Not Even Friends (I)
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  Yunho groaned as she came into his peripheral. Slowly but surely the girl was making her way toward and him and he knew it was already too late to try to act like he hadn't seen her and leave before she got there.   "Good morning, Yunho!" As always she wore her usual bright smile. Her short light-brown hair was beginning to reach her shoulders, framing her face so that it looked less chubbier than usual. Min always had to crane her neck upwards to look at Yunho, granted that she was much shorter than he. It didn't help that she usually wore frumpy clothing that did absolutely nothing to compliment her height or showcase her figure. Though Yunho didn't really think she had much to offer.   "Mornin'." He was always automatically annoyed by her unnaturally cheery mood during the mornings. He didn't understand. It was unnatural because surely someone so peppy in the mornings didn't exist. But yet, there was Min. And it put him in a bad mood. He hated waking up for morning classes as it was, so his response was always dry and curt.   Despite that it never had any negative effect on her. Min vaguely allowed anything, including Yunho's poor attitude, to faze or upset her. She was used to it after all. "I brought you this." She held up, what he could clearly tell from the neatly done plastic wrap,  a blueberry muffin in her hands. A muffin which he assumed was homemade and from scratch. Min enjoyed to bake and cook in general. And he knew that she knew that blueberry was his ultimate favorite.   He shook his head and turned to adjust his pack over his shoulder as he looked away from her and simply answered, "No thanks. I already ate."   "Oh." He noted the way she quickly smiled to cover up her disappointment. He felt bad. But still. Who told her to waste her time making things for him? Surely he never did. "No problem."   "Hey, guys!" Min and Yunho looked over at Jaejoong, who was making his way over. His dark hair was tousled over and they could tell that he had just rolled out of bed and rushed over to campus. "Ooh~ Min what's that?"    Snatching the pastry from her hands Min sighed but then gently smiled. "It's a muffin I made earlier this morning. You can have it."   "Really?" She nodded and he smiled brightly, immediately unwrapping it and taking a large bite. "Oh wow. This is so good. As expected from the best chef in the world." Min smiled proudly and Yunho rolled his eyes. Jaejoong was another one who was somewhat cheerful during the mornings, but it never seemed to bother Yunho as much. Maybe because Jaejoong was a little more toned down in comparison. "Thanks, Min," He said in between chews. "You're a lifesaver. I woke up late so I wasn't able to get anything on the way."    Her smile brightened. "Well then I'm glad it didn't go to waste." Yunho eyed her from the side. No matter what, Min always remained cheerful. And maybe it was awful to say, but he kind of hated it.   "Yunho!" Hearing his name being called from the short distance, Yunho allowed Min and Jaejoong to continue talking among themselves as he turned to catch a glimpse of the owner of the voice. He was pleased to find the underclassmen Minah, skipping his way with a bright smile on her face. She was similar to Min in many ways, including the similarity in their names, and yet he was never annoyed when greeted by her presence. 
  "Good morning!" She said cutely when she reached him.   "Morning, Minah." Even the way he regarded her was different. So much more polite. Friendlier, even.   Minah was very pretty. She had milky porcelain-like skin. A pretty face and large doll-like eyes. Her hair was raven black and despite being as short as Min, Minah actually knew how to dress appropriately according to her size. She pulled off her height well because she made up for it by her proportions, which were highlighted by her style that flaunted her figure. Yunho believed Min was inferior to her in every way.   "Did you have breakfast yet?" She asked in the most hopeful voice possible as she batted her lashes and held her hands together cutely.    Yunho shook his head, already disregarding Min's presence behind him as well as forgetting what he had just finished telling her about having already eaten. "Not yet. Why?"   Minah smiled as she reached into her bag behind her and pulled out two poorly wrapped baked goods. "I made these muffins."   "Oh wow," He smiled, taking them with slight hesitation but continuing to smile her way. "These look great." At this point, Yunho would eat anything. He was starving and he didn't want to regret not taking up Min's offer of the muffins she made. Min was a master baker but he was stubborn. He didn't like giving her more of a reason to cling onto him. And apparently, Minah had just as much potential.   "I'm glad," She smiled cutely before taking a bite of her muffin. "Mm. I hope you like Banana Nut."   Yunho nearly choked on his first bite, but resisted the urge to gag as he forced himself to swallow. "Banana?" Even if it weren't for the bananas, Yunho could already tell Minah was nothing like Min when it came to baking. There was less of a sweet sugary taste and more of a salty, bitter baking powder taste to it.   Minah gaped at Yunho with worry.  "Is there something wrong?" He wasn't sure if it was because Minah was just a terrible cook, or if she lacked proper taste buds, but she seemed to be enjoying it and he needed to act like he was too.   He smiled and shook his head. "Not at all. But I think I'm gonna save the rest for later, if that's okay with you." She nodded and helped him wrap it up again before he placed it in his back. He then motioned toward the university and placed a hand on the center of her back, signaling with the other one for her to start forward. "Let me walk you to class."   As the two of them walked off, Min looked off in their direction, a sad expression threatening to surface. "He hates bananas," She mumbled quietly to herself as that little pain in her heart appeared whenever she saw him with someone else. But there was nothing she could do about it. They were just friends in the end.   "You say something, Min?"   She shook her head at Jaejoong, who thankfully was too preoccupied with devouring the muffin that he didn't notice. "Nothing. Let's get to class before we're late."   Min would be lying if she said some of the things Yunho did or said never caused her pain. That's all he ever did. But she knew he didn't mean it. That's just how he was and she accepted him for it. It was Min who had witness first hand just how much of a kind and caring soul he actually was. She loved him with the very fiber of her being. So she couldn't change him. That's who he was. Just as she knew she couldn't change either. She refused to be forceful with him. She wasn't dumb. She read every hint just fine. So whenever he was being distant, she allowed him. If he accepted her greeting, then she was fine and if he didn't she'd move on. That was how it was like between them. But she was happy just being by his side. That was enough for her. Call her foolish. Call her masochistic. Min had heard it all. If the day came that they should separate, Min would embrace it fully. But until that day, she remained by his side. Foolishly. Masochistically. Because she loved him. Because she accepted him.      ----------- ♦ ----------    

