Unlock Chapter Three
Title: Unlock
Chapter: 3/?
Fandom: SS501
Pairings: KyuSaeng
Rating: PG-16
Warning: Angst, AU
Summary: Not everything is as it seems, and for those who are as far from normal as you can get, life is a bleak existence. The only ones who can truly understand what these individuals go through are those...just like them.
A/N: This is an ongoing roleplay between myself and Carey (renichifreak ). I play KyuJong and she plays YoungSaeng, and this is our logs jammed together xD
YoungSaeng came to the conclusion that he hated therapists. All she wanted him to do was talk, knowing that he was uncomfortable with doing it a lot. She was also under the impression that he was schizophrenic, which he wasn't...the medication just helped control the voices that his curse brought.
He couldn't exactly tell her that he could communicate and see dead people...she'd lock him up again.
YoungSaeng sighed as his mother pulled up in front of the school. "Baby, are you alright?" she asked, earning a small nod in reply. "How's school? Is your roommate nice?"
He nodded at that. "He's really nice...comforting..."
The woman smiled gently. "I'm glad."
The two conversed for a little before he had to go to his final class. Getting out, YoungSaeng watched her drive away before he entered the school again.
Mathematics passed by well; thankfully for KyuJong, math was his strong point, so he wouldn't need to worry too much about it this year. Or at the very least, not worry about finding a tutor.
Overall, he was pleased with how the day went. Done with classes, and managed not to jump in any of them (except for the incident earlier that morning). Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as he thought.
He still wondered why YoungSaeng had left early though.
Leaving the main building and heading towards the dorms, KyuJong glanced to one side absently at the sound of the car and paused. YoungSaeng was getting out of the car, and then after it left the younger boy went back into school. Where had he gone? KyuJong pondered it for a moment, watching long after his roommate had reentered the school.
Then he shrugged with a sigh, figuring he'd ask later, if he did at all. It was none of his business really. Turning around, KyuJong walked into the dorm building and up to their room, unlocking the door and closing it behind him. He then sat down on his bed, pulling out his math textbook and starting the first assignment.
**********
YoungSaeng slowly opened the door to his dorm and stepped inside. Closing it, he noticed KyuJong on his bed, working on homework. Slipping his shoes off, YoungSaeng padded over to his bed and laid down, curling up cutely, just wanting to forget about his session.
Looking up when YoungSaeng came into the room, KyuJong smiled as the other boy curled up on his bed. "Tired?" he chuckled, looking back down at the math problem he was working on. "It's only the first day still." Spotting a mistake in the equation, he erased it and rewrote the problem, worrying at his lower lip lightly in concentration.
"Mentally," YoungSaeng sighed. Keeping his eyes opened, he watched KyuJong work on his homework, finding the look of concentration adorable.
A smile curled KyuJong’s lips upward despite himself, resisting the temptation to look back up at his roommate. Finishing the page and closing the textbook, he pushed the papers to one side and drew his legs up to his chest. Looking over at YoungSaeng finally, he noted he was being watched and his smile widened slightly. "You left class early before," KyuJong pointed out absently, wrapping his arms around his legs.
YoungSaeng paused, unsure of what to say. After a moment, he nodded slowly. "I did," he murmured. Maybe it wouldn't be bad to tell KyuJong one thing, but only if he asked. He wouldn't offer the information.
KyuJong hesitated, watching the other boy through his bangs. "Is everything alright?" he questioned after a moment, all friendly concern. He wouldn't push for information, although he would like to know. What was most important to him was that YoungSaeng was all right.
YoungSaeng paused before sitting up, mirroring KyuJong's position, but looking even smaller and far more fragile. "Stipulation to attending school. I have to see someone," he explained slowly, head resting on his knees.
See someone? Like a mentor, or a counselor? Or a therapist. But KyuJong couldn't see why YoungSaeng would need a therapist, though very withdrawn. Nodding slowly in understanding, KyuJong watched the other, not liking how fragile he seemed in that instant. "How did it go?" he asked softly, forming the question vague enough so that YoungSaeng could give a vague answer and avoid details.
"I hate her," YoungSaeng mumbled. There was just something about the young man that made him want to open up. It might be that he wasn't asking questions, or if he did, they were vague.
KyuJong’s eyes widened slightly at that. "Really?" he murmured. "You don't seem the type to hate someone without good reason... You can't ask to see someone else instead?" He stayed away from why YoungSaeng would need to see someone in the first place, getting the feeling YoungSaeng didn't want to talk about that.
YoungSaeng shook his head. "My issues would bring out the same questions," he explained.
It made sense, KyuJong supposed. Though he didn't know what 'issues' YoungSaeng might have, he could see how talking about them with strange people would not be something he would enjoy. He imagined trying to talk to someone about his time-traveling and winced inwardly. "How long do you have to see her for?" he asked softly. "No wonder you're mentally tired. People like that tend to be a little insensitive..."
"Until I'm 'cured'," YoungSaeng sighed, air quoting. "I wish those people would realize that what's wrong with me can't be cured," he added to himself, hoping the other student didn't hear.
KyuJong caught the last sentence…he was already straining his hearing to listen to the quiet boy so he picked up on the whisper as well. He wondered what they thought they could 'cure', what was different about YoungSaeng. "Not everything that's different is a disease," he murmured, recalling their short conversation from earlier, YoungSaeng's odd question. He was going to figure out what was bothering his roommate, but he wasn't going to ask outright, especially not so quickly. KyuJong wanted to get to know him better first...and for YoungSaeng to think on his own he could trust him.
"Maybe not in the strictest sense, no," YoungSaeng said. No matter what, it would always be a curse to him.
