Episode 15: Minho's development -2-

 

“What the hell?!” I blurted through my clenched teeth, getting completely taken aback.

 

“I’m the one who’s supposed to ask this question now Mikasa!” I glanced at his face to see a Minho with an overly irritated expression.

 

“Min…” I was at a loss of words.

 

He grabbed my collar with his both hands and started to glare at me, right in the eyes with our faces right in front of each other,

 

“Cut this crap out! I’m already going crazy because of it!” he shook me when I could only stare at him with wide eyes.

 

“Show me the results of your intense training! Stop acting useless you jerk!” he pushed me toughly and I slumped slightly, still taken aback at his moves and tone of voice.

 

My brain couldn't process everything since it happened too fast, and I just reamined in my posture frozen for few minutes. He took a deep breath, and started to draw closer to me slowly,

 

“So it was only a show and nothing more,” he uttered as his lips formed a thin smile.

 

Are you really going to allow your pride as a fighter get stepped on by someone like him?!

 

I lurched,

 

Never in my whole life that I got taken down by an opponent before, and this won’t be my first!

 

I got suddenly all worked-up, seeing nothing around me but that guy. I dropped my head seeing that he couldn’t take any further steps:

 

“Hah, a true weakling” he scoffed.

 

He was about to place his hand on my shoulder but I crouched down and swiftly spun around striking a low kick at him, and he dodged it, I rose up again trying to hit him but he surprisingly was able to stop me, I bit my lip in frustration,

 

Why’s he so strong damn it!

 

I then went over at him with all what’s left of my energy, yet I wasn’t able to hit him.

 

“Yes, this is it” he was grinning looking all amused, “This is the real Mikasa that I know” his voice softened and he smiled.

 

Upon hearing his words, I found myself stopping dead in my tracks and instead taking a good look at his features.

 

“I admit it” he uttered, “I got defeated by you”

 

Defeated?

 

I blinked, not understanding anything anymore, because I was apparently the one losing just now.

 

“Haha, don’t give me that silly look” he messed my hair “I wasn’t talking about our small combat”

 

His words were getting me more and more perplexed.

 

He stopped messing my hair but his palm was still on my head,

 

“What do you mean?” I asked.

 

He his heel and started to head towards the lounge.

 

“I luckily brought my track suit,” he said

 

I was striding after him, but he halted and looked back at me:

 

“Don’t follow me,”

 

he threw the towel -that he got for himself and didn’t use it yet, at me “You’ll get cold and I think that my friends are already here so… if they get to see the both of us like this…”

 

He grimaced and what he said made me blush.

 

“So wait for me here, I’ll go and get it for you”

 

Get… it for me?

 

I kept staring at his back as he headed off to the other room, and I could hear many voices. I stuck to a corner because most of the walls are made of glass and you can see through them. I just wrapped myself tighter in the towels.

_________________________

 

A few minutes later, Minho came back with a bag in his hand. He was wearing a different attire and I smiled upon seeing him. I never knew what would’ve happened if he didn’t comeback, but certainly I wouldn’t leave this place in this state having no friends and being targeted by my classmates and God-knows-who else.

 

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting this long” he sounded apologetic “I swear, it was hard for me to get rid of the guys, we were supposed to have a game today…”

 

Then I stood in his way again, what a shame. I lowered my gaze.

 

“Hey! Don’t be like that!” he patted my head “It’s ok! It’s ok! We can have it another day” he reassured me, “Take this, and change into these clothes”

 

He handed me a bag, and said:

 

“I had to leave with them and do some acting, I’m sorry for taking so long” he bowed at me with his hands clapped together. “But the good thing is that instead of my clothes, I borrowed something more suitable from a friend”

 

Ah, it must be one of these guys he was talking about. I let out a giggle.

 

“Oh! Great! You’re laughing!”

 

I just noticed that my fear and dread completely disappeared ever since I got punched by Minho.

 

No way… did he possibly do it on purpose?

 

Now that I give it a thought, it was indeed very surprising…

 

He somehow knew that the only thing I was going to react to in that state would only be provoking me…

 

“But… why?” I glanced upward at his face “Why are you being this nice with me?”

 

I mean, didn’t he say that he hated girls to begin with?

 

He didn’t look surprised by my question however.

 

“It’s just that…" he clenched his fist. “There’s something that I hated even more than girls…” I was slightly taken aback.

 

Huh? I tilted my head.

 

“Haha, don’t wait for me to tell you more” he clapped my shoulders as he peered directly in my eyes.

 

Something he resented more than women…

But what does it have to do with me?

 

“Change quickly for now, you have 30 minutes left before the curfew,” he said with a soft voice –something I’m still not used to.

 

Why is he doing this?! Argh!!! I’m going insane!

 

I sneezed,

 

“Haha, even with all that training I guess, a girl is a girl eventually”

 

Is he making fun of me? I was about to talk back at him as he started to walk toward the door.

 

“You won’t need Joonie and Yuna-chan anymore” he added, almost in a mutter.

 

E-Eh? Joonie and Yuna-chan?

 

No wait, was that... Japanese?!

 

*Flashback*

 

I recalled the phone call I got from Yuji-kun:

 

“Oh!! Jin-chan how are you doing? Are you you having a good time in Seoul?”  Yuji-kun, my childhood friend asked me. He and Yumiko are twins and both of them are my bestest of friends.

 

“Yes… this place is very nice” I was sniffling back then, “Haha, everyone is very nice to me… I made many friends”  I kept doing my best not to break into tears and force the most cheerful of laughter.

 

“Ah!! I’m so envious… but hey! Don’t tell me you’re already forgetting about me and Yumiko!” Yuji-kun was a very playful boy, however he can get irritated easily.

