Trustworthy *chapter twelve*
Pairing: HimDae
Rated: PG13
Length: 3.7K
“H-Hyung?” He mumbled through numb lips, trying to be heard over the broken sobbing. “W-What are you doing here?”
Yongguk lifted his head from Rae-Ha’s shoulder and turned his wet eyes towards Daehyun. “J-Junhong.” He sobbed out. “It’s Junhonggie!”
Her breath catching in her throat, Rae-Ha lifted his face and forced his eyes on her. “What happened, Yongguk?” She cried. “Where’s Junhong? Is he okay?!”
He shook his head, swiping his hand over his eyes. “No. He’s n-not.”
---
Himchan stared at his phone for the hundredth time, wishing that it would ring in his hand. He sighed and threw it down on the bed beside him, realizing that once again, Daehyun wouldn’t be texting him back that night.
Or ever.
He could hear his mother cooking in the kitchen, but he didn’t feel like eating. This was the longest he had ever gone without seeing his little brother’s best friend and it was hitting him hard in the gut. Sure he had gazed at him a little longer than necessary on more than one occasion. And yeah, so he might have risked getting arrested to defend him against those brats at school.
But he never thought him leaving would depress him this much. He was pretty sure that even Jongup was taking his departure better than him. He walked around depressed occasionally, but he was spending more time in the dance studio and keeping himself occupied.
Whereas he would come home from school and lay pathetically on his bed every evening watching his phone like a hawk, worried he would miss a call.
Daehyun had promised. He promised. How could he break it like that? He knew that Daehyun had feelings for him, too. They may not have been as strong as his, but they were there, he could feel it in the way the younger boy had kissed him back. The blush on his cheeks when he looked at him afterwards showed Himchan that he was nervous around him and it made his heart thump painfully hard in his chest.
A knock on his door had him sitting up and trying to look normal.
“Himchan?” His mother popped her head in and frowned. “Are you hungry, sweetheart? I can bring you a plate if you don’t want to come out.”
He shook his head and glanced again at his phone, his mother’s sharp eyes not missing the longing in them.
“Daehyun still hasn’t called you?” She clucked her tongue sympathetically. “He’s probably just really busy getting settled in and starting a new school. Give him some time. His mother told me he made a new friend and they’ve been spending a lot of time together.”
His eyes narrowed at her words. “A new friend?”
She laughed and patted his shoulder. “Are you jealous? That’s so adorable!” She squished his cheeks in her palms and cooed at his disgruntled expression. “Have you tried calling him?”
“No.” He pouted and crossed his arms. “I’ve texted him a bunch but he won’t answer any of them. Jongup said he hasn’t called him back either. Maybe he just wants to forget us.”
His crestfallen expression had her heart breaking for her son. “I’m sure that’s not it, Himchan.” She said softly. “He’s just a thirteen year old little boy and he’s gone through a lot lately. Just keep letting him know you’re here and that you care about him, okay? Daehyun loves all of us and he would never purposely try to hurt you, you know that.”
He shrugged her off and buried his face back in his pillow. “I’m not hungry, okay? Just put it in the fridge and I’ll eat it later.”
She knew he was lying, that the food would still be there in the morning, but he had been a teenager long enough for her to know when to pick her battles.
“Well just try to come out at least once tonight and spend some time with your brother, okay? He’s been lonely since Daehyun left and I’m sure he’d like to spend some time with you.”
He scoffed but agreed with her anyways, no intention of leaving his bedroom until the next day. Jongup didn’t like him, he had never wanted to spend time with his older brother. The second he had met Daehyun in third grade, he had become closer to him in one week than he had ever been with Himchan.
It used to make him jealous, but once he had gotten to know Daehyun he had realized that the tiny boy didn’t have a cruel bone in his body and he kind of thought he might actually be an angel.
He rolled his eyes at his cheesy thoughts, wishing that he could push the brat out of his mind.
Because Daehyun had obviously pushed Himchan to the corners of his.
---
“Where is he Yongguk?” She demanded, shaking his shoulders. “Where is Junhong?”
Her voice was verging on hysterical and it woke up Youngjae, the sleepy boy rubbing his eyes in confusion. “What’s going on?”
Daehyun ignored him, his eyes still focused on the scene in front of him. “Hyung?” He asked, voice cracking. “Where’s Junhonggie?”
