IMB 2012: Drawn By You
Working Title: Drawn By You
Pairing/Focus: SunggyuxWoohyun, MyungsooxSungyeol
Rating: PG
Warning(s): None.
Summary: Sunggyu’s creation comes to life in the form of a young male named Woohyun.
Final word count: 6,471
“Your recent report on the economic downfall is not adequate enough. It looks as if a ten year old wrote this up in one sitting.” The old man seated behind the desk proclaims with thick eyebrows furrowed together into a stern frown as he shakes the bundle of paper in mid-air. He looks very dissatisfied with the outcome. “Write the entire report once more and handed it to me first thing tomorrow morning, understand, Kim?”
“Yes, sir.” Sunggyu takes his report back with a blank face and inclines his head forward into a short bow before he proceeds out the door of his bosses’ office. Once he shuts the door quietly behind him, he heaves an exhausted sigh. He should’ve known that he’d receive such a response from that old man- he is very hard to please.
“Hey. How did it go?” The male blinks in mild surprise as he takes a glance over to his left to find a fellow co-worker and friend, Howon, striding over to him out of curiosity. Despite the look he was given, the other already has a hunch of what kind of outcome it had been.
Sunggyu shakes his head and runs a hand through his hair. “Terrible. I have to re-write the entire report.”
“That’s disappointing.”
“Tell me about it. I’m just not up to par with this kind of thing.”
Howon blinks at him. “Writing, you mean?”
Sunggyu shakes his head again. “This job. I can’t really handle it.”
“Then, why don’t you quit?”
He snorts in response. “Are you kidding? I have nowhere else to go.”
Hoya gives him an ‘are-you-serious’ look and shakes his head.
“What? You’re giving me that look.”
“It’s nothing, hyung.” The younger says and gestures to the direction of Sunggyu’s desk. “You should go and re-write that report soon. The boss has been rather edgy as of late.”
Sunggyu heaves a sigh, his shoulders slumped forward. “Tell me about it. I’ve been the outlet of that just now and I don’t want to go through that again.”
“Yeah, I can see that.” Hoya pats his shoulder sympathetically. “Well, I hope you do your best.”
“Thanks.”
--
Six pm.
Sunggyu ends his shift with his report barely a quarter done. He sighs in defeat because he knows finishing up the report within a few hours time would be impossible. Eventually, he just packs up and heads for home.
He doesn’t want to think about it anymore.
--
Sunggyu arrives to the smell of bulgogi, or what seems to be bulgogi when it’s actually fried rice takeout. Okay, there’s something wrong with his sense of smell.
“Hey, hyung. You’re here later than usual.” His younger brother, Myungsoo, greets from the kitchen as he brings out the plates and utensils from the tray racks beside the sink.
“I’ve been trying to write up my report on the economic downfall.” He grumbles out, placing his bag on the floor next to the neatly stacked shoes before pulling off his jacket and taking a seat with a tired sigh.
“Oh? I thought you were finished with that.” The younger inquires lightly as he takes a seat beside him.
“I was. My boss wasn’t satisfied with it though.”
Myungsoo hums, nodding a couple of times as he picks up his spoon and begins to prod at the rice. “So are you finished?”
“I’m not. I don’t think I’ll be able to finish it in time. I really hate this job.” Propping an elbow on the table and pressing a palm against his cheek, he begins to shove a spoonful of rice into his mouth in a somewhat precarious manner.
“Why don’t you quit then, hyung?”
Sunggyu lets out a short sigh, still chewing on his food. Once that’s done, he speaks up. “You know, you’re the second person to have asked me that in one day.”
“So? You keep complaining how much you hate the job. And not to mention the amount of times you keep complaining about how much you suck at writing papers. It’s enough to make a person sick.”
“Hey, I take that into offense.” Sunggyu snorts at the younger male before he adds, “And I don’t hate it. Really.” He insists through narrowed eyes when the other scoffs at him. “They’re merely…a difficult task to accomplish.”
“So hard that you gave up until the last day and that’s when you put all effort into it.”
“…I don’t do that.”
Myungsoo quirks up a lean eyebrow. “I’ve seen you done it twice over the course of a week.”
Taken aback by this revelation- because it’s unfortunately true, Sunggyu manages to bring himself together, props an arm over his chair, and retorts with his head slightly tilted back, “And how did you managed to find that out?”
“I was heading toward the kitchen for a drink when I noticed a stream of light emitting from your room.” The younger shakes his head in disapproval. It isn’t a good thing for his brother to be pulling an all-nighter because lack of sleep is bad for the health. “It’s not hard to figure it out afterwards.”
Seeing how the other was reacting to his late night activity, Sunggyu explains weakly. “But being a news writer means that you must have the ability to write reports. And to write good ones, one must have the ability to sacrifice sleep.”
“You don’t have that ability.”
“I’m developing it!” he narrows his eyes in protest. “And besides, I’m doing this for a good cause- to help you pay for your school!”
“I’d rather not have my hyung develop an ashen face and eye bags because of it.” Myungsoo narrow his eyes in return, not backing down. “Just give the job up and look for a new one, hyung. I’m sure there’s one that perfectly suits you. And before you say, I have a scholarship, remember?”
Sunggyu stops himself before he can utter out a word because damn, he’s caught and he knows Myungsoo is right about that fact. He’s not happy about his current position in life and his brother did made a good point. With the other being a scholarship student in a second-class university, he can search for something much more invigorating.
He gives up with a sigh, his hands raised in mid-air. “So what do you suggest I do?”
Myungsoo hums in thought, his spoon tapping lightly against the ceramic plate. “Well…I remembered how much you love drawing. Why don’t you go back to school and get a degree on it or something? It’ll be a good start for you.”
“School?” Sunggyu repeats slowly. He had finished university a year ago with a degree in hand and the other suggests he goes to school one more time?
…That’s actually not a bad idea.
“I’ll think about it.” He replied simply before resuming his dinner. It’s starting to get a little cold.
--
Apparently, one night is enough for Sunggyu to quit his job the very next day. Instead of re-writing the report as he had been told to do, he strides up to the office and tells his boss that he quit the job in order to pursue another one. And without waiting for a response, he leaves the room, his hands shaking but his head up high.
He’s going to start anew.
Sending a last farewell to Howon, who waves and smiles back at him, he packs up his belongings and leaves the premise.
--
A month later
He can’t believe he’s doing this.
He’s actually striding through the school campus of his choice and heading towards his first class as an art student. It’s quite exhilarating.
A month back, he went and took the entrance exam to this school- one of the well-known art universities in Korea. He is lucky that he happened to pass with a little more than decent results and here he is now, attending with a bag of supplies over his shoulder and a large sketchbook beneath his other arm.
Just as he’s passing by a large peach-coloured complex (the music hall, it says), a person rushes from the corner and suddenly bumps against his shoulder, causing him to lose his balance. It’s then that he hears a light clattering sound of something dropping to the floor. He doesn’t have time to get angry at the rude person, instead opting to pick up whatever’s been dropped. Once he does, he takes a second’s glance at it. It’s not his.
“Excuse me. Hey! You drop-“ Before Sunggyu can complete his sentence, the person vanishes from his view as he quickly cuts the corner around the building. “…something. Okay…”
Shrugging his shoulder, he takes another glance at the object he just picked up. It’s a drawing pencil coated in blood red, save for the end, which holds the ebony black eraser and a thick black line encircled beneath it. And there are words imprinted a centimeter away from it: “Time is of the essence”
Sunggyu raises an eyebrow at that; however, he doesn’t think much of it because he’s now late to class. Tucking the pencil into his bag, he then rushes off to his destination.
The pencil is soon forgotten for the rest of the day.
--
A few minutes into the class (along with a rushed apology to the professor, who merely quirks up an eyebrow at him), Sunggyu receives his first assignment- a drawing project of an ideal person, object, or place where one feels peaceful upon first sight. It’s due in two days.
There’s one question that runs through his mind at that point.
What kind of project is this?
