Trusthworthy *chapter five*
Pairing: HimDae
Rated: PG13
Length: 4.3K
“Daehyunnie?” A knock on the door had the sleepy-eyed boy blinking as he looked around in confusion. “Can you unlock the door so I can come in?”
He rubbed his eyes and stumbled over to the door to unlock it. Jongup rushed inside, pulling his friend into his arms without even checking out his injuries. All he wanted to do was hold him and convince himself that he was alright.
“Are you okay?” He pulled away and flinched at the sight of the smaller boy’s face. “Oh Daehyunnie.” His eyes brightened with tears as he saw the extent of the damage. “Hyung told me you looked rough, but I didn’t- I never thought…” His voice broke as he tugged him forward, missing the pained whimper he tight embrace evoked. “I’m so sorry, Hyunnie. I’m so, so sorry.”
Daehyun patted his back awkwardly, not sure how to react around his best friend. Not until he knew for sure what all Himchan had told him.
“Your mom is on her way.” He sniffled against his hair. “I tried to get mom to let you stay the night still, but she wouldn’t listen.”
He’d never admit it, but Daehyun was relieved at the news. He just wanted to go home and take a bath and then curl up into a ball on his bed for the rest of the day, ignoring the outside world.
Jongup led him over to the bed and sat down, keeping a tight grip on Daehyun’s hand. “What happened?” He asked. “Hyung just said that Kyung attacked you and that was it. He wouldn’t answer any of mom’s questions and he kept getting madder and madder until he stormed into his room and slammed the door.”
Daehyun flinched, not wanting Himchan to be angry on his behalf. This was his problem and no one else should be getting involved.
“It’s nothing, Jongup.” He reassured him. “He’s gone and I won’t go out by myself again. Don’t worry about it.”
“But how did you get away? What did he say? What all did he do to you?” He should have known better than to think Jongup would give up so easily. He was like a dog with a bone when he wanted something.
“Someone turned into the alley and stopped him.” An unexpected smile lit up Daehyun’s bruised face. “He was amazing and he took me home with him and cooked me supper and walked me back here!”
A pang of jealousy swept through Jongup’s body at how happily Daehyun spoke of his savior. Daehyun was supposed to be his best friend. He had spent so many years being the only one that could make his face light up like that. This was new and he didn’t like it.
“I’m going home with you.” Jongup said suddenly. “I can stay with you tomorrow so that I’ll know you’re okay.”
Daehyun rolled his eyes. “You’re the same age I am, Jongup. I’ll be fine.” He bit his lip and looked away from his knowing stare. “And besides, the boy who helped me kinda already invited me to come back to his house so I wouldn’t be alone all day.”
Steam was almost visible from his friend’s ears. He clenched his jaw and shook his head. “I don’t think you should be going anywhere with someone you don’t know.”
His best friend was innocent and trusting and even though Jongup adored that, it sometimes caused him anxiety.
Shaking his head, that damn smile never left Daehyun’s lips. “He saved me from Kyung, Jonguppie. He is my friend. His little brother is my friend. Don’t be jealous.” He pushed himself up off the bed and left the other boy with his mouth open in shock.
“Daehyun!” Mi-Ra rushed towards him, enveloping the tiny boy in her arms. “Oh my poor sweet baby. Your mother will be here shortly.” She led him over to the kitchen to view his wounds better. “These are already patched up. Did Himchan take care of you?”
At the mention of the older boy’s name, Daehyun could feel his cheeks reddening and his lips tingling. He shook his head rapidly. “No, a boy helped me and took cleaned them all off.”
She smiled sadly and stroked his still dirty hair. “That’s good. I’m glad someone was there for you. Himchan and Jongup are terribly upset that they couldn’t protect you.”
He bit his lip, not noticing the stinging his cut made. Thoughts of Himchan were unwanted right now. All he wanted was to go home.
As if he knew Daehyun’s thoughts were being consumed by him, the other boy emerged from his bedroom.
“Daehyun!” He rushed forward, not missing the flinch his movement caused. His face dropped, realizing Daehyun was frightened of him. “Please talk to me? Please?” Pleading, he held his hands out trying to reach him.
Mi-Ra looked between the two boys, not knowing what was going on, but not at all stupid. She could tell something else had happening.
“Himchan, you go back to your room.” She ordered. “Daehyun doesn’t want anyone around him right now.”
“But-“
“Now.” She said sternly, pointing towards the door. He sighed and gave Daehyun one last pathetic look before shutting his door behind him.
Mi-Ra narrowed her eyes at the downcast boy beside her. “Is there something else you want to tell me?”
He muttered a soft no, scrubbing his hand over his cheeks. “When is my mom going to be here?”
“Himchan called me about an hour ago and told me you were here. I phoned her then. She should be here in a few minutes.” She pulled a covered plate off the counter and grinned at him. “I made you some cookies last night. You want some?”
Grabbing greedily at them, he set to work devouring the plate of chocolate chip cookies and glass of milk she set in front of him, the time he waited for his mother passing by quickly.