Yongguk took a deep breath and swiped the tears off his cheeks. “He didn’t come h-home from school.” He began quietly. “I was asleep and when I woke up it was hours after he should have come home. So I went out looking for him.” His eyes clenched shut tightly as he tried to force the story out. “I found his science fair project. It was… It was crushed all over the ground.”
Rae-Ha stroked her fingers through his hair but her eyes were wet. “Yongguk, what happened to Junhong!”
He didn’t even seem to hear her, his eyes still closed, tears pouring down his cheeks. “The hospital called me.” He choked out. “They said Junhong had been f-found in the alley where I found his project.”
The gasp of horror from Daehyun and his mother did nothing to stop his words.
“He was- He was so covered in blood that they didn’t even know where he was hurt.” Yongguk bit his lip and raised his head to Rae-Ha’s. “It’s all my fault. It’s my fault this happened to him. They did it to get to me and he got hurt because of me!”
“Is he okay?” She asked firmly. “Yongguk? Where is Junhong at right now?”
He motioned behind him. “He’s asleep in the rental car. They gave him a lot of pain medicine and said he would be out for hours.”
She let out a deep breath of relief and headed outside, not even bothering with shoes. Daehyun and Yongguk quickly followed, leaving Youngjae alone in the living room, not knowing what was going on.
“Oh baby…” She murmured, opening the door and seeing the battered little boy in the backseat. Her fingertips brushed over his swollen lips and bruised jaw. “They broke his arm?” She asked, squatting down on her ankles to press a kiss against his hair. When she stood up her eyes were stern. “Yongguk, get him and bring him into the house. He’s not going home and no arguments this time.”
“Yes ma’am.” He nodded, gently slipping his hands underneath the frail body and pulling him in close to his chest, careful to keep the sling over his arm protected.
She ordered him to lay the sleeping boy in Daehyun’s bed, apologizing to Youngjae on the way. After making sure the blankets were wrapped snugly around him, she softly shut the door behind her and pointed to the kitchen table. “Talk. Now. Daehyun and Youngjae? You two go sleep in my bed for the night.”
When Daehyun opened his mouth to complain, she held her hand up. “No arguments. Not tonight. You can talk to Yongguk in the morning.”
He huffed and stormed to her room, Youngjae following but still confused.
“Who is that?” He asked, fluffing the pillow under his head.
Daehyun plopped down on the bed and crossed his arms, still upset. “One of my friends from back home. Mom wanted to adopt his little brother.”
“Why did he keep saying it was his fault?” He asked curiously.
“Because he’s stupid and started working in the wrong line of business.” Daehyun answered stubbornly. He may have been only thirteen but he knew what those men that stopped them on the street that one time were implying. Yongguk had obviously quit doing whatever it was they wanted him to do and they didn’t like it. Something big must have happened between then and now for this to happen. Daehyun had no clue what it was and he doubted his mother or Yongguk would ever fill him in.
---
Rae-Ha’s eyes were filled with fury as she paced around the kitchen. She would stop and open her mouth, then shake her head and walk some more.
Finally, she slammed her hands down on the table and went nose to nose with the quivering teenager.
“I want to know everything.” She demanded. “What you have been doing, why you were doing it and how Junhong got involved.”
Yongguk traced his fingers over the wood and chewed on his lip. “A few years ago some men cornered me on the street. Said they had been watching me, that I was what they had been looking for. That they needed someone to train. They offered me a lot of money to do some errands for them.” His eyes met hers as he grasped her hands. “I didn’t know I was doing anything illegal. I would never have done anything like that, I swear!”
She shushed him and patted the back of his hand. “I know honey, I know. Tell me what happened next.”
He sat back in his seat and turned his eyes to the ceiling, too ashamed to look at Rae-Ha. “After a while they started having me do different things. I would follow the boys out when they would pick people up and haul them back to Hyerin, the boss. He would…” Yongguk swallowed. “He would hurt them. Beat them, break their bones. Once I saw him cut off a man’s pinkie finger.” His eyes watered and he took a second to compose himself. “About a year ago they decided I was ready to move up.”
Rae-Ha groaned and covered her face with her palms. “Oh Yongguk… Please tell me you didn’t hurt anybody.” His silence was her answer. “What did you do to make them angry? Why would they hurt Junhong?”