--
As soon as he’s home late evening and he’s had his dinner with Myungsoo, Sunggyu heads straight to his room upstairs to start on his project. He’s not the type to slack off on his work until the last minute and the sooner he’s done, the better. Pulling out a slip of white paper from the white binder he brought with him during school hours, he stops at the sight of the red pencil he found early today. Picking it up, he examines it once more. It’s made specifically for sketching, so why not? He doubts he’ll find the owner of it and so, he’ll just use it for his benefit.
“An ideal…person, maybe?” he trails, tapping the pencil against his chin in thought. Then, he takes a glance at the white piece of paper before he starts a light sketch. Once he captures an image, he then proceeds to add stronger lines, followed by detail after detail of how the person in his mind looked like. He raises an eyebrow at it, thinking that mere lines are not enough for him to feel peaceful upon first sight. Perhaps some shading should do the trick. And that’s what he does. He begins with light shading and continues on until it grows darker and bolder.
The eyes should be small and narrow but carries a hint of innocence.
His nose is similar to his own, small and slightly narrow.
His cheek bones should be high but his cheeks should be a little chubby to carry an image of youth.
His lips…
Sunggyu unconsciously rubs the lead against those pouty lips. They should be full and soft-looking- something that looks to be kissed.
And then he’s done.
Eying his newly made creation and looking satisfied with the results, he taps the pencil against his chin again before he starts on a list of personality traits. This person should be cute and fluffy like a playful puppy. Affectionate, likes to cock his head a lot, a little flirty, oh, and a good cook.
That seems to be about right. Finally, he should have a name for him.
“Hm…I think his name would be…” he looks thoughtful at the drawing, a soft smile pulled across his lips. He already has a name in mind for a person who seems to capture his heart, despite the fact that he isn’t real. He only wishes that he is. “Woohyun.”
Placing the pencil down, he then lightly traces the lines of the lead on paper with the tip of his finger like how one would on a lover’s cheek.
If only.
He sighs shortly and stretches his arms up before he takes a glance at the digital clock sitting on the corner of his desk. One in the morning. He doesn’t expect it to be this late.
With another sigh, he picks himself up and gets ready for bed.
Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.
--
The alarm clock shrills like a wailing banshee and Sunggyu slams his hand down on the ‘snooze’ button with a loud groan. Is it that time already? He cracks an eye for a second before he shuts it close. The room is silent now and he sighs in relief, raising an arm up and covering his eyes with it. He’ll get up in five minutes.
After a short moment, he starts to drift off once more.
But then the alarm clock blares out again. He makes a face. It can’t be five minutes already.
He slaps it down. Silence.
Off to dreamland once again.
A moment longer and it starts again.
Okay, why did he decide on that clock again? He isn’t sure if he was at the right mind when he first purchased the clock, other than it being a cute Hamtarou clock (with said hamster perching over the ‘snooze’ button) that he spotted in the shopping center when he was out to get some fresh air. It’s a bad decision on his part.
He gives up.
Slapping the ‘snooze’ button one last time before he shuts off the alarm, he pushes himself up with mild efforts, his eyes half-lidded and his hair disheveled. It’s another day, Sunggyu. You must get up and prepare yourself. his mind coos at him. The rest of him screams out in rejection.
Letting out a long yawn, he smacks his lips a couple of times and turns his head to the other end of the bed. It is then that he realizes that there’s a lump right next to him. His eyes trail up the curved lump until they lie upon a tuff of chocolate brown hair.
Hair?
He squint his eyes.
A person?
His mind draws a blank.
A few seconds later, it starts working again.
Upon realization, Sunggyu shrieks aloud as he jumps away from the bed; however, as he does, his legs got tangled into the covers and he ends up collapsing onto the floor in a heap. The figure in his bed wakes up in the process of it and raises his head up sleepily to see what the commotion is about. And once his half-lidded eyes meet Sunggyu’s, the latter sits up and points an accusing finger at him in shock. “Oh my god! Who the hell are you and how did you get into my bed?!”
“…Good morning to you too.” The person blinks sleepily in greeting, his voice low and deep as if he’s humming a monotonous tune.
“Yah! Tell me!” he demanded in panic.
The person slowly cocks his head to the side, a light frown marred his pouty face. It’s an innocent gesture- one that Sunggyu can’t help but to find it adorable in the midst of his panic. “How, you ask? I’m not sure how. All I know is that I’m here.”
“Y-You can’t be serious?”
“I’m not lying. I have no recollection of anything before I woke up.”
Sunggyu stays in his position, unable to respond back. Okay, how is this possible? He’s sure that he hadn’t gone to any club or bar last night so there’s no way he could’ve brought anyone home with him, much less an attractive young male like the one before him. All he had done last night was draw the person who he felt was his ideal…
His head jerks up in surprise, his eyes focusing on the person who’s staring back at him in mild puzzlement, his reddening lower lip jutting out just a little. Once he thinks about it, this male does resemble the person in his drawing. No, scratch that. He looks exactly like the person in his drawing. And that cute gesture, it’s one of the traits he had written down as well.
“H-Hey.” He begins, his voice trembling. He starts to feel apprehensive.
“Hmm?” is the response he’s given.
“What’s your name?”
There’s a long period of silence. The male begins to shift around, sitting up and pressing his back against the thick, white pillows amongst the bed post. It is then that Sunggyu realizes that the other is bare, the thick comforter hid his lower form from view. Oh, this is making him feel even more uneasy. He clears his throat and turns his gaze away out of embarrassment. Eventually, the male speaks and Sunggyu’s heart leaps into his throat:
“Woohyun. That’s my name.”
“…Woohyun.”
Said male nods in response, his expression still puzzled. “That’s right.”
“You’re Woohyun.”
“…Yes.”
“You’re really Woohyun?“
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, I am! Can you stop that?”
“Oh.”
Uncomfortable silence suddenly fills the air.
“Ah.” Woohyun begins. “I just remembered how I got here.”
“You do?” Sunggyu asks as he blinks at the male before him.
“Yeah. That paper.” The other points to the paper sitting on his desk- the same paper he was looking at the night before.
Sunggyu feels as if there’s something lodged in his throat once again. “You can’t be serious…”
“I am.” Woohyun insists, his eyebrows dipped into a mild frown. “I felt some sort of pull between that paper and I.”
“…So it can be considered to be your lifeline or something?”
The other nods in response. “Yes.”
“I don’t believe it.”
“But you have to!” Woohyun puffs his cheeks out and oh my god, he’s pouting at him. He can feel his heart jump right out of his body at the sight. Despite that though, Sunggyu still doesn’t understand how can someone like him shows up like this out the blue. The only logical explanation for it would be that Woohyun had snuck into his room, stripped bare, and slept with him. A shiver passes down his spine. If that’s the case, then Woohyun’s a stalker.
“Why?” he questions, crossing his arms. “What you say doesn’t make any sense.”
“But I have no other explanation for it. I don’t even know why I’m here.” Woohyun whines a little and his pout becomes even more apparent. Sunggyu’s inside is melting. “All I know is that…well. I have you.”
Sunggyu blinks once. Blinks again. And then, he shrieks, “What did you say?!”
Woohyun stays silent for a moment, trying to find the appropriate words for him to understand. “What I meant to say is that…I feel something between us. Something like a bond of sorts. Something…special, you know?”
Unconsciously, Sunggyu’s hand rises up to his chest where his heart resides. It’s pounding hard, he can feel it. Is it because of what the other said? He does feel some sort of connection with him, but he isn’t sure unless there’s proof.
Of course, the proof is right in front of him the entire time. He’s sure he’s never met anyone who resembled Woohyun and for sure, Woohyun is only a figment of his imagination- his ideal person.
Just as he’s about to question the other further, the door creaks open.
Myungsoo has bad timing because he enters the room without knocking and before he can call out to his brother that breakfast is ready, his eyes immediately catch the figure sitting on the bed. Nude. It doesn’t take him long before he gathers the pieces together:
“Hyung. Since when do you carry out one-night stands?”
“He’s not a one-night stand!” Sunggyu exclaims in frustration.
“You picked up a lover then?”
“He’s not my lover either!”
Myungsoo’s eyebrows knit together into a puzzled frown. “Then why is he naked? And on your bed, no less?”
