Troublesome Morning

Silence filled the whole room. The bickering of plates was the only noise they could hear.

Jinwoo glanced at Mino, who's been quiet the whole time.

"..Mino." He put down his chopsticks.

Mino, who's across the table, continued eating, not responding.

"..You haven't uttered a word since you came here.. I was.. I was just wondering why is that so.." Jinwoo said, occasionally glancing at him. "And.. You still haven't told me why you got so angry at Taehyun yesterday.."

Upon hearing the name he despised most, Mino suddenly stopped eating. "It's because that damn guy is so nosy." He said, still looking at his food.

"..Why are you so angry at him?"

"I don't like him, at all."

"What are you talking about? You've only seen him once. How can you say that?"

Mino raised his head. "I don't like it. He acts as if he's really close to you. Will a co-worker do that?"

"Huh? But he's just teasing..? He's always like that."

"But I don't like it!" Minwoo slammed the palm of his hand on the table.

Jinwoo got startled. "Wh- What's with you?"

"Look. I'm the one who's always by your side. I'm the one who's taking care of you."

Jinwoo's eyes widened.

..Mino?

"..Wh- What are you saying?"

When you say it like that.. It's as if..

"What am I to you, Jinwoo?" Mino looked him in the eyes.

Jinwoo, overwhelmed by Mino's gaze, moved back.

He gulped.

"..You're my friend.. My best friend." Jinwoo said with an uncertain eyes.

Mino paused. "Oh.." He looked away.

Jinwoo squinted his eyes; puzzled at Mino's reaction.

"Right.. Yeah.. Of course." Mino coughed. "Your best friend."

Mino sat back and continued eating.

Jinwoo, who still hasn't grasped on what's currently happening, stared at him with a bewildered expression.

This is so weird..

"XX Station. XX Station"

"He said all of that?" Taehyun bursted out laughing.

Jinwoo folded his arms. "What? What's so funny about it?"

"Nothing." Taehyun grinned. "It's just that.."

"What?"

"Don't you think he's being too much? Given that he's only a childhood friend?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I only teased you. Then he suddenly got angry. Don't you think that's suspicious?"

Jinwoo paused. "Well, I'm confused with the way he's acting too, but.. I know him.. He doesn't get angry very easily.. Did you say something to him the other time?"

"Like what?" Taehyun raised an eyebrow.

"I figured you said something nasty, so that's why he got so mad."

Taehyun chuckled.

"So you really did, huh?"

"What? No. You were there, right? I didn't say anything to him.. I just made him feel-"

BEEP! BEEP!

"Oh. Message." Jinwoo searched his pockets.

Is it Mino?

"Don't work too hard, okay? Come home early. I'll bring you breakfast tomorrow."

"Who's that?" Taehyun took a peek at the screen.

"It's Mino." He moved his phone away from Taehyun's sight.

"What now? What's it this time?" He giggled.

"..Well.. He said that I shouldn't work too hard.."

"Ohh~ I see~"

Jinwoo ignored him and glanced at his phone.

He let out a sigh.

Isn't he being a little too much, lately? What's with him? Even his worrying this time, is too much.

"XX Station. XX Station."

Jinwoo looked at Taehyun. "Ah! Isn't this the station where you get off? Quick! You might miss it!"

"Ehh?~ But I'm gonna come with you to your apartment~"

"What? Why?"

"Nothing~ I just wanna visit. You haven't invited me to come over even once."

"My apartment isn't that great! Please go home." He pushed Taehyun.

"Leaving XX Station."

"OH! We just left your station!" He scratched his head.

"Yeah, so you have no choice but to let me come over. This is the last train." He chuckled.

Jinwoo let out a sigh. "Aigoo! This guy, really!"

"Oh. This apartment is really cramped!" Taehyun took off his shoes.

"Didn't I tell you that this isn't really great?" Jinwoo closed the door.

Taehyun looked around. "Where's your childhood friend?"

"He's not here. But he lives just across. He comes here from time to time."

Taehyun nodded. "Ohh~ I see~"

Jinwoo ignored him and the heater.

