Pure (Self-Prompt): A Best Friend's Confession [1/2]
Title: A Best Friend’s Confession
Other pairings: Hinted Sehun x Irene
Rating: PG
Word Count: 13,400
Warnings: Blind and insecure Kyungsoo | Small mentions of bullying
Summary: Kyungsoo can’t see his best friend’s love for him, and Jongin (said best friend) is too much of a coward to confess directly so he always stakes his claim by pasting notes on Kyungsoo’s back.
Author's Note: I wasn’t expecting to write a fic of this length when I first came up with the prompt. Tried to write it in a more light-hearted manner. Hope you guys enjoy it! Let me know what you think of it at the end ^^
“Sehun?”
Kyungsoo cocks his head towards his right and shuffles closer to where he thinks the other is standing.
“I know you’re there. I can hear your noisy breathing.”
The younger does have the tendency to sound like Darth Vader, especially because of his dental braces.
Kyungsoo frowns and takes a step forward with concern when the breathing sound ceases all of a sudden. He thinks Sehun must have slapped a palm over his own mouth when he got called out.
“Are you really ignoring me?” His voice turns soft and a sad pout soon appears on his face; he’s playing his pity card.
Kyungsoo hears a pathetic whimper -- he knows how effective his puppy face can be -- but halts in his advance when Sehun all but yells out, “Stop! Please don’t come closer, Kyungsoo hyung.”
He clenches his hands hanging by his side a little tighter, not out of rage, but of tad anxiety; worry brought on by his inner demons.
“Did I-I do something w-wrong?” Kyungsoo hangs his head in sadness at his friend’s rejection of his company. “Whatever it is, I’m sorry.”
There was a period of brief silence before he feels warmth embracing him, but only for a split second though because he hears heavy footsteps coming from the start of the hallway, picking up in both speed and volume.
Sehun grabs the back of his clothes in his hug and releases Kyungsoo at once.
“You did nothing wrong, hyung. Don’t cry!” He hears and feels the younger pacifying him before shoving a piece of paper at his hands in a rush. “This was stuck on your back. Please convince Jongin not to kill me!” Sehun sounds almost as if he is begging.
“Why would Jongin kill you?” Kyungsoo frowns and cocks his head in confusion because that statement just came out of nowhere.
At least, his heart now feels lighter knowing that Sehun isn’t mad at him.
“Oh my god, he saw the hug. Oh my god, he’s glaring. Don’t look him in the eye, Oh Sehun.” The younger mutters to himself under his breath.
“I swear I love you, but not in that way, hyung.” Kyungsoo flusters when Sehun gives him another abrupt hug before running off after whispering, “hold him back, I’m begging you” in his ear.
“W-What?” Kyungsoo spins around on the spot with his arms devoid of anybody to hold onto, utterly confused.
“What’s going on?” He rubs at his eyes out of habit, and it’s moments like this that he really hates his disability.
Kyungsoo holds out his arms in front of him and takes two measured steps to the right. A small smile grows on his face when he finds himself in front of his own locker, with the familiar charm hanging off the handle.
The sound of approaching footsteps stop right in front of him and oh -- I know this scent! Vanilla, cedarwood and lemon zest.
“Jongin!” Kyungsoo’s smile widens at the appearance of his best friend.
“Hold on, hyung.” The other places a palm on his shoulder and gives it a gentle squeeze. “Give me a minute. I need to go kill Sehun. Be right back.”
Kill Sehun?
“W-Wait, wait…” Kyungsoo makes a grab for Jongin’s arm as soon as the other’s words register in his mind, barely managing to hold the younger back. “Why would you --”
“He hugged you when I told them not to touch-- never mind. I’ll be right back.”
“No! Don’t force me to get my walking stick out to hit you!” Kyungsoo’s body actually gets dragged a couple of steps for Jongin has already brushed off his hands slightly in an attempt to run off.
“Whoa, careful hyung.” Jongin holds him close for a few seconds when Kyungsoo crashes into his body, because he had pulled on the brakes abruptly.
“There is no need to whip out any sticks!”
He grumbles half-heartedly when Jongin focuses on coddling him instead.
“You okay, Soo?”
Kyungsoo feels like a small kid being checked over.
At least the other has dropped the idea of hunting Sehun down.
You owe me, Oh Sehun.
He has lost his bearings, what with Jongin’s stride knocking him off balance, and Kyungsoo hates when he can’t visualise his surroundings. Yet, with the younger by his side, the darkness isn’t so forbidding and scary after all.
