𝖷1 𝖨𝗆𝖺𝗀𝗂𝗇𝖾𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖲𝗁𝗈𝗋𝗍 𝖲𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌

15. Can't Stop, Won't Stop

"I like your friends," I admit one sunny day while Minhee and I were walking home from school.

I unconsciously start rubbing my elbow.

"I thought they would be stuck up and snotty but they're not." My attention doesn't stray far from the pavement in front of me.

Minhee lets out a faux bemused scoff. "I'm sorry, is that you admitting you were wrong about something?" His head twisted to have his eyes meet mine, but I stare straight ahead.

I take a sharp intake of breath.

"No," I state quickly, "I was only saying that my assumptions of your friends weren't as accurate as I had thought they would be."

I meet his gaze for a second. Trying to keep my serious expression.

We both chuckle at the same time.

There was this easy nature to our interactions that either arose within the last week or so; or had always been there and I never noticed before.

I always thought we didn't get along with our bickering and such, but it's different now.

Don't get me wrong Minhee still gets on my nerves.

Just less so.

"Hey," Minhee calls for my attention. I look to him expectantly. "You almost made it two weeks with me."

He had this amused smile on his face, but his eyes showed something different. A vulnerability perhaps? Waiting to hear my true thoughts on the topic.

"Has it already been that long?" I mumble.

I feel him hold onto my hand. Before I could question it he pulls me off to the side. Now we are standing facing each other.

"Jiah," Minhee says loud and clear. His eyes darted everywhere. Then they land on me. Determination on his countenance. "Do you want me here?"

It was a genuine question, I could tell. He was being serious. And it felt like his usual wall of sarcasm was down.

Maybe it's the way he's looking at me or the way he's holding my hand.

I couldn't handle it.

I scoff lightly, "what? Standing in front of me blocking the sun?"

I go to remove my hand from his but he stops me from doing so.

"No!" He says loudly. Startling me and maybe even himself.

His eyebrows twitched as he thought to himself.

"I mean, are you still upset that I'm here? That I'm staying at your house? Going to your school?" There's a desperation in his voice.

He really wanted to know.

"No?" It came out more as a question than a statement. His soft brown eyes staring into mine. I clear my throat. "No," I say definitively.

He waits for me to say more.

"I, uh, don't mind having you around."

He kept a serious expression for a few more seconds.

Minhee tosses my hand out of his. "'Don't mind'? That's all I get?" A grin takes over his face.

I sigh out of relief that he was done with the seriousness.

I don't think I could handle any more.

"Well I'm not the one who's obsessed," I playfully hit him back.

We begin to continue our walk.

"What?" He asks incredulously, "what's that supposed to mean?"

"You're completely obsessed with me." My tone mocking.

Minhee chuckles with emphasis.

"You wish," he elbows my side.

I wack him with my arm in return.

This was more like it.