Apparently, Minho’s tummy ache passed quickly or wasn’t actually there at all because the next day he was healthy as a bull and ready to go to school -not that he especially wanted that, but he was all good when he didn’t really hate school as much as he didn’t really enjoy it either. It was just routine-

     In the next few weeks he tried really hard to get a hold of the other boy but was let down almost every day, the older being busy with scholar activities and other geeky stuff and they couldn’t see each other at classes, being on different grades and courses. It was quite frustrating for Minho because he wanted to be friends with the other, had wanted that for longer than he would admit. But weeks passed and they became months and Minho forgot all about Jinki with his schedule beginning to tighten up and the National Soccer Championship around the corner. It wasn’t until almost the end of the school year when they met again, not even in school but at a café.

     It was raining that day and he not having an umbrella was what made him decide to take shelter quickly before soaking himself in the pouring rain. He sat himself at an empty table and wanted to order a coffee to wake himself up a little, since it was early in the morning, but when he saw smiley eyes and bunny teeth coming his way, he settled for a warm tea feeling sickness already crawling up if the ache in his stomach was anything to go by. As the older was approaching, he realized the amount of time that he hasn’t seen him in.

“Hello, can I take your-oh, Minho!” he felt kind of proud having Jinki recognize him so easily with them only having a slight conversation a while ago, but then he remembered about his popularity throughout the school and suddenly he wasn’t feeling so great anymore

“Hello, Jinki hyung” he said quietly, tasting it on his lips, not missing the surprised expression on the other’s face. If he was quite true to himself, that expression appeared a lot on Jinki’s face when he was around him. But he didn’t mind it. It made his pouty lips make a perfect rosy O and his flickering eyes widen in the slightest way. –not that he thought it was cute or anything- “Can I call you that? Jinki hyung?”

“Huh?” the older seemed confused for a few seconds “Oh, yeah, sure donsaengie” he said it in a teasing manner, his lips tugging upwards “What would you like to order?”

“A honey and lemon tea would be great”

“Omo, I hope you’re not sick or anything” and Minho felt a warm hand placed on his forehead, checking for fever. It was kind of comforting but it made his stomach ache more and he was already feeling trails of perspiration on his nape and continuing down his neck under his shirt

“N-no, I’m fine. It’s just a precaution”

“Oh, ok then. A honey and lemon tea coming right up. Anything else?” as Minho shook his head, he smiled and returned in the back bouncing on his steps. As he waited for Jinki to come back, Minho looked around taking in the cozy atmosphere of the small café and it made him wonder how long the older has worked here for because it kind of suited him and his warm personality. Not that Minho really got to know him that well and that made him regretful…

“Hey Minho, stop spacing out, I brought your tea. “ as he saw that Minho wasn’t responding, Jinki grabbed his hands and placed the warm cup of tea in them and that got a reaction out of the younger boy but not the desired one because he almost spilled the tea all over himself “Hey, be careful. You could’ve hurt yourself”

“Oh, sorry…”

“It’s ok. Now, drink up” as the boy was about to leave, Minho stopped him

“Actually hyung, can we talk for a few moments? This place is not really crowded so…”

“Umm, yeah ok!”  he said as he seated on the chair across from Minho “So, what’s up?”

“How long have you worked here for?”

“A year, give or take a couple of weeks, but the working hours were fewer. Now with graduation and all I have to work over time for a couple of more bucks, you know?”

“Yeah…” no, he didn’t know. Probably because he hasn’t worked a day in his life. And not because he was loaded, while he wasn’t exactly poor either. It was just that his folks didn’t want to hear about such a thing as long as he lived under their roof. They had everything to provide him with. At first he rebelled against them not letting him be independent but then he figured it worked in his favor. So really, Minho had no idea about what it was like to work your up for money, but he could imagine and it made him respect Jinki that much more. “So, you’re graduating this year…”he made a long pause, letting the words sink in and then said “That’s great” with not so much conviction

“Mhm...I mean, I’ll miss all my friends” he stopped then looked at Minho “By the way, are we friends?” Jinki asked with an inquisitive gaze

“Yeah, totally!” the younger said a little too eager then followed in a smaller voice “I mean, I want us to be…”

“Then we are” and the grin on the elder’s face when he said that made Minho feel oh, so content “As I said, I’ll miss all my friends” again he stopped and looked pointedly at Minho and that made the younger get the idea that he was saying that he’ll miss him too. He didn’t know how he felt about that so he took a sip of the warm tea, feeling the queasiness in his stomach return at full blow “But I’m so excited for starting my first year in college. You’ll be surprised if I told you what courses I’ll be taking…” he laughed sheepishly

“Try me.”

“I’m doing a music and songwriting major.” he seemed really shy about telling Minho this “You know I used to be in the school’s choir? But then I was involved in too many activities and I had to give up on it. I really loved it, too. More than any other activity I took a part of. You know what the funny part is?” Minho noticed that his voice started to seem frustrated “I don’t even love math that much. Actually, until sixth grade I pretty much hated math, it was just kind of forced upon me and I learned to like it. But now I’m ready to give a chance to my first love, music” he lifted his head and stared the younger one right in the eyes “Aren’t you surprised that the math geek turned out to be a music novice?”

“It suits you.”

