Trustworthy *chapter one*
Pairing: HimDae
Rated: PG13
Length: 3.3K
“It’s your turn to buy the snacks.”
“You’re just saying that because your fatass wants to pick out the entire snack aisle to take home.”
Daehyun pouted. “You’re going to give me a complex, Jonguppie. That’s not nice.”
Rolling his eyes, Jongup bumped his shoulder into his best friend. “You’re the skinniest boy I’ve ever seen, Daehyunnie. You know I’m only joking.”
They entered the grocery store and immediately headed down different aisles. While Jongup grabbed things like bottles of water and granola bars and packets of peanuts, Daehyun headed straight to the sweets. He loaded his arms with candy bars, suckers and bags of chips.
Jongup groaned when they met each other at the register.
“Are you kidding me? You’re planning on eating all of that in one night?”
Daehyun shrugged. “Do you really think I can’t?”
Grumbling about how his friend was going to die of sugar shock one of these days, Jongup reluctantly paid for the three bags of food with his allowance.
“So what are we doing tonight?” Daehyun asked, pulling a candy bar out of one of his bags and tearing it open with his teeth.
“There’s a new level unlocked on our game!” Jongup exclaimed. “I forgot to tell you at school! Hyung played for over an hour last night trying to get to it for me!”
They ran the rest of the way back to Jongup’s house, both boasting that they could have done it themselves, it was just that Jongup’s hyung was older and had been playing longer.
“So then I told him that he needed to go through the second door because he had been going through the first one this whole time and he did! So then we got to the steps a-“
“Son, are you telling this story again?” Jongup’s mother shook her head as she let them inside the house. “I’m sure Daehyun would rather eat than hear this. Go wash up and come down to have a snack.”
Jongup laughed at the happy look on his friend’s face. “You just ate two candy bars on the way home! I don’t understand how your stomach works!”
“Just ignore him.” She cooed, running her fingers through Daehyun’s dark brown hair. “You’re a growing boy and you need to eat.”
Daehyun stuck his tongue out at Jongup as his friend crossed his arms. He knew his mother had a soft spot for his best friend, but it annoyed him sometimes how she seemed to prefer him over her own son.
They both fought their way into the bathroom, Jongup winning of course because he was always stronger than Daehyun was. He looked at his skinny arms and twig legs that his school uniform practically hung off of and frowned. One day he was going to grow and wasn’t going to look so dorky. He was going to rid of the over-sized glasses and he was going to be handsome. He nodded, not realizing Jongup had finished and was watching him check himself out in the hallway mirror.
“What are you doing?” Jongup asked amused.
Jumping, Daehyun pushed past him into the bathroom. “Nothing.” He muttered. “Just thinking.”
He shut the door, still hearing Jongup’s chuckles behind him. Jongup knew his friend was shy and awkward. It was one of the reason’s they had become friends in the first place.
On the first day of third grade, the teacher had opened the door and pulled in the tiniest boy Jongup had ever seen. He had glasses too large for his face, long floppy hair that was way overdue for a trim and a blush that spread all the way across his cheeks.
“Class, this is Jung Daehyun. He just transferred here, so please treat him well. Daehyun, why don’t you go sit in the empty seat by Jongup, okay? Jongup, please raise your hand so that he knows it’s you.”
Jongup happily threw his hand in the air and gave the new boy his biggest smile. “Hi Daehyun-ssi!” He said excitedly. “My name is Jongup and I hope that we can be friends.”
The nervous boy beside him bit down on his puffy bottom lip and nodded. “Thank you.” He replied quietly. “I would like that, too.”
The two boys became inseparable from that moment on. Even when their classmates took to teasing the smaller boy just because he was smart and bookish, Jongup always stood by him. Daehyun was glad that someone larger and stronger than him had befriended him. His mother kept telling him that one day he would grow taller, but he really stopped believing her as the years ticked by and nothing ever happened.
