The morning came faster than Jisung would off liked, feeling like he had gotten no sleep at all. He stretched, cracking multiple bones in his spine. He would’ve loved to stay in bed a little longer but sadly, it was time to get out of bed and start his routine.
After doing the usual, he left his house and locked the front door. He looked over at the car, contemplating taking it. He really didn’t feel like walking to school. In the end he decided it was not worth it and to save up on the gas for when he might actually need it. He arrived at school perfectly on time, however this time instead of being greeted by just Changbin, Minho was there as well.
“Good morning, Sungie! Did you sleep well?”
“Morning, hyungs. I slept like a baby but for some reason it feels like I could sleep a hundred years more.” The youngest said whilst a yawn slipped from his mouth, emphasising just how tired he was. Feeling someone stare at him, he looked up to find Minho staring at him. As their eyes met, Minho just flashed him a gentle smile. “At least you slept well, maybe you’ll feel better when your body has fully woken up!” The corners of his mouth curved upwards even more than before and Jisung couldn’t help but feel flustered by the boy’s kindness and incredible visuals.
After the first two periods had ended, the boys met up at third. It was the class before lunch and Jisung couldn’t wait to give his mind a break. He quickly sat down in his seat and waited for Changbin to come in and sit down next to him. As Changbin entered the classroom, Jisung couldn’t help but notice he was with Minho once again. He hated the feeling deep in his stomach, yet he couldn’t help but be jealous and worried at the same time. Changbin was his best best best friend in the world, it worried him that the fact Changbin could forget about him and become best friends with Minho instead. It was a silly thought, Jisung knew that. The feeling wouldn’t subside though, only growing stronger as his mind went on about how mich easier it would be on Changbin if he just replaced Jisung. The latter zoned out and didn’t even notice Changbin had taken his respective seat beside him until the latter put his arm around Jisung’s shoulders.
“Sung, you good?” Changbin raised one of his eyebrows, noticing the distant look in Jisung’s eyes. He assumed it was because his best friend was tired like he had stated earlier in the day, but it never hurt to ask regardless. “Ah, yeah. I was just lost in thoughts, I guess.” He gave a sheepish smile, secretly happy Changbin pulled him out of the rabbit hole he was mentally falling into.
Their teacher walked in shortly after and began a recap of what they had been learning in the last few weeks of class. Jisung was pretty good at science, he just hadn’t been paying attention in classes as much as he should. It would be no problem to catch up though, it was the one class he got the best grades in. Beside music of course, however he didn’t count that as it was his major.
“So, you’ll be doing a project from the syllabus of this block. This time, I’ve already decided the pairs you’ll be working in seeing some of you didn’t work as well together in the past. The person you’ll be asigned to will be your seatmate for the next two weeks. Please take this seriously as it counts towards 20% of your final grade. After the two weeks, it needs to be done and handed in.”
It was as if Jisung’s soul had left his body. He just knew in his gut he would not be paired with Changbin. They always teamed up before this and whilst it had always worked out really well, Jisung knew he wouldn’t be so lucky. Teachers would say it’s good to ‘socialize’, or whatever. His palms started sweating and he started tapping his foot. The second it had been announced, Changbin had looked his way. Seeing Jisung’s habbit of not being able to sit still when anxious, he placed his hand on the younger’s thigh.
“You’ll be fine, Sung. If your partner sucks balls, I’ll sneakily help you on the side, okay?” Changbin whispered quickly, hoping it’d make Jisung feel better. He only received a curt nod, it clearly didn’t sit well with the younger. The latter did appreciate it though, he was just scared to be paired up with some of the slackers. Seeing this was only a side class, not everyone put as much effort into it as they probably should.
“Seo Changbin and Lee Daehwi.” Jisung was glad Changbin got paired with Daehwi, they were all friendly with one another on a basic level. It made him a little sad he couldn’t have been paired with him, seeing he felt comfortable around the other.
