Chapter 7 |   UNDER YOUR CARE

          “Mino, the sun is too bright, close the curtains”

 

          “Mino, buy us 4 croissants from the cafeteria”

 

          “Mino, make me coffee”

 

          “Mino, carry these books”

 

          “Mino, take this to the SC building”

 

          “Mino, clean this up, now”

 

          “Mino, can you--”

 

          “Mino”

 

          “Mino”

 

          “Mino?”

 

          “What the fck do you want from me!?!?!” Mino snapped, pulling his body back to sit up straight. He looks dreadful and tired; to juggle school + part time job + soccer practice + his servant tasks are truly draining him. “Seriously, can you guys just stop calling my name, even for one day!”

          Wendy bites her lower lip and places down her books on the table. “Sorry. I was just going to offer you this, you see” she says, putting down an orange juice can on his side of the table. “Might help you feel better in case”

          Mino puckered his lips, how dare he raise a tone at her when she’s actually being kind. No one can blame him anyway, the Red Velvet has been endless with their requests, that it’s almost driving him insane.

          Although he makes Irene pay back sometimes, during class hours he tortures her too. He always shows up in her room for he knows it pisses her off when she sees his face.

          “Shouldn’t you be in your hangout place with your friends, have a blast and embracing your freedom than showing up here? I’m already fed up of seeing your face in the library room or in the hallways. Don’t add another minute of hell” Irene says, putting her books inside her bag.

          “You think, I’m liking this? I’m just doing this because I know you don’t like it” his usual answer. “And it should be easier if you just call the servant contract void”

          Irene would only shake her head. “That’s not going to happen”

          “Why not? Seriously, why are you keeping me around you guys?”

          Irene would only shrug her shoulders and without any vivid answer she would leave.

          It’s been a while that he’s being of service to them. And because Irene is no longer in Elite department she isn’t allowed to step in the facilities of Elite department, including their favourite hangout place, the Elite courtyard.

          Thus they found a new hangout place; they occupy a private room in a library every class break or dismissal hours. Joy went to the School Admin to request that room to be secluded form any normal students, owning the rights to be the only one to use it.

          Mino looks around the library study room, and just how big it is only for 4 people... 5 including him. “So where are the others? Are you alone?” He asks.

          “Irene went to their company, meeting an important client, Seulgi in her baseball practice, while Joy... I think she got a love confession today and she takes a really long chat before she dumps the dude - as her personal courtesy” Wendy says, without looking at Mino, her eyes stuck-reading a Math book. “Leaving me free and compelled to use the time to study harder”

          “What is it you’re studying anyway?” Mino pulls out the book and fastened in the book pages was the test paper she got from the Midterms, her score was surprisingly low. Mino looks at her without judgement, but Wendy got that kind of vibe from him that she embarrassingly pulled it away from his hands. “Wait... I’m going to look at it!”

          “No. You’ll just laugh at me, I know I’m not smart like you and Irene okay?” Wendy pouts, playing tag of book with their slave. “But FYI, I’m not stupid, it’s just that Math is hard...”

          “Hard? Math is simple. You just have to know the basics”

          “Basics like 1+1??”

          “Aniyo. Like...” Mino takes a pen and starts work on an item from the test paper, showing her on the right solution for the problem. And surprisingly, Wendy was able to comprehend it easily. She tried hiring math tutors for her, but no one made it look simpler like Mino’s. Her eyes sparkled astonished and impressed.

           He made Wendy try answering one, of course at first try she was still struggling, but with his assistance she was able to get it. Until the next tries, she can do it on her own. “Waaaaaaah! I got it!”

          “Just like that. Study that formula and you’ll answer other questions with no sweat” Mino says, putting his hands on the back of his head as he leans back to his chair.

          “You’re a genius, Mino” Wendy says smiling brightly at her test paper. “Can you be my tutor on my other subjects as well?”

          Mino’s smile lessen. Don’t tell me, she’s going to have my servant tasks added with a tutorial session with her? He has already too much tasks with Irene’s orders alone.

          “Come on. I’ll talk to Irene. I’ll tell her, not to order you around too much anymore” she begs. “I’ll even pay you if you want to, 50000 won a week”

          “50000 won a week!?” the guy’s eyes widen, disbelieving she was willing to pay that much for what a short tutorial course with him? He was quick to wave his hands. “Ani... You don’t have to pay me. Just think of it as a friend helping out a friend”

          “Ehhh~” Wendy nodged her face sideward but her eyes squinted at him. Mino smiled and nodded his head. “Fine. Then yeah I’ll then acknowledge now that we’re friends” she offers her hand and he gladly held it and shook it.

          Mino smiled handsomely, taking the test paper again and guides her in other items. For the rest of their vacant time, they studied earnestly that eventually lead to talking about each other’s life.

          “I guess when you entered this school, you didn’t expect to be a servant, huh?” Wendy asks taking out her guitar from the bag.

          “Of course not. I deem to be a good student, not to be someone’s butler” he says, taking a sip of the orange juice she has given him. “But wither way, I’m still thankful, I’m still here”

          “You better thank Irene, she considered having you stay. And got under our care”

          “Do you know the reason, though?”

          Wendy raises her shoulder and grinned. “Maybe she likes you?”

          “Tch. As if!” Mino hisses, watching her place her fingers in a chord, and started strumming away. “you sing well, don’t you?

           “Slight” she says. “Seulgi’s better though”

          Seulgi???? Impossible! Mino laughs his heart out, having difficulty to imagine Seulgi ever belting a ballad, or a soul song. She can see Joy, but the other two? Nah~ “Now what? Is Irene a rapper then?”

          “Ya. Irene raps well, fyi. And she dances well. And Seulgi Bear has a sweet charming side too. You just don’t see it because you’re being such an around them” Wendy says, throwing a book at him. “Seriously, why can’t you be normal? Do you know how many guys want to be in your place?”

          “Not because I don’t admire you guys or falling head over heels doesn’t mean I am not normal. I am just smart not to fall under your traps” he defends, picking up the book from the ground. “Only foolish ones would want to be me right now”

          Knock knock knock…

          Wendy and Mino’s attentions turned to the door and there Taehyun stands, seeing the bright atmosphere around the two.

          “Oh NamTae the poet, annyeong!” Wendy says with a smile. Knowing he’s Mino’s friend she’s acting friendly with him too.

          Taehyun just bobs his head and looks at Mino. “Hey, it’s time for our class” he says.

          Mino flinched on his seat. What? Is it 1:30pm already? He cleans up his stuff and throws them inside his backpack, bidding farewell to his new official friend. “See you tomorrow” he says.

          “Yeah you too…”

          

          As the two young handsome gentleman walk down the hallway, Mino notices how Taehyun has become awfully quiet. He asked about it but the latter just shrugs it off and says nothing.

          “Are you sure? Or are you mad I’m talking to Wendy?”

          Taehyun’s brows crumpled. “What? No.. She’s one of your masters of course it’s natural for you guys to talk” he says, holding tightly to the strap of his bag while his other hand digs inside it.

          “Oh did you get our group report from my locker already?”

          “Yep. Not only that” His friend says giving him the keys and a bundle of envelopes. “Here. You’re rained with love letters again”

          “Ugh…” Mino grunts, looking down at them. How astonishing it is to know that he has receiving love letters from girls, it wasn’t unusual though, he did receive a few ones back in highschool It’s just that this time, they’re a lot.

          Shouldn’t they be scared because he’s under Red Velvet? Or is that an effect being linked with them? Am I infe