“Yeah…” Kyungsoo takes advantage of their temporary position to bask in Jongin’s affection.
It’s unspoken -- what he feels for his best friend. Some of his closer pals have long sensed Kyungsoo’s fondness for Jongin, and they have encouraged him to ask the other out, telling him how Jongin probably feels the same way because he takes care of him so well, but Kyungsoo has yet to harness enough bravery to confess his feelings for the other.
To this day, he still thinks himself not worthy to be with the younger. Also, he doesn’t want to risk losing Jongin as a best friend if it turns out that the other does not reciprocate his feelings.
The all-important factor is that he might be gay, but he believes that Jongin isn’t from how he enthusiastically receives chocolates from his countless fangirls every Valentine’s day. So, there’s that massive wall blocking his path.
“What’s that you’re holding, Soo?”
“Oh right, this --” Kyungsoo remembers the piece of paper clutched in his hand suddenly, “Sehun said something about it being stuck on my back. I don’t even know what it is.” He feels around the note and brings it up to his nose for a whiff. There’s even a faint floral scent to it.
Kyungsoo doesn’t see the small pout on Jongin’s face when he leans out of the latter’s personal space.
“What does it say?” Kyungsoo also misses the slight hitch in Jongin’s breath when he smoothes out the slightly crumpled piece of paper and hands it over to the latter.
He waits patiently for Jongin to read out what’s written to him since the words weren’t in braille, but the smile slips off his face at the prolonged silence.
“What does the note say, Jongin?” Kyungsoo repeats his question. This time, his tone was much colder and more defensive.
Because he is no stranger to anonymous writings and silent mockery; it’s only natural that he thinks the worse of what’s written.
Back in the day, when Kyungsoo was still but a budding child in middle school; when his life wasn’t yet graced with the presence of Jongin and other good friends who constantly shield him from possible bullying like how he is protected in high school now, being blind from birth had made him the subject of countless taunts.
One would think the young would have more empathy, but Kyungsoo can be testament to the fact that even children can cave into evils bred by society.
Small hands clutching desperately onto his walking stick, he remembers walking the hallways with tears streaming down his cheeks, not because he was lost, no, but because he felt lost and so alone in the endless chasm of sniggers, how his schoolmates bump into him on purpose, and their relentless name-calling.
Kyungsoo remembers struggling to tear off the papers pasted on areas of his back that he couldn’t reach with his short arms; crushing them into small balls eventually and throwing them toward where he thinks the paper basket is; crying himself to sleep under his blanket because he doesn’t want his mother to find out and be sad, and because even though he couldn’t read what was written on all those notes, it’s not hard to guess what can induce the jibes of “where are your other two blind mice friends?” and “shouldn’t you just stay at home or at least, put a hazard sign on your forehead since you keep tripping us with your stick?”
Those horrible words still serve a reminder of his shortcomings to this day.
It is with the appearance of Jongin and the rest of the gang, befriending him on the first day of high school that put a stop to his nightmares that never seemed to end past him waking up with tired eyes at daybreak.
Over time, Kyungsoo has built sort of a resilience within him by hanging out with the populars, as the rest of the school calls them, learning to embrace his disability.
But there still remains certain fragility in his mindset that come the day Jongin and his friends shun him, he will fall back into the grey that is his past and all the bullying that comes with being the odd, blind kid in school.
“N-Nothing.”
Kyungsoo is pulled out of his bad memories at Jongin’s flustered reply.
“What do you mean by nothing?” He sighs, resigned. Must be something real bad for him to decide not to tell me -- a premature assumption.
“Tell me. Is it someone playing a prank on me?”
I can take it. Kyungsoo braces himself for all the negativity. Curse words or whatnot that’s written on the note stuck on my back.
“Of course not!” Jongin denies vehemently, waving both his hands in front of the other’s face. At moments like this, the younger is glad that his best friend remains oblivious to the very obvious blush on his cheeks.
HANDS OFF! HE’S MINE -- Kim Jongin.
Jongin grips the piece of paper in his hand tightly.
He’d only written it and sneaked it onto Kyungsoo’s back because Chanyeol and Baekhyun have gotten more handsy of late.
Right now would be good timing for him to make known his feelings to Kyungsoo -- since the latter had asked, all Jongin has to do is open his mouth and declare he likes him, but when confronted this suddenly, Jongin falters and shies away. He persuades himself with the excuse that there will be a better opportunity down the road.