KyuJong chuckled softly, letting go of his legs and falling back to lie down on his bed. "It just depends how you look at it." He was determined to think his 'difference' wasn't a disease…it was a very gloomy view on the situation. "When do you plan on eating? There's probably tons of students in the cafeteria right now, but later there shouldn't be," he commented, changing topics to try and remove the sober atmosphere that had settled in the room.
YoungSaeng shrugged. He didn't think that he would be able to eat in the cafeteria, but he supposed that he could try. "We can go whenever you want, I suppose."
KyuJong smiled, looking up at the ceiling. "Lets go when there's less people?" he questioned. It worked out for him as well…less distractions meant less chance of jumping. Though he wasn't sure what do to in the meantime; his homework had already been finished, there hadn't been much.
Hearing students running by outside their door talking loudly, he laughed softly. "Boarding school is strange," he murmured almost to himself, closing his eyes.
"Agreed," YoungSaeng said, sighing, still tucked into himself.
A soft chuckle left the other boy, then trailed off into silence. KyuJong quickly became lost in thought, wondering how the rest of the year would play out, how his family was doing back home, if he would be able to continue masquerading as a normal person amid so many students.
After a long silence, he started to hum absently. The tune gradually shifted into words, his eyes still closed and expression peaceful.
YoungSaeng looked up as KyuJong's humming slowly shifted into singing. He had a very calming, relaxing voice. It was something that just made him want to trust him and tell him everything, no matter how crazy it made him sound.
KyuJong continued to sing the entirety of the song, once it was done continuing to hum the tune softly under his breath. Though he would never consider himself talented like YoungSaeng was, singing had always been something he'd enjoyed, a pastime.
Even the humming gradually faded away, KyuJong reflecting it was a good thing his roommate was YoungSaeng…anyone else would have surely tossed a pillow at him or something by now. After remaining silent for a while, he realized he was going to fall asleep if this kept up and reluctantly opened his eyes, blinking up at the ceiling.
YoungSaeng listened to the quiet and gentle voice complete the song before KyuJong began humming the rest. While his voice wasn't well practiced, it was better than many he'd heard. He could tell that his roommate liked to sing.
"You're good," he stated quietly once his roommate had grown quiet.
KyuJong tilted his head slightly so he could see YoungSaeng, hair falling across his face at the movement. A smile curved his lips upward. "Thanks," he murmured, the quiet praise meaning more than he thought it would. "Not as good as you though," he chuckled, not jealous in the least. "I hope our teacher gives you a solo...don't you?"
YoungSaeng smiled shyly at the compliment before shrugging. "If she wants to give me one, I won't complain."
KyuJong chuckled softly, pushing himself back up into a sitting position and brushing his hair back down with one hand. Noticing there seemed to be more people in the dorms now (the level of noise had certainly gone up), he glanced at his watch. "Want to get something to eat?" he questioned. "There shouldn't be that many people in the cafeteria now, sounds like they're all here."
YoungSaeng bit his lip. He wasn't sure if he could handle the cafeteria. Looking at KyuJong for a moment, he slowly nodded, saying a quick mental prayer that they would be calm for once and not make him want to faint again.
KyuJong smiled, standing up and grabbing his room key from where he'd dropped it on his bed. YoungSaeng's expression made him wonder just how badly he couldn't handle lots of people. "We need our student id to get food, right?" he questioned, confused for a moment as he found his id. He'd never attended a proper school since he was little, let alone a boarding school, though he'd seen it marked somewhere they needed their card...slipping it into his pocket along with his key, he walked to the door, opening it and peeking out. There were people in the hallways, though thankfully no one running around like he heard before.
YoungSaeng nodded at the question, slipping his own into the pocket of his fitted jeans. He followed KyuJong out the door and toward the cafeteria. All he could hear was yelling. Too bad that he was the only one who could hear it.
Walking into the cafeteria, YoungSaeng stumbled a bit, overwhelmed by the malevolence felt in the room, before straightening.
KyuJong looked around as they entered the cafeteria, noting there was definitely less students than before. Pockets of them were still gathered along the rows of tables, but there were more empty seats than occupied ones.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw YoungSaeng stumble, looking back at him. "Everything alright?" he questioned, blinking a little.
YoungSaeng smiled slightly, though it was strained. "I'm fine. I just tripped," he explained, feeling a bit bad for lying. His headache was coming back, but he forced it back and simply concentrated on KyuJong and getting food.
KyuJong nodded slightly, believing the other. Looking around, he saw where they got their food, leading YoungSaeng over. They had everything set up buffet-style, KyuJong just getting one of the deli sandwiches at the second stand. Finding a bottle of water, he showed his id to the lady working there and looked back at YoungSaeng, absently keeping an eye out for him.
After being led toward the food, YoungSaeng simply decided on soup and a small salad, plus a bottle of apple juice. Walking over to a table closest to the door in case he needed to leave, he sat down and crossed his legs elegantly before taking a sip of the soup, eyes closing at the warmth.
KyuJong followed YoungSaeng to the table, sitting down opposite him and looking around at the other students before starting to eat as well. "The school seems pretty well-kept so far," he noted, watching one of the cafeteria ladies cleaning up the empty tables. "Always thought it would be in worse condition." Though the quality would probably go down the further into the year they went.
YoungSaeng looked up, spoon in mouth and head tilted, eyes wide in confusion.
Looking back at YoungSaeng, KyuJong's smile widened and he ducked his head slightly to hide it. "Sorry, just rambling," he chuckled, caught by how utterly adorable YoungSaeng looked. The other boy didn't even seem to be aware of it. "How's your soup?" he questioned, amused.
Swallowing the soup, YoungSaeng nodded and then motioned toward KyuJong's own sandwich.
