thirteen.

                                    

                                          
"A reason, a season or a lifetime. Pick one."
"A lifetime," I answered my boyfriend without hesitation, moving the facial roller along his jaw.
"What's that about?" Q asked while doing his curl ups.
"According to this magazine, every relationship fits into one of these categories," Minho explained as he plucked the roller out of my hands and put it aside, "and you have just made me very happy by choosing the right one."
He gave me a peck on the cheek and I blushed. 
After our first date at camp where we became official, we went on another one the very next day once our tidying work was done. I hadn't thought admiring a village that was putting itself back together was something Minho would find much joy in, but he was surprisingly appreciative, if wary of all the potholes we came across. I couldn't blame him. He'd almost fallen in one at the very start.
Unlike our bumpy walk through the village, we've been smooth sailing ever since we got back from the trip. While not inseparable like Kitty and Daeheon, the probability of finding us side by side as of lately was quite high. In any case, it was a lot more than what could be said about Q and Florian, who I had noticed weren't quite as close as before.
"How are things with Florian?" Minho asked him almost as if he'd read my mind.
Q got up from the ground and began pulling on his jacket. "He's going through some stuff but I'm here for him."
His pursed lips told me he was downtrodden. Just like with anyone else, it wasn't a flattering emotion on him at all. I tried to cheer him up. "I'm sure Florian appreciates your presence and your efforts very much."
Q smiled at me as my boyfriend brought me closer with a squeeze, and added to my attempt at consolation, "You'll get through it." His next words ruined the wholesome moment we were all having. "They did. Why are you even in our dorm so early in the morning?" he pointedly asked, looking at my best friend being lovey dovey with one of his.
Kitty narrowed her eyes at him. "I thought bringing Flora along would have kept your mouth shut, but I guess I can just come by myself next time."
Minho got up, a hand on my shoulder. I gave Q a troubled look which he just shook his head at with a snicker, moving toward the kitchen. 
"You act as if without you I wouldn't be able to see her at all," my boyfriend said to her while extending a hand down toward me. 
I took a hold of it and got up, shrugging as Kitty looked at me with raised eyebrows at the gesture. Both Daeheon and Minho failed at their attempts to stop her as she bounded toward me and took me from Minho's grasp 
"As her boyfriend, you should know that Flora isn't a big fan of breaking the rules." She began to drag me to the kitchen with her. "Without me, she wouldn't be here."
"But I could be there," my boyfriend pointed out. "Your brain really is pea sized. Do you think of anything other than Dae?"
Q looked up from the coffee he was making to chime, "Oh, she doesn't. Dae's the topic of ninety percent of our conversations."
"She'd rather not," I said automatically while getting up on the stool, used to explaining Kitty's habits to people, "because then she'll start freaking out about how she's failing almost all of her classes."
"Thanks for telling that to the world, Flora," she told me in a patronizing tone and I put my head down sheepishly. Minho glared at her and patted my head as he came to stand by my side. "But she's right," my best friend gladly accepted in defeat. "If I don't do amazing on the finals, I will flunk out of school."