121124 CHAPTERED FIC: COLLIDE: FOURTEEN
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Fourteen | Woohyun/Sunggyu, Hoya(Howon)/Dongwoo, L(Myungsoo)/Sungyeol | Fluff > Crack | PG13 (for cussing and sexual references)
Summary: Typical high school fic in which Woohyun is no longer top dog, Myungsoo’s life becomes interesting, Howon finally feels something and Sungjong discovers his future.
(poster by chocolate_ai)
-
‘Morning,’ Woohyun said as he approached his seat, Sunggyu’s head on the desk. Woohyun pouted a little and mumbled to the older student, ‘Sleepy?’
Sunggyu shifted, pressing his face against his arms as he hummed in confirmation. ‘Had an argument after I hung up on you yesterday,’ he informed, although it was muffled.
‘Really?’
Sunggyu finally lifted his head and looked up at Woohyun with a tired expression. ‘Myungsoo just came home and when I yelled at him, he started throwing a tantrum,’ Sunggyu sighed drowsily, ‘It was weird. He seemed angry about something.’
Then Woohyun remembered what happened yesterday and what he did - actually what he didn’t do in particular that may or may not have effected Myungsoo’s behaviour in a negative way. (Woops.) ‘That might’ve been my fault…’ Woohyun trailed off unsurely, biting his thumb nail.
Sunggyu’s eyes narrowed in suspicion as he snapped, ‘What do you mean?’
Woohyun cleared his throat, knowing he was playing with a tiger. ‘Well…’
‘Okay class, turn to page forty-five in your text books,’ the teacher interrupted their conversation. Woohyun immediately straightened and opened his textbook to the assigned page and pretended to read the contents. Sunggyu glowered at him and turned his attention back to his work - which was actually homework he had for history class but forgot to do because he was talking to Woohyun all night. (Woops.)
As soon as the bell rang, Woohyun jolted out of the room and Sunggyu had to run and push over a desk to catch up to him.
Sunggyu tugged at Woohyun’s hair to get him to turn around. Woohyun turned around with pained noises. ‘What did you do to Myungsoo?’ Sunggyu growled.
‘Sungyeol has a cousin named Doojoon,’ Woohyun blurted out, out on a whim.
Finally, Sunggyu let out of his hair and mumbled cutely (Well, in Woohyun’s opinion), ‘Why does that have anything to do with my brother or you?’
Woohyun explained unsurely, mentally preparing for death, ‘Myungsoo doesn’t know Doojoon is only just a cousin and I forgot to tell him.’
‘Woohyun!’ Sunggyu exclaimed, eyes widened.
Woohyun sprinted as fast as he could. ‘Bye.’
-
It was weird - Sungyeol had been at school for a little more than an hour and Myungsoo hadn’t violated him even once yet. It made Sungyeol a little jittery, a little on the edge, when he thought that Myungsoo might’ve been planning something massive to make up for the lack of inappropriate contact. And just like Sungyeol was writing his own future, Myungsoo appeared as soon as the class was dismissed for first period. By how quickly Myungsoo found him, Sungyeol guessed he was skipping again - His brother was going to demolish him if Sungyeol were to tell on him. (Cue evil laugh.)
‘Hey,’ Myungsoo cooed, his voice lower and huskier than usual. Sungyeol couldn’t help but notice the lopsided smile and the hint of a dimple - the way his eyes fucking screamed sex. Sungyeol swallowed a little and Myungsoo continued talking, in that same tone, ‘Really sorry for the way I acted yesterday. I was just having a bad day and all…’
Sungyeol nodded, not moving from his position. Then he felt Myungsoo’s hand creep around his waist in a slow, seductive movement that had Sungyeol frozen still, staring at the way Myungsoo’s lips moved when he talked. ‘Sorry, skyscraper.’
‘I - It’s okay,’ Sungyeol croaked after a cough, feeling the younger student’s hot breath on his neck. He felt himself blushing and he just hoped Myungsoo was somewhat colour blind. Why he wasn’t fighting back? Sungyeol didn’t know. The only explanation he could even imagine was that Myungsoo had some sort of supernatural power that suspended him of all movement.
Before Sungyeol could realise what he was doing - he was letting Myungsoo hold him around the waist and doing nothing but stare - Myungsoo kissed him. It was soft and sweet, slow with no involvement of tongues or teeth, but it was absolutely far from innocent. Sungyeol’s eyelids instantly closed at the feeling and he could barely register Myungsoo’s arms wrapping around his waist tighter, pulling him closer.
When Sungyeol was about to run out of air - He really thought he’d faint - Myungsoo pulled away and whispered hotly in his ear, ‘Let’s go to literature, ha?’
How Myungsoo turned the insane, hyper Sungyeol into an obedient little pupil was beyond anyone’s imagination. Sungyeol obliged and let Myungsoo haul him to their class, arm around Sungyeol’s waist the whole time. During the trip, Sungyeol didn’t say a word, his lips pressed together tightly.
As they passed, one of the seniors caught the sight of the legendary Kim Myungsoo with Sungyeol and whispered to another, ‘Are they dating?’
‘Normal dating or Kim Myungsoo-style dating?’ the other scoffed in return, scowling at Myungsoo’s back view.
Sunggyu heard the whispering, the mention of his brother’s name, and turned around, spotting his brother and Sungyeol walking together whilst being attached by the hip. He blinked rapidly to himself.
-
Woohyun was at his locker when he saw Sungyeol approaching, with Myungsoo by his side. As soon as Myungsoo saw Woohyun, Myungsoo gave Sungyeol a quick peck on the cheek and waved goodbye. He left with Sungyeol just standing there, unreadable expression on his face.
‘What was that?’ Woohyun asked, astonished. ‘When the fuck did this happen and why didn’t anyone say anything?!’
Sungyeol shrugged. ‘I don’t know,’ he mumbled, somewhat dejected.
They began walking to the front of the school, Sungyeol staring unfocusedly at the floor while they walked. ‘You are… quiet,’ Woohyun probed, curious as to why the new Sungyeol was the new Sungyeol.
Sungyeol didn’t reply and continued walking mindlessly.
‘I’m kinda scared,’ Woohyun mentioned. He then began acting insane and talked to himself, ‘Is it December yet? Is the world ending earlier than scheduled?’
Scoffing, Woohyun sneered at Sungyeol’s silence.
‘What? Not going to make an immature comeback like you always do?’
Sungyeol didn’t even look at him this time.
‘Sungyeol, seriously, I’m taking you to the nurse,’ Woohyun heaved, grabbing Sungyeol’s sleeve. The latter flung him away angrily.
‘Let go!’ he whined, before storming off, ‘Just leave me alone.’
Woohyun winced to himself when Sungyeol painfully knocked his shoulder into someone’s open locker.
And amongst all the weird things and bipolar-ness, Doojoon was getting lost on his own.
