being lonely | minsung | ✔

08

"Please remind me why I'm attending school again," I complain as we finally leave the wicked building. My focus is gone and my mind is blank, brainwashed by the teachers' droning voices telling us about matters I don't even care about.

"Because you secretly care about your health, future, and education," Hyunjin sums up, naming all the things I actually don't care about. Not a lot, at least.

"Do you honestly think so?" I question my best friend, who just shrugs in reply.

The sun is shining brightly as we wait for Minho to arrive. Hyunjin texted him to meet us by the benches near the gate but he's nowhere to be seen nor did he reply to the text message. Not that it's a disaster to wait outside, it's actually nice to enjoy the weather for once. I'm either in class or sitting alone in my room, even when the weather is this nice.

There's a soft breeze blowing over the campus, taking pieces of paper and plastic wrappings across the terrain. There's hardly a student to be found here, of course everyone left as soon as the final bell rang. I wouldn't be surprised if Minho already left as well.

"Maybe he got detention again," Hyunjin muses after a few minutes have passed without any sign of the older.

"Or maybe he decided that it's a waste of time to go with us," I shrug, speaking my thoughts out loud. "I mean, I wouldn't be surprised."

"I really like your faith in me," a voice suddenly says from behind us and both of us spin around, only to find Minho standing behind us.

"Minho hyung, you're here," Hyunjin greets him, recovering from the shock with a hasty smile.

"It's insulting how surprised you sound," the oldest scoffs. "I was just trying my best to save my ass from detention but Mrs. Yang was making a fuss."

"What did you do this time?" my best friend asks and Minho shrugs.

"I don't even know man, I'm just being Minho and bam, detention. I guess they don't really like me."

I listen to the friendly conversation that unfolds between the two as we leave the campus and embark on the short journey to the mac. Their conversation goes from school to home and back again and it makes me wonder how long they've been working together already. They really sound like they've known each other for a good while.

"Yah, you're really quiet today, Ji," Minho suddenly calls out, holding back a step so that he's walking next to me.

"Jisung.exe stopped working a while ago, I believe it was during physics," Hyunjin explains and I let out a dry and humorless laugh.

"Not really, I'm actually crying internally because a certain idiot keeps making fun of me," I counter, shooting my best friend a glare only to receive a wide grin in return.

"Imma kick that idiot's ass," the boy threatens. "No one makes my Jisungie cry, not even when it's just on the inside."

"You do realize that with a certain idiot, he meant you right?" Minho asks, his brown eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Bold of you to assume I'm an idiot," Hyunjin huffs, acting as if he's actually offended.

"Bold of you to assume Minho hyung is wrong," I smugly counter, using his own line against him. "Because he isn't."

Hyunjin dramatically places a hand over his heart, eyeing me with a pained expression as he says, "you're already choosing Minho hyung over me?"

"He never made me cry internally," I simply reply, lightly shrugging my shoulders.

It's still shocking me how the conversation between the three of us flows so naturally. Of course, Minho keeps his distance and doesn't interfere a lot but yet he takes part in a lot of conversations and it doesn't feel the slightest bit awkward. What surprises me even more is how I'm acting so normal. I'm usually really quiet and reserved when there are strangers involved. I guess my sub-consciousness doesn't really count Minho as a stranger.