ᴀᴅᴅɪᴄᴛᴇᴅ

【18】

school. they had to go to the dead awful school, with the only thing yunho liked his him being superior to his classmates being student council president... also the cute uniforms.

the shrill blare of mingi's alarm clock echoed through the room, cutting through the early morning quiet like a knife. he groaned, reaching out blindly to silence it, his arm flopping over the edge of the bed. somewhere in the haze of sleep, he registered a low chuckle.

"are you planning to get up anytime soon, or do I have to drag you out of bed?" yunho's voice was laced with amusement.

mingi cracked one eye open and found yunho standing by his desk, already dressed in (mingi's) his school uniform, looking annoyingly awake and put together. his tie was perfectly knotted, and his blazer hung (almost) just right on his lean shoulders. meanwhile, mingi felt like a crumpled mess of bedhead and mismatched socks.

"why are you like this?" mingi mumbled, burying his face back into his pillow.

"because one of us has to be responsible," yunho said, crossing the room to yank the blanket off mingi. "come on, you're going to make us late."

mingi groaned dramatically, curling into a ball to escape the cold air. "five more minutes."

"absolutely not ." yunho grabbed mingi's ankle and gave it a playful tug. "get up, or im leaving without you and no breakfast or lunch."

"you wouldn't," mingi said, peeking out from under his arm.

yunho smirked. "try me."

with a resigned sigh, mingi finally rolled out of bed, his hair sticking up in all directions. he shuffled toward the bathroom, muttering something about how mornings were the worst invention in human history. yunho just shook his head, a fond smile playing on his lips as he watched mingi stumble away.

fifteen minutes later, mingi emerged from the bathroom looking slightly more presentable. his hair was still damp, and his uniform was hastily thrown on, but at least he didn't look like he'd just rolled out of bed anymore. yunho handed him a granola bar and a cup of yogurt as he walked into the kitchen.

"eat," yunho said. "we don't a lot of have time on our hands."

mingi took the granola bar with a pout. "you're so bossy in the morning."

"and you're impossible," yunho shot back, though there was no real bite to his words.

as mingi chewed on his toast, yunho grabbed their bags from the couch and slung them over his shoulder. "ready?"

"do i have a choice?" mingi asked, though he was already slipping on his shoes.

"nope," yunho said, holding the door open for him. "let's go."

the morning air was crisp and cool as they stepped outside, the sky painted in soft hues of pink and orange. the neighborhood was still waking up, with a few cars pulling out of driveways and the occasional jogger passing by. mingi shoved his hands into his pockets, falling into step beside yunho as they started the walk to school.

"you're unusually chipper this morning," mingi said, squinting at yunho. "whats your secret?"

"maybe i just like watching you suffer," yunho teased, bumping mingi shoulder lightly.

mingi snorted. "sounds about right."

they walked in comfortable silence for a while, quiet bus rides and the sound of their footsteps and the occasional bird chirping filling the air. it was moments like these that mingi appreciated the most—just the two of them, no distractions, no pressure. yunho had a way of making even the most mundane things feel special.

"so," yunho said after a while, breaking the silence, "did you finish the work that you missed the days you were out?"

mingi winced. "define 'finish.'"

yunho groaned. "mingi..."

"i got most of it done!" mingi said quickly. "i just... got stuck on a few questions."

"let me guess," yunho said, raising an eyebrow. "you got distracted playing fortnight again?"

mingi scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "maybe."

yunho sighed, but there was a hint of a smile on his face. "i gave you those assignments before spring break, actually way before so break."

he playfully rolled his eyes "you're lucky i have access to the answers. i'll let you copy it before class, but you owe me."

"you're the best," mingi said, throwing an arm around yunho shoulders. "what would i do without you?"

"die, probably," yunho said, though he didn't push mingi arm away.

as they approached the school gates, the morning buzz of students filled the air. groups of friends were gathered in clusters, chatting and laughing as they waited for the bell to ring. mingi felt a twinge of anxiety as they walked through the crowd, but yunho steady presence beside him was reassuring.

"hey, mingi! yunho!" a voice called out, and they turned to see their friend san waving at them from a bench near the entrance.

"morning," yunho said as they walked over.

san grinned. "you two look cozy this morning."

mingi rolled his eyes. "don't start, san."

"what? im just saying," san said, holding up his hands in mock innocence. "you guys are practically joined at the hip."

yunho smirked. "jealous?"

san laughed. "not at all."

the three of them chatted for a bit before the first bell rang, signaling the start of the school day. as they headed inside, mingi felt a sense of contentment settle over him. sure, mornings weren't his favorite, but with yunho by his side, they weren't so bad.

by the time they reached their lockers, the hallways were bustling with activity. mingi fumbled with his combination lock, grumbling under his breath as it refused to open.

"need help?" yunho asked, already reaching for the lock.

"i've got it," mingi said, though he stepped aside to let yunho take over.

yunho twisted the lock with practiced ease, and it clicked open on the first try. he gave mingi a smug look. "you're welcome."

mingi rolled his eyes but couldn't help the smile tugging at his lips. "show-off."

as they grabbed their books and headed to their first class, mingi glanced at yunho out of the corner of his eye. he still wasn't entirely sure what they were—friends, something more, or somewhere in between—but whatever it was, it felt right. and for now, that was enough... right?

+++

hehe im officially back
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