-
‘What do you think you’re playing at?’ Sunggyu whispered hoarsely in his brother’s ear. It’s the start of lunch and he had just witnessed Myungsoo kissing Sungyeol goodbye. On the lips.
Myungsoo’s glare was hard as he answered lowly, darkly, ‘What are you talking about?’
There was a warning look in Sunggyu’s eyes as he said, ‘Kim Myungsoo, you and I both know very well what I’m talking about.’
‘It’s just a kiss,’ Myungsoo scoffed.
‘To you it’s just a kiss, but to others it could mean so much more,’ Sunggyu retorted.
Myungsoo rolled his eyes and turned on his heel, beginning to walk away.
Sunggyu blew the hair out of his eyes and exclaimed in frustration, ‘What’s with your attitude lately?’
Myungsoo turned around and sneered, head tilting. ‘What attitude? I’m the same bratty brother who you’ve always hated,’ he spat.
Sunggyu ruffled his hair in annoyance as he saw his brother’s figure disappear into the crowd.
-
That night, Sunggyu called up Woohyun again. It was starting to become his routine and Woohyun didn’t seem to mind, so he continued with it. When Woohyun picked up and said a bright hello, Sunggyu let out a sigh and didn’t say anything else.
‘What’s up? You seem down,’ Woohyun commented, throwing a miniature basketball up and down whilst lying on his bed. He seemed worried about Sunggyu’s earlier behaviour - Sunggyu seemed a little more annoyed and tired that day. Woohyun asked in concern, ‘Did something happen today?’
‘Myungsoo’s been acting weirdly,’ Sunggyu responded, sighing again.
Woohyun scrunched up his forehead as he began to ponder about how weird today was. ‘So has Sungyeol,’ he said, remembering how unusually quiet Sungyeol was the whole day. He had a strong feeling it was to do with Myungsoo.
‘Really?’ Sunggyu yawned, obviously sleep-deprived.
‘Yeah. He didn’t scream once,’ Woohyun chuckled slightly, sitting up on his bed.
‘Do you think those two are…?’
Woohyun knew what he was implying instantly. ‘I don’t know. I’m not good at these types of things,’ he confessed, peering at the window beside him. It was a dreary night to match a fucked up day. The clouds were thick and dark, the wind haunting.
‘Me neither,’ Sunggyu mumbled, ‘I think I’ll ask Howon on Monday.’
Woohyun hummed in reply and waited for Sunggyu to start up another conversation.
There was another yawn from the other line and Sunggyu said drowsily, ‘I should go. I didn’t fall asleep until four today.’
‘Yeah, you told me in bio,’ Woohyun remarked, smiling to himself. ‘Goodnight, student body president.’
Sunggyu answered, ‘Mm, ‘night.’
For the first time, Woohyun hung up first. He knew Sunggyu needed to sleep.
-
The weekend left a quadrillion times faster than it came. All Sunggyu did was stay home and watch television, send Woohyun a few threatening texts for asking him stupid questions, and cook dinner for his mother when she came home from work. Myungsoo went out the whole weekend, refusing to say a word to his brother. Of course, Sunggyu became a little concerned over his behaviour and tried calling him. It was no use though, since Myungsoo blocked his number.
It was Monday and the first thing Sunggyu did when he got to school was find Howon. ‘Howon, I have a request,’ he said instead of an unrequired hello.
‘What is it?’
‘I’ve seen you observing, so tell me what is the relationship between my brother and Sungyeol.’
Howon was a little surprised at Sunggyu - mainly because the older student had caught him analysing Sungyeol and Myungsoo’s actions. He nodded and informed quietly, ‘Sungyeol likes Myungsoo, obviously, but he’s scared.’
Sunggyu cringed a little to himself - that may have been his fault for scaring Sungyeol about Myungsoo.
Howon continued, ‘And Myungsoo looks… rather competitive.’
‘Competitive?’ Sunggyu pondered to himself, and then something clicked and he realised what Woohyun had told him on Friday. ‘Ah that’s right, Sungyeol’s cousin.’
Howon concluded, ‘I don’t know what they have, but I can tell it’s not a romantic relationship - Well, not an official one anyway.’
‘Thanks,’ Sunggyu muttered, deciding to wait and see what Myungsoo was up to before he could stop it.
-
‘It’s nice to see Mr Delinquent doing work,’ Sunggyu mentioned as he walked into biology. Woohyun was already at his seat, scribbling something in an exercise book. He then looked up and saw Sunggyu and smirked, showing him his book.
‘I stand corrected,’ Sunggyu sighed, upon seeing Woohyun’s drawing of their biology teacher and her many, many stink lines. Woohyun laughed and Sunggyu just rolled his eyes at the younger’s idiocy.
‘Why do you always roll your eyes at me?’ Woohyun whined, adding some finishing touches to his masterpiece.
Sunggyu scoffed. ‘Oh, because you are so eye-roll-worthy,’ he said in a velvety tone.
Woohyun’s lip curled. ‘Say oh again.’
Slapping Woohyun’s shoulder, Sunggyu barked, ‘Grow up.’
Woohyun finally put down his pen and slouched into his seat, he turned his head to Sunggyu with a sly grin. ‘I am grown up,’ he retorted, pointing to his crotch, ‘Wanna see?’
Sunggyu shook his head - not as an answer (although it was pretty obvious), but as an expression of how unbelievable Woohyun was. It was rather funny when they were in biology together these days. They always had childish conversations and Woohyun would throw in more than too many awkward penis jokes. Sunggyu couldn’t believe how dirty and graphic Woohyun could be, amazed by Woohyun’s twelve-year-old mind.
Sunggyu questioned in response, ‘Did you have an inappropriate dream about me again last night?’
Woohyun turned to him with a cunning smile and interrogated, ‘How did you know I’ve dreamt about you more than once?’
Sunggyu immediately laughed, throwing his head back a little, ‘When did I get so immature?’
The teacher began her lesson so Woohyun and Sunggyu began whispering. ‘Since you started talking to me,’ Woohyun murmured, practicing his ventriloquism. Sunggyu snorted.
‘I guess I need to stop talking to you,’ he replied, that challenging tone in his voice again, ‘Your stupidity is contagious.’
Woohyun licked his lips. ‘I’m proof your cuteness is contagious.’
‘Oh, got to hell, you idiot,’ Sunggyu whispered back.
‘Say oh again.’
Woohyun let out a pained sound and everyone turned their attention towards him. Sunggyu hung his head low and laughed silently because Sunggyu was the one who stomped on his foot.
-
At the beginning of recess, Sungjong and Yongguk were walking down the hallway. They then witnessed Woohyun and Sunggyu laughing about something and then waving each other off, looking very friendly - Well, friendlier since Sunggyu did smash Woohyun senseless twice.
‘Is it me or are all your friends dating?’ Yongguk asked, mouth agape.
Sungjong scowled and asked, ‘What do you mean?’
‘Those two -‘ He pointed towards the area Sunggyu and Woohyun just were. ‘That playboy and Sungyeol, Dongwoo and that quiet guy that pierces into people’s souls.’
