Trustworthy *chapter eleven*
Pairing: HimDae
Rated: PG13
Length: 3.3K
“Are you looking forward to starting school tomorrow?” Rae-Ha asked, helping Daehyun hang his clothes up in the tiny closet in his tiny bedroom in their tiny new house.
He shrugged, thumbing an old t-shirt of Jongup’s that he had given him ages ago. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Well, have you gone out exploring any since we got here?” She motioned towards the door. “Go reacquaint yourself with your home town! Maybe you’ll find something you forgot you liked!”
He sighed but knew she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“Don’t forget your new phone!” She hollered after him. “I already programmed Jongup’s number in it!”
He sat on a bench near the beach, pulling his coat tighter around his shoulders. Of course his mother would send him out in the middle of winter. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and chewed on his lip as he looked at it. Even though he missed Jongup, he wasn’t sure if it was the right time to call. They had just seen each other two days earlier.
Maybe he needed a little more time to adjust to his new home before he brought the past into it.
Because that’s what Jongup was now. Just a part of his past.
---
“We have a new student today!” The teacher grinned happily to the class. He was originally from here but moved away in third grade. Perhaps some of you remember him?”
Daehyun scoffed under his breath. There was no way anyone remembered him. He was even more quiet then than he was now.
“Daehyun, why don’t you see hello to the class?”
He pushed his glasses up his nose and waved awkwardly. “Hello. My name is Jung Daehyun. Please treat me well.”
The class all replied in a monotone, obviously not caring one bit about the new student. The teacher ordered him to take the only empty seat in the room, next to a bubbly long-haired boy. He waited till the teacher turned away to grin happily at his new seatmate. “Hi! I’ve only lived here a couple of years, so I don’t remember you. But I’m glad to have someone to sit with!”
Daehyun nodded back shyly, the boy’s enthusiasm reminding him of Jongup’s constant happiness. They had to start their lesson for the day, but the boy promised to eat lunch with him so he wouldn’t be alone.
---
“What did you say your name was again? Jung something?” The chubby-cheeked boy asked, pulling a large bowl of noodles out of his lunch bag.
“Daehyun.” He replied softly, eying the food with hunger. His mother still hadn’t stocked his grandpa’s fridge yet, so they were stuck eating leftovers and TV dinners every night.
“Daehyun.” The boy tried it out on his tongue and smiled. “My name is Youngjae. Yoo Youngjae. Do you like video games?”
His eyes brightened as he nodded enthusiastically. “Uh-huh! My best friend Jongup and I play them all the time! What’s your favorite one?”
They compared notes on who had played what over their lunch break, with Youngjae promising to invite Daehyun over that weekend to play. He also managed to sneak some of his food over to the hungry boy after seeing the way he was salivating over his food.
“My mom cooks too much sometimes.” He told him, wrinkling his nose. “Everyone says I’m fat because I eat too much, but I only eat it because she says I need to.” His hand came down to cover his pudgy stomach. “Maybe if I share with you, I won’t have to eat so much!”
Daehyun nodded through a mouthful of food, some of the noodles falling back down into his bowl. “I eat everything!” He mumbled. “My mom says I can eat through the grocery store and not get full!”
Youngjae laughed at him as they tidied up their table and headed back to class. “Where do you live? Maybe we can walk together?”
When they found out they only lived a few blocks from each other, Daehyun felt a warm, bubbly feeling start to fill his chest. He knew things would be better in Busan. No one had teased him yet, no one had pushed him or shoved him, and he had made a friend. This was a good idea.
But the thought of the people he had left behind dragged at him, no matter how hard he tried to push them away.
Jongup with his happy smiles and upbeat personality. The boy who had befriended him when everyone else had cast him aside.
Junhong and Yongguk, the brothers who loved each other more than anything. The two people who had welcomed him into their home and become his family.
And Himchan.
The boy who made his heart pound in his chest.
He shook his head. This was a new start. Time to forget the things that he wasn’t ready to deal with.
“Hey Daehyun, are you ready to go?” Youngjae stood by his desk with his backpack on and a big grin. “I can walk two blocks with you before I have to turn off to my home. Hey, maybe we can meet at the corner tomorrow and walk to school together!”
He nodded and followed his new friend out the door. “I’d like that Youngjae.”
His phone buzzed in his backpack as they walked, but he ignored it. Youngjae was explaining their math homework to him since Daehyun’s old school hadn’t yet reached the same point and he was trying to concentrate on the instructions.
