Wonwoo flips his binder absentmindedly, long fingers gliding through an expanse of neat notes with equally neat handwriting, his free hand drumming the surface of Han Public School Library's 20-something years old wooden desk. At some point he flicks his eyes up to meet the ticking wall clock- and clicks his tongue.

4.25

His partner is 25 minutes late. Wonwoo is okay with waiting, he just doesn't find it okay to break a promise. After Mr. Park gave the assignment, Wonwoo had straight up texted Heejun- his supposed partner the first thing after the lesson ended (Wonwoo actually had his number all along from last year's lab class). Heejun did agree to meet Wonwoo at 4, 15 minutes after the very last bell, but look; 4.25-now 4.26 and still no signs of said person.

Well, Wonwoo knows he shouldn't be surprised. This is Heejun afterall, what can he expect? Heejun, from Wonwoo's past experiences of having a lab class together with him isn't exactly the most punctual. Last year, Heejun always showed up two minutes after the bell, always rummaging in hurry, and always tried his best to sneak in faster than the teacher. It was a miracle that he was never caught, Wonwoo needed to applaud him for that.

After what feels like an eternity, Wonwoo grows bored from his binder, and his other set of digits start to feel numb from excessive drumming. He sets down his binder, and ducks under the desk to put it inside his backpack, only to hear a loud sound coming from above his head.

Wonwoo looks up, and is met with a figure he didn't expect.

"Hey,"

Not Heejun, not the librarian (sometimes the librarian likes to sit down and chat with Wonwoo about books whenever she catches Wonwoo reading her faves), or not some random people that accidentally brush over Wonwoo's desk. It's Kim Mingyu, bangs slick from sweat as he pants heavily yet trying to still look suave.

"Hey?" Wonwoo answers, almost puzzled. But not entirely puzzled (Maybe Mingyu just feels like chatting with him. Or maybe Mingyu still doesn't believe in Wonwoo's integrity of keeping his mouth shut and is on the way to dismantle Wonwoo into 17 pieces so that his mouth will be shut completely leading Mingyu's secret safe and sound. Sounds scary, but kind of do-able for Mingyu.)

Mingyu drags a chair from the desk in front of him, ignoring the grunts of a female underclassman that is about to take said chair, and plops down on it facing Wonwoo.

"Um... That is kind of rude." Wonwoo quirks an eyebrow at Mingyu's action.

As much of a pacifist he is, that doesn't want to start any conflict, especially with the almighty Mingyu. Yet Wonwoo can't stand Mingyu's lack of manner. It drives Wonwoo's conscience crazy.

"There are plenty of other chairs for her to take," Mingyu retaliates as he leans back on his chair. Wonwoo finds this situation funny. Wonwoo hates being nosy. It is the last thing he wants to be, but he feels almost motherly rather than nosy. Mingyu reminds him of a small boy in family gatherings that refused to shake hands with his relatives, or that one kid at Christmas celebrations that accepted gifts without saying thank you. And Wonwoo can't help but take the role of the mother that urges her sulking son to do so.

"Mingyu..." Wonwoo gives a look, and Mingyu can't help but stare back. Usually Mingyu straight off whacks people that dares to defy his words, or even tells him stuffs, yet oddly Wonwoo doesn't irritate him.  Wonwoo wears a stern gaze but not kind of the gaze that asks Mingyu for a fight. His gaze is far from the usual condemning gazes people throw at him, commanding Mingyu in the softest way possible. Still commanding, but not offending. It feels like his gaze gently pushes Mingyu into instantly regretting his actions, and reminds him of what his mother used to tell him, way back when he felt his parents still cared for him. "Grow up to be a man with manners Mingyu-ah"  his mother once said, "always pull the chair out for your partner- when you have one in the future, then after that you can sit down on your own. Respect people around you, so that they will respect you back."

"Sorry," Mingyu stands up and returns the chair back to the girl, not taking another chair before he flashes a not-so-apologetic-more-like-a-flirty smile at the girl, which sent her squealing timidly, fireworks in her eyes. Mingyu drags a different chair and plops back down to face Wonwoo. "Satisfied?" Mingyu says arrogantly.

Wonwoo nods, "Thank you," as he offers an eye smile, utter gratefulness in form of sparkly stars shining on his eyes. Mingyu expected to get a snarky, sarcastic thank you, but instead he gets a genuine one. Though Wonwoo's 'smile' can't be counted as a smile, but the sheer glow from his eyes itself makes up for the slight tug of his lips. 

Well, Mingyu considers Wonwoo's smile the best part of his day, despite the minimal amount.

"Anyways, have you seen Heejun? He's my partner and he hasn't come round." Wonwoo looks from over Mingyu's shoulder, trying to locate whether Heejun is trailing behind the taller or not.

"You're looking at him."

"What?" Wonwoo an eyebrow. His eyes are still okay. He lifts his glasses, squints, and wears it back. Yup, Mingyu, not Heejun.

"What I meant is, I'm your partner. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, and oh for being so ing late-I promise I won't do it again. I had to look for Mr. Park to change the names. So yeah, we're partners. Great?" Mingyu flashes Wonwoo a eating  grin after his long long rant which reduces Wonwoo to a blinking mess.

"O-okay..." At least he still got decent manners to apologize, and tell Mr. Park to change the names, cue for inner Wonwoo's eye rolls. And besides, Mingyu, or Heejun there's not much difference, in fact Mingyu is more reliable for reaching higher spots in the library. Wonwoo feels there's no need to ask why.

After Wonwoo finally absorbs the information, he quickly adds, "Just don't break your promise okay."

"Just like you didn't break mine. Of course," Mingyu grins, the kind of his playful,childlike, happy grin that reduces him from a ferocious beast to an overgrown puppy as he lends his pinky out. Wonwoo never guesses Mingyu is into this kind of sappy .

Wonwoo awkwardly lends out his pinky, only to have his forearm pushed off playfully by Mingyu. " no Wonwoo," Mingyu abruptly grabs Wonwoo's outstretched pinky into his grasps and nudges Wonwoo to the same with his pinky. "Like this."

And Wonwoo deducts that Mingyu is not bad at all.

a/n: I DONT KNOW IF THE SEVENTEEN HOLDING-PINKIES THINGY WORKS FOR TWO PEOPLE and i am really sorry for the late update