Sungjong shrugged and trudged to his locker, Yongguk trailing behind him closely. Like a Chihuahua.
‘I don’t know, they haven’t told me anything.’ He was starting to believe he was being left out because no one was telling him anything anymore - What he didn’t know was it was because no one knew how they could put such fucked-up situation into words and make it understandable.
‘Hey, um,’ Yongguk said, stopping Sungjong from closing his locker. Sungjong frowned and spun to face the older student, taken aback by their close proximity.
‘What?’
Yongguk scratched his head and requested unsurely, looking in all different directions, ‘Can I… kiss you?’
Sungjong giggled. ‘My boyfriend is a serious pansy,’ he sighed. Yongguk was kind of surprised by the word boyfriend. Neither of them really talked about their status, even if they did watch a movie together - It was obviously a date. However, he didn’t say anything against the word and left it at that, deciding that he was Sungjong’s boyfriend and Sungjong was his. Sungjong then latched onto Yongguk’s neck and pulled him closer, muttering, ‘Come here.’
They kissed for longer than planned and some of Yongguk’s asswipe friends came along and snapped up some good shots of the two making out in front of Sungjong’s locker. Facebook time.
-
‘Why have you been kissing me randomly lately?’
Myungsoo had brought Sungyeol to the rooftop that recess, holding his hand all the way there. Sungyeol didn’t struggle one little bit because was he being so sweet and affection and gentle, and Myungsoo would smile at him and say hey like it was the most natural thing in the world. They were sitting beside the door, Myungsoo’s hand still around Sungyeol’s. Sungyeol had been feeling utterly mindless and stupid since yesterday. He’d wondered what changed and how it changed so fast - Suddenly Myungsoo wasn’t a pervert and he didn’t grope Sungyeol every second he was in his presence. It was hard to adapt that quickly.
‘I don’t know,’ Myungsoo laughed. Of course Myungsoo knew: Having Sungyeol’s full attention on him meant Sungyeol couldn’t really give attention to that new kid. He then leaned into Sungyeol’s ear and murmured against the skin of his neck under it, ‘Why have you been letting me?’
Sungyeol jumped a little and Myungsoo chuckled at how endearing he was.
‘So cute,’ Myungsoo commented, that same addicting smile from yesterday on his face. Sungyeol just stared at him until Myungsoo kissed him and Sungyeol was no longer looking at anything. He knew this was all too sudden and weird and Myungsoo wasn’t acting like himself. In the back of his mind he knew it was all an act, he knew he was getting sucked in but he enjoyed every single moment of it. He knew he was falling and he was falling hard.
Sunggyu was definitely right - Myungsoo was impossibly good.
-
‘Howon said they aren’t dating,’ Sunggyu said, sitting himself on the balcony railing. Of course it wasn’t safe, but Sunggyu was smart enough to know when he was going to slip.
‘Then what’s happening? Sungyeol should’ve stripped Myungsoo naked and tied him to a flag pole by now.’
Sunggyu’s eyes widened and he peeked at the phone screen for a moment. ‘What?’ he snapped.
‘Trust me, it’s happened before.’
Sunggyu didn’t want to know. He just concluded that Sungyeol was insane and he could twist the laws of physics with puppy-dog eyes and cute head-tilts. The conversation came to a halt and Sunggyu did nothing but breathe into the phone, listening to Woohyun’s breathing as well.
They did that for about two minutes, until Woohyun asked in bubbling concern, ‘You okay?’
Sunggyu swung his head back and forth, random sappy song stuck in his head. ‘I’m okay,’ he mumbled dryly, ‘Just worried about Myungsoo…’
‘Don’t be…’
‘I can’t help it, you idiot.’
-
The next few days dragged on repetitively - Howon and Dongwoo hanging out with each other in the gym every chance they had, Myungsoo and Sungyeol being undeniably affectionate everywhere, Sunggyu having multiple meetings he didn’t really give a shit about, Woohyun hanging out with his old West campus friends, and Sungjong and Yongguk mucking around at their lunchtime activities. It was very boring, very routine, and kind of lame.
At home, Myungsoo and Sunggyu would ignore each other. Myungsoo would go out somewhere every night and come home late - and most of the time he reeked of alcohol, which earned him a few bashings from Sunggyu. Myungsoo would then lash out and lock himself in his room. Afterwards, Sunggyu would call Woohyun up and they would talk for hours without pausing, and by the end of it Sunggyu would be happier than he was before.
The Kim brothers’ relationship was on a downward spiral and Sunggyu felt utterly helpless. Woohyun assured him that things were going to be fine and Howon kept saying how Sunggyu just needed to wait a while to see what he could do. He still felt unsettled and Woohyun hated that.
He hated it when Sunggyu wasn’t okay, so he decided to do something about it that Friday night.
-
‘Why did you take me here?’
Sunggyu smiled at Howon’s confused face. It was Thursday afternoon and they were in front of an elementary school, right in front of the gate. Sunggyu looked at the time on his watch and announced, ‘Three, two, one…’
The end-of-day bell rang and the sound of children laughing resounded throughout the school grounds. Soon after, giggling kids and their distressed parents flooded out of the building, all heading for the gate. The two boys just stood there and watched every movement, Sunggyu smiling upon seeing the excited children.
‘It’s been all too long since you’ve seen him, right?’ Sunggyu mused with a click of his tongue, almost accidentally kicking a child who crawled between his legs to get to his mother.
Howon looked down to the concrete and Sunggyu frowned. ‘You don’t want to see him?’ he questioned.
‘I do,’ Howon corrected.
‘Then what’s upsetting you?’
‘As you said, it’s been too long,’ the younger student digressed, ‘Does he still want to see me?’
Sunggyu nodded at the reply and went back to staring at the school doors, watching as the kids filed out. Howon followed suit. In about ten minutes, all the children had left and the teachers emerged from the building.
There was a particular teacher who caught their eyes - he was middle-aged, wearing a brown blazer and black tie, holding a clipboard. On his blazer, there was a shiny silver badge that read Principal. As he looked up from his polished leather shoes, he met eyes with Howon and the latter flinched at the eye contact.
‘Son?’ he asked in bewilderment, running up to the two boys, ‘What are you doing here?’
The two bowed in return, Sunggyu having a cheery smile on his face, greeting a nice to see you again. The man then turned his attention towards Sunggyu and patted his head in awe. ‘Sunggyu, you’ve grown a lot,’ he cooed.
Sunggyu chuckled and then pointed towards Howon with his thumb. ‘Howon’s grown too, sir,’ he informed slyly.
‘How so?’ Howon’s father asked.
Without another word, Sunggyu grabbed Howon’s left arm with force, sliding up his sleeve. Howon swiftly turned his head to Sunggyu - who was hinting a smile and refused to let Howon’s sleeve fall down. Howon’s father’s eyes widened upon seeing the scars which were neatly splayed up and down the pale skin. The corner of his lip then rose and he ruffled Howon’s hair - There were no traces of fresh scars and the scars already on his wrist had healed.