By the time he waved goodbye and happily walked the last few minutes to his house he had already forgotten about the missed call.
Rae-Ha met him at the door as he skipped up the driveway. She smiled at seeing his happy face, something she had been missing lately. “I take it you had a good first day at school?”
He nodded and grabbed a cookie from the tray on the counter. “Uh-huh! I met another kid who likes video games and he’s really cool! His name’s Youngjae and he wants me to come play his games this weekend. Can I go?”
She agreed and watched him run off to his room to start homework. “Well that was easy.” She murmured to herself, content with the way things were going already. As much as she loved her son, she really didn’t expect him to make a new friend so easily. He was so shy and withdrawn that she was nervous he would be an outcast.
This Youngjae kid was going to get a homemade cake when she met him, she decided.
Daehyun finished his homework and cheerily ate supper with his mother and grandfather. They were more relaxed than they had been since moving. The time unpacking and Rae-Ha worrying about Daehyun was finally over and everyone could start moving on with their lives and getting back to normal.
He excused himself to take a shower and get ready for bed, wanting to read a little to relax. The phone on his nightstand buzzed again, reminding him he had never checked it earlier.
“Hello?” He asked, running the towel through his hair.
“Daehyunnie!” Jongup’s excited voice rang through the line. “I miss you, how was your first day at school, what are you doing, why didn’t you answer your phone earlier?”
“Sorry.” He apologized, laying back on his bed and making himself comfortable. “I was with a friend from school and we were talking about our homework.”
There was silence on the other end. “You made a new friend?” Jongup’s voice was strained. “Already? I thought today was your first day?”
He hummed a response. “His name’s Youngjae. You’d really like him. We’re going to his house this weekend to play video games together.”
“Oh.”
Daehyun could hear the hurt in his voice and flinched, realizing he was being mean.
“But I really miss you, Jonguppie.” He said honestly. “It’s going to be hard to play games with someone besides you. I wish you were here.”
This brightened his friends mood, just like he knew it would. “Yeah? Me too! It’s not that much longer till break though! Maybe I can meet your new friend and we could all play them together, you think?”
A voice sounded in the background and Jongup sighed. “Hey do you care to say hi to hyung real quick? He’s been breathing down my neck this whole time waiting to say hi.”
Daehyun gulped and shot up in the bed. He wasn’t prepared to speak to Himchan, that wasn’t something you could just spring on a person.
“A-Actually I need to get off, Guppie. My mom is calling for me to help with the dishes. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
He hung up before the other boy could answer and dropped his face on the bed. That was close. Too close. He would need an excuse ready to go from now on. Maybe he shouldn’t answer phone calls from Jongup’s home line anymore either. Even though Himchan had his own cell he might still try to call him on the main phone.
A buzz from his phone again had him groaning, but thankfully it was just a text.
My mom said you can come over this weekend! I can’t wait! ^^
He grinned at the excitement in Youngjae’s text message, responding in kind before pulling the blankets over his head and falling into the first deep sleep he’d had in days.
---
“Have you talked to Junhong lately?” Rae-Ha asked a couple of weeks later as she set a glass of juice in front of him. “I’ve tried to call several times and no one’s answered.”
He shook his head and yawned. “Junhong called me two days ago and said he’s not allowed to answer the phone when Yongguk-hyung isn’t there. He said he’d check in every few days if I’ve not talked to him.”
She frowned. “I wonder why. I’ve talked to him several times while his brother is gone.” Her lips pursed, but she tried to shrug her nervousness away. “Yongguk probably has a good reason. He knows what’s best for his brother.”
Her eyes it up and she clapped her hands together. “It’s Friday! I forgot that Youngjae was sleeping over! I bought stuff to make pizza for you two! Do you know what kind he likes?”
“No.” His head dropped dangerously close to his bowl. He yawned loudly again. “Sorry mom.”
She rolled her eyes and patted his head. “I’ll talk to you when you wake up all the way, okay?” Snorting at his closed eyes, she finished packing his lunch up and laid it by his backpack. “If you don’t wake up and go to school then Youngjae can’t come over later.”
That grabbed his attention, jerking him fully awake. “I’m up!” He said, shoveling his food into his mouth.
Youngjae laughed as they met up at their regular corner. “How do you eat breakfast and still manage to bring food with you on the walk to school every day?”
