#minho x kitty | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mae-gi-writes · 10 months

Text

02. The note under your desk | Minho (xo kitty)

”it all started with a note under her desk.”

Play: —<| beside you - keshi |>—

(Credits to owner for the gif.)

Thanks for reading <3 @myahwritesss @sparkysparking101 @suzzie63 @upsidedownjill @lovely-hao @lupinette @seoli-16 @rory-cakes @sir-simp @rubes26 @chaerins-world @sadiebrookeholt @sincerely-aaronette @instabull @itsnotino

——— MASTERLIST | 02. Kind Regards, N | NEXT ———

Minho bunches up the note in his hand and pounds it into the wall. The paper bounces easily and falls, crumpled, onto the floor, which does nothing to ease the kind of anger bubbling up through his chest.

What nerve, he thinks as his eyes see all red, who the fuck thinks they can mess with him and get away with it?

He’d almost laughed as he read the words once. Again, and again. Until the reality had kicked him in the balls and he came to the conclusion that whoever this person is, they’re messing with him.

Dear Minho,

First off, that’s such a patronizing way to ask for help. Not even a please? Who the hell do you think you are? What you need help with are your manners, bro. Oh and I’m not Kimberley and I will definitely not pass on your message. Maybe you can try asking again — nicely, and then maybe I’ll consider telling her about you.

Also, Kimberley doesn’t sit at this desk. Maybe you should’ve known that first before even making a move. Kind regards,

N <3

A stranger.

A stranger had read his note. And this stranger might know exactly who Minho is. Great.

Now his entire reputation is at stake because of this stupid idiot who thinks it’s fun to pass on messages like love letters.

A knock sounds on his door and before he can ask, Q’s head pops in, “hey dude. You got a minute?”

“That depends,” Minho sighs and leans back into his plush bean bag, “I’m currently in the middle of a crisis.”

“What happened?” Q frowns, closing the door behind him before settling down on the carpet opposite.

Minho opens his mouth. Closes it. Regards Q with narrowed eyes. Then, a scowl forms onto his face.

Q blinks, “what? What did I do?”

“If I tell you, you cannot tell anyone.”

“Uh—sure, okay.”

“Swear it on your mother’s head.”

“Wha—Minho, come on. Just tell me—“

“Swear it.”

“Okay okay fine,” Q rolls his eyes, “I swear on my mother’s head. Now tell me.”

Minho recaps everything from the moment he’s dropped the note underneath the said desk to the episode that occurred just a few minutes prior.

Q cannot help himself but laugh, covering his mouth in an attempt to calm himself down as the other boy’s face twists into a ferocious glare that would’ve sent anyone running home, “oh my god,” Q says, trying to hide his chuckle, “this—you—oh my god, this person’s hilarious!”

“It’s not funny!” Minho rages, hands going up to grapple through his locks, “what am I supposed to do now?!”

“Well, assuming that it’s a girl from the handwriting,” Q shoots him a pointed look as he settles more comfortably against the couch, “I’d say you should write back.”

“And say what? That it was a mistake?” Minho rolls his eyes.

“No, but if she’s sitting in the front row, maybe she has all the resources you need. Ever thought of that?”

At that, Minho straightens and looks at his best friend as if a lightbulb has struck, “you think she’s smart?”

“I believe so. Why else would she be in the front row?” Q shrugs.

“Q,” Minho’s eyes fly up to his as a smile breaks across his face, “I think you’re a genius.”

“I know,” Q grins, “thank me later.”

———

Nina is half asleep when her fingers curl over the note under her desk.

It hadn’t been her intention to find it, but somehow it seems as though fate enjoys playing tricks on her. Huddling behind her stack of books and quickly ripping it open under her desk, Nina quickly places the paper over her copybook, slouching over her desk as though in deep thought when in truth she’s reading over the words with barely concealed amusement.

Dear N,

Well well well, nice to meet you. I guess I should apologize for my “patronizing” behaviour, as you said, but maybe you should just tone it down a little. Juuuust a little. Violence was never the answer, honey.

Anyway, since you’re the one who received my beautifully crafted handwritten letter, maybe you’d like to help me out with my horrible grades.

Pretty please? I’m asking nicely this time ;)

Yours sincerely,

Minho.

P.S: you know my name but I don’t know yours. Care to share?