“Do you see me naked?” The older interjects instead, pushing himself up into a standing position and gestures over to his appearance. He’s wearing a worn white t-shirt and loose baby blue pajama pants with clouds decorating it.
His brother merely crosses his arms, looking unfazed by Sunggyu’s attempt. “You do realize that you had the time to go and dress up before I came along.”
Sunggyu palms his face with a heavy sigh. It’s such a shame for him to have a brother who doesn’t believe in anything he says.
“Um…” It’s then that Woohyun decides to speak up. “We didn’t sleep together. I mean, we slept side by side but not…together.”
“Uh huh…” Myungsoo appears doubtful, his eyes now cast upon the other male. “By the way, how old are you? You look young enough for hyung to be a pedophile.”
“Hey! He’s my age here!” Sunggyu interjects bitterly. The pedophile comment really hurts and while he lies about Woohyun’s age, because he doesn’t know it himself, he just lets his mouth run and do the talking for him.
“Are you?” The younger asks, his attention turned to the male in bed.
Woohyun stays silent for a while, taking a glance at Sunggyu, who gives him a meaningful look, and eventually, nodding to the question.
Myungsoo suddenly looks as if he comes to realize something. “Ah…so that’s how it is. You must be hyung’s type then. What’s your name?”
“Woohyun.” The other says simply.
“Please don’t say anymore. You’re making things worse for me.” The oldest mumbles under his breath and shakes his head.
Cocking his head to the side, Woohyun blinks innocently at Sunggyu and really, if Myungsoo isn’t here, he would’ve jump on the bed and pinch those cute cheeks of his. Then, an idea jumps into his mind.
“He’s a classmate of mine who got himself drunk and ends up calling me to pick him up.” Sunggyu makes up, his face blank. Both Woohyun and Myungsoo stare at him- though with Woohyun, it’s out of confusion while with Myungsoo, it’s out of suspicion and disbelief. The oldest then adds, “And because he got drunk, he went and tore off his clothes and heads straight into my bed.”
“How did he end up here without my notice? Surely, I would’ve heard something.”
Oh, right. Myungsoo is the type of person to sleep around two to three in the morning and wakes up around noon. Wait. Why is he up right now, at six in the morning? He soon comes into realization that today’s the only day his class starts early. How lucky he is to be in such a situation- not. He clears his throat uncomfortably, trying to find some sort of excuse.
“…I carried him.”
Myungsoo’s eyes grow wide with shock. “You what?”
“I carried him.” Sunggyu repeats, his eyebrows scrunches together. “What’s wrong with that?”
The younger blinks before he rubs the back of his neck. “I find it hard to believe. I thought your strength was lacking.”
“Hey!”
“Um…” The brothers immediately shift their attention to the person between them. Woohyun fidgets a little. “Don’t you have school…?”
Simultaneously, their eyes go wide as they land on the clock nearby. They only have fifteen minutes left and together, the brothers scramble off to prepare themselves for the day, leaving the nude male to himself.
--
After much pressure from explaining (and lying) to Myungsoo, Woohyun is welcomed into the Kim household as an honorary family member, due to the fact that the other had been kicked out and disowned by his own family, according to Sunggyu. Myungsoo doesn’t mind the fact that there’s another person living with them. In fact, he’s very amused because he suddenly sees this as an opportunity to tease his brother.
Hyung’s boyfriend, he will acknowledge Woohyun whenever he finds the two together, which happens to be often.
Woohyun usually remains oblivious but every time Sunggyu hears this, he feels like strangling his own brother.
He’ll have his revenge someday.
--
A week later
Sunggyu’s in class and focusing on his work when he hears a familiar voice.
“Hello and sorry for coming in during class, but I’ve recently enrolled here.”
Sunggyu jerks up in surprise, his pencil slips away from his fingers and clatters audibly against the desk. He must be seeing things. There’s no way that person who came into his class is Woohyun. That’s just impossible!
“I see.” His professor speaks up, looking pleasantly surprised. It’s been the second week of school already so all classes are closed from new entries. Perhaps he is the exception. “Alright then. Please give me your name and take a seat.”
The male smiles and inclines his head in response. “Woohyun….Nam Woohyun.”
Sunggyu feels faint.
When the other decides to take a seat that is conveniently available beside him, he immediately rounds on him. “What are you doing here?” he hisses out loud enough for Woohyun to hear.
The male cocks his head questioningly before a short laugh erupts from the back of his throat. “I’ve decided to attend class with you. Staying home with nothing to do gets rather boring after a while, you know?”
Sunggyu then frowns. “That I can understand but how are you able to enroll into this class? This one requires a pre-requisite.”
“Really? Then how are you able to take it? This is your first quarter, isn’t it?”
How the hell does he know that? “…I’m taking the pre-requisite along with this one.”
“I am as well.”
“Oh my god. You are unbelievable.”
And all he receives from Woohyun as a response is another short laugh.
--
Coincidentally, after Woohyun becomes his classmate (for all his classes that day), he meets up with Myungsoo and another person as he is about to visit the shopping center (because Woohyun doesn’t stop pestering about ‘going to somewhere fun’).
“Hyung, you know Sungyeol.” Myungsoo speaks up as he gestures to the tall male by his side. The older can only nod in agreement because yes, he does know Lee Sungyeol. The other happens to be a classmate in the same university (but in a class that’s held once a week)- a bright, bubbly person with a thin physique, chubby cheeks, and wavy brown hair.
He also happens to be the one person who has his approval when it comes to dating Myungsoo. Well, technically, it had been his brother who sought his approval but either way, he’s alright with them, so as long as they aren’t lovey-dovey around him (because whenever they do, he gets moody).
“Of course he does.” Sungyeol intercepts instead, smiling at Sunggyu before his eyes land on Woohyun. He suddenly raises an eyebrow up, blinks, and slowly tilts his gaze back to the older male. “That your lover, hyung?” he teases playfully.
For some reason, the term makes Sunggyu’s cheeks flush red.
And instead of replying back, Woohyun does it for him with a bright smile. “I am.”
Three pair of wide eyes stare back at the male in surprise, Sunggyu most of all.
“You are?!” gasps Sungyeol, raising a hand over his mouth.
“You are?!” The older exclaims loudly.
Myungsoo, on the other hand, blinks a couple of times before eventually shifting his gaze over to his brother and feigning hurt. “Since when did you two get together, hyung? You told me that you weren’t and that you two are merely classmates.”
“That’s because we are.” Well, as of a few hours ago, that is. He wonders how did Woohyun managed to slip into his class though. Was it pure luck?
“Mm hm. What Gyu said is true.” Woohyun chirps with a nod.
“Gyu?” Myungsoo and Sungyeol repeats and Sunggyu feels like running away and hiding in a place where no one can find him because his face is more than tomato red and the way those two are looking at him is pushing him to his limit. He shakes his head at them, waving his hand as if he’s trying to say, ‘never mind him. Carry on.’
Sungyeol eventually gives him a smile- one that seems so unnatural to Sunggyu because the corner of his lips curves slowly as if he’s come to some sort of revelation. Maybe he does, but mostly likely, it’s something that he’s not going to like.
“So…Woohyun, is it?” the tall male’s lips quirk up a bit more. “How’s life with Sunggyu-hyung?”
Woohyun, oblivious as he is, replies with a thoughtful hum, “Pretty good, actually. Why?”
Sungyeol ignores the question. “He’s treating you well?”
“Yes.”
“He doesn’t get violent with you?”
“No.”
“How’s he in bed?”
“He’s-“
“Stop! We didn’t do anything!” Sunggyu shrieks out, glaring at the tall male with a red face. The other simply blinks in an innocent manner. Then, he turns to Myungsoo and wraps his hands around his arm. “Myungie. That’s a lie, isn’t it?”
“It’s not a lie!”
Myungsoo shrugs his shoulders and responds as if he doesn’t hear his brother denying whatever is said about him. “I tried asking him, Yeollie. He keeps saying no, he didn’t do anything with Woohyun-hyung, but maybe he’s trying to keep it a secret.”
“I’m not! Stop immediately!”