“Han Jisung and Lee Minho.” Changbin had given Jisung a bright smile. This was good, right?
It was alright. Jisung could handle it. He would need to become friends or at least friendly with the older anyways, seeing Changbin seemed to like the newcomer. If Changbin liked someone, Jisung wanted to like them too. He believed his friend had a good sense of who to befriend and like he had thought about before, if Jisung became friends with them Changbin wouldn’t forget about him as quickly. It wasn’t the best mindset to have but Jisung couldn’t put that fear out of his head.
After the pairs were announced, there was some shuffling of students and bags. Jisung had stayed put, Minho coming to sit in Changbin’s seat.
“Hey Jisung, I’m glad I got paired with you! Lets get to know each other, alright?” Once again, the bright smile made Jisung flustered. It was like an angel was beaming his light onto him. He didn’t want to understand why Changbin liked Minho as a friend… but how could he not see it when the elder was kind and had a gorgeous smile.
“S-Sure.”
‘Oh my god. Why did I stutter? He must think I’m a total loser now. He won’t want to be friends with me and will slowly make Changbin leave me and–‘
In his 2 milliseconds of panic, the teacher had come up to them. “Jisung? I specifically paired you up with Minho, seeing your the top student of this class. Minho has a lot of catching up to do, especially because this grade will count just as much for him as for the rest of you. I hope I can count on you to do your best to help him with this project.” The teacher had given him a smile, always proud of her student. She had caught him slacking in class some times, but he always aced tests and handed his homework in before anyone else so she usually let it slide. Yes, teachers have favorites.
“O-Of course. I’ll catch him up to speed.”
“Thank you, good luck to the both of you!” And off she went, probably to check up on the problematic kids of the class.
“I’m not bad at science, but I’m not fast to catch up. How about we meet up today after school to go more in depth into the subject?” Minho had offered. The poor soul having no idea it started a mental breakdown in Jisung’s mind.
‘He wants to hang out after school?! Why did I not think of this? I regret it, this will not be easy.’
“I can’t hang out after school today, or t-tomorrow for that matter. I’m sorry. I work after school. I could come over to yours on thursday though? Only until six. I-I really would have to leave by that point. For like, uhh, dinner.” ‘That sounded fine? right? oh god help me.’ Jisung wondered to himself how he was supposed to avoid any supsicions as to why he did not want Lee Minho —or anyone besides Changbin for that matter, into his house.
“Oh, that’s a shame it can’t be sooner. Thursday seems fine though! I’ll make sure to text you my address before that. Lets get started now, okay?” It really seemed Minho couldn’t do any wrong. He was perfect to Jisung in the sense that he seemed so likeable. Almost as if he wouldn’t hurt a fly and would be ready to help anyone at any time. And whilst that was true, he didn’t know Minho tried hard to show that side of himself specifically to Jisung. He kind of had to, of course. Not that Minho minded, his heart was set on the boy in front of him.
The two got to work for the rest of the class, making some small beginnings and outlines on how they wanted to present the project. Minho didn’t know much of the specifics of the subject after all, so that was all they could do at that point.
The following day passed like any other and soon enough thursday rolled around. Jisung had been an anxious wreck all day as well as the day prior. The thought of going to Minho’s house was more frightening than it should be. He would be okay if Changbin could be there, but of course he had his own stuff planned with Daehwi. Jisung really hated just how relient he could be (and was) on Changbin. He wished he was independent and that he could overcome his anxiety and other mental struggles, but he just couldn’t do it alone. He had Changbin, but he ment it more in the sense of serious help. It was too expensive though, he’d rather pay the bills and make sure there was food to eat. He’d put that above his mental health deteriorating. It didn’t matter anyways, he had felt like that for a long time. Maybe some day when he got an actual job, he could get help. If he lived that long, at least.
Jisung waited for Minho at the school gate. When he saw the older finally exit the building, his stomach made an anxious flip, as if making Jisung aware that those feelings were still around.