Nina shouldn’t answer. She shouldn’t get involved with such a boy who seems to suck at flirting and who’s desperate enough to do it for the grades. Yet, his half-baked attempts only cause an amused smile to slowly crawl up her lips, one that she quickly hides when Professor Chung turns to ask the class a question.

Hiding behind a curtain of hair and leaning over her desk, Nina takes out a fresh piece of paper, and starts to write.

———

Dear Minho,

who even calls anyone “honey” these days? I think you need a real-life update. In any case, why don’t you ask the library for a tutor to help you out? I’m sure they’ll have much better resources than a random stranger from lecture.

Try it out, it might work wonders for you. Who knows, maybe you could use your flirting skills then ;)

Sincerely, N.

P.S: the first letter of my last name is S. That’s all I can give you for now.

———

Dear N.S.

I finally have some initials to call you by. Nice, although, a name would’ve sufficed. I’ve tried the library, horrible staff and the tutors are just there because they want a piece of me. What can I say? I’m a horribly enchanting man who cannot go anywhere in peace. So please, help me?

Kindly,

Minho

———

Dear Minho,

bold of you to assume that they’re enchanted by you.

I don’t know, should I help you? You’re not being very convincing. Then again, what do I know? I’m just some girl whose notes you need in order to get good grades right? Reality check, my man. Maybe you need to realize the world does not revolve around you :)

Kind regards,

N.S.

———

Dear N.S,

I’ll just say it’s still not fair you know my name and I don’t know yours, so I’m holding that against you. You keep insulting me but you also keep answering my notes. Either you’re a masochist and enjoy watching me suffer or you’re just a little bit entertained. I know I am even though I’m still struggling with Psychology.

Kindly, Minho.

———

The water is icy cold.

Minho’s limbs are freezing by the time he’s twenty laps in, the heat slowly spreading from his heart to the rest of his muscles as he keeps moving through the water as easily as a fish in the sea. This is where he feels the most alive, the most content.

Underneath the surface, everything is dulled out. He can only hear himself, the echo of sounds and voices drowned out by the alienated air pulsing through Minho’s ears.

Breaking through the water with a shaky breath, he quickly swims towards the edge and grabs on. On the other side are toddlers with their swimming instructors, voices loud and bouncing off the walls of the indoor-heated pool.

Minho grabs onto his cap, tugs it off his head before shaking out his hair. Part of him feels guilty for not doing more but he can’t find it in himself to continue for today.

“Hey if it isn’t Minho!”

The said man turns to find one of his swim mates, Jung Kiseok, striding towards him with purpose. He lifts a hand in greeting, “hey man.”

“Long time no see!” Kiseok claps him on the back before jumping into the water, the edges sloshing as he does so, “what have you been up to lately? You don’t seem to be around much.”

“Yeah I’ve been trying to save my grades,” Minho grimaces.

Kiseok groans sympathetically, “Oh I know how that feels. You found a tutor yet?”

“I don’t like the library tutors,” Minho sniffs, causing his friend to laugh, “why don’t you enter a study group? Wouldn’t it be easier?”

“Study group? How’d you find those?”

“Just go on the School Portal, man. They’re everywhere, for every subject.”

Minho straightens at that, eyes wide with hope, “how am I only finding this out now?”

“Shit, you really haven’t been studying have you?” Kiseok laughs even harder, “I’ll send you the link to one if you want. I know the TA in charge well.”

“That would be great, thanks.”

it isn’t until that night that Minho opens up the letter found underneath the desk from his Psychology class this morning. He finds that, ironically, he looks forward to having snippets of conversation with that infamous N.S. It somehow makes his day a little better, a little brighter. He wishes he can know what she looks like, at least.

Muscles aching and hair still wet from his shower, the said young man settles onto his couch with a heavy, tired sigh, before finally giving in and opening up the letter.

Dear Minho, okay. You got me. I’m actually really entertained by our conversation so yes, caught me red-handed. I wouldn’t have imagined that you would answer my note after the first time. Question: why did you take Psych if you’re struggling? I’m sure there must be another elective you can take.

Anyway, I’ll play nice and forward you the latest notes. Just give me your email.

Kindly, N.S.

“Yes,” Minho mutters to himself, inwardly punching the air as he quickly scribbles down his response and folds it as small as he can get it to go.

His phone suddenly vibrates. The young man grabs hold, presses down onto the call button, before placing it by his ear. “Minho, how are you?” “Eomma,” he switches to Korean, the language flowing smoothly through his tongue, “I’m good. How are you?”

