Mingyu sighed looking down at Kijoon. She had a tight hold around his waist and showed no sign of letting go. “Please just stay with me. I’m tired of being alone.” Kijoon continued to cry into Mingyu’s shirt.

“I’ll stay as long as you don’t do that again.” Mingyu painted a circle in the air with his finger around Kijoon’s face. Kijoon nodded sympathetically.

“I just-“ Kijoon rubbed her eyes with a balled up fist. Mingyu couldn’t help but look at her as a little girl. She was so fragile and broken; he felt the need to take care of her. “I broke up with Wonwoo.” Mingyu moved awkwardly, pushing himself back on the bed. He questioned her silently knowing she’d tell him her reasoning. “I don’t know if I can take being his girlfriend.” Her words were broken as if she was speaking a new language.

Kijoon rest her head in Mingyu’s lap stopping her tears. She shuddered pulling the covers up to her neck. Mingyu clawed through her hair, “I walk the halls and people stare at me. They call me names and taunt me, but there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s like I can feel them creating a group of bystanders around me as I get kicked around by Joheun.” Kijoon traced her finger in patterns on Mingyu’s knee. “I don’t want to be in the middle of all that. I can’t. You know what happens.”

Mingyu hummed tipping back against the wall. Kijoon looked up at his face with big brown eyes. She blinked away her last few tears. “Right now all I can see is either our relationship ending, or me not attending the same school. And really I don’t want either to stop.”

Kijoon rubbed her eyes again. It was still early in the morning, by now everyone at school was just starting their second period. Kijoon sighed sadly, “I had to Mingyu. I really love him.” Mingyu didn’t mean for his response to be so out front and mean, but he wasn’t really impressed with how Kijoon was being,

“If you love him then you’d tough this out, but you obviously don’t love him since you’re going off kissing me.” He pushed Kijoon off his lap and she started to cry again. Mingyu didn’t know whether to be angry or comforting so he stood from her bed with a solid facial expression. 

Kijoon coward away on the corner of her bed, she didn’t think before she spoke, “I just want to feel loved.” Mingyu was done with Kijoon’s crying. He understood why and what she was upset about but he couldn’t deal with her unreasonable explanations.

“Was I not enough?!” He yelled, “Is Wonwoo not enough?” Kijoon held her breath listening to Mingyu get angry with her. “We try so hard Kijoon! Do you know how hard it is for me to watch you cry and be upset? Do you know what it’s like to watch someone you are sure you love be with someone else? I am trying my best to stay level headed right now, but when you say things like that I don’t know what to do.”

Kijoon bit her lip to stop it from quivering. She wanted to wail and sob into her pillow while kicking her arms in the air. She was just so frustrated with life. “How do you not feel loved...” Mingyu whispered shaking his head, “When we are trying so hard?” Kijoon looked down into her lap. Mingyu sought himself to the door and walked into the kitchen. He heard Kijoon let out a small yelp when he left, “I’m not leaving; I just don’t want to talk to you right now.” He yelled back into the room and sat at the kitchen table with his hands meshed into his hair.

Mingyu let his forehead meet the cold table wood. His hand ran along the smooth surface while he turned his head to his cheek to follow his hand. He let out a long breath watching his fingers glide against the shiny table. “Why can’t I love you the way you want to be loved?” He asked himself lifting his head to rest on his arm.

“Why does it have to be Wonwoo? Why do you pull these things?” He covered his head. “Ahh, why am I talking to myself?” The floor creaked slightly but Mingyu didn’t notice, he was too busy wallowing in self pity. “How did I fall in love with you? You stubborn, annoying, childish, lazy girl. You don’t realize how frustrating it is trying to deal with every problem you bring to me.” He mulled all this hair around on his head letting out a groan. “What are you doing to me Kijoon?”

Kijoon heard everything. She stepped out of her room briefly to apologize to Mingyu, but only found herself listening to a confession. Her ear was pressed close to the cracked open kitchen door. She was on all fours looking up at the back of Mingyu’s head. Childish? She thought to herself, If anyone is childish it’s you. She wiggled her nose quickly crawling back into her room.

“Mingyu-ah,” Kijoon whined pretending to come out of her room as she originally planned. Mingyu didn’t answer, Kijoon grunted. “Mingyu-ah,” She whined again. Mingyu closed his eyes hearing the door open behind him. He could feel Kijoon crouched down beside him looking up at his face. “Hey, Mingyu!” She whispered, poking his cheek.

Mingyu shot his eyes open looking at Kijoon. He flicked her forehead, “you really are just an over sized kid.” He said sitting up in his chair, “One minute you’re crying the next you are bugging me. Why can’t you be nice like other girls?” He closed in close to her face. Kijoon shrank slightly squirming away from him.

“Other girls aren’t nice to me. Why should I be like them? You like me the way I am anyways so why should I change?” Kijoon crossed her arms with a pout on her face and sat across the table. Mingyu rolled his eyes, still not wanting to talk to her. “I’m sorry,” Kijoon chimed tilting her head cutely, “I just over reacted everything and I need your help.” Mingyu winced at the word ‘help’ but still turned to listen to Kijoon’s plan. “I want to get Wonwoo back.”