Daehyun grinned around a mouthful of muffin. “I’m growing.” I think my pants are starting to get a little short on me.”
The other boy eyed him disbelievingly. “Maybe you’re just growing out instead of up.” He handed him the extra bag of food in his hand. “Here’s a whole bag of kimbap. I’ve lost a few pounds since you’ve moved here and she thinks I’m not getting enough food at lunch. So now she’s sending twice as much.”
He fist pumped and cheered, opening the bag and eying the rolls hungrily. “I love your mom’s kimbap! We had it, what? Twice last week? Tell her it’s your favorite and maybe she’ll make it more often!”
Youngjae wrinkled his nose at him. “I don’t like it. She’ll make it on days I don’t have school.”
They made it to their class and shoved the bags in their desks, ready to start the day.
He was doing well in school even though he wasn’t used to some of the stuff they were doing. His previous school was a little more difficult so he was actually finding the new one to be a breeze. And Youngjae was equally as intelligent, if not more, so he didn’t have to tutor him like he did Jongup.
The thought of Jongup made him wince. He hadn’t talked to him in a week. All of the calls were sent straight to voicemail and he was too nervous to check the phone. What if Himchan had called? What if he had left a message? This was the longest he had ever gone without seeing or talking to him. Even though they were never close, it still felt weird being without their family for so long.
He shook his head and tried to concentrate on his schoolwork. Youngjae turned to him and asked him in a whisper what was wrong but he just waved him off. He had mentioned Jongup to him a few times but only when they were talking about their games. Youngjae had quickly realized that everything from Daehyun’s previous home was off-limits and he respected that. Though they had only been friends for two weeks, they had grown close, spending all their free time together and sticking like glue to each other in school.
But he wasn’t Jongup. He didn’t miss Youngjae when he wasn’t around. He didn’t beg his mom to let him stay just a few more minutes.
He wasn’t his best friend.
Daehyun sighed and bit into his kimbap roll at lunch. Youngjae’s mother was an amazing cook and he knew the food tasted delicious but his heart just wasn’t into it anymore.
“Are you okay, Daehyun?” Youngjae asked, taking a drink of his juice. “You’ve been out of it all morning.”
He shrugged and picked at a stray piece of rice. “I’ve just been a little homesick today.” He admitted. “I haven’t talked to Jongup in a while.”
Youngjae smiled reassuringly. “Didn’t you say he was coming to visit over break? You just have a couple more weeks till you’ll get to see him.”
“Yeah.” Daehyun threw the rest of the roll onto the wrapper. “So what movie are we watching tonight? My mom gave me some money to rent one if you wanted to do that instead.”
Thankfully the other boy realized he wanted to change the subject and dropped it, choosing instead to describe a new movie he had just watched the weekend before.
When they got back to Daehyun’s house, they greeted Rae-Ha happily before grabbing the snack she had made them and shutting themselves up in Daehyun’s bedroom. His grandfather had hooked up a small TV on a shelf for him to play his games on so they jumped onto his bed and immediately started one up.
The phone mocked him on his nightstand. He wanted to check it, but Youngjae was there and he knew his emotions always played across his face. His friend would ask why he looked upset and he would break down and tell him everything and then Youngjae would be horrified and would never talk to him again and he’d be a loner at school and things would be exactly the same as they used to be.
He shivered. But at least Kyung and Jaesang were gone.
As if it knew he was thinking about it, the phone vibrated. He had figured out how to send all of the calls to his voicemail, but texts still came through. He had heard it vibrate several times over the week but had been too nervous to check it. Even though he had charged it every couple days he still made sure and turned it upside down so that he never had to see the screen.
“Your phone is ringing.” Youngjae told him, never taking his eyes off the TV. “I need to use the bathroom anyways.”
He ran off, leaving Daehyun alone. Biting his lip, he turned his phone over. Seven text messages and two voicemails.
He gulped and checked his voicemails first. The first one was Jongup chattering excitedly about everything he had done that day and ordering him to call back the second he got the message. The second was Junhong. Daehyun frowned at the timidness in the little boy’s voice. He sounded upset and it made him want to kick himself for not checking on him at all this past week. Junhong probably thought he had abandoned him like everyone else had.
The text message he knew would be harder to get through.
The only person with a cell phone that would be texting him had to be Himchan.
Breathing out deeply, he opened his inbox and steeled himself for the rush of emotions that he knew would be coming.
You avoided talking to me, didn’t you. No one is that excited to do dishes.