“It’s really nothing.” Jongin laughs awkwardly and wraps an arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulder, steering both of them towards the exit since school is out for the day. “Don’t worry your pretty head, hyung.” He knocks his forehead against the other’s affectionately. “Shall we go get ice cream?”
The younger carefully folds his ‘confession note’ and pockets it, though his blush refuses to die down.
It was only after a pregnant pause that Kyungsoo finally says “your treat” in a monotonous voice, effectively ending that conversation thread.
“Okay.” Jongin laughs (a little relieved too) and squeezes the other to his side. “I’ll even buy you your favourite double chocolate macadamia crunch. Let’s go.”
Kyungsoo doesn’t comment further that the only reason he likes that particular flavour is because it is Jongin’s favourite, and he knows the younger will always want to sneak a bite of his cone once he’s done with his own.
“How was your day, Soo? Careful, stairs --” Jongin leads him down the steps with utmost care and continues to recount his rather uneventful afternoon.
Phew… seems like hyung doesn’t suspect anything.
The younger gives Kyungsoo the side-glance and breathes a silent sigh of relief at the other’s unsuspecting facial expression. He’d concocted the ice cream distraction to steer their previous conversation away from potential embarrassment on his part -- him being forced to confess that he’d staked his claim on the elder because he was jealous of their other friends’ attachment to Kyungsoo, and he wants him for himself because, maybe, he likes his best friend more than a best friend should.
I swear I will tell Soo my true feelings one day. Jongin vows, patting at his heart.
It’s just that today isn’t the day he grew enough balls to do so. Besides, he already has a date in mind.
Too bad Jongin doesn’t realise he’s not the only one putting on a front -- Kyungsoo wills his face to appear calm, though on the inside he is fighting against his demons; every bullying incident compounding and crashing on him like angry waves in a sea storm.
His mind keeps wandering back to that unknown note and spinning all the possibilities under a negative light. His past was catching up to him.
Kyungsoo loses the battle eventually.
~
“You might as well go over, tell her off and pry her off hyung, instead of just sit here, glaring and chanting curse words under your breath.”
“Who the hell does she think she is?” Jongin barks out and ignores Sehun’s teasing suggestion, finally letting out a soft, pathetic whine as he watches stranger danger (he coined the name only just) lean her head on Kyungsoo’s shoulder in boredom as their professor droned on and on about basic algebra at the front of the class.
“Transfer student. Prof Jae introduced her seconds before you strolled in through the back door.” Sehun replies him in all seriousness; the thought that Jongin had asked a rhetorical question doesn’t seem to register in his mind. “Can’t say I remember her name though.”
“And how is it that she has taken an instantaneous liking to Soo?” He narrows his eyes at the sight of stranger danger poking her index finger at Kyungsoo’s marshmallow cheeks.
The strange thing was the elder not even fending her off. It brings to Jongin’s mind suspicions that they are somehow acquainted.
It sucks that their classes had fixed seating arrangements, if not, he would have pounced on the opportunity to sit beside his best friend slash crush.
“Why not?” Sehun quirks an eyebrow. “I mean, Kyungsoo hyung is good-looking and has a heart of gold. What’s not to like? I’ll totally go for him if --”
“Don’t you dare.” Jongin cuts him off with a slap up the back of his head. “I’m still plotting your death for that hug. Don’t think for a second that I have forgotten your betrayal.”
“Oh, come on! That was a week ago.” Sehun rolls his eyes dramatically. “Why don’t you just ‘fess up to each other already? I swear, you two are so stubborn, it drives all us third-parties up the wall.”
“It’s not so simple, okay? I’m biding my time.”
The younger scoffs and ignores how Jongin’s forehead falls to kiss the desk with a loud thunk because they’ve just seen Kyungsoo bless stranger danger with his rare heart-shaped smile.
“Even Baekhyun hyung and Chanyeol hyung have had enough.” One of Jongin’s eyes flits to meet Sehun’s, to which the latter stares back pointedly.
“Why do you think they’ve been hanging around Kyungsoo hyung more often than usual these days, indulging in excessive skinship, etc.?
“Those bastards.” Jongin hisses out the words as it dawns on him that the pair had been intentionally making him jealous all these while. He can only imagine how foolish they’d made him look; how they’d probably teased and laughed at his expense when he had gotten all worked up because they had touched Kyungsoo too intimately for his liking.
