My Side - hyunin

five

Despite Felix and Seungmin's protests, the group of boys formed a groundless hatred for Hyunjin.

Jeongin, of course, had mixed feelings. He certainly didn't like Hyunjin. The other boys didn't like him because he made Jeongin cry. But Jeongin knew that deep down, Hyunjin wasn't a bad person.

It didn't stop him from being extremely infuriating.

Jeongin was starting to think that the tenderness Hyunjin showed him at their second tutoring session was out of guilt. He had turned back into the bratty, dramatic child he was before in the span of maybe two sessions. When Jeongin told him to write down something important, he scoffed and said it was stupid. When Jeongin corrected his grammar mistakes on his assignments he told Jeongin that he was just trying to make him feel stupid.

Jeongin felt backed into a corner. He himself felt guilty for calling Hyunjin stupid. But he was making this so difficult. After every tutoring session, Jeongin collapsed onto his bed out of exhaustion, and ignored his friend's requests to come and hang out with them.

It was one of those times. It'd been two long weeks of tutoring Hyunjin every single day after school. Jeongin rolled onto his bed without even kicking off his shoes and willed himself to fall asleep.

"Oh, no you don't," said a devious voice. Jeongin's eyes flew open as he was yanked by the collar of his shirt off the bed. Jeongin glared at Seungmin, who looked too pleased looming over him.

"I'm tired," Jeongin said, coming off more soft and sleepy than tired and angry.

"I know you're tired. And that's just too damn bad. Friday's are game nights at BamBam's. Get up."

"Is pestering me your only hobby?" Jeongin groaned as he stood up, flattening his bed hair with his palm.

"Not my only hobby, but one of the primary ones," Seungmin returned Jeongin's dark look with a toothy grin.

The two boys made their way down the stairs. Jeongin heard his parents bustling around in the kitchen, so he yelled a goodbye, but he knew it was futile. Jeongin didn't know whether to be concerned or relieved that his parents didn't ever care about his whereabouts.

Jeongin swiped his coat off the hanger and zipped it up over his nose, but as soon as they stepped outside, his teeth started chattering. Seungmin threw his arm around Jeongin's shoulder and pulled him close. Another thing Jeongin loved about his friends; they weren't afraid of intimacy.

As the two walked down the sidewalk, Jeongin looked up. "What about Felix?"

"Oh, Felix?" Seungmin said, as if the boy had never crossed his mind, "Yeah, he's practicing late at Lino's studio."

"So Minho will be late, too?"

Seungmin's eyes flitted back and forth before he answered. "Uh, well... no. Minho went home with Jisung after school."

"Felix rarely dances without Minho."

Seungmin let out a forced laugh. "Well, I guess it's one of those rare times."

"You're meddling again, aren't you? Can I be in on it?" Jeongin beamed, hoping that his eyes were sparkling enough to convince him.

"I don't know what you're talking about, I never meddle," Seungmin grinned, ruffling Jeongin's hair.

"You meddled with Minho and Jisung!"

Seungmin scoffed. "I didn't need to meddle. Those two were head over heels the moment they laid eyes on each other."

"Well, you've been meddling in Changbin and Felix's business, haven't you?" Jeongin countered.

"I'm not meddling. Those two are oblivious. I'm just... helping them along."