Getting ready to go to bed. I just wanted to tell you goodnight. ≧∇≦
It’s weird coming home from school and not hearing you and Jongup screaming at the TV.
Why aren’t you texting me back? You won’t even call Jongup. （´-`）
It’s been almost a week and you still haven’t called. How did I know you would do this?
Two weeks. I guess I now know for a fact that you never planned on keeping in contact.
You promised, Daehyun-ah.
That last one was the buzzing he had just heard. He closed his eyes and imagined Himchan sitting on his bed right now staring at his phone as he waited for a reply that would never come.
But it was too late now, he decided. The older boy had already given up, it was evident in his message. He quickly dialed Junhong and Yongguk’s apartment before Youngjae came back. He could hear him laughing at something with his mother in the kitchen so he had a few minutes.
The phone rang and rang so he dialed Yongguk’s cell phone instead. Yongguk only used it for emergencies, but he figured being worried about Junhong was emergency enough. There was still no answer which confused him. Yongguk always had his phone with him. Especially at night when Junhong was home alone and might need him. He kept it fully charged and in his pocket at all times.
Where was he?
---
The two boys finally fell asleep close to midnight. Since his room was so small, he let Youngjae have the bed and he took the couch in the living room. He actually preferred his grandpa’s couch since it was so old and worn out that it was soft and cushy.
He was sound asleep and dreaming about next week’s finals when the sound of someone beating on his door jerked him awake. He blinked rapidly and shoved his glasses back on, staring at the front door in alarm.
The sound of the loud thumps echoed again through the house, this time bringing his mother stumbling out of her room and trying to wrap a robe around her nightgown.
“Get back, Daehyun.” She ordered, pointing towards the bedroom. “Let me answer it.”
Her gasp of horror when she opened the door had him running back into the room to see what was wrong.
All he could see was the slumped over boy in the doorway. His eyes were puffy and red. Tear tracks dried on his cheeks with fresh ones bursting through his glassy eyes as he collapsed into Rae-Ha’s arms.
Daehyun’s heart beat sped up and he took a step towards them, trying to control the shaking that was wracking through his body.
“H-Hyung?” He mumbled through numb lips, trying to be heard over the broken sobbing. “W-What are you doing here?”
(twelve)
Rated: PG13
Length: 3.3K
“Are you looking forward to starting school tomorrow?” Rae-Ha asked, helping Daehyun hang his clothes up in the tiny closet in his tiny bedroom in their tiny new house.
He shrugged, thumbing an old t-shirt of Jongup’s that he had given him ages ago. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Well, have you gone out exploring any since we got here?” She motioned towards the door. “Go reacquaint yourself with your home town! Maybe you’ll find something you forgot you liked!”
He sighed but knew she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“Don’t forget your new phone!” She hollered after him. “I already programmed Jongup’s number in it!”
He sat on a bench near the beach, pulling his coat tighter around his shoulders. Of course his mother would send him out in the middle of winter. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and chewed on his lip as he looked at it. Even though he missed Jongup, he wasn’t sure if it was the right time to call. They had just seen each other two days earlier.
Maybe he needed a little more time to adjust to his new home before he brought the past into it.
Because that’s what Jongup was now. Just a part of his past.
---
“We have a new student today!” The teacher grinned happily to the class. He was originally from here but moved away in third grade. Perhaps some of you remember him?”
Daehyun scoffed under his breath. There was no way anyone remembered him. He was even more quiet then than he was now.
“Daehyun, why don’t you see hello to the class?”
He pushed his glasses up his nose and waved awkwardly. “Hello. My name is Jung Daehyun. Please treat me well.”
The class all replied in a monotone, obviously not caring one bit about the new student. The teacher ordered him to take the only empty seat in the room, next to a bubbly long-haired boy. He waited till the teacher turned away to grin happily at his new seatmate. “Hi! I’ve only lived here a couple of years, so I don’t remember you. But I’m glad to have someone to sit with!”
Daehyun nodded back shyly, the boy’s enthusiasm reminding him of Jongup’s constant happiness. They had to start their lesson for the day, but the boy promised to eat lunch with him so he wouldn’t be alone.
---
“What did you say your name was again? Jung something?” The chubby-cheeked boy asked, pulling a large bowl of noodles out of his lunch bag.
“Daehyun.” He replied softly, eying the food with hunger. His mother still hadn’t stocked his grandpa’s fridge yet, so they were stuck eating leftovers and TV dinners every night.