KyuJong mirrored YoungSaeng's action, nodding as well. "It's good," he replied, continuing to eat after a moment. He didn't mind this atmosphere, it was almost nice. Though he preferred it in their room, it had a more home-like feeling. He wondered if he'd start to feel homesick eventually. Most likely, but it hadn't set in yet, for which he was thankful.
Finishing the soup and starting on the small salad, YoungSaeng winced as he saw the spirits. He'd seen this the last time he had entered the cafeteria, so he chose to look away.
He kept his eyes averted, however, when he felt them blacken. That was something that KyuJong could NOT see. He was enough of a freak as it was without adding his curse to the table.
Finishing his sandwich, KyuJong looked down at his watch absently, and noticed it had stopped again. Why now? He hadn't jumped, he was sure of that, and he'd looked at it just a while ago in the dorm. Frowning to himself, he looked up at YoungSaeng. "Do you happen to have the time?" he asked sheepishly, not noticing the way YoungSaeng kept his head down. "I think my watch has a mind of its own... It stopped spontaneously yet again." Fiddling with it for a moment, he got it to start working again, but it was at the wrong time.
Pulling out his phone again, YoungSaeng placed it on the table and slid it to KyuJong, still unable to meet his gaze. His eyes were now completely black, a side effect from his curse.
KyuJong smiled in thanks, looking at the time on the phone and adjusting his watch. Hopefully it wasn't going to break/stop working often, he'd just changed watches... Looking up, he noticed YoungSaeng still hadn't looked up. "Something wrong?" he questioned softly, looking around at the other students. There wasn't enough present to really be considered a crowd...
"Sorry. I guess my headache isn't completely gone." YoungSaeng’s voice was strained, and he hoped that KyuJong didn't notice. He'd never been the best liar.
KyuJong nodded slowly, but something about the other's voice made him doubtful. "Want to head back to the dorm?" he asked, concerned. He knew YoungSaeng was hiding something, but he wasn't going to call him out on it. Though he did wonder what it was, and why YoungSaeng suddenly couldn't seem to look him in the face.
YoungSaeng sighed in relief, nodding. Standing up, he threw his garbage away and waited for KyuJong, thinking. KyuJong was nice. He wouldn't hate him if he were to tell him, would he?
KyuJong stood as well, tossing the garbage out but holding on to the bottle of water he hadn't finished. Walking over to YoungSaeng, he gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile (not that the other could see it, with his eyes still hidden) and walked out of the cafeteria, looking around. It was starting to get dark, shadows popping up everywhere.
Once YoungSaeng stepped out of the cafeteria, he felt the tension ease. A moment later, he felt his eyes slowly return. They'd be a darker shade for a while, but it was nothing he couldn't blame on lighting.
The campus looked different when it was dark. Heading back to the dorm, KyuJong nearly took a wrong turn twice, and quickly decided to just watch where YoungSaeng went after that. He glanced over at the other boy every now and then, looking to see if he was alright.
Once they reached their dorm, YoungSaeng waited for KyuJong to unlock the door, having left his key inside. The day had been so exhausting, but it wasn't in a bad way.
KyuJong pulled the room key out of his pocket, moving to unlock the door. Just as the key slid into the lock, he heard running footsteps coming in their direction, glancing to one side to see a pair of students chasing someone else down the hallway, skidding around the corner. KyuJong reached out and pulled YoungSaeng out of the way quickly before the trio could crash into his roommate, running on past. "Are high-school kids always like this?" He murmured, somewhat amused, hand still against YoungSaeng's back.
YoungSaeng released a gasp as he was suddenly pulled from his thoughts and found himself against KyuJong, his hand resting on his lower back. Looking around, he saw the kids and assumed that KyuJong must have pulled him out of the way. Turning surprised eyes toward his roommate, he managed a slight nod of his head.
KyuJong chuckled softly, then realized he was still holding on to YoungSaeng and let go. "Sorry, I didn't think you'd appreciate being road kill," he explained, finally unlocking the door. "We might need traffic lights, the way some of them are running around..." Opening the door, he walked inside the room, flicking on the lights.
Ducking his head a bit to hide the blush that he felt forming, YoungSaeng followed KyuJong into the room and shut the door. Walking over to the bed, he gathered up some things and pointed toward the bathroom. He figured he'd feel better after a shower, since the hot water worked to relax him.
Sitting down on his bed, KyuJong watched YoungSaeng for a moment as the other boy gathered together various things. Seeing the gesture towards the bathroom, he nodded with a smile and started looking through his bag for his laptop. He hadn't checked his email in a while; might as do that now and take a shower after YoungSaeng.
Waking into the bathroom, YoungSaeng placed his change of clothes on the counter and undressed, wrapping the towel tightly around his narrow waist. Turning the shower on, he grabbed what he needed and removed the towel, getting in.
The hot water felt so good against his tense shoulders. His curse was a difficult one to cover up, and he had to keep his guard up at all times. Once he was finished and clean, he remained under the water for a while longer before turning it off and getting out.
Once YoungSaeng was dried off, he slipped into a large pair of pajama bottoms that pooled around his feet and a tank top that was a bit too big, one sleeve falling from his shoulder. He'd lost a lot of weight in the hospital and hadn't had a chance to get new clothes, with the exception of school clothes, so his lounge and sleep clothes were all baggy and loose on his smaller frame.
Walking out of the bathroom, he walked over to his bed and sat down to towel dry his long hair.
While YoungSaeng was showering KyuJong checked his email, perched on the edge of his bed. There was something from his family, a quiet email wishing him luck at school. A smile curled his lips slightly, though small. His parents still didn't know what to make of his time traveling tendencies, and avoided talking about it unless it was necessary. It was hard to avoid though, especially in the first few years where he had been jumping back and forth at least four times a day. Several times he'd vanish and not reappear for days on end. It was stressful for them, he knew; it was good he had gained at least some measure of control and was able to go to school again.