Daehyun and Jongup were as different as night and day, but they actually enjoyed their differences. Jongup came from an affluent family, one that didn’t have to live in an apartment, like he did. Daehyun was thrown into silence the first time he had visited. He came from a more meager household, his mother the only other person in their small apartment. She had to work all day just to afford their monthly bills, so Jongup’s mother had offered to watch Daehyun after school every day until she got off.
Even though everyone knew she was offering to help ease the burden a little (even at a young age, Daehyun ate enough for three kids), she was nice enough to word the offer so that it didn’t sound like charity.
They quickly came to view each other as brothers and did everything together. Jongup had been in dance class since he was six and even though Daehyun wasn’t interested in dance, he did enjoy singing, so he would sing their favorite songs while Jongup danced to them.
Daehyun liked to read and worked hard for his good grades. He was always worried that his mother wouldn’t be able to send him to university so he thought that if he did well in school then he might scrape by on scholarships. Jongup, unfortunately, didn’t care about his grades so Daehyun spent some time every week trying to tutor him and helping with his homework.
The only thing that made them different that Daehyun couldn’t enjoy was something he kept a secret from his best friend. Something he had told no one and would really prefer to take to his grave.
Daehyun liked boys.
He had tried a million times to work up the courage to tell Jongup, but every time he lost his nerve and kept it to himself for another day. Even though he really didn’t think his best friend would judge him, he still wasn’t sure how it would affect their friendship. And not only was Jongup his closest friend, he was probably his only friend. No one else was brave enough to be seen talking to the class dork and he was too shy to talk comfortably around strangers. If he lost Jongup, well, he didn’t know what he’d do, but he knew it wouldn’t be pretty.
“Are you done yet?” Jongup banged on the door. “My mom made rice cakes and she said I can’t eat any until you come in!”
Daehyun hurriedly wiped his clean hands on the towel before throwing the door open with a grin. “She doesn’t want you to have any before her favorite child gets some.”
Jongup muttered under his breath and bumped him with his elbow. “Shut up, Jung Daehyun. Or I’ll eat all of the candy I bought you.”
Gasping, Daehyun felt his eyes widen behind his glasses. “Do you want to die?” He hissed. “Why would you even joke about that?”
“Seriously, Jonguppie.” A deep voice spoke up behind them. “Even I know not to come between Daehyun-ah and his sweets.”
They turned to see Jongup’s brother smirking at them from his doorway. He had an amused smile on his face as he watched them bickering.
“Hyung! Tell Daehyunnie that mom likes me more than him!” Jongup whined, stomping his foot.
“Sorry, but I agree with Daehyun.” He shrugged. “No one likes you.”
“Mom!” Jongup screamed, running into the kitchen. “Himchan-hyung is being mean to me again!”
Himchan turned to Daehyun and shot him a grin. “I don’t know how you put up with that kid. He’s a whiner.”
Daehyun smiled back softly. Even though he had known Himchan for years now, he still felt shy around him. The older boy was so intense and when he looked at your direction you felt it deep in your bones.
“Daehyunnie!” Jongup yelled, popping his head around the corner. “Come ON!”
Rolling his eyes, he gave a short bow to Himchan before following Jongup.
“Thank god.” Jongup groaned, shoving a rice cake into his mouth. “I was starving from the walk home.”
Picking up his own cake, Daehyun ate in quiet.
“What time does your mother get off of work tonight, Daehyun?”
He looked up and blinked at Jongup’s mother. “I think at ten.” He replied. “She picked up an extra shift.”
She furrowed her brows. “I really don’t want you walking home alone that late at night. Why don’t you call her and see if you can stay the night, okay?”
He nodded, tuning out the excited squeals of the boy next to him. Jongup always overdid it when he got to spend the night. You would think they never saw each other or something. But he never minded how happy go lucky the other boy was. It just showed him that Jongup truly cared for him and liked to spend time together.
His mom sounded relieved when he called her work, he figured she was glad it was one less meal she had to cook for him.
