Hope for the Worst || Minsung

Seventeen

I walk into the lunch room and sit down at our groups table. Immediately I see my "spy buddies", as we like to refer to each other, Jeongin and Felix, staring down Minho and Hyunjin across the table. I'm not sure if either of them noticed the eyes following them or not.

Everyone's talking, as per usual, but whenever the possible couple has any sort of interaction with one another, Jeongin swiftly pulls out a pen and writes something on the inside of his napkin.

In the midst of all the talking, Minho says something funny and we all laugh, Hyunjin especially. I look to Felix and Jeongin to see the younger switch their napkins and start writing on Felix's.

Jeongin, you dork.

When lunch ends, we scrape our trays and leave. Chan and I walk together to history class. He suddenly speaks up, "Did you also notice Jeongin and Felix acting weird earlier? Well, weirder than normal."

"What? I have nooo idea what you're talking about." I lie.

"Jeongin kept on playing with his napkin and I couldn't figure out why."

"I don't think it's worth your time to try to figure out what goes through his head. It's hopefully nothing."

"What do you mean, 'hopefully'?"

"Uh, I meant to say 'probably'. You shouldn't bother messing with them."

"Okay?" Chan gives me an odd expression.

"Let's just hurry up and get to history." I add quickly.

The second we enter the classroom, I sit down at my desk next to Minho.

"You ready to work on our project?" he says with a soft smile.

Realization hits me like a truck that I have to work on an assignment that takes about a week to complete. "I completely forgot about the project!" I whisper scream at Minho, worry apparent on my face.

"It's fine, we're just starting. But if this happens again halfway through the project, then I Mexi-can't work with you. I'd Kor-need-a break for a while." Minho jokes.

"You're just going to have to deal with me. Don't be a Turkey." I say. We both burst into laughter. My laughing starts to sound more like cackling when I hear Minho's stupidly cute laugh.

"Jisung, Minho. Work on your project." Mr. Choi scolds us from across the room.

Once we quiet down we decide on doing a report over the Philippines. Halfway through doing research, I see something out of the corner of my eye. I look to find Jeongin waving dramatically at me. He signals towards Minho, makes a question mark from a Twice choreography, and lastly makes a bunch of kissy faces and hearts.

It takes me a second, but once I understand what he's signaling, I nod and turn back to the computer. I just need to find a way to discretely insert the topic into a conversation.

"So, Minho?"

"Yeah?"

"What is your relationship with Hyunjin?"

Way to go, Jisung. Real discrete, I say to myself.

"What are you talking about?" Minho says, his eyes wide.

"I, uh-"

Minho gasps and whisper yells, "Are you jealous?!"

"No! Why would I be jealous?" I say. Minho starts to open his mouth, but I interrupt him, "Don't answer that. But still, what's your relationship with him?"

"Hyunjin? He's cute... Granted, he's not the only one. We're really close friends and I'm glad to be so close with him. Is that all you need to know?"

"Almost. What did you mean by 'he's not the only one'?"

"I meant you're cute too."

My eyebrows raise and I aim my pointer finger at myself, "Me?"

"Yeah, 'you'." Minho chuckles and pokes at my cheek a few times. I grab at his hand and hold onto it to get him to stop but Minho starts wiggling his thumb so I do too just because I can. One thing leads to another and we have a thumb war. I would've won but he slapped my hand causing me to flinch and let go.

"Alright, class dismissed." Mr. Choi announces. Minho and I look at each other with worry, knowing that neither of us got hardly any work done.

"How about we continue the project at home?" I suggest.

"Yeah that'd be fine. So who's house are we going to?"

"That's not what I m-"

"My home isn't very clean, so would it be okay if we went to yours?" Minho says with those eyes. Those large, dark eyes that always seem to get to me.

I sigh, "Yeah, you can come over. When are we meeting up?"

"Well, if we work on it tonight and end up finishing early, then we'd get free-time on the remaining work days." Minho says matter-of-factly.

"Fine by me. See you later?"

"Yeah, bye."

And with a simple wave of a hand, he leaves. While I get ready to go to my next class, I think to myself,

What did I just do?