Scars Can Run Deep Part 2
Title: Scars Can Run Deep
Pairing(s): YeWook, ninja!HenMi
Genre: Romance
Rating: PG
Summary: Ryeowook has a scar that he can't seem to heal, maybe the only person who can is the very same person who gave him that scar.
Note: Fic request for kellsung sorry it took soo long and my god i'm sorta sorry it's 30,120 words.
Parts: 1 3 4
All through gym class Yesung hung out in the back of every line or group they formed. He didn’t feel like being social with anyone. The few who tried quickly gave up and moved on to a person who would actually say something back in words. He took his finger and swiped some hair out of his eyes that wasn’t really in his eyes as he side stepped the ball coming his way. There were yells of annoyance from his team mates but he wasn’t in the mood to play volleyball. He could feel eyes on him almost the entire time of gym class.
Normally, he didn’t mind being looked at that much because it generally meant a girl fancied him and that he found flattering even though he wouldn’t touch one with a nine foot pole. Not his forte, kissing that one girl who did god knows what with her tongue and too much saliva had been enough for him. Nope, he was set for life. When the guys were separated from the girls for gym class though and someone was staring at him intently it made him wonder why. Most of the guys here were straight so that generally meant one thing. They had a bone to pick with you. Something he liked to avoid. Conflict wasn’t his thing. Yesung liked to avoid it at all costs. As much as he would love to just chalk it up to his good looks, which he was rather proud of actually, he wasn’t that conceited only a tad bit.
It wasn’t until the class was almost over that he had found the one who had been staring him down. That person rather surprised him. Until that moment he had been completely nonexistent in his eyes. Not something Yesung was rather happy with but you could only do so much and he was rather doing a lot. Yesung met Ryeowook’s gaze and he knew instantly this was one causing his uncomfort. Ryeowook also added another uncomfort when the volleyball came soaring in his direction and hit him smack dab in the side of the face. Yesung stumbled a few feet and his hand flew up to his cheek, but they didn’t break eye contact before he was able to catch the snickers coming from the one plaguing him all hour. The impact of the ball immediately set on a head. Walking off the volleyball court to collect himself, his coach came up and told him to go ahead and go to the clinic. Since oddly enough there was a pairs rule when someone got hurt, Coach Kim called over another student to go with him. Yesung hadn’t been paying attention to his coach but had already taken a few steps away.
“Ryeowook, take Jong Woon to the clinic.” Coach Kim called across the courts, since the two had been in between two of them. There was no way that Yesung hadn’t heard those words and he whipped his head around much too fast. Not only did he increase the power of his headache but he increased the slight feeling of despair he felt earlier tenfold. His eyes searched Ryeowook’s expression for a hint of anything the only thing that was there was shock. Being the good student that he was, Ryeowook walked over only to say politely, “Who, sir?” His coach just pointed with his thumb, “Kim Jong Woon, ya know your classmate.” Their coach shook his head and walked off, blowing his whistle to get everyone to start playing again.
Yesung, didn’t know what to do so he started walking again to go see the nurse. Letting Ryeowook decide for himself if he was going to tagalong or argue with the coach over their stupid pairs rule. He made it outside of the gym when he felt a firm grip on his shoulder shove him against the wall making his head throb upon the impact. Ryeowook stood in front of him staring intently at him. Yesung couldn’t feel comfortable under this scrutinizing gaze and he doubted that anyone could possibly stand it without squirming at least a little. “You! You’re Kim Jong Woon.” The words spoken sounded like a mix between a statement and a question. Yesung scrunched up his face at the loudness of the words thrown at him. “I prefer Yesung.” Was all he said, which was true and confirmed what Ryeowook was trying to say or question.
The hand gripping his shoulder was removed as if it had been burned. “You can walk yourself to the clinic.” Yesung watched as the words were spit at him and the feeling in Ryeowook’s dark chocolate eyes changed from the shock to what he could only perceive as disgust and hate. “Don’t come up to me anymore either Kim Jong Woon I don’t like you and I never will.” He wanted to make his point clear, the person standing in front of him was his worst nightmare and really he had only morphed into it because the guy had tried to pretend he was someone he wasn’t. What a liar.
Yesung really did let his shoulders sag then, his head was killing him and this really hadn’t been how he had hoped this reunion of sorts would have gone. He had hoped that Wookie had gotten over what had happened so many years ago. That was obviously not the case. “I can’t promise that but I’ll go to the clinic myself.” he practically sighed those words and then went on his way at the slow pace his headache would allow him go. What a day, and it was only half over.
-------------------
For the rest of the day Yesung had done as Ryeowook had asked. He knew it wouldn’t be wise to go up to him again. Anything he said wouldn’t be listened to so why waste his breath now? It wasn’t worth it. He didn’t pay attention in any of his classes, blatantly making it known as he would gaze out a window or at a door through the whole entire class sighing from time to time. It looked as if Yesung was a caged bird dreaming of the day he’ll be set free. In this case all of his teachers thought they had bored him to tears and that day was only when the period was up and he could leave the room. They were wrong but he didn’t care to correct them. His mind was taking him back years and years to remember that one day where everything had changed.
It wasn’t until his break at the bar he sang at that he really remembered everything without it being in broken pieces. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t remember it whole before but it had just appeared in snipets mainly because he at least had semi-attempted to pay attention in his classes. He was sitting at the bar, elbow propped up and holding his chin in his hand, while his other hand wrapped around his glass, a finger playing with the rim. It was club soda seeing as how he was underage but the manager still let him perform there because he had a voice unlike any other the woman had heard before. That and the fact that she liked to give his butt a squeeze when she thought she was tipsy enough for it to be okay.
