nurse's office | minsung ✓

7

The lunchroom was a mess of noise and chaos, the kind that used to make Jisung feel small and invisible. Today was no different, though. The laughter and chatter from every table seemed to echo in his mind, bouncing around in his skull like a relentless reminder that he didn't belong here.

He usually ate alone now. Without Felix and the others, there wasn't anyone to sit with, and the thought of trying to join another group felt impossible. His tray sat untouched in front of him, the food cooling by the second as he stared at it, his appetite nonexistent.

A few tables over, he saw them—his old friends. Seungmin was laughing at something one of the other guys said, Christopher was his name probably. And Jeongin, even though he was far away in a different school, had left a noticeable gap in the group. Felix's absence hit the hardest. His loud, boisterous energy had always filled the room, making the silence now deafening. He was the one Jisung trusted the most among his 3 best friends.

Jisung tried to swallow the lump in his throat and look away, but it was like his eyes were glued to them. He hated feeling like this—like an outsider in a place that used to feel so familiar.

Without thinking, he stood up, abandoning his tray and making a beeline for the door. He needed to get out of there before the pressure swallowed him whole. The hallway was quieter, thankfully, and Jisung let out a shaky breath, trying to steady himself.

But just as he turned the corner, he nearly collided with someone.

"Whoa, careful there."

It was Minho.

Jisung froze, blinking in surprise. Minho wasn't in his nurse's uniform—he was wearing a hoodie, hands shoved into his pockets as if he was just another student. For a moment, it felt strange seeing him outside of the nurse's office. This version of Minho, less formal and more laid-back, caught Jisung off guard.

"Skipping lunch, too?" Minho asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jisung swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. "Uh...yeah. Kinda lost my appetite."

Minho nodded, as if he understood exactly what Jisung meant without needing further explanation. "Mind if I join you for a walk? The cafeteria's a little too loud for my taste today."

Jisung nodded, relieved that he didn't have to walk alone. They walked side by side in silence for a while, the sound of their footsteps the only thing cutting through the quiet hallway.

It wasn't until they reached the outdoor courtyard, a quiet spot behind the school building, that Minho spoke up again. "I saw you looking at them," he said, not unkindly. "Your friend, right?"

Jisung winced, surprised at how easily Minho had noticed. He didn't respond right away, instead kicking a pebble across the pavement. "Yeah. Not really my friend anymore, though."

Minho leaned against a nearby bench, watching him with that same calm, unreadable expression. "Why not?"

Jisung bit his lip. He wasn't sure he could explain it in a way that made sense. How could he put into words the feeling of being left behind while everyone else moved forward? Of watching the people who used to mean everything slowly drift away, piece by piece, until there was nothing left but memories?

"It's just... they all moved on," Jisung said quietly. "Felix moved back to Australia. Seungmin's too busy. Jeongin's...off doing great things abroad. And I'm just...here."

"Here's not a bad place to be. This is a prestigious law school." Minho said simply.

Jisung snorted, kicking the pebble harder this time. "Feels like it."

They lapsed into silence again, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It was the kind of silence that made Jisung feel like maybe it was okay to not have everything figured out yet. Maybe it was okay to just be here, with Minho, without needing to explain anything.

"I get it," Minho said after a while. "Sometimes, it feels like the whole world's moving forward without you. Like everyone's got their life together except for you."

Jisung looked at him, surprised by how easily Minho seemed to understand. He didn't ask how Minho knew, but there was something in his eyes that told Jisung he'd felt it too at some point.

"You'll figure it out," Minho added, glancing up at the sky. "It just takes time."

Jisung felt a lump form in his throat again, but this time, it wasn't as suffocating. Minho's words were simple, but they felt like the lifeline Jisung didn't realize he needed. For the first time in a long while, he didn't feel quite so alone.

As they walked back toward the school building, Minho bumped Jisung's shoulder lightly, a small grin playing on his lips. "Next time, we'll actually eat lunch, yeah?"

Jisung couldn't help but smile back, even if it was small and tentative. "Yeah...maybe."

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