Looking up as YoungSaeng came back into the room, he quickly glanced back down at the screen to hide the slight red across his cheeks. He couldn't deny that YoungSaeng was very good-looking, and the loose tank top was definitely not helping.
Finishing up with his email, KyuJong debated taking a shower as well and decided he'd take it in the morning; he was always up early anyways. Closing his laptop, he found a book to read instead, curling up at the top of his bed.
Once his hair was as dry as the towel would allow, YoungSaeng brushed it out before curling up on his bed, laying down. Looking at the book KyuJong was reading, he asked, "Is it good?"
Hearing the quiet question, KyuJong looked up at his roommate. "Yeah," he nodded, turning the book around so YoungSaeng could see the cover; it was a collection of detective/mystery stories from various authors. "Most of them are translated from English, they're pretty interesting." There were a few from Arthur Conan Doyle as well. "What kind of books do you read?" he asked with interest.
"Horror/thrillers," YoungSaeng explained. One would think that he got enough of that...
"Really?" KyuJong was surprised; YoungSaeng didn't seem the type to enjoy stories like that. "Movies as well?" KyuJong enjoyed thriller movies, but was more into the detective genre. As well as the paranormal genre; it was always interesting to see what Hollywood came up with, and wonder how much of it actually applied. He had quite a few things to say about how timetravel was portrayed.
YoungSaeng nodded. "I like a lot of movies."
He only wished that his curse wasn't glamorized the way it was. It was nothing like the movies portrayed it.
"Want to go see one, once things settle down?" KyuJong offered, smiling. "There's quite a few good movies in theaters now, I think there's a cinema not that far from campus." It had been a while since he'd watched a movie in theaters, his parents were always paranoid he'd accidentally jump in the middle of a suspenseful part. After managing to keep himself grounded in school today, he thought he'd be up for the challenge. And movie theaters were dark anyways; if he was gone for a split second, hopefully no one would notice?
YoungSaeng considered it before nodding, a shy smile on his face as he moved the strap of his shirt back up, only to sigh as it fell again. He needed to do some shopping. His nightclothes dwarfed him.
KyuJong's smile widened slightly as YoungSaeng nodded. It gave him something to look forward to. "This weekend maybe?" He asked hopefully, resisting the temptation to say something about the other boy's oversized clothing and going back to his book before he could stare.
"Sure," YoungSaeng replied, curling up a bit more in an attempt to get comfortable.
Content, KyuJong returned to his book for a while, finishing the chapter. It was getting close to curfew, fewer students running around outside, and he was getting tired; normally he wouldn't be, but his internal clock was messed up anyways, so why not? Technically, he was functioning an hour in advance thanks to the jump that morning. Closing the book, he got up to look out the window, watching the sky overhead absently.
Getting to his feet, YoungSaeng walked over to the window to see what was so interesting, tripping once on the leg of his pants. "Maybe I can get some new clothes while we're there," he muttered.
Hearing the stumble behind him, KyuJong looked back at YoungSaeng, then shifted to one side so the other boy could join him at the window. "Those clothes do seem rather large on you," he noted, carefully not looking at the strap that had slipped down his roommate's thin shoulder yet again. He would need to get a new watch as well, in case this one broke as well. Ever since his Gift appeared he'd been spending a fortune on new watches.
"I lost a ton of weight in the...when I was away, and I haven't had the chance to get new clothes. My parents bought me the school clothes I have," YoungSaeng explained.
KyuJong noticed the sudden change of words, pondering on it for a moment. "Well, I don't see why we can't do a bit of shopping at the same time," he said with a shrug. "There's bound to be a few stores nearby. And gives us a reason to stay off campus a while longer."
YoungSaeng nodded. There were shops near the theater, and he was grateful for the fact that it was an outdoor plaza rather than an indoor mall. The amount of suicides in places like that were staggering, and he had never been able to last long in malls, either leaving in a hurry, or collapsing from the mental strain.
KyuJong smiled, returning his gaze to outside and watching the few students still outside for a moment. When the last student had disappeared, he left the window and walked over to his bed, sitting down. "Think I'll just get some sleep... Pretty tired," he chuckled, hiding a small yawn before going to locate a pair of pajamas.
"Good idea," YoungSaeng whispered before returning to his bed. He lay down and pulled the covers up, snuggling into the warmth the comforter offered and the softness of the pillows. He continued to watch KyuJong, though. Something about the young man screamed that he wasn't so different from him.
Locating a pair of light blue pajamas, KyuJong walked into the bathroom to change. It only took him a minute, changing quickly, washing his face and brushing his teeth. Before leaving the bathroom though, he quickly checked his watch to make sure it was still on time…it was something he never took off, even while sleeping. Mostly out of habit. He used to jump a lot while he was sleeping, and would only know he did if there was a difference between his watch and the other clocks when he woke up. It was a way to see how much control he had when he was completely unfocused. When he was sick was the worst; even now, a light fever could cause his powers to go haywire and push him back and forth in time mercilessly.
Tugging the pajama sleeve up to hide his watch and leaving the bathroom, he smiled at the sight of YoungSaeng practically buried under his comforter, looking very content. KyuJong padded quietly over to the lights and flicked them off, the room becoming dark. He returned to his own bed, climbing in. "Night," he murmured, closing his eyes.
"...Night," YoungSaeng whispered. After a moment, he reached down into the bag beside him and pulled out a pair of headphones, which he connected to his charging iPod. The dark was not his favorite thing, but music soothed him and made the darkness a bit more bearable.