He let out a broken sob. “I messed up! I was supposed to do something and I couldn’t do it and instead of taking it out on me like they were supposed to, they went straight to the one thing I love the most!” He slammed his fist into the side of his head over and over muttering about how stupid he was and how everything was his fault.
“Stop baby.” Rae-Ha soothed, yanking his hands away and pulling her to his chest. “I know you would never let Junhong get hurt if you could help it. We all know you love him more than anything in the world.” She rested her palms on his cheeks and stared into his eyes. “But now you see that he needs more than what you can give him. And that’s okay. It’s okay to ask for help, Yongguk. There’s nothing unmanly or shameful about admitting you can’t do everything on your own.”
He opened his mouth to speak but she shut him up. “No, I’m not taking no for an answer this time. Junhong will not leave this house. And neither will you. On Monday we will go register him at school and you will look for a tutor to catch you up where you left off. Junhong can sleep with me in my bed and you and Daehyun can take turns sleeping on the couch. This is not up for negotiation. Do you understand, Yongguk?”
“Yes ma’am.” He said softly.
She smiled. “Good. Now get on the couch and get some rest. I’ll stay in Daehyun’s room with Junhong so he’s not scared when he wakes up. We’ll talk more in the morning.”
---
Jongup puffed his cheeks up and stared out the window with a bored expression. It was only nine in the morning and he was already going stir crazy. If Daehyun had been home he knew he could visit him and the day would pass by in the blink of an eye. He threw himself backwards on the floor and sighed.
“I’m bored!” He yelled to his mom in the kitchen.
She laughed but didn’t respond. This was already the third time he had said that to her since waking up that morning.
The phone rang in the kitchen making him jump up in excitement. Every time he heart it go off he mentally begged for it to be Daehyun on the other line. When he heard his mother say the word Rae-Ha he jumped up off the floor and ran into the kitchen holding his arms out.
“Gimme!” He cried, trying to grab the phone from her. “I wanna talk to Daehyun!”
She waved him away, her eyes taking on a worried look as she listened to the other woman speak. “Is he alright?” She asked, making Jongup freeze. “Oh that poor baby. How is his brother doing?”
Jongup could feel his heart pounding in his chest. If they were talking about a brother then this had to do with Junhong and Yongguk, he just knew it.
“Of course you’re doing the right thing. I would refuse to let that little boy out of my sight, too.” Mi-Ra sat down at the table and furrowed her brows. “No, no he doesn’t need to come out there with so much going on right now. He can just stay home with us for break.”
“What?!” Jongup screeched, stomping his foot. “I don’t get to go?”
Mi-Ra put her hand over the receiver and glared at her son. “Stop being rude, Jongup. Go to your room while mother is talking.”
He clenched his jaw shut tight but followed her orders. He passed Himchan on the way there, his brother stopping him with a hand on his shoulder. “What’s happening? I heard you yelling.”
Jongup banged his head on the wall. “Something’s happened and now I can’t go to Busan for break!” He whined. “I don’t get to see Daehyun!”
Himchan looked worried. “What do you mean something happened? Is Daehyun alright?”
“It’s something about Junhong.” He muttered. “But mom said I have to stay home now.” He growled under his breath and pushed past his brother, slamming the door shut behind him.
Himchan rushed into the kitchen in time to see his mother saying her goodbyes.
“What’s going on?” He questioned, his eyes dark with concern. “Is Daehyun okay?”
She nodded and rubbed her temples. “Daehyun is fine. Junhong was hurt and was in the hospital but he’s okay now. They’re going to be staying with the Jung’s from now on.”
His jaw ticked and he could feel jealousy seeping into every pore of his body. “They’re going to be living with those two boys? Daehyun will be living with that thug?”
Mi-Ra rolled her eyes. “I’m sure Yongguk is a very nice boy. If they trust him then you should trust him, too.” She turned back to the newspaper she was reading. “She insisted Jongup still come up next weekend so I wouldn’t worry too much about it. He’ll tell us if he thinks anything odd is going on.”
This still didn’t appease Himchan. He hated the thought of Daehyun living with that boy. He remembered the way his eyes lit up when he spoke of “Yongguk-hyung” and he wanted to smack the older boy’s face off for it.
He grabbed his phone and typed in another message to Daehyun, not caring if it made him angry. The brat had broken a promise to him and he was sick of it.
This silent treatment ended now.