“Daehyun.” The boy tried it out on his tongue and smiled. “My name is Youngjae. Yoo Youngjae. Do you like video games?”
His eyes brightened as he nodded enthusiastically. “Uh-huh! My best friend Jongup and I play them all the time! What’s your favorite one?”
They compared notes on who had played what over their lunch break, with Youngjae promising to invite Daehyun over that weekend to play. He also managed to sneak some of his food over to the hungry boy after seeing the way he was salivating over his food.
“My mom cooks too much sometimes.” He told him, wrinkling his nose. “Everyone says I’m fat because I eat too much, but I only eat it because she says I need to.” His hand came down to cover his pudgy stomach. “Maybe if I share with you, I won’t have to eat so much!”
Daehyun nodded through a mouthful of food, some of the noodles falling back down into his bowl. “I eat everything!” He mumbled. “My mom says I can eat through the grocery store and not get full!”
Youngjae laughed at him as they tidied up their table and headed back to class. “Where do you live? Maybe we can walk together?”
When they found out they only lived a few blocks from each other, Daehyun felt a warm, bubbly feeling start to fill his chest. He knew things would be better in Busan. No one had teased him yet, no one had pushed him or shoved him, and he had made a friend. This was a good idea.
But the thought of the people he had left behind dragged at him, no matter how hard he tried to push them away.
Jongup with his happy smiles and upbeat personality. The boy who had befriended him when everyone else had cast him aside.
Junhong and Yongguk, the brothers who loved each other more than anything. The two people who had welcomed him into their home and become his family.
And Himchan.
The boy who made his heart pound in his chest.
He shook his head. This was a new start. Time to forget the things that he wasn’t ready to deal with.
“Hey Daehyun, are you ready to go?” Youngjae stood by his desk with his backpack on and a big grin. “I can walk two blocks with you before I have to turn off to my home. Hey, maybe we can meet at the corner tomorrow and walk to school together!”
He nodded and followed his new friend out the door. “I’d like that Youngjae.”
His phone buzzed in his backpack as they walked, but he ignored it. Youngjae was explaining their math homework to him since Daehyun’s old school hadn’t yet reached the same point and he was trying to concentrate on the instructions.
By the time he waved goodbye and happily walked the last few minutes to his house he had already forgotten about the missed call.
Rae-Ha met him at the door as he skipped up the driveway. She smiled at seeing his happy face, something she had been missing lately. “I take it you had a good first day at school?”
He nodded and grabbed a cookie from the tray on the counter. “Uh-huh! I met another kid who likes video games and he’s really cool! His name’s Youngjae and he wants me to come play his games this weekend. Can I go?”
She agreed and watched him run off to his room to start homework. “Well that was easy.” She murmured to herself, content with the way things were going already. As much as she loved her son, she really didn’t expect him to make a new friend so easily. He was so shy and withdrawn that she was nervous he would be an outcast.
This Youngjae kid was going to get a homemade cake when she met him, she decided.
Daehyun finished his homework and cheerily ate supper with his mother and grandfather. They were more relaxed than they had been since moving. The time unpacking and Rae-Ha worrying about Daehyun was finally over and everyone could start moving on with their lives and getting back to normal.
He excused himself to take a shower and get ready for bed, wanting to read a little to relax. The phone on his nightstand buzzed again, reminding him he had never checked it earlier.
“Hello?” He asked, running the towel through his hair.
“Daehyunnie!” Jongup’s excited voice rang through the line. “I miss you, how was your first day at school, what are you doing, why didn’t you answer your phone earlier?”
“Sorry.” He apologized, laying back on his bed and making himself comfortable. “I was with a friend from school and we were talking about our homework.”
There was silence on the other end. “You made a new friend?” Jongup’s voice was strained. “Already? I thought today was your first day?”
He hummed a response. “His name’s Youngjae. You’d really like him. We’re going to his house this weekend to play video games together.”
“Oh.”
Daehyun could hear the hurt in his voice and flinched, realizing he was being mean.
“But I really miss you, Jonguppie.” He said honestly. “It’s going to be hard to play games with someone besides you. I wish you were here.”
This brightened his friends mood, just like he knew it would. “Yeah? Me too! It’s not that much longer till break though! Maybe I can meet your new friend and we could all play them together, you think?”
A voice sounded in the background and Jongup sighed. “Hey do you care to say hi to hyung real quick? He’s been breathing down my neck this whole time waiting to say hi.”