Chapter: 3/?
Fandom: SS501
Pairings: KyuSaeng
Rating: PG-16
Warning: Angst, AU
Summary: Not everything is as it seems, and for those who are as far from normal as you can get, life is a bleak existence. The only ones who can truly understand what these individuals go through are those...just like them.
A/N: This is an ongoing roleplay between myself and Carey (renichifreak ). I play KyuJong and she plays YoungSaeng, and this is our logs jammed together xD
YoungSaeng came to the conclusion that he hated therapists. All she wanted him to do was talk, knowing that he was uncomfortable with doing it a lot. She was also under the impression that he was schizophrenic, which he wasn't...the medication just helped control the voices that his curse brought.
He couldn't exactly tell her that he could communicate and see dead people...she'd lock him up again.
YoungSaeng sighed as his mother pulled up in front of the school. "Baby, are you alright?" she asked, earning a small nod in reply. "How's school? Is your roommate nice?"
He nodded at that. "He's really nice...comforting..."
The woman smiled gently. "I'm glad."
The two conversed for a little before he had to go to his final class. Getting out, YoungSaeng watched her drive away before he entered the school again.
Mathematics passed by well; thankfully for KyuJong, math was his strong point, so he wouldn't need to worry too much about it this year. Or at the very least, not worry about finding a tutor.
Overall, he was pleased with how the day went. Done with classes, and managed not to jump in any of them (except for the incident earlier that morning). Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as he thought.
He still wondered why YoungSaeng had left early though.
Leaving the main building and heading towards the dorms, KyuJong glanced to one side absently at the sound of the car and paused. YoungSaeng was getting out of the car, and then after it left the younger boy went back into school. Where had he gone? KyuJong pondered it for a moment, watching long after his roommate had reentered the school.
Then he shrugged with a sigh, figuring he'd ask later, if he did at all. It was none of his business really. Turning around, KyuJong walked into the dorm building and up to their room, unlocking the door and closing it behind him. He then sat down on his bed, pulling out his math textbook and starting the first assignment.
**********
YoungSaeng slowly opened the door to his dorm and stepped inside. Closing it, he noticed KyuJong on his bed, working on homework. Slipping his shoes off, YoungSaeng padded over to his bed and laid down, curling up cutely, just wanting to forget about his session.
Looking up when YoungSaeng came into the room, KyuJong smiled as the other boy curled up on his bed. "Tired?" he chuckled, looking back down at the math problem he was working on. "It's only the first day still." Spotting a mistake in the equation, he erased it and rewrote the problem, worrying at his lower lip lightly in concentration.
"Mentally," YoungSaeng sighed. Keeping his eyes opened, he watched KyuJong work on his homework, finding the look of concentration adorable.
A smile curled KyuJong’s lips upward despite himself, resisting the temptation to look back up at his roommate. Finishing the page and closing the textbook, he pushed the papers to one side and drew his legs up to his chest. Looking over at YoungSaeng finally, he noted he was being watched and his smile widened slightly. "You left class early before," KyuJong pointed out absently, wrapping his arms around his legs.
YoungSaeng paused, unsure of what to say. After a moment, he nodded slowly. "I did," he murmured. Maybe it wouldn't be bad to tell KyuJong one thing, but only if he asked. He wouldn't offer the information.
KyuJong hesitated, watching the other boy through his bangs. "Is everything alright?" he questioned after a moment, all friendly concern. He wouldn't push for information, although he would like to know. What was most important to him was that YoungSaeng was all right.
YoungSaeng paused before sitting up, mirroring KyuJong's position, but looking even smaller and far more fragile. "Stipulation to attending school. I have to see someone," he explained slowly, head resting on his knees.
See someone? Like a mentor, or a counselor? Or a therapist. But KyuJong couldn't see why YoungSaeng would need a therapist, though very withdrawn. Nodding slowly in understanding, KyuJong watched the other, not liking how fragile he seemed in that instant. "How did it go?" he asked softly, forming the question vague enough so that YoungSaeng could give a vague answer and avoid details.
"I hate her," YoungSaeng mumbled. There was just something about the young man that made him want to open up. It might be that he wasn't asking questions, or if he did, they were vague.
KyuJong’s eyes widened slightly at that. "Really?" he murmured. "You don't seem the type to hate someone without good reason... You can't ask to see someone else instead?" He stayed away from why YoungSaeng would need to see someone in the first place, getting the feeling YoungSaeng didn't want to talk about that.
YoungSaeng shook his head. "My issues would bring out the same questions," he explained.
It made sense, KyuJong supposed. Though he didn't know what 'issues' YoungSaeng might have, he could see how talking about them with strange people would not be something he would enjoy. He imagined trying to talk to someone about his time-traveling and winced inwardly. "How long do you have to see her for?" he asked softly. "No wonder you're mentally tired. People like that tend to be a little insensitive..."
"Until I'm 'cured'," YoungSaeng sighed, air quoting. "I wish those people would realize that what's wrong with me can't be cured," he added to himself, hoping the other student didn't hear.
KyuJong caught the last sentence…he was already straining his hearing to listen to the quiet boy so he picked up on the whisper as well. He wondered what they thought they could 'cure', what was different about YoungSaeng. "Not everything that's different is a disease," he murmured, recalling their short conversation from earlier, YoungSaeng's odd question. He was going to figure out what was bothering his roommate, but he wasn't going to ask outright, especially not so quickly. KyuJong wanted to get to know him better first...and for YoungSaeng to think on his own he could trust him.
"Maybe not in the strictest sense, no," YoungSaeng said. No matter what, it would always be a curse to him.
