Middle school was undoubtedly the most painful time. You couldn't understand a word, and classes were tough. Aside from Minseo, you didn't have any friends—but that wasn't really a big deal. Minseo was incredibly popular, after all. Who wouldn't like a pretty girl who also excelled in her studies? She received a lot of confessions from boys, but she turned them all down. When you asked her why, she said, "If it were up to me, I think my ideal boyfriend would be someone like my brother."
"Yeah, Mingyu is great in every way, as long as you don't compete with him for food," you joked.
In your first year of middle school, because you couldn't speak or understand Korean well, you often got cold looks from others. You couldn't fully grasp what they were saying, but you could tell from their tone and expressions that it wasn't anything good. Someone had even stuck Post-it notes on your desk, saying things like "Go back where you came from."
Minseo happened to walk in and saw you staring at your desk in a daze. She ripped off all the Post-its, fuming as she said something in anger, but you couldn't understand her. You just stood by, watching her, feeling your nose sting as tears welled up in your eyes. Seeing you cry, Minseo thought you were too upset and grew even angrier. You tugged at her sleeve, and in your still-clumsy Korean, said slowly, "It's okay, Minseo, let's go."
Minseo didn't say anything, but the look she gave you seemed to ask: *Is it really okay?*
You nodded. She sighed and said, "Alright, let's go."
On the way home, Minseo kept telling you that if you kept acting like this, you'd get bullied even more. You just smiled and watched her talk.
"Minseo, I'm really lucky to have you."
"Are you out of your mind? Saying this all of a sudden."
"No, I'm serious. I'm really fortunate to be in the same class as you."
"Just hurry up, okay?" Minseo grumbled. "Mingyu's cooking dinner tonight, so we should get back quickly."
"Okay!"
It was rare for Mingyu to come home, and it felt like he was visiting less and less often. The last time you saw him was a month ago.
As soon as you walked in the door, you saw Mingyu busily moving around the kitchen. You quickly put down your bags and went over to help. Mingyu glanced at the two of you and then at the clock. "Why are you late today? Did something happen?"
Minseo, still fuming, said, "I was just about to tell you! I'm so mad, Mingyu!" She then recounted everything that had happened, while you quietly set the table.
Suddenly, you felt arms wrap around you, a sense of warmth and safety enveloping you. You knew immediately that it was Mingyu. The moment he hugged you, you had to admit your heart skipped a beat.
"You've been through a lot. These past few days..." Mingyu's voice had deepened significantly since he went through puberty. He sounded more like an older brother now.
But you knew in your heart that to Mingyu, you were like Minseo—a younger sister, someone he needed to protect. But just a sister, nothing more. The thought made you smile bitterly.
Snapping out of your thoughts, you patted Mingyu's arm, which was draped around your neck. "It's okay, Mingyu oppa. I still have you and Minseo, don't I?"
Mingyu let go and stretched out his arms, pulling you and Minseo into a tight embrace. "We'll be fine, and from now on, we'll be happy together."
"Yeah, we will!" Minseo shouted enthusiastically.
"We will," you echoed.
Mingyu tightened his arms around both of you before letting go. "Alright, let's eat before the food gets cold!"
At the table, Mingyu kept talking about the funny things that had happened during his recent practices.
"Those brats never clean the dorm, and I'm always the one stuck doing it. I even have to cook for them sometimes, but at least Jun helps me out."
"The only thing is, Jun keeps hanging out with this new Chinese trainee. They're always talking, and I can't understand a word of it," Mingyu grumbled.
"I can teach you Chinese," you offered.
"Really? That's perfect. The company said we'd need to learn Chinese anyway. How about you teach us? That way, your Korean will improve a lot too."
"I think it's a great idea," Minseo chimed in. "You've been feeling down at school lately, so it could be a good distraction. After school, you can run a little class for Mingyu oppa and his teammates."
And that's how you became Mingyu's—and his groupmates'—language teacher.
