[SC04] Ego vs Ego
Siwon sat comfortably beside Hankyung as they watched the television; Kangin opened his door and sighed as he looked around.
Siwon looked immediately concerned and leaned forward. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Kangin replied. At that moment, Shindong opened the door to their dorm and walked in holding something.
“What’s that?” Hankyung asked as he walked from the couch.
“Don’t know, some sort of fruit basket.” Shindong said. “Not addressed to anyone.”
“Mmm.” Hankyung examined it. “Sounds suspicious.”
“…Does that mean we can’t eat it?” Kangin narrowed his eyes at Shindong.
“It’s always food, isn’t it.” Kangin said as he sat beside Siwon on the couch. He took the remote and changed the channel, landing on a soccer match.
“All right, finally something worth watching.” Kangin said cheerfully as he leaned against the couch. Siwon didn’t pay attention and instead reached towards his book and pulled it from the table. He settled into reading when Kangin commented.
“I could be good at that.” He gestured at the screen.
“Mhmm.” Siwon flipped his page, Kangin nodded to himself.
“I mean, everyone knows how strong I am.”
“But it’s not always about strength.” Siwon said, furrowing his eyebrows as he read a particular passage.
“They always say that, but in the end, it all comes down to strength.”
“And speed and stamina, something you need to work on.” Siwon murmured, Kangin slowly turned his head.
“What?” Kangin said, a smile plastered on his face. Siwon looked up from his book.
“You know, you use up too much energy in the beginning, you need to learn to maintain that throughout. I even overheard Leeteuk talk about it."
Kangin coughed, choosing to ignore that last statement as Siwon continued. "You're just not as fast as some people."
“Not as fast as who?” Kangin asked, an edge to his voice.
Siwon slightly shrugged before he answered simply. “Me.” He then returned to his reading when Kangin blocked it with his hand.
“You know if we were in that soccer match on tv right now, I would be amazing.”
“I know you could.” Siwon said with a smile. “But I would be even better.”
Kangin narrowed his eyes. “You really think you can beat me?” Siwon shrugged and laughed. “You…beat me? You understand why I don’t get that, right?”
“I understand, it’s hard to process but you should always face the truth. The truth sets you free.” Siwon patted Kangin on the back, Kangin’s left eye twitched.
“How about this, lets compete and see who wins.” Kangin suggested lightly.
“Okay.” Siwon closed his book and placed it back on the table. “Let’s compete right now, I’ll run, swim, climb, anything.” Siwon gestured every sport, and smiled a little too confidently for Kangin’s liking.
Kangin got up and walked around the couch. “How about weight-lifting then?”
“That’s a little unfair.” Shindong reasoned, Kangin chuckled.
“Well, if he’s too weak for-”
“Its fine,” Siwon stated as he shook his hand at Shindong, also rising up and around the couch. “Its understandable as to why he’d rather weight-lift than run… Considering he’s not as fast as he used to be.”
Kangin’s smile faltered. “Then lets race-”
“Okay then.” Siwon grinned.
“And we’ll run around the block five times-”
“Perfect.” Siwon gave a thumbs up.
“You’re smiling now, but wait till you eat my dust once I leave you back at the starting line!”
“That wouldn’t really taste good.” Hankyung commented, they all blinked at him. Siwon lightly patted his shoulders.
“It’s an expression.” Hankyung made an ‘oh’ sound, Siwon grinned as gave him a quick hug before Hankyung excused himself to the kitchen. The door opened again, only Hankyung waved at Yesung when he entered. Siwon and Kangin continued locking eyes and Shindong seemed excited at the spectacle.
“What’s going on?” Yesung asked as he leaned against the counter.
“They’re going to race to see who’s better at running.” Hankyung said nonchalantly.
Yesung then hurried between the two men. “What about me? I can race with you guys too.”
Both Siwon and Kangin looked at him warily. “Yesung,” Siwon started, “It’s fine, it’s just a race between men-”
“You’re saying I’m not a man?!” Yesung said offensively.
“No,” Siwon raised up his hands to calm him down. “Not at all, you’re all man.”
“A tiny one.” Kangin snickered, Yesung glared at him.
"Ryeowook always says I'm a real man." Yesung said defensively.
"Yes, but anyone can be a man compared to that kid. Even Henry's bigger!"
Yesung reached for the nearest thing in sight and aimed for his head.
“Hey! Not the fruit basket!” Shindong yelled as Kangin dodged Yesung’s attacks while Siwon tried to hold him back. Kangin laughed until Yesung actually struck him on the chest.
Siwon chuckled. “You see, not fast enough.” Kangin glared at him as he pulled the basket from Yesung’s hand. Siwon widened his eyes dramatically before running off as Kangin chased him with it.
The door opened a third time, Donghae raised his eyebrows as he witnessed Kangin wrestling down Siwon on the ground, Yesung hitting them both with the basket from the sidelines as Shindong tried to rescue it.
“What are you guys doing?!”
They all paused and looked at him.
“They’re fighting to see who’s faster.” Shindong replied, finally pulling the basket out of Yesung’s hand. “And you, stop using food as a weapon!”
“Donghae, tell Siwon that I’m obviously faster.” Kangin said as he got up.
“Donghae, Kangin needs to face the truth, no matter how much it hurts.” Siwon said easily, Kangin sent him another glare.
“Donghae! Tell them to let me race! I know I can beat them both!” Yesung whined.
They all waited for Donghae to respond when he said “You’re all wrong,” They all arched their eyebrows at his defying statement. “Obviously the fastest one…”
He stepped forward and declared. “Is me.”