KyuJong chuckled softly, letting go of his legs and falling back to lie down on his bed. "It just depends how you look at it." He was determined to think his 'difference' wasn't a disease…it was a very gloomy view on the situation. "When do you plan on eating? There's probably tons of students in the cafeteria right now, but later there shouldn't be," he commented, changing topics to try and remove the sober atmosphere that had settled in the room.
YoungSaeng shrugged. He didn't think that he would be able to eat in the cafeteria, but he supposed that he could try. "We can go whenever you want, I suppose."
KyuJong smiled, looking up at the ceiling. "Lets go when there's less people?" he questioned. It worked out for him as well…less distractions meant less chance of jumping. Though he wasn't sure what do to in the meantime; his homework had already been finished, there hadn't been much.
Hearing students running by outside their door talking loudly, he laughed softly. "Boarding school is strange," he murmured almost to himself, closing his eyes.
"Agreed," YoungSaeng said, sighing, still tucked into himself.
A soft chuckle left the other boy, then trailed off into silence. KyuJong quickly became lost in thought, wondering how the rest of the year would play out, how his family was doing back home, if he would be able to continue masquerading as a normal person amid so many students.
After a long silence, he started to hum absently. The tune gradually shifted into words, his eyes still closed and expression peaceful.
YoungSaeng looked up as KyuJong's humming slowly shifted into singing. He had a very calming, relaxing voice. It was something that just made him want to trust him and tell him everything, no matter how crazy it made him sound.
KyuJong continued to sing the entirety of the song, once it was done continuing to hum the tune softly under his breath. Though he would never consider himself talented like YoungSaeng was, singing had always been something he'd enjoyed, a pastime.
Even the humming gradually faded away, KyuJong reflecting it was a good thing his roommate was YoungSaeng…anyone else would have surely tossed a pillow at him or something by now. After remaining silent for a while, he realized he was going to fall asleep if this kept up and reluctantly opened his eyes, blinking up at the ceiling.
YoungSaeng listened to the quiet and gentle voice complete the song before KyuJong began humming the rest. While his voice wasn't well practiced, it was better than many he'd heard. He could tell that his roommate liked to sing.
"You're good," he stated quietly once his roommate had grown quiet.
KyuJong tilted his head slightly so he could see YoungSaeng, hair falling across his face at the movement. A smile curved his lips upward. "Thanks," he murmured, the quiet praise meaning more than he thought it would. "Not as good as you though," he chuckled, not jealous in the least. "I hope our teacher gives you a solo...don't you?"
YoungSaeng smiled shyly at the compliment before shrugging. "If she wants to give me one, I won't complain."
KyuJong chuckled softly, pushing himself back up into a sitting position and brushing his hair back down with one hand. Noticing there seemed to be more people in the dorms now (the level of noise had certainly gone up), he glanced at his watch. "Want to get something to eat?" he questioned. "There shouldn't be that many people in the cafeteria now, sounds like they're all here."
YoungSaeng bit his lip. He wasn't sure if he could handle the cafeteria. Looking at KyuJong for a moment, he slowly nodded, saying a quick mental prayer that they would be calm for once and not make him want to faint again.
KyuJong smiled, standing up and grabbing his room key from where he'd dropped it on his bed. YoungSaeng's expression made him wonder just how badly he couldn't handle lots of people. "We need our student id to get food, right?" he questioned, confused for a moment as he found his id. He'd never attended a proper school since he was little, let alone a boarding school, though he'd seen it marked somewhere they needed their card...slipping it into his pocket along with his key, he walked to the door, opening it and peeking out. There were people in the hallways, though thankfully no one running around like he heard before.
YoungSaeng nodded at the question, slipping his own into the pocket of his fitted jeans. He followed KyuJong out the door and toward the cafeteria. All he could hear was yelling. Too bad that he was the only one who could hear it.
Walking into the cafeteria, YoungSaeng stumbled a bit, overwhelmed by the malevolence felt in the room, before straightening.
KyuJong looked around as they entered the cafeteria, noting there was definitely less students than before. Pockets of them were still gathered along the rows of tables, but there were more empty seats than occupied ones.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw YoungSaeng stumble, looking back at him. "Everything alright?" he questioned, blinking a little.
YoungSaeng smiled slightly, though it was strained. "I'm fine. I just tripped," he explained, feeling a bit bad for lying. His headache was coming back, but he forced it back and simply concentrated on KyuJong and getting food.
KyuJong nodded slightly, believing the other. Looking around, he saw where they got their food, leading YoungSaeng over. They had everything set up buffet-style, KyuJong just getting one of the deli sandwiches at the second stand. Finding a bottle of water, he showed his id to the lady working there and looked back at YoungSaeng, absently keeping an eye out for him.
After being led toward the food, YoungSaeng simply decided on soup and a small salad, plus a bottle of apple juice. Walking over to a table closest to the door in case he needed to leave, he sat down and crossed his legs elegantly before taking a sip of the soup, eyes closing at the warmth.
KyuJong followed YoungSaeng to the table, sitting down opposite him and looking around at the other students before starting to eat as well. "The school seems pretty well-kept so far," he noted, watching one of the cafeteria ladies cleaning up the empty tables. "Always thought it would be in worse condition." Though the quality would probably go down the further into the year they went.
YoungSaeng looked up, spoon in mouth and head tilted, eyes wide in confusion.
Looking back at YoungSaeng, KyuJong's smile widened and he ducked his head slightly to hide it. "Sorry, just rambling," he chuckled, caught by how utterly adorable YoungSaeng looked. The other boy didn't even seem to be aware of it. "How's your soup?" he questioned, amused.
Swallowing the soup, YoungSaeng nodded and then motioned toward KyuJong's own sandwich.