“He is, you know.” Woohyun says off-handedly.
“You’re not helping! I-I-Aish! I give up!” And with that, Sunggyu storms off to the direction of home, not caring if people are staring as he does.
The remaining three glances at each other in puzzlement.
“What’s wrong with him?” Sungyeol questions, tilting his head to the side.
Myungsoo and Woohyun shrug their shoulders. “No idea.”
--
It’s the weekend and Myungsoo tells Sunggyu that he has invited Sungyeol over for a sleepover that he’s planning and that he and Woohyun are invited if they want (though he can tell, Myungsoo wants him to say no because he treasures his personal time with his lover). And so, Sunggyu smiles and says, “Sure, we’ll hang out with you two.”
It’s payback for all that teasing, after all.
Half an hour later and Sungyeol shows up.
“Hyung! I hope you don’t mind but I brought Dubu with me!” Sungyeol’s voice echoes through the living room and into the kitchen where Sunggyu’s sitting peacefully with a mug of tea by his side. There’s the loud, zealous sound of barking that soon follows and Sunggyu immediately tenses up. He’s not good with dogs, not after that one incident where he was bitten by one on his lower calf at the age of ten. Woohyun’s there with him as company but as soon as he hears Sungyeol, he enthusiastically dashes out to greet him. The thought of dogs are soon forgotten as he watches the other leave the kitchen.
Huh. What is this blooming inside him? Jealousy?
No, it can’t be.
Suddenly, he hears Sungyeol and Woohyun laughing. The feeling is getting worse.
No, he’s not jealous.
The dog is barking again. It’s getting to be rather irritating.
Well, it’s time to head over to greet his guests…no, not the dog. Just Sungyeol, so guest. Only one guest.
--
The day passes quickly. They ate (it ended into a small food fight, Sunggyu didn’t participate but he did scolded them for an hour), they played (with the exception of Dubu, he stayed away from him the entire time), and they enjoyed each other’s company in the living room (nothing bad happened that time around, much to his relief).
Six in the evening.
It’s movie time and the movie (Sungyeol chooses) is Puss in Boots. Why, Sunggyu doesn’t know, but seeing as he is seated beside him on the couch, he can hear the tall male whisper to Myungsoo, “It’s because Puss reminds me of you.”
Apparently, Woohyun hears him too because he’s snickering quietly on the other side of him, one hand covering his mouth and the other around his bicep. Dubu, who is sleeping soundly by the corner of the living room, shuffles a little by the noise but is otherwise, undisturbed.
The film begins to play and the four of them sits comfortably on the couch, watching Puss’ adventure to clear his name as one of the most wanted criminals in the land. Somewhere in the duration of the movie, Sungyeol slips away, whispering loudly and claiming that he needs the restroom. It isn’t long before Myungsoo follows after and Sunggyu already has an idea of what they are up to.
Which means that he and Woohyun are alone.
Together.
For some reason, the thought has his heart racing.
“Gyu?”
Sunggyu almost leaps from his seat at the sound of his name, even more so because Woohyun calls him by a nickname. He thought the other had been dozing off but apparently, he wasn’t.
“Y-Yes?” he stutters out stiffly, shifting his gaze slowly toward the male next to him.
Woohyun’s eyes meet his own and it’s then that he can’t tell what the other is thinking. “You want to know something?” he whispers by his ear and leans in close enough for their noses to touch. Sunggyu feels as if his hearts about to leap out of his chest. Their close proximity isn’t helping him any either. “I like you. A lot.” The confession was so soft, he thinks he had been hearing it wrong but still, he catches it. His face immediately heats up.
“W-What?” He needs to make sure of himself. Woohyun did say words of confession, didn’t he?
Suddenly, silence fills the air.
Woohyun bites his lower lip and shakes his head. He doesn’t want to repeat himself due to the fact that Sunggyu’s staring back at him in a somewhat disgusted manner. His heart hurts. “No, never mind.” A pause. “I’ll be getting some fresh air. I’ll be right back.”
And before Sunggyu can react, the other disappears from his sight.
It takes him a moment to realize his situation but after a while, he slumps against the couch, covers his face with a palm, and mutters, “You idiot. I didn’t get to say I like you too.”
--
Sunggyu ends up sleeping on the couch, waiting for Woohyun. But the other never shows up after he claimed he needs to go outside. This makes him very concerned. Myungsoo and Sungyeol, along with Dubu, had already left for their planned date at the zoo- they had mentioned it to him earlier- so asking them doesn’t seem like a good idea.
Checking his watch, he finds that it’s ten in the morning. He’s relieved that it’s a Sunday today. But maybe he should go out and walk around. It’ll do him no good to stay in the house and mope around. And so, he travels up to his room to prepare himself.
What he finds in his room, shocks him to the point where he thinks his heart stopped completely.
There.
Right there, lying on the corner of his chair, are shredded pieces of white paper. Sunggyu doesn’t have to guess to know what it is because his eyes travel momentarily to the empty space on his desk and back to the mess on the floor.
Woohyun.
His heart sobs.
After what seems like forever, he forces himself to move. He takes a heavy step. And then another. And when he finally reaches his destination, he falls on his knees and begins picking the pieces up with a shaky hand.
Tears start to cascade down his pale cheeks when his eyes catch the familiar pencil lines and intricate details of the person he love.
He regrets.
He regrets so much.
Clutching the paper into his fist, he brings it against his chest and sobs aloud.
Woohyun’s gone, isn’t he? He’s gone for good.
And now, he’ll never see him again.
As he continues to sob, he doesn’t hear the door to the bathroom creak open, soon followed by the soft taps of footsteps. However, a sharp gasp leaves his lips when a pair of arms wraps themselves around him and it is then that he hears the voice he thought he’d never hear again.
“I’m sorry.”
“W-Woohyun?” Sunggyu stutters in disbelief. He isn’t sure if he’s imagining things, which is ironic in a way because Woohyun is nothing more than a creation of his mind.
“I’m sorry.” The other repeats, his voice lowers into a whisper as he presses his forehead against Sunggyu’s back.
There’s a moment of silence before Sunggyu breaks it. “Why?”
“I lied to you.”
With this, his eyebrows furrows together. What does Woohyun mean, he lied? He didn’t lie about his feelings, did he? He’s crestfallen at the thought.
“I’m not the figment of your imagination. You’ve seen me before. I’m…I’m Sungyeol’s cousin and I’m the one who bumped into you that one time.”
“…W-What?”
Woohyun takes a deep breath and continues, “Myungsoo, Sungyeol, and I…we made this plan for you to take notice of me. I…I had always liked you because Myungsoo tells me about you a lot. You sound like the person I’ve always wanted to meet.” He takes another deep breath. “And on the day you spent drawing on an assignment, Myungsoo found out. It was by sheer luck that you’ve drawn me and so he contacted me in the middle of the night to drop by. To pretend that I showed up out of magic. I just…I just want you to notice me.” He trailed, his arms tightening around Sunggyu. “I’m really sorry for not telling you.”
Sunggyu doesn’t know how to react. There’s anger, due to the fact that he had been played with. There’s betrayal, because Myungsoo and Sungyeol participated in the act. But most of all, there’s relief and it’s all due to the fact that Woohyun is real.
“I’m hurt, you know.” He speaks up and he can feel Woohyun flinch at the words.
“…I’m sorry.” The other mumbles another apology.
Suddenly annoyed by the apologies given, Sunggyu pries Woohyun’s arms away and turns around to face him before pulling the other into his arms. A gasp of surprise leaves Woohyun’s lips. “You’re going to have to make it up to me.” He watches as the other male glance up to him as he gives him a teasing grin.
Unable to comprehend what is going on, Woohyun eventually let a short smile grace his lips. And it’s at that moment that the two feels that their bond is mending. “How?”
“Go out with me.” With that, Sunggyu leans forward and presses a simple kiss on Woohyun’s lips. When the other presses back with a wider smile on his lips, he’s satisfied because he has his response.
He’ll definitely kill Myungsoo (and Sungyeol) when they return.
But in the meantime, he’ll just indulge himself and enjoy his moments with the one person who captured him.