It wasn’t okay and Jungsu would always give him a disapproving look when he caught glimpses of it. Basically the bartender there wanted Yesung to stand up for himself but Yesung just didn’t give a damn. That and the fact that he needed the money. Money always seemed to be the driving force to make you put up with things that you really shouldn’t have to deal with. Sitting there looking and feeling depressed wasn’t helping him make the bar any extra money. Normally, when he took his breaks he’d get a few people to buy him drinks and though he’d never drink them he surely let Jungsu reap the benefits of getting more tips from it. They had worked out a partnership in that department. “I’m almost tempted to sneak some liquor into that just so you’ll perk up.” Came a soft whisper just loud enough for only Yesung to hear.
He looked up and saw the familiar bartender looking at him with concerned eyes. Giving a weak smile, that he knew didn’t sway the man to believe anything he said, he tried anyways, “I’m fine, no need to worry.” Jungsu always looked out for Yesung and he appreciated him for it but sometimes the man seemed more like a mother hen than anything else. Though this mother hen could throw a pretty mean punch if need be. Yesung had seen it once before and he wouldn’t deny that it surprised him. Jungsu always had this pure aura around him it was hard to believe that violence went along with it. “Then why the depressing songs? I mean I know we want to make more money but driving the already depressed to drink even more…” Jungsu trailed off. Those words made Yesung look around. Was he helping business that much? And sure enough he saw one of their regulars who was always depressed it seem, had downed a drink in one go and already had the next waiting for him.
Yesung frowned and made a mental note to sing something more up beat next. “Point taken.” He nodded before looking down at his own glass then taking a swig of it. He could feel the gaze of disapproval and worry coming from Jungsu but he had never been the best at masking his emotions. “Do I need to give you a pocket full of sunshine.” The older man said, singing the tune of the line from the song he just mentioned. Yesung’s eyes moved away from his glass and to the bartenders with a look of disbelief. Had he really just said that to him? “Hyung, are you sure you’re not gay?” They had had this discussion before because there were some odd moments where Jungsu just radiated homosexuality so bright that it was blinding. Now, was one of those moments. The bartended scoffed, turning his head away he sniffed, “I just like that song. It’s catchy.” He started to move away but Yesung could hear the soft singing “I got a pocket got a pocketful of sunshine, I got a love and I know that it's all mine oh oh oh oh take me awaaayy, a secret place, a sweet escape…” Shaking his head, he drained the rest of his club soda while mumbling to himself that someone needed to learn those lyrics better. Getting back on stage he finished his set and this time he did sing some less depressing songs but even the audience would tell you that there was a tone of sadness hidden in the layers that night.
------------
Waking up refreshed, Ryeowook bounded out of bed to do his morning routine. Once he was dressed he made his way downstairs to find his mother had beat him to making breakfast. Smiling he went over to her and gave her a peck on the cheek, “What would you like help with mom?” Mrs. Kim giggled out of surprise. It was one thing to receive her sons help but it was entirely another to receive a kiss as well. She knew very well how teenagers were these days, kissing their mothers just wasn’t cool at this age. Smiling warmly at her son she said, “Oh, I only really need the toast to be done now Wook, if you don’t mind?” Ryeowook nodded, “I got it.” He went off into the pantry to find the bread and then preceeded to the toaster, making enough for everyone. It looked like they would be having eggs this morning which he couldn’t deny was one of his favorite things to eat for breakfast. Scrambled eggs were the best because they were so light and fluffy and then when you added cheese on top, well lets just say he would be close to moaning over how good it tasted on his tongue. That was one of his hidden weaknesses.
“What are your plans for today?” Mrs. Kim asked as she as making plates for everyone. Ryeowook was finishing up buttering the toast but didn’t look up from his task to answer. “Oh, I’m going out shopping with Henli.” His mother nodded as she carried two of the plates with eggs on them to the table. “You boys will have fun.” It was Ryeowook’s turn to nod and bring the now buttered toast to the table. “Go ahead and have a seat dear, I can handle the rest.” He did as he was told, grabbing a piece of toast even before his bottom hit the seat. “Is Henli coming over here or are you meeting him? Oh, do you want some banana milk?” She was busying herself in the refridgerator, this time her questions made her son look up. “Is that all we have?” He wasn’t quite in the mood for banana milk but would drink it anyways. “Yes, dear. I need to make a trip to the market sometime today.” Mrs. Kim brought over the banana milk which gave Ryeowook no choice even though he was going to agree to it anyways.
It was then that Mr. Kim had made his way into the kitchen and to his chair. She bustled over and kissed him on his cheek. “Your coffee is almost ready.” A mumbled thanks could be heard as well as the crinkling of the newspaper being opened. “Morning dad.” Ryeowook piped up. The newspaper that was hiding everything else from view was lowered so Mr. Kim could look at his son but he frowned instead of smiled. “Are you losing more weight? Whatever happened to our big healthy boy.” He grumbled before putting the paper back into place. A light blush covered his sons cheeks as he looked down at himself. He really had lost a lot of weight from how he had been previously but he didn’t think he was underweight.