KyuJong mirrored YoungSaeng's action, nodding as well. "It's good," he replied, continuing to eat after a moment. He didn't mind this atmosphere, it was almost nice. Though he preferred it in their room, it had a more home-like feeling. He wondered if he'd start to feel homesick eventually. Most likely, but it hadn't set in yet, for which he was thankful.
Finishing the soup and starting on the small salad, YoungSaeng winced as he saw the spirits. He'd seen this the last time he had entered the cafeteria, so he chose to look away.
He kept his eyes averted, however, when he felt them blacken. That was something that KyuJong could NOT see. He was enough of a freak as it was without adding his curse to the table.
Finishing his sandwich, KyuJong looked down at his watch absently, and noticed it had stopped again. Why now? He hadn't jumped, he was sure of that, and he'd looked at it just a while ago in the dorm. Frowning to himself, he looked up at YoungSaeng. "Do you happen to have the time?" he asked sheepishly, not noticing the way YoungSaeng kept his head down. "I think my watch has a mind of its own... It stopped spontaneously yet again." Fiddling with it for a moment, he got it to start working again, but it was at the wrong time.
Pulling out his phone again, YoungSaeng placed it on the table and slid it to KyuJong, still unable to meet his gaze. His eyes were now completely black, a side effect from his curse.
KyuJong smiled in thanks, looking at the time on the phone and adjusting his watch. Hopefully it wasn't going to break/stop working often, he'd just changed watches... Looking up, he noticed YoungSaeng still hadn't looked up. "Something wrong?" he questioned softly, looking around at the other students. There wasn't enough present to really be considered a crowd...
"Sorry. I guess my headache isn't completely gone." YoungSaeng’s voice was strained, and he hoped that KyuJong didn't notice. He'd never been the best liar.
KyuJong nodded slowly, but something about the other's voice made him doubtful. "Want to head back to the dorm?" he asked, concerned. He knew YoungSaeng was hiding something, but he wasn't going to call him out on it. Though he did wonder what it was, and why YoungSaeng suddenly couldn't seem to look him in the face.
YoungSaeng sighed in relief, nodding. Standing up, he threw his garbage away and waited for KyuJong, thinking. KyuJong was nice. He wouldn't hate him if he were to tell him, would he?
KyuJong stood as well, tossing the garbage out but holding on to the bottle of water he hadn't finished. Walking over to YoungSaeng, he gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile (not that the other could see it, with his eyes still hidden) and walked out of the cafeteria, looking around. It was starting to get dark, shadows popping up everywhere.
Once YoungSaeng stepped out of the cafeteria, he felt the tension ease. A moment later, he felt his eyes slowly return. They'd be a darker shade for a while, but it was nothing he couldn't blame on lighting.
The campus looked different when it was dark. Heading back to the dorm, KyuJong nearly took a wrong turn twice, and quickly decided to just watch where YoungSaeng went after that. He glanced over at the other boy every now and then, looking to see if he was alright.
Once they reached their dorm, YoungSaeng waited for KyuJong to unlock the door, having left his key inside. The day had been so exhausting, but it wasn't in a bad way.
KyuJong pulled the room key out of his pocket, moving to unlock the door. Just as the key slid into the lock, he heard running footsteps coming in their direction, glancing to one side to see a pair of students chasing someone else down the hallway, skidding around the corner. KyuJong reached out and pulled YoungSaeng out of the way quickly before the trio could crash into his roommate, running on past. "Are high-school kids always like this?" He murmured, somewhat amused, hand still against YoungSaeng's back.
YoungSaeng released a gasp as he was suddenly pulled from his thoughts and found himself against KyuJong, his hand resting on his lower back. Looking around, he saw the kids and assumed that KyuJong must have pulled him out of the way. Turning surprised eyes toward his roommate, he managed a slight nod of his head.
KyuJong chuckled softly, then realized he was still holding on to YoungSaeng and let go. "Sorry, I didn't think you'd appreciate being road kill," he explained, finally unlocking the door. "We might need traffic lights, the way some of them are running around..." Opening the door, he walked inside the room, flicking on the lights.
Ducking his head a bit to hide the blush that he felt forming, YoungSaeng followed KyuJong into the room and shut the door. Walking over to the bed, he gathered up some things and pointed toward the bathroom. He figured he'd feel better after a shower, since the hot water worked to relax him.
Sitting down on his bed, KyuJong watched YoungSaeng for a moment as the other boy gathered together various things. Seeing the gesture towards the bathroom, he nodded with a smile and started looking through his bag for his laptop. He hadn't checked his email in a while; might as do that now and take a shower after YoungSaeng.
Waking into the bathroom, YoungSaeng placed his change of clothes on the counter and undressed, wrapping the towel tightly around his narrow waist. Turning the shower on, he grabbed what he needed and removed the towel, getting in.
The hot water felt so good against his tense shoulders. His curse was a difficult one to cover up, and he had to keep his guard up at all times. Once he was finished and clean, he remained under the water for a while longer before turning it off and getting out.
Once YoungSaeng was dried off, he slipped into a large pair of pajama bottoms that pooled around his feet and a tank top that was a bit too big, one sleeve falling from his shoulder. He'd lost a lot of weight in the hospital and hadn't had a chance to get new clothes, with the exception of school clothes, so his lounge and sleep clothes were all baggy and loose on his smaller frame.
Walking out of the bathroom, he walked over to his bed and sat down to towel dry his long hair.
While YoungSaeng was showering KyuJong checked his email, perched on the edge of his bed. There was something from his family, a quiet email wishing him luck at school. A smile curled his lips slightly, though small. His parents still didn't know what to make of his time traveling tendencies, and avoided talking about it unless it was necessary. It was hard to avoid though, especially in the first few years where he had been jumping back and forth at least four times a day. Several times he'd vanish and not reappear for days on end. It was stressful for them, he knew; it was good he had gained at least some measure of control and was able to go to school again.
