Chapter 10

It was early in the morning and Mingyu wanted to get out of his house already. Since his mother’s last attempt on getting him a girlfriend was a negative, she is now openly asking him his type; not her usual subtle mom tactics. They were on his family’s massive kitchen and he sat at the stool by the large granite bar.

“Kim Mingyu, since you kept of rejecting my date choices for you, why don’t you tell me what exactly your type is.” His mother asked him as she cooked him his breakfast. Being a chef, his mother made sure that her only son is properly fed with delicious and nutritious food.

“Why do you exactly need me to date, mom? Are you so tired of me already, you want to give me away?” He asked teasingly, knowing his mom would react the only way she knows how: smothering him with affection.

“Oh no, my son! How could you ever think that way?” She said, placing her pan aside and coming beside him, giving him a hug. “You know that I only want you to have someone to share your happiness with! Like the way your father and I do!” She explained to him with pepper kisses.

“Mom! Stop! You’re ruining my clothes!” He complained, prying his mom off him. She chuckled as she let go of him. “But what if I told you that I love very openly?” He said the last part very carefully. His mom always gushed to have a grandchild someday, and if he takes another guy for a life partner, it would certainly vanish.

“What do you mean openly? Like with boys as well as girls?” She said with equal delicacy. Mingyu noted her mom’s thoughtful look. It’s not a disgusted one, so maybe I have a shot. He thought.

“Yes?” He said; his answer sounding more like a question. His mom raised her eyebrow in curiosity.

“Are you not sure about your answer? Why does it feel like a question?” She asked him. Mingyu gulped in nervousness. He certainly didn’t expect his breakfast to end this way.

“I’m sure mom; I’m not saying I don’t like girls, I’m saying I like boys as well.” He said, somehow gaining more confidence with each word.

“Well, do you have someone in mind?” She asked. “I know this is a first, so there must be someone who made you realize your open preferences.” She explained. ‘As expected of my mom.’ He thought only she could decide to over analyze my feelings before I do.

“Well, there are people who made me realize this.” He said, stressing out the word ‘people’ to indicate the plurality of it.

“Kim Mingyu! I didn’t raise you to be a cheater! How could you play with people’s hearts like that?” She scolded him, hitting him in the shoulder lightly. He raised his hands in surrender.

“Mom! I didn’t even make a move on anyone yet. You know I like to weigh things before I decide! I’m not a cheater!” He defended himself. His mom seemed to be relieved by his answer as she went back to her dish and plated it. She served her son’s plate before him as she took the opposite side of the bar, placing her own plate down.

“So what is making you so confused, son?” She asked him. By now, Mingyu knows that his mother’s love knows no bounds and she has accepted him fully.

“Well, there’s this guy, Jeonghan, who looks pretty as a girl.” He said. His mom was taken aback by this information.

“She is a cross dresser? I think I don’t like a cross dresser for a son-in-law, Min. That’s my limit.” She said sternly.

“No mom! He is definitely not a cross dresser!” He said, waving his hands. “He dresses normally, but he is pretty as a girl.” He repeated.

“So you mean his face is like a girl’s?” She asked him; he nodded.

“And a pretty one at that?” She asked again.

“It was to the female population of my year to have a boy be the most beautiful face for our batch.” He explained. His mom was totally surprised at this.

“That pretty?” She asked him and he nodded again in agreement.

“Well, is that what you like about him? Because he’s the prettiest face you’ve seen?” She asked him. Mingyu was surprised by his mother’s question. She moved on so quickly from that point.

“Maybe at first.” He admitted. “But then I got to know him and he’s like this awesome person with refreshing views about everything. He is an orphan but he has guardians all over the world!” He said excitedly. “Because of moving so much, he is multi-lingual and he doesn’t really care about the society like most of Koreans do.” He added.

“So, he disregards it?” She asked him.

“No, mom.” He shook his head. “He respects it, but he doesn’t let it define him or his ideals. Do you know that he basically tamed Cheol hyung’s massive ego? He called Cheol hyung a delusional case of prince syndrome!” He said with a small laugh. His mom joined in on the laughter.

“Well, kudos to him! I like him already!” His mom clapped her hands. “Choi Seungcheol is the second most egoistical man I know! Next to his father, of course.” She said.

“So what’s the con in this person?” She asked him. “You’ve been telling me Mr. Jeonghan’s pros and nothing of the cons.”

“Well, he doesn’t like me.” He admitted, bringing his head down. “At least, not the way I do.” He added. His mom placed her hand on top of his and gave it a tight squeeze.

“It’s about time you get rejected, son. It’s been a long time coming.” She said. Mingyu gasped at his mother.