“Oh shush honey, Ryeowook is just fine as he is. Even more healthy than before…though a little more meat might not hurt him.” She mumbled to herself, making her argument counterproductive. Wanting to change the subject now, “I’ll be meeting Henli at his place after breakfast.” He had never answered his mom so he might as well do it now. He decided now was the best time to dig in, it would deflect the conversation from him, as his father felt it was better to eat your food without talking. “Eat up then, you don’t want that precious boy waiting too long for you.” If it wasn’t for the food in his mouth Ryeowook would have said something about his mothers word choice. His mother had a rather large soft spot for Henry and neither of the boys understood quite why it was as large as it was.
When he finished his breakfast, he cleaned off his plate, let his parents know he was off and then headed over to Henry’s. It wasn’t too long of a walk but it did take him a good 15 minutes to get there by foot. Ryeowook’s hand was raised at the door ready to knock but the door opened before he could even get one knock in. Looking surprised he saw Henry standing there, ready to go. A hurried goodbye was called to what Ryeowook could only assume was his parents and then the door was shut and Henry was pulling him along by his arm. “Slow down Henli, I’m gonna trip.” he said right as he did trip over his own feet. He hadn’t been able to get his bearings with all of the rush. Henry looked embarrassed, “Sorry, they’re just fighting again.” He mumbled and the look in Ryeowook’s eyes softened. It seemed as of late that Henry’s parents were having problems and while they weren’t getting worse they certainly weren’t getting any better either. Taking Henry’s hand in his he gave it a warm squeeze, “It’s okay, you have me.” Ryeowook flipped his hair out of his eyes and smiled warmly at his best friend reassuring him. It worked and Henry brightened, squeezing his friend’s back. They started walking again and this time at an easy pace for them both, without separating their hands.
“So, what are we shopping for?” The brunette had never asked why they needed to go on a shopping trip. It hadn’t seen important but now that they were roaming the mall almost aimlessly he was starting to wonder. Glancing over at his friend he could see the boy shift uncomfortably which meant that he had lied about something. Refusing to look at his friend he mumbled for the second time today, “It was just an excuse…” Ryeowook was really confused now. “An excuse? Why?” It wasn’t as if they needed to use excuses to see each other. That was silly so this didn’t make any sense. Before Henry could respond a shadow fell over them, making the boys stop abruptly. Neither had been paying much attention to where they were going.
Looking up the looks in both of their eyes darkened considerably. “Can I speak with you Henry?” Ryeowook tried to hide his surprise by looking away. Was it wrong that he had been expecting the person in front of him to be speaking to him not his best friend? He felt a tinge of guilt for being so self-centered but if it wasn’t for Kim Jong Woon, he refused to use Yesung now, always coming to bug him not Henry, then this misconception wouldn’t have happened in the first place. “What could you possibly have to say?” Henry practically growled at the obstacle in their way, tugging on Ryeowook’s arm he indicated for them to walk around the said obstacle. Ryeowook did was was suggested but a hand reached out and grabbed onto Henry’s arm, stopping them both once again. Making Ryeowook squeak a little as he bumped into his friend. The tension between Henry and the obstacle was so thick you’d need more than a knife to cut through it. In the midst of this all, the onlooker which is what he felt like, he couldn’t even be annoyed by the new presence, he was to intrigued by the two in front of him and what this could mean.
After a huff from Henry, he let go of Ryeowook’s hand reluctantly but did so anyways. “Fine but you have one minute.” One minute was being extremely generous. Whenever Jong Woon was around, Henry grew instantly protective of his friend. He wasn’t to be messed with and this person here was trying to do exactly what Henry wouldn’t allow. Turning towards his friend, he said, “Just a minute, I’ll be right back.” Watching the frown form on his friends face and then hearing the annoyed Humph, come from him it only made Henry sigh and dislike the now called Yesung more. He still hadn’t told Ryeowook just who this person was. Thinking of that now he felt his insides twist as the guilt clawed at him. Henry ignored it and followed Yesung off to the side by the railing where you could look down into the center of the first floor of the mall below. “Clocks ticking.” He grumbled.
“I know why you dislike me,” Yesung started but was interrupted by a snort, obviously indicating that dislike wasn’t strong enough of a word. “but we weren’t always like this. Wouldn’t it be better to put this all to rest?” Henry stared blankly at the taller guy in front of him with those strange upside down glasses. He really needed some better fashion sense, but that was an issue for another day. “If you had any idea about anything then you wouldn’t even bother asking me this. Anyways it’s not as if you even apologized. It’s a bit late now.” Maybe if Yesung had apologized right after it happened or even a few days, Henry would feel differently. Especially since he knew very well that Ryeowook had been good friends with the kid before the traumatizing event but there was nothing. Jong Woon never once apologized, when people would make fun of Ryeowook even after the fact he never stood up for him, he just watched helplessly or turned the other cheek. With the way it still seemed to effect Ryeowook now, there was no way that Henry was about to help this newly named person.
Yesung’s eyebrows knit together at the wording that Henry used. There was something in it that he couldn’t understand, a missing piece that he knew he needed to know. Those thoughts were shoved away when it was said that he never apologized. That was a lie. “What are you talking about? I apologized multiple times.” The frustration was evident in his voice that had become slightly raised. Henry only raised an eyebrow not sure if he should believe it or not. “Well, your minute is up so figure this out yourself.” He grumbled, shoving past Yesung, knocking his shoulder into the others on his way past. “And stop stalking us, it’s creepy.”