After their snack the boys headed back towards Jongup’s room, taking their bags of treats with them.
“What level are we on now?” Daehyun asked as Jongup loaded the game.
“I think fourteen.” He answered distractedly as he searched for their headsets.
They settled down on their stomachs on the bed, ready for a fun evening of video games. Jongup was the team leader so he always got to decide where they went, but Daehyun really didn’t mind. He just liked being able to play with him. The only games he had at home were board games his mom forced him to play with her on her rare days off.
He was a pretty fine chess player because of it, though.
After two hours of Jongup cheering and yelling at the screen and Daehyun giggling every time he got mad, they heard their names being called down for supper.
“Can we watch a movie after supper?” Daehyun yawned, holding his head up on his fist. “I’m kinda tired.”
“Did you have to tutor late again last night?” Jongup asked, piling his plate high with food. “I thought you were going to stop that.”
He shook his head and tiredly dug his chopsticks into his meal. “I was, but the fridge went out last week so I’m trying to pick up some extra money.”
Neither boy saw Jongup’s parents lock eyes with each other over their heads.
“Mom and dad should pay you for dealing with Jongup on a regular basis.” Himchan snorted. “I wish they paid me for having to call him my little brother.”
“Himchan!” Their dad scolded. “Don’t be rude to your baby brother. In a couple years he is going to be in high school with you and you will have to look out for him.”
Himchan winced, partially at being scolded and partially at being told he would have to let the world know that the hyperactive kid was his brother.
“Daehyun, we’ve tried before to pay you for tutoring our Jongup. Let us give you some money.”
He smiled at Jongup’s mother. “Thank you, but I tutor him because if he doesn’t pass then we won’t get to see each other as much. It’s for my benefit more than his.”
Himchan laughed and patted him on the back. “This kid.”
“We’re not kids, hyung.” Jongup said irritably. “You’re just two grades ahead of us. Stop acting like you’re already an adult.”
“I’m in high school.” Himchan preened. “And I’m on the student council. I’m pretty much a god in my grade.”
Daehyun bit his cheek to keep from laughing. That was the one thing you could always count on about Himchan. He thought only of himself.
---
“You know you don’t have to keep doing those tutoring jobs.” Jongup said quietly to him while they watched a movie in his bed. “My parents would give you the money.”
“I know.” Daehyun replied stiffly. “But I don’t want it given to me. I want to earn it fair and square.”
“Then let them pay you for tutoring me.” Jongup insisted. “You’re always tired. You have dark circles under your eyes. I don’t like it.”
Daehyun sighed. “I’m sorry, Jonguppie. But I have to help my mother. She shouldn’t have to do everything for me. Especially when I force her to pay so much in groceries every week.”
“Well maybe if you weren’t such a fatass…” Jongup teased, yelping when it earned him a punch in the arm. “I’m glad you’re such a weakling.” He complained, rubbing it. “If you actually had muscles that would have hurt!”
“One day I’ll be bigger than you.” Daehyun promised, shooting him a glare.
“Yeah yeah.” Jongup grinned. “Keep telling yourself that.”
---
“Do you have an extra uniform?” Daehyun asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes the next morning. “I had to take my extra that I left here home last time to wash it. I forgot to bring it back.”
Jongup threw him a clean uniform from his closet and hurried out to the bathroom.
Daehyun changed slowly, knowing he had enough time to actually eat a breakfast this morning since he was at Jongup’s. Him and his mom lived farther away from school so he always had to eat something small while he ran the whole way.
But here they cooked a big breakfast and Jongup’s dad would drop them off on his way to work.
“Ah Daehyun, you’re here!” Jongup’s mother pulled a seat out and ushered him towards it. “Is that Jongup’s uniform? It looks a little big on you. Don’t forget to grab yours and leave it here next time. I can wash it for you.” She promised, bustling around the table and serving everyone their meals.
Himchan ate his with only one eye open. He was never one for early mornings.
