Chapter 15 - Chapter :The slap and second chance

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🌫 Kyoto High School Rooftop — The Next Day

The rooftop was unusually quiet for lunchtime. No chatter from couples sneaking away from the cafeteria. No echo of club members practicing lines or songs. Just the soft whirring of wind against the rooftop fencing, the low hum of distant traffic, and a sky painted in shades of grey.

Minho sat alone, back pressed against the cold chain-link barrier that edged the roof. His school blazer was unbuttoned, shirt slightly wrinkled from a restless night, and his chopsticks hovered absently over his untouched bento. The smell of seaweed and tamagoyaki didn't reach him. His thoughts were heavier than his lunchbox.

🥢 Minho's Thoughts

> "Shanghai…" "I should've said no last night." "Or yes." "I don't know. I'm stuck between the two people who matter the most to me."

He bit his lip, unsure of what would hurt more—disappointing the father who'd suddenly decided to show up again, or leaving behind the sister who'd never left. He couldn't think. Just kept poking at the rice, like maybe it would answer for him.

Then—

THUD.

A second bento landed beside his own. The lid had popped halfway open on impact, and a mini-octopus sausage rolled free, tragically tumbling toward Minho's foot.

Ben (cheerfully):

> "You look like a rejected anime protagonist. Did you get dumped by an imaginary girlfriend again?"

Minho didn't even look up. Just sighed, head tilting toward the sky, eyes tracing clouds that refused to stay still.

Minho (flatly):

> "Worse. I got emotionally adopted by two stubborn parents in the same house."

🧃 Ben Notices Something's Off

Ben, usually unfazed by dramatic metaphors, paused mid-chew of a croquette. He squinted at Minho, then lowered his food.

Ben:

> "…You're off. Like, actually off. What's going on?"

Minho finally spoke—his voice tired, like something that had been carried too far.

Minho (sighs deeply):

> "Last night, my dad and Mao… they had this huge fight. First one I've ever seen."

Ben blinked. That was not a sentence he ever expected.

Ben (blinking):

> "Wait. Your sister? Macha? The actual angel who makes cucumber rolls and smiles even when you spill soy sauce on her notes?"

Minho (quietly):

> "Yeah. She screamed. I didn't even recognize her voice."

Ben let that sink in. Even the wind seemed to hush itself.

Ben (softly):

> "Damn…"

Minho's chopsticks finally lowered. His voice was quieter now, barely riding the breeze.

Minho:

> "It was about me. Dad wants to go back to Shanghai permanently and take me with him. But Macha—she's… she was shaking. Said she's already lost too much."

Ben:

> "So now it's your call?"

Minho nodded. It felt like his neck had rusted over the night.

Minho:

> "It's like whichever choice I make, I'm breaking something."

💡 Ben's Suggestion

Ben leaned back on his hands, looking up at the blank sky. Then, out of nowhere, he grinned. Mischievous. Hopeful. A little mad.

Ben:

> "What if we go to Shanghai anyway?"

Minho (confused):

> "What…?"

Ben:

> "I mean, after graduation. We've only got two months left of high school. What if we both apply to Shanghai University?"

Minho's eyes widened. It was the first time in days someone had offered a third option.

Ben:

> "My uncle lives there. You know that. He works near the university district. We could stay with him for a while, get a fresh start."

Minho (surprised):

> "Are you serious?"

Ben:

> "Dead serious. Think about it. You're not running away from Kyoto. You'd be walking toward something new. Something that lets you be you—not just someone stuck between two adults' decisions."

Minho (softly):

> "…What about your girlfriend?"

Ben snorts. Loudly.

Ben:

> "Pfft. Ex-girlfriend. She dumped me yesterday because I said Spirited Away was slightly overrated."

Minho (grinning despite himself):

> "You deserve that."

Ben (mock insulted):

> "Thank you. But honestly? I didn't even want to date her. She's so noisy I can hear her thoughts three rooms away."

Minho (laughing):

> "She's literally behind us."

💥

Ben froze. Eyes wide. Voice dropping to a whisper.

Ben (whispers):

> "You're joking."

Minho (pointing subtly):

> "Nope. She's right there."

Ben turned… slowly, like facing a ghost.

SLAP!

The sound echoed sharply across the rooftop.

Girl (tears brimming):

> "I THOUGHT YOU LIKED NOISY GIRLS, YOU JERK!"

She ran off, sobbing and stomping all the way down the stairs like she was auditioning for a drama club.

Ben touched his reddening cheek with both hands.

Ben (blinking):

> "She slapped the flavor out of my lunch."

Minho (bursting into laughter):

> "I tried to warn you, man. I even gave the hand signal! You're like a pigeon when it comes to reading social cues."

They both broke into laughter. Not the polite kind. The kind where shoulders shake and eyes water. The kind that reminded Minho what joy tasted like.

They collapsed side by side, panting from the laughter, the tension of the morning melting under the weight of ridiculous friendship.

🌏 Deciding the Future

When the laughter faded, Ben's tone turned more grounded again.

Ben:

> "So… Shanghai University? Together?"

Minho stared at the city skyline, at the gray horizon that might stretch all the way to Shanghai.

Minho (quiet, then resolute):

> "Yeah. Let's do it. Not because I'm running from home. But because maybe… I'm finally ready to live my own story."

They fist-bumped, and in that tiny act of camaraderie, something shifted. Not everything was solved. But something had started.

The wind blew again, lifting a napkin off the ground and sending it spiraling up. The rooftop quieted once more. But inside Minho's chest, there was a steady rhythm of choice—not of escape, but of becoming.

🌸 Closing Line:

> Some decisions don't break families.

They expand them.

And sometimes, the road to healing…

Starts with one good friend,

One bad breakup,

And one really loud slap.