The front door was thrown open and his mom ran in, her eyes wild with worry. “Daehyun!” She cried, spotting him at the table. “Are you okay? What happened? My poor boy, I’m so sorry.”
Her grip around his ribs had him pushing her away in pain. “I’m okay mom. I promise.” He shoved the rest of his cookie in his mouth and stood up. “Can we go home though? I’m tired.”
She nodded, not releasing her grip on his shoulder as she led him to the door. “Thank you so much for calling me.” She told Mi-Ra. “Do you want to go tell Jongup goodbye?” She asked Daehyun, looking around for the boy who was never far away from him.
He realized Jongup had never followed him out of his room and he pouted. “I don’t think he wants me to.” He finally replied, hurt that Jongup would let a little jealousy get in the way of their friendship. He never acted like this when Jongup talked to his friends from dance class. He had even abandoned him on more than one occasion to spend time with them and Daehyun never said a word.
Rae-Ha frowned. “Well ok then.” She pulled him out the door without a second thought, her only intent getting her son home where he was safe.
The whole drive home consisted of Daehyun staring out the window and his mother clenching her hands on the steering wheel. He knew the second they got in their door that all hell would break lose and he was right.
“What the hell were you thinking, Daehyun?” She asked, throwing her purse down as soon as they entered. “Why would you even attempt to walk all the way to their house? You know I don’t like you doing that!”
Daehyun stared at his feet, not wanting to argue. “I’m sorry.” He whispered sadly. “It’s just that I thought the walk would be relaxing.”
Her eyes softened. “You’re not allowed out of the apartment until we move.” She ordered. “Not unless an adult is with you. You can just stay home from now on.”
This didn’t really seem like a good time to bring up Yongguk, be he did it anyways. “Actually, someone’s coming by to get me tomorrow.” He told her, searching through a kitchen drawer for his spare set of glasses. “The boy who helped me. He is really nice and asked me to spend the afternoon with him and his little brother.”
She opened her mouth up to respond but he cut her off. “Please mom. He scared Kyung away and he took really good care of me.” His eyes furrowed together as he pouted at her. “Him and his little brother are my friends. If I’m going to be leaving soon then at least let me have my last week here with people who like me.”
“Are you and Jongup fighting?” She asked slowly, not sure how he would react to the question.
He shrugged. “He got mad about Yongguk-hyung.” His eyes lit up when he mentioned the elder boy. “You should have seen him, mom! He was so cool, running up the alley and yelling at Kyung to get away from me! Then he took me home and cleaned up my face and he fixed me something to eat and his little brother is really nice and they both want me to come back tomorrow!”
The joy on her son’s face was something she hadn’t seen in a long time. There was really no way she could deny him his request.
“Of course you can, honey. But just don’t forget that Jongup cares about you, too. You’re his best friend.”
He scowled. “The only reason he hangs around me is because he feels sorry for me.” His attitude turned childish as he remembered all the cruel words Kyung had thrown at him about how Jongup really felt about him.
Rae-Ha gasped. “That is not true and you know it, Jung Daehyun! Jongup adores you. It’s visible on his face every time you two are together!”
He shrugged, finally digging his glasses out of the drawer. “Can I go take a bath now? I’m kinda sleepy.”
She nodded, her mouth still open in shock at his words. Everyone knew Jongup and him were as close as brothers. There had to be a reason he was feeling like this. She used the time he was bathing to call Jongup’s mother only to find out she had no clue why her son was acting distant either.
When Daehyun emerged from the bathroom, his hair finally clear of the caked in dirt and his face free of streaked blood, his mother had fixed him a large sandwich for supper and had it waiting on the table.
He growled, attacking it with reckless abandon. “Thanks mom.” He muttered, in between bites. “I was starving.”
She smiled and ran her fingers through his damp hair. How anyone could hurt her sweet boy she would never understand.
“This boy? He’s coming to get you right? I don’t want you out on the streets on your own anymore.”
“Yeah, he said he’d be here about two and then we’d walk together to get his little brother from school. I gave him our address when we left his place.”
Sighing, she accepted the fact that whoever this mysterious boy was, he was a hero in her son’s eyes and she wouldn’t be able to talk him out of it. Even if he was hurting Jongup by ignoring him.
“Mi-Ra said that Himchan was very upset by what happened to you.” She said, sitting down beside him at the table. “I didn’t know you and him were close.”
“We’re not.” He said bluntly. “He’s just Jongup’s hyung. I don’t even like him that much.” The lie came easily through his teeth, but it made his gut feel heavy. His mother being suspicious of his feelings for Himchan was the last thing he needed.
Heck, he wasn’t even sure what his feelings for Himchan were. All he knew was that since he saved him, his belly tied up in knots whenever he thought of him. And after that kiss, he knew he wouldn’t be able to look at him without blushing a deep red ever again.
“Well I think it’s sweet that he was so concerned over you. His mother said he was crying when he called her.”
That news made his stomach turn and all the food he had just consumed threatened to come back up. He sat his sandwich down on the plate before him and gulped. “He-He cried?”