“Don’t blame your friends. They only wanted to give you the final push.”
“Yeah, but what about stranger danger? Soo doesn’t need her to whisper what prof has written on the board, he does brilliantly well on his own.” Jongin growls.
Sehun falls silent for he doesn’t have an answer to that, or rather, he doesn’t have an answer he thinks the other would quite appreciate to hear.
Jongin resumes his pouting at Kyungsoo’s back.
“Sehun?” He prods at the younger’s arm a short moment later and receives a low hum in response.
“I think it’s time I paste another note on Soo’s back. What say you?”
~
Sehun was the only one paying attention in their group, hence his eyes widen considerably at the sight of Jongin’s grip tightening around his metal spoon.
“Jongin…” He whispers the other’s name in warning. “Be nice!”
That catches the attention of Baekhyun and Chanyeol sitting across from them at the cafeteria table, and the pair exchange sly, knowing smiles before turning in the direction of where the younger boys had been staring, specifically at the pair approaching where they sit.
“This should be it.” Kyungsoo smiles when he stops in front of their table and tilts his face to the right, at the girl who he has led to his friends. “Jongin?” He calls out excitedly, knowing that the younger would now usher him to sit beside him, in the seat he would most definitely have reserved for Kyungsoo.
“I brought a friend. She just transferred to our school from Busan.”
Stranger danger. Jongin glares.
At the prolonged silence, Kyungsoo frowns and leans closer to his right. Am I at the wrong table?
“Please tell me I haven’t been talking to an empty table.”
The girl giggles and flicks her thick hair behind a shoulder. “You’re fine, Soo.” It should be a normal gesture for females, but Jongin takes so much offence at the hair whipping. Also because she called him Soo, which rights should only be reserved for him. (In his own opinion.)
Jongin stabs a piece of his chicken with so much passion that the newcomer jumps a little before narrowing her eyes to study him curiously.
“Hi guys! My name is Joohyun. This guy’s best friend.” The girl -- Joohyun -- jabs a finger in Kyungsoo’s direction. Collectively, Sehun, Baekhyun and Chanyeol’s head swivel to stare at Jongin whose left eyelid has started to twitch.
It’s like the trio lets out a silent chorus of oohhh in their heads.
Hellooooo, excuse me… I’m the real best friend! Jongin stands abruptly, metal legs of his chair scraping against the floor unforgivingly. He rushes to Kyungsoo’s side at once.
“Soo, my honey boo.”
A piece of half-chewed broccoli pops out of Sehun’s hanging mouth and rolls onto the table.
Jongin coos in a sickeningly sweet voice and wraps a comforting arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulder when the latter jumps in shock at the sudden new voice; he even manages to shirk off Joohyun’s hands clinging onto his best friend’s arm.
“Name’s Jongin. Soo’s best best friend.” He emphasises while talking down at the girl, delighting in the way a look crosses Joohyun’s face before she huffs out in annoyance.
Baekhyun slaps a palm on his forehead and drags it down his face slowly because just how childish can he get?
They might as well be watching a suspense-thriller at the movies with the way obvious tension hangs between Jongin and Joohyun, the two exchanging intense looks over Kyungsoo who remains none the wiser to the silent battle happening over his head.
Growing fidgety himself while witnessing the scene, Sehun pokes at his fallen broccoli and shoves it back into his mouth. Across him, Chanyeol shoots him a disgusted look.
“Uhm… what’s going on?” Kyungsoo frowns and jabs at Jongin’s sides weakly. The younger yelps, more so because it tickled, and releases him at once, guiding the elder to sit down and helping him steady the tray balanced precariously in his hands as Kyungsoo shuffles forward. “I’m starving. Can we get to the eating, thank you.”
He then spoons a mouthful of soup past his lips the second he sits. Jongin gulps hard when Kyungsoo next moans at the delicious taste.
“So you’re that Kim Jongin?” Joohyun settles down to the other side of Kyungsoo as well, forcing Chanyeol to shift away a little to make space at the round table. Her voice still icy cold, as with her stare. Kyungsoo doesn’t pay attention to her and instead hums around his spoonful of rice, the action itself and overall cuteness draws a fond smile out of Jongin finally.
He glares when Joohyun picks off a stray bead of rice from the corner of Kyungsoo’s lips though.
“Thanks.” Kyungsoo beams at the girl.
Right. The younger breaks himself out of fawning over his best friend. I need to deal with stranger danger first.