“Umma! How could you say that? You should be on my side forever!” He whined, making his mom laugh at him.

“Sweetie, I know all about the hearts you break! I think it’s time for a dose of your own medicine. Make you aware that you can’t always get what you want in love.” She explained to him carefully. “There is more heartbreak to love than love itself, my dear son. I personally think it’s good you experience this now, than later in life.” Mingyu took time to rationalize his mom’s words.

“So what of the second person? I thought there is people who made you realize your ‘openness’” She then asked him, using air quotes.

“His name is Wonwoo. And he’s not rich, mom. I’m sorry.” He said. His mother smacked his hands in disapproval.

“Kim Mingyu! You know that I don’t care about things like that! I wasn’t rich when your dad met me! If not for my cooking skills, I wouldn’t be half as worthy a candidate for your father’s wife in your grandparents’ eyes.” She explained. He knew his mom wasn’t originally rich like his dad was, it was his first time to hear the last part.

“I will like a person as long as he is not a lazy or just plain awful.” She said. “Now, continue.” She urged him.

“Well, I’m mostly confused about him. He doesn’t care at all that I’m a celebrity; he treats me like you do, honestly.” He said, looking quite embarrassed with himself.

“How?” She asked him.

“Well, he praises me for my merits and berates me for my wrongdoings. I’m just Mingyu, a boy a year younger than him. I’m not a celebrity.” He explained. “And I’m honestly really confused about him. It’s like I like him, but not enough to make a move. A friend, but not exactly just a friend.” He said, confusing himself even more than before.

“Well, if he treats you the way I do then I must say that he is a good person.” She declared; Mingyu laughed at his mom’s confidence in herself.

***

Mingyu made his way to his first class of the day, his class with Jeonghan. As expected, Yoon Jeonghan was at the back row of the room with his headphones on while reading. He took his place beside the longhaired boy and gave him a nudge. Jeonghan smiled at him as he removed his earphones and took them away.

“You’re here, Gyu-ya!” he said cheerfully as he greeted the younger a good morning. “How come you’re so early?” He asked.

“Why? I am not allowed to be early?” Mingyu retorted playfully.

“Well, you’re not exactly an early bird. You usually come 5 or 10 minutes after the class starts.” Jeonghan . Mingyu laughed bashfully, realizing his habitual tardiness.

“So? Is this how things usually happens in the early morning?” He asked the longhaired boy. Jeonghan shook his head as he closed his book. He turned his body to Mingyu before answering.

“No, in about five minutes, the girl who likes Cheollie will arrive and she would spend her time admiring herself in the mirror or have her minions listen to how she’s the future lady of Choi Industries.” He informed him. Mingyu look at Jeonghan with a curious look.

“And you just listen to it? You don’t react on her bull?” he asked the older. Jeonghan looked at him like he said something wrong.

“Why would I react on it? It’s not like its true. And talking to her is quite exhausting.” Jeonghan admitted with a small smile. “Cheollie told me that he’d most probably be disowned because of what he has planned for his birthday party. It’s something that would get her-” he pointed to Soojung “off his back for good.”

“Why? What does he have planned?” Mingyu asked Jeonghan.

“I dunno. Cheollie just said that I should just wait for it. Since I agreed to pretend to be his boyfriend, he only told me to react accordingly. To what exactly, I don’t know.” He answered. Mingyu suddenly became curious as to what Seungcheol was thinking. Jeonghan gave him a nudge and a knowing smile.

“What are you smiling like a fool about?” He asked the longhaired boy.

“So, you’re jealous about Mr. Fireplace’s study partner, huh?” He asked, wiggling his eyebrows. Mingyu’s eyes went wide in surprise.

“What are you even talking about, hyung? I am not jealous of that Lee Seokmin!” He said indignantly.

“You can deny it all you want, Gyu-ya, but I can see it in your eyes!” Jeonghan , jokingly staring into his eyes. Mingyu waved him off.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, hyung!” He said.

“Plus, the way you whined about Wonwoo having a boyfriend and how you were ignored totally proves my point!” Jeonghan added with a teasing laugh. Mingyu wanted to make a comeback but someone else beat him to it.

“So, you can’t seem to get enough rich boys’ freebie, you had to have two.” A voice interrupted their conversation. The two followed the voice and saw Jung Soojung walking towards them with a hand on her hip. She stood in front of his desk and looked down on Jeonghan with a raised brow as she threw another insult.

“Your orphan can’t understand that orphans must stay with other untouchables?” She said with a smirk. Mingyu wanted to hit her but controlled himself because she’s a girl; but i