nurse's office | minsung ✓

8

The hum of the lunch bell echoed through the halls, signaling the usual rush of students heading to the cafeteria. But Jisung wasn't in any hurry to join them. He never was. Instead, he found himself drifting toward the one place that had become his sanctuary—the nurse's office. Minho's office.

He wasn't sure why, but today felt different. Normally, Jisung would politely knock and wait for Minho's calm "come in" before slipping inside. He liked the routine of it, the quiet comfort of knowing that Minho would always be there, with his steady presence and sarcastic remarks.

But today, as soon as he reached the door, something inside Jisung snapped. Without thinking, he pushed the door open and barged in, not caring about formalities. The door slammed behind him with a soft thud, startling the boy momentarily. Normally, that would've made Jisung hesitate, but today...it felt natural.

Minho looked up from his desk, not the least bit surprised by Jisung's sudden entrance. In fact, there was something oddly warm in his expression—an almost too-happy-to-see-you kind of look that made Jisung's stomach flip in an unfamiliar way.

"Look who it is," Minho said, his lips curving into a small grin. "No knocking today, eh?"

Jisung rolled his eyes, feeling the tension he'd carried all morning melt away the second he stepped into the room. Without answering, he made his way to the rest bed at the back of the office, flopping down unceremoniously.

Minho leaned back in his chair, resting his arms behind his head as he watched Jisung settle in. "Rough day?"

Jisung let out a sigh, but there wasn't any real frustration behind it. "Not really. Just...didn't feel like dealing with anyone else today."

"Lucky me, then," Minho said, his tone light and teasing.

Jisung snorted. "Yeah, sure. You're thrilled."

"Actually," Minho said, his eyes crinkling with amusement, "I kind of am. Office has been dead today. No one wants to fake sick in university."

Jisung chuckled softly, the sound easing the quiet tension between them. They fell into their usual rhythm—exchanging sarcastic comments, teasing each other about meaningless things. For once, it felt like the weight of the world wasn't hanging over Jisung's shoulders. He was just...here. With Minho. And it was nice.

Eventually, the laughter started to die down, leaving a comfortable silence in its wake. Jisung plopped himself to sit on the bed, staring at Minho as he rifled through some papers at his desk. The air between them felt lighter, somehow. Jisung shifted slightly, his mind wandering to things he'd never really thought about before.

Out of nowhere, he blurted, "What did you want to be when you grew up?"

Minho blinked at the sudden question, clearly not expecting it. He set down the papers, turning his full attention to Jisung, who was still gazing at the ceiling as if it held all the answers to life's big questions.

"What, me?" Minho asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jisung nodded, still not meeting his eyes. "Yeah. You're...what, the same age as the fourth-year students? So, what did you want to be before...this?"

Minho chuckled softly. "I wanted to be an engineer."

That got Jisung's attention. He sat up slightly, propping himself on his elbows as he looked over at Minho. "An engineer? You?"

Minho nodded. "Yep. Believe it or not, I was actually pretty good at it."

Jisung stared at him in surprise. He'd never really thought about Minho's life outside of the school—what he wanted or where he was supposed to be. Minho always seemed so in control, so smart, like he could do anything if he really wanted to.

"Then why...?" Jisung started to ask, but Minho cut him off with a shrug.

"Life happened," Minho said simply. "I couldn't continue after my third year of university, so here I am. But hey, it's not all bad. This job keeps me on my toes."

Jisung frowned, trying to wrap his head around it. "But you're...I don't know. You seem too smart to be doing this."

Minho's smile widened, a touch of something bittersweet in his expression. "Smart doesn't always pay the bills, Jisung. Sometimes, you just have to settle for what you can get."

Jisung didn't know what to say to that. The idea of Minho—who seemed like he had everything together—having to settle for anything didn't sit right with him. He could see it now, though. The quiet exhaustion that sometimes lingered behind Minho's sharp wit. The way he was always a little too good at listening, at understanding.

"But you could still go back, right?" Jisung asked quietly. "Finish your degree?"

Minho shrugged again, but this time, there was something a little more guarded in his expression. "Maybe. But for now, this is where I'm at."

Jisung felt a pang in his chest, an unfamiliar ache he didn't quite understand. It wasn't fair, was it? That someone as capable as Minho had to give up on something he was good at. Jisung suddenly felt guilty for barging in today, for always showing up and taking up Minho's time. Maybe he was just another burden in a life that had already asked Minho to settle for less.

"Don't look so sad," Minho said, his tone teasing but gentle. "I'm not miserable or anything. I like being here. And who knows? Maybe I'm right where I'm supposed to be."

Jisung looked at him, meeting his gaze for the first time since the conversation had started. Minho's smile was soft, reassuring, and for a moment, Jisung wondered if maybe...just maybe, Minho really was okay with all of this.

"Besides," Minho added, his voice lightening, "I get to hang out with you during lunch. That's got to count for something, right?"

Jisung couldn't help but smile at that. "Guess you're stuck with me."

Minho's grin widened, and for a brief second, Jisung thought he saw something in Minho's eyes—something unspoken, something warm. He wasn't sure what it was, but it made him feel...lighter.

"Guess so," Minho said softly, leaning back in his chair with a contented sigh.

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