Side Effects ~ Minsung

-3-

[Thursday - 18.32]

"Milk, check. Bread, check. Cheese, check. Ramen, check. Fruit, check. Veggies, check. Tomorrow's dinner, check..."

Minho looked over his list again, checking if he missed anything.

Everything seemed to be in place, so Minho started making his way to the cash register, getting into line.

Once he was up, Minho laid all his items on the assembly line, then standing in front of the cashier as he waited for him to finish beeping all his items so he could pay.

Minho packed all his groceries in the bag he brought along, then quickly exiting the store. Minho looked around, spotting a familiar figure leaning on a wall across the street.

Ju or Ji or Ja or whatever was just standing calmly against the wall, looking at the people passing by. Minho made eye contact with him, but he looked away like it was nothing - totally uninterested in Minho's gaze.

A figure dressed in all black jogged over to Ju or Ji or Ja or whatever, starting a conversation right away.

Ju or Ji or Ja or whatever nodded his head and glanced around before reaching into his pocket, pulling out a something so small Minho couldn't see it.

The person dressed in all black took the something from Ju or Ji or Ja or whatever's hand, handing the person a small stack of bills in return.

'He's actually selling drugs? I thought Hyunjin was just joking.'

Ju or Ji or Ja or whatever counted the bills before doing a fistbump with the person in all black. They both then separated, going their perspective ways like nothing had happened.

Minho stood in the same spot for a second, puzzled. The latter quickly shook his head, sighing as he started heading back towards his home.

The walk want long, barely even 5 minutes. When Minho stepped foot into the driveway, he noticed his father's car standing where it always stood. Minho's father hadn't been home when Minho went out to buy groceries, so he must have gotten home just recently.

Minho opened the front door, stepping right in.

"Dad?"

"Minho, aah you're an angel!" The man exclaimed, smiling widely as he saw a grocery bag in Minho's hand.

"Let's get started on dinner. How was school?" The man asked, starting to pull the groceries out of the bag.

Minho went over to his side, helping.

"It was good. I made a few new friends." Minho answered.

"That's awesome. Not that I was doubting you, with your social skills and the handsome face you inherent from your old man, you'll have everyone swooned before you know it."

"Daaaad~"

"Have you talked to any cute boys or girls? Anyone of interest?"

The man continued, bumping shoulders with Minho.

"No! It's been one day, I barely even had time to talk to anyone except my guide all day." Minho chuckled.

An image of Ji or Ju or Ja or whatever popped into Minho's mind suddenly, but he quickly shook it away.

"I know that blush! You're lying, you did meet someone! Who is it?"

"I didn't, stop!"

"Come on~ Tell your old man about them."

"Aish.... Ok... But u didn't talk to him though, just to clear up. It's just a cute guy that bumped into me, I don't even know his name. He's kind of an outcast though, no one wants to be friends with him, 'cause they'll get bullied like he is."

"You know what to do don't you? Don't you dare follow along with everyone else, I am not gonna have my son being a bully." Mr. Lee pointed his finger at Minho.

"I know. Be original. Go against the stream... I'll try to become his friend, but not yet, I wanna at least earn a respected status so not everyone just hates me like that." Minho reassured his father.

"That's my boy. Now, let's get started on dinner."

"Sure. What do I do?" Minho asked.

"Cut these into cubes please."

Minho did just that, leaving his father to handle the meat as he cut the vegetables.

"How was work? Did you get a case yet?" Minho asked his father.

"I got put onto an already existing case. It's about this one specific organized crime unit, whom takes in and uses teenagers with problems to do their dirty work. It's a smart tactic, since the teenagers won't get charged that easily, but it's bad nonetheless. Intel says they make the poor teens sell drugs, guns, illegal chemicals and some of them even gets sold as prostitutes for the gang."

Minho nodded along. His father always told him about the new cases he was assigned, but never revealed any confidential information just in case. Minho knew about half the crimes going on in their area, but he never knew who it concerned.

"How's it coming along?"

"They're focusing on tracking down the teenagers we know are involved first, but it's hard. I'm working on tracking down a 'Han Jisung', but he most likely changed his whole identity when he got picked up so I'm stuck."

Minho hummed, remembering the name just in case he encountered it somewhere. He had always wanted to become a detective like his dad, but was more drawn to performing arts, so he enrolled into a high school of performing arts instead.

"Ok, enough depressing cop talk. Did you choose your majors yet?"

"Yea. The options were dance, vocals, music production and instruments. I chose dance and vocals because we apparently have to have two." Minho answered, putting the vegetables he had cut into a bowl, and grabbing some new ones to cut.

"Awesome. Finally you'll get to use that amazing singing voice of yours as well, not only dance."

Minho snickered.

Ever since his mother passed away his father had a hard time maintaining his happy personality. Everything in their old house somehow reminded him of the woman, so in the end Minho suggested they move away to a new house, in a new area, just to get away from the thoughts haunting his old man.

Now, a week after they had taken over the new house, Minho's father was close to being back to his usually happy and talkative self, and Minho couldn't have been happier about it. His family didn't seem so broken any more. His mother might not be with them any more, but she was watching over her two boys, Minho knew that.