She nodded. “Mi-Ra said he was hysterical that she needed to come home right then because you had been beaten up and he was scared you needed to go to the hospital. She finally got him to calm down enough to realize he was just scared and exaggerating your injuries, but apparently he was a mess.”
Daehyun felt his heart pound in his chest. Himchan was worried about him. Himchan was inconsolable because of him. Even if it was just because he was his brother’s best friend, it was still more than Daehyun thought he cared.
“I’m going to go to bed.” He said quietly, pushing his half-eaten plate away. His appetite was gone and he wanted to be by himself. “May I be excused?”
His mother gave him permission, surprised that he would leave his food only half-finished. Usually he ate all of it and asked for seconds. The accident must have made him more upset than he let on, she thought to herself.
If it was up to her, she would march straight to the police station and report the kid. But Daehyun was adamant that they let it go.
She wanted to wring the punk’s neck, though. She hoped someone gave him what he deserved one of these days.
---
“I’m picking you up.” Himchan told Jongup the next day during breakfast.
The younger boy nodded absentmindedly, stirring his food around with his spoon. He didn’t want to spend another day at school without Daehyun, but he knew his mother would be keeping him out for a few days.
“Do you think Daehyun will be back in school on Monday?” He asked his mother hopefully.
Her eyes were pained as she turned to look at her miserable son. “I-I don’t know. Maybe.” She hated that she couldn’t tell Jongup the truth, that Daehyun was never coming back to that school. But it wasn’t her news to share. The two boys needed to discuss that with each other.
At school that day, every time Jongup caught eyes with Kyung or Jaesang, he grew furious, his body trembling as he tried hard to control himself from attacking the bigger boys. Jongup knew he was strong, but his body was no match for his enemies. He wasn’t sure how far his adrenaline would get him.
Thankfully, Kyung knew better than to get in his face. Jongup wasn’t sure he would be able to control himself if he asked about Daehyun. It was their fault his friend wasn’t in school and he wanted to kill them for it.
By the time his final class let out, he was strung so tight that he could barely see straight. He left the school and slammed the door behind him. He spotted his brother waiting for him by the gate and he headed over, walking right past the frozen boy before realizing he wasn’t following, his eyes trained intensely on the school doors.
“Hyung?” He asked, waving a hand in front of his face. “Are you alright? What are you staring at?”
A smirk graced his brother’s lips as he clenched his fists and bit down onto his cheeks. “Just waiting, Jonguppie. Be patient for a minute.”
Not knowing what was going on, he followed his orders, eyes scanning around them, looking for what would make Himchan turn into a statue.
“There you are.” His raspy voice muttered, taking off at a run towards the school.
Jongup turned frantically just in time to see his brother launching himself on top of Kyung, throwing the younger boy to the ground.
He ran toward them, tossing his backpack to the side as he joined the crowd of students starting to surround the two fighting boys.
“You want to start a fight with someone that’s smaller than you?” Himchan screamed, landing a punch on the scared boy’s jaw. “Well I’m the same size you are, so try it on me you bastard!” His hand gripped painfully tight into Kyung’s long hair, free hand raining blows down wherever he could reach.
Himchan was older, but Kyung was already quite strong at only thirteen. He managed to get some pretty impressive punches in before Himchan’s adrenaline kicked in and gave him the upper hand.
Jongup had never seen his brother like this before. When he left the fight with Kyung the other day, he only ended up with bruised knuckles and Kyung had a black eye and a couple of bruises.
But Jongup could tell that Himchan was going to need stitches on his wounds this time. Blood was already pouring down his hands as he continued to beat the boy below him into unconsciousness. And a cut on his cheek was gapped open, the red liquid staining his uniform shirt.
Once his hands started to pain him, he jumped up, choosing instead to jam hard kicks into his ribs, his tennis shoes stomping down painfully on the crying boy’s thighs.
Kyung kept screaming for someone to help him as Himchan attacked him mercilessly. Jongup thought for a brief second about helping him because he looked to be moments away from passing out, but the moment Daehyun’s shattered face popped into his mind, he started cheering his older brother on.
By the time a group of teachers emerged from the school and pulled him off, the younger boy was barely recognizable, his swollen face and body completely covered in blood, arm bent at an unnatural angle beside him.
Jongup darted in between the students and grabbed his brother from the teacher trying to tug him into the school. The woman tried to keep a hold of Himchan, already yelling about calling the police, but Jongup managed to drag him away and run around the corner into an alley, disappearing from the teachers view.
“Hyung!” He hollered, wrapping his arms around Himchan’s waist. “That was awesome! God, I can’t believe you did that. Daehyun will be so happy! Thank you, thank you hyung!”
Himchan pushed him away with a grimace. “I’m hurting, Jongup. Don’t squeeze me.” He lifted his battered hand up and whimpered. “I think I broke something. I can’t move my fingers.”
Jongup bit his lip. “Should we take you to the hospital? You know they’ll be taking Kyung. I don’t know if you two should be there at the same time.”
Nodding, Himchan sat down against the wall. “You forgot your backpack.” He told him, closing his eyes. “You better go back and get it. I need to sit for a minute anyway.”