“Hey Jisung! Ready to go?” Jisung just gave a nod and a small smile and with that, they made their way to Minho’s apartment. The way there was a little awkward. Minho had tried starting a few conversations, but after those led nowhere he kind of gave up, hoping Jisung would open up a little more once they got to his home. It wasn’t like Jisung was unresponsive, he just gave answers Minho couldn’t really keep carrying the conversation with.
“Ah, you live in the same dorm as Binnie hyung.”
“Yeah I do, we walked home together the past days.”
“Ah.”
‘What do I say?’ Minho was frustrated that he couldn’t get more out of Jisung. He really wanted to become friends with him, for obvious reasons. Being friends was the first step, after that, hopefully something more. Of course, if the younger never wanted that, it was fine with him. He had been thinking that soulmates could also be a platonic thing, so he decided that whatever the younger would feel would be okay.
“Make yourself at home. Would you like something to drink?”
“Thank you, water is just fine.” The two sat down in the livingroom and Jisung opened the textbooks, preparing himself for having to talk and explain so much. The introvert in him really making himself known. He let out a sigh.
‘I’m going to be exhausted at work.’
“Are you alright? You seem a little off, sorry if that sounds rude.” Minho didn’t know Jisung’s boundaries yet, he didn’t want to come off as pushy or invasive.
“No, it’s alright. Lets get started, okay?”
Whilst explaining things, Jisung couldn’t help but notice the lack of family pictures. Did Minho just not miss them that much whilst living here? Maybe he did miss them but pictures would remind him more?
“I’m sorry to ask, but why did you decide to live in a dorm? Changbin told me you were born here in Seoul. Y-You don’t have to answer that question if you don’t want to, it just seems like unnecessary extra costs.” Minho looked up from the question he was trying to solve.
“Oh, it’s alright! My parents passed away in a car accident when I was still young. They got hit by a drunk driver and it killed them both instantly. I went to live with my grandmother in Gwangju, so when I moved back here I couldn’t really afford a house.” Minho smiled. Whilst he was an angel and technically didn’t have a family (or at least one he remembered), when he got send back to earth he couldn’t just not have any relatives or family in general. He got ‘added’ into an existing family so to speak. The amazing thing about it all is that it all felt like it really was his life and he does have memories from everything that had happened until the point he came back. It wouldn’t make sense to just be dropped on Earth like that. Whilst he knew the memories were technically ‘fake’, the feelings he got from remembering them surely weren’t. Angels and gods were really interesting creatures. Jisung didn’t know all this of course, now feeling guilty for asking such private questions.
“Oh fuck, hyung I’m so sorry for asking.” He felt like he could cry, his eyes already becoming glassy. A drunk driver? It made him feel so much worse. That could be his dad at any given time, if he were to step behind the wheel now. It struck a cord with Jisung on a personal level Minho couldn’t understand yet.
“H-Hey, it’s okay! You didn’t know and whilst it is sad, my grandmother took good care of me and I really loved growing up with her.”
“Still. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked something private.”
“Hey, look at me.” Minho didn’t think before grabbing Jisung’s shoulder. “Again, you didn’t know. Besides, we’re friends okay? It was a matter of time before you would all know. It’s good to share these things early on, it leaves a lot of confusion later on.”
‘Friends? Already? He likes me enough to be friends with me?’ Jisung looked at him, finding himself warm up to Minho. He found a new appreciation for the older and felt that Minho was a genuine, good person. It wouldn’t hurt to exchange the favor by telling a little about himself, would it? If it did, it wouldn’t be too late to cut Minho from the friendgroup.
“Well, then I’d like to share with you too.”
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to. Don’t feel pressured to because of my words.”
‘Why are you so kind?’
“I want to. You seem like a genuine person, hyung.” Whilst Jisung couldn’t say more than that, afraid of being embarrassed by his words, he did want to let the older know he appreciated his presence. After Minho gave a nod to begin, Jisung started.