“Don’t forget that I’m picking you up from school later since your mother has an appointment.” Their father reminded Jongup.
“Why can’t we just walk?” He complained. “You let us walk to the grocery store by ourselves yesterday and it’s five blocks away!”
His dad lowered his newspaper and shot him a look. “Because we like knowing you get home safely. Now eat your breakfast and get over it.”
Neither parent wanted to tell Jongup the real reason they were so concerned with them getting back to the house in one piece. They were worried he would over-react and try to be a hero.
The truth was that a few months earlier, Jongup had confided in them that they were getting bullied in school. Jongup was really only teased for being such good friends with Daehyun, but Daehyun was pretty close to being tortured every day. There was a group of kids who had made it their mission to taunt him during school and threaten him.
The day Jongup had broken down and confessed to his parents was the day the bullies had thrown Daehyun into a locker, bruising his back and ripping his uniform. He was worried that Daehyun would be in trouble from his mother for it and they wouldn’t be able to afford to replace it.
His mother had told him not to worry and that she would take care of it. Later that evening he had overheard her on the phone with Mrs. Jung apologizing for the mishap and claiming it came about during a rough game of football between the boys. She promised to pay for a new uniform and to keep a closer eye on their games.
Ever since then they had been worried about the two boys walking home alone and had always made sure one of them would be there to pick them up.
Jongup grumbled the whole way to school about being treated like babies, but Daehyun kept silent. He was never upset when Jongup’s parents arrived to pick them up. It just meant more time at Jongup’s house and less time walking home with kids screaming insults behind their backs.
“Next week your brother will be picking you up and walking you both home.” Before Jongup could complain, his dad rolled the window up and drove off.
“Why is he picking us up all week?” Daehyun asked as they walked inside.
Jongup pulled a water bottle out of his backpack and took a drink before answering. “My parents both are busy all week. My dad is working overtime until his contract he’s working on is finished and my mom has to cover for a woman on vacation.”
Daehyun nodded. He wasn’t sure how much help a fifteen year old boy would be against the jerks in his school, but he wasn’t one to complain. He waved goodbye to his friend as they headed off for their morning classes on opposite ends of the school.
“Hey hey, look who it is.” A teasing voice rang out behind them. Daehyun closed his eyes and gulped, but kept on walking
“I guess you’re too dumb to hear me! Does having bad eyesight mean you have bad hearing as well?”
Something light bumped into the back of his head. Probably only a piece of paper, but he could already feel the tears welling up as he knew what would come next.
It always started with small jokes, then a few things thrown to get his attention. And finally the part he was already flinching about…
“I’m fucking talking to you.” A hand grabbed him and swung him around. “When someone talks to you, it’s respectful to answer.” He spoke in a sickingly sweet voice. The voice belonged to a taller than average youth with short, buzzed hair and a permanent sneer on his face.
“I’m sorry, Jaesang-ssi.” Daehyun murmured, lowering his eyes. “What did you want?”
“I want to know why you keep coming to school every day when no one here even likes you.” He asked, poking him in the shoulder with his finger. “The only one that can stand you is that Jongup kid and you’re just a pity friend.”
Daehyun’s heart started to beat faster at the words. He knew he shouldn’t listen to them, that it was just a mean kid trying to hurt him, but it didn’t help that it was something he often told himself. That Jongup was his friend only because he felt sorry for him.
“Aw everyone, look! Jung is crying!” Jaesang sang out into the hallways. “Fucking crybaby.” He pushed his way past the trembling other boy, making sure to hit him with his broad shoulders.
Daehyun tripped into the lockers and fell to the floor, no one making an effort to help him pick his books up.
Giving a relieved last sob that the boy left him alone without breaking anything this time, he reached for his stack of books, pulling them to his chest and hurrying to his first class.
It was just another day in the life of Jung Daehyun.