“But what if someone comes down here?”
His brother waved him off. “I’m fine, Jongup. Just go get it and come back. Then you’ll have to help me home.”
Trusting his brother, Jongup headed back towards the school, trying to walk inconspicuously. The adults were all still crowded around the crying boy on the ground, trying to get him to stand up and go into the school.
Jongup grinned to himself as he grabbed his backpack off the steps and watched for a moment. Maybe this would teach Kyung that messing with Daehyun would only end badly for him.
Himchan was breathing heavily when he got back, his eyes clenched tightly with pain.
“Hyung?” Jongup whispered, laying a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go home and call mom, okay? She’ll know what to do.”
Himchan stood shakily on his feet as he allowed Jongup to grab his uninjured hand and pull him carefully towards their home. Strangers went out of their way to avoid the bleeding youth on the sidewalks, making the trip home fast.
When they entered their home, Himchan immediately collapsed against the wall, sliding down to the floor. “Can you get me some ice?” He asked through gritted teeth.
Jongup ran to the freezer and dumped some ice into a rag for him. He gently pressed it against his swollen fingers, apologizing that it hurt. “I’ll go call mom.” He said, running towards the phone.
His mother was shocked that Himchan had attacked the other boy, but Jongup could hear the pride in her voice that her son had taken it upon himself to stand up to Daehyun’s bully. She told him to give Himchan a bottle of alcohol and tell him to drink several large gulps of it so that the pain would lessen a little before she got home.
Himchan let out a strained chuckle when Jongup brought him the bottle. “I would have gotten in a fight a long time ago if I knew it would get me some alcohol.” He joked, wincing at the strong taste.
“Mom said a woman she works with has a husband that’s a doctor. She’s going to see if he’s available to see you on short notice.” Jongup told him, grabbing another rag to wipe the beads of sweat off his forehead. He didn’t even want to imagine the amount of pain his brother was in right now.
“Jongup-ah?” Himchan muttered after a few minutes, the soju combining with the pain was making him sleepy. “Tell Daehyun I’m sorry, okay?”
Frowning, the younger boy helped him lay down on the floor, his brother’s eyes already starting to close. “Why would you apologize to him? I’m sure he’ll be thanking you whenever he finds out about this.”
Shaking his head, Himchan’s lips pouted on their own, his body relaxing into a sleep state. “Sorry…” He started to slur. “What… I did.”
“What did you do, hyung?” Jongup questioned him, but the black-haired boy was already passed out, his pain too much for his brain to manage. “Hyung! What did you do to Daehyun?”
He huffed when he finally realized the other boy wasn’t going to answer, his curiosity killing him over what he was talking about.
Waiting impatiently for his mother to get home, he tried calling Daehyun a few times, but he never answered. Jongup didn’t want to believe that his best friend would really go spend the day with someone else, but he must have actually done it.
He wasn’t jealous that Daehyun had new friends. No, he had never wanted the shy boy to spend all of his time being a recluse and only talking to him.
But it did hurt a little that Daehyun seemed to automatically like that other boy and his brother more than he liked Jongup. And that made his stomach hurt. Daehyun was his best friend. Anyone who wanted to could befriend him, but Jongup had always figured that at the end of the day Daehyun and him would always be the last one’s standing.
His mother burst through the door, covering her mouth with a gasp when she saw Himchan on the floor.
“Oh my… What hap-“ She shook her head, her motherly instincts coming out. “Jongup, go to Himchan’s room and get him a change of clothes. Doctor Lee is waiting for us and agreed to get him right in.”
Jongup grabbed a t-shirt and a pair of jeans off of Himchan’s floor, not even checking to see if they were clean. He figured his mother just wanted something that didn’t have blood all over them.
They managed to get Himchan coherent enough to wake up, pulling him to his feet so he could throw his body overtop of Jongup’s. Their mother quickly changed him out of his uniform pants and got him sitting in a chair at the table.
“We need to change your shirt, honey.” She said soothingly as she ran her fingers through his hair. “I don’t want people to see you covered in blood and call the police. Do you want me to take it off or just cut it?”
“Cut it.” He said blearily.
She grabbed a pair of scissors from a drawer and cut the sticky shirt away from his chest, whimpering at the sight of the bruises peppering his ribcage. Jongup didn’t realize Kyung had given back almost as good as he’d gotten. It was obvious Himchan won that fight though, he thought to himself, remembering the image of the other boy’s puffy face and the sound of his screams.
By the time they had gotten Himchan’s clean shirt over his head and gently worked his broken hand into it, their dad arrived home from work.
He took one look at the scene and ordered Jongup to his room, eliciting a loud protest from the boy.
“Go.” He growled. “Your mother and I will take him to the doctor and you stay here. Do not leave your room, do not answer the phone or the door, we will be back soon.”
They left in a hurry, one adult on either side of their son, helping him carefully into the backseat of the car.
Jongup huffed, crossing his arms as he watched through the window. He wasn’t a baby. He could have gone, too.
Now when the hell was Daehyun going to be home?