“My mother died of breast cancer when I was younger. I didn’t understand why mom had to be in the hospital constantly, it felt like I never saw her. It made me want to see her even more and it painted a perfect picture of her in my head. She would always smile when I was there, but I remember the last time I went to see her. It was like she wasn’t herself. She didn’t smile and barely turned to face me. It was like she was already gone. She passed shortly after and I hate that that is the last image I have of her. It really hit my family hard. My dad later told me that before they had found the cancer, my mom had been feeling chest pains for a while. She never got them checked because she stayed at home to watch over me. I knew he didn’t mean it but, he told me it was m-my fault she died. It really struck a cord in me. He apologised not even a day later and told me he just lashed out because he was upset. I’ll never forget it though. D-Don’t think my dad is a bad person though, h-he just makes mistakes sometimes.”
Minho felt his heart ache for his other half. He could only watch and listen to what Jisung had to say, but he knew that is exactly what the younger needed of him. To listen.
“I’m sorry you remember that all so vividly. I’m glad your father apologised for saying it, but I want you to know it really wasn’t your fault. Your mom probably thought it was nothing serious. That sucks about the human body, doesn’t it? Something can feel like a little ache, but who knows what’s happening in there until they open you up or scan it? I’m sure she is in a better place and watched you grow up fondly up until this point.” Minho didn’t want to talk about Heaven with Jisung, he didn’t know if the kid believed in a thing like that and it wasn’t like Heaven was what humans thought it was. He looked over at the younger and saw him wipe a quick tear away.
“Thank you Minho, that is really nice of you. I’d like to believe that too. L-Lets get back to working on the project alright? I have to leave in 40 minutes and I still want to get some things done before I go.” With the conversation now behind them but still lingering in their minds, they continued with the project. Jisung had long passed the point of feeling anxious and once he noticed that, he smiled to himself. Maybe Minho could become a friend and it felt nice.
Jisung left Minho’s at 10 passed 6, later than he usually would leave to go to his work. For the first time since he worked there, he arrived 10 minutes before his shift started. The manager had even told him they were slightly worried something had happened. He apologised for not letting them know he’d run ‘late’.
The rest of the shift went smoothly. No rude customers at his counter and the shop was unusually quiet, even for those late hours. His stomach rumbled a couple of times, telling him to give his body some energy. He didn’t give it too much thought though, he could eat when he got home. As the manager and him closed the door and went to the back to put the money in the safe, the manager asked to have a little talk with him.
“I’m sorry to inform this to you so suddenly, but we have to let go of you, Jisung. I’m so sorry. I know how hard you work and how you do your best, but the higher ups have said we need to cut hours, meaning we need to let go of college kids. I would keep you if I could. You know I appreciate how hard you always worked.” Jisung felt like crying. The stress completely taking over him. He could not lose this job.
“P-Please. I can get a higher contract with more hours if that’s what they want. I can’t afford losing this job.” He didn’t want to explain his situation, he didn’t need a pitty party. He needed to keep this job.
“I’m sorry Jisung, I tried to tell the higher ups that as well, but they told me no can do. College kids aren’t allowed to work that many hours whilst attending school. I really can’t do anything for you here, I’m afraid.”
‘Then I’ll quit school!’
Is what Jisung had wanted to say, but he couldn’t. He needed to be responsible. How was he going to do all of this?
“When is my last shift?”
“Tomorrow.” Jisung felt his soul leave his body. Why couldn’t the manager have told him earlier?” Please let me work all day tomorrow. Please. Or at least 9 hours.”
“That won’t be necessary Jisung, I don’t think those 3 extra hours will do anything.”
‘You don’t understand. It does matter. It matters when your dad keeps buying alcohol with your money.’
“Fine.”
Jisung felt defeated and with a heavy heart, he walked home.
———————————————————————————————-
Shit is going to hit the fan!
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