End.
Pairing/Focus: SunggyuxWoohyun, MyungsooxSungyeol
Rating: PG
Warning(s): None.
Summary: Sunggyu’s creation comes to life in the form of a young male named Woohyun.
Final word count: 6,471
“Your recent report on the economic downfall is not adequate enough. It looks as if a ten year old wrote this up in one sitting.” The old man seated behind the desk proclaims with thick eyebrows furrowed together into a stern frown as he shakes the bundle of paper in mid-air. He looks very dissatisfied with the outcome. “Write the entire report once more and handed it to me first thing tomorrow morning, understand, Kim?”
“Yes, sir.” Sunggyu takes his report back with a blank face and inclines his head forward into a short bow before he proceeds out the door of his bosses’ office. Once he shuts the door quietly behind him, he heaves an exhausted sigh. He should’ve known that he’d receive such a response from that old man- he is very hard to please.
“Hey. How did it go?” The male blinks in mild surprise as he takes a glance over to his left to find a fellow co-worker and friend, Howon, striding over to him out of curiosity. Despite the look he was given, the other already has a hunch of what kind of outcome it had been.
Sunggyu shakes his head and runs a hand through his hair. “Terrible. I have to re-write the entire report.”
“That’s disappointing.”
“Tell me about it. I’m just not up to par with this kind of thing.”
Howon blinks at him. “Writing, you mean?”
Sunggyu shakes his head again. “This job. I can’t really handle it.”
“Then, why don’t you quit?”
He snorts in response. “Are you kidding? I have nowhere else to go.”
Hoya gives him an ‘are-you-serious’ look and shakes his head.
“What? You’re giving me that look.”
“It’s nothing, hyung.” The younger says and gestures to the direction of Sunggyu’s desk. “You should go and re-write that report soon. The boss has been rather edgy as of late.”
Sunggyu heaves a sigh, his shoulders slumped forward. “Tell me about it. I’ve been the outlet of that just now and I don’t want to go through that again.”
“Yeah, I can see that.” Hoya pats his shoulder sympathetically. “Well, I hope you do your best.”
“Thanks.”
--
Six pm.
Sunggyu ends his shift with his report barely a quarter done. He sighs in defeat because he knows finishing up the report within a few hours time would be impossible. Eventually, he just packs up and heads for home.
He doesn’t want to think about it anymore.
--
Sunggyu arrives to the smell of bulgogi, or what seems to be bulgogi when it’s actually fried rice takeout. Okay, there’s something wrong with his sense of smell.
“Hey, hyung. You’re here later than usual.” His younger brother, Myungsoo, greets from the kitchen as he brings out the plates and utensils from the tray racks beside the sink.
“I’ve been trying to write up my report on the economic downfall.” He grumbles out, placing his bag on the floor next to the neatly stacked shoes before pulling off his jacket and taking a seat with a tired sigh.
“Oh? I thought you were finished with that.” The younger inquires lightly as he takes a seat beside him.
“I was. My boss wasn’t satisfied with it though.”
Myungsoo hums, nodding a couple of times as he picks up his spoon and begins to prod at the rice. “So are you finished?”
“I’m not. I don’t think I’ll be able to finish it in time. I really hate this job.” Propping an elbow on the table and pressing a palm against his cheek, he begins to shove a spoonful of rice into his mouth in a somewhat precarious manner.
“Why don’t you quit then, hyung?”
Sunggyu lets out a short sigh, still chewing on his food. Once that’s done, he speaks up. “You know, you’re the second person to have asked me that in one day.”
“So? You keep complaining how much you hate the job. And not to mention the amount of times you keep complaining about how much you suck at writing papers. It’s enough to make a person sick.”
“Hey, I take that into offense.” Sunggyu snorts at the younger male before he adds, “And I don’t hate it. Really.” He insists through narrowed eyes when the other scoffs at him. “They’re merely…a difficult task to accomplish.”
“So hard that you gave up until the last day and that’s when you put all effort into it.”
“…I don’t do that.”
Myungsoo quirks up a lean eyebrow. “I’ve seen you done it twice over the course of a week.”
Taken aback by this revelation- because it’s unfortunately true, Sunggyu manages to bring himself together, props an arm over his chair, and retorts with his head slightly tilted back, “And how did you managed to find that out?”
“I was heading toward the kitchen for a drink when I noticed a stream of light emitting from your room.” The younger shakes his head in disapproval. It isn’t a good thing for his brother to be pulling an all-nighter because lack of sleep is bad for the health. “It’s not hard to figure it out afterwards.”
Seeing how the other was reacting to his late night activity, Sunggyu explains weakly. “But being a news writer means that you must have the ability to write reports. And to write good ones, one must have the ability to sacrifice sleep.”
“You don’t have that ability.”
“I’m developing it!” he narrows his eyes in protest. “And besides, I’m doing this for a good cause- to help you pay for your school!”
“I’d rather not have my hyung develop an ashen face and eye bags because of it.” Myungsoo narrow his eyes in return, not backing down. “Just give the job up and look for a new one, hyung. I’m sure there’s one that perfectly suits you. And before you say, I have a scholarship, remember?”
Sunggyu stops himself before he can utter out a word because damn, he’s caught and he knows Myungsoo is right about that fact. He’s not happy about his current position in life and his brother did made a good point. With the other being a scholarship student in a second-class university, he can search for something much more invigorating.
He gives up with a sigh, his hands raised in mid-air. “So what do you suggest I do?”
Myungsoo hums in thought, his spoon tapping lightly against the ceramic plate. “Well…I remembered how much you love drawing. Why don’t you go back to school and get a degree on it or something? It’ll be a good start for you.”
“School?” Sunggyu repeats slowly. He had finished university a year ago with a degree in hand and the other suggests he goes to school one more time?
…That’s actually not a bad idea.
“I’ll think about it.” He replied simply before resuming his dinner. It’s starting to get a little cold.
--
Apparently, one night is enough for Sunggyu to quit his job the very next day. Instead of re-writing the report as he had been told to do, he strides up to the office and tells his boss that he quit the job in order to pursue another one. And without waiting for a response, he leaves the room, his hands shaking but his head up high.
He’s going to start anew.
Sending a last farewell to Howon, who waves and smiles back at him, he packs up his belongings and leaves the premise.
--
A month later
He can’t believe he’s doing this.
He’s actually striding through the school campus of his choice and heading towards his first class as an art student. It’s quite exhilarating.
A month back, he went and took the entrance exam to this school- one of the well-known art universities in Korea. He is lucky that he happened to pass with a little more than decent results and here he is now, attending with a bag of supplies over his shoulder and a large sketchbook beneath his other arm.
Just as he’s passing by a large peach-coloured complex (the music hall, it says), a person rushes from the corner and suddenly bumps against his shoulder, causing him to lose his balance. It’s then that he hears a light clattering sound of something dropping to the floor. He doesn’t have time to get angry at the rude person, instead opting to pick up whatever’s been dropped. Once he does, he takes a second’s glance at it. It’s not his.
“Excuse me. Hey! You drop-“ Before Sunggyu can complete his sentence, the person vanishes from his view as he quickly cuts the corner around the building. “…something. Okay…”
Shrugging his shoulder, he takes another glance at the object he just picked up. It’s a drawing pencil coated in blood red, save for the end, which holds the ebony black eraser and a thick black line encircled beneath it. And there are words imprinted a centimeter away from it: “Time is of the essence”
Sunggyu raises an eyebrow at that; however, he doesn’t think much of it because he’s now late to class. Tucking the pencil into his bag, he then rushes off to his destination.
The pencil is soon forgotten for the rest of the day.
--
A few minutes into the class (along with a rushed apology to the professor, who merely quirks up an eyebrow at him), Sunggyu receives his first assignment- a drawing project of an ideal person, object, or place where one feels peaceful upon first sight. It’s due in two days.
There’s one question that runs through his mind at that point.
What kind of project is this?