(six)
Rated: PG13
Length: 4.3K
“Daehyunnie?” A knock on the door had the sleepy-eyed boy blinking as he looked around in confusion. “Can you unlock the door so I can come in?”
He rubbed his eyes and stumbled over to the door to unlock it. Jongup rushed inside, pulling his friend into his arms without even checking out his injuries. All he wanted to do was hold him and convince himself that he was alright.
“Are you okay?” He pulled away and flinched at the sight of the smaller boy’s face. “Oh Daehyunnie.” His eyes brightened with tears as he saw the extent of the damage. “Hyung told me you looked rough, but I didn’t- I never thought…” His voice broke as he tugged him forward, missing the pained whimper he tight embrace evoked. “I’m so sorry, Hyunnie. I’m so, so sorry.”
Daehyun patted his back awkwardly, not sure how to react around his best friend. Not until he knew for sure what all Himchan had told him.
“Your mom is on her way.” He sniffled against his hair. “I tried to get mom to let you stay the night still, but she wouldn’t listen.”
He’d never admit it, but Daehyun was relieved at the news. He just wanted to go home and take a bath and then curl up into a ball on his bed for the rest of the day, ignoring the outside world.
Jongup led him over to the bed and sat down, keeping a tight grip on Daehyun’s hand. “What happened?” He asked. “Hyung just said that Kyung attacked you and that was it. He wouldn’t answer any of mom’s questions and he kept getting madder and madder until he stormed into his room and slammed the door.”
Daehyun flinched, not wanting Himchan to be angry on his behalf. This was his problem and no one else should be getting involved.
“It’s nothing, Jongup.” He reassured him. “He’s gone and I won’t go out by myself again. Don’t worry about it.”
“But how did you get away? What did he say? What all did he do to you?” He should have known better than to think Jongup would give up so easily. He was like a dog with a bone when he wanted something.
“Someone turned into the alley and stopped him.” An unexpected smile lit up Daehyun’s bruised face. “He was amazing and he took me home with him and cooked me supper and walked me back here!”
A pang of jealousy swept through Jongup’s body at how happily Daehyun spoke of his savior. Daehyun was supposed to be his best friend. He had spent so many years being the only one that could make his face light up like that. This was new and he didn’t like it.
“I’m going home with you.” Jongup said suddenly. “I can stay with you tomorrow so that I’ll know you’re okay.”
Daehyun rolled his eyes. “You’re the same age I am, Jongup. I’ll be fine.” He bit his lip and looked away from his knowing stare. “And besides, the boy who helped me kinda already invited me to come back to his house so I wouldn’t be alone all day.”
Steam was almost visible from his friend’s ears. He clenched his jaw and shook his head. “I don’t think you should be going anywhere with someone you don’t know.”
His best friend was innocent and trusting and even though Jongup adored that, it sometimes caused him anxiety.
Shaking his head, that damn smile never left Daehyun’s lips. “He saved me from Kyung, Jonguppie. He is my friend. His little brother is my friend. Don’t be jealous.” He pushed himself up off the bed and left the other boy with his mouth open in shock.
“Daehyun!” Mi-Ra rushed towards him, enveloping the tiny boy in her arms. “Oh my poor sweet baby. Your mother will be here shortly.” She led him over to the kitchen to view his wounds better. “These are already patched up. Did Himchan take care of you?”
At the mention of the older boy’s name, Daehyun could feel his cheeks reddening and his lips tingling. He shook his head rapidly. “No, a boy helped me and took cleaned them all off.”
She smiled sadly and stroked his still dirty hair. “That’s good. I’m glad someone was there for you. Himchan and Jongup are terribly upset that they couldn’t protect you.”
He bit his lip, not noticing the stinging his cut made. Thoughts of Himchan were unwanted right now. All he wanted was to go home.
As if he knew Daehyun’s thoughts were being consumed by him, the other boy emerged from his bedroom.
“Daehyun!” He rushed forward, not missing the flinch his movement caused. His face dropped, realizing Daehyun was frightened of him. “Please talk to me? Please?” Pleading, he held his hands out trying to reach him.
Mi-Ra looked between the two boys, not knowing what was going on, but not at all stupid. She could tell something else had happening.
“Himchan, you go back to your room.” She ordered. “Daehyun doesn’t want anyone around him right now.”
“But-“
“Now.” She said sternly, pointing towards the door. He sighed and gave Daehyun one last pathetic look before shutting his door behind him.
Mi-Ra narrowed her eyes at the downcast boy beside her. “Is there something else you want to tell me?”
He muttered a soft no, scrubbing his hand over his cheeks. “When is my mom going to be here?”
“Himchan called me about an hour ago and told me you were here. I phoned her then. She should be here in a few minutes.” She pulled a covered plate off the counter and grinned at him. “I made you some cookies last night. You want some?”
Grabbing greedily at them, he set to work devouring the plate of chocolate chip cookies and glass of milk she set in front of him, the time he waited for his mother passing by quickly.