Jongin scoffs and opens his mouth to send a retort Joohyun’s way in a sarcastic fashion, but he feels the air withdrawn from his lungs before he could make the move because the other has retrieved a note from her jacket. The girl unfolds the paper and flashes it for all to see, with a quirky smile hidden at the corners of her mouth.
Baekhyun chokes when sipping at his drink, having not seen this latest copy for himself yet.
Do Kyungsoo ♥ Kim Jongin. He is off limits to everyone especially Baekhyun hyung, Chanyeol hyung and that Stranger Danger Witch!
Joohyun smirks and cocks her head in Kyungsoo’s direction, (god bless the boy who is still enjoying his lunch, not at all bothered by the silence around him), as if she’s asking should I tell him? Jongin opens and closes his mouth, and opens and closes his mouth again because he finds himself tongue-tied.
When did she take it off him? Goddammit. He’d only just affixed it on Kyungsoo’s back after the end of the last period.
“That’s why I told you to confess earlier!” Sehun whispers harshly into his ear.
All Jongin knows is that the cafeteria (like the hallway) isn’t the time and place for him to spill the beans to Kyungsoo.
“S-So uhm-- how do y-you two know e-each other again?” Jongin wants to slap himself for stuttering through his lines. He places a hand by Kyungsoo’s lower back and rubs in small circles, thumping on the other’s back when Kyungsoo suddenly chokes.
Please put that away, God. Jongin puts on his best pleading look and dart his eyes between Joohyun and the paper she holds.
“Questions later, please.” He mouths.
The girl’s knowing eyes light up at his very deliberate shift in subject matter, though she ultimately decides to humour him and hide the note, for now.
Jongin breathes easy again.
“You want more of that steamed egg?” He glances to his side, the look on his face softening when he sees Kyungsoo pouting, spoon still digging at the (empty) corner of his tray; he must have concluded there wasn’t any egg left.
“Here.” Jongin scoops the remaining portion off of his own tray and places it on the other’s spoon. Kyungsoo squeals gleefully and lifts the fluffy goodness to his lips quickly.
“Thanks, Jongin! Love you.” The other blurts out and turns to blind him with a brilliant smile, stuffed cheeks and all. Jongin feels his heart skip a beat or two in his chest.
It’s painfully obvious that he is enamoured with Kyungsoo.
“You didn’t answer the question, Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun decides to take one for the team and poke at the lovey-dovey bubble Jongin and Kyungsoo had created around themselves; Sehun looked as if he was having a hard time stomaching his food.
“How do you know Joohyun?”
The said girl glances over at Baekhyun briefly as if considering to answer, but ultimately lets Kyungsoo take the older boy’s question.
“We’ve been friends for the longest time. Since we were toddlers?” He turns in Joohyun’s direction for confirmation who nods at the rest. “Our families were neighbours and our parents were close.”
“Little Soo cried so much when my family relocated because Dad got a new job at the other side of the country.” She interjects, poking at Kyungsoo’s cheek teasingly. “Right?”
The latter doesn’t even bother to deny her claim.
“I guess I was quite reliant on you in elementary school and through middle.” Kyungsoo admits while nodding his head lightly, a sad smile grows on his face.
Jongin deflates a little at that piece of information because maybe I’m not Soo’s bestest friend after all. He pouts and peeks over Kyungsoo’s shoulder at Joohyun, wondering if the girl was the one who had been in his current position, protecting Kyungsoo in his younger years.
“But now I’m back for good!” Joohyun lunges forward and squishes Kyungsoo to her side, the latter emitting a squeak at the suddenness of her overboard affection. “I’m never leaving you again, Soo. Never!” She declares in a loud voice and smushes her cheeks against the flustered boy.
So does that mean Kyungsoo no longer needs me? Jongin’s pout deepens.
“Stop rubbing against me, Joohyun.” Kyungsoo grimaces and tries to lean away from the girl, but it’s all but a half-effort on his part. He doesn’t seem to mind her skinship nor the attention that they were drawing from the rest of the cafeteria; perhaps Joohyun has always been like that since they were kids and he was used to all the physical contact.
Jongin drops his spoon and curls more into himself. He feels like he’d just been thieved on (having his best friend stolen away) and then socked in the chest (having his heart poked at).
Noticing their friend’s dampened mood and pitying him, Chanyeol nudges Joohyun’s arm and points at the sulking monster who has his bottom lip jutted out into a natural pout, and who was staring down intensely at his lap.