“What?” Jinki looked at him disbelieving. Minho cleared his throat ant tried again

“It suits you. I never felt you were the math geek type. Not with you reading all the novels in the romance department of the library in less than a week. So I knew you were more on the artistic side, especially with all that day-dreaming of yours that ends  up with you sprawled across the floor more times than not. So you being drawn to math, I never really understood”

“Wow, that’s really nice of you to say. In an embarrassing kind of way” the older said looking everywhere but at Minho

“Ha, sorry. But you’re still a nerd” and the younger could see that Jinki was trying hard not to laugh

“Yah!” he exclaimed as he hit Minho softly across the shoulder and he finally started laughing “I guess I can live with that” and the whole atmosphere was so jolly and happy that it made Minho really regret not getting to know Jinki better earlier when they still had time to spend it together, not now two weeks before graduation. And thinking of that burst his bubble. Way to go, stupid brain

“Hey, Minho. Is something wrong?”

“Huh? No, why?”

“You had a weird expression on and that’s why I thought…never mind, if you don’t want to tell me it’s ok”

“No, it’s just that there’s only two weeks ‘till graduation and…” he wasn’t able to continue his sentence

“And?” asked the older curiously

“It’s just that you’ll be gone soon and I’ll still be here and I don’t know how to feel about that. I wanted us to become friends” he couldn’t believe that he was saying what he was actually thinking. It felt nice for a change

“Minho?” Jinki gently lifted his face up making him look at him “We are friends. And we still have two weeks to spend together. If you want…”

“Really?” the elder nodded with a cute smile on his face -Not that Minho thought it was cute. Not that Minho thought anything at all. Not that Minho was stupid. Minho was very stupid.- “I do, of course I do”

“Then it’s settled” as the younger was grinning down at Jinki like Christmas has come earlier, the older was being called from the back of the café

“Hyung, Jinki hyung!” and as the calls kept getting closer a slender body came into his ray of vision.

“There you were, hyung. I was calling you for hours” the person that joined them was a younger boy with a slender figure and soft, feminine features who with a pout was looking from Jinki to Minho in confusion

“I’m sorry, Taemin-ah! I didn’t hear you” Jinki said standing from the chair and hugging the sulking teen from behind

“Do you know how hard it was for me to be there all alone and serve tons of people? MEAN people?” the boy said still sulking, refusing to look at the other

“Mianhe! forgive hyung, neh?” At that point Minho felt like he was the one that was intruding even though that Taemin kid came and interrupted them

“Ugh, you make me so mad sometimes hyung. Why did you leave anyway?”

“Ah, Taemin-ah this is Minho, Minho this is Taemin” as though he remembered that Minho was still there,-a thing which didn’t really stand well to Minho- Jinki detached from the hug and introduced the two boys

“Yeah, hyung. I know who he is, the whole school does” Taemin said matter-of-factly and Minho was surprised to find out that the boy was going at the same school as him and Jinki so he asked:

“We go to school together?”

“Yeah, I’m Jinki hyung’s best friend. Right hyung?” Taemin asked with a radiant smile on his face. Minho really wanted not to like him -the reason? Beats him- but the kid was too innocent looking to be hated on

“Yes, Taemin-ah, that’s right” Minho felt a little disappointed to find out that that spot was already taken in the elder’s life but was resurrected back to life when Jinki said: “And Minho’s my other really good friend. Right, Minho?”

“Definitely hyung”

“Then we can be friends too, right Minho hyung?” said Taemin hopeful

“Sure Taemin…” he said kind of evasive, but reasoned that the kid was nice and Jinki liked him so he liked him too

“Yes, I’m friends with the school’s star athlete, I’m so cool” The kid was exclaiming while dancing around

“Yeah, we’re the happy three friends” Jinki said as he was embracing the teen. Taemin pouted and began sulking again “Taeminnie, what’s wrong?”

“Hyung please don’t ever say those words ever again. It reminded me of some hideous cartoons I watched a while back”

“And why would you watch that in the first place, Taemin?” he really sounded like he was scolding the poor kid, so Minho tried hard not to laugh

“I was experimenting” Taemin said his tone becoming sulkier by every word

“Experimenting what?”

“My manliness” As the answer came Minho couldn’t hold it anymore and started laughing. Yeah, he definitely liked the kid.

“What?” the older asked bewildered

“But if being manly would make me watch that, then I don’t want to ever be manly” said the kid in his sad voice. Like seriously, how old was he?

“Taemin-ah, it’s ok. I’m scared of those cartoons too. You have nothing to be ashamed of. Every person has a thing that they fear. It’s ok”

“Yah, hyung! Stop talking to me like I’m a kid” then don’t make him, thought Minho

“Then don’t make me talk to you like that, worrying over silly things. Ok?” Minho couldn’t help but smile as he heard his hyung’s answer. Why did it take so much to get to know them?

“Yeah ok, I get it” then the youngest turned to Minho, apologizing “Sorry Minho hyung but I really have to get back to the counter , Leeteuk hyung won’t resist too long by himself as he’s the dishwasher too. See you around” he said as he left

“Yeah, I have to go too. I took a too long break. See you tomorrow at school?”Jinki asked while looking at the younger

“Yes, I’ll go too, the rain has stopped. Talk to you tomorrow, ok?” Minho said as he waved at the older one

“Yeah, bye Minho” and just like that Jinki returned at the counter and Minho left thinking that he’ll definitely gonna make those two weeks count.