The front door was thrown open and his mom ran in, her eyes wild with worry. “Daehyun!” She cried, spotting him at the table. “Are you okay? What happened? My poor boy, I’m so sorry.”
Her grip around his ribs had him pushing her away in pain. “I’m okay mom. I promise.” He shoved the rest of his cookie in his mouth and stood up. “Can we go home though? I’m tired.”
She nodded, not releasing her grip on his shoulder as she led him to the door. “Thank you so much for calling me.” She told Mi-Ra. “Do you want to go tell Jongup goodbye?” She asked Daehyun, looking around for the boy who was never far away from him.
He realized Jongup had never followed him out of his room and he pouted. “I don’t think he wants me to.” He finally replied, hurt that Jongup would let a little jealousy get in the way of their friendship. He never acted like this when Jongup talked to his friends from dance class. He had even abandoned him on more than one occasion to spend time with them and Daehyun never said a word.
Rae-Ha frowned. “Well ok then.” She pulled him out the door without a second thought, her only intent getting her son home where he was safe.
The whole drive home consisted of Daehyun staring out the window and his mother clenching her hands on the steering wheel. He knew the second they got in their door that all hell would break lose and he was right.
“What the hell were you thinking, Daehyun?” She asked, throwing her purse down as soon as they entered. “Why would you even attempt to walk all the way to their house? You know I don’t like you doing that!”
Daehyun stared at his feet, not wanting to argue. “I’m sorry.” He whispered sadly. “It’s just that I thought the walk would be relaxing.”
Her eyes softened. “You’re not allowed out of the apartment until we move.” She ordered. “Not unless an adult is with you. You can just stay home from now on.”
This didn’t really seem like a good time to bring up Yongguk, be he did it anyways. “Actually, someone’s coming by to get me tomorrow.” He told her, searching through a kitchen drawer for his spare set of glasses. “The boy who helped me. He is really nice and asked me to spend the afternoon with him and his little brother.”
She opened her mouth up to respond but he cut her off. “Please mom. He scared Kyung away and he took really good care of me.” His eyes furrowed together as he pouted at her. “Him and his little brother are my friends. If I’m going to be leaving soon then at least let me have my last week here with people who like me.”
“Are you and Jongup fighting?” She asked slowly, not sure how he would react to the question.
He shrugged. “He got mad about Yongguk-hyung.” His eyes lit up when he mentioned the elder boy. “You should have seen him, mom! He was so cool, running up the alley and yelling at Kyung to get away from me! Then he took me home and cleaned up my face and he fixed me something to eat and his little brother is really nice and they both want me to come back tomorrow!”
The joy on her son’s face was something she hadn’t seen in a long time. There was really no way she could deny him his request.
“Of course you can, honey. But just don’t forget that Jongup cares about you, too. You’re his best friend.”
He scowled. “The only reason he hangs around me is because he feels sorry for me.” His attitude turned childish as he remembered all the cruel words Kyung had thrown at him about how Jongup really felt about him.
Rae-Ha gasped. “That is not true and you know it, Jung Daehyun! Jongup adores you. It’s visible on his face every time you two are together!”
He shrugged, finally digging his glasses out of the drawer. “Can I go take a bath now? I’m kinda sleepy.”
She nodded, her mouth still open in shock at his words. Everyone knew Jongup and him were as close as brothers. There had to be a reason he was feeling like this. She used the time he was bathing to call Jongup’s mother only to find out she had no clue why her son was acting distant either.
When Daehyun emerged from the bathroom, his hair finally clear of the caked in dirt and his face free of streaked blood, his mother had fixed him a large sandwich for supper and had it waiting on the table.
He growled, attacking it with reckless abandon. “Thanks mom.” He muttered, in between bites. “I was starving.”
She smiled and ran her fingers through his damp hair. How anyone could hurt her sweet boy she would never understand.
“This boy? He’s coming to get you right? I don’t want you out on the streets on your own anymore.”
“Yeah, he said he’d be here about two and then we’d walk together to get his little brother from school. I gave him our address when we left his place.”
Sighing, she accepted the fact that whoever this mysterious boy was, he was a hero in her son’s eyes and she wouldn’t be able to talk him out of it. Even if he was hurting Jongup by ignoring him.
“Mi-Ra said that Himchan was very upset by what happened to you.” She said, sitting down beside him at the table. “I didn’t know you and him were close.”
“We’re not.” He said bluntly. “He’s just Jongup’s hyung. I don’t even like him that much.” The lie came easily through his teeth, but it made his gut feel heavy. His mother being suspicious of his feelings for Himchan was the last thing he needed.
Heck, he wasn’t even sure what his feelings for Himchan were. All he knew was that since he saved him, his belly tied up in knots whenever he thought of him. And after that kiss, he knew he wouldn’t be able to look at him without blushing a deep red ever again.
“Well I think it’s sweet that he was so concerned over you. His mother said he was crying when he called her.”
That news made his stomach turn and all the food he had just consumed threatened to come back up. He sat his sandwich down on the plate before him and gulped. “He-He cried?”
