Kibum noticed how Minho had bought a pair of star-shaped ear studs during their summer shopping for their second-year at the mall. Kibum noticed how a couple of hair clips had popped out his friend’s bag when he had been searching for his charger between classes. Kibum couldn’t figure out why Minho had said he forgot to do his project report when it was Kibum who had more or less copied from Minho’s report just a day before. Kibum couldn’t figure out just why Minho would convince the whole class and some of their friends in other classes to plead for an extension on the report. Minho was never tardy and never abused his popularity this way. It was only when Kibum found Taemin sitting in a cubicle at the library, working on the project, happily declaring to his friend that the teacher had extended the deadline for everyone… that pieces started to fit.

As time passed, Kibum noticed more things. How, on Sports Day, Taemin’s overgrown fringe was secured with the same kind of hair clips that had dropped from Minho’s bag the other day. How Taemin’s ears were pierced, lacking earrings, but still pierced, which explained Minho’s purchase.

Kibum sighed. His friend was just too extra… but it was a little sweet, looking out for the one you liked, noticing their usual struggles, and helping them out secretly. 

The next day there were sudden, unseasonal showers, and Minho was still at the door of the school building, humming a familiar tune that Kibum was now getting awfully annoyed of. “Why are you waiting here? Minhyuk hyung’s not coming to pick you up today?”

“He’s coming. I told him to pick me up from here instead of the parking lot. Want a ride?”

“Thanks, but I’m getting off a stop early, at my mom’s friend’s place. There’s a small gathering. Just lend me your umbrella, I’ll catch the bus.”

“Oh.”

“What oh?” Kibum turned to him, frowning, noticing that Minho’s bag had the side-pocket empty, “Where’s your umbrella?”

“I forgot it at home,” Minho said but his lie was caught by his gaze, which Kibum had followed, finding Taemin at the gate, Minho’s grey umbrella sheltering him from the rain.

Kibum sighed, “Did you give it to him?”

“I– how can I? We’ve never talked before,” Minho grew a little flustered, “I...I tricked the teacher into giving it to him.”

“Why don’t you just talk to him?” 

“I… I don’t know how. I can’t just walk up to him and start a conversation out of the blue.” Minho answered, “I’m waiting for the perfect opportunity.”

“If it comes.”

“Way to be pessimistic. You don’t force these things.”

“Whatever,” Kibum sighed, “The offer still stands?”

“Yeah,” Minho pulled out his vibrating phone, “Hyung’s here, let’s go.”

“Show me what pictures you took,” Kibum said, amused when he saw Minho going over the pictures he had taken that week with so much focus when standing in the queue for lunch.

Minho showed him his screen. He had been looking at the pictures of the school building he had snapped a few days ago. Kibum furrowed his brows, “You finally start getting your camera to school and… the school building? Of all things? You have a ing Nikon–”

Minho switched off his camera and put it away, sighing.

“What…? I was still looking.”

“Ooh, you guys fighting?” Suho had joined the queue for lunch, “Tell me the whole story and I’ll side with who I think will be the winner.”

“It’s nothing.” 

“Yeah, it’s absolutely nothing.” Kibum sighed, bored.

Minho moved forward as his turn in the queue was up. After choosing their meal, Minho walked past the drinks section only to walk back, his eyes stuck on the carton of banana milk. For so many days he had noticed Taemin chose only that one drink and though he knew it would be just too sweet for his palette, he had been fighting his urge to taste it. Just to figure out what Taemin liked so much about it. He almost thought he was going way overboard and reached for a diet soda but then cursed under his breath and grabbed the milkshake.

“Gosh, if you wanted a milkshake we’d have gone to a diner for lunch,” Suho commented on seeing the anomaly in Minho’s lunch tray when they were walking to their table.

“Nah, I just felt like having something sweet for a change,” Minho answered, trying hard to keep his voice cool, knowing they were walking way too close to where Taemin sat.

“Should I also get a milkshake…?” Suho pondered when they had finally sat down, squinting at the drinks section.

“Yeah,” Jongin grabbed the orange soda from his tray, and opened it, chugging it down, “Since I already stole your drink.”

Kibum cleared his throat as he sat down beside Minho, “Cover your tracks.” He whispered and Minho realized he had been staring at Taemin and turned back to his lunch, putting the straw in his milkshake and taking a long sip in his flusteredness.

“How is it?” Suho asked.

“Sweet,” Minho answered.

“Too sweet?”

“Perfectly…” Minho smiled a little, going for another sip, “Sweet.”

Minho had overslept on the first day of school after winter break and he got even later because their class sections had been shuffled. He headed to his new class, making sure to apologize properly so that he wouldn’t land in detention.

“Get in quick, sit wherever is free.” The teacher let him in and Minho sighed in relief that he didn’t get detention. But as he walked into class, scouring the empty seats, he almost stopped short, his gaze settling on Taemin, seated in the last row and he took a quick glance at the whole classroom, unable to believe the occurrence because the only empty seat in the whole room was beside Taemin.

Minho was both so happy and nervous as he headed to the empty seat, his heart was beating faster as he contemplated what he should say, whether he should say anything. He was starting to feel hot with how frantic every nerve was getting and he just did whatever was the first option in his mind. “Hi, Taemin.”

Taemin seemed a little taken aback at his greeting and Minho was cussing internally. Was it too weird? Too forward? They’d never crossed paths before for almost one year and a half… so was a greeting even justified?

“Hi,” Taemin answered softly and Minho relaxed a bit at how his tone lacked any hostility. He snuck a glance at him and found his pen inserted into the pencil sharpener, which he quickly took out and packed away, seeming a little embarrassed.

Minho suppressed his chuckle, finding that little blunder so cute.

The whole day, Minho gathered courage little by little, made some conversation, about the lesson, about the teacher, and Taemin was taking the conversation further, which just set Minho’s spirits on high power. 

He grew a little braver day by day, unable to help himself from cracking lame jokes, from asking doubts for the problems even if he knew the answer. He even began to purposely ditch his textbooks at home so he could share Taemin’s. He also took notes for him so that he wouldn’t come off too much as a tardy guy. 

Every time Taemin spoke to him, every time that he laughed at his lame puns, Minho had to