"You don't look too good, Min," Jaejoong observed with concern as he watched the small girl continue to rub her temples as she sat down on the concrete bench across from him.

Min gave a little sigh and straightened. "I think I'm coming down with something."

"Shouldn't you be home resting, then?" He asked accusingly before taking a bite of his sandwich.

"I wish," She set her hands down on the book she had opened over her lap. Not once had Min stopped studying and she was even beginning to put off eating and rest. "But I have to work on this assignment that's due next week. Apparently it counts for like half my grade."

"Yeah, but you can't let yourself get sick either," Jaejong argued as noticing the way she was beginning to pallor and look as though it was becoming harder for her to breathe. He then looked over at his bestfriend for some support. "Right, Yunho?" Maybe if he spoke up about it, she would pay attention to what he was saying.

"I'm sure she can take care of herself," He responded dryly, not paying any mind as he scrolled through his phone.

This caught Min's attention but she controlled her expression.

Jaejoong narrowed his eyes in his direction. "Ignore him." He then looked back at Min. "You should rest."

"I'll try to take it easy after, but for now I just have to grin and bear it." Min resisted the urge to look over at Yunho. She knew he didn't mean any harm by it. That's just the way he expressed himself. Plus, he wasn't wrong. She did say she had to keep working on the assignment regardless. She just sometimes couldn't help but want him to at least show some form of concern towards her. Even if it was just a small little act of consideration. She would appreciate it. But that just wasn't Yunho's style. That would be like asking for rain in the middle of a drought. She shook her head to try and erase those thoughts. It wasn't the time to concern herself with them. "Anyway, I should go," She began excusing herself as she picked up her things and stood up. "I need to get in as much time in the library as I can. See you guys later."

"Take care of yourself, Min." As Jaejoong looked off, he couldn't help but feel this disappointment toward his friend who was sitting beside him on his phone, still not giving a . "Wow. Can you be any more insensitive?"

"You heard her," Yunho defended as he finally put his phone away in his back pocket. "She can take care of herself perfectly fine."

"That's not the point, Yunho," Jaejoong rebuked, easily dismissing his excuse. "I'm asking for some support so that she can go home and you-"

"Hi, Yunho!" Upon hearing the familiar shrill of the annoying underclassman cut him off, Jaejoong was already at his limit, trying oh-so hard to control his temper.