---
Rushing out of the bedroom the next morning, Daehyun jerked to a stop when he saw Yongguk still asleep on the couch. He huffed and tiptoed to his bedroom, peering in and seeing his mother asleep with her head on the bed, clutching tightly to Junhong’s uninjured hand.
He stepped closer and took a good look at the little boy now that it was light and he could see his injuries better. Grimacing, he let his eyes roam over the various red bruising and scratches littering his face and arms. There were still bits of blood caked into his hairline and dried splotches on his clothes.
Daehyun blinked and felt his eyelashes wetten as he looked at his friend lying broken on his bed. He didn’t understand how someone could hurt such a sweet person and if he was bigger he told himself he would have gone out and gotten revenge on whomever did this.
A hand on his shoulder made him jump in surprise. He turned around to see Yongguk’s warm smile. He motioned for him to follow him back into the living room, shutting the door behind them.
“Hey kid.” Yongguk’s voice was raspy with sleep and he stretched his arms over his head trying to loosen out the kinks in his muscles. “Your grandpa got up and left for work a little while ago. Was he ever surprised to see a stranger on his couch.”
Daehyun stared at him for a second. “Are you two staying?” He asked curiously. “For good?”
Shrugging, Yongguk made himself comfortable again on the couch. “I guess so. Your mom told me Junhong is staying whether I like it or not and I won’t abandon him so where he goes, I go.”
“It was those men, wasn’t it.” Daehyun accused. “The ones that stopped us that one day. They did this to Junhong.”
Yongguk took a deep breath before nodding slowly. “I think so, yes.” He admitted quietly. “But Daehyun, you know I would never purposely put him in harm’s way. I thought…” His hand swiped over his eyes. “I thought I was doing the best I could for him.”
“I know Hyung.” Daehyun sat beside him on the couch and laid his head on Yongguk’s shoulder. “You’re a good person. I believe you.”
An arm wrapped around Daehyun’s shoulder, pulling him in closer as Yongguk rested his cheek on his hair. “I missed you, kid.” He said gruffly. “Junhong missed you a lot, too.”
They both fell back asleep together, only waking when the sound of pots clanging on the stove awoke them a few hours later. Daehyun raised his head and rubbed his fist over his eyes. “Mom?” He mumbled, stumbling into the kitchen.
She smiled though her eyes were exhausted. “Good morning. Why don’t you grab some plates out of the cabinet and set the table. I’ll bring Junhong his in the bedroom.”
“How is he?” He asked quietly, waiting till Yongguk had shut the bathroom door behind him.
“Not good, baby.” Rae-Ha told him sadly. “He refused to get out of the bed when he woke up and he hasn’t said a single word yet.” She rested her hands on the counter and composed herself. “Be prepared when you go in to talk to him. He’s not the same Junhong we remember.”
Daehyun watched Yongguk carefully crack the door open and give his little brother a forced smile as he entered the bedroom. He could wait to see his friend, he needed to be with his brother right now.
Handing Daehyun the spatula, she grabbed the phone off the counter and pulled her shoes on. “I’m going to go out and call Mi-Ra. You finish stirring the food and plate it up, okay?”
By the time he had breakfast ready, Youngjae was shuffling out of the bedroom and waving at him. “I’m starving.” He mumbled, laying his face on the table. “How’s your friend?”
Daehyun shrugged. “I haven’t gone in to see him yet. Yongguk-hyung is in there right now. They’re going to be moving in.”
Youngjae pulled his plate closer and ate without even opening his eyes. “That’s good. Maybe we can all play games together one day?”
His mother came back in and slipped her shoes off. “Daehyun you need to call Jongup today. I could hear him asking about you in the background.” She held her hand up and gave him a stern glare before he could speak. “We have been here a while now and we are all settled in so that is not an excuse. You are going to call him and you are going to contact Himchan, too. I don’t care if you don’t want to, he cares about you and his mother said he has been moping all month. No arguments.” She grabbed a plate of food and a glass of juice and headed for the bedroom not even caring about his response.
Yongguk came out of the room swinging his phone in between his fingers, a smirk on his lips as he handed it to Daehyun. “I think someone is trying to talk to you.” He teased, turning to head back in to his brother.
He clicked the screen on to see the message, a smile quirking the corner of his lips as he read it to himself.
My messages aren’t coming back so you’re obviously reading them. So until you block me I’m going to keep writing. Come home, Daehyunnie. Please.
