- February 17, 2007 -

“Hey, wait,” Kibum said when Minho started to get up from the Slytherin table. Minho settled down beside him again, his eyebrows raising expectantly. “Are we still planning on going to Hogsmeade after practice?” 

Minho’s shoulder slumped a little. “I don’t have any money, though.”

“Me neither. We can just go look at the shops and pick out what we would buy if we had money.” 

“Or we could go to Gladrags and try on clothes again.” Kibum snorted, and Minho’s smile waned as he looked across the Great Hall to see the rest of his team getting up. “We can figure it out after.” 

“Sure.” Minho’s smile returned when he glanced back at Kibum. “Bye, buddy,” Kibum said, his voice turning saccharinely sweet in a burst of aegyo. He almost laughed when Minho winced in faux pain. “I hope practice goes well for you.”

“I hope your practice goes well, too,” Minho said, matching his aegyo and adding finger hearts. Kibum laughed then, and Minho waved goodbye over his shoulder before he picked up his pace and ran after his team. 

Kibum watched him go until Analecia cleared . Or right, she was still at the table... His face heated as he turned to her. “Random question...”

Oh god...he wasn’t ready to talk to anyone about his feelings for Minho. Not yet. Not until he talked in person to Jonghyun, at least... Usually, he did a better job about hiding it but he had forgotten that she was still here. 

“...what does...jin...jingoo mean?” Kibum blinked. “You two call each other that all the time, and I keep forgetting to ask.”

“Oh, chingu?” 

She gave him a sheepish smile. “Yeah! Sorry for mispronouncing it...”

“Don’t worry about it! Uh, yeah, it just means like, someone who’s your friend or, um, buddy, who’s the same age as you that you’re really close with.”

“Ohhh. That makes sense.” The side door behind the dais opened to reveal Flitwick, his arms full of sheet music. “You must have a new song to learn today.”

“Probably,” Kibum said, stretching as he stood and started to walk toward the front of the Great Hall where the Frog Choir was congregating. “Have fun in Gobstones!”