His father then nodded and started with small talk - Well, catching-up talk. They began with school and friends and hobbies. Howon didn’t say a word.
After that, his youngest son was probably already home, and so he had to leave. They separated with a few waves and goodbyes.
As Howon and Sunggyu were walking along the footpath, Howon questioned curiously, ‘You knew about my cutting?’
Sunggyu shrugged. ‘I noticed it about a year ago, actually,’ he answered in amusement. Howon thought he was unobservant even after all those years together. ‘I also noticed you stopping and I have a strong suspicion as to why.’
Howon looked at him with a crooked eyebrow.
‘Jang Dongwoo,’ Sunggyu stated confidently.
Howon cracked a little smile. ‘You’re right. I promised him,’ he granted.
Sunggyu’s smiled disappeared and was replaced with a pout of concern. ‘A promise is something too easily broken, Howon.’
The younger sighed, ‘I know.’
-
‘Howon,’ Dongwoo called after the end of day bell sounded. Howon turned around and met eyes with Dongwoo, who was running up to him with a smile on his face. ‘Wanna hang out now?’ Dongwoo asked, slightly out of breath.
Howon blinked. ‘Where?’
‘My house,’ Dongwoo chirped brightly.
Howon stiffened at the answered and just stared blankly down at the other. Dongwoo began pouting at the lack of an answer and started jumping around everywhere, whining, ‘Please!’
Some students near the school gates turned around and watched Howon’s expression falter, the way his hard stare softened at Dongwoo. It was about time the rumour train started up again.
‘Okay,’ Howon answered. Dongwoo immediately glomped him and then dragged Howon by the arm all the way to his bus stop, the students separating to make a path for them. Neither of the boys really gave a crap about the whispers and surprised looks.
Woohyun and Sunggyu were actually standing right at the front entrance of the school building, staring bewildered at Howon and Dongwoo before them. ‘Are those two dating?’ Woohyun asked dumbly.
Sunggyu ruffled his hair, growing insane at the week’s madness. ‘To be frank, I have no fucking idea whatsoever,’ he groaned, shaking his head in disapproval of his absurd life.
-
That night, Woohyun invited Myungsoo to sneak into a bar with him. They sat at a small round table, each with a glass of beer. Woohyun found out Myungsoo had an incredible alcohol tolerance as Myungsoo was already on his fourth glass and still going strong. Woohyun dropped out after his third.
‘Why have you been acting like a dickhead these days?’ Woohyun asked, chewing on some peanuts.
‘I don’t know,’ Myungsoo mumbled uncaringly.
Woohyun grunted at his reply. ‘What do you mean, I don’t know? It’s to do with Sungyeol, isn’t it?’
‘Well yeah, I mean,’ Myungsoo muttered, scratching the nape of his neck.
Woohyun sighed and ordered another beer for the younger. ‘Whatever it is, why are you taking it out on your brother?’ he questioned.
‘I don’t mean to, it just happens.’
‘Look,’ Woohyun sighed somewhat leniently (He could never be mad at Myungsoo.), ‘What’s happening with you and Yeol? I’ve heard about your reputation, so don’t you give me bullshit alright?’
‘I really do like him,’ Myungsoo confessed, chugging down a quarter of his glass.
Woohyun gasped, leaning forward on the table, ‘Really?’
Myungsoo smiled, looking down. ‘I’ve just never had a real relationship before, so I don’t know what to do.’
‘So you’re acting all nice to him to show him you like him?’
‘Pretty much.’ He nodded.
Woohyun grinned and hit Myungsoo’s shoulder playfully. ‘Well, aren’t you two cute,’ he cooed, ‘In that case, I wish you good luck.’
Woohyun then scanned around the room, searching for something he liked. He then narrowed his eyes and smirked, standing up.
He said, ‘Now, I’m going to flirt with that bartender and you can think up more ideas to win over my Yeol.’
Myungsoo raised his glass at him and watched as Woohyun stumbled to the bartender, spewing cheesy nonsense and whatnot that made the bartender blush and giggle.
As Myungsoo fished out his wallet to pay, he decided to ditch Woohyun and find a club somewhere (lie and say he was tired and wanted to go home, maybe). And as he left, Myungsoo mentally un-crossed his fingers. Woohyun was easy to convince and the alcohol only assisted him.
-
‘When is your birthday?’
‘26th of March,’ Howon replied instantly. He was sitting rigidly on Dongwoo’s couch and staring at the floorboards.
‘Favourite colour?’
‘I don’t have one.’
‘Siblings?’
Howon hesitated a little. ‘Two,’ he answered after sensing Dongwoo staring at him from the kitchen.
‘Two?’ Dongwoo repeated.
‘Yes, two siblings.’
Dongwoo found it pretty cute how Howon was acting and sounding like he was being interrogated. Howon wasn’t guilty of anything - Well, he was guilty of being extremely awkward ever since they stepped foot in Dongwoo’s house. It wasn’t like Dongwoo was going to jump him any time soon. He then began rummaging in the pantry for something to eat, questioning in a sing-song voice, ‘Favourite ice-cream flavour?’
‘Any.’
‘Really?’ Dongwoo laughed heartedly, ‘I’ve noticed that you like really sweet things.’
Howon stayed quiet.
‘Career goal?’
Howon hesitated again. ‘Unknown,’ he muttered.
Dongwoo snapped his fingers and giggled, ‘You should be a detective!’
Howon cracked a little smile and nodded.
‘Talent?’
‘Taekwondo.’ Okay, Dongwoo had to admit that was pretty sick. He noted to ask Howon to teach him later.
‘Best friend?’
‘Sunggyu, Myungsoo, Sungjong.’
Pouting, Dongwoo made his way over with a bowl of chips. ‘What about me?’ he asked dejectedly. He sat himself down and found pleasure in the way Howon stuttered out, ‘I - I don’t know.’
‘Pets?’ Dongwoo asked, shoving a handful of chips into his mouth.
‘None.’ Should’ve known.
‘Favourite savoury food?’
‘Sushi.’
‘Allergies?’
‘None that I know of.’
Dongwoo smiled widely to himself. ‘Do you like me?’
Weirdly enough, Howon froze and his mouth refused to open. Dongwoo’s smile fell and he mentally frowned. They sat there on the couch silently for a minute or two, with Dongwoo feeling crestfallen and Howon feeling beyond awkward. Then Dongwoo stood up and headed to the kitchen again, to fetch some drinks. As he opened the fridge, his back turned to the living room, he heard Howon speak.
‘Yes…’ Howon said quietly. Dongwoo immediately turned around and raised a questioning eyebrow at the younger student. Howon swallowed thickly and clarified, ‘Yes, I do like you.’
Dongwoo’s heart did a somersault.
-
AN\ Long-ish chapter for you where Howon’s backstory is unfolding ;D AND SO MUCH KISSING!!!