(thirteen)
Rated: PG13
Length: 3.7K
“H-Hyung?” He mumbled through numb lips, trying to be heard over the broken sobbing. “W-What are you doing here?”
Yongguk lifted his head from Rae-Ha’s shoulder and turned his wet eyes towards Daehyun. “J-Junhong.” He sobbed out. “It’s Junhonggie!”
Her breath catching in her throat, Rae-Ha lifted his face and forced his eyes on her. “What happened, Yongguk?” She cried. “Where’s Junhong? Is he okay?!”
He shook his head, swiping his hand over his eyes. “No. He’s n-not.”
---
Himchan stared at his phone for the hundredth time, wishing that it would ring in his hand. He sighed and threw it down on the bed beside him, realizing that once again, Daehyun wouldn’t be texting him back that night.
Or ever.
He could hear his mother cooking in the kitchen, but he didn’t feel like eating. This was the longest he had ever gone without seeing his little brother’s best friend and it was hitting him hard in the gut. Sure he had gazed at him a little longer than necessary on more than one occasion. And yeah, so he might have risked getting arrested to defend him against those brats at school.
But he never thought him leaving would depress him this much. He was pretty sure that even Jongup was taking his departure better than him. He walked around depressed occasionally, but he was spending more time in the dance studio and keeping himself occupied.
Whereas he would come home from school and lay pathetically on his bed every evening watching his phone like a hawk, worried he would miss a call.
Daehyun had promised. He promised. How could he break it like that? He knew that Daehyun had feelings for him, too. They may not have been as strong as his, but they were there, he could feel it in the way the younger boy had kissed him back. The blush on his cheeks when he looked at him afterwards showed Himchan that he was nervous around him and it made his heart thump painfully hard in his chest.
A knock on his door had him sitting up and trying to look normal.
“Himchan?” His mother popped her head in and frowned. “Are you hungry, sweetheart? I can bring you a plate if you don’t want to come out.”
He shook his head and glanced again at his phone, his mother’s sharp eyes not missing the longing in them.
“Daehyun still hasn’t called you?” She clucked her tongue sympathetically. “He’s probably just really busy getting settled in and starting a new school. Give him some time. His mother told me he made a new friend and they’ve been spending a lot of time together.”
His eyes narrowed at her words. “A new friend?”
She laughed and patted his shoulder. “Are you jealous? That’s so adorable!” She squished his cheeks in her palms and cooed at his disgruntled expression. “Have you tried calling him?”
“No.” He pouted and crossed his arms. “I’ve texted him a bunch but he won’t answer any of them. Jongup said he hasn’t called him back either. Maybe he just wants to forget us.”
His crestfallen expression had her heart breaking for her son. “I’m sure that’s not it, Himchan.” She said softly. “He’s just a thirteen year old little boy and he’s gone through a lot lately. Just keep letting him know you’re here and that you care about him, okay? Daehyun loves all of us and he would never purposely try to hurt you, you know that.”
He shrugged her off and buried his face back in his pillow. “I’m not hungry, okay? Just put it in the fridge and I’ll eat it later.”
She knew he was lying, that the food would still be there in the morning, but he had been a teenager long enough for her to know when to pick her battles.
“Well just try to come out at least once tonight and spend some time with your brother, okay? He’s been lonely since Daehyun left and I’m sure he’d like to spend some time with you.”
He scoffed but agreed with her anyways, no intention of leaving his bedroom until the next day. Jongup didn’t like him, he had never wanted to spend time with his older brother. The second he had met Daehyun in third grade, he had become closer to him in one week than he had ever been with Himchan.
It used to make him jealous, but once he had gotten to know Daehyun he had realized that the tiny boy didn’t have a cruel bone in his body and he kind of thought he might actually be an angel.
He rolled his eyes at his cheesy thoughts, wishing that he could push the brat out of his mind.
Because Daehyun had obviously pushed Himchan to the corners of his.
---
“Where is he Yongguk?” She demanded, shaking his shoulders. “Where is Junhong?”
Her voice was verging on hysterical and it woke up Youngjae, the sleepy boy rubbing his eyes in confusion. “What’s going on?”
Daehyun ignored him, his eyes still focused on the scene in front of him. “Hyung?” He asked, voice cracking. “Where’s Junhonggie?”
