[#1] boy next door :: im youngmin

chapter seventeen

"Ow, ow, Woojin! Donghyun! Let go of me, god, why are you both so strong-"

Youngmin is being dragged by a specific pair over to Yuna who is sitting alone inside the cafeteria later that lunch break with an unopened sandwich and a book in front of her because all her friends are still buying their food. The two boys have a hold on each side of him, and they're obviously keeping a rather tight grip on the older boy.

Donghyun pushes down Youngmin's shoulders so that he's sitting next to her, but then seems to change his mind and makes him stand up again, positioning him so that he's standing right across her.

Woojin is the one who takes a seat beside her, placing his hands on the table in front of him. "Im Youngmin has something to say to you." 

"I'm trying to eat in peace here, can't you see?" Yuna raises her eyebrows at Woojin.

"This will only take a minute, I swear-"

"Guys, she's busy right now, we can come back later, we're disturbing her-" Youngmin interrupts, laughing awkwardly and looking constantly from Donghyun to Woojin, avoiding Yuna's eyes entirely.

"It's only one sentence, you're such a coward, Youngmin." Donghyun sighs and puts his hands on his friend's shoulders. "We'll let you go and leave Yuna alone when you say it."

"Uh, can't this wait?"

At this point, Yuna already has an idea what the boys are trying to make Youngmin do, and she's not exactly sure if she wants to be there because Youngmin, well, he's quite stubborn even though it isn't obvious. And if Youngmin wasn't lying, then Donghyun and Woojin are most definitely making fun of her.

Donghyun's head snaps to look at her, shaking his head with a softer smile on his lips.

"No, it can't. He's put it off for too long and Woojin doesn't want you to get anymore hurt-"

"If Youngmin's just going to reject me over and over again, why must you both be here then? I've heard it already so many times, I'm getting pretty sick of it already, to be honest."

Woojin's mouth drops at her sudden outburst and Donghyun lowers his head, scratching the back of his head silently. Youngmin is just biting his lips and still looking everywhere but her.

However, he's the first one to speak out of the three and that surprises Yuna. A lot.

"Donghyun and Woojin only mean well, Yuna, I hope you know that-"

"And we!" Woojin cuts in. "We care more for your happiness than Youngmin does, too. We really don't want to see you get hurt and that's why we dragged our dear friend over to you right now because he has something important to say-"

"No, it's not the same thing he said earlier to you this morning." Donghyun assures her, now letting go of his older friend and slipping in the seat on her other side to put his arm around her shoulder gently.

Yuna tilts her head, shaking it. "Guys-"

"Youngmin fucking likes you, okay!" Woojin suddenly bursts out, his voice loud and clear to her ears even if the cafeteria is noisy, and Donghyun's eyes widen, the edges of his lips pulling up very slightly.

"Language, Woojin. But yes, Yuna, he does like you a lot. He's just stupid and a liar."

She presses her lips into a thinner line, sucking on her lower lip as she glances over at Youngmin, whose ears are bright red at the moment. The two other boys are looking at her so seriously and intensely that she can't look at them.

She sighs and turns around in her seat, "God, where are Yerin and Jiho and the others, why are they taking so long?"

When she looks back, she finds Youngmin tugging on Woojin's left sleeve, muttering under his breath, "Guys, can we go now? I don't know what to say."

"Three words, Youngmin." Woojin sighs, raising three fingers as if Youngmin doesn't know the word three. He points to one finger with his free hand. "I." Then the second, "Like." And the last, "You. It's not so hard. Repeat after me."

"I'm not a kid, Woojin, I'm older than you." Youngmin frowns.

"You can't even confess to the girl you like," Donghyun interjects, frowning as well. "She's right in front of you already. Just say it. You say it to everyone, even your brother's dog and we all know it doesn't like you. So why can't you say it to a girl, your neighbor, in fact, who likes you so damn much that she doesn't care how many times you reject her. She still likes you."

Youngmin peeks up at her from in between his red fringe, his cheeks becoming as red as his ears. She just drops her gaze and is picking up her sandwich when he finally says something.

"I like her but I don't deserve her. That's why I can't say it."

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