(one) (two) (three) (four) (five) (six) (seven) (eight) (nine) (ten) (eleven) (twelve) (thirteen) (fourteen) (fifteen) (sixteen) (seventeen)
Rated: PG13
Length: 3.3K
“It’s your turn to buy the snacks.”
“You’re just saying that because your fatass wants to pick out the entire snack aisle to take home.”
Daehyun pouted. “You’re going to give me a complex, Jonguppie. That’s not nice.”
Rolling his eyes, Jongup bumped his shoulder into his best friend. “You’re the skinniest boy I’ve ever seen, Daehyunnie. You know I’m only joking.”
They entered the grocery store and immediately headed down different aisles. While Jongup grabbed things like bottles of water and granola bars and packets of peanuts, Daehyun headed straight to the sweets. He loaded his arms with candy bars, suckers and bags of chips.
Jongup groaned when they met each other at the register.
“Are you kidding me? You’re planning on eating all of that in one night?”
Daehyun shrugged. “Do you really think I can’t?”
Grumbling about how his friend was going to die of sugar shock one of these days, Jongup reluctantly paid for the three bags of food with his allowance.
“So what are we doing tonight?” Daehyun asked, pulling a candy bar out of one of his bags and tearing it open with his teeth.
“There’s a new level unlocked on our game!” Jongup exclaimed. “I forgot to tell you at school! Hyung played for over an hour last night trying to get to it for me!”
They ran the rest of the way back to Jongup’s house, both boasting that they could have done it themselves, it was just that Jongup’s hyung was older and had been playing longer.
“So then I told him that he needed to go through the second door because he had been going through the first one this whole time and he did! So then we got to the steps a-“
“Son, are you telling this story again?” Jongup’s mother shook her head as she let them inside the house. “I’m sure Daehyun would rather eat than hear this. Go wash up and come down to have a snack.”
Jongup laughed at the happy look on his friend’s face. “You just ate two candy bars on the way home! I don’t understand how your stomach works!”
“Just ignore him.” She cooed, running her fingers through Daehyun’s dark brown hair. “You’re a growing boy and you need to eat.”
Daehyun stuck his tongue out at Jongup as his friend crossed his arms. He knew his mother had a soft spot for his best friend, but it annoyed him sometimes how she seemed to prefer him over her own son.
They both fought their way into the bathroom, Jongup winning of course because he was always stronger than Daehyun was. He looked at his skinny arms and twig legs that his school uniform practically hung off of and frowned. One day he was going to grow and wasn’t going to look so dorky. He was going to rid of the over-sized glasses and he was going to be handsome. He nodded, not realizing Jongup had finished and was watching him check himself out in the hallway mirror.
“What are you doing?” Jongup asked amused.
Jumping, Daehyun pushed past him into the bathroom. “Nothing.” He muttered. “Just thinking.”
He shut the door, still hearing Jongup’s chuckles behind him. Jongup knew his friend was shy and awkward. It was one of the reason’s they had become friends in the first place.
On the first day of third grade, the teacher had opened the door and pulled in the tiniest boy Jongup had ever seen. He had glasses too large for his face, long floppy hair that was way overdue for a trim and a blush that spread all the way across his cheeks.
“Class, this is Jung Daehyun. He just transferred here, so please treat him well. Daehyun, why don’t you go sit in the empty seat by Jongup, okay? Jongup, please raise your hand so that he knows it’s you.”
Jongup happily threw his hand in the air and gave the new boy his biggest smile. “Hi Daehyun-ssi!” He said excitedly. “My name is Jongup and I hope that we can be friends.”
The nervous boy beside him bit down on his puffy bottom lip and nodded. “Thank you.” He replied quietly. “I would like that, too.”
The two boys became inseparable from that moment on. Even when their classmates took to teasing the smaller boy just because he was smart and bookish, Jongup always stood by him. Daehyun was glad that someone larger and stronger than him had befriended him. His mother kept telling him that one day he would grow taller, but he really stopped believing her as the years ticked by and nothing ever happened.
