The Passageways of Legends

Year 7 | Part 1

Being friends was odd. Beyond odd. Having spent the past six years bickering and being at each other's throats, it was extraordinary for everyone around Min-hee and Jung-mo (including themselves) to see them greeting each other with polite smiles and waves towards the end of the school year.

For the two of them, it felt like a lifetime of catching up. Having known each other since they were eleven, but never actually being close enough to disclose anything about themselves, they were surprised to find out how much they had in common: they both adored the Korean Quidditch Team (despite their track record being somewhat disappointing), especially the captain, Cha Soo-min; they both loved the K-pop group Girls Generation; they both disliked mushrooms and coriander.

Even as their sixth year ended, they still spent time together. Min-hee took a week-long trip to Busan to visit Jung-mo at his house, which Jung-mo was very nervous about; he wasn't very fond of showing off his banjiha semi-basement apartment that indeed needed a safety inspection, especially to Min-hee who had grown up in a three-story building and had a king-sized bed. Nevertheless, Min-hee found great comfort in Jung-mo's spare mattress. During the holiday, they had a wonderful time by the waters and ate lots of jjamppong.

Min-hee had to admit that he didn't want to leave.

Back home he told his family about Jung-mo. He would enthusiastically tell 40-minute tales of the simplest trips to the food markets when they bought mangoes. It was inevitable that he ended up boring them (even though they tried so hard not to let it show). His sister, who visited their home with her husband, made a joke that it sounded like Min-hee was in love with him.

That very statement seemed to break his brain.

And as September drew nearer, he wasn't at all sad that summer was ending. It meant that it was time to go back to Hogwarts. It was time to see all of his friends again; time to see Jung-mo again. He didn't yet know how to tackle his feelings. It all seemed so strange.

***

"What?! A crush on Jung-mo?" Olivia exclaimed, nearly letting her Chocolate Frog out of her grip.

Min-hee had lasted exactly eleven days keeping his feelings a secret before exploding his emotions onto someone. As soon as he sat down on the Hogwarts Express in a private compartment, he unloaded with a long story about his summer and a rant about his feelings to Olivia and Andy, who both looked at him in horror.

"Blimey, Mini, how you've changed your mind about that guy," said Andy, still chewing his Pumpkin Pasties.

"You think?" said Min-hee sarcastically, "It was weird enough that we became friends last year, but now my heart starts beating when I think about him — it's so annoying, honestly!"

"Well, it's about time you ended up in a hopeless crush like the rest of us," Andy raised an eyebrow.

"I'm gay, most of my crushes are hopeless," said Min-hee matter-of-factly.

"Do you think Jung-mo feels the same?" Olivia asked curiously.

"Jung-mo Koo?" Andy snorted, "Not to say that I have a good gaydar, but last I remember his mouth was very intensely on top of another girl's mouth."

"They broke up though," said Min-hee.

Olivia chuckled and shook her head.