To be honest, it was incredibly difficult for him to make friends ever since he started doing his performances. The only reason he even has his small little group of close knit friends was because he wasn't always like this. They got to know him before he decided to crush up his terrible experiences in life by submitting himself down the rabbit hole of alcohol, sex and of course showcasing his body for fun. Is it weird to say that the closest he's gotten to making new friends is getting paid to give lap dances after hours? Sometimes he wishes he could go back to his second year self and tell him he was perfectly fine as he was. That it was okay to lose weight for himself, not for the guys in the University he wanted to be like. Sure, now he gets to pick and choose who he wants and has no fear of being rejected but was it really worth it? Sex is great but it's only a one night thing, friendships are worth so much more. How funny. He can get anything he wants but not something as simple as friendship. Maybe that's why he's so hopelessly in love with the idea of it.
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"Right, so you're telling us that you think Kim Bitchmin is normal?" Felix repeated back to Minho. The younger was giving him the most accusatory of glares and to say Minho wasn't feeling at least a little stupid under that gaze would be an absolute lie. While he knew he was going to be confronted the moment they left Seungmin and headed to their little bench in the courtyard, he still had some pointless faith that maybe that wouldn't happen. Mostly because he doesn't exactly know how to explain anything. What's he supposed to say? He doesn't even know why he feels perfectly fine around Seungmin. It's not like the guy poses a threat or is necessarily evil in any way. He's just... Well, Seungmin. A normal guy. Minus the weird performative stunts he does, of course.
"Yeah... he's normal, just like any other student here." Minho sighed. "He seems like he's just trying to get by like all of us, you know?"
By the unimpressed look on both Felix and Chan's faces, Minho could tell right away that they definitely were not on board with what he was saying. Of course they wouldn't be, both of them seem to hate Seungmin's guts much like many other students at this University. Seungmin just seems to be the kind of person that either is loved or absolutely hated. When it comes to being loved, it only ever really seems to be for his body though, since Minho hardly ever sees anyone hang out with him when he isn't doing something of public interest. Even the troublesome Markson couple seem to scamper off once Seungmin's finished with his little performances they always get the equivalent of front row seats to. It clicks with him, that must be why the third year was so excited to call him hyung. Gosh, does that mean he doesn't have any friends at all...?
"Normal is a bit of a stretch, Minho-ah." Chan interjected. He was completely calm and collected now in stark contrast from before, though he did take brief moments every so often to squeeze his thumb under his other fingers to form a tight fist or gripping onto his boyfriend's hand and squeezing to relieve any tension he felt inside. However, the sight of the older man managing to control his emotions didn't distract from what he had said. Minho still felt a subtle sting at the jabbing comment, even when it wasn't directed to him. If that had hurt, he couldn't imagine what Seungmin must feel inside when he heard all of those snide remarks whispered in the hallways. Behind his cheeky giggle and mysterious eyes, was there just a broken boy who was suffering alone?
Minho couldn't help but wonder. He was already feeling attached to the third year purely from the sympathy-driven fabrications his mind was creating of the boy's hypothetical life. It was hard not to, Seungmin seemed like he'd be the typical misunderstood kid doing anything he can for attention, even if it put him under some of the worst spots of the stage light. This conclusion seemed to make the most sense to Minho, after all he never had heard much of Seungmin until his fourth year began, marking the start of the younger's third year. There was little to no news of him before, more than likely there was probably just nothing in reality if he was recalling his memories correctly. Kim Seungmin just wasn't a name he had been made familiar with until this academic year.
"What's that supposed to mean, hyung? Why is it a stretch? He's a person too, did you know that?" Minho spouted, suddenly feeling rather defensive of Seungmin. Though he's spent so little time with him, he's grown quickly fond and has settled to himself in this moment that he won't allow people to disrespect the younger, not unless they had damn good reasoning to. It just doesn't sit right with him to blindly spew these rude insults without knowing how Seungmin could possibly feel about it. "Just because... just because he does questionable stuff doesn't make him someone we should hate..."
"Minho hyung, you're chatting out of your ass." Felix huffed, rolling his eyes. Minho despised when Felix would do that, he does it usually when he's trying to counterattack someone else's point by proving something as obviously being false. In other words, the younger was being sassy in a way that was oh-so annoying to witness. Especially when that sass wasn't on his side. "This is Kim Bitchmin we're talking about, you hear me? That's the third year who was touching you without your consent and trying to coerce you into having sex with him. Remember? Or did that just so conveniently slip your mind? He's just bad news for us, hyung. I'm not gonna say he isn't struggling like everyone else when it comes to student life and whatnot but come on. He's not good for you or any of us to hang around really. Bitchmin is a load of trouble, there's a reason we call him a bitch, you know."
Minho exhaled heavily, not bothering to push his belief any further. It was clear he wouldn't get through to Felix or Chan no matter how hard he tried. While his words didn't impact them much, their words certainly did or rather the youngests, more specifically.
How stupid of him to just completely disregard the fact that Seungmin never asked permission to touch him - especially around his belt area - the first time they met. And when Seungmin whispered to him those intoxiating words of fleeing from the crowd to have some fun elsewhere, he really is stupid to forget such obvious things. He's more than a fool.
Maybe they were right. To an extent. That perhaps Kim Seungmin is someone to be more cautious around, after all, his intentions are incredibly difficult to decipher. If the third year was going to befriend him just to get sex from him, then the success of that would ride on just how skeptical Minho decides to be. He'd have to keep his guard up, there's no way he could let anything like that overcome him. Maybe, if he manages to avoid any of those little spiking possibilities then he could prove to his friends that Seungmin was actually okay. But it just depends really. And Minho's never been known to have much luck.
"Lix, he's been single for ages, I bet he's... you know, and finds the kid hot for that reason." Chan softly states towards his boyfriend. Unfortunately for him, that low whisper was just a smidge too loud and Minho heard every word and syllable bright and clear as day. Needless to say, he would never trust the older with any secrets if this was how quiet his whispering could get. It sounded just like normal talking volume but more airy and somewhat rasped.
"I am not interested in his body!" Minho yelled, kicking Chan's shin under the table. He was fuming at the suggestion the oldest had presented and his red puffed up face certainly reflected that well. "Just because he's hot doesn't mean I want to fuck him! If that was the case, I would've done it by now so will you stop with that!"
"Minho hyung, cal-"
"Shut up." Minho coldly stated, regaining some composure over himself. He didn't want to cause a scene, he hated crowds too much to do something as stupid as that. "I'm gonna go to class early. Maybe we'll talk later, but I don't want to sit with you two at the moment."
With that, he slung his bag over his shoulder and stood up. The couple at the table didn't dare talk back, knowing that when Minho was like this there really was no changing his mind. And so, they simply watched as he walked off into the University building.