All the while Ryeowook had kept his eye on the pair of them, wanting to get closer and hear what they were saying but the mall was a really bad place for him to do an undercover type mission. He couldn’t get near so he didn’t but just stood there with his arms crossed and his foot tapping the ground impatiently. Henry came back over and tried to give him a bright smile. He pulled apart his friends crossed arms and intertwined their fingers again, holding hands once more. Henry looked over his shoulder at Yesung one last time, it was his way of saying that Ryeowook was his and not to bother. Being protective as he was, he’d accomplish that in just about anyway even if it gave people misconceptions, especially Kim Jong Woon or Yesung, whatever the hell you wanted to call him. Turning back to his friend he turned on the charm. “I’m sorry for making you wait so long. Let’s go get ice cream.” Knowing that Ryeowook had quite the sweet tooth at times, ice cream would surely do him in.
“Fine, you can buy me ice cream but you’re still telling me what Jong Woon said to you.” He ground out not noticing just how far Henry’s jaw dropped.
Yesung, watched as the two stuck to each other like glue, not missing the much implied relationship that Henry as displaying in his actions. He had never displayed any interest in Ryeowook like that but if Henry was going to such lengths then obviously he picked up on some of those feelings somewhere along the way. Turning away he walked back over to his younger brother and slung an arm around his shoulder. “Come on Jong Jin, let’s go get what you need for band.” Music tended to run in their family it seemed one way or another. Yesung was distracted, thinking about why and how Henry had decided to use those actions to prove things. When had he displayed any kind of interest? He couldn’t find a time but there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Ryeowook was attractive.
-------
When the two boys had gotten their ice cream and sat down a table in the food court, that was when Henry asked his friend the question he had been dying to ask him. “How did you know?” The question tumbled out and Henry wasn’t at all sorry for how he was staring at his friend, open mouthed in shock. It was rude but oh well, much more important things were at hand. “Huh? Oh!…” Now, it was Ryeowook’s turn to look away, staring down at his ice cream, the guilt of keeping this information to himself made him almost lose his appetite. “I uh, found out during gym yesterday. I’m so sorry Henli-ah! I meant to tell you but I was just so, so, so mad that I didn’t want to bring it up again.” His tone changed from soft laced with guilt to stronger with anger. Looking up from his ice cream, seeking forgiveness when Henry’s words hit him like a ton of bricks. “Yah! You knew?! Since when? Why didn’t you tell me?!” Oops, Henry looked guilty again, he really was holding onto that look a bit too much today for his liking. “Uh, ever since he started school, BUT, I just didn’t want to upset you. You know, you’ve been better Wookie so um ya know it seemed counterproductive.” He mumbled and hung his head, hoping his friend wouldn’t be too upset with him.
Feeling something cold and wet hit his face Henry’s eyes flew open in shock and then outrage. “Yah!” he said as he took his spoon, scooping up some ice cream and flinging it at Ryeowook who ducked and managed not to get hit with it but he didn’t miss the second one that was pelted on him and hit him on the nose. The two started laughing, seeing how silly they looked and chucked a couple more scoops of ice cream at each other, only stopping when they accidentally hit a person walking by who gave them a nasty glare. It made them both burst into more giggles, that had started out hushed only to turn into full out laughter that was disturbing peoples lunches. They received many curious looks but the two didn’t notice. Grabbing a napkin while still laughing though not quite as hard as Ryeowook was earlier he reached over and wiped off Henry’s face being careful not to get the ice cream in his eyes. Then he wiped himself off. “It’s okay Henli-ah. We both didn’t mention it, so we’re even.” he said with a twinkle in his eyes, still feeling mischievous from their ice cream fight. Henry grinned and nodded. “Even.” he said and then pointed to their melting ice cream. “We should eat this before it all goes to waist.” Ryeowook agreed and the two boys dug in eagerly. Somehow that little fight had given them quite an appetite.
Things were back to normal between Ryeowook and Henry after their time at the mall. Yesung had been quiet for the most part. A lot of that was due because Ryeowook would just ignore him. Ignoring him wasn’t going to last much longer though. Their history teacher wanted to do a fun activity. Which meant it was the complete opposite. “Alright, class. I’ve got your groups selected for the reenactment production, so listen up.” Professor Seo raised his voice a decibel to properly get everyone attention. Then he proceeded to read off of his list, who was in whose group. Ryeowook was sitting in his chair listening intently so that way he didn’t miss his name being called. “Kim Ryeowook, Baek Yi Jeong and Kim Yesung. That’s it. You all can go ahead and get into your groups and start discussing which of the five topics you would like to do. Be sure to turn in your decisions to me before the end of class.” Professor Seo walked to his desk, took a seat picking up his book and ignored the class for the rest of the period.
Normally, Ryeowook would enjoy this time thoroughly because they would talk about whatever they wanted or do whatever they wanted for a good hour but no not today. He flipped his dark brown locks out of his eyes and huffed as he turned sideways in his seat. His eyes glared hard at the floor, wondering what was taking so long for their third group member to show up. Yesung was being quiet as he had learned to be. After what felt like forever, the brunette looked up and swept his gaze across the room, to his disappointment Yi Jeong was nowhere to be found. That stunk, the kid was absent on the one day he would actually want the little nerd to be here. He was grumpy and when he was grumpy he was mean. Not even looking at Jong Woon he said, “I don’t care what you chose just pick one and then we’re done for today.” Yesung just stared a Ryeowook and shook his head. “You know, you could be nicer.” He grumbled before he looked down at his notebook where he had written down the options for the project.
