The Boy in the Library - Meanie

001

The bell rang, making Kim Mingyu sigh in relief. Another day of high school done. He just wanted to be done with it already.

It was safe to say Mingyu was part of the "popular kids" group. He was tall and tanned, with wavy locks of longish black hair. He was that one kid that every girl wanted to date. Unluckily for them, he wasn't the type to fall for girls. Boys were his specialty.

He'd never dated before. This was surprising to many, as he was the most popular student in school. But he wanted to find the right one. And besides, in Seoul, there were very few gay boys who weren't taken.

His desperation to find his soulmate was starting to drive him mad. Everyone else in school got the Romeo to their Juliet, or vice versa, so where was his Romeo to his... well, Romeo?

He walked through the hallways, easily making his way through the crowd of people. Not only was he tall, he was muscular. Everyone knew they'd be crazy to anger him.

As he was walking, he saw his friends Minghao and Dokyeom and hurried over to them. "Ready to get out of school to do more schoolwork?"

Minghao groaned. "Tell me about it. Professor Park gave us at least seventeen pages of homework, and he wants us to write an essay! And it's all due tomorrow at midnight! Like honey, I have things to do - things being Junhui, of course."

Mingyu rolled his eyes. "Okay, I get it. Just because you're not single anymore doesn't mean you have to rub it in."

"But it's fun." smirked Dokyeom. "Me and Joshua have a date planned this weekend."

"Shut up." said Mingyu bitterly, grabbing his backpack from his locker.

"You say such nice things." said Minghao sarcastically.

***

Home. A place that didn't really feel like home anymore.

Ever since his parents had opened their business, they were never home. It only made Mingyu feel lonelier than ever.

He sighed heavily and placed his backpack on his bed, ignoring the large pile of homework that awaited him. He could care less about that. No one was around, so why do homework when he could do something else?

He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his backpack. He knew what he was doing was bad for him. But to be fair, he wasn't addicted. He only smoked about three times a day. It wasn't that bad, right?

Okay fine, maybe he was a little bit addicted.

But he couldn't help it. He had started three years ago, when he was fourteen. That was when he started feeling lonely. It was so tempting, because the sign said it would clear his mind. And if he needed anything back then, it was a clear mind.

Three years later, he still hadn't quit. Something about the nicotine drew him in closer, like he physically couldn't stop. If anyone found out... he knew he would be dead. Or maybe he would even be dead before then. Only time would tell.

Who was there to care if he died, anyway? His parents were busy with work, his sister lived with his grandparents, and his friends... well, Minghao and Dokyeom had each other. Why did they need him? Minghao was a sassy diva and Dokyeom was a happy virus, but what was he? What did he have, besides visuals? He wanted to be loved for who he was, not for what he looked like.

Inhale, exhale. The smoke hit his face, and he coughed. How could something so bad taste so good?

Was it because he deserved it?

***

A few hours passed. Mingyu stayed in his room, carefully holding the cigarette between his index and middle fingers. He could eat, but what was the point? He'd just gain weight, and then he wouldn't have anyone at all. He had to maintain his well-defined body if he wanted to have friends. That was just how it worked.

He wasn't tired. The sky was turning dark, but he still sat awake, simply sitting there and staring at his plain white walls. Every now and then he muttered to himself, telling himself how worthless he was.

Suddenly, he stood up. He wasn't going to sleep. He was going to the library.

It seemed strange. Who would ever expect Kim Mingyu to be found at a library? But something in his gut told him it was the place to be. And gut feelings could never be wrong... right?

He found his worn-out Converse sneakers and slipped them on, tying them loosely. He grabbed a jacket and fixed his hair so he looked presentable. And most importantly, he hid the cigarettes. What if his parents suddenly came home and saw them?

He pulled a paper out of his backpack and quickly scribbled a note to his parents.

Dear Eomma and Appa,
I don't know if you're coming home tonight, but I'm going to the library. I have some homework to do. I'll be back before midnight.
Your son, Mingyu

That would do, right? He placed the note on the table and walked out the door, the cold air instantly hitting his face. His cheeks turned red, frostbitten. Oh, how he hated winter.

The library wasn't far; only a few blocks down the road. Mingyu quickly walked there and entered the building.

The library was known for being the only quiet place in Seoul. It was rather large, with tall shelves of books on every wall. Small tables took up the rest of the space, a few students situated at them. It was common to see a group of girls gossiping, or the football team ranting about how badly they lost their weekend game.

But what he didn't expect to see was a boy with his head down at a table in the far corner.

Mingyu frowned and crept closer, careful not to make much noise. The librarian was sensitive and would certainly kick him out with no hesitation if he made the tiniest noise.

The boy was about his age, with short black hair and slightly crooked glasses. He rested his head on his arms, his eyes gently closed and his lips pouted. He seemed to be laying on some sort of book, about thrice the size of the Harry Potter books.

Mingyu looked around and sighed in relief. No one was looking at him. After all, wasn't it creepy that he was watching this complete stranger sleep?

But he couldn't help staring. Something about this boy tugged at his heartstrings, and he hated it. Why was he so obsessed with a sleeping boy?

He carefully reached forward and fixed the boy's glasses. Unfortunately, he wasn't careful enough.

The boy sat up quickly, confused. "Who are you?"

Mingyu stepped back, hands in the air, as if he were being arrested. "Hear me out, okay? Your glasses were crooked and I thought it would bother you so I tried to fix them!"

The boy stretched, looking up at Mingyu with red eyes. "Why do you care?"

"Good question." said Mingyu, chuckling. "I don't know either. But I'm not sure how the librarian would feel about you sleeping in her library."

"I didn't intend to." said the boy. "I was studying, and I felt fatigued. I couldn't help it. You still haven't answered my question, by the way."

"Oh, excuse me." said Mingyu. "I'm Kim Mingyu."

"Jeon Wonwoo." said the boy, nodding. "I might as well go home."

"Do you have a ride?" asked Mingyu.

Wonwoo shook his head. "I can walk, don't worry."

"But it's a tough world out there. What if something happens?"

Wonwoo hesitated. "Alright, fine. I'm going to trust you, although I have a feeling I shouldn't. Don't you have to get home too?"

Mingyu shrugged. "Eventually. I just came here to clear my mind. Something told me this was the right place to be."

"Maybe that's a sign you should study more." said Wonwoo. "You really don't have to accompany me home."

"It's nothing, trust me." said Mingyu. "Come on, let me take you home. You should get some rest."