“I used to practice saying I like you, but I never told you” – Memories, Infinite

            The first lunch of the new school year was well awkward. Luhan sat next to Taehyung to make his impression on him. Also Taehyung’s friend from the soccer team was stuck sitting next to me, Chanyeol.

            Taehyung looked a little upset that he wasn’t sitting next to me, as was I. I just concealed my emotions about it better then him, who occasionally frowned and scooted away from Luhan.

            I placed my lunch container in between Taehyung and I as Taehyung placed his next to mine for us to share our lunches.

            “What are you doing?” Chanyeol asked seeing us move our lunch containers. I’d never seen Chanyeol before, Taehyung said he was in his new homeroom and was pretty good at soccer. He was also really tall and very handsome.

            “We always share our lunches with each other,” Taehyung explained. “That we can get more different food options.”

            “That’s a good idea,” Luhan said. “Want to share lunch with me too?” Luhan opened his food looking at me, for me to say yes. I looked down pretending to not have seen him.

            “Um maybe not today,” Taehyung said.

            “Oh okay,” Luhan said frowning a little. He picked up his chopsticks eating his lunch. I looked up at him finally seeing him glare at me, kicking me under the table.

            “Oww,” I said grabbing my leg. I looked at Luhan who glared at me again before continuing to eat his food.

            “What happened?” Taehyung asked looking at me.

            “Nothing,” I said quickly. “I just banged my leg against the table, that’s all. I’m fine.” I proceeded to continue eating our lunches.

            “I saw what really happened,” Chanyeol said whispering in my ear. “I would kick him back.” Chanyeol motioned to Luhan who was busily eating and trying to talk to Taehyung.

            “It’s fine,” I whisper back. “Don’t worry about it. Okay?” Chanyeol just shrugged his shoulders continuing to eat his lunch.

            “Oww!” Luhan exclaimed. “Someone kicked my leg.” He immediately looked at me.

            “Why are you looking a me?” I asked. “I didn’t do anything.” Taehyung looked up from eating his food looking at Luhan.

            “Are you okay?” Taehyung asked. “Is your leg badly hurt?”

            “No it just hurts a little,” Luhan said. “Thanks for worrying about me.”

            “Sorry,” Chanyeol said finally. “My foot slipped.” I smiled down looking at my food as Luhan huffed before eating again. What a diva. “Better?” Chanyeol whispered to me.

            “Very,” I whispered back. “Thanks.”

            After lunch Luhan and I headed back to our class saying goodbye to Chanyeol and Taehyung.

            “Can you believe that Chanyeol?” Luhan asked crossing his arms. “Kicking me during lunch, how rude. Dumb giant with too long of legs.”

            “Sorry,” I said. “Are you okay now?”

            “No,” Luhan said. “You can’t share lunch with Taehyung anymore. I don’t like it, I want to share lunch with him from now on okay?”

            “What?” I asked looking at him as we sat down at our desks. “Is it that big of a deal? We’ve always shared our lunches since middle school.”

            “Well it’s time for a change,” Luhan said. “Please do it for me, your friend that’s trying to get Taehyung to like me so I can confess to him. Jin please?”

            “Fine,” I said quietly. “If you care that much about sharing food, I’ll stop.” I looked down at my papers sighing. I was regretting saying it was okay for Luhan to go after Taehyung more and more by the minute.

            “Thank you,” Luhan said.

            “Yeah,” I said faking a smile.

            “Oh and you have something to do after school,” Luhan said. “So I can walk home with Taehyung. So just stay in class a little while so Taehyung and I can walk together.”

            “Got it,” I said. “Good luck.”

            “Jin you’re such a good friend to me,” Luhan said smiling. “Thanks.” And you’re such a crappy one to me. I sighed quickly finishing the worksheets for the rest of the day. I guess when I was angry which I was right now; I got my work done faster. Thanks Luhan, you pissing me off meant no homework for me tonight.

            After school Luhan said goodbye to me heading out of the classroom to meet with Taehyung who I had texted earlier saying I had something come up after school, so I would be going home late.