- ❄ Challenge 5 ❄ -
Siwon looked immediately concerned and leaned forward. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Kangin replied. At that moment, Shindong opened the door to their dorm and walked in holding something.
“What’s that?” Hankyung asked as he walked from the couch.
“Don’t know, some sort of fruit basket.” Shindong said. “Not addressed to anyone.”
“Mmm.” Hankyung examined it. “Sounds suspicious.”
“…Does that mean we can’t eat it?” Kangin narrowed his eyes at Shindong.
“It’s always food, isn’t it.” Kangin said as he sat beside Siwon on the couch. He took the remote and changed the channel, landing on a soccer match.
“All right, finally something worth watching.” Kangin said cheerfully as he leaned against the couch. Siwon didn’t pay attention and instead reached towards his book and pulled it from the table. He settled into reading when Kangin commented.
“I could be good at that.” He gestured at the screen.
“Mhmm.” Siwon flipped his page, Kangin nodded to himself.
“I mean, everyone knows how strong I am.”
“But it’s not always about strength.” Siwon said, furrowing his eyebrows as he read a particular passage.
“They always say that, but in the end, it all comes down to strength.”
“And speed and stamina, something you need to work on.” Siwon murmured, Kangin slowly turned his head.
“What?” Kangin said, a smile plastered on his face. Siwon looked up from his book.
“You know, you use up too much energy in the beginning, you need to learn to maintain that throughout. I even overheard Leeteuk talk about it."
Kangin coughed, choosing to ignore that last statement as Siwon continued. "You're just not as fast as some people."
“Not as fast as who?” Kangin asked, an edge to his voice.
Siwon slightly shrugged before he answered simply. “Me.” He then returned to his reading when Kangin blocked it with his hand.
“You know if we were in that soccer match on tv right now, I would be amazing.”
“I know you could.” Siwon said with a smile. “But I would be even better.”
Kangin narrowed his eyes. “You really think you can beat me?” Siwon shrugged and laughed. “You…beat me? You understand why I don’t get that, right?”
“I understand, it’s hard to process but you should always face the truth. The truth sets you free.” Siwon patted Kangin on the back, Kangin’s left eye twitched.
“How about this, lets compete and see who wins.” Kangin suggested lightly.
“Okay.” Siwon closed his book and placed it back on the table. “Let’s compete right now, I’ll run, swim, climb, anything.” Siwon gestured every sport, and smiled a little too confidently for Kangin’s liking.
Kangin got up and walked around the couch. “How about weight-lifting then?”
“That’s a little unfair.” Shindong reasoned, Kangin chuckled.
“Well, if he’s too weak for-”
“Its fine,” Siwon stated as he shook his hand at Shindong, also rising up and around the couch. “Its understandable as to why he’d rather weight-lift than run… Considering he’s not as fast as he used to be.”
Kangin’s smile faltered. “Then lets race-”
“Okay then.” Siwon grinned.
“And we’ll run around the block five times-”
“Perfect.” Siwon gave a thumbs up.
“You’re smiling now, but wait till you eat my dust once I leave you back at the starting line!”
“That wouldn’t really taste good.” Hankyung commented, they all blinked at him. Siwon lightly patted his shoulders.
“It’s an expression.” Hankyung made an ‘oh’ sound, Siwon grinned as gave him a quick hug before Hankyung excused himself to the kitchen. The door opened again, only Hankyung waved at Yesung when he entered. Siwon and Kangin continued locking eyes and Shindong seemed excited at the spectacle.
“What’s going on?” Yesung asked as he leaned against the counter.
“They’re going to race to see who’s better at running.” Hankyung said nonchalantly.
Yesung then hurried between the two men. “What about me? I can race with you guys too.”
Both Siwon and Kangin looked at him warily. “Yesung,” Siwon started, “It’s fine, it’s just a race between men-”
“You’re saying I’m not a man?!” Yesung said offensively.
“No,” Siwon raised up his hands to calm him down. “Not at all, you’re all man.”
“A tiny one.” Kangin snickered, Yesung glared at him.
"Ryeowook always says I'm a real man." Yesung said defensively.
"Yes, but anyone can be a man compared to that kid. Even Henry's bigger!"
Yesung reached for the nearest thing in sight and aimed for his head.
“Hey! Not the fruit basket!” Shindong yelled as Kangin dodged Yesung’s attacks while Siwon tried to hold him back. Kangin laughed until Yesung actually struck him on the chest.
Siwon chuckled. “You see, not fast enough.” Kangin glared at him as he pulled the basket from Yesung’s hand. Siwon widened his eyes dramatically before running off as Kangin chased him with it.
The door opened a third time, Donghae raised his eyebrows as he witnessed Kangin wrestling down Siwon on the ground, Yesung hitting them both with the basket from the sidelines as Shindong tried to rescue it.
“What are you guys doing?!”
They all paused and looked at him.
“They’re fighting to see who’s faster.” Shindong replied, finally pulling the basket out of Yesung’s hand. “And you, stop using food as a weapon!”
“Donghae, tell Siwon that I’m obviously faster.” Kangin said as he got up.
“Donghae, Kangin needs to face the truth, no matter how much it hurts.” Siwon said easily, Kangin sent him another glare.
“Donghae! Tell them to let me race! I know I can beat them both!” Yesung whined.
They all waited for Donghae to respond when he said “You’re all wrong,” They all arched their eyebrows at his defying statement. “Obviously the fastest one…”
He stepped forward and declared. “Is me.”
- ❄ Challenge 5 ❄ -