Yongguk took a deep breath and swiped the tears off his cheeks. “He didn’t come h-home from school.” He began quietly. “I was asleep and when I woke up it was hours after he should have come home. So I went out looking for him.” His eyes clenched shut tightly as he tried to force the story out. “I found his science fair project. It was… It was crushed all over the ground.”
Rae-Ha stroked her fingers through his hair but her eyes were wet. “Yongguk, what happened to Junhong!”
He didn’t even seem to hear her, his eyes still closed, tears pouring down his cheeks. “The hospital called me.” He choked out. “They said Junhong had been f-found in the alley where I found his project.”
The gasp of horror from Daehyun and his mother did nothing to stop his words.
“He was- He was so covered in blood that they didn’t even know where he was hurt.” Yongguk bit his lip and raised his head to Rae-Ha’s. “It’s all my fault. It’s my fault this happened to him. They did it to get to me and he got hurt because of me!”
“Is he okay?” She asked firmly. “Yongguk? Where is Junhong at right now?”
He motioned behind him. “He’s asleep in the rental car. They gave him a lot of pain medicine and said he would be out for hours.”
She let out a deep breath of relief and headed outside, not even bothering with shoes. Daehyun and Yongguk quickly followed, leaving Youngjae alone in the living room, not knowing what was going on.
“Oh baby…” She murmured, opening the door and seeing the battered little boy in the backseat. Her fingertips brushed over his swollen lips and bruised jaw. “They broke his arm?” She asked, squatting down on her ankles to press a kiss against his hair. When she stood up her eyes were stern. “Yongguk, get him and bring him into the house. He’s not going home and no arguments this time.”
“Yes ma’am.” He nodded, gently slipping his hands underneath the frail body and pulling him in close to his chest, careful to keep the sling over his arm protected.
She ordered him to lay the sleeping boy in Daehyun’s bed, apologizing to Youngjae on the way. After making sure the blankets were wrapped snugly around him, she softly shut the door behind her and pointed to the kitchen table. “Talk. Now. Daehyun and Youngjae? You two go sleep in my bed for the night.”
When Daehyun opened his mouth to complain, she held her hand up. “No arguments. Not tonight. You can talk to Yongguk in the morning.”
He huffed and stormed to her room, Youngjae following but still confused.
“Who is that?” He asked, fluffing the pillow under his head.
Daehyun plopped down on the bed and crossed his arms, still upset. “One of my friends from back home. Mom wanted to adopt his little brother.”
“Why did he keep saying it was his fault?” He asked curiously.
“Because he’s stupid and started working in the wrong line of business.” Daehyun answered stubbornly. He may have been only thirteen but he knew what those men that stopped them on the street that one time were implying. Yongguk had obviously quit doing whatever it was they wanted him to do and they didn’t like it. Something big must have happened between then and now for this to happen. Daehyun had no clue what it was and he doubted his mother or Yongguk would ever fill him in.
---
Rae-Ha’s eyes were filled with fury as she paced around the kitchen. She would stop and open her mouth, then shake her head and walk some more.
Finally, she slammed her hands down on the table and went nose to nose with the quivering teenager.
“I want to know everything.” She demanded. “What you have been doing, why you were doing it and how Junhong got involved.”
Yongguk traced his fingers over the wood and chewed on his lip. “A few years ago some men cornered me on the street. Said they had been watching me, that I was what they had been looking for. That they needed someone to train. They offered me a lot of money to do some errands for them.” His eyes met hers as he grasped her hands. “I didn’t know I was doing anything illegal. I would never have done anything like that, I swear!”
She shushed him and patted the back of his hand. “I know honey, I know. Tell me what happened next.”
He sat back in his seat and turned his eyes to the ceiling, too ashamed to look at Rae-Ha. “After a while they started having me do different things. I would follow the boys out when they would pick people up and haul them back to Hyerin, the boss. He would…” Yongguk swallowed. “He would hurt them. Beat them, break their bones. Once I saw him cut off a man’s pinkie finger.” His eyes watered and he took a second to compose himself. “About a year ago they decided I was ready to move up.”
Rae-Ha groaned and covered her face with her palms. “Oh Yongguk… Please tell me you didn’t hurt anybody.” His silence was her answer. “What did you do to make them angry? Why would they hurt Junhong?”