"Oh. Hey, Minah," Yunho said with a warm and inviting smile, making Jaejoong roll his eyes.

Why couldn't he ever be that way with Min?

"Hey, Jaejoong."

Jaejoong just looked up at the girl and nodded his head in her direction. He then stood up, not in the mood to be around them while he was still so angry. "I'm gonna go." He said ignoring them. "I have class in 20 minutes." Without saying another word, he walked off.

The small girl bit her lip. "Wow," Minah stated awkwardly, clearly able to read the tension in the air just as she got to them. "I sure know how to clear out a crowd."

"What, you mean Jaejoong?" Yunho clarified. He hadn't been paying much attention to Minah as he watched Jaejoong walk off. He noted that he was specifically walking toward the direction Min had headed off to and not toward his class which was in the opposite direction. He sighed but tried to wave off her suspicions. "Nah he's okay. He's just a little awkward with people."

"Oh, I thought he didn't like me because of that girl you're dating."

At this, Yunho was taken aback, and now the small girl before him had his full attention. "Girl I'm dating?"

"Yeah. You know, the small one you guys are always hanging around with. He seems to be just fine with her."

Min? That's the only one it could be she was referring to. There was no one else. "We've known her for a long time. What makes you think we're dating?" He had never been more confused.

Minah was unconvinced. "Aren't you?"

"No. We're not," He felt a little insulted by the way she was talking to him as if he didn't believe her. "Where'd you hear that?"

"Her," She confirmed, albeit matter-of-factly. "She goes around telling people that you're together."

Yunho furrowed his brows and stood up, annoyed by the way he was being unfairly accused of liking or even being associated with someone like Min. "Well we're not."

"Could've fooled me," She replied hotly. She then turned back to him and gave him a little frown. "I mean, that's why I thought you hadn't asked me out."

"That's not true."

"Well you should do something about it," She looked at him, determination set in her pretty features. "Set her straight or something but... I don't think I would be able to go out with you if she has people on campus convinced that you two are an item."

"Minah."

"I'll see you around, Yunho."

He stood there for a moment in a daze. How could Min betray his trust like that? He scoffed. She really was what he had suspected her to be all along. He ran his fingers through his hair roughly. "Son of a ."

    ----------- ♦ ----------    

It was later that night when Min decided to pay Yunho a visit. Every now and again she would cook dinner and make the effort to prepare some extra in order to take it to him at his place.

As soon as he graduated high school, Yunho moved out of his parents house with the money he saved up from working and moved into a small apartment near campus. They never had a good relationship so Min understood why he needed to get out. She could relate since things between her and her parents weren't exactly that good either. They even went as far as moving away to a different state as soon as she graduated, while she stayed to attend the same college as her friends. But unlike Min, Yunho never learned how to cook and every now and then he would make a small comment about missing home cooked meals, and Min took it upon herself to take some to him whenever she could.

Usually she would call him before passing by, just in case he were busy, but that day in particular he hadn't picked up. She assumed it was probably because he was busy with studying or something but she was determined to drop it off. If he didn't get the door then she would just leave it in front of it with a letter attached to it. It wasn't a hassle for her.

Approaching the front door, Min rang the doorbell in hopes that she had caught him while he was still home.

The night was chilly, and though she knew she shouldn't be out since she still felt a little feverish, she risked it anyway. Anything to make him happy.

She rang the bell again for good measure after she hadn't gotten a response and concluded that he probably wasn't home or just too busy.

She had just placed a note on top of the food and was just about to set it on the ground in front of his door when she heard the knob of the door jiggling.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Was the first thing he said upon opening the door and seeing the last person he wanted to standing in front of him. Everything that Minah had said to him earlier was all flooding back.

He had ignored her calls for a reason. So what was she doing there?

His tone was a lot more hostile than usual and Min hesitated for a moment, unsure of why he was being so aggressive with her, before overlooking his attitude and simply saying. "Hey. I'm glad you're here-"

"Where else would I be?" He replied sharply. "This is my place."

Min was slowly losing her enthusiasm. "R-right. I'm sorry. I just thought-"

"You thought what, huh? That you can just show up here, unannounced and uninvited like some stalker? Who said you could just show up here whenever you want?"

She began to panic. "No, I c