Mean to Me | Im Youngmin

Mean - 12

Maybe Youngmin needs the check-up more than she does? Maybe, after all, it's him who somehow turned crazy, and not her?

Ji-hye can't help but wonder as she stares at the back of the tall guy walking in front of her.

Yes, for days now, for some reason she can't understand, Youngmin has been passing by her house every morning to pick her up on the way to school.

And for some reason she can't understand as well, she goes with him even though she prefers taking her morning walks alone.

For Ji-hye, it's just fine since they don't even speak, and Youngmin lets her be. It's weird, actually, because he makes the effort to pass by her place everyday (and take note, at an early time because Ji-hye likes going to school extra early) and to walk with her to school but not quite. They do not even speak nor do they walk side by side.

"Weird," she says what she thinks out loud.

Hearing this, Youngmin abruptly stops causing Ji-hye to almost bump on his back before coming to a stop, as well. The boy turns around with a confused expression. Ji-hye looks up at him.

"What's weird?" He pouts slightly.

Ji-hye swears her palms become sweaty all of a sudden. Damn? Why the hell is Im Youngmin pouting at her like this?

"Am I weird?" He asks while still wearing the pout on his face.

Ji-hye looks away, because she's starting to think that Youngmin is cute, and she can't take that much cuteness, to be honest.

"N-no."

"Then what's weird?"

"I-I..." Ji-hye can't make the words come out. She doesn't want Youngmin to know she's thinking about him, or rather, the way he comes over to her house and walks with her to school every morning.

"You?" Youngmin asks out of genuine curiosity.

"I just find it weird..." Ji-hye begins to speak but she does not dare look straight at the boy in front of her.

"That?" Youngmin, however, tries to catch her eyes.

"That you go to my house every morning and wait for me so that we walk to school together but you don't even speak to me, and you always walk ahead of me, so I don't know? What's the point? I mean, it's fine with me, and seriously, I'm not complaining, but I just find it weird?" Ji-hye doesn't even know why she said that. She doesn't even understand half of what she said because she talked too fast that she slurred her words.

Youngmin, seemingly surprised by her response, pauses for a while before laughing heartily.

Ji-hye, upon hearing his laughter, suddenly feels her ears and cheeks turn red. She's not quite sure however, if this is because she's embarrassed or because the way he laughed made her feel things.

"Okay, okay," Youngmin then clears his throat.

"First of all, I don't speak to you because I've observed that you don't like having conversations while walking," he clarifies.

Ji-hye, who still can't look at him, is surprised by this.

"Second, I walk before you because as much as I'd like to walk beside you, I'm afraid you'll feel uncomfortable. I once thought of walking behind you instead, but I think that would freak you out even more?" Youngmin chuckles.

Although with her gaze lowered, she can't help but smile slightly after hearing this. He has a point.

"And lastly, as to why I drop by your house every morning to wait and walk with you," he pauses as he reaches for her chin to raise her face. Ji-hye is surprised, but she can't bring herself to move and stop his hand.

He gives her his famous bright, lopsided smile before speaking.

"It's your face I want to see first every morning."

Ji-hye doesn't even remember anything that happened after that. She doesn't recall how they reached the campus and how half the day has already passed. It's lunch break now, and with her lunch bag on hand, she's walking aimlessly.

"Ji-hye!"

She turns around to see a waving Donghyun running to her.

"Can I join you for lunch?" He says, almost out of breath as he reaches her.

She nods in response because after all, Donghyun is perhaps one of the only few friends she has in the school. She could also use some company now, as she's afraid her thoughts would consume her alive.

The two of them settle on a bench under a tree in the field, where the shade is enough to shield them from the harsh rays of the sun and where the breeze is cool enough.

"I'm sorry for just crashing with you like this but Sewoon says he has to study for the exam at the library alone, and to be honest, I am offended at how he emphasized that he needs to be alone as if I'm some kind of nuisance..." Donghyun very naturally explains.

Ji-hye just looks at him in amazement. He's so easy-going.

"And Youngmin has a meeting with the other class officers, so I'm just left alone with no one to be with. It's a good thing I saw you because I finally have someone to have lunch with." Donghyun finishes with a smile.

Waaaa? Why is he skipping lunch for a meeting, though? She thinks silently.

"Anyway, Youngmin is so busy nowadays that I don't even see him around except when we're in class," Donghyun says before biting on his tuna sandwich.

"Yeah." Ji-hye replies simply before taking a bite off her own.

"He doesn't even walk to school with me anymore? I mean, am I that despicable?" He dramatically expresses before continuing on his food.

Ji-hye laughs nervously because she knows very well why Youngmin hasn't been walking to school with Donghyun these past few days.

"Also, I find him smiling randomly nowadays. I mean, yeah, he really smiles a lot but you know how sometimes, at the middle of class or something, he just smiles out of nowhere? It's honestly creeping me out." Donghyun explains before finishing off his sandwich.

Before Ji-hye could even respond, he continues.

"And yes! I also noticed how he often smiles with just the mere mention of your name? Sometimes, I see him glancing your way during class and the idiot just smiles out of nowhere. Seriously! Is my best friend turning crazy?" He says so naturally before slurping on his honeydew milk.

Ji-hye, on the other hand, is frozen at the moment. She even forgets she's chewing on her food in shock at Donghyun's revelation.

Why does Im Youngmin smile when he hears her name? Moreover, she doesn't even catch him taking a glimpse of her during class even though half of the time, she's looking his way.

He then turns to her direction and smiles teasingly.

"Is he crazy or is he crazily in love with you, Ji-hye? I think it's the latter. What do you think?"

Ji-hye chokes.

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Hi, just a quick update before I leave for school!

Have a nice day, and don't choke on your food lmao