They were supposed to make a video reenactment of some historical events within the time period they were studying right now. Their professor had really given them some broad options covering war to political assassinations to even scandals within the court. Which as Yesung looked over the five different options and thought about their third group member who would surely be too shy to be on screen, a smirk appeared. This would be fun. Taking out a single piece of paper, he wrote down the names of all the people in his group along with their choice and turned it in to Professor Seo. Taking his seat once more he said in a droll tone, “All done.” Yesung let Ryeowook turn back around in his seat without so much as a word. Keeping an eye on the clock, when it was time for class to end Yesung packed up his things so he could leave first. When the bell rang he stopped by Ryeowook’s desk and dropped a paper with his address and directions onto it. “Since you didn’t want to talk in class you’ll need to come over to my place after school. We only have a week to do this after all.” He said then continued on his way with a big grin plastered on his face for the rest of the day.
Grumbling as he shut his locker he didn’t notice anyone around him and walked right into someone. Ryeowook apologized immediately and looked up to find someone smiling back at him. “Hi Hyung.” Sungmin moved to the side and linked their arms together. “Sungmin-ah, how many times…ugh nevermind. Hi.” He decided it would just be better to keep quiet. Would he be able to beat his friend’s quirks? No, not at all. It never seemed to phase Sungmin no matter how many times they went over this.
“Did you want to come over to my house today, a few others are coming too and Henli can come too if you like.” Every now and then Sungmin had these get togethers at his house and it was a lot of fun. Whenever Ryeowook had joined he never failed to have a good time. It was really tempting to just ditch what he was supposed to be going. “Henli has violin practice today and I have to work on a project.” By the end of his sentence he was grinding his teeth and Sungmin was looking at him questioningly but didn’t voice anything. Instead he put on that killer pout that almost always sucked the brunette in. Really something Sungmin was much too hard to resist. “Don’t you start that. Believe me Sungmin, I’d much MUCH rather be at your place than walking into the lions den.” He shifted his eyes away from the little seductress that his friend was in so many different ways. Sungmin tilted his head slightly, “Lions den?” Ryeowook just shook his head as the two had gotten to the entrance of the school and pushed open the door. “You’re safer not knowing.” He was probably confusing his friend to the utmost degree but he’d rather not explain anything. Watching Sungmin shrug and slip his arm out of his, he was glad that no further prodding was going on. “Alright, whatever you say Ryewookie hyung. I’ll see you later.” He called as he was walking backwards and waving before turning around and going on his way. Pulling the paper out of his bag he looked over the address and directions. It was time to start walking into that lion’s den and so he did.
It took the senior a little longer than he would have liked to get to Jong Woon’s house that turned out to be an apartment. Looking at the building, it wasn’t in the best of shape either. Was this really where Jong Woon had wanted him to go? Maybe it was a trick because he hadn’t been nicer, as someone had told him to be earlier. It would be a really strange trick though. Shoving the paper back in his backpack and switching his bag to his other shoulder, Ryeowook took a deep breath and opened the door. He made it to the stairs and walked up three flights of stairs before finally getting to the level he was supposed to be on. Walking down the hallway he saw some parts of the walls had graffiti on them. Wrinkling his nose as he passed one of the rooms that had put their huge trashbag outside the door, he quickly scurried past and wanted to get inside Jong Woon’s room as soon as possible. He was starting to get a little scared out in the hallway.
Finding 343B he knocked on the door a few times and waited impatiently for the door to open. It really was only a matter of seconds but for Ryeowook who kept looking around him, hoping no one else entered the hall it felt like so much longer. When the door opened, it wasn’t by his school mate but by someone a few years younger. “Oh uh, maybe I have the wrong door?” His voice had become slightly high pitched in his nervousness. The kid standing in front of him just opened the door wider and turned to call to someone, “Your friend is here, hyung.” How, this kid knew who he was as he was insinuating was beyond Ryeowook because he had never laid eyes on the person before in his life. “Friend?” He mumbled dumbstruck. “Jong Jin be polite.” Ryeowook could faintly hear. The boy named Jong Jin apparently nodded and turned back to him. “Come in, bro will be out in a moment Ryeowook hyung.” That was about as polite as he was going to get. Jong Jin motioned for Ryeowook to come inside and he wasn’t going to but going back down that hallway to search for another door seemed much scarier to him.
Walking in, he said, “Sorry to intrude.” His eyes roamed all over the apartment that was rather small but as he followed Jong Jin inside, he could tell there were two bedrooms, a small kitchen and then a living room. The furnishings weren’t anything fancy but they were in decent shape just old and worn. There was a fireplace and up on the mantle were some pictures, Ryeowook wandered over not being able to help his curiosity and looked at them. There was a school picture of Jong Jin when he was younger. A portrait of just Jong Jin and Jong Woon, it was good to see that he did have the right apartment. You could see a lot in that portrait, Jong Jin was all smiles and Jong Woon gave off the impression of being very protective and loving towards the younger brother. It was a cute photo. His heart was starting to soften and then he moved on to the last photo, it was just one of Jong Woon, similar to Jung Jin’s single picture. He looked really sad in this one though, why it was on the mantle Ryeowook didn’t know, it just seemed out of place, Jong Woon was smiling but it wasn’t reaching his eyes.
