwoo silently chided his heart for racing whenever Mingyu just talked.

"So, same time tomorrow?" asked Mingyu, as the teacher had entered. It took a while for Wonwoo to realise he was talking about the shitty marathon thing.

"Yeah, okay," Wonwoo was glad the kiss hadn't been mentioned.

--

"Spill. We have all day,"

"We don't actually, I have some-"

Jun was effectively shut up by a single glare from Minghao. He squeaked a little 'never mind', and keenly turned to Wonwoo — who, for a change, was the spotlight. Four of them trudged back home, Jun, Minghao and Seokmin stalling around until Wonwoo told them everything.

His mouth worked before his brain did. "Mingyu kissed me,"

Overly dramatised gasps and the exaggerated covering of mouths greeted him at the confession. Wonwoo couldn't help but roll his eyes, while Minghao grabbed his arm and violently shook it back and forth like he was trying to give Wonwoo a concussion.

Unlike what he'd expected, the three were soon asking him for details. "Tell us everything,"

Wonwoo groaned, although somewhere inside, he secretly liked that his friends were so invested. He shrugged, "it was nothing, really-"

"Nuh-uh, it isn't nothing, when something, or someone, is capable of making you blush like crazy," Seokmin cut his bullshit off.

"Oh shush. It's not like you wouldn't be blushing if someone kissed you,"

"I would definitely be blushing if Kim Mingyu kissed me,"

Jun had a point there, and Minghao didn't protest. And they both were dating.

Wonwoo then had no choice but to describe all — most, he liked to keep a few details to himself — of it to his friends.

"You're literally living the cliché, high school main character life, except you have parents, and not a cranky grandma,"

Wonwoo looked unimpressed at Minghao's very unhelpful comment. "Please remind me why I'm friends with you guys," he sighed.

"Because you love us,"

Damn right.