【low battery】MEANIE

once

『跟我分享分享你的故事吧。』

『how about you share with me
some of your stories?』

The way Wonwoo looked away when he said that.

It hit Mingyu hard.

"Why?" Wonwoo asks. "What's so interesting about me?"

"A lot of things." Mingyu replies. "Trust me."

Wonwoo nods, but doesn't look like he believes Mingyu.

"I don't know." Wonwoo shrugs. "I don't think so, I guess."

Mingyu wonders if something happened to Wonwoo in the past that made him doubt himself so much. He feels himself frowning, and looks over at Wonwoo.

Wonwoo is folding his napkin into an origami crane.

At that moment, he looks so carefree, so young, so pure, that Mingyu can't help but smile, and a feeling of bittersweet washes over him.

Did someone hurt him in the past?

Who would even think of hurting someone like Wonwoo?

But then again, Mingyu knows that there are plenty out there without heart. They'll hurt anyone.

Sure, Mingyu didn't know Wonwoo that well yet but nobody deserves to be hurt.

Wonwoo struggles with the origami. Mingyu takes the napkin from Wonwoo gently, helping him fold an area down, the step that Wonwoo must have forgotten.

Wonwoo stares at the origami as Mingyu folds it, and looks amazed. Mingyu gives the napkin back to him, and he stares at it with wide eyes and a smile. He looks adorable, Mingyu admits. Though he wouldn't tell Wonwoo that right now, because he's too shy.

Wonwoo looks up at Mingyu, a small smile still on his face. "Thanks for helping me with this."

Mingyu feels his heart soften at Wonwoo's smile. He smiles back, replying, "No problem."

At that moment, Mingyu makes a decision.

I will protect you, and I'll try and fix you from whatever pain you endured in the past.

Without thinking, he reaches over and lightly ruffles Wonwoo's hair.

Wonwoo looks up, surprised, and looks a bit stiff. Mingyu quickly pulls his hand away. What am I doing?

"I-I'm sorry!" Mingyu apologizes quickly. "I don't know why I did that. I think I just like touching people's hair. Not random people, of course! People who I know, that's what I meant! I mean, I know you now too, so um-" Stop rambling, Kim Mingyu.

"Um, it's fine, but I just don't really.." Wonwoo hesitates. "I don't really like when people touch my hair like that, I guess."

"Oh, okay, sorry about that." Mingyu replies. "I won't touch your hair in the future!" He adds quickly.

"Thanks." Wonwoo says. He looks down. "Sorry for being...um... Problematic."

Mingyu feels his heart sinking. "What do you mean? You're not problematic or bothersome at all..." He shakes his head. "Don't say that about yourself."

"But sometimes, I just... I cause trouble for people just by being myself." Wonwoo sounds so small, so fragile. "That's... what a lot of people who I loved all told me. I loved them so much, so they must..be correct, right?"

"No, you don't." Mingyu doesn't know what to say. I just want to make him feel loved and appreciated. How do I do that? "No." He mutters, his voice shaking. He feels angry at everyone who had hurt Wonwoo before. "That's not true."