BATHROOM ; J.JK

twenty-one.

minhee watched as jeongguk tried to reattach the doorknob.

"is it working?" she asked, her legs swinging from side to side as she sat on the toilet.

jeongguk sighed and dropped the doorknob. "hmmm... nah."

minhee groaned and pulled on her hair. "great. the last thing i need is to get stuck in a bathroom again with you, again."

"oh come on, it's not that ba-"

jeongguk was cut off by the sound of crackling lightning and the booming of thunder. minhee shrieked and fell off the toilet, staring at the darkened, blurred top window.

"minhee!" jeongguk called, crawling towards her.

"great, now i'm stuck with you again and a stormy night!" minhee cried. "all i want to do is sleep on a cozy bed and read fanfictions until three a.m.! guess that's not going to happen," she sighed.

"what time is it even?" jeongguk asked, looking at the window. "it's probably around like eight thirty or nine by now."

"don't you have your phone on you?"

"no,"

"are you sure you're not lying like last time?"

he smiled and laughed nervously. "that i just said to get an excuse to talk to you for a bit."

"you gave me a panic attack." minhee said boredly.

"oof sorry. you're claustrophobic?"

she hummed and nodded.

"so how come you're not like, y'know, in here?" jeongguk asked before slapping his mouth. "shoot sorry, i should've h-have said that, i'm sorry that m-must've been s-sensi--"

minhee waved it off and got up. "eh it's fine. i'm not really getting nervous because surprisingly, the bathroom is one of the rooms where i spend the most," she said.

"wait what?"

"my roommates are nosy and like to poke into my room without knocking so i just sit on the toilet seat and do whatever without anyone bothering me," minhee claimed, sitting on the toilet seat criss-crossed.

"huh, i should do that too."

"don't steal my technique."

jeongguk pouted. he then sighed and asked minhee what high school she came from.

"busan maine district high school."

jeongguk choked on air.

"bmd? my school was rivals with them! i went to busan central high school!"

"oh you guys were the ones who always lost to us during volleyball games," she snickered.

"at least we didn't get fifth place in the championships."

"hey at least we made it."

the two argued for a while before a crack of lightning was heard and scared both of them, minhee yelling out another cry and scurrying over to jeongguk and clutching his sleeved arm.

"pfft, scaredy ca-- what the hell!!" jeongguk was cut off by a boom of thunder which caused him to latch onto the minhee's back.

the two stayed in the same positions for a couple of seconds before letting go awkwardly.

"sorry i d-didn't,"

"it's fine," minhee waved it off.

jeongguk went silent for a moment for the first time. he cleared his throat. "so you've really have never been in a relationship before?"

minhee narrowed her eyes at him.

"okay bad question," he coughed. "uh, any hobbies...?"

minhee, again narrowed her eyes and raised her eyebrows but rolled her eyes. "what are you getting at?"

jeongguk rubbed the nape of his neck. "just trying to get to know you...? i guess?"

"pretty sad way of doing it,"

"i'm trying my best!" he whined. "i'm better at flirting, not decent conversation."

minhee laughed. "that's so sad!"

"hey don't make fun of me!"

"i'm sorry, not really, but what you're saying is that you're better at picking up girls than saying hi to a complete stranger?"

"i can say hi! i just don't kn-know how to start or continue a conversation."

"yikesss." minhee winced.

"at least i've been in a relationship!"

"what does that have to do with anything?!"

"it simply means that i've had more luck with romance," jeongguk smirked and leaned towards her.

"well who needs a relationship when you have friendships?"

"but what if you like a person that your friends with?"

"personally, i'd stay friends instead. i'm not going to risk a friendship just because i like someone."

"but why? you have a fifty percent chance that they might like you back!"

"i also have a fifty percent chance that they might reject me," minhee pressed.

she suddenly flash-backed to the two most tragic moments in high school where she miserably was left in the hallway, clutching a rose and the other clutching a basket of sweets.