Monday

Taaemin’s POV

“Ouch!” I stared at the carton of juice at my side and looked up to its source. My eyes met with a frowning Minho.

“What?” I rubbed the side of my head. He threw a half-empty carton at me! I winced at the stain on the table. I am not cleaning that.

“Can I talk to you for a second?” He forced a smile. Oh if only Jinki hyung can see his face right now, he wouldn’t let Minho near me in weeks. Too bad he’s too preoccupied with some books he got from the library.

“You threw a-”Minho suddenly stood up with his fists closed tight.

“Taemin.” Luckily, Jinki hyung looked up to him, confusion written on his squishy face.

“Where are you two going?”

Minho smiled sweetly and pulled me up, his grip was tight as steel around my wrist. He ruffled my hair and said, “We’re just going to have some chat, right Taeminnie?” He smiled until his eyes turned to slits (Well, he tried. His eyes didn’t even change that much.)

I returned his smile and nodded. “Yes hyung.”

“I’m going to keep him safe. Don’t worry.” THE HYPOCRISY.

“Okay. Don’t be too long. I don’t want to be alone here” With that he pushed his glasses up and scanned the books again.

Minho pulled me away from the table.  After reaching a safe distance, he grabbed my by the collar and pushed me to a tree.
“H-hyung! W-wait!”

“You said you’ll help me! It’s been four days! You told me you’re going to help me! Jinki’s been ignoring me even on the weekends.”

I pushed him off slightly, making him let go of my collar. “Hyung! I have my problems too you know. I haven’t seen Kibum since last week.” I pouted and slumped on the tree. “Why didn’t he tell me before-hand that he’s going to Daegu for the week-end?”

Minho shrugged and leaned on the tree too. “His grandma told him to go there.”

“But he’s sick.”

“Tsk. That’s the reason why he went there in the first place.”

“huh?”

“His grandma worries about him too much that she wants to take care of his grandson personally. They can’t ask the old woman to travel all the way here.”

I sighed in defeat. “When will he come back?” I haven’t been sleeping that well these past few days. I guess, I got too used to sleeping and waking up next to Kibum (even though that’s only for one night).

“He’ll come back today.”

M y ears perked up. “Really?”

“Yeah. He told me.”

My eyes went wide. “But he left his phone at their house before going to Daegu!”

“He called me through Junsu hyung’s phone. Didn’t Kibum try to contact you?”

“No.”

“Poor you.”

“Shut up!”

“Yah! Is that a way to speak to your hyung?!” He turned to me and grabbed my collar again.

I glanced at our stonetable to call for Jinki hyung and ask for salvation but instead I gasped in surprise. Minho took notice and followed my glance. He stiffened and stared at the two figures happily engaged in a conversation.

I-is that? I ran to our table to check the girl’s identity. Upon reaching the two I brightened up. “Noona!”

“Oh, Taemin-ah!” She hugged me tight and pinched my cheeks. “Good thing you’re still alive.” I knew what she meant and I shivered at the thought.

“Yeah…well, this is a new school year for me.”

“That’s great!”

“uhm…noona, what are you doing here?”

“I came here for Jinki.” She pointed to my hyung who’s blushing red right now. “I need some books for some report for class.”

Oh. So that’s why he’s so into the books. He wants to please noona… “College is that hard?”

“Yeah. It takes up all of my ti-”

“Hey…” a deep voice came behind us.

The older girl turned around and her face brightened. “Minho? Is that really you?”

The said guy nodded and all of a sudden noona was all over him. “I missed you!”

Minho cleared his throat and tried to pry off the other’s hands. “Ugh…long time no see Jessica.”

Jinki hyun