Lee Minhyung is confident. Lee Minhyung doesn't give up a fight. He gets back up even before he's fully pushed to the ground.

Minhyung repeats the thoughts in his head as their teacher announces another upcoming performance they'll be having for their communication class. It involves acting out a scene that's connected with what they learn last week and it's with a pair, he repeats the teachers instructions in his mind. He knows working with the girls in his class would lead to even more work than need so Minhyung prays that he'll at least be paired with one of the boys.

"There's eighteen of you, so each one can have a pair." The teacher answered when Donghyuck asked if it's alright to have three in a group. He sees Donghyuck frown and quickly pulled Jeno with him.

Minhyung almost shouts because one, Jeno is his best friend and two, best friends are supposed to be partners in every activity. That's what he thought. Jeno felt Minhyung's cold stare and looks at him. Smiling apologetically, he mutters a sorry to his best friend.

Now what is he going to do? Sure, he's friends with almost everyone but they all have their partners in mind. And Jeno is his only hope.

Minhyung slumps back on his chair, heart beating fast because he might be paired with a girl if his teacher saw him-

"Hey, Minhyung." He hears a low, shy voice hovering him from the side. Minhyung knows who it is, he just doesn't want to assume. He looks up to see Jaemin smiling at him shyly.

"H-Hey-" Minhyung sits up straight and looks at Jaemin as if he wasn't a stuttering mess a few seconds ago, "J...Jaemin. Hi!" His smile is lopsided and awkward. Very awkward. 

"Hey, um, I was wondering if you wanted to be partners? Because Donghyuck pulled Jeno and I told him we'd be partners." Jaemin pouts as he looks back on Donghyuck and Jeno planning out what they are going to perform.

"Uh, yeah, sure sure. Jeno..I think he doesn't even want me to be paired with him. We're always together so he must be tired of me. He noticed Jaemin leaning sideways on his desk, he must be tired of standing, and Minhyung's speaking nonsense.

"Oh, I'm sure that's not it! But, it's nice of you to agree. When do you think we can practice for this?" Jaemin's smiles never fades out of his face. Minhyung thinks Jaemin was born with it. Smiling even in his mother's womb. Minhyung thinks it beautiful. He thinks he might be a romantic but he blames Jaemin for that.

Minhyung didn't know was staring until he saw Jaemin's hand waving in front of him. "O-Oh, uh, tomorrow? Maybe after class because we still have that research and I haven't finished it."

"Alright, that's fine. I'll just make the script if I have the time and we can lay it out tomorrow. That sounds okay?" Jaemin tilts his head to the side, beaming at Minhyung as he waits for the other's reply.

'Yeah, s-sure."

The bell rings just in time when Jaemin laughs a little, and Minhyung's heart might be beating louder than the school bell.

Jeno and Minhyung walk side by side silently as they go to the parking lot to find their parents. "I heard you paired with Jaemin. How's that working for your heart, bro?" Jeno jokes earning him a slap in the head from Minhyung.

"You tell me, how are you feeling that you paired up with Donghyuck instead of your best friend for life?" Minhyung spits out. He's not angry, he just wants his best friend to feel guilty about what he's done. They do that to each other more often than not.

"You're changing the subject. Come on, even my parents know how crazy you are for Jaemin. Our parents are friends, remember?"

"Y-Yeah well, I'm pretty sure you're the one who told uncle Doyoung and Jae, okay? You're trying to interfere with my love life huh?" Minhyung attacks, bumping Jeno's shoulder with his. Jeno laughs heartily as he looks to the direction where he saw his parents waiting for him.

"Appa!" Jeno happily shouts hugging his dad.

"Hello uncle Jae!" Minhyung smiles at Jeno's dad and the older smiles back at him.

"You know I can hear you talking about Jaemin from here. What if the poor kid hears it and think Minhyung is creepy?" Jeno's dad jokes earning a pout from Minhyung and a laugh together with a tighter hug from his son. "I was just joking Minhyung-ah. Anyway, we need to go home. Appa Doyoung is gonna be home early!" Jeno jumps inside the car as soon as his dad opens it, waving a goodbye to Minhyung.

His dads won't be able to pick him up today, they told him they're having their weekly date night. Minhyung shakes his head and proceeds to the bus stop. His mind, though, keep wandering to when Jaemin, the sunshine boy he has a crush on since tenth grade, asked him if he wants to be partners.
He can't wait for tomorrow.

+

After class, Jaemin and Minhyung stayed and went to the school garden where Jaemin says is a good place to practice. He sits on the bench next to the other, not too close to feel Jaemin's arms rub on his but not too far that he can't feel his presence. L
Jaemin puts his bag between them, opens it and scrambles through his things. Probably looking for the paper he wrote the script on.

"Where..are- there you are!" He exclaims happily without seeing Minhyung staring at him lovingly. He's a love sick seventeen year old, what do you expect.

Jaemin proceeds on talking about how they will exchange the dialogue until he forgets that he hasn't told yet what the opening scene will be. He restarts his explanation while Minhyung, who is smiling weirdly, just nods at every word Jaemin says. He explains how Minhyung would bump him because he was looking at his phone while he was holding books. He told Minhyung that he should stutter as he apologize to make it look like they're using a form of utterance. That's simple, Minhying thinks glad that he at least understand a word from just staring at Jaemin, I always stutter in front of you anyway.

Their meeting started and ended with Minhyung staring and Jaemin talking the whole time. Although Minhyung thinks that was the most memorable forty minutes of his life, he needs to go.

He walks Jaemin to the bus stop and the latter asking him if he isn't taking the bus. Minhyung shakes his head and tells Jaemin that his dad would pick him up because it's almost five o'clock and his parents are very protective.

They bid their goodbye before Minhyung goes back to the parking to look for his dad.

+

The day of the performance came and of course, everyone was prepared. Except for Minhyung, he totally forgot to bring the costume he was going to wear for their performance. Jaemin assured him it's okay and that 'if that's the case, then I won't change clothes as well'. Minhyung thinks his heart grew bigger because of how caring Jaemin is.

Minhyung knows he's screwed.

The teacher called their names after five pairs. They stood from the other ends of the platform, Jaemin holding three thick books (and Minhyung really, really wants to help him) while Minhyung puts puts out a scientific calculator acting as a phone.

They acted the scene perfectly until it was Minhyung's part, to apologize. He looks up from the books scattered on the floor after they collided with each other. He looks at Jaemin's eyes, that looks shocked; he's good at acting, he thinks. And suddenly, Minhyung forgets everything he has to say.

"I-uh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it, it's my fault. Let me help you." He says swiftly and kneels down to gathered the books together. Jaemin kneels down too, voicing a happy 'thank you' for the audience to hear.

Their performance ended and the teacher proceeded on calling the other pairs. The two boys went back to their seat, and Minhyung noticing Jeno and Donhyuck looking at them teasingly, Donghyuck wiggling his eyebrows.

Minhyung sighs and turn to look at Jaemin expecting the younger boy to smile now that the performance was over. Instead, he saw Jaemin looking at him, his cheeks tainted a tad bit of pink. He looks down when Minhyung caught him looking.

Minhyung sits down of his chair and looks back at Jaemin who's now quietly talking to Donghyuck. He saw Jaemin's ears went red when Donghyuck says something funny (funny because he saw Donghyuck laugh at his own joke, so yeah, it must have been funny for him). It must be that Donghyuck was teasing Jaemin about his acting. He tilts his head slightly but shakes it after telling himself that it's none of his business, now that he doesn't have anything to talk to Jaemin about.