wish » k.mg

이십 일 ✧ 어색한

T W E N T Y O N E ✧
A W K W A R D
. . .

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, what are we?" Mingyu asks, seeming overall confused.

"I... Nevermind." I turn away from him, regretting asking almost immediately. Heat rises to my cheeks as I look down at the tray of food, silently hoping that Mingyu would stop looking at me and go back to cooking. I knew that it was a rather risky question and all, but I just had to know.

"No, tell me." He softly takes my chin in his hand and turns it in his direction, practically forcing me to look at him. "What is it?"

"I just... Want to know what we are." I tell him, avoiding his piercing gaze. "Like, we're practically acquaintances but we act like we've known each other for years now. We're like siblings but not really, friends but we kiss. What are we?"

The boy seems a little taken aback by my words, probably not expecting what I had said. He takes a moment or two for surprise, letting everything sink in, until he finally sighs and moves his hand that was on my face and rests it atop of mine on the counter.

"We're... I don't know, Us." He slowly answers, rubbing the back of my hand in circular motions. "We're just us, Crystal. We can't be put into a category."

"Oh," The word simply falls out of my mouth, though that's not exactly what I wanted to say. I wanted to ask just what kind of answer that was, why we can't be put under a so-called 'category', why he had to dodge the question and not answer it truthfully.

Suddenly losing my appetite, I pull away from him to go upstairs to my room, but Mingyu doesn't seem to be done with me and grabs my wrist to prevent me from going anywhere.

"Where are you going?" He asks, almost like a father interrogating his daughter when she's in trouble.

Still flustered and quite upset, I don't meet his gaze as I answer with a simple, "Upstairs."

"But you haven't had dinner yet." Mingyu frowns, gesturing at the tray of uncooked food. He'd finish cutting the onions and such by now and he'd add them all to the tray to garnish, but as tempting and delicious the dish looks, I'm just not up for it right now.

"It's fine, I'm not hungry."

"But—"

Before he can say anything else, I quickly grab my phone off the kitchen counter and speed-walk up the stairs.

✧ ✦ ✧

THE REST of the night was spent with me locking myself up in my room and Mingyu attempting to bring me out to talk things through over dinner. I declined each time, of course, though the thought of taking him up on his offer did cross my mind a couple of times. Nevertheless, I stayed inside, and after multiple failed attempts of trying to make me get out, Mingyu ended up leaving me alone.

Now the morning after, I dread to come out of my room and meet him so that we can go to school. After what happened yesterday, I still feel a little unsafe to be on the streets alone regardless of the time of day so I suppose I would rather have an awkward walk on the way to school than have yet another encounter with the group of men.

Inhaling deeply, I put on a brave face and open the door of my room only to see Mingyu sitting against the wall beside my door. He appears to be asleep, and he's still wearing the clothes from the other night, apron still tied around his waist.

Did he wait for me here all night?

My cheeks start to get warm from the thought, but I shake it away and ever so reluctantly poke him in the arm. He doesn't budge, but rather grumbles a couple of words that I can't quite catch.

"Mingyu," I say, shaking his shoulders to wake the boy up. "Mingyu, wake up."

He groans, eyelids twitching before they slowly open and revealing his warm, chocolate-brown eyes. They are staring back at me in confusion and total incomprehension, his expression dazed and a little woozy.

"Crystal?"

"Yeah," I give him a tight-lipped smile, removing my hand which was still on his arm. "It's time to go to school. Were you here all night?"

"Mmm," He answers, confirming my suspicions. "What time is it?"

I look at my watch. "7:02. We still have time."

He simply nods, and I get up to have a quick breakfast of cereal and milk. Mingyu too stands up then, but instead of following me to the kitchen, he makes his way to his room instead to presumably get ready for school. I'm sort of grateful, to be honest, because at least breakfast won't be awkward.

Arriving in the kitchen, I pour myself a bowl of cereals and add some milk in. I scoop them into my mouth a little hurriedly, both worried that Mingyu will be done soon and that we would be late if I take my time, but my worrying is proved useless when the boy walks in the kitchen already in his uniform just as I am placing my bowl in the dishwasher.

"Crystal, I—" He starts, but somehow I know what he's going to say and cut him off.

"Sorry, but can we forget that anything even happened yesterday?" I ask, hoping that he would drop the subject. "I... Really don't feel like talking about it."

"Ah—uh... Sure." Mingyu replies, awkwardly rubbing the back of my neck. He looks like he's about to say something important, but instead says, "So, are we good to go?"

I nod, grabbing my backpack and heaving it onto one of my shoulders. I start heading towards the front door, but Mingyu stops me by asking, "Do you want me to carry that for you?"

"No, I'm fine." I tell him, and motion for him to follow me so that we can get going. He obliges, hastening outside the door, and the two of us silently walk to school together.