"Can I sleep in your bed?~" He hugged Jinwoo from behind.

"Wh- Get off me!" He broke away from Taehyun. "I have an extra bed for visitors! You'll sleep there!"

Taehyun pouted. "Aww.. You're no fun!"

"Let's just sleep, okay? I'm really tired now."

Jinwoo prepared the built-in closet bed. "Sleep here, okay?" He gestures the bed at Taehyun.

Taehyun jumped on the bed. "Goodnight~"

Jinwoo chuckled. "You're really like a kid, huh?"

"Hmmhmmhmmm~~"

"Rice, dishes," Mino peeked inside the plastic bag he was holding. "I'll make breakfast at Jinwoo's place!~" He glanced at his watch. "Oh. It's still 6 in the morning!"

Should I just come later?

He scratched his head. "He might get angry at me again for being there so early."

OOMPH!!

Mino dropped his plastic bag and quickly bent down to pick it up.

He gasped upon checking the content; the eggs broke and the vegetables got dirtied.

"Yahh!! Look what you did!" Mino said with his head still facing the ground.

A familiar voice spoke. "You're the one who's not looking! Were you daydeaming?!"

Furious at what he just heard, Mino raised his head and looked at the person standing in front of him.

"Yah-" Mino paused.

Hehh? This bastard keeps pestering me, huh?

"Oh. It's the childhood friend!~ Mino, right?" Taehyun said in a cheerful tone.

Mino rolled his neck back. "You. Are you doing this on purpose?"

Taehyun raised an eyebrow. "Doing what?"

"This. Annoying the hell out of me." Mino stared at him, with eyes full of rage.

"Look. I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm here coz I spent the night in Jinwoo's place."

Mino's expression changed—his face was becoming more crimson, and his eyes seemed to spark with fury. He was already furious to begin with, but, he himself, didn't even know that he was capable of being this furious.

"What?"

"You heard me." Taehyun said in a taunting tone.

Mino grabbed him on the collar. "You bastard! What did you do to him?!"

Taehyun smirked. "What's it to you, childhood friend?"

"You er! I'm gonna in' kill you!"

Mino's fist were about to smash Taeyun's face, when his arm got suddenly held back.

"Mino!!! What are you doing?!"

Mino turned around and saw Jinwoo.

"What was he doing at your place?!" Mino said, still not backing away.

"Stop that!" Jinwoo grabbed his arm and pulled him away from Taehyun.

Upon breaking free, Taehyun fixed his collar and dusted off his clothes.

"He just visited my place and spent the night!"

"What did you guys do?!"

"Nothing! Why are you being like this?"

Mino grabbed Jinwoo's arm and dragged him away, leaving the surprisingly calm Taehyun behind.

"Wh- Where are you taking me?" Jinwoo tried to pull away from him, but Mino's grip was too strong.

"Be quiet!" He continued walking.

Mino hailed the cab coming towards them.

"Get inside." He pushed Jinwoo inside the taxi cab.

"Wait! Where are you taking me?!"

Mino closed the door. "To the nearest motel."

Jinwoo's eyes widened. "WHAT?!" He looked at Mino. "Why are we going to a motel?!"

Mino didn't asnwer and just stared at the window.

Jinwoo grabbed the cab driver's shoulder. "Mister! Please! Stop the car! I'm going home!"

"Yah! Stop that!" Mino pulled Jinwoo towards him and intensely looked him in the eyes. "Be still! Okay?!"

Jinwoo got taken aback by Mino's cold attitude and sat still.

I've never seen him like this before..

He was always gentle towards me..

..Now he looks so scary..

Why is he like this?

It's still so early in the morning, and this happens already!

Mino.. Why do you always make it so troublesome for me?!

Sorry if it took me longer than usual, but the story is reaching its .

It's gonna be exciting from now on.

I wasn't gonna post this til tomorrow since it's still in the process of editing, and I'm a bit lazy to do it today.. but SongRachel, who keeps supporting my works, asked me many times to update, so I did. *winks*