Things were unfolding exactly the way Kibum had predicted. Taemin’s popularity shot up after the fair, especially after the Principal had requested the Broadcast Club show the fest’s highlights on the little TVs in the cafeteria and break spaces, so that students would be more aware of their options next time and no clubs would have to be disqualified due to poor participation.

Taemin had indeed been taking more effort in his dressing, he seemed to have given his glasses a rest and his hair was styled better. They were just tiny changes, but Minho’s heart often couldn’t handle it, being able to see his pretty eyes so clearly, seeing him exude more charm with how his confidence grew as more and more people talked to him, complimented him. 

Sometimes Minho was sullen because of this dynamic, since quiet moments that he shared with Taemin during the small breaks between classes were disrupted. People from their class and people from other classes who dropped by often made conversation with Taemin. His seat was almost always taken when Minho returned from the restroom or vending machine and he didn’t want to be rude by asking the person to vacate it.

Minho couldn’t be sullen for long because Taemin, though awkward and overwhelmed at first at everyone’s friendliness, had now grown to enjoy it. But there was no change in the way he acted, in the way he talked or regarded others. He was still humble, still thoughtful, reserved, unswayed by the many superficial words uttered to him, and to all the indirect or direct flirting.

Minho found himself a little more charmed by how he still was the same despite everything that had changed.

“It’s Valentine's Day tomorrow,” Kibum said as he was scrolling down his feed, chewing gum. Suho was dropping them home that day since soccer practice had run late and Kibum had waited, since he wasn’t in the mood for taking the bus.

No one actually needed reminding as the Events Club had started decorating the school in reds and pinks after school that day. Since they had stayed late, they had already got a good look at how extremely decked it was going to be tomorrow.

“So what are your plans?” Kibum finally dropped his phone in his lap, “Any of you giving your crushes chocolates? Taking your partner out for a date?” He paused glancing at Minho, “Confessing?”

Minho was silent, ignoring Kibum’s boring gaze into him. He wouldn’t say it, but he had been thinking a lot about confessing. Almost every day he’d come very close to deciding to spill his heart out, only to feel that he was just like every other fish in the sea for Taemin, who now had almost the whole school to choose from. He’d be classified as yet another guy who approached him because of his sudden popularity… and Minho was trying to think of a way, trying to look for an opportunity to not get classified as that. 

“Giving chocolates is just too mainstream,” Suho commented. “Flowers are good, for a change. I didn’t see a lot of people leave flowers on desks last year.”

“Mainstream or not, I love my chocolates.” Jongin replied, “What will I do with flowers now? I’ll have to give them to my mom and she’d put them together in a vase.”

“I meant, imagine receiving one flower in that mountain of chocolate.” Suho stopped at the red light, brows raised in amusement as he looked at Jongin, “Which one will you remember?”

Minho knew it was a good idea but his will was slowly draining as he walked to class. This was the very first time that he hated being popular, oh, how much he wanted to just shout at people to just mind their own business. 

He had asked his Dad to make a quick stop at the flower shop… and here he was, holding a single white rose, based on the fact that Taemin’s favorite color was the same as his, as Kibum had revealed– white. But it was quite possible he didn’t like white roses, Minho had chosen them right away, deciding to get them the moment he looked at them, only to realize later that maybe he should’ve thought over the choices. There was too much riding on this gesture. It was his very first step out of the shadows of his own love, his fears, and worries.

When he entered the classroom, he found Taemin in his seat, going over the chocolates he had gotten. Minho swallowed, gathered his courage, and stepped further, worrying about little things like how to hold the rose… and again, his classmates were teasing him, which he rolled his eyes at to dismiss them, but internally, he was getting conscious by the second. 

Taemin had noticed him, his eyes were on him, their gazes had met and Minho felt a little weak. Taemin’s gaze, the surprise in his demeanor, how he looked so adorable in that red sweater… he had lost track of what he was doing, what he was supposed to say… the classroom had gone silent because though he had been unable to say anything, his hands had betrayed him and he had given the rose to Taemin. 

Taemin had accepted it, albeit, he looked startled, but he had accepted it.

The silence lingered on, it weighed on Minho, how Taemin said nothing, how he himself was tongue-tied. He opened his mouth but he was too embarrassed, suddenly so afraid too, unable to read Taemin’s expression and he blurted out the very first excuse that ran through his mind.

“Someone in the hallway asked me to pass it to you.”

The buzzing in the air returned and Minho found his breath stuck and took his seat, regret pouring in abundantly. He had just screwed another chance in his fluster and cowardice.

“Who was it?” Taemin had asked.