He let out a broken sob. “I messed up! I was supposed to do something and I couldn’t do it and instead of taking it out on me like they were supposed to, they went straight to the one thing I love the most!” He slammed his fist into the side of his head over and over muttering about how stupid he was and how everything was his fault.
“Stop baby.” Rae-Ha soothed, yanking his hands away and pulling her to his chest. “I know you would never let Junhong get hurt if you could help it. We all know you love him more than anything in the world.” She rested her palms on his cheeks and stared into his eyes. “But now you see that he needs more than what you can give him. And that’s okay. It’s okay to ask for help, Yongguk. There’s nothing unmanly or shameful about admitting you can’t do everything on your own.”
He opened his mouth to speak but she shut him up. “No, I’m not taking no for an answer this time. Junhong will not leave this house. And neither will you. On Monday we will go register him at school and you will look for a tutor to catch you up where you left off. Junhong can sleep with me in my bed and you and Daehyun can take turns sleeping on the couch. This is not up for negotiation. Do you understand, Yongguk?”
“Yes ma’am.” He said softly.
She smiled. “Good. Now get on the couch and get some rest. I’ll stay in Daehyun’s room with Junhong so he’s not scared when he wakes up. We’ll talk more in the morning.”
---
Jongup puffed his cheeks up and stared out the window with a bored expression. It was only nine in the morning and he was already going stir crazy. If Daehyun had been home he knew he could visit him and the day would pass by in the blink of an eye. He threw himself backwards on the floor and sighed.
“I’m bored!” He yelled to his mom in the kitchen.
She laughed but didn’t respond. This was already the third time he had said that to her since waking up that morning.
The phone rang in the kitchen making him jump up in excitement. Every time he heart it go off he mentally begged for it to be Daehyun on the other line. When he heard his mother say the word Rae-Ha he jumped up off the floor and ran into the kitchen holding his arms out.
“Gimme!” He cried, trying to grab the phone from her. “I wanna talk to Daehyun!”
She waved him away, her eyes taking on a worried look as she listened to the other woman speak. “Is he alright?” She asked, making Jongup freeze. “Oh that poor baby. How is his brother doing?”
Jongup could feel his heart pounding in his chest. If they were talking about a brother then this had to do with Junhong and Yongguk, he just knew it.
“Of course you’re doing the right thing. I would refuse to let that little boy out of my sight, too.” Mi-Ra sat down at the table and furrowed her brows. “No, no he doesn’t need to come out there with so much going on right now. He can just stay home with us for break.”
“What?!” Jongup screeched, stomping his foot. “I don’t get to go?”
Mi-Ra put her hand over the receiver and glared at her son. “Stop being rude, Jongup. Go to your room while mother is talking.”
He clenched his jaw shut tight but followed her orders. He passed Himchan on the way there, his brother stopping him with a hand on his shoulder. “What’s happening? I heard you yelling.”
Jongup banged his head on the wall. “Something’s happened and now I can’t go to Busan for break!” He whined. “I don’t get to see Daehyun!”
Himchan looked worried. “What do you mean something happened? Is Daehyun alright?”
“It’s something about Junhong.” He muttered. “But mom said I have to stay home now.” He growled under his breath and pushed past his brother, slamming the door shut behind him.
Himchan rushed into the kitchen in time to see his mother saying her goodbyes.
“What’s going on?” He questioned, his eyes dark with concern. “Is Daehyun okay?”
She nodded and rubbed her temples. “Daehyun is fine. Junhong was hurt and was in the hospital but he’s okay now. They’re going to be staying with the Jung’s from now on.”
His jaw ticked and he could feel jealousy seeping into every pore of his body. “They’re going to be living with those two boys? Daehyun will be living with that thug?”
Mi-Ra rolled her eyes. “I’m sure Yongguk is a very nice boy. If they trust him then you should trust him, too.” She turned back to the newspaper she was reading. “She insisted Jongup still come up next weekend so I wouldn’t worry too much about it. He’ll tell us if he thinks anything odd is going on.”
This still didn’t appease Himchan. He hated the thought of Daehyun living with that boy. He remembered the way his eyes lit up when he spoke of “Yongguk-hyung” and he wanted to smack the older boy’s face off for it.
He grabbed his phone and typed in another message to Daehyun, not caring if it made him angry. The brat had broken a promise to him and he was sick of it.
This silent treatment ended now.