“You’ve been very quiet lately. How’s your swimming going?”

“it’s alright,” he lounges back onto the couch, “same old.” “I hope you’re not skipping swimming practice.” On the contrary, it’s school he’s skipping out on. Not that she needs to know that.

“No Eomma, everything’s fine okay? You don’t have to worry.”

“and your grades?”

He clenches his teeth, “my grades are fine.”

Another lie. It’s the only thing that will keep his mother’s nose out of his business. They talk for a few more minutes before his mom is called back to work, and Minho cuts off, head resting back against his couch as another exhale escapes his lips. Lying to his mother had never been in his plans, but he finds it’s easier to do that rather than having her on his back about every little single thing. He’s surprised she has even let him be on his own for more than one day, considering that she used to pester and harrass him about being on time and being perfect at everything he did.

It was tiring. And Minho had grown sick of it.

His phone pings once more. Minho looks down to find Kiseok’s message with a link tot the Study group he’d been bragging about earlier.

Maybe that will help him out.

————

“You going to study group later?”

Nina looks up from her book. It had been one of those rare occasions where she could actually rest after this hectic week that had just passed —what with her midterms coming up, her assignments, and having to find a part-time job to finance her living situation.

It’s also a very rare occasion that her roommate actually reaches out to talk to her like she actually exists. It’s so surprising that for a minute, Nina just looks at her in surprise without registering anything she has said.

“What?” Nina asks blankly.

Her roommate — her name is Karen Liu and she’s a cheerleader —cocks her head at her, long hair streaming down her left shoulder, “you okay?” She asks, “you seem a bit out of it lately.”

It’s not the first time that Karen tries engaging with her and for that, Nina feels grateful. But the thing is, Nina feels so…blank in comparison. Karen’s life is filled with colour and pops of bright vibrancy that seems to jump out of the page at you. She’s someone bright, bubbly, funny, everything that anyone’s ever wanted to be. She’s popular amongst the boys and the girls, so can Nina face her without ever feeling like she’s never enough?

So Nina avoids her. Like the plague. And despite Karen’s greatest attempts at reaching out to her, the latter would rather have it that way.

Nina isn’t someone ready to be thrust in the spotlight. She never was.

“Uh yeah,” she stutters out a reply upon realizing that Karen had been waiting all this time, “I’m good, just busy. And yeah—I’m coming to the study group later.”

A smile so bright fills Karen’s face, “great!” She chirps before slinging her tote bag over her shoulder, “I’ll see you then!”

Great. Now Nina has no other choice than to show up now that she’s made a promise she can’t avoid. And it’s ironic really, considering that she’d been planning to have a quiet evening to herself, listening to her favorite music and watching the latest videos about marine life; more specifically about orcas.

The afternoon goes by quicker than she wants it to and before she knows it, she’s walking straight into the library at five on the dot as the sun slowly descends in the horizon and glazes everything in summery gold despite the fact that it’s freezing outside. Winter is coming. Nina can feel it in her bones.

There are already a few people there and she quickly takes a seat next to a guy she hasn’t seen before. Karen sends her a subtle wave from across the table and she waves back shyly, before focusing on gathering her books from her bag.

“Right, thanks for coming everyone,I’ll just do a quick intro for the new faces around here,” the TA in charge stands and leans his palms against the table, making sure to get a glimpse of every face, “my name’s Alex and I’ll be in charge of the Psychology study group. Make sure you come every week because we don’t normally linger too much on each topic. These sessions are here to help you get a better understanding, not to actually revise any material.”

Nina nods along with everyone else, already knowing all this. She clicks and unclicks her pen out of habit.

“Today we’ll be reviewing on the different mental disorders. I’ll be passing out study sheets and key points to take note of for each,” Alex starts handing around some papers as he speaks, “feel free to ask any questions. Before we begin with the questions, have a quick-read though and discuss with the partner on your left.”

Nina turns instinctively towards a young man who seems unfamiliar, a new addition to the study group probably. He’s nicely dressed, with a crisp white polo and a beige cardigan thrown over him, pretty features framed by stylish locks.

“Hi,” his voice is deeper than she’d imagined, “my name’s Minho Song, I’m new to this study group thing and I pretty much hate Psychology. I’m a Sports Science major.”

He reaches a hand out and she shakes it, “hi, I’m—“

Wait.

Minho?

Could it be—

Her Minho? The guy with whom she’d been exchanging messages with all this time?

