Chapter 6

MinAh was walking back to her dorm one day after class. It was the weekend and she was more than glad that it was. Jiyong still kept up with his bento tactic, which she kept giving to Niel, and Teen Top kept up with their relentless pursuit. Not to also mention that L.Joe never showed up at all this week. This made her curious … Which she never was! Frankly, she was just tired of the whole thing and wanted everything to blow over, but she knew they wouldn’t.

“ShinKi!” Someone called out.

MinAh slightly turned her head to see Teen Top waving at her. *Damn, these guys just won’t stop will they?* without thinking twice, MinAh ran.

“What? Where is he going?” Ricky asked.

“Let’s go get him!” CAP ordered and they all started running.

MinAh ran through the endless hallways, not caring who she was bumping in to. Teen Top never slowed in their pursuit though, which was starting to scare her. She ran through the gym and out to the garden. She stopped in her track and frantically looked everywhere for a hiding spot. A spot nearby caught her eyes and she ran there and hid underneath the flowers. MinAh heard Teen Top rush out to the garden as well, but stopped in their track when they couldn’t see her.

“Aw, where did he go?” Niel searched.

“He’s a good runner.” Chunji panted. “I’ve never seen anyone run that fast before. You would’ve thought he was running away from the police or from a gang!”

“Well, let’s go search the plaza.” CAP ordered, and they all shuffled to the plaza.

When MinAh made sure she couldn’t hear them she took a peek. When the coast was cleared she breathed out in relief and stepped out from her hiding spot. *That was close. Let’s hope I won’t see them at all this week.*

No sooner had she said that she ran smack into someone else that she didn’t want to see.

“Yo.” L.Joe greeted with his nonchalant expression and his hands in his pockets.

MinAh groaned inwardly and her heels to walk away. L.Joe shrugged and walked with her. She shot him a look which didn’t affect him at all. He just smirked instead.

“So, what are you doing?” MinAh shook her head and looked straight forward. “You know, they aren’t bad guys. They’re actually pretty cool.”

*Then how come you don’t hang around them as often anymore? Or at least, that’s what I hear.*

“I missed hanging out with them.” L.Joe answered her thoughts. “But unfortunately I’ve just been busy. If I could, I would though.”

MinAh didn’t answer. She had no reason to nor did she want to. All she wanted was for this guy, in particular, to go far away. But L.Joe wasn’t going to do that. Instead he kept following like a little puppy.

“So … Is it possible to know why you wear a mask?” L.Joe asked. MinAh remained quiet, which L.Joe was expecting. “Why are you so quiet? Are you a mute? Where did you come from?” MinAh bit her lip from saying anything, but his endless questions were seriously igniting a spark in her.

L.Joe took a glance at MinAh. He frowned a little as his relentless assault didn’t work. *What can I do to make him answer back?*

“Yah, as your hyung, you should answer back.” She still didn’t though. L.Joe made a ‘tsk’ noise and observed the other person. L.Joe noticed that ShinKi was quite feminine for a boy if one looked good. Even if half of his face was covered, his eyes looked feminine and he just had that aura. *I bet he must be those pretty faces … Unless he has a scar.*

“Psh, you don’t know how to talk and on top of that … you look feminine. Are you a girl?”

MinAh’s eyes widened and she panicked. She stopped and shot L.Joe a firm yet scared look. “G-girl? W-who do you think you are calling me a girl?!”

After that last sentence went out, MinAh realized what she did and covered over her mask. *Damn! What the hell did I just do?*

L.Joe stood, frozen, and then a smirk slowly appeared on his face that screamed ‘Gotcha.’

“I finally got the mute to talk huh? Wow … You even have a feminine voice. I’m even surprised I heard it from behind your mask. What kind is it?” L.Joe chuckled.

MinAh turned red with embarrassment or fear, she didn’t know, but right now she disliked L.Joe even more. She didn’t say anymore and tried to get away, but she couldn’t out walk him. “Where are you going?” When she didn’t answer, L.Joe grabbed her wrist. MinAh stopped and glared at L.Joe. “Release me.”

“Ani, I don’t want to.” He smirked again when she talked. MinAh scolded herself for making that mistake. “I said … To release me.”

“Or what?” L.Joe taunted. *Alright, that’s it buster. You’re asking for it.* MinAh lips formed into a thin line and she threw a punch at him, but L.Joe somehow dodged it. MinAh blinked. *No one ever dodged me before. What the hell is this guy?*

“Wow, getting violent aren’t we?”

She threw another punch, but it was dodged again. She couldn’t do much, though, since her other hands was being held by him. So all of her punches were awkward. After a while, MinAh gave up and clenched her fist.

“Why are you even bothering with me? Can’t you see that I just want to be alone? Can’t any of you guys see that?! I just want to be alone, is that so hard to ask?!” MinAh yelled, more so at world instead of just L.Joe.

“… Is that it?”

MinAh blinked, surprised at the answer then looked up to see L.Joe who had a firm expression. “What do you mean?”

“Is that all of the anger you have in you? It seemed like there was more than that.”

“It … Doesn’t concern you!”

“Of course it does! Because … I want to be your hyung from now on.” L.Joe face lit up with a huge smile that seemed to mesmerize her.

“W-wae…?”

L.Joe shrugged and scratched his head, releasing her wrist. “I don’t know that’s a good question. Probably because … I feel like you’re different … I feel like we’ll connect pretty well.”

MinAh scowled. “You don’t know me.”

“I don’t have to know you. All I have to do is observe. You’d be surprised by what you’ll find out just by observing.”

MinAh shook her head and took a step back. If she was ever honest with herself, right now she was scared, but her pride and her harsh past refused her from submitting. But before she could say anything, L.Joe intervened. “I want to help you. Is that so hard to accept?”

“But why do you want to help me?”

L.Joe smiled and ruffled her hair. “Do I really need a reason?”

MinAh wanted to say something … but she didn’t know what to say. This guy confused her to no end … Yet drew her in like a bee to a flower. She didn’t know what to do.

“You are … Weird.”

L.Joe chuckled and wrapped an arm around her neck. “If I’m weird … Then you’re insane.”

MinAh sighed. “I … Don’t know what to say.”

“You can start by calling me hyung.”

MinAh snapped her head up in surprised. “H-hyung?”

L.Joe blinked and nodded his head. “Ne.”

*Calling a guy hyung … When in fact I’m a girl. Aish … This is just too weird. But … yet I don’t mind.*

“Hyung.” MinAh whispered. L.Joe blinked and leaned in. “What did you say?”

“Hyung.” MinAh said a little louder. L.Joe lips twitched upward. “I didn’t catch that.”

“I said hyung!” MinAh screamed then quickly covered over her mask. L.Joe looked at her for a moment then started laughing like no tomorrow. “Alright, alright I heard you. Haha, you’re funny ShinKi. I think I’ll call you Ki Clown. A collaboration of your name and clowns, since they’re funny. It’ll also be a sign of friendship.”

MinAh blinked, a bit touch yet feeling awkward. *I’ve never made a friend other then Kibum.*

“Well, I have to go Ki Clown.” L.Joe chuckled. “I’ll see you in class someday.”

MinAh watched as L.Joe walk away. When he was gone, she proceeded to a wall and started hitting her head on it. *What the hell did I get myself into now?!*