She releases Kyungsoo since she’d already achieved what she set out to do, smirks victoriously and resumes her eating, .
“Jongin?” Kyungsoo slides a warm hand onto the said boy’s thigh when he feels that the other has been silent for too long. “You okay?” He worries his bottom lip. “Are you upset that I ate all your steamed egg?” The elder then says in his softest voice.
And just like that, Jongin surfaces from whatever hole he had buried himself in and clings onto Kyungsoo a little more closely this time.
“Not at all!” He smiles now that his best friend was paying attention to him once again. Spying a smudge of mushroom gravy at the edge of Kyungsoo’s lips, Jongin giggles and dabs the area clean with a napkin. “You’re such a clumsy eater, Soo. If it weren’t for me, you’d be walking around school the whole day looking like you’re terrorising gotham city.”
Kyungsoo scowls and takes a swipe at Jongin playfully. “Well, I’m sorry I can’t possibly see to aim my spoon right every time.” His words, though sharp, had no bite in them.
Jongin knows that as well for he giggles and says, “Maybe I should just feed you from now on.” The elder hums and decides to play along for now, patting Jongin’s head when the other leans it on his shoulder.
The other four occupants of the table snort and roll their eyes collectively. To be honest, Jongin is such a simple guy to please.
“Have they always been so-- I don’t know, fluffy and domestic that it makes people squirm?” Joohyun coughs and leans to whisper to the other three guys.
“You mean vomit-inducing?” Sehun corrects her, “All the time.”
“And they’re not yet a couple because…?”
He shrugs.
“To be honest, we’re all sick of them skirting around each other.”
Baekhyun and Chanyeol nod their heads in agreement.
~
“You should stop with the pasting of notes on Kyungsoo’s back.”
Jongin actually screams banshee-style and jumps back with his hand pressed against his chest, right by his heart. He takes a second to collect himself, glancing left and right at the nearly empty hallway; the only persons around were the students leaving his class, and then there was Joohyun looking all pretty, leaning against the row of lockers opposite his class door, apparently waiting for him.
One side of her eyebrows were arched, as if she was judging him for the scream
“Where’s Soo?” He clears his throat, trying to act all normal.
The elder would usually wait for him to end class on Fridays before they’d head off to hang out, kick-starting their precious weekends together.
“Sehun brought him to Baskin Robbins.”
“Without me?!” Jongin’s voice almost breaks with the high decibel he reaches again. He grumbles under his breath for a few seconds after, undoubtedly cursing Sehun, before glancing up at Joohyun once more. “Then why are you here?”
“I needed to speak to you alone.” She frowns and takes a step forward, facial expression unreadable, but Jongin braces himself for she looks kind of menacing.
“W-What about?” He cowers and backs up, both hands raised a little in front of him. “You can talk from over there.”
Joohyun actually rolls her eyes this time, but does stop as she’s told.
“The love notes.” She takes out the piece of paper she’s kept all these while and throws it half-heartedly at Jongin. The other yelps and catches it before it can fall to the ground. He doesn’t know why there’s this part of him that so desperately wants to keep it up, as if he wants to safeguard his feelings and possible happy ending.
“Heard from Sehun that there were more before this?” Joohyun frowns and folds her arms across her chest. “I want you to stop pasting them behind Kyungsoo’s back.” She says it with so much force that Jongin misinterprets her intentions.
Because it sounds to him like she’s asking him to put a curb on his feelings of liking Kyungsoo.
“Why should I?” He scowls, and this time, he steps forward. “Do you like Soo too?” -- in that way, he wants to add. The green-eyed monster within him surfaces. Jongin has his suspicions from the way Joohyun tends to act all clingy when with Kyungsoo. “I-I won’t allow for it!” He hesitates a little because all of a sudden, he doesn’t feel confident of triumphing over her if it does end up as a battle for Kyungsoo’s heart.
He doesn’t know the bond the childhood friends share veer more towards those of the closest siblings.
“I care about him, yes. A lot.” Joohyun acknowledges that part. “That’s why you need to stop… Your small excuses of confessions are cute, but the way you commit them, you don’t see that it’s hurting Soo.”
“Hurting him?” This leaves Jongin puzzled. “What do you me-- why would I be hurting him when I like him? You obviously don’t know what you’re talking about.” He scoffs, downplaying the other’s words, as if he considers her to be spouting rubbish.