Prologue One Two Three Four Five Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fifteen
Fourteen | Woohyun/Sunggyu, Hoya(Howon)/Dongwoo, L(Myungsoo)/Sungyeol | Fluff > Crack | PG13 (for cussing and sexual references)
Summary: Typical high school fic in which Woohyun is no longer top dog, Myungsoo’s life becomes interesting, Howon finally feels something and Sungjong discovers his future.
(poster by chocolate_ai)
-
‘Morning,’ Woohyun said as he approached his seat, Sunggyu’s head on the desk. Woohyun pouted a little and mumbled to the older student, ‘Sleepy?’
Sunggyu shifted, pressing his face against his arms as he hummed in confirmation. ‘Had an argument after I hung up on you yesterday,’ he informed, although it was muffled.
‘Really?’
Sunggyu finally lifted his head and looked up at Woohyun with a tired expression. ‘Myungsoo just came home and when I yelled at him, he started throwing a tantrum,’ Sunggyu sighed drowsily, ‘It was weird. He seemed angry about something.’
Then Woohyun remembered what happened yesterday and what he did - actually what he didn’t do in particular that may or may not have effected Myungsoo’s behaviour in a negative way. (Woops.) ‘That might’ve been my fault…’ Woohyun trailed off unsurely, biting his thumb nail.
Sunggyu’s eyes narrowed in suspicion as he snapped, ‘What do you mean?’
Woohyun cleared his throat, knowing he was playing with a tiger. ‘Well…’
‘Okay class, turn to page forty-five in your text books,’ the teacher interrupted their conversation. Woohyun immediately straightened and opened his textbook to the assigned page and pretended to read the contents. Sunggyu glowered at him and turned his attention back to his work - which was actually homework he had for history class but forgot to do because he was talking to Woohyun all night. (Woops.)
As soon as the bell rang, Woohyun jolted out of the room and Sunggyu had to run and push over a desk to catch up to him.
Sunggyu tugged at Woohyun’s hair to get him to turn around. Woohyun turned around with pained noises. ‘What did you do to Myungsoo?’ Sunggyu growled.
‘Sungyeol has a cousin named Doojoon,’ Woohyun blurted out, out on a whim.
Finally, Sunggyu let out of his hair and mumbled cutely (Well, in Woohyun’s opinion), ‘Why does that have anything to do with my brother or you?’
Woohyun explained unsurely, mentally preparing for death, ‘Myungsoo doesn’t know Doojoon is only just a cousin and I forgot to tell him.’
‘Woohyun!’ Sunggyu exclaimed, eyes widened.
Woohyun sprinted as fast as he could. ‘Bye.’
-
It was weird - Sungyeol had been at school for a little more than an hour and Myungsoo hadn’t violated him even once yet. It made Sungyeol a little jittery, a little on the edge, when he thought that Myungsoo might’ve been planning something massive to make up for the lack of inappropriate contact. And just like Sungyeol was writing his own future, Myungsoo appeared as soon as the class was dismissed for first period. By how quickly Myungsoo found him, Sungyeol guessed he was skipping again - His brother was going to demolish him if Sungyeol were to tell on him. (Cue evil laugh.)
‘Hey,’ Myungsoo cooed, his voice lower and huskier than usual. Sungyeol couldn’t help but notice the lopsided smile and the hint of a dimple - the way his eyes fucking screamed sex. Sungyeol swallowed a little and Myungsoo continued talking, in that same tone, ‘Really sorry for the way I acted yesterday. I was just having a bad day and all…’
Sungyeol nodded, not moving from his position. Then he felt Myungsoo’s hand creep around his waist in a slow, seductive movement that had Sungyeol frozen still, staring at the way Myungsoo’s lips moved when he talked. ‘Sorry, skyscraper.’
‘I - It’s okay,’ Sungyeol croaked after a cough, feeling the younger student’s hot breath on his neck. He felt himself blushing and he just hoped Myungsoo was somewhat colour blind. Why he wasn’t fighting back? Sungyeol didn’t know. The only explanation he could even imagine was that Myungsoo had some sort of supernatural power that suspended him of all movement.
Before Sungyeol could realise what he was doing - he was letting Myungsoo hold him around the waist and doing nothing but stare - Myungsoo kissed him. It was soft and sweet, slow with no involvement of tongues or teeth, but it was absolutely far from innocent. Sungyeol’s eyelids instantly closed at the feeling and he could barely register Myungsoo’s arms wrapping around his waist tighter, pulling him closer.
When Sungyeol was about to run out of air - He really thought he’d faint - Myungsoo pulled away and whispered hotly in his ear, ‘Let’s go to literature, ha?’
How Myungsoo turned the insane, hyper Sungyeol into an obedient little pupil was beyond anyone’s imagination. Sungyeol obliged and let Myungsoo haul him to their class, arm around Sungyeol’s waist the whole time. During the trip, Sungyeol didn’t say a word, his lips pressed together tightly.
As they passed, one of the seniors caught the sight of the legendary Kim Myungsoo with Sungyeol and whispered to another, ‘Are they dating?’
‘Normal dating or Kim Myungsoo-style dating?’ the other scoffed in return, scowling at Myungsoo’s back view.
Sunggyu heard the whispering, the mention of his brother’s name, and turned around, spotting his brother and Sungyeol walking together whilst being attached by the hip. He blinked rapidly to himself.
-
Woohyun was at his locker when he saw Sungyeol approaching, with Myungsoo by his side. As soon as Myungsoo saw Woohyun, Myungsoo gave Sungyeol a quick peck on the cheek and waved goodbye. He left with Sungyeol just standing there, unreadable expression on his face.
‘What was that?’ Woohyun asked, astonished. ‘When the fuck did this happen and why didn’t anyone say anything?!’
Sungyeol shrugged. ‘I don’t know,’ he mumbled, somewhat dejected.
They began walking to the front of the school, Sungyeol staring unfocusedly at the floor while they walked. ‘You are… quiet,’ Woohyun probed, curious as to why the new Sungyeol was the new Sungyeol.
Sungyeol didn’t reply and continued walking mindlessly.
‘I’m kinda scared,’ Woohyun mentioned. He then began acting insane and talked to himself, ‘Is it December yet? Is the world ending earlier than scheduled?’
Scoffing, Woohyun sneered at Sungyeol’s silence.
‘What? Not going to make an immature comeback like you always do?’
Sungyeol didn’t even look at him this time.
‘Sungyeol, seriously, I’m taking you to the nurse,’ Woohyun heaved, grabbing Sungyeol’s sleeve. The latter flung him away angrily.
‘Let go!’ he whined, before storming off, ‘Just leave me alone.’
Woohyun winced to himself when Sungyeol painfully knocked his shoulder into someone’s open locker.
And amongst all the weird things and bipolar-ness, Doojoon was getting lost on his own.
-
‘What do you think you’re playing at?’ Sunggyu whispered hoarsely in his brother’s ear. It’s the start of lunch and he had just witnessed Myungsoo kissing Sungyeol goodbye. On the lips.