No way. No. The world can’t be that harsh to punish her like that.

“I’m—uh—“ Nina’s mind blanks out. Shit. She needs a new name, “my name’s Na—Nana.”

His brow dips in a furrow and Nina quickly realizes that he knows her initials, “I mean—yeah Nana Liu! Yeah. That’s my name.” She laughs to hide her nervousness, “nice to meet you.”

He seems amused, at least, “you from here?”

“No I moved here after high school,” good. It doesn’t seem like he’s suspicious in the slightest, “what gave me away?”

“Your accent. You speak English with an accent I can’t place.”

“Ah yes, well—it’s not my mother tongue.”

“What is it then?”

“I speak French, normally.”

“French,” his eyebrows rise up, “interesting. How come you ended up in Korea?”

She shrugs while trying to calm down the wild beating in her heart, “I thought it’d be cool to live here.”

“And how is that turning out for you?”

“Uhm,” quite horrible but she can’t say that, especially not to a native Korean guy whom she just literally met a few minutes ago. Although, if this is the same guy from the notes, then —

But what’s the chance of having two Minho’s in the same course as her and who are majoring in Sports Science?

She tries to probe a bit further, “so…sports science huh?”

Thankfully, Minho provides her an immediate answer to her silent question, “I’m a swimming athlete. Got a scholarship to study here.”

“Ah. That’s cool.”

Shit. So she’s right. Her gut feeling never lies.

“And you?”

“I’m a marine biology major.”

“Guess we have one thing in common then.”

“Oh,” she cocks her head at him, “which is?”

“We both enjoy the sea, or the idea of it, anyway.”

“Okay guys,” Alex is quick to interrupt, “let’s focus on the work that needs to be done and we can get to know each other later, right?”

That shuts her right up, bringing back the reminder that this Minho is the same guy who’s trying to get her notes. Pompous, self-centered and insolent….somehow, this Minho standing before her doesn’t seem to add up to that same guy.

Nina manages to focus on the task at hand, pushing back her own personal feelings in order to get this assignment out of the way. Together, they discuss the ways in which Bulima and Anorexia are different and she really tries not put her focus elsewhere, stuffs it at the back of her mind like a secret she wishes to forget.

It's a long hour of work before Alex finally calls for a discussion. Then, he summarizes the content for the night before he lets them off, "remember," he calls out, "don't study by heart. Study first to understand."

"You done for the night?" Minho asks as they are packing up their bags.

Nina glances at him in surprise, "uh yeah. My classes are over. You?"

"I have this god awful swim practice I gotta get to," he tugs at his bangs in a manner so childlike she can't help but find endearing.

"Somehow, I'm very glad not to be in your place right now."

"That's because you haven't seen me swim."

Nina laughs, "I like the ocean, I'm not a big fan of swimming."

"Why not?"

"Well, nobody ever taught me how." She flushes upom realizing how sad that sounds, "well, it's not like an essential skill--"

"Uh I'm pretty convinced it's essential," he smirks at her.

"You're just biased because you're a literal mer-man."

"Merman?" Minho chortles, "oh god, haven't heard that one before."

it is only then that she realizes they're the only two left in the study room. She looks around, amazed that she had been so caught up in conversation that she'd barely heard any of the other students leave.

Minho seems to think so too as he slings his backpack over his shoulder, "let's get out of here."

"Do you like it?" Nina asks as they exit the library. The wind has picked up its pace, a lot colder as it whips across her face.

Minho shoots her a glance, "like what?"

"Swimming. Do you like it?"

There's a small pause. "I do."

"How...how does it feel? To swim?"

He takes his time to answer, “it feels…peaceful.” He looks at her then, eyes softening, “as if you’re the only one left in the world.”

Nina wonders how that feels like. And how, in context, is it defined as peaceful. Because she’s been alone and she feels like she’s alone despite being surrounded. And yet, peaceful is not the word that comes to mind.

“That sounds nice,” she murmurs absentmindedly, before spotting the gymnasium in the distance, “well, I guess that’s your stop.”

“Yeah,” Minho’s face creases into a soft smile, “I guess I’ll see you next study session. Don’t miss me too much.”

Nina chortles at that, “dream on, merman.”

——

A/N: second part is up!!! How did you find it?! Let me know your thoughts! Also, I’m creating a playlist for this small series so I’m open to any song suggestions that might fit this couple!

116 notes · View notes