“You can put your bag down, you know.” Jong Jin said, leaning on the back of the couch with his hip. He nodded towards the backpack that Ryeowook still hadn’t removed. “Oh, sure.” It was rude of him to keep on holding it as if he just couldn’t wait to leave. He backed away from the mantle moving over to the couch and slid his bag off his arm onto the floor at the end of the couch. Then he took a seat not wanting to be told to do so as he just was over his bag. “Would you like something to drink?” His brother had told him to be polite so he was. “Uh, no thanks. I’m fine.” Ryeowook said quietly while looking down at his hands in his lap. Jong Jin walked around the couch and took a seat in the chair adjacent to it. He placed his elbows on his knees and cupped his chin in his hands, studying Ryeowook. He was curious to know why his brother had so much interest in this person. He didn’t seem so great to him. “You don’t like my brother do you?” This question startled the brunette and he stopped playing with his fingers and looked up at the boy who he could now see the resemblance to Jong Woon. “Uh, well, I-“ This wasn’t the topic he would have chosen to discuss with Jong Woon’s little brother. “It’s fine, I saw how you looked at him at the mall that one day. You don’t hide your emotions very well.” Jong Jin was a rather blunt child, though he wasn’t quite a child anymore considering how he was in his freshman year of high school. Something Ryeowook hadn’t noticed. He flushed, his whole face turning beat red like a tomato. “I-I…” I what? He didn’t know what to say. He wished they could have gone back to the pleasantries, instead he just lowered his eyes back to his hands.
“My brother likes you a lot. See those pictures above the fireplace? I had to fight to put those up, Jong Woon doesn’t like pictures but he has yours.” This was the second time that Ryeowook was in shock over the blunt words coming out of this kids mouth, his head snapped up as he searched Jong Jin’s expression for any hint that he was lying but there was none. That bothered him even more. “That’s not possible.” He said adamantly and looked away. It was then that footsteps were heard. Jong Jin turned his head to see his brother appear in the room, grinning like an innocent child that he most certainly was not though he didn’t think he said anything wrong so who was to judge. Yesung could see the blush on Ryeowook’s cheeks and the smile of his brother, it was easy to put two and two together. “Go do your homework or no tv later.” He didn’t say it in a mean tone just a stern one which made Jong Jin lose his smile a frown replacing it. “You’re not dad you know.” The younger said with heated annoyance. A brief sadness passed through Yesung’s eyes. “I’m in charge while they’re away and you know he’d be saying the same thing.” That earned him a tongue sticking out at him but Yesung just pointed to the room and Jong Jin got up and marched off to his room.
Sighing, Yesung walked over to the Jong Jin’s previous seat and sat his notebook from History class on the coffee table. “Sorry about that, he’s sort of in a rebellious stage.” Sitting down he looked apologetically to Ryeowook. He was tempted to ask what his brother had said but maybe it was better he didn’t. Ryeowook’s flush was starting to fade and was almost gone. He had watched the exchange between the two brothers and was slightly amused. These were the kinds of displays he never got to have. Being the only child deprived him of what seemed a rather fun time. A little brother or sister seemed like a lot of fun. “He was fine. Where are your parents?” So, he lied about Yesung’s brother being fine but it only seemed like the right thing to do. Jong Jin was quite a bit different but overall it hadn’t been too bad. Watching Yesung shift uncomfortably made him feel like he asked something he shouldn’t have but it was too late for him to take back the words.
Pairing(s): YeWook, ninja!HenMi
Genre: Romance
Rating: PG
Summary: Ryeowook has a scar that he can't seem to heal, maybe the only person who can is the very same person who gave him that scar.
Note: Fic request for kellsung sorry it took soo long and my god i'm sorta sorry it's 30,120 words.
Parts: 1 3 4
All through gym class Yesung hung out in the back of every line or group they formed. He didn’t feel like being social with anyone. The few who tried quickly gave up and moved on to a person who would actually say something back in words. He took his finger and swiped some hair out of his eyes that wasn’t really in his eyes as he side stepped the ball coming his way. There were yells of annoyance from his team mates but he wasn’t in the mood to play volleyball. He could feel eyes on him almost the entire time of gym class.
Normally, he didn’t mind being looked at that much because it generally meant a girl fancied him and that he found flattering even though he wouldn’t touch one with a nine foot pole. Not his forte, kissing that one girl who did god knows what with her tongue and too much saliva had been enough for him. Nope, he was set for life. When the guys were separated from the girls for gym class though and someone was staring at him intently it made him wonder why. Most of the guys here were straight so that generally meant one thing. They had a bone to pick with you. Something he liked to avoid. Conflict wasn’t his thing. Yesung liked to avoid it at all costs. As much as he would love to just chalk it up to his good looks, which he was rather proud of actually, he wasn’t that conceited only a tad bit.
It wasn’t until the class was almost over that he had found the one who had been staring him down. That person rather surprised him. Until that moment he had been completely nonexistent in his eyes. Not something Yesung was rather happy with but you could only do so much and he was rather doing a lot. Yesung met Ryeowook’s gaze and he knew instantly this was one causing his uncomfort. Ryeowook also added another uncomfort when the volleyball came soaring in his direction and hit him smack dab in the side of the face. Yesung stumbled a few feet and his hand flew up to his cheek, but they didn’t break eye contact before he was able to catch the snickers coming from the one plaguing him all hour. The impact of the ball immediately set on a head. Walking off the volleyball court to collect himself, his coach came up and told him to go ahead and go to the clinic. Since oddly enough there was a pairs rule when someone got hurt, Coach Kim called over another student to go with him. Yesung hadn’t been paying attention to his coach but had already taken a few steps away.