“Um… I’m not sure.” Minho answered softly, knowing he was just being ridiculous, hoping Taemin would catch his lies.

The teacher had walked in then and Minho watched Taemin put the rose on the side of his desk. He kept looking at it, a little smile on his face… and Minho’s disappointment reduced bit by bit, deciding to be content with the fact that he had managed at least to put such a beautiful smile on his face.

And in that thought, he had entirely missed on checking his desk for a certain small red envelope, that fell to the ground between classes when someone else had taken his seat to talk to Taemin. It drifted somewhere else with the wind and shuffling of feet as the classes resumed… and was swept away by the janitor at the end of the day, mistaken for the many fallen red decorations and flyers. 

An envelope, the small handwriting on which was barely visible now with the number of footprints on it. Handwriting that read, from Haneul.

The next day, Minho was running an errand for the Coach and was walking the corridors of the 4th floor, his eyes falling on the ongoing badminton match below. He paused to watch a little more. He liked the sport but he wasn’t really good at it. His cousins and Kibum only liked this one sport because they could easily defeat him. He really hated playing with them.

He started walking but he stopped short again, finding Taemin standing, leaning against the pillar at the other end of the corridor, watching the match as well. He had a cap on but that didn’t hide his slight pout. 

Minho slowly stepped forward, his heart racing at the sudden thought that was running in his mind, the immense courage that followed it. Maybe this was it, the opportunity he was looking for. Not because it was Valentine’s day, but because it was just any other day. Just like how his feelings were– always the same no matter the day.

So he approached him. For those few steps, his mind was surprisingly steady, unlike the other day, when it was a cluttered, numb mess. He even had a plan on how to ease the conversation into a confession. It was making him a little flustered but it was now or never.

When Taemin finally noticed him, Minho smiled, “Hi.” There was cheering coming from the match below and Minho looked at it because it had distracted Taemin as well, “That was a good save. Man, if there’s anything I at, it’s badminton.”

Taemin smiled in surprise, “What? Really?”

“Really!” Minho laughed softly, “Tennis too!” He paused, beginning to spill out what he was barely holding in, “Hey, about–”

“Taemin!”

Minho looked to the side, finding a guy that had approached them from the opposite corridor, “I almost thought you wouldn’t come!” He looked from Taemin to Minho, “Did I interrupt something?”

“Nah,” Minho managed a smile, realizing that it was him interrupting something, “Nothing… important.” He looked at Taemin, “I’ll catch you later.” 

He turned to leave but stopped right before he took the first step down the staircase, unintentionally catching the words the guy was speaking.

“I know we’ve just met like a couple of weeks ago and talked like 6 times but– I like you a lot, will you go out with me?”

Minho felt his heart sink and he fisted his palms, reluctantly stepping down, not wanting to hear what Taemin would reply, because it was painful enough, knowing he’d just lost another chance, probably the last one.

The next day and the next… and the rest of the week passed quite the same. The whole school was busy preparing for the exams that started next week and Minho was the same. He saw how Taemin was so focussed, so he didn’t bother him much during classes, except for during the self-study sessions, because Taemin wouldn’t take any breaks at all. He won’t even move much and often massaged his neck when the class was done. Minho knew it was from him craning it for so long. So Minho talked to him with an excuse every now and then, subtly letting Taemin take a breather in between. 

Despite not wanting to think about it, not wanting to investigate it, Minho observed Taemin’s surroundings, if the guy who had confessed to him the other day– Nam Woojin– was hanging around him. He wasn’t around, nor was there any change in Taemin’s behavior, so his heart was easing because these were signs that maybe Taemin had rejected the confession.

His determination was building again… so Minho decided he’d grab the next chance, confess on the last exam, not wanting to distract Taemin from studies by throwing his feelings in the way.

But everything came undone on the first day of exams, when Woojin walked into their class, sat opposite Taemin. Minho didn’t want to overhear… but he was sitting right there, next to Taemin… and he felt both anger and disappointment simmer under his skin, unable to focus on the notes he had been revising, his senses stubbornly stuck on the sickeningly sweet conversation they were having.

When Woojin left and Taemin was just the same, passing on the answer sheets to him, Minho felt kicked in his stomach… and he did what was the right thing to do. He stomached it. He remained the same, the good-natured classmate that he probably was to Taemin. 

This went on for days, for every, every exam and Minho started to feel painfully tedious, not wanting to witness any more of it, not wanting to feel his heart breaking on repeat day by day, being forced to hide it behind a smile. But there was nothing else he could do. Taemin had chosen Woojin. Taemin liked him. And the last thing he wanted was to ruin it for Taemin.

“Yep, we’re dating.”

Minh