Myungsoo’s glare was hard as he answered lowly, darkly, ‘What are you talking about?’
There was a warning look in Sunggyu’s eyes as he said, ‘Kim Myungsoo, you and I both know very well what I’m talking about.’
‘It’s just a kiss,’ Myungsoo scoffed.
‘To you it’s just a kiss, but to others it could mean so much more,’ Sunggyu retorted.
Myungsoo rolled his eyes and turned on his heel, beginning to walk away.
Sunggyu blew the hair out of his eyes and exclaimed in frustration, ‘What’s with your attitude lately?’
Myungsoo turned around and sneered, head tilting. ‘What attitude? I’m the same bratty brother who you’ve always hated,’ he spat.
Sunggyu ruffled his hair in annoyance as he saw his brother’s figure disappear into the crowd.
-
That night, Sunggyu called up Woohyun again. It was starting to become his routine and Woohyun didn’t seem to mind, so he continued with it. When Woohyun picked up and said a bright hello, Sunggyu let out a sigh and didn’t say anything else.
‘What’s up? You seem down,’ Woohyun commented, throwing a miniature basketball up and down whilst lying on his bed. He seemed worried about Sunggyu’s earlier behaviour - Sunggyu seemed a little more annoyed and tired that day. Woohyun asked in concern, ‘Did something happen today?’
‘Myungsoo’s been acting weirdly,’ Sunggyu responded, sighing again.
Woohyun scrunched up his forehead as he began to ponder about how weird today was. ‘So has Sungyeol,’ he said, remembering how unusually quiet Sungyeol was the whole day. He had a strong feeling it was to do with Myungsoo.
‘Really?’ Sunggyu yawned, obviously sleep-deprived.
‘Yeah. He didn’t scream once,’ Woohyun chuckled slightly, sitting up on his bed.
‘Do you think those two are…?’
Woohyun knew what he was implying instantly. ‘I don’t know. I’m not good at these types of things,’ he confessed, peering at the window beside him. It was a dreary night to match a fucked up day. The clouds were thick and dark, the wind haunting.
‘Me neither,’ Sunggyu mumbled, ‘I think I’ll ask Howon on Monday.’
Woohyun hummed in reply and waited for Sunggyu to start up another conversation.
There was another yawn from the other line and Sunggyu said drowsily, ‘I should go. I didn’t fall asleep until four today.’
‘Yeah, you told me in bio,’ Woohyun remarked, smiling to himself. ‘Goodnight, student body president.’
Sunggyu answered, ‘Mm, ‘night.’
For the first time, Woohyun hung up first. He knew Sunggyu needed to sleep.
-
The weekend left a quadrillion times faster than it came. All Sunggyu did was stay home and watch television, send Woohyun a few threatening texts for asking him stupid questions, and cook dinner for his mother when she came home from work. Myungsoo went out the whole weekend, refusing to say a word to his brother. Of course, Sunggyu became a little concerned over his behaviour and tried calling him. It was no use though, since Myungsoo blocked his number.
It was Monday and the first thing Sunggyu did when he got to school was find Howon. ‘Howon, I have a request,’ he said instead of an unrequired hello.
‘What is it?’
‘I’ve seen you observing, so tell me what is the relationship between my brother and Sungyeol.’
Howon was a little surprised at Sunggyu - mainly because the older student had caught him analysing Sungyeol and Myungsoo’s actions. He nodded and informed quietly, ‘Sungyeol likes Myungsoo, obviously, but he’s scared.’
Sunggyu cringed a little to himself - that may have been his fault for scaring Sungyeol about Myungsoo.
Howon continued, ‘And Myungsoo looks… rather competitive.’
‘Competitive?’ Sunggyu pondered to himself, and then something clicked and he realised what Woohyun had told him on Friday. ‘Ah that’s right, Sungyeol’s cousin.’
Howon concluded, ‘I don’t know what they have, but I can tell it’s not a romantic relationship - Well, not an official one anyway.’
‘Thanks,’ Sunggyu muttered, deciding to wait and see what Myungsoo was up to before he could stop it.
-
‘It’s nice to see Mr Delinquent doing work,’ Sunggyu mentioned as he walked into biology. Woohyun was already at his seat, scribbling something in an exercise book. He then looked up and saw Sunggyu and smirked, showing him his book.
‘I stand corrected,’ Sunggyu sighed, upon seeing Woohyun’s drawing of their biology teacher and her many, many stink lines. Woohyun laughed and Sunggyu just rolled his eyes at the younger’s idiocy.
‘Why do you always roll your eyes at me?’ Woohyun whined, adding some finishing touches to his masterpiece.
Sunggyu scoffed. ‘Oh, because you are so eye-roll-worthy,’ he said in a velvety tone.
Woohyun’s lip curled. ‘Say oh again.’
Slapping Woohyun’s shoulder, Sunggyu barked, ‘Grow up.’
Woohyun finally put down his pen and slouched into his seat, he turned his head to Sunggyu with a sly grin. ‘I am grown up,’ he retorted, pointing to his crotch, ‘Wanna see?’
Sunggyu shook his head - not as an answer (although it was pretty obvious), but as an expression of how unbelievable Woohyun was. It was rather funny when they were in biology together these days. They always had childish conversations and Woohyun would throw in more than too many awkward penis jokes. Sunggyu couldn’t believe how dirty and graphic Woohyun could be, amazed by Woohyun’s twelve-year-old mind.
Sunggyu questioned in response, ‘Did you have an inappropriate dream about me again last night?’
Woohyun turned to him with a cunning smile and interrogated, ‘How did you know I’ve dreamt about you more than once?’
Sunggyu immediately laughed, throwing his head back a little, ‘When did I get so immature?’
The teacher began her lesson so Woohyun and Sunggyu began whispering. ‘Since you started talking to me,’ Woohyun murmured, practicing his ventriloquism. Sunggyu snorted.
‘I guess I need to stop talking to you,’ he replied, that challenging tone in his voice again, ‘Your stupidity is contagious.’
Woohyun licked his lips. ‘I’m proof your cuteness is contagious.’
‘Oh, got to hell, you idiot,’ Sunggyu whispered back.
‘Say oh again.’
Woohyun let out a pained sound and everyone turned their attention towards him. Sunggyu hung his head low and laughed silently because Sunggyu was the one who stomped on his foot.
-
At the beginning of recess, Sungjong and Yongguk were walking down the hallway. They then witnessed Woohyun and Sunggyu laughing about something and then waving each other off, looking very friendly - Well, friendlier since Sunggyu did smash Woohyun senseless twice.
‘Is it me or are all your friends dating?’ Yongguk asked, mouth agape.
Sungjong scowled and asked, ‘What do you mean?’
‘Those two -‘ He pointed towards the area Sunggyu and Woohyun just were. ‘That playboy and Sungyeol, Dongwoo and that quiet guy that pierces into people’s souls.’