“Ryeowook, take Jong Woon to the clinic.” Coach Kim called across the courts, since the two had been in between two of them. There was no way that Yesung hadn’t heard those words and he whipped his head around much too fast. Not only did he increase the power of his headache but he increased the slight feeling of despair he felt earlier tenfold. His eyes searched Ryeowook’s expression for a hint of anything the only thing that was there was shock. Being the good student that he was, Ryeowook walked over only to say politely, “Who, sir?” His coach just pointed with his thumb, “Kim Jong Woon, ya know your classmate.” Their coach shook his head and walked off, blowing his whistle to get everyone to start playing again.
Yesung, didn’t know what to do so he started walking again to go see the nurse. Letting Ryeowook decide for himself if he was going to tagalong or argue with the coach over their stupid pairs rule. He made it outside of the gym when he felt a firm grip on his shoulder shove him against the wall making his head throb upon the impact. Ryeowook stood in front of him staring intently at him. Yesung couldn’t feel comfortable under this scrutinizing gaze and he doubted that anyone could possibly stand it without squirming at least a little. “You! You’re Kim Jong Woon.” The words spoken sounded like a mix between a statement and a question. Yesung scrunched up his face at the loudness of the words thrown at him. “I prefer Yesung.” Was all he said, which was true and confirmed what Ryeowook was trying to say or question.
The hand gripping his shoulder was removed as if it had been burned. “You can walk yourself to the clinic.” Yesung watched as the words were spit at him and the feeling in Ryeowook’s dark chocolate eyes changed from the shock to what he could only perceive as disgust and hate. “Don’t come up to me anymore either Kim Jong Woon I don’t like you and I never will.” He wanted to make his point clear, the person standing in front of him was his worst nightmare and really he had only morphed into it because the guy had tried to pretend he was someone he wasn’t. What a liar.
Yesung really did let his shoulders sag then, his head was killing him and this really hadn’t been how he had hoped this reunion of sorts would have gone. He had hoped that Wookie had gotten over what had happened so many years ago. That was obviously not the case. “I can’t promise that but I’ll go to the clinic myself.” he practically sighed those words and then went on his way at the slow pace his headache would allow him go. What a day, and it was only half over.
-------------------
For the rest of the day Yesung had done as Ryeowook had asked. He knew it wouldn’t be wise to go up to him again. Anything he said wouldn’t be listened to so why waste his breath now? It wasn’t worth it. He didn’t pay attention in any of his classes, blatantly making it known as he would gaze out a window or at a door through the whole entire class sighing from time to time. It looked as if Yesung was a caged bird dreaming of the day he’ll be set free. In this case all of his teachers thought they had bored him to tears and that day was only when the period was up and he could leave the room. They were wrong but he didn’t care to correct them. His mind was taking him back years and years to remember that one day where everything had changed.
It wasn’t until his break at the bar he sang at that he really remembered everything without it being in broken pieces. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t remember it whole before but it had just appeared in snipets mainly because he at least had semi-attempted to pay attention in his classes. He was sitting at the bar, elbow propped up and holding his chin in his hand, while his other hand wrapped around his glass, a finger playing with the rim. It was club soda seeing as how he was underage but the manager still let him perform there because he had a voice unlike any other the woman had heard before. That and the fact that she liked to give his butt a squeeze when she thought she was tipsy enough for it to be okay.
It wasn’t okay and Jungsu would always give him a disapproving look when he caught glimpses of it. Basically the bartender there wanted Yesung to stand up for himself but Yesung just didn’t give a damn. That and the fact that he needed the money. Money always seemed to be the driving force to make you put up with things that you really shouldn’t have to deal with. Sitting there looking and feeling depressed wasn’t helping him make the bar any extra money. Normally, when he took his breaks he’d get a few people to buy him drinks and though he’d never drink them he surely let Jungsu reap the benefits of getting more tips from it. They had worked out a partnership in that department. “I’m almost tempted to sneak some liquor into that just so you’ll perk up.” Came a soft whisper just loud enough for only Yesung to hear.
He looked up and saw the familiar bartender looking at him with concerned eyes. Giving a weak smile, that he knew didn’t sway the man to believe anything he said, he tried anyways, “I’m fine, no need to worry.” Jungsu always looked out for Yesung and he appreciated him for it but sometimes the man seemed more like a mother hen than anything else. Though this mother hen could throw a pretty mean punch if need be. Yesung had seen it once before and he wouldn’t deny that it surprised him. Jungsu always had this pure aura around him it was hard to believe that violence went along with it. “Then why the depressing songs? I mean I know we want to make more money but driving the already depressed to drink even more…” Jungsu trailed off. Those words made Yesung look around. Was he helping business that much? And sure enough he saw one of their regulars who was always depressed it seem, had downed a drink in one go and already had the next waiting for him.