She nodded. “Mi-Ra said he was hysterical that she needed to come home right then because you had been beaten up and he was scared you needed to go to the hospital. She finally got him to calm down enough to realize he was just scared and exaggerating your injuries, but apparently he was a mess.”
Daehyun felt his heart pound in his chest. Himchan was worried about him. Himchan was inconsolable because of him. Even if it was just because he was his brother’s best friend, it was still more than Daehyun thought he cared.
“I’m going to go to bed.” He said quietly, pushing his half-eaten plate away. His appetite was gone and he wanted to be by himself. “May I be excused?”
His mother gave him permission, surprised that he would leave his food only half-finished. Usually he ate all of it and asked for seconds. The accident must have made him more upset than he let on, she thought to herself.
If it was up to her, she would march straight to the police station and report the kid. But Daehyun was adamant that they let it go.
She wanted to wring the punk’s neck, though. She hoped someone gave him what he deserved one of these days.
---
“I’m picking you up.” Himchan told Jongup the next day during breakfast.
The younger boy nodded absentmindedly, stirring his food around with his spoon. He didn’t want to spend another day at school without Daehyun, but he knew his mother would be keeping him out for a few days.
“Do you think Daehyun will be back in school on Monday?” He asked his mother hopefully.
Her eyes were pained as she turned to look at her miserable son. “I-I don’t know. Maybe.” She hated that she couldn’t tell Jongup the truth, that Daehyun was never coming back to that school. But it wasn’t her news to share. The two boys needed to discuss that with each other.
At school that day, every time Jongup caught eyes with Kyung or Jaesang, he grew furious, his body trembling as he tried hard to control himself from attacking the bigger boys. Jongup knew he was strong, but his body was no match for his enemies. He wasn’t sure how far his adrenaline would get him.
Thankfully, Kyung knew better than to get in his face. Jongup wasn’t sure he would be able to control himself if he asked about Daehyun. It was their fault his friend wasn’t in school and he wanted to kill them for it.
By the time his final class let out, he was strung so tight that he could barely see straight. He left the school and slammed the door behind him. He spotted his brother waiting for him by the gate and he headed over, walking right past the frozen boy before realizing he wasn’t following, his eyes trained intensely on the school doors.
“Hyung?” He asked, waving a hand in front of his face. “Are you alright? What are you staring at?”
A smirk graced his brother’s lips as he clenched his fists and bit down onto his cheeks. “Just waiting, Jonguppie. Be patient for a minute.”
Not knowing what was going on, he followed his orders, eyes scanning around them, looking for what would make Himchan turn into a statue.
“There you are.” His raspy voice muttered, taking off at a run towards the school.
Jongup turned frantically just in time to see his brother launching himself on top of Kyung, throwing the younger boy to the ground.
He ran toward them, tossing his backpack to the side as he joined the crowd of students starting to surround the two fighting boys.
“You want to start a fight with someone that’s smaller than you?” Himchan screamed, landing a punch on the scared boy’s jaw. “Well I’m the same size you are, so try it on me you bastard!” His hand gripped painfully tight into Kyung’s long hair, free hand raining blows down wherever he could reach.
Himchan was older, but Kyung was already quite strong at only thirteen. He managed to get some pretty impressive punches in before Himchan’s adrenaline kicked in and gave him the upper hand.
Jongup had never seen his brother like this before. When he left the fight with Kyung the other day, he only ended up with bruised knuckles and Kyung had a black eye and a couple of bruises.
But Jongup could tell that Himchan was going to need stitches on his wounds this time. Blood was already pouring down his hands as he continued to beat the boy below him into unconsciousness. And a cut on his cheek was gapped open, the red liquid staining his uniform shirt.
Once his hands started to pain him, he jumped up, choosing instead to jam hard kicks into his ribs, his tennis shoes stomping down painfully on the crying boy’s thighs.
Kyung kept screaming for someone to help him as Himchan attacked him mercilessly. Jongup thought for a brief second about helping him because he looked to be moments away from passing out, but the moment Daehyun’s shattered face popped into his mind, he started cheering his older brother on.
By the time a group of teachers emerged from the school and pulled him off, the younger boy was barely recognizable, his swollen face and body completely covered in blood, arm bent at an unnatural angle beside him.
Jongup darted in between the students and grabbed his brother from the teacher trying to tug him into the school. The woman tried to keep a hold of Himchan, already yelling about calling the police, but Jongup managed to drag him away and run around the corner into an alley, disappearing from the teachers view.
“Hyung!” He hollered, wrapping his arms around Himchan’s waist. “That was awesome! God, I can’t believe you did that. Daehyun will be so happy! Thank you, thank you hyung!”
Himchan pushed him away with a grimace. “I’m hurting, Jongup. Don’t squeeze me.” He lifted his battered hand up and whimpered. “I think I broke something. I can’t move my fingers.”
Jongup bit his lip. “Should we take you to the hospital? You know they’ll be taking Kyung. I don’t know if you two should be there at the same time.”
Nodding, Himchan sat down against the wall. “You forgot your backpack.” He told him, closing his eyes. “You better go back and get it. I need to sit for a minute anyway.”