--
As soon as he’s home late evening and he’s had his dinner with Myungsoo, Sunggyu heads straight to his room upstairs to start on his project. He’s not the type to slack off on his work until the last minute and the sooner he’s done, the better. Pulling out a slip of white paper from the white binder he brought with him during school hours, he stops at the sight of the red pencil he found early today. Picking it up, he examines it once more. It’s made specifically for sketching, so why not? He doubts he’ll find the owner of it and so, he’ll just use it for his benefit.
“An ideal…person, maybe?” he trails, tapping the pencil against his chin in thought. Then, he takes a glance at the white piece of paper before he starts a light sketch. Once he captures an image, he then proceeds to add stronger lines, followed by detail after detail of how the person in his mind looked like. He raises an eyebrow at it, thinking that mere lines are not enough for him to feel peaceful upon first sight. Perhaps some shading should do the trick. And that’s what he does. He begins with light shading and continues on until it grows darker and bolder.
The eyes should be small and narrow but carries a hint of innocence.
His nose is similar to his own, small and slightly narrow.
His cheek bones should be high but his cheeks should be a little chubby to carry an image of youth.
His lips…
Sunggyu unconsciously rubs the lead against those pouty lips. They should be full and soft-looking- something that looks to be kissed.
And then he’s done.
Eying his newly made creation and looking satisfied with the results, he taps the pencil against his chin again before he starts on a list of personality traits. This person should be cute and fluffy like a playful puppy. Affectionate, likes to cock his head a lot, a little flirty, oh, and a good cook.
That seems to be about right. Finally, he should have a name for him.
“Hm…I think his name would be…” he looks thoughtful at the drawing, a soft smile pulled across his lips. He already has a name in mind for a person who seems to capture his heart, despite the fact that he isn’t real. He only wishes that he is. “Woohyun.”
Placing the pencil down, he then lightly traces the lines of the lead on paper with the tip of his finger like how one would on a lover’s cheek.
If only.
He sighs shortly and stretches his arms up before he takes a glance at the digital clock sitting on the corner of his desk. One in the morning. He doesn’t expect it to be this late.
With another sigh, he picks himself up and gets ready for bed.
Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.
--
The alarm clock shrills like a wailing banshee and Sunggyu slams his hand down on the ‘snooze’ button with a loud groan. Is it that time already? He cracks an eye for a second before he shuts it close. The room is silent now and he sighs in relief, raising an arm up and covering his eyes with it. He’ll get up in five minutes.
After a short moment, he starts to drift off once more.
But then the alarm clock blares out again. He makes a face. It can’t be five minutes already.
He slaps it down. Silence.
Off to dreamland once again.
A moment longer and it starts again.
Okay, why did he decide on that clock again? He isn’t sure if he was at the right mind when he first purchased the clock, other than it being a cute Hamtarou clock (with said hamster perching over the ‘snooze’ button) that he spotted in the shopping center when he was out to get some fresh air. It’s a bad decision on his part.
He gives up.
Slapping the ‘snooze’ button one last time before he shuts off the alarm, he pushes himself up with mild efforts, his eyes half-lidded and his hair disheveled. It’s another day, Sunggyu. You must get up and prepare yourself. his mind coos at him. The rest of him screams out in rejection.
Letting out a long yawn, he smacks his lips a couple of times and turns his head to the other end of the bed. It is then that he realizes that there’s a lump right next to him. His eyes trail up the curved lump until they lie upon a tuff of chocolate brown hair.
Hair?
He squint his eyes.
A person?
His mind draws a blank.
A few seconds later, it starts working again.
Upon realization, Sunggyu shrieks aloud as he jumps away from the bed; however, as he does, his legs got tangled into the covers and he ends up collapsing onto the floor in a heap. The figure in his bed wakes up in the process of it and raises his head up sleepily to see what the commotion is about. And once his half-lidded eyes meet Sunggyu’s, the latter sits up and points an accusing finger at him in shock. “Oh my god! Who the hell are you and how did you get into my bed?!”
“…Good morning to you too.” The person blinks sleepily in greeting, his voice low and deep as if he’s humming a monotonous tune.
“Yah! Tell me!” he demanded in panic.
The person slowly cocks his head to the side, a light frown marred his pouty face. It’s an innocent gesture- one that Sunggyu can’t help but to find it adorable in the midst of his panic. “How, you ask? I’m not sure how. All I know is that I’m here.”
“Y-You can’t be serious?”
“I’m not lying. I have no recollection of anything before I woke up.”
Sunggyu stays in his position, unable to respond back. Okay, how is this possible? He’s sure that he hadn’t gone to any club or bar last night so there’s no way he could’ve brought anyone home with him, much less an attractive young male like the one before him. All he had done last night was draw the person who he felt was his ideal…
His head jerks up in surprise, his eyes focusing on the person who’s staring back at him in mild puzzlement, his reddening lower lip jutting out just a little. Once he thinks about it, this male does resemble the person in his drawing. No, scratch that. He looks exactly like the person in his drawing. And that cute gesture, it’s one of the traits he had written down as well.
“H-Hey.” He begins, his voice trembling. He starts to feel apprehensive.
“Hmm?” is the response he’s given.
“What’s your name?”
There’s a long period of silence. The male begins to shift around, sitting up and pressing his back against the thick, white pillows amongst the bed post. It is then that Sunggyu realizes that the other is bare, the thick comforter hid his lower form from view. Oh, this is making him feel even more uneasy. He clears his throat and turns his gaze away out of embarrassment. Eventually, the male speaks and Sunggyu’s heart leaps into his throat:
“Woohyun. That’s my name.”
“…Woohyun.”
Said male nods in response, his expression still puzzled. “That’s right.”
“You’re Woohyun.”
“…Yes.”
“You’re really Woohyun?“
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, I am! Can you stop that?”
“Oh.”
Uncomfortable silence suddenly fills the air.
“Ah.” Woohyun begins. “I just remembered how I got here.”
“You do?” Sunggyu asks as he blinks at the male before him.
“Yeah. That paper.” The other points to the paper sitting on his desk- the same paper he was looking at the night before.
Sunggyu feels as if there’s something lodged in his throat once again. “You can’t be serious…”
“I am.” Woohyun insists, his eyebrows dipped into a mild frown. “I felt some sort of pull between that paper and I.”
“…So it can be considered to be your lifeline or something?”
The other nods in response. “Yes.”
“I don’t believe it.”
“But you have to!” Woohyun puffs his cheeks out and oh my god, he’s pouting at him. He can feel his heart jump right out of his body at the sight. Despite that though, Sunggyu still doesn’t understand how can someone like him shows up like this out the blue. The only logical explanation for it would be that Woohyun had snuck into his room, stripped bare, and slept with him. A shiver passes down his spine. If that’s the case, then Woohyun’s a stalker.
“Why?” he questions, crossing his arms. “What you say doesn’t make any sense.”
“But I have no other explanation for it. I don’t even know why I’m here.” Woohyun whines a little and his pout becomes even more apparent. Sunggyu’s inside is melting. “All I know is that…well. I have you.”
Sunggyu blinks once. Blinks again. And then, he shrieks, “What did you say?!”
Woohyun stays silent for a moment, trying to find the appropriate words for him to understand. “What I meant to say is that…I feel something between us. Something like a bond of sorts. Something…special, you know?”
Unconsciously, Sunggyu’s hand rises up to his chest where his heart resides. It’s pounding hard, he can feel it. Is it because of what the other said? He does feel some sort of connection with him, but he isn’t sure unless there’s proof.
Of course, the proof is right in front of him the entire time. He’s sure he’s never met anyone who resembled Woohyun and for sure, Woohyun is only a figment of his imagination- his ideal person.
Just as he’s about to question the other further, the door creaks open.
Myungsoo has bad timing because he enters the room without knocking and before he can call out to his brother that breakfast is ready, his eyes immediately catch the figure sitting on the bed. Nude. It doesn’t take him long before he gathers the pieces together:
“Hyung. Since when do you carry out one-night stands?”
“He’s not a one-night stand!” Sunggyu exclaims in frustration.
“You picked up a lover then?”
“He’s not my lover either!”
Myungsoo’s eyebrows knit together into a puzzled frown. “Then why is he naked? And on your bed, no less?”
“Do you see me naked?” The older interjects instead, pushing himself up into a standing position and gestures over to his appearance. He’s wearing a worn white t-shirt and loose baby blue pajama pants with clouds decorating it.
His brother merely crosses his arms, looking unfazed by Sunggyu’s attempt. “You do realize that you had the time to go and dress up before I came along.”
Sunggyu palms his face with a heavy sigh. It’s such a shame for him to have a brother who doesn’t believe in anything he says.
“Um…” It’s then that Woohyun decides to speak up. “We didn’t sleep together. I mean, we slept side by side but not…together.”
“Uh huh…” Myungsoo appears doubtful, his eyes now cast upon the other male. “By the way, how old are you? You look young enough for hyung to be a pedophile.”
“Hey! He’s my age here!” Sunggyu interjects bitterly. The pedophile comment really hurts and while he lies about Woohyun’s age, because he doesn’t know it himself, he just lets his mouth run and do the talking for him.
“Are you?” The younger asks, his attention turned to the male in bed.
Woohyun stays silent for a while, taking a glance at Sunggyu, who gives him a meaningful look, and eventually, nodding to the question.
Myungsoo suddenly looks as if he comes to realize something. “Ah…so that’s how it is. You must be hyung’s type then. What’s your name?”
“Woohyun.” The other says simply.
“Please don’t say anymore. You’re making things worse for me.” The oldest mumbles under his breath and shakes his head.
Cocking his head to the side, Woohyun blinks innocently at Sunggyu and really, if Myungsoo isn’t here, he would’ve jump on the bed and pinch those cute cheeks of his. Then, an idea jumps into his mind.
“He’s a classmate of mine who got himself drunk and ends up calling me to pick him up.” Sunggyu makes up, his face blank. Both Woohyun and Myungsoo stare at him- though with Woohyun, it’s out of confusion while with Myungsoo, it’s out of suspicion and disbelief. The oldest then adds, “And because he got drunk, he went and tore off his clothes and heads straight into my bed.”
“How did he end up here without my notice? Surely, I would’ve heard something.”
Oh, right. Myungsoo is the type of person to sleep around two to three in the morning and wakes up around noon. Wait. Why is he up right now, at six in the morning? He soon comes into realization that today’s the only day his class starts early. How lucky he is to be in such a situation- not. He clears his throat uncomfortably, trying to find some sort of excuse.
“…I carried him.”
Myungsoo’s eyes grow wide with shock. “You what?”
“I carried him.” Sunggyu repeats, his eyebrows scrunches together. “What’s wrong with that?”
The younger blinks before he rubs the back of his neck. “I find it hard to believe. I thought your strength was lacking.”
“Hey!”
“Um…” The brothers immediately shift their attention to the person between them. Woohyun fidgets a little. “Don’t you have school…?”
Simultaneously, their eyes go wide as they land on the clock nearby. They only have fifteen minutes left and together, the brothers scramble off to prepare themselves for the day, leaving the nude male to himself.
--
After much pressure from explaining (and lying) to Myungsoo, Woohyun is welcomed into the Kim household as an honorary family member, due to the fact that the other had been kicked out and disowned by his own family, according to Sunggyu. Myungsoo doesn’t mind the fact that there’s another person living with them. In fact, he’s very amused because he suddenly sees this as an opportunity to tease his brother.
Hyung’s boyfriend, he will acknowledge Woohyun whenever he finds the two together, which happens to be often.
Woohyun usually remains oblivious but every time Sunggyu hears this, he feels like strangling his own brother.
He’ll have his revenge someday.
--
A week later
Sunggyu’s in class and focusing on his work when he hears a familiar voice.
“Hello and sorry for coming in during class, but I’ve recently enrolled here.”
Sunggyu jerks up in surprise, his pencil slips away from his fingers and clatters audibly against the desk. He must be seeing things. There’s no way that person who came into his class is Woohyun. That’s just impossible!
“I see.” His professor speaks up, looking pleasantly surprised. It’s been the second week of school already so all classes are closed from new entries. Perhaps he is the exception. “Alright then. Please give me your name and take a seat.”
The male smiles and inclines his head in response. “Woohyun….Nam Woohyun.”
Sunggyu feels faint.
When the other decides to take a seat that is conveniently available beside him, he immediately rounds on him. “What are you doing here?” he hisses out loud enough for Woohyun to hear.
The male cocks his head questioningly before a short laugh erupts from the back of his throat. “I’ve decided to attend class with you. Staying home with nothing to do gets rather boring after a while, you know?”
Sunggyu then frowns. “That I can understand but how are you able to enroll into this class? This one requires a pre-requisite.”
“Really? Then how are you able to take it? This is your first quarter, isn’t it?”
How the hell does he know that? “…I’m taking the pre-requisite along with this one.”
“I am as well.”
“Oh my god. You are unbelievable.”
And all he receives from Woohyun as a response is another short laugh.
--
Coincidentally, after Woohyun becomes his classmate (for all his classes that day), he meets up with Myungsoo and another person as he is about to visit the shopping center (because Woohyun doesn’t stop pestering about ‘going to somewhere fun’).
“Hyung, you know Sungyeol.” Myungsoo speaks up as he gestures to the tall male by his side. The older can only nod in agreement because yes, he does know Lee Sungyeol. The other happens to be a classmate in the same university (but in a class that’s held once a week)- a bright, bubbly person with a thin physique, chubby cheeks, and wavy brown hair.
He also happens to be the one person who has his approval when it comes to dating Myungsoo. Well, technically, it had been his brother who sought his approval but either way, he’s alright with them, so as long as they aren’t lovey-dovey around him (because whenever they do, he gets moody).
“Of course he does.” Sungyeol intercepts instead, smiling at Sunggyu before his eyes land on Woohyun. He suddenly raises an eyebrow up, blinks, and slowly tilts his gaze back to the older male. “That your lover, hyung?” he teases playfully.
For some reason, the term makes Sunggyu’s cheeks flush red.
And instead of replying back, Woohyun does it for him with a bright smile. “I am.”
Three pair of wide eyes stare back at the male in surprise, Sunggyu most of all.
“You are?!” gasps Sungyeol, raising a hand over his mouth.
“You are?!” The older exclaims loudly.
Myungsoo, on the other hand, blinks a couple of times before eventually shifting his gaze over to his brother and feigning hurt. “Since when did you two get together, hyung? You told me that you weren’t and that you two are merely classmates.”
“That’s because we are.” Well, as of a few hours ago, that is. He wonders how did Woohyun managed to slip into his class though. Was it pure luck?
“Mm hm. What Gyu said is true.” Woohyun chirps with a nod.
“Gyu?” Myungsoo and Sungyeol repeats and Sunggyu feels like running away and hiding in a place where no one can find him because his face is more than tomato red and the way those two are looking at him is pushing him to his limit. He shakes his head at them, waving his hand as if he’s trying to say, ‘never mind him. Carry on.’
Sungyeol eventually gives him a smile- one that seems so unnatural to Sunggyu because the corner of his lips curves slowly as if he’s come to some sort of revelation. Maybe he does, but mostly likely, it’s something that he’s not going to like.
“So…Woohyun, is it?” the tall male’s lips quirk up a bit more. “How’s life with Sunggyu-hyung?”
Woohyun, oblivious as he is, replies with a thoughtful hum, “Pretty good, actually. Why?”
Sungyeol ignores the question. “He’s treating you well?”
“Yes.”
“He doesn’t get violent with you?”
“No.”
“How’s he in bed?”
“He’s-“
“Stop! We didn’t do anything!” Sunggyu shrieks out, glaring at the tall male with a red face. The other simply blinks in an innocent manner. Then, he turns to Myungsoo and wraps his hands around his arm. “Myungie. That’s a lie, isn’t it?”
“It’s not a lie!”
Myungsoo shrugs his shoulders and responds as if he doesn’t hear his brother denying whatever is said about him. “I tried asking him, Yeollie. He keeps saying no, he didn’t do anything with Woohyun-hyung, but maybe he’s trying to keep it a secret.”
“I’m not! Stop immediately!”