Yesung frowned and made a mental note to sing something more up beat next. “Point taken.” He nodded before looking down at his own glass then taking a swig of it. He could feel the gaze of disapproval and worry coming from Jungsu but he had never been the best at masking his emotions. “Do I need to give you a pocket full of sunshine.” The older man said, singing the tune of the line from the song he just mentioned. Yesung’s eyes moved away from his glass and to the bartenders with a look of disbelief. Had he really just said that to him? “Hyung, are you sure you’re not gay?” They had had this discussion before because there were some odd moments where Jungsu just radiated homosexuality so bright that it was blinding. Now, was one of those moments. The bartended scoffed, turning his head away he sniffed, “I just like that song. It’s catchy.” He started to move away but Yesung could hear the soft singing “I got a pocket got a pocketful of sunshine, I got a love and I know that it's all mine oh oh oh oh take me awaaayy, a secret place, a sweet escape…” Shaking his head, he drained the rest of his club soda while mumbling to himself that someone needed to learn those lyrics better. Getting back on stage he finished his set and this time he did sing some less depressing songs but even the audience would tell you that there was a tone of sadness hidden in the layers that night.
------------
Waking up refreshed, Ryeowook bounded out of bed to do his morning routine. Once he was dressed he made his way downstairs to find his mother had beat him to making breakfast. Smiling he went over to her and gave her a peck on the cheek, “What would you like help with mom?” Mrs. Kim giggled out of surprise. It was one thing to receive her sons help but it was entirely another to receive a kiss as well. She knew very well how teenagers were these days, kissing their mothers just wasn’t cool at this age. Smiling warmly at her son she said, “Oh, I only really need the toast to be done now Wook, if you don’t mind?” Ryeowook nodded, “I got it.” He went off into the pantry to find the bread and then preceeded to the toaster, making enough for everyone. It looked like they would be having eggs this morning which he couldn’t deny was one of his favorite things to eat for breakfast. Scrambled eggs were the best because they were so light and fluffy and then when you added cheese on top, well lets just say he would be close to moaning over how good it tasted on his tongue. That was one of his hidden weaknesses.
“What are your plans for today?” Mrs. Kim asked as she as making plates for everyone. Ryeowook was finishing up buttering the toast but didn’t look up from his task to answer. “Oh, I’m going out shopping with Henli.” His mother nodded as she carried two of the plates with eggs on them to the table. “You boys will have fun.” It was Ryeowook’s turn to nod and bring the now buttered toast to the table. “Go ahead and have a seat dear, I can handle the rest.” He did as he was told, grabbing a piece of toast even before his bottom hit the seat. “Is Henli coming over here or are you meeting him? Oh, do you want some banana milk?” She was busying herself in the refridgerator, this time her questions made her son look up. “Is that all we have?” He wasn’t quite in the mood for banana milk but would drink it anyways. “Yes, dear. I need to make a trip to the market sometime today.” Mrs. Kim brought over the banana milk which gave Ryeowook no choice even though he was going to agree to it anyways.
It was then that Mr. Kim had made his way into the kitchen and to his chair. She bustled over and kissed him on his cheek. “Your coffee is almost ready.” A mumbled thanks could be heard as well as the crinkling of the newspaper being opened. “Morning dad.” Ryeowook piped up. The newspaper that was hiding everything else from view was lowered so Mr. Kim could look at his son but he frowned instead of smiled. “Are you losing more weight? Whatever happened to our big healthy boy.” He grumbled before putting the paper back into place. A light blush covered his sons cheeks as he looked down at himself. He really had lost a lot of weight from how he had been previously but he didn’t think he was underweight.
“Oh shush honey, Ryeowook is just fine as he is. Even more healthy than before…though a little more meat might not hurt him.” She mumbled to herself, making her argument counterproductive. Wanting to change the subject now, “I’ll be meeting Henli at his place after breakfast.” He had never answered his mom so he might as well do it now. He decided now was the best time to dig in, it would deflect the conversation from him, as his father felt it was better to eat your food without talking. “Eat up then, you don’t want that precious boy waiting too long for you.” If it wasn’t for the food in his mouth Ryeowook would have said something about his mothers word choice. His mother had a rather large soft spot for Henry and neither of the boys understood quite why it was as large as it was.
When he finished his breakfast, he cleaned off his plate, let his parents know he was off and then headed over to Henry’s. It wasn’t too long of a walk but it did take him a good 15 minutes to get there by foot. Ryeowook’s hand was raised at the door ready to knock but the door opened before he could even get one knock in. Looking surprised he saw Henry standing there, ready to go. A hurried goodbye was called to what Ryeowook could only assume was his parents and then the door was shut and Henry was pulling him along by his arm. “Slow down Henli, I’m gonna trip.” he said right as he did trip over his own feet. He hadn’t been able to get his bearings with all of the rush. Henry looked embarrassed, “Sorry, they’re just fighting again.” He mumbled and the look in Ryeowook’s eyes softened. It seemed as of late that Henry’s parents were having problems and while they weren’t getting worse they certainly weren’t getting any better either. Taking Henry’s hand in his he gave it a warm squeeze, “It’s okay, you have me.” Ryeowook flipped his hair out of his eyes and smiled warmly at his best friend reassuring him. It worked and Henry brightened, squeezing his friend’s back. They started walking again and this time at an easy pace for them both, without separating their hands.
“So, what are we shopping for?” The brunette had never asked why they needed to go on a shopping trip. It hadn’t seen important but now that they were roaming the mall almost aimlessly he was starting to wonder. Glancing over at his friend he could see the boy shift uncomfortably which meant that he had lied about something. Refusing to look at his friend he mumbled for the second time today, “It was just an excuse…” Ryeowook was really confused now. “An excuse? Why?” It wasn’t as if they needed to use excuses to see each other. