Maybe I Am, Maybe I Do (Sporadic Update)

14 - Let's hope you didn't forget about me (Shane)

Chapter 14 – Let's hope you didn't forget about me (Shane)

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"I'm beat!"

Jin lightly kicked Ethan's crossed leg and glared at him before kneeling to collect the crumpled pieces of paper and plastic around Ethan, slumped on the floor with a continuous huff.

"Get up and help me clean so we can really mark this done."

As soon as Yuri announced today would be dedicated to completing the props and everyone who wasn't a part of that could leave early on to rest or practice their lines, most of them did go, with a few staying behind to help out or practice scenes with another.

"We are done. I wanna go home!"

Unfortunately for Ethan, my tutee wouldn't let him go until they finished all the props they had been assigned to do weeks ago. Now that they did, naturally, the aftermath was a messy pile.

"Not until we've cleaned up the mess; no, we are not." Jin stood and kicked again, and then Ethan pretended to be struck by a powerful force, completely lying on the floor. When Jin hovered his foot over Ethan's face, his eyes shot up as he scrambled to get up.

"I'm up, geez!" Ethan inched away from a glaring Jin. He rolled his eyes. "You weren't really going to step on my face, though."

"I would."

"You wouldn't."

I'm sure he would.

"Why don't you lie back on the floor, and we'll see about that?"

The two continued to poke around one another, accidentally shoving other people nearby with their little chase. Never would I have felt weirdly prouder that Jin could be so openly ruthless with more people other than me and his friends.

"Ack! You're right! That did come off too stiff!" Rein rejoiced after taking notes on some of the advice she asked for regarding her role. "Thank you so much!"

I smiled. "You're very much welcome!"

"They're at it again," she commented with a wheeze, glancing over Jin and Ethan, who seemed to be at a standstill, both holding different colored rulers and various trash in one hand. "I never would've thought either of them could be so fun and dorky."

"They're both some of the quieter ones in the class, after all," Joyce spoke from the side, carrying folded red curtains. She shrugged with a little smile. "It's nice to see them like this, actually."

"Oh, you have no idea," I mumbled carelessly.

Can you blame me? It had been, what, three months since I met Jin. On that first day, I could already feel so much suppression from him—his behavior, speech, and focus. So much anxiety.

It fills me with warmth to see his progress. Not just his progress with his studies but also socially. Over time, he'd finally let himself be more open to other people. It still hadn't reached far enough for him to be more friendly and approachable, but this was enough. I wouldn't want to force him of anything. Plus, if he became too open and social, that wouldn't be Jin anymore.

And I like him just the way he is.

"That smile," Joyce said, pulling me out of my trance.

"That look," Rein followed before they looked back and forth between me and where Jin and Ethan finally finished their little duel.

I blinked from where I stared for far too long, my gaze now jumping between Joyce and Rein. Both of them held curious eyes, raised brows, and suspecting hums. My face felt warm by the second, and then they seemed to have reached an understanding as their mouths twisted into deep smirks.