 

“Haha, no! Of course you and Yumiko-chan still are my very best friends, but here even… umm”  I had to come up with some names for my inexistent friends “… Joonie and Yuna-chan…”

 

*End of Flashback*

 

 By the time my mind leapt back to reality, Minho was nowhere to be seen, he clearly left already…

 

“There’s no way!” I started to panic “Why of all people… was Minho the one who heard the conversation!?”

 

No, more importantly… how is it possible for him to understand Japanese?!

 

Many questions hit my mind, but for now, I had to change fast then go back to my room and have a warm drink. Or I might really catch a cold.

_____________________________________

 

(Jin’s POV)

 

I woke up as soon as I heard a thud.

 

“What’s…?” I was still half-asleep, apparently I fell asleep involuntarily as I kept waiting for her to comeback.

 

I heard a small voice saying something that sounded like curses in Japanese.

 

Oh, she’s back.

 

I got up and went over to the door,

 

“Dummy! You mustn’t wake him up!” she whispered at herself in a scolding tone, and that made me halt.

 

Wake… him…up? I repeated in question.

 

“Ah! I can’t believe I had to walk around in this stupid…” I went to check on her but then I got utterly surprised.

 

Huh?! What the…?!

 

There’s no way for that person to be Jin!!

 

“Wearing something like that…” I mumbled at myself, covering my mouth in shock; It was a girl with a wet short dark hair and very short and tight clothing.

 

I blushed.

 

“And to walk barefoot all the way to here…” she kept whining.

 

Strange, her voice however sounds exactly like… Jin’s.

 

I thought that hiding behind the wall is the best choice for now. I heard her footing approaching. She entered in the room being unable to see me -unless she looks back so I took advantage of that situation and caught her from behind,

 

“What do you think yourself doing sneaking into someone’s room like this?” I tried not to raise my voice.

 

She started to struggle in my grip:

 

“Someone else’s room?!” she repeated in confusion, and she stopped resisting, “Wait… Is that you Jin?”

 

My eyes were wide, and I let go of her. She turned around and looked at me, our eyes met awkwardly. She flushed red and braced herself:

 

“Ah! S-Stop! Don't look at me!”  She was squealing in embarrassment.

 

I averted my gaze away feeling a bit flustered:

 

“Idiot! Why were you dressed like this in the first place?!”

 

But she ignored my question and hurried to get in the bedroom.

 

I messed my hair in frustration.

 

She was out and wearing an attire like that… and I feel my inside burning with anger.

 

I plopped on the sofa and gripped my head,

 

She never came back ever since we parted ways this noon, and she had her hair wet as if she just came out of a shower which meant that she got changed elsewhere.

 

My heart rate quickened, and I clenched my fist as the picture of Minho’s face flashed in my mind. I raised my head at the realization:

 

Could it be that she was with Minho the whole time?

 

I impatiently went to ask her. I knocked on the room’s door but I heard her voice shouting:

 

“Don’t come in!”

 

“I wasn’t coming in!” For God’s sake, did she really think I’m that shameless?

 

“Then go away” her voice lowered. “Please, I need to be alone for now”

 

I pulled away from the door and sprawled my body on the sofa, staring at the roof.

 

You don’t want to see me huh…

 

I sat up.

 

If she doesn’t want to say anything, then I know who would do it.

___________________________________

 

I banged on the door, and I could hear someone’s voice on the other side:

 

“Comiiiing~”

 

And the one who opened the door was Minho, with his hair in a mess and his mouth slightly opened as he yawned.

 

“I kinda had a feeling that it was you, old friend” he spoke with a lazy voice.

 

He was asleep apparently.

 

“Make it quick,” he folded his arms and leaned on the door’s frame.

 

I glared at him:

 

“I have one question that I need you to answer”

 

“What?” he retorted with no slight surprise.

 

“Did you spend the day with Jin?”

 

He scratched the back of his head:

 

“And I thought you were going to ask about something less obvious” he laughed.

 

“Then were you the one who made her dress like that?”

 

His eyes widened slightly,

 

“Yes, why? Didn’t she tell you anything?”

 

But before he could flash me another nerve-wrecking smile, I pulled him from his shirt and punched him in the face.

 

He slouched and I put my face in front of his and said:

 

“Apparently, you didn’t understand what it meant for me to kiss her in front of everyone”

 

“Humph” he smirked, “Well, aren’t you used to kissing girls in front of people?”

 

My grip loosened on his clothes, and his eyes shot me a glare that I didn’t see in a long time:

 

“Yeah, didn’t you say that when you kissing So Eun in front of everyone else was meaningless and baseless? And that a mere kiss doesn’t reflect real feelings?”

 

I was left thunderstruck, because he knew that reminding me of what happened was in a way or another going to make me feel guilty. I gritted my teeth and dropped my head.

 

“What’s wrong? Where did the aggressive you go?” he questioned with his eyebrows knitted.

 

“Just, stay away from Jin” I muttered.

 

“You know that saying that is only going to make me get even closer with her”

 

“She’s not as strong as you think she is”

 

“Oh really? Do you think I don’t know that?”

 

“Then don’t approach her damn it!” I banged on the wall from frustration with my clenched fist

 

We exchanged glares, as we remained silent for a brief moment, until he managed to speak first:

 

“Sorry, but the way I feel about Jin now…” he sounded serious “Is way different than the other girls… including So Eun as well”

 

I couldn’t believe what I heard.

 

"So don't think I'm allowing you do things your way with her" He shut the door close after he said that.

 

He really… has feelings for Jin...?

 

I was left dumbfounded in that almost dark corridor.

 

*******To be continued.