Sungjong shrugged and trudged to his locker, Yongguk trailing behind him closely. Like a Chihuahua.
‘I don’t know, they haven’t told me anything.’ He was starting to believe he was being left out because no one was telling him anything anymore - What he didn’t know was it was because no one knew how they could put such fucked-up situation into words and make it understandable.
‘Hey, um,’ Yongguk said, stopping Sungjong from closing his locker. Sungjong frowned and spun to face the older student, taken aback by their close proximity.
‘What?’
Yongguk scratched his head and requested unsurely, looking in all different directions, ‘Can I… kiss you?’
Sungjong giggled. ‘My boyfriend is a serious pansy,’ he sighed. Yongguk was kind of surprised by the word boyfriend. Neither of them really talked about their status, even if they did watch a movie together - It was obviously a date. However, he didn’t say anything against the word and left it at that, deciding that he was Sungjong’s boyfriend and Sungjong was his. Sungjong then latched onto Yongguk’s neck and pulled him closer, muttering, ‘Come here.’
They kissed for longer than planned and some of Yongguk’s asswipe friends came along and snapped up some good shots of the two making out in front of Sungjong’s locker. Facebook time.
-
‘Why have you been kissing me randomly lately?’
Myungsoo had brought Sungyeol to the rooftop that recess, holding his hand all the way there. Sungyeol didn’t struggle one little bit because was he being so sweet and affection and gentle, and Myungsoo would smile at him and say hey like it was the most natural thing in the world. They were sitting beside the door, Myungsoo’s hand still around Sungyeol’s. Sungyeol had been feeling utterly mindless and stupid since yesterday. He’d wondered what changed and how it changed so fast - Suddenly Myungsoo wasn’t a pervert and he didn’t grope Sungyeol every second he was in his presence. It was hard to adapt that quickly.
‘I don’t know,’ Myungsoo laughed. Of course Myungsoo knew: Having Sungyeol’s full attention on him meant Sungyeol couldn’t really give attention to that new kid. He then leaned into Sungyeol’s ear and murmured against the skin of his neck under it, ‘Why have you been letting me?’
Sungyeol jumped a little and Myungsoo chuckled at how endearing he was.
‘So cute,’ Myungsoo commented, that same addicting smile from yesterday on his face. Sungyeol just stared at him until Myungsoo kissed him and Sungyeol was no longer looking at anything. He knew this was all too sudden and weird and Myungsoo wasn’t acting like himself. In the back of his mind he knew it was all an act, he knew he was getting sucked in but he enjoyed every single moment of it. He knew he was falling and he was falling hard.
Sunggyu was definitely right - Myungsoo was impossibly good.
-
‘Howon said they aren’t dating,’ Sunggyu said, sitting himself on the balcony railing. Of course it wasn’t safe, but Sunggyu was smart enough to know when he was going to slip.
‘Then what’s happening? Sungyeol should’ve stripped Myungsoo naked and tied him to a flag pole by now.’
Sunggyu’s eyes widened and he peeked at the phone screen for a moment. ‘What?’ he snapped.
‘Trust me, it’s happened before.’
Sunggyu didn’t want to know. He just concluded that Sungyeol was insane and he could twist the laws of physics with puppy-dog eyes and cute head-tilts. The conversation came to a halt and Sunggyu did nothing but breathe into the phone, listening to Woohyun’s breathing as well.
They did that for about two minutes, until Woohyun asked in bubbling concern, ‘You okay?’
Sunggyu swung his head back and forth, random sappy song stuck in his head. ‘I’m okay,’ he mumbled dryly, ‘Just worried about Myungsoo…’
‘Don’t be…’
‘I can’t help it, you idiot.’
-
The next few days dragged on repetitively - Howon and Dongwoo hanging out with each other in the gym every chance they had, Myungsoo and Sungyeol being undeniably affectionate everywhere, Sunggyu having multiple meetings he didn’t really give a shit about, Woohyun hanging out with his old West campus friends, and Sungjong and Yongguk mucking around at their lunchtime activities. It was very boring, very routine, and kind of lame.
At home, Myungsoo and Sunggyu would ignore each other. Myungsoo would go out somewhere every night and come home late - and most of the time he reeked of alcohol, which earned him a few bashings from Sunggyu. Myungsoo would then lash out and lock himself in his room. Afterwards, Sunggyu would call Woohyun up and they would talk for hours without pausing, and by the end of it Sunggyu would be happier than he was before.
The Kim brothers’ relationship was on a downward spiral and Sunggyu felt utterly helpless. Woohyun assured him that things were going to be fine and Howon kept saying how Sunggyu just needed to wait a while to see what he could do. He still felt unsettled and Woohyun hated that.
He hated it when Sunggyu wasn’t okay, so he decided to do something about it that Friday night.
-
‘Why did you take me here?’
Sunggyu smiled at Howon’s confused face. It was Thursday afternoon and they were in front of an elementary school, right in front of the gate. Sunggyu looked at the time on his watch and announced, ‘Three, two, one…’
The end-of-day bell rang and the sound of children laughing resounded throughout the school grounds. Soon after, giggling kids and their distressed parents flooded out of the building, all heading for the gate. The two boys just stood there and watched every movement, Sunggyu smiling upon seeing the excited children.
‘It’s been all too long since you’ve seen him, right?’ Sunggyu mused with a click of his tongue, almost accidentally kicking a child who crawled between his legs to get to his mother.
Howon looked down to the concrete and Sunggyu frowned. ‘You don’t want to see him?’ he questioned.
‘I do,’ Howon corrected.
‘Then what’s upsetting you?’
‘As you said, it’s been too long,’ the younger student digressed, ‘Does he still want to see me?’
Sunggyu nodded at the reply and went back to staring at the school doors, watching as the kids filed out. Howon followed suit. In about ten minutes, all the children had left and the teachers emerged from the building.
There was a particular teacher who caught their eyes - he was middle-aged, wearing a brown blazer and black tie, holding a clipboard. On his blazer, there was a shiny silver badge that read Principal. As he looked up from his polished leather shoes, he met eyes with Howon and the latter flinched at the eye contact.
‘Son?’ he asked in bewilderment, running up to the two boys, ‘What are you doing here?’
The two bowed in return, Sunggyu having a cheery smile on his face, greeting a nice to see you again. The man then turned his attention towards Sunggyu and patted his head in awe. ‘Sunggyu, you’ve grown a lot,’ he cooed.
Sunggyu chuckled and then pointed towards Howon with his thumb. ‘Howon’s grown too, sir,’ he informed slyly.
‘How so?’ Howon’s father asked.
Without another word, Sunggyu grabbed Howon’s left arm with force, sliding up his sleeve. Howon swiftly turned his head to Sunggyu - who was hinting a smile and refused to let Howon’s sleeve fall down. Howon’s father’s eyes widened upon seeing the scars which were neatly splayed up and down the pale skin. The corner of his lip then rose and he ruffled Howon’s hair - There were no traces of fresh scars and the scars already on his wrist had healed.