“He is, you know.” Woohyun says off-handedly.
“You’re not helping! I-I-Aish! I give up!” And with that, Sunggyu storms off to the direction of home, not caring if people are staring as he does.
The remaining three glances at each other in puzzlement.
“What’s wrong with him?” Sungyeol questions, tilting his head to the side.
Myungsoo and Woohyun shrug their shoulders. “No idea.”
--
It’s the weekend and Myungsoo tells Sunggyu that he has invited Sungyeol over for a sleepover that he’s planning and that he and Woohyun are invited if they want (though he can tell, Myungsoo wants him to say no because he treasures his personal time with his lover). And so, Sunggyu smiles and says, “Sure, we’ll hang out with you two.”
It’s payback for all that teasing, after all.
Half an hour later and Sungyeol shows up.
“Hyung! I hope you don’t mind but I brought Dubu with me!” Sungyeol’s voice echoes through the living room and into the kitchen where Sunggyu’s sitting peacefully with a mug of tea by his side. There’s the loud, zealous sound of barking that soon follows and Sunggyu immediately tenses up. He’s not good with dogs, not after that one incident where he was bitten by one on his lower calf at the age of ten. Woohyun’s there with him as company but as soon as he hears Sungyeol, he enthusiastically dashes out to greet him. The thought of dogs are soon forgotten as he watches the other leave the kitchen.
Huh. What is this blooming inside him? Jealousy?
No, it can’t be.
Suddenly, he hears Sungyeol and Woohyun laughing. The feeling is getting worse.
No, he’s not jealous.
The dog is barking again. It’s getting to be rather irritating.
Well, it’s time to head over to greet his guests…no, not the dog. Just Sungyeol, so guest. Only one guest.
--
The day passes quickly. They ate (it ended into a small food fight, Sunggyu didn’t participate but he did scolded them for an hour), they played (with the exception of Dubu, he stayed away from him the entire time), and they enjoyed each other’s company in the living room (nothing bad happened that time around, much to his relief).
Six in the evening.
It’s movie time and the movie (Sungyeol chooses) is Puss in Boots. Why, Sunggyu doesn’t know, but seeing as he is seated beside him on the couch, he can hear the tall male whisper to Myungsoo, “It’s because Puss reminds me of you.”
Apparently, Woohyun hears him too because he’s snickering quietly on the other side of him, one hand covering his mouth and the other around his bicep. Dubu, who is sleeping soundly by the corner of the living room, shuffles a little by the noise but is otherwise, undisturbed.
The film begins to play and the four of them sits comfortably on the couch, watching Puss’ adventure to clear his name as one of the most wanted criminals in the land. Somewhere in the duration of the movie, Sungyeol slips away, whispering loudly and claiming that he needs the restroom. It isn’t long before Myungsoo follows after and Sunggyu already has an idea of what they are up to.
Which means that he and Woohyun are alone.
Together.
For some reason, the thought has his heart racing.
“Gyu?”
Sunggyu almost leaps from his seat at the sound of his name, even more so because Woohyun calls him by a nickname. He thought the other had been dozing off but apparently, he wasn’t.
“Y-Yes?” he stutters out stiffly, shifting his gaze slowly toward the male next to him.
Woohyun’s eyes meet his own and it’s then that he can’t tell what the other is thinking. “You want to know something?” he whispers by his ear and leans in close enough for their noses to touch. Sunggyu feels as if his hearts about to leap out of his chest. Their close proximity isn’t helping him any either. “I like you. A lot.” The confession was so soft, he thinks he had been hearing it wrong but still, he catches it. His face immediately heats up.
“W-What?” He needs to make sure of himself. Woohyun did say words of confession, didn’t he?
Suddenly, silence fills the air.
Woohyun bites his lower lip and shakes his head. He doesn’t want to repeat himself due to the fact that Sunggyu’s staring back at him in a somewhat disgusted manner. His heart hurts. “No, never mind.” A pause. “I’ll be getting some fresh air. I’ll be right back.”
And before Sunggyu can react, the other disappears from his sight.
It takes him a moment to realize his situation but after a while, he slumps against the couch, covers his face with a palm, and mutters, “You idiot. I didn’t get to say I like you too.”
--
Sunggyu ends up sleeping on the couch, waiting for Woohyun. But the other never shows up after he claimed he needs to go outside. This makes him very concerned. Myungsoo and Sungyeol, along with Dubu, had already left for their planned date at the zoo- they had mentioned it to him earlier- so asking them doesn’t seem like a good idea.
Checking his watch, he finds that it’s ten in the morning. He’s relieved that it’s a Sunday today. But maybe he should go out and walk around. It’ll do him no good to stay in the house and mope around. And so, he travels up to his room to prepare himself.
What he finds in his room, shocks him to the point where he thinks his heart stopped completely.
There.
Right there, lying on the corner of his chair, are shredded pieces of white paper. Sunggyu doesn’t have to guess to know what it is because his eyes travel momentarily to the empty space on his desk and back to the mess on the floor.
Woohyun.
His heart sobs.
After what seems like forever, he forces himself to move. He takes a heavy step. And then another. And when he finally reaches his destination, he falls on his knees and begins picking the pieces up with a shaky hand.
Tears start to cascade down his pale cheeks when his eyes catch the familiar pencil lines and intricate details of the person he love.
He regrets.
He regrets so much.
Clutching the paper into his fist, he brings it against his chest and sobs aloud.
Woohyun’s gone, isn’t he? He’s gone for good.
And now, he’ll never see him again.
As he continues to sob, he doesn’t hear the door to the bathroom creak open, soon followed by the soft taps of footsteps. However, a sharp gasp leaves his lips when a pair of arms wraps themselves around him and it is then that he hears the voice he thought he’d never hear again.
“I’m sorry.”
“W-Woohyun?” Sunggyu stutters in disbelief. He isn’t sure if he’s imagining things, which is ironic in a way because Woohyun is nothing more than a creation of his mind.
“I’m sorry.” The other repeats, his voice lowers into a whisper as he presses his forehead against Sunggyu’s back.
There’s a moment of silence before Sunggyu breaks it. “Why?”
“I lied to you.”
With this, his eyebrows furrows together. What does Woohyun mean, he lied? He didn’t lie about his feelings, did he? He’s crestfallen at the thought.
“I’m not the figment of your imagination. You’ve seen me before. I’m…I’m Sungyeol’s cousin and I’m the one who bumped into you that one time.”
“…W-What?”
Woohyun takes a deep breath and continues, “Myungsoo, Sungyeol, and I…we made this plan for you to take notice of me. I…I had always liked you because Myungsoo tells me about you a lot. You sound like the person I’ve always wanted to meet.” He takes another deep breath. “And on the day you spent drawing on an assignment, Myungsoo found out. It was by sheer luck that you’ve drawn me and so he contacted me in the middle of the night to drop by. To pretend that I showed up out of magic. I just…I just want you to notice me.” He trailed, his arms tightening around Sunggyu. “I’m really sorry for not telling you.”
Sunggyu doesn’t know how to react. There’s anger, due to the fact that he had been played with. There’s betrayal, because Myungsoo and Sungyeol participated in the act. But most of all, there’s relief and it’s all due to the fact that Woohyun is real.
“I’m hurt, you know.” He speaks up and he can feel Woohyun flinch at the words.
“…I’m sorry.” The other mumbles another apology.
Suddenly annoyed by the apologies given, Sunggyu pries Woohyun’s arms away and turns around to face him before pulling the other into his arms. A gasp of surprise leaves Woohyun’s lips. “You’re going to have to make it up to me.” He watches as the other male glance up to him as he gives him a teasing grin.
Unable to comprehend what is going on, Woohyun eventually let a short smile grace his lips. And it’s at that moment that the two feels that their bond is mending. “How?”
“Go out with me.” With that, Sunggyu leans forward and presses a simple kiss on Woohyun’s lips. When the other presses back with a wider smile on his lips, he’s satisfied because he has his response.
He’ll definitely kill Myungsoo (and Sungyeol) when they return.
But in the meantime, he’ll just indulge himself and enjoy his moments with the one person who captured him.
End.