“I know because I was the one who sat through his many episodes in the past! I know because I was the one trying to comfort a broken child over skype all the way through middle school!” Joohyun raises her voice, so loud that the volume scares Jongin.
But what frightens him even more is that he hears the genuinity, he finally feels the weight behind her words.
What happened in Soo’s past? Don’t tell me-- His head snaps up.
“W-Was Soo bullied because he couldn’t see?” Jongin whispers in soft understanding. “Did they use --” Did they paste notes behind his back too were what he couldn’t say because he finally understands what fault he has.
Kyungsoo probably thinks the note he’d pasted on his back was a prop to make fun of him being blind.
“He was tormented by it, Jongin. Every day.” Joohyun cuts him off mid-speech, her words in a way, confirming his suspicions.
Jongin thinks back to when Kyungsoo had first discovered his note after Sehun had plucked it off the elder’s back and handed it to him. He thinks back to the way Kyungsoo had fell silent before his words became more defensive, before he insinuated “is that someone playing a prank on me?”
“In fact, the sad thing is … I think he still is.” Joohyun continues on to say.
Jongin wonders why he didn’t read between the lines. For someone who claims he is close to Kyungsoo, that he knows his best friend best -- the younger deems himself a fraud. He supposes why he didn’t notice the last time was because he was concentrating too hard on protecting himself from exposing his fondness for the other.
“You get what I mean about the notes, right? That’s why you need to stop, Jongin. I’m not sure if he’s aware of the notes you’d stuck on him before this, but be sure it would upset him if he were to find out.”
It’s too late then-- I have already hurt Soo. The younger hangs his head in regret and guilt.
Joohyun steps in front of him just then and lays a palm over his shaking hands. She knows she has gotten her message across from the other’s reaction. Finally, a small smile graces her features as she stares Jongin in the eye.
“From one who cares so much about Soo, to another who loves him just as much --” Joohyun says softly, “-- or even more.” She adds a subtle teasing smile at the end, to which a blush spreads across Jongin’s face.
Jongin nods firmly. I will fix him, I swear.
He is now more determined than ever to show Kyungsoo just how beautiful he is.
~
“Oh, Jongin-ah… Why are you back only now? You missed dinner.”
He looks up briefly before bending down again to untie his shoelaces. The dark cloud above him hasn’t seem to fade from his earlier conversation with Joohyun.
“Sorry. I had an extra practice in the afternoon.” Jongin lies and makes his way over to his mother, kissing her on the cheek when she slides an arm around his waist.
“Come.” She ushers him to the kitchen where a delicious smell lingers. “I’ll heat up some dishes for you. There’s a pie in the oven too, you two can have it for dessert --”
“Oh no, it’s okay!” He shakes his head and jerks it in the direction of the stairs. “I’m not hungry. Think I shall just head to bed.” Jongin cracks a small smile (he hopes it’s a reassuring one) when he sees a look of worry cross his mom’s face.
“Had a bad day? You seem a little down.” She frowns. “Whatever it is --” She knows she’s not going to get an answer out of her son when Jongin nibbles on his bottom lip, “Cheer up, alright? Kyungsoo’s waiting in your room, so go play some games or whatever it is that you guys always do.”
He was already halfway up the stairs when the mention of his best friend’s name brings him to a halt.
“Soo’s here?!” Jongin whirls around to face his mom.
“Didn’t you guys make plans for a sleepover? It’s Friday isn’t it...” She cocks both hands on her hips then narrows her eyes at him. He feels so small all of a sudden. “Did you forget? The poor boy has been here for hours.”
“Owww! Okay, stop. I get it!” Jongin yelps and clutches at his butt after his mom rushes forward to smack him. “I’m heading up now, Jesus.”
“Treat your friends better, you punk.” She calls out after him. “Especially Kyungsoo!”
“You only say that because you like him the best out of all my friends!” Jongin turns back to stick his tongue out at her. You treat him even better than your own son. He grumbles inwardly.
“Yes, but not as much as you like him though!” His mom yells back with a teasing lilt in her voice.
Jongin’s jaw unhinges.
“Can you say that any louder?!” He hisses at her before anxiously darting his eyes up to his closed door and back.
“What a-are you even saying anyways-- wah, that woman really… wahhh.” Jongin is left flustered when his mom merely sticks her tongue out at him before slipping back into the kitchen.
How did she know--. He frowns. Is it really that obvious that I like Kyungsoo?
~
Part 2