Chapter 8

Three days. It’s been three days since Onew talked to Minho. Those words kept resonating in his mind. ‘I hate you’….Why would Onew say that? What would cause him to say that?

Looking down at his feet Onew walked to his last class of the day. Not a word has come out of his mouth since that night. He sat down at his desk and felt a giant wave of guilt flow over his body. He had to apologize to Minho. After what happened he was surprised that Minho had left him alone. He expected Minho to come up to him apologizing like crazy asking for forgiveness…but Minho never did. Minho kept his distance giving Onew his space.

Jonghyun walked into the classroom silently seeing Onew and Minho sitting on opposite sides of the classroom. He sighed to himself while he sat down next to Minho. “Hey, Minho, why aren’t you sitting with Onew?”

Looking up with a dead face Minho replied with a sigh. “He just needs his space right now.” Minho was crushed from the inside out. One thought kept resonating in his mind. ‘Why would Onew have the nerve to say that to him?’

Jonghyun pouted slightly and slumped in his seat. Not understanding why Minho and Onew were avoiding each other, he raised his hand and got the teachers attention. “Mr. Kim, Minho isn’t sitting in his assigned seat.”

Mr. Kim looked over and sighed. “Minho, please sit where you’re supposed to be.”

Minho looks down and picks up his books and backpack before moving over next to Onew. He glanced at Onew’s side seeing how exhausted Onew’s face is. “Onew,” Minho whispered, nudging Onew’s arm gently. “Are you alright?”

Onew nodded slightly, not looking at Minho. He was afraid Minho would give him a horrible look. Onew pulled his phone out from his pocket and texted Minho from underneath the desk. [Minho can we talk once we get back to the dorms?]

Minho’s phone vibrated softly in his pocket. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and glanced down a few times to read the text before replying. [Sure love. If I did something to make you upset im sorry] Onew didn’t reply to Minho’s text.

Minho smiled gently at Taemin thinking about how silly the younger boy was. “Taemin what did you want to tell me~?” He had a tone to his voice like how an adult would talk to a child.

Taemin rocked back and forth on his heels obviously nervous to ask something. “Minho, do you like anyone?” He looked up at the taller male with big brown eyes.

Minho chuckled softly and ruffled Taemin’s hair. “Why do you want to know? I don’t mind you asking but why so curious?” 

Taemin looked down at his feet again and rubbed his eyes like a child. “Because I have a crush on you.”

Minho’s throat went dry. “T-Taemin, I’m sorry, I don’t like you back. There’s someone else in this school that has already taken my heart.” Looking down at the younger boy sadly, Minho leaned down and planted a small friendly kiss on Taemin’s lips.

Watching Minho lean down to kiss Taemin, Onew’s entire body lit up in fire. He was mad. He was jealous. He was broken. Most of all, he blamed himself. He quickly walked into the dorm room and slammed the door knowing that Minho saw him. He locked the door and threw his stuff down. “I knew it. I can’t do anything right.” Changing into a tshirt and sweatpants, Onew walked back out of the dorm and head for the library ignoring Minho’s calls.

Minho looked at Taemin with worry. “S-Stay here,” Minho ran off down the hallway trying to catch up with Onew but Onew was faster. ‘No no no I can’t mess up like this. He took it the wrong way!’

Onew made it to the library and sat down in the reading area, glad that everyone was gone. He sat in a bean bag chair curling up into a ball to get comfortable. Letting his hair fall into his face he cried his eyes out with no emotion on his face. He was broken, and no one could fix it. Hearing Minho run past the library yelling his name, Onew hugged his knees to his chest hiding his face the best he could.

Minho ran all over the school searching for Onew. The last room he checked was the library, but since it was so late at night all the lights were out except for the small spot lights in the hallways that were shining through the door. “Onew” Minho whispered, walking slowly around the book shelves.

“Go away,” Onew whined, still curled up in a ball on the beanbag chair.

Minho bent down next to Onew and embraced him in a warm hug. “Onew, I don’t know what you saw, but I’m so sorry and it will never happen again.”

“Get away from me.” Onew had a slight growl in his voice. He was furious at Minho. He was enraged. He was…jealous of Taemin.

That was the last time Onew and Minho saw eachother. Onew got switched into another dorm room and changed his entire schedule. Minho stayed in the same dorm room and kept his original schedule. Minho started dating Taemin but obviously it didn’t last long. Taemin ended up breaking the relationship off.

 It was over. The high school fling was over for Onew. Onew graduated second from the top of his class. Minho graduated 12^th from the top of his class. No connections, no texting, no phone calls, but something happened after highschool. College.