Daehyun and Jongup were as different as night and day, but they actually enjoyed their differences. Jongup came from an affluent family, one that didn’t have to live in an apartment, like he did. Daehyun was thrown into silence the first time he had visited. He came from a more meager household, his mother the only other person in their small apartment. She had to work all day just to afford their monthly bills, so Jongup’s mother had offered to watch Daehyun after school every day until she got off.
Even though everyone knew she was offering to help ease the burden a little (even at a young age, Daehyun ate enough for three kids), she was nice enough to word the offer so that it didn’t sound like charity.
They quickly came to view each other as brothers and did everything together. Jongup had been in dance class since he was six and even though Daehyun wasn’t interested in dance, he did enjoy singing, so he would sing their favorite songs while Jongup danced to them.
Daehyun liked to read and worked hard for his good grades. He was always worried that his mother wouldn’t be able to send him to university so he thought that if he did well in school then he might scrape by on scholarships. Jongup, unfortunately, didn’t care about his grades so Daehyun spent some time every week trying to tutor him and helping with his homework.
The only thing that made them different that Daehyun couldn’t enjoy was something he kept a secret from his best friend. Something he had told no one and would really prefer to take to his grave.
Daehyun liked boys.
He had tried a million times to work up the courage to tell Jongup, but every time he lost his nerve and kept it to himself for another day. Even though he really didn’t think his best friend would judge him, he still wasn’t sure how it would affect their friendship. And not only was Jongup his closest friend, he was probably his only friend. No one else was brave enough to be seen talking to the class dork and he was too shy to talk comfortably around strangers. If he lost Jongup, well, he didn’t know what he’d do, but he knew it wouldn’t be pretty.
“Are you done yet?” Jongup banged on the door. “My mom made rice cakes and she said I can’t eat any until you come in!”
Daehyun hurriedly wiped his clean hands on the towel before throwing the door open with a grin. “She doesn’t want you to have any before her favorite child gets some.”
Jongup muttered under his breath and bumped him with his elbow. “Shut up, Jung Daehyun. Or I’ll eat all of the candy I bought you.”
Gasping, Daehyun felt his eyes widen behind his glasses. “Do you want to die?” He hissed. “Why would you even joke about that?”
“Seriously, Jonguppie.” A deep voice spoke up behind them. “Even I know not to come between Daehyun-ah and his sweets.”
They turned to see Jongup’s brother smirking at them from his doorway. He had an amused smile on his face as he watched them bickering.
“Hyung! Tell Daehyunnie that mom likes me more than him!” Jongup whined, stomping his foot.
“Sorry, but I agree with Daehyun.” He shrugged. “No one likes you.”
“Mom!” Jongup screamed, running into the kitchen. “Himchan-hyung is being mean to me again!”
Himchan turned to Daehyun and shot him a grin. “I don’t know how you put up with that kid. He’s a whiner.”
Daehyun smiled back softly. Even though he had known Himchan for years now, he still felt shy around him. The older boy was so intense and when he looked at your direction you felt it deep in your bones.
“Daehyunnie!” Jongup yelled, popping his head around the corner. “Come ON!”
Rolling his eyes, he gave a short bow to Himchan before following Jongup.
“Thank god.” Jongup groaned, shoving a rice cake into his mouth. “I was starving from the walk home.”
Picking up his own cake, Daehyun ate in quiet.
“What time does your mother get off of work tonight, Daehyun?”
He looked up and blinked at Jongup’s mother. “I think at ten.” He replied. “She picked up an extra shift.”
She furrowed her brows. “I really don’t want you walking home alone that late at night. Why don’t you call her and see if you can stay the night, okay?”
He nodded, tuning out the excited squeals of the boy next to him. Jongup always overdid it when he got to spend the night. You would think they never saw each other or something. But he never minded how happy go lucky the other boy was. It just showed him that Jongup truly cared for him and liked to spend time together.