Daehyun gulped and shot up in the bed. He wasn’t prepared to speak to Himchan, that wasn’t something you could just spring on a person.
“A-Actually I need to get off, Guppie. My mom is calling for me to help with the dishes. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
He hung up before the other boy could answer and dropped his face on the bed. That was close. Too close. He would need an excuse ready to go from now on. Maybe he shouldn’t answer phone calls from Jongup’s home line anymore either. Even though Himchan had his own cell he might still try to call him on the main phone.
A buzz from his phone again had him groaning, but thankfully it was just a text.
My mom said you can come over this weekend! I can’t wait! ^^
He grinned at the excitement in Youngjae’s text message, responding in kind before pulling the blankets over his head and falling into the first deep sleep he’d had in days.
---
“Have you talked to Junhong lately?” Rae-Ha asked a couple of weeks later as she set a glass of juice in front of him. “I’ve tried to call several times and no one’s answered.”
He shook his head and yawned. “Junhong called me two days ago and said he’s not allowed to answer the phone when Yongguk-hyung isn’t there. He said he’d check in every few days if I’ve not talked to him.”
She frowned. “I wonder why. I’ve talked to him several times while his brother is gone.” Her lips pursed, but she tried to shrug her nervousness away. “Yongguk probably has a good reason. He knows what’s best for his brother.”
Her eyes it up and she clapped her hands together. “It’s Friday! I forgot that Youngjae was sleeping over! I bought stuff to make pizza for you two! Do you know what kind he likes?”
“No.” His head dropped dangerously close to his bowl. He yawned loudly again. “Sorry mom.”
She rolled her eyes and patted his head. “I’ll talk to you when you wake up all the way, okay?” Snorting at his closed eyes, she finished packing his lunch up and laid it by his backpack. “If you don’t wake up and go to school then Youngjae can’t come over later.”
That grabbed his attention, jerking him fully awake. “I’m up!” He said, shoveling his food into his mouth.
Youngjae laughed as they met up at their regular corner. “How do you eat breakfast and still manage to bring food with you on the walk to school every day?”
Daehyun grinned around a mouthful of muffin. “I’m growing.” I think my pants are starting to get a little short on me.”
The other boy eyed him disbelievingly. “Maybe you’re just growing out instead of up.” He handed him the extra bag of food in his hand. “Here’s a whole bag of kimbap. I’ve lost a few pounds since you’ve moved here and she thinks I’m not getting enough food at lunch. So now she’s sending twice as much.”
He fist pumped and cheered, opening the bag and eying the rolls hungrily. “I love your mom’s kimbap! We had it, what? Twice last week? Tell her it’s your favorite and maybe she’ll make it more often!”
Youngjae wrinkled his nose at him. “I don’t like it. She’ll make it on days I don’t have school.”
They made it to their class and shoved the bags in their desks, ready to start the day.
He was doing well in school even though he wasn’t used to some of the stuff they were doing. His previous school was a little more difficult so he was actually finding the new one to be a breeze. And Youngjae was equally as intelligent, if not more, so he didn’t have to tutor him like he did Jongup.
The thought of Jongup made him wince. He hadn’t talked to him in a week. All of the calls were sent straight to voicemail and he was too nervous to check the phone. What if Himchan had called? What if he had left a message? This was the longest he had ever gone without seeing or talking to him. Even though they were never close, it still felt weird being without their family for so long.
He shook his head and tried to concentrate on his schoolwork. Youngjae turned to him and asked him in a whisper what was wrong but he just waved him off. He had mentioned Jongup to him a few times but only when they were talking about their games. Youngjae had quickly realized that everything from Daehyun’s previous home was off-limits and he respected that. Though they had only been friends for two weeks, they had grown close, spending all their free time together and sticking like glue to each other in school.
But he wasn’t Jongup. He didn’t miss Youngjae when he wasn’t around. He didn’t beg his mom to let him stay just a few more minutes.
He wasn’t his best friend.
Daehyun sighed and bit into his kimbap roll at lunch. Youngjae’s mother was an amazing cook and he knew the food tasted delicious but his heart just wasn’t into it anymore.
“Are you okay, Daehyun?” Youngjae asked, taking a drink of his juice. “You’ve been out of it all morning.”
He shrugged and picked at a stray piece of rice. “I’ve just been a little homesick today.” He admitted. “I haven’t talked to Jongup in a while.”
