• ♬♫♩•
CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Their arms ache after the amount of times they’ve practiced, and Mingyu got the bad luck of deciding to head to Wonwoo’s house for practice — Along with carrying a huge drum kit he had to carry in his arms back and forth from his house to the older’s until everything was in place.

And from there it was back-to-back of playing the same song: Memorising what each of them did and at what time, after they played through it once it was back to the beginning. Every. Damn. Time.

It was tiring, but they had to get things perfect. The fair was in a weeks time.

"Wonu'," Mingyu walks up to Wonwoo, who's laid down on his floor with his arms and legs spread around the room while his violin and bow are tossed somewhere else, "We need to practice Wonu'." The younger comments as he tires to shake the older.

"'Gyu later..." Wonwoo mumbles, sounding like he's done with life. But to Mingyu, Wonwoo always sounded done with life.

"But we have to-"

"I said no Kim Mingyu!" Suddenly, Wonwoo's voice went from 0 to 100 fast. From nowhere, Wonwoo starts to kick his legs and groan loudly, screaming as he shifts and turns side to side.

'The -' Mingyu thought, looking at the older who's having a tantrum. Instead, he said, "Uh wow, ing okay-"

"Just shut up Mingyu!"

"But-"

"SHHH." Wonwoo shuts him up by dramatically shushing him.

“I’ll…” Mingyu takes time with his words, something that he doesn’t do often, “Be downstairs… Call me if you need anything?” He makes his statement sound like a question since he has no clue how to deal with Wonwoo.

“Just! Go!” Wonwoo points to the door and Mingyu slowly walks out, doing his best to close the door quietly as he exits.

“Why was I forced to be partners with him…” He sighs as he walks down the staircase, stretching his arms after they feel strained and numb, attempting to wipe his sweaty hands on his clothes.

When he arrives downstairs however, his eyes are met with Jeon Jiwoo in the middle of putting on unmatching shoes (To be exact, one checkered shoe and a white sneaker that lights up) as the door is open and her jacket looks like she’s hiding something suspicious underneath.

Once their eyes meet, they stare in silence like they always do, and like always Mingyu breaks the silence. “Why does it look like you’re going to rob a house-“

“HEY YOU HAVE MONEY RIGHT?” She yells a sudden question to him, and doesn’t let him answer the damn question, “MINGYU LET’S GET ICE CREAM TOGETHER.” And she runs to the taller, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him out of the door.

Mingyu stays speechless as he sees Jiwoo throw a wallet back through the door, which Mingyu could only guess is Wonwoo’s wallet — Judging by the fact it was a leather Attack on Titan wallet — While he’s shocked that Jiwoo is strong. Very strong.

“I DON’T GET YOU JEONS-“

“YOU’LL GET USED TO IT!” Jiwoo laughed maniacally. The taller looked at the whole street, and everyone didn’t seem bothered or weirded out by Jiwoo’s actions. Seriously, Mingyu has no idea what he got himself into. 

—♩—♪—♫—♬ —

After an hour, they arrive near a skate park and Jiwoo happily eats her ice cream as Mingyu takes a seat next to her with a drink in his hand. They both sit in silence, but both of them knew that they don’t have much in common so sitting in silence was one thing they could bond over.

“So is Wonwoo having his 'time of the month' again?” Jiwoo says and Mingyu looks away as he spits out his drink (Choking a bit too). “What? That’s what I call it. It’s nature-“

“Yeah, I know.”

“You’re weird.” She suddenly says.

Mingyu furrows his eyebrows. The taller could say the same about her too, but Mingyu didn’t want to look rude. “Oh okay…?”

“I mean, who doesn’t like ice cream?! It’s amazing!”

Surprised, the taller nervously chuckles. “I told you… I don’t mind it, but I can’t eat a lot of sweet things. It makes me cough and I often feel sick.”

“That . You’re missing out on so much!”

“I know Jiwoo,” Mingyu smiles, “But I guess that’s how life works — You can take in the sweet things, but you easily get sick of it.”

“Wow…” Jiwoo mouths, looking down at her odd shoes. After that, they sit in silence until Jiwoo finishes her ice cream, and the two of them decide to take a walk around the city.

Jiwoo skates on her skateboard while Mingyu’s long legs catch up with her.

“So… How’s school going? Are you doing well in your studies?” He asks, he might as well use his time by getting to know Wonwoo’s ‘charming’ sister.

“I guess it’s okay. It’s a bit boring…”

“Don’t act that.” Frowns the taller, “Wonu’ does well in his studies, you should be like him-”

“Mingyu, don’t say that to me.” The younger replies instantly. Confused, Mingyu lets out a small hum.

“Huh?”

“N... Nothing.” She stutters, “You just sound like Mom and Dad… They always compare me with Wonwoo... Disadvantages of being the youngest, right?” She chuckles despite a frown was painted on her face.

“Really? It to be the only child. You’re built with expectations and look at me, I’m getting nowhere. I’m clueless.” The words roll of Mingyu’s tongue naturally, he never likes to talk about what’s in his mind, but it came to him naturally.

“Then let someone come into your life and change it… It’s never too late to give up.” Jiwoo replies, getting a hotdog from her backpack and continuing to skate.

Her words stick in the male’s mind. It repeats. Again. Again. Again. Like a spark lighting up somewhere, with a warm glowing welcome to it. They arrive at a bridge not too distant from the city, and the both of them stop to enjoy the view.

Again, they sit down and hang their legs between the bars that prevent them from falling, staring down at the great distance between them and the deep blue river underneath them.

Jiwoo looks over to the older, who seems to be thinking hard about something. ‘He looks bothered…’ She thinks, with a frown showing on her face for the second time. Her swinging legs gently nudges Mingyu’s long ones. “Yo... Whatcha’ thinking about?”

Mingyu looks up at her, snapping back to reality. “Oh, me? Ah…” He sighs, trying to think of an excuse, but since Jeon Jiwoo can read through anyone, he rather just keep his thoughts to himself. “It’s nothing…”

“You can do better than that.” Jiwoo tuts at the older, slightly disappointed that she can’t point out any lie within him. “But okie dokie.” She goes back to staring at the bridge across them, with cars behind each other in a line.

“Ji’ can you give me some advice?” Mingyu says out of the blue after a while. Jiwoo looks back with a confused look on her face — She’s never been called ‘Ji’ before as well as been asked for advice — This was a first.

“Um… I’m not the best at it, but I’ll give it a try. Hit me.”

‘She even speaks like him too…’ Mingyu thought before he carried on speaking. “Okay.” He took a deep breath and thought of his words carefully. “So I, uh, have a friend-“

“What’s their name? I need context.” Instantly, Jiwoo asks him a question. Rude, but he’ll let her off for now.

“Ji… Hoon?”

“Ok. Jihoon. That’s a nice name-“

“Anyway.”

“Sorry, continue!”

“He has another friend, Soonyoung, which he has mixed feelings about.”

“‘Mixed feelings’? What mixed feelings?”

“How can I say this…” He mumbles while he also feels a lump go up his throat, “He doesn’t know what he means to Soonyoung. It seems harder than what he thinks. Like drowning in a hole of questions of who he is when he’s with Soonyoung. And… The both of them aren’t the type of people you see get along well or see together on a daily basis.”

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter