smile for me || scb.

9.

"jisung says changbin was staring at you the whole time." minho grinned over at me as i sipped my milkshake.

my cheeks turned pink and i elbowed minho's arm. "shut up, mango."

felix snorted across the table. "mango?" he questions.

i shrug. "that's what his name corrects to when i text in english." i explain.

"and why, exactly, do you text in english?" hyunjin asks.

"i have internet friends." i said, sipping my milkshake. "most of them happen to speak english."

"we're off topic!" minho said, causing me to roll my eyes.

"there's nothing to talk about!" i shrug. "he was staring at me, so what? people stare!"

"i think he likes you." felix grins. "why else would he be doing all this? talking to you, when the only people he ever talked to were chan and jisung. coming to watch you dance? staring the whole time? come on, you're too smart to be this dense."

i huff. "i'm not being dense, there's nothing going on with changbin, and he doesn't like me. so can we just drop it now? please?"

"let's just let her be, guys." hyunjin said.

i shoot him a grateful smile, and he gives a tiny nod in return.

i catch minho rolling his eyes, and i hear felix sigh.

"go hyunjin, the knight in shining armor." minho says sarcastically, getting up from the table. "see you guys monday."

with that, he was gone. he doesn't spare us a second glance as he walks out and turns the corner.

i play with the straw in my milkshake and sigh. "i just... i don't know what to make of this whole changbin situation. i don't know why he's doing all this. and i don't want to accept that he likes me, because then i'll have to think about what i feel for him."

"and... what do you feel for him?" felix asks slowly.

"i don't know." i run a hand through my hair. "but if i end up liking him... he's seo changbin. the guy that doesn't speak to people. i don't want to be shut out and hurt."

hyunjin nods. "i understand that." he says. "but there's also the chance that you won't get shut out and hurt, and you could be throwing away that chance."

"i just... i don't know." i mumble. "besides, i need to focus on school and dance. that's it. i don't need any distractions."

"so this isn't about changbin at all." felix says. "this- this is about your mom."

i look up at him. "w-what?"

"you want to please your mom, after everything she's said, because you think you can change her mind. naeun, you can't change her mind. she's completely set against you, okay?" felix places his hand on top of mine. "start doing what makes you happy, and do it for you. not for anyone else."

"i don't know, jix... i can't just go against her." i whisper.

"you already are." felix looks straight at me. "all this time that you've been dancing with us, you've been going against her."

i sigh quietly.

"just stand up for yourself." hyunjin says. "we know you're strong, and you deserve to be happy. and if you do decide that changbin makes you happy, go for it."

i don't say anything else for the rest of the time i'm with them. i just sip my milkshake and think.

what will i do about you, seo changbin?