PLUGGED IN | minsung

part 3

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"So, are we still going forward with the original plan?" The voice drifted into the kitchen from the living room next door. Minho heard it and rolled his eyes.

Even here, in the kitchen, where he always felt the most zen - even here, he could still get pissed off. Surprise. Minho had finished cooking anyway, so slid the eggs in the pan onto a bowl of rice that was already waiting on the counter. He picked up the bowl, along with a pre-prepared pot of instant ramen. He wandered into the living room and placed the ramen in front of the boy who was waiting for him in there.

"Do we have to talk about this now, hyung?" Minho asked as he started to prod at the food in his bowl with a pair of chopsticks. "I've not slept yet, and I'm tired."

The other boy on the couch pulled a sympathetic face. Bang Chan was probably Minho's closest friend. Even though he was a year older than Minho, they'd known each other for a long time. He was one of the few people who had been able to create a crack big enough to see through in Minho's armour.

Chan had his own flat, thanks to the 'business' that he and Minho ran with the help of their friend Seo Changbin. He let Minho stay there whenever he wanted to and Changbin seemed to take him up on that offer too. If they weren't working, they were there, messing around on games or watching films or actually acting like teenage boys for once. All three were far too mature for their ages, until they were together behind closed doors.

"I know you don't want to talk about it. But next week, all the new kids are going to be partying and celebrating the start of college. It'd be a good time to make profit." Chan ate as he spoke.

"Maybe. But I have classes next week, and so do you and Changbin."

If Changbin had been in the room, he would've rolled his eyes. Chan just regarded Minho. There was a level of respect between these two that only came from living as closely as they did.

"Changbin won't go to his classes. You know that. And I'll catch up on mine online later. You don't need to go, you know... You're smart enough. Like, dance classes, fair enough. You like those. But why are you bothering with stuff like maths and English? Does it not feel pointless?" Chan asked.

Minho liked the way that his older friend spoke. He always said exactly what he thought, and no one ever had to worry about double meaning or reading between the lines. That's why he had let Chan in in the first place; he liked the never-ending sense of honesty.

"I came to college to get my qualifications. I set the business up to support my studies, not the other way round. I fucked around too much last year. This year has to count. You and Changbin can do what you want, and I'll do my bit, but I will be going to my lessons," answered Minho firmly. Chan didn't see the point in arguing.

Changbin did.

"You're weird, hyung," Changbin declared as he made his grand entrance into the living room from the bedroom that he'd picked as his own. He flopped down onto the couch beside Chan, and before Chan could interject, he'd pulled out a loop of noodles from Chan's ramen with his fingers and dangled them into his own mouth.

"Come on, at least get a fork, man," Chan scolded the younger boy who looked completely unbothered.

Minho watched them squabble for a moment. These two were the closest he had to family. They looked almost similar, even; both had wide shoulders but short legs, dark hair and strong noses and smiles that threatened to split their jaws in two. But where Chan was level-headed, Changbin had a temper, and where Changbin was a joke artist, Chan looked at things a bit more seriously. Minho wasn't sure why he liked them so much but at this point he didn't want to imagine life without them. They were his brothers - and they fought like brothers, too.

Minho was roused from his thoughts by a thump as Changbin was pushed off the couch onto the floor. A moment of youthfulness, Chan looked all too proud of himself. Minho allowed himself a laugh.

"You two are idiots," Minho snarked as he forced himself up from the couch, his bowl of food now empty. Changbin interrupted him as he went to take the bowl into the kitchen.

"What are you doing now, hyung? Are you bored? Wanna work on some music, or watch a film? Or go to an internet café? I'm bored," he whined as he followed Minho into the kitchen.

"You're like an over-excited child," Minho said drily as Changbin bounced around him. "I'm going back to my dorm to grab some stuff, maybe sleep. I think my roommate should be out. Chan can babysit you."

They both heard Chan groan as he headed in from the living room. For a second, Changbin's face fell.

"You two are no fun," the younger boy pouted.

"If you're a good boy I'll take you for ice cream," Chan appeased, speaking in a sweet voice to disguise his hand which jabbed Changbin in the ribs as he passed him. 

Minho laughed to himself as he scooped his familiar leather jacket from the kitchen counter and headed for the door. He only just caught the start of Changbin complaining about how boring him and Chan were, before the door slammed behind him and the boy's voice was cut off.

It was only a short walk back to the dorms and Minho planned to do it quickly. He'd been working all night and he was exhausted. The bags under his eyes would be enough to carry home a week's worth of shopping at this point, and even his bones were aching for sleep.

He wasn't impressed when he was stopped only a few metres from Chan's front door.

"Minho?" The voice appeared with a boy beside him, a kid who looked barely 15, all soft curls and shining braces.

"Jeongin. Walk with me if you want to talk," Minho commented, signalling with his head for the boy to follow him.

Yang Jeongin worked with him and the others, even though he was still in his last year of high school. Minho didn't like many people, but Jeongin was growing on him. The boy had seemed far too sweet for the streets of Seoul at first but behind his cotton-candy smile was a razor sharp tongue that knew how to be cruel. Funny, too.

"Where are you going? Have you just left Chan's?" Jeongin asked. He picked up the pace a little to match Minho's stride. Jeongin was taller, but Minho had places to be.

"Yeah. I just finished dropping off the last of the stuff and made some food. Bin's being particularly irritating today, so I'm going back to my dorm to sleep," answered Minho.

"Particularly irritating? So, no change from the usual?" Jeongin muttered.

Minho tried, and failed, to conceal a grin. He nudged Jeongin with one shoulder.

"Respect your elders," he tutted. Jeongin rolled his eyes.

"I was just going to Chan's now," the younger boy continued. "Well, before you steered me in the wrong direction, anyway. Thanks for that. I'm gonna pick up a few bags and start making my way round the city centre."

Sometimes, the way Jeongin spoke so casually about what they did made Minho uneasy.

"Just be careful," Minho said, casting a glance at the kid beside him. "There's been a lot of activity recently. Don't get ahead of yourself."

Before Jeongin could reply their conversation was interrupted by a high-pitched squeal from across the street.

"Is that Lee Minho?" gasped a tall girl who was stood in a group of other girls.

Minho ducked his head and grabbed Jeongin's arm, pulling them down an alley away from the attention. Jeongin was snickering. Minho was unimpressed.

"One of these days, hyung, you're gonna have to let at least one girl make their move. It's unfair, they're so desperate for a taste of the Lee Minho," Jeongin teased, still laughing as Minho just grunted in response.

"Maybe I should give them a taste. That might stop them from coming back for seconds," Minho said darkly.

Jeongin smiled. They parted ways at the end of the alley, Jeongin heading back to Chan's flat and Minho on the way to his dorm. He could practically hear the bed enticing him from a few streets away.

God, he was tired.

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.

god i am tired