ISTTIMI

CHAPTER 39: FIND YOU

Lee Minhyuk pulled me somewhere far from students going in and out of the cafeteria. "You really shouldn't cry in public if you don't want to end up being the talk of the campus." he said, "Here."

He gave me his handkerchief. "I'll be the talk of the campus just because I'm standing in front of the famous new student right now. It doesn't really matter what they see now, does it?" I used his handkerchief to wipe my tears away, with him still covering me from the crowd.

"Want to go out?" he asked.

"Where?"

"Do you have any class after this? I don't want to ruin your attendance in your class."

"It's my vacant." I said, "And you? Why are you here anyway?"

He showed me his sling bag. "Free cut." he simply said with a half shrug. "Let's go somewhere else then."

Without warning, he held my hand and pulled me to the School of Music building. I didn't know what else to do with all that's happening so I let the boy drag me wherever he wanted us to be.

"We're here." He stopped running, allowing me to finally catch my breath. We were at the school's parking lot, along the motorbikes' space. "Hop on."

"I.. i'm not sure about this." I said, thinking of whether I should go with him.

Minhyuk gave me his extra helmet from the hook under the passenger seat. "I drive safely. Don't worry."

"Where are we going exactly?"

"To somewhere you badly need to be."

"I'm already where I need to be." I said, "It's a school day. I need to be here, Minhyuk."

He frowned. "You said you have free time." Hopping on his motorbike, he continued, "What? Are you just going to get sulky for three hours?" Holding the helmet, I clenched my jaw. He's right. I need to get distracted. Without a word, I wore the helmet and rode the vehicle. Minhyuk wore his helmet and looked over his shoulder. "Hold tight."

Hold tight.

Two words I don't want to think of again emotionally.

After what happened, holding tight isn't really the best option for me to do. Taehyung chose her, not me.

I'm so embarrassed of myself for thinking that I'm the one who he's going to ask to be his girlfriend.

But then what the hell were those actions?

Him being possessive?

Gifting me Dalgom?

Asking me to prom?

Dashing to the coffee shop when I did not appear in our last stage play?

I can't believe I thought those actions were beyond being best friends.

After half an hour, I found myself standing in front of a karaoke bar.

"You'll never let go of wanting to hear me sing, do you?" I said. Minhyuk nodded eagerly, his gummy smile showing while his eyes turned into crescent shapes.

"You have to sing your heart out." Minhyuk suggested, "It relieves stress."

"What if my stress isn't relieved?"

"Then researchers should do better." He smiled.

Since we're already, I couldn't really tell him that we shouldn't be in such a place in the middle of a school day. And so the two of us went inside one room and ordered colas for our drink.