Looking up as YoungSaeng came back into the room, he quickly glanced back down at the screen to hide the slight red across his cheeks. He couldn't deny that YoungSaeng was very good-looking, and the loose tank top was definitely not helping.
Finishing up with his email, KyuJong debated taking a shower as well and decided he'd take it in the morning; he was always up early anyways. Closing his laptop, he found a book to read instead, curling up at the top of his bed.
Once his hair was as dry as the towel would allow, YoungSaeng brushed it out before curling up on his bed, laying down. Looking at the book KyuJong was reading, he asked, "Is it good?"
Hearing the quiet question, KyuJong looked up at his roommate. "Yeah," he nodded, turning the book around so YoungSaeng could see the cover; it was a collection of detective/mystery stories from various authors. "Most of them are translated from English, they're pretty interesting." There were a few from Arthur Conan Doyle as well. "What kind of books do you read?" he asked with interest.
"Horror/thrillers," YoungSaeng explained. One would think that he got enough of that...
"Really?" KyuJong was surprised; YoungSaeng didn't seem the type to enjoy stories like that. "Movies as well?" KyuJong enjoyed thriller movies, but was more into the detective genre. As well as the paranormal genre; it was always interesting to see what Hollywood came up with, and wonder how much of it actually applied. He had quite a few things to say about how timetravel was portrayed.
YoungSaeng nodded. "I like a lot of movies."
He only wished that his curse wasn't glamorized the way it was. It was nothing like the movies portrayed it.
"Want to go see one, once things settle down?" KyuJong offered, smiling. "There's quite a few good movies in theaters now, I think there's a cinema not that far from campus." It had been a while since he'd watched a movie in theaters, his parents were always paranoid he'd accidentally jump in the middle of a suspenseful part. After managing to keep himself grounded in school today, he thought he'd be up for the challenge. And movie theaters were dark anyways; if he was gone for a split second, hopefully no one would notice?
YoungSaeng considered it before nodding, a shy smile on his face as he moved the strap of his shirt back up, only to sigh as it fell again. He needed to do some shopping. His nightclothes dwarfed him.
KyuJong's smile widened slightly as YoungSaeng nodded. It gave him something to look forward to. "This weekend maybe?" He asked hopefully, resisting the temptation to say something about the other boy's oversized clothing and going back to his book before he could stare.
"Sure," YoungSaeng replied, curling up a bit more in an attempt to get comfortable.
Content, KyuJong returned to his book for a while, finishing the chapter. It was getting close to curfew, fewer students running around outside, and he was getting tired; normally he wouldn't be, but his internal clock was messed up anyways, so why not? Technically, he was functioning an hour in advance thanks to the jump that morning. Closing the book, he got up to look out the window, watching the sky overhead absently.
Getting to his feet, YoungSaeng walked over to the window to see what was so interesting, tripping once on the leg of his pants. "Maybe I can get some new clothes while we're there," he muttered.
Hearing the stumble behind him, KyuJong looked back at YoungSaeng, then shifted to one side so the other boy could join him at the window. "Those clothes do seem rather large on you," he noted, carefully not looking at the strap that had slipped down his roommate's thin shoulder yet again. He would need to get a new watch as well, in case this one broke as well. Ever since his Gift appeared he'd been spending a fortune on new watches.
"I lost a ton of weight in the...when I was away, and I haven't had the chance to get new clothes. My parents bought me the school clothes I have," YoungSaeng explained.
KyuJong noticed the sudden change of words, pondering on it for a moment. "Well, I don't see why we can't do a bit of shopping at the same time," he said with a shrug. "There's bound to be a few stores nearby. And gives us a reason to stay off campus a while longer."
YoungSaeng nodded. There were shops near the theater, and he was grateful for the fact that it was an outdoor plaza rather than an indoor mall. The amount of suicides in places like that were staggering, and he had never been able to last long in malls, either leaving in a hurry, or collapsing from the mental strain.
KyuJong smiled, returning his gaze to outside and watching the few students still outside for a moment. When the last student had disappeared, he left the window and walked over to his bed, sitting down. "Think I'll just get some sleep... Pretty tired," he chuckled, hiding a small yawn before going to locate a pair of pajamas.
"Good idea," YoungSaeng whispered before returning to his bed. He lay down and pulled the covers up, snuggling into the warmth the comforter offered and the softness of the pillows. He continued to watch KyuJong, though. Something about the young man screamed that he wasn't so different from him.
Locating a pair of light blue pajamas, KyuJong walked into the bathroom to change. It only took him a minute, changing quickly, washing his face and brushing his teeth. Before leaving the bathroom though, he quickly checked his watch to make sure it was still on time…it was something he never took off, even while sleeping. Mostly out of habit. He used to jump a lot while he was sleeping, and would only know he did if there was a difference between his watch and the other clocks when he woke up. It was a way to see how much control he had when he was completely unfocused. When he was sick was the worst; even now, a light fever could cause his powers to go haywire and push him back and forth in time mercilessly.
Tugging the pajama sleeve up to hide his watch and leaving the bathroom, he smiled at the sight of YoungSaeng practically buried under his comforter, looking very content. KyuJong padded quietly over to the lights and flicked them off, the room becoming dark. He returned to his own bed, climbing in. "Night," he murmured, closing his eyes.
"...Night," YoungSaeng whispered. After a moment, he reached down into the bag beside him and pulled out a pair of headphones, which he connected to his charging iPod. The dark was not his favorite thing, but music soothed him and made the darkness a bit more bearable.