nurse's office | minsung ✓

45

Jisung sat at the desk, surrounded by nervous students, chewing on the inside of his cheek until it was raw. He drummed his fingers on the wooden surface, trying to ignore the weight of his thoughts.

This is all wrong. He fidgeted with his pen. I shouldn't be here—this is a 5th-year exam. The fact that he was taking it in his second year made him feel out of place. The murmurs of students around him only worsened his mood. Anxiety clawed at his chest, twisting tighter with every second.

The teacher finally began passing back the graded exams for the students to double-check their answers. Jisung accepted his paper with clammy hands, heart racing like he'd run a marathon.

With a deep breath, he flipped through the pages. His heart pounded harder as he scanned each problem, confirming his answers. Correct... correct... correct. But then—his stomach dropped.

There it was.

That one question. The one he had been unsure about.

His breath hitched. He stared at the problem, eyes narrowing as if willing it to change. No...no, that's...wrong. It had cost him two points.

His fingers trembled slightly as he tried to remain composed. The teacher's voice cut through his thoughts:

"Once you're done checking your papers, hand them back, and I'll confirm your grades."

Jisung's hands hovered over the pages a moment longer, reluctant to let them go. What if I missed something else? But there was no more time. His classmates were already getting up, handing their papers back to the front.

Eventually, he had no choice. With a heavy sigh, he dragged himself up from the desk and turned in his exam.

The teacher skimmed through his paper, making quick notes with a red pen. Jisung's breath felt shallow as he waited, fidgeting with the strap of his bag.

Finally, the teacher's lips curled into a smile.

"98%," she said warmly, handing the paper back to him.

98.

Holy. Fucking. 98.

His heart stopped for a beat before it launched into an erratic rhythm. He got a goddamn 98%.

He didn't even have time to process it fully before—

"JISUNG!!"

A familiar voice echoed from across the hallway, and suddenly, Seungmin was charging toward him, his face bright with excitement. Before Jisung could react, the younger boy flung himself into his arms, squeezing him so tight Jisung could barely breathe.

"I got a hundred!" Seungmin practically sang, his grin wide enough to split his face in two.

Jisung's initial annoyance melted as he hugged Seungmin back, managing a breathless laugh. "That's amazing, Minnie! I knew you could do it."

"Now let me see yours!" Seungmin demanded with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, already reaching for Jisung's paper.

Jisung reluctantly handed it over, biting his lip nervously. Seungmin inspected the pages like a seasoned detective. His brow furrowed as he scanned the answers, and when he reached the troublesome question, he smirked.

"Oh, Jisung...it was just a silly mistake." He flipped the paper around, pointing at a tiny calculation error Jisung had made. "If you fixed this, you'd have gotten a perfect score too."

Jisung groaned, smacking a palm to his forehead. "You've gotta be kidding me..."

Seungmin laughed, patting his shoulder reassuringly. "Hey, 98 is still amazing! You did great."

Just then, Seungmin's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and smiled. "Chan's here to pick me up."

Jisung rolled his eyes playfully. "Tell Chan hyung to treat you to something expensive for that 100, or I'll fight him."

Seungmin laughed again, giving Jisung one last hug. "See you later, Hyung!"

Jisung watched him leave, his nerves still buzzing but his heart lighter. For a second, he let himself enjoy the moment, but soon, the weight of everything returned.

He had to tell Minho.

Jisung bolted out of the building, his bag slung over his shoulder as he sprinted across the university grounds. The cool air hit his face, but it did nothing to calm the swirl of emotions inside him.

Grabbing his phone from his pocket, he hastily dialed Minho's number. It barely rang twice before Minho's deep, familiar voice answered.

"Jisung?"

"HURRY UP AND COME GET ME!" Jisung blurted out, barely able to contain himself. He was panting slightly, both from running and from the adrenaline that still pulsed through him.

Minho chuckled on the other end, and just hearing that sound made Jisung's heart stutter.

"I'm on my way to get you," Minho said softly, his voice steady and reassuring. "Stay put. I'll be there soon."

Jisung let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, the tension easing from his shoulders. "Okay...okay, I'll wait."

"Good." Minho's voice was warm, almost teasing.

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