---
Rushing out of the bedroom the next morning, Daehyun jerked to a stop when he saw Yongguk still asleep on the couch. He huffed and tiptoed to his bedroom, peering in and seeing his mother asleep with her head on the bed, clutching tightly to Junhong’s uninjured hand.
He stepped closer and took a good look at the little boy now that it was light and he could see his injuries better. Grimacing, he let his eyes roam over the various red bruising and scratches littering his face and arms. There were still bits of blood caked into his hairline and dried splotches on his clothes.
Daehyun blinked and felt his eyelashes wetten as he looked at his friend lying broken on his bed. He didn’t understand how someone could hurt such a sweet person and if he was bigger he told himself he would have gone out and gotten revenge on whomever did this.
A hand on his shoulder made him jump in surprise. He turned around to see Yongguk’s warm smile. He motioned for him to follow him back into the living room, shutting the door behind them.
“Hey kid.” Yongguk’s voice was raspy with sleep and he stretched his arms over his head trying to loosen out the kinks in his muscles. “Your grandpa got up and left for work a little while ago. Was he ever surprised to see a stranger on his couch.”
Daehyun stared at him for a second. “Are you two staying?” He asked curiously. “For good?”
Shrugging, Yongguk made himself comfortable again on the couch. “I guess so. Your mom told me Junhong is staying whether I like it or not and I won’t abandon him so where he goes, I go.”
“It was those men, wasn’t it.” Daehyun accused. “The ones that stopped us that one day. They did this to Junhong.”
Yongguk took a deep breath before nodding slowly. “I think so, yes.” He admitted quietly. “But Daehyun, you know I would never purposely put him in harm’s way. I thought…” His hand swiped over his eyes. “I thought I was doing the best I could for him.”
“I know Hyung.” Daehyun sat beside him on the couch and laid his head on Yongguk’s shoulder. “You’re a good person. I believe you.”
An arm wrapped around Daehyun’s shoulder, pulling him in closer as Yongguk rested his cheek on his hair. “I missed you, kid.” He said gruffly. “Junhong missed you a lot, too.”
They both fell back asleep together, only waking when the sound of pots clanging on the stove awoke them a few hours later. Daehyun raised his head and rubbed his fist over his eyes. “Mom?” He mumbled, stumbling into the kitchen.
She smiled though her eyes were exhausted. “Good morning. Why don’t you grab some plates out of the cabinet and set the table. I’ll bring Junhong his in the bedroom.”
“How is he?” He asked quietly, waiting till Yongguk had shut the bathroom door behind him.
“Not good, baby.” Rae-Ha told him sadly. “He refused to get out of the bed when he woke up and he hasn’t said a single word yet.” She rested her hands on the counter and composed herself. “Be prepared when you go in to talk to him. He’s not the same Junhong we remember.”
Daehyun watched Yongguk carefully crack the door open and give his little brother a forced smile as he entered the bedroom. He could wait to see his friend, he needed to be with his brother right now.
Handing Daehyun the spatula, she grabbed the phone off the counter and pulled her shoes on. “I’m going to go out and call Mi-Ra. You finish stirring the food and plate it up, okay?”
By the time he had breakfast ready, Youngjae was shuffling out of the bedroom and waving at him. “I’m starving.” He mumbled, laying his face on the table. “How’s your friend?”
Daehyun shrugged. “I haven’t gone in to see him yet. Yongguk-hyung is in there right now. They’re going to be moving in.”
Youngjae pulled his plate closer and ate without even opening his eyes. “That’s good. Maybe we can all play games together one day?”
His mother came back in and slipped her shoes off. “Daehyun you need to call Jongup today. I could hear him asking about you in the background.” She held her hand up and gave him a stern glare before he could speak. “We have been here a while now and we are all settled in so that is not an excuse. You are going to call him and you are going to contact Himchan, too. I don’t care if you don’t want to, he cares about you and his mother said he has been moping all month. No arguments.” She grabbed a plate of food and a glass of juice and headed for the bedroom not even caring about his response.
Yongguk came out of the room swinging his phone in between his fingers, a smirk on his lips as he handed it to Daehyun. “I think someone is trying to talk to you.” He teased, turning to head back in to his brother.
He clicked the screen on to see the message, a smile quirking the corner of his lips as he read it to himself.
My messages aren’t coming back so you’re obviously reading them. So until you block me I’m going to keep writing. Come home, Daehyunnie. Please.
(thirteen)