Youngjae smiled reassuringly. “Didn’t you say he was coming to visit over break? You just have a couple more weeks till you’ll get to see him.”
“Yeah.” Daehyun threw the rest of the roll onto the wrapper. “So what movie are we watching tonight? My mom gave me some money to rent one if you wanted to do that instead.”
Thankfully the other boy realized he wanted to change the subject and dropped it, choosing instead to describe a new movie he had just watched the weekend before.
When they got back to Daehyun’s house, they greeted Rae-Ha happily before grabbing the snack she had made them and shutting themselves up in Daehyun’s bedroom. His grandfather had hooked up a small TV on a shelf for him to play his games on so they jumped onto his bed and immediately started one up.
The phone mocked him on his nightstand. He wanted to check it, but Youngjae was there and he knew his emotions always played across his face. His friend would ask why he looked upset and he would break down and tell him everything and then Youngjae would be horrified and would never talk to him again and he’d be a loner at school and things would be exactly the same as they used to be.
He shivered. But at least Kyung and Jaesang were gone.
As if it knew he was thinking about it, the phone vibrated. He had figured out how to send all of the calls to his voicemail, but texts still came through. He had heard it vibrate several times over the week but had been too nervous to check it. Even though he had charged it every couple days he still made sure and turned it upside down so that he never had to see the screen.
“Your phone is ringing.” Youngjae told him, never taking his eyes off the TV. “I need to use the bathroom anyways.”
He ran off, leaving Daehyun alone. Biting his lip, he turned his phone over. Seven text messages and two voicemails.
He gulped and checked his voicemails first. The first one was Jongup chattering excitedly about everything he had done that day and ordering him to call back the second he got the message. The second was Junhong. Daehyun frowned at the timidness in the little boy’s voice. He sounded upset and it made him want to kick himself for not checking on him at all this past week. Junhong probably thought he had abandoned him like everyone else had.
The text message he knew would be harder to get through.
The only person with a cell phone that would be texting him had to be Himchan.
Breathing out deeply, he opened his inbox and steeled himself for the rush of emotions that he knew would be coming.
You avoided talking to me, didn’t you. No one is that excited to do dishes.
Getting ready to go to bed. I just wanted to tell you goodnight. ≧∇≦
It’s weird coming home from school and not hearing you and Jongup screaming at the TV.
Why aren’t you texting me back? You won’t even call Jongup. （´-`）
It’s been almost a week and you still haven’t called. How did I know you would do this?
Two weeks. I guess I now know for a fact that you never planned on keeping in contact.
You promised, Daehyun-ah.
That last one was the buzzing he had just heard. He closed his eyes and imagined Himchan sitting on his bed right now staring at his phone as he waited for a reply that would never come.
But it was too late now, he decided. The older boy had already given up, it was evident in his message. He quickly dialed Junhong and Yongguk’s apartment before Youngjae came back. He could hear him laughing at something with his mother in the kitchen so he had a few minutes.
The phone rang and rang so he dialed Yongguk’s cell phone instead. Yongguk only used it for emergencies, but he figured being worried about Junhong was emergency enough. There was still no answer which confused him. Yongguk always had his phone with him. Especially at night when Junhong was home alone and might need him. He kept it fully charged and in his pocket at all times.
Where was he?
---
The two boys finally fell asleep close to midnight. Since his room was so small, he let Youngjae have the bed and he took the couch in the living room. He actually preferred his grandpa’s couch since it was so old and worn out that it was soft and cushy.
He was sound asleep and dreaming about next week’s finals when the sound of someone beating on his door jerked him awake. He blinked rapidly and shoved his glasses back on, staring at the front door in alarm.
The sound of the loud thumps echoed again through the house, this time bringing his mother stumbling out of her room and trying to wrap a robe around her nightgown.
“Get back, Daehyun.” She ordered, pointing towards the bedroom. “Let me answer it.”
Her gasp of horror when she opened the door had him running back into the room to see what was wrong.
All he could see was the slumped over boy in the doorway. His eyes were puffy and red. Tear tracks dried on his cheeks with fresh ones bursting through his glassy eyes as he collapsed into Rae-Ha’s arms.
Daehyun’s heart beat sped up and he took a step towards them, trying to control the shaking that was wracking through his body.
“H-Hyung?” He mumbled through numb lips, trying to be heard over the broken sobbing. “W-What are you doing here?”
(twelve)