His mom sounded relieved when he called her work, he figured she was glad it was one less meal she had to cook for him.
After their snack the boys headed back towards Jongup’s room, taking their bags of treats with them.
“What level are we on now?” Daehyun asked as Jongup loaded the game.
“I think fourteen.” He answered distractedly as he searched for their headsets.
They settled down on their stomachs on the bed, ready for a fun evening of video games. Jongup was the team leader so he always got to decide where they went, but Daehyun really didn’t mind. He just liked being able to play with him. The only games he had at home were board games his mom forced him to play with her on her rare days off.
He was a pretty fine chess player because of it, though.
After two hours of Jongup cheering and yelling at the screen and Daehyun giggling every time he got mad, they heard their names being called down for supper.
“Can we watch a movie after supper?” Daehyun yawned, holding his head up on his fist. “I’m kinda tired.”
“Did you have to tutor late again last night?” Jongup asked, piling his plate high with food. “I thought you were going to stop that.”
He shook his head and tiredly dug his chopsticks into his meal. “I was, but the fridge went out last week so I’m trying to pick up some extra money.”
Neither boy saw Jongup’s parents lock eyes with each other over their heads.
“Mom and dad should pay you for dealing with Jongup on a regular basis.” Himchan snorted. “I wish they paid me for having to call him my little brother.”
“Himchan!” Their dad scolded. “Don’t be rude to your baby brother. In a couple years he is going to be in high school with you and you will have to look out for him.”
Himchan winced, partially at being scolded and partially at being told he would have to let the world know that the hyperactive kid was his brother.
“Daehyun, we’ve tried before to pay you for tutoring our Jongup. Let us give you some money.”
He smiled at Jongup’s mother. “Thank you, but I tutor him because if he doesn’t pass then we won’t get to see each other as much. It’s for my benefit more than his.”
Himchan laughed and patted him on the back. “This kid.”
“We’re not kids, hyung.” Jongup said irritably. “You’re just two grades ahead of us. Stop acting like you’re already an adult.”
“I’m in high school.” Himchan preened. “And I’m on the student council. I’m pretty much a god in my grade.”
Daehyun bit his cheek to keep from laughing. That was the one thing you could always count on about Himchan. He thought only of himself.
---
“You know you don’t have to keep doing those tutoring jobs.” Jongup said quietly to him while they watched a movie in his bed. “My parents would give you the money.”
“I know.” Daehyun replied stiffly. “But I don’t want it given to me. I want to earn it fair and square.”
“Then let them pay you for tutoring me.” Jongup insisted. “You’re always tired. You have dark circles under your eyes. I don’t like it.”
Daehyun sighed. “I’m sorry, Jonguppie. But I have to help my mother. She shouldn’t have to do everything for me. Especially when I force her to pay so much in groceries every week.”
“Well maybe if you weren’t such a fatass…” Jongup teased, yelping when it earned him a punch in the arm. “I’m glad you’re such a weakling.” He complained, rubbing it. “If you actually had muscles that would have hurt!”
“One day I’ll be bigger than you.” Daehyun promised, shooting him a glare.
“Yeah yeah.” Jongup grinned. “Keep telling yourself that.”
---
“Do you have an extra uniform?” Daehyun asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes the next morning. “I had to take my extra that I left here home last time to wash it. I forgot to bring it back.”
Jongup threw him a clean uniform from his closet and hurried out to the bathroom.
Daehyun changed slowly, knowing he had enough time to actually eat a breakfast this morning since he was at Jongup’s. Him and his mom lived farther away from school so he always had to eat something small while he ran the whole way.
But here they cooked a big breakfast and Jongup’s dad would drop them off on his way to work.
“Ah Daehyun, you’re here!” Jongup’s mother pulled a seat out and ushered him towards it. “Is that Jongup’s uniform? It looks a little big on you. Don’t forget to grab yours and leave it here next time. I can wash it for you.” She promised, bustling around the table and serving everyone their meals.
