A+, meanie

Awkward

Mingyu hates to admit, but Theatre's way more fun than he expected it to be. Even if he's been paired with Wonwoo since the last term.

Wonwoo's behaviour is quite closed-off than what it was earlier. He barely looks at Mingyu, let alone throw taunts in Mingyu's way. "It's because he thinks I read through his diary," Mingyu concludes.

Although he feels much lighter than before, Mingyu can't help but think there's something amiss due to the absence of Wonwoo's mocks. They'd be Mingyu's biggest drive to actually push himself and work harder to remain at the top. But without Wonwoo ready to throw hands at every opportunity, Mingyu doesn't feel like working as hard.

All he gets from Wonwoo's these days, are the occasional looks of either boiling hatred, or deep sorrow -- as if the Grim Reaper's following Mingyu around. Mingyu fails to understand what the latter means, but he doesn't dwell on it much.

Instead, he looks forward to talking to Chaeyeon, and rightfully complain about both their parents. Mingyu's lowkey jealous Chaeyeon's parents seem much less resistive than his mother. Chaeyeon begs to differ, and Mingyu has to remind her of the extremely tense and frustrating episodes he's been in with his mother.

∿

Professor Lee's onto something these days, as Mingyu observes him getting overly creative with the teamwork skill drills he's been making all the members carry out. It's hell for Mingyu, when Professor introduces new drills specifically for duos. He'd changed the groupings right after the new term began, but Mingyu was unfortunately still stuck with Wonwoo, since Professor realised they were already a pair. "Both of you will do great, I'm sure." Mingyu remembers him saying last week.

Truth be told, Mingyu and Wonwoo did everything but great. The atmosphere between them had been way too awkward since the new term, with Wonwoo, surprisingly, avoiding Mingyu like the plague. He refused to even look at him, but they somehow made it work in front of Professor, who showered them with compliments after each drill. Each time that happens, Mingyu wants to drill a hole into Chaeyeon's thick skull, as he catches her snickering and stifling her laughs from across the room.

Today, Mingyu's a tad bit late to Theatre. He jogs to the designated room, panting softly by the time he reaches.

There's a group of few students right behind the door -- the boisterous, 'My parents could buy your family' kind. Mingyu resists the urge to burst out laughing every time he sees them around. It's as if they forget about Mingyu's existence whenever they're picking on someone 'just for fun'. He's Kim Minkyoung's son after all, no one's got deeper pockets than him. Not that Mingyu goes around projecting the fact, but he would like to show such people their real places.

Nonetheless, Mingyu remains silent and enters the room completely, craning his neck slightly to look over the group and their target. To his absolute shock, it's Wonwoo who's their victim for the day. Mingyu can't believe it. Jeon Wonwoo? Getting targeted? This must be an alternate universe. There's no way that could happen here, at the Pledis Mingyu goes to.

From the corner of his eyes, Mingyu catches the silhouette of Professor Lee readying himself to exit the comparatively smaller extension to the main Theatre room -- the staff's corner. He doesn't understand what gets into him to try and help Wonwoo out of the mess. Without thinking much, Mingyu steps into the gathering of people. clearing his throat as he does so. "What's going on?" He questions calmly.

"Oh look it's Golden Baby, Kim!" One of the guys jeers. Mingyu sends a fake smile his way.

"You wouldn't want Professor Lee to witness your little targeting ritual now, would you? Especially when it's a harmless student like Jeon Wonwoo?" Mingyu felt the need to lightly jab at said boy.

"That's rich coming from you, Kim."

"Indeed it's rich, I'm Kim Minkyoung's son. Did you forget?" Gods, Mingyu feels like such a brat saying that, and it didn't even make sense.

He doesn't understand the sudden changes in expressions of all the people gathered. They go strangely bland, and the group begins to dissipate.

"No one asked you to be a goody-two-shoes and haul my ass out of it."

Wonwoo's sour voice welcomes Mingyu. Mingyu's face contorts into a frown, which soon turns into a probably stupid-looking expression, as Mingyu tries not to snicker. "Your welcome, Jeon. Don't think of it much. It'd save you a lot of brainpower, trust me. I speak from experience."

Oh gods, Mingyu feels so good saying that to Wonwoo's face, it didn't matter whether Wonwoo caught it or not. He coolly walks away, turning to find Wonwoo rushing out of the room. Eh, Mingyu couldn't care less. Why did he even do it when he knew he'd get such a response?

Wonwoo doesn't return for the rest of the class. Mingyu notices that since he had to work with someone else this time, and not because Wonwoo's absence next to him pinched him somewhere, for the entirety of the hour and a half.