His father then nodded and started with small talk - Well, catching-up talk. They began with school and friends and hobbies. Howon didn’t say a word.
After that, his youngest son was probably already home, and so he had to leave. They separated with a few waves and goodbyes.
As Howon and Sunggyu were walking along the footpath, Howon questioned curiously, ‘You knew about my cutting?’
Sunggyu shrugged. ‘I noticed it about a year ago, actually,’ he answered in amusement. Howon thought he was unobservant even after all those years together. ‘I also noticed you stopping and I have a strong suspicion as to why.’
Howon looked at him with a crooked eyebrow.
‘Jang Dongwoo,’ Sunggyu stated confidently.
Howon cracked a little smile. ‘You’re right. I promised him,’ he granted.
Sunggyu’s smiled disappeared and was replaced with a pout of concern. ‘A promise is something too easily broken, Howon.’
The younger sighed, ‘I know.’
-
‘Howon,’ Dongwoo called after the end of day bell sounded. Howon turned around and met eyes with Dongwoo, who was running up to him with a smile on his face. ‘Wanna hang out now?’ Dongwoo asked, slightly out of breath.
Howon blinked. ‘Where?’
‘My house,’ Dongwoo chirped brightly.
Howon stiffened at the answered and just stared blankly down at the other. Dongwoo began pouting at the lack of an answer and started jumping around everywhere, whining, ‘Please!’
Some students near the school gates turned around and watched Howon’s expression falter, the way his hard stare softened at Dongwoo. It was about time the rumour train started up again.
‘Okay,’ Howon answered. Dongwoo immediately glomped him and then dragged Howon by the arm all the way to his bus stop, the students separating to make a path for them. Neither of the boys really gave a crap about the whispers and surprised looks.
Woohyun and Sunggyu were actually standing right at the front entrance of the school building, staring bewildered at Howon and Dongwoo before them. ‘Are those two dating?’ Woohyun asked dumbly.
Sunggyu ruffled his hair, growing insane at the week’s madness. ‘To be frank, I have no fucking idea whatsoever,’ he groaned, shaking his head in disapproval of his absurd life.
-
That night, Woohyun invited Myungsoo to sneak into a bar with him. They sat at a small round table, each with a glass of beer. Woohyun found out Myungsoo had an incredible alcohol tolerance as Myungsoo was already on his fourth glass and still going strong. Woohyun dropped out after his third.
‘Why have you been acting like a dickhead these days?’ Woohyun asked, chewing on some peanuts.
‘I don’t know,’ Myungsoo mumbled uncaringly.
Woohyun grunted at his reply. ‘What do you mean, I don’t know? It’s to do with Sungyeol, isn’t it?’
‘Well yeah, I mean,’ Myungsoo muttered, scratching the nape of his neck.
Woohyun sighed and ordered another beer for the younger. ‘Whatever it is, why are you taking it out on your brother?’ he questioned.
‘I don’t mean to, it just happens.’
‘Look,’ Woohyun sighed somewhat leniently (He could never be mad at Myungsoo.), ‘What’s happening with you and Yeol? I’ve heard about your reputation, so don’t you give me bullshit alright?’
‘I really do like him,’ Myungsoo confessed, chugging down a quarter of his glass.
Woohyun gasped, leaning forward on the table, ‘Really?’
Myungsoo smiled, looking down. ‘I’ve just never had a real relationship before, so I don’t know what to do.’
‘So you’re acting all nice to him to show him you like him?’
‘Pretty much.’ He nodded.
Woohyun grinned and hit Myungsoo’s shoulder playfully. ‘Well, aren’t you two cute,’ he cooed, ‘In that case, I wish you good luck.’
Woohyun then scanned around the room, searching for something he liked. He then narrowed his eyes and smirked, standing up.
He said, ‘Now, I’m going to flirt with that bartender and you can think up more ideas to win over my Yeol.’
Myungsoo raised his glass at him and watched as Woohyun stumbled to the bartender, spewing cheesy nonsense and whatnot that made the bartender blush and giggle.
As Myungsoo fished out his wallet to pay, he decided to ditch Woohyun and find a club somewhere (lie and say he was tired and wanted to go home, maybe). And as he left, Myungsoo mentally un-crossed his fingers. Woohyun was easy to convince and the alcohol only assisted him.
-
‘When is your birthday?’
‘26th of March,’ Howon replied instantly. He was sitting rigidly on Dongwoo’s couch and staring at the floorboards.
‘Favourite colour?’
‘I don’t have one.’
‘Siblings?’
Howon hesitated a little. ‘Two,’ he answered after sensing Dongwoo staring at him from the kitchen.
‘Two?’ Dongwoo repeated.
‘Yes, two siblings.’
Dongwoo found it pretty cute how Howon was acting and sounding like he was being interrogated. Howon wasn’t guilty of anything - Well, he was guilty of being extremely awkward ever since they stepped foot in Dongwoo’s house. It wasn’t like Dongwoo was going to jump him any time soon. He then began rummaging in the pantry for something to eat, questioning in a sing-song voice, ‘Favourite ice-cream flavour?’
‘Any.’
‘Really?’ Dongwoo laughed heartedly, ‘I’ve noticed that you like really sweet things.’
Howon stayed quiet.
‘Career goal?’
Howon hesitated again. ‘Unknown,’ he muttered.
Dongwoo snapped his fingers and giggled, ‘You should be a detective!’
Howon cracked a little smile and nodded.
‘Talent?’
‘Taekwondo.’ Okay, Dongwoo had to admit that was pretty sick. He noted to ask Howon to teach him later.
‘Best friend?’
‘Sunggyu, Myungsoo, Sungjong.’
Pouting, Dongwoo made his way over with a bowl of chips. ‘What about me?’ he asked dejectedly. He sat himself down and found pleasure in the way Howon stuttered out, ‘I - I don’t know.’
‘Pets?’ Dongwoo asked, shoving a handful of chips into his mouth.
‘None.’ Should’ve known.
‘Favourite savoury food?’
‘Sushi.’
‘Allergies?’
‘None that I know of.’
Dongwoo smiled widely to himself. ‘Do you like me?’
Weirdly enough, Howon froze and his mouth refused to open. Dongwoo’s smile fell and he mentally frowned. They sat there on the couch silently for a minute or two, with Dongwoo feeling crestfallen and Howon feeling beyond awkward. Then Dongwoo stood up and headed to the kitchen again, to fetch some drinks. As he opened the fridge, his back turned to the living room, he heard Howon speak.
‘Yes…’ Howon said quietly. Dongwoo immediately turned around and raised a questioning eyebrow at the younger student. Howon swallowed thickly and clarified, ‘Yes, I do like you.’
Dongwoo’s heart did a somersault.
-
AN\ Long-ish chapter for you where Howon’s backstory is unfolding ;D AND SO MUCH KISSING!!!
Prologue One Two Three Four Five Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fifteen