Himchan ate his with only one eye open. He was never one for early mornings.
“Don’t forget that I’m picking you up from school later since your mother has an appointment.” Their father reminded Jongup.
“Why can’t we just walk?” He complained. “You let us walk to the grocery store by ourselves yesterday and it’s five blocks away!”
His dad lowered his newspaper and shot him a look. “Because we like knowing you get home safely. Now eat your breakfast and get over it.”
Neither parent wanted to tell Jongup the real reason they were so concerned with them getting back to the house in one piece. They were worried he would over-react and try to be a hero.
The truth was that a few months earlier, Jongup had confided in them that they were getting bullied in school. Jongup was really only teased for being such good friends with Daehyun, but Daehyun was pretty close to being tortured every day. There was a group of kids who had made it their mission to taunt him during school and threaten him.
The day Jongup had broken down and confessed to his parents was the day the bullies had thrown Daehyun into a locker, bruising his back and ripping his uniform. He was worried that Daehyun would be in trouble from his mother for it and they wouldn’t be able to afford to replace it.
His mother had told him not to worry and that she would take care of it. Later that evening he had overheard her on the phone with Mrs. Jung apologizing for the mishap and claiming it came about during a rough game of football between the boys. She promised to pay for a new uniform and to keep a closer eye on their games.
Ever since then they had been worried about the two boys walking home alone and had always made sure one of them would be there to pick them up.
Jongup grumbled the whole way to school about being treated like babies, but Daehyun kept silent. He was never upset when Jongup’s parents arrived to pick them up. It just meant more time at Jongup’s house and less time walking home with kids screaming insults behind their backs.
“Next week your brother will be picking you up and walking you both home.” Before Jongup could complain, his dad rolled the window up and drove off.
“Why is he picking us up all week?” Daehyun asked as they walked inside.
Jongup pulled a water bottle out of his backpack and took a drink before answering. “My parents both are busy all week. My dad is working overtime until his contract he’s working on is finished and my mom has to cover for a woman on vacation.”
Daehyun nodded. He wasn’t sure how much help a fifteen year old boy would be against the jerks in his school, but he wasn’t one to complain. He waved goodbye to his friend as they headed off for their morning classes on opposite ends of the school.
“Hey hey, look who it is.” A teasing voice rang out behind them. Daehyun closed his eyes and gulped, but kept on walking
“I guess you’re too dumb to hear me! Does having bad eyesight mean you have bad hearing as well?”
Something light bumped into the back of his head. Probably only a piece of paper, but he could already feel the tears welling up as he knew what would come next.
It always started with small jokes, then a few things thrown to get his attention. And finally the part he was already flinching about…
“I’m fucking talking to you.” A hand grabbed him and swung him around. “When someone talks to you, it’s respectful to answer.” He spoke in a sickingly sweet voice. The voice belonged to a taller than average youth with short, buzzed hair and a permanent sneer on his face.
“I’m sorry, Jaesang-ssi.” Daehyun murmured, lowering his eyes. “What did you want?”
“I want to know why you keep coming to school every day when no one here even likes you.” He asked, poking him in the shoulder with his finger. “The only one that can stand you is that Jongup kid and you’re just a pity friend.”
Daehyun’s heart started to beat faster at the words. He knew he shouldn’t listen to them, that it was just a mean kid trying to hurt him, but it didn’t help that it was something he often told himself. That Jongup was his friend only because he felt sorry for him.
“Aw everyone, look! Jung is crying!” Jaesang sang out into the hallways. “Fucking crybaby.” He pushed his way past the trembling other boy, making sure to hit him with his broad shoulders.
Daehyun tripped into the lockers and fell to the floor, no one making an effort to help him pick his books up.
Giving a relieved last sob that the boy left him alone without breaking anything this time, he reached for his stack of books, pulling them to his chest and hurrying to his first class.
It was just another day in the life of Jung Daehyun.
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