            I sighed crossing my arms waiting for when I could go home. Luhan had told me to wait about 10 minutes before I should start walking home. I packed up my stuff getting up from my seat. By now most of the students had left.

            I kicked my desk, huffing. I didn’t want to lose Taehyung to Luhan. I still had those thoughts in the back of my head that if they did go out I would be the third wheel and I would become less close with Taehyung.

            “!” I exclaimed kicking my desk again. “Why am I such an idiot?”

            “I think you’re pretty smart,” a deep voice said. I looked up towards the door seeing the tall figure of Chanyeol looking at me. “Why are you kicking the desk?”

            “I’m mad,” I said going over to him.

            “Let me guess,” Chanyeol said. “Is this about Luhan?”

            “Yep,” I said. “I think he’s going to steal my best friend away from me. He told me to lie to Taehyung so he could walk home with him. I said it was okay if Luhan went after him, but now I regret it.”

            “Just tell Luhan you’re not comfortable with it anymore,” Chanyeol said. “Luhan should understand.”

            “Or he could turn on me,” I said. “He’s one of the most popular people in the whole school, if I piss him off, my life could be considered done. I want to finish high school in relatively one piece.”

            “It’s worth a chance,” Chanyeol said. “If you truly care about it. Don’t push away your feelings for someone else. It hurts, trust me I found out the hard way. Let’s go, since Luhan and Taehyung are doing whatever, let’s get something to drink.”

            “Fine,” I said. “Did you ever like someone? Is that how you know?”

            “Yeah,” Chanyeol answered. We left the school as Chanyeol steered us in the direction of the café he wanted to go to. “Last year I had a crush on Byun Baekhyun, I devoted all my time to try to make him happy, but he rejected me.”

            “The Byun Baekhyun from the music club?” I asked.

            “That’s the one,” Chanyeol said. “He said I was cute, but it was never going to happen. He said he liked someone else.” We entered the café and we stopped dead in our tracks seeing a happy looking Luhan sitting across from an uncomfortable Taehyung.

            “What?” I began quietly. Taehyung perked up when he saw us. He pointed at us and Luhan turned to look at us. Luhan gave me a stern look shaking his head slightly to say don’t bother them.

            “Come on,” Chanyeol said tugging my arm. “Let’s get our drinks, Luhan wants to be alone with him so we won’t bother them.” We went to the register ordering our drinks. “Go get us a table.”

            “Okay,” I said. I brushed past Luhan and Taehyung’s table taking the one next to the window. I sat down refusing to look at their table. Chanyeol shortly returned with our drinks. “Thank you.” I took my strawberry juice drinking some of it.

            “Are you okay?” Chanyeol asked looking at me. “I had no idea that they would be here too.”

            “It’s fine,” I said looking briefly at Taehyung and Luhan. “I don’t care.” I drank more of my drink smiling slightly.”

            “Jin,” Chanyeol said. “You may be good at hiding your emotions, but I can see it in your eyes, that you aren’t okay, and that you really care. Just tell me if you want to leave. We can if you want.”

            “I want Taehyung to make up his mind,” I said. “Luhan is clearly interested in him, and I just want to know if he likes Luhan in the slightest way. Look at them.” I motioned to them seeing them laughing about something. I guess Taehyung was slowly becoming more comfortable around Luhan.

            “What do you want to do about it?” Chanyeol asked. “Because sooner or later Luhan is going to ask him out. Are you going to be ready for that, what if Taehyung agrees to go out with him?”

            “Then I’ll have to just be okay with it,” I said sighing, resting my head on my hand. “If he says yes to Luhan, then I really don’t have a say. I want my friend to be happy.”

            “But you deserve to be happy too,” Chanyeol said. “Regardless of whatever happens between them. You need to be happy too.”

            “I will be happy,” I said. “Eventually, I’ll be happy. I won’t let whatever happens affect me forever. If Taehyung is happy, then I’m happy.” I smiled at Chanyeol, who smiled a small smile back at me. We clinked our glasses together continuing on with our day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlE42kWLdWI - Memories, Infinite