“But what if someone comes down here?”
His brother waved him off. “I’m fine, Jongup. Just go get it and come back. Then you’ll have to help me home.”
Trusting his brother, Jongup headed back towards the school, trying to walk inconspicuously. The adults were all still crowded around the crying boy on the ground, trying to get him to stand up and go into the school.
Jongup grinned to himself as he grabbed his backpack off the steps and watched for a moment. Maybe this would teach Kyung that messing with Daehyun would only end badly for him.
Himchan was breathing heavily when he got back, his eyes clenched tightly with pain.
“Hyung?” Jongup whispered, laying a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go home and call mom, okay? She’ll know what to do.”
Himchan stood shakily on his feet as he allowed Jongup to grab his uninjured hand and pull him carefully towards their home. Strangers went out of their way to avoid the bleeding youth on the sidewalks, making the trip home fast.
When they entered their home, Himchan immediately collapsed against the wall, sliding down to the floor. “Can you get me some ice?” He asked through gritted teeth.
Jongup ran to the freezer and dumped some ice into a rag for him. He gently pressed it against his swollen fingers, apologizing that it hurt. “I’ll go call mom.” He said, running towards the phone.
His mother was shocked that Himchan had attacked the other boy, but Jongup could hear the pride in her voice that her son had taken it upon himself to stand up to Daehyun’s bully. She told him to give Himchan a bottle of alcohol and tell him to drink several large gulps of it so that the pain would lessen a little before she got home.
Himchan let out a strained chuckle when Jongup brought him the bottle. “I would have gotten in a fight a long time ago if I knew it would get me some alcohol.” He joked, wincing at the strong taste.
“Mom said a woman she works with has a husband that’s a doctor. She’s going to see if he’s available to see you on short notice.” Jongup told him, grabbing another rag to wipe the beads of sweat off his forehead. He didn’t even want to imagine the amount of pain his brother was in right now.
“Jongup-ah?” Himchan muttered after a few minutes, the soju combining with the pain was making him sleepy. “Tell Daehyun I’m sorry, okay?”
Frowning, the younger boy helped him lay down on the floor, his brother’s eyes already starting to close. “Why would you apologize to him? I’m sure he’ll be thanking you whenever he finds out about this.”
Shaking his head, Himchan’s lips pouted on their own, his body relaxing into a sleep state. “Sorry…” He started to slur. “What… I did.”
“What did you do, hyung?” Jongup questioned him, but the black-haired boy was already passed out, his pain too much for his brain to manage. “Hyung! What did you do to Daehyun?”
He huffed when he finally realized the other boy wasn’t going to answer, his curiosity killing him over what he was talking about.
Waiting impatiently for his mother to get home, he tried calling Daehyun a few times, but he never answered. Jongup didn’t want to believe that his best friend would really go spend the day with someone else, but he must have actually done it.
He wasn’t jealous that Daehyun had new friends. No, he had never wanted the shy boy to spend all of his time being a recluse and only talking to him.
But it did hurt a little that Daehyun seemed to automatically like that other boy and his brother more than he liked Jongup. And that made his stomach hurt. Daehyun was his best friend. Anyone who wanted to could befriend him, but Jongup had always figured that at the end of the day Daehyun and him would always be the last one’s standing.
His mother burst through the door, covering her mouth with a gasp when she saw Himchan on the floor.
“Oh my… What hap-“ She shook her head, her motherly instincts coming out. “Jongup, go to Himchan’s room and get him a change of clothes. Doctor Lee is waiting for us and agreed to get him right in.”
Jongup grabbed a t-shirt and a pair of jeans off of Himchan’s floor, not even checking to see if they were clean. He figured his mother just wanted something that didn’t have blood all over them.
They managed to get Himchan coherent enough to wake up, pulling him to his feet so he could throw his body overtop of Jongup’s. Their mother quickly changed him out of his uniform pants and got him sitting in a chair at the table.
“We need to change your shirt, honey.” She said soothingly as she ran her fingers through his hair. “I don’t want people to see you covered in blood and call the police. Do you want me to take it off or just cut it?”
“Cut it.” He said blearily.
She grabbed a pair of scissors from a drawer and cut the sticky shirt away from his chest, whimpering at the sight of the bruises peppering his ribcage. Jongup didn’t realize Kyung had given back almost as good as he’d gotten. It was obvious Himchan won that fight though, he thought to himself, remembering the image of the other boy’s puffy face and the sound of his screams.
By the time they had gotten Himchan’s clean shirt over his head and gently worked his broken hand into it, their dad arrived home from work.
He took one look at the scene and ordered Jongup to his room, eliciting a loud protest from the boy.
“Go.” He growled. “Your mother and I will take him to the doctor and you stay here. Do not leave your room, do not answer the phone or the door, we will be back soon.”
They left in a hurry, one adult on either side of their son, helping him carefully into the backseat of the car.
Jongup huffed, crossing his arms as he watched through the window. He wasn’t a baby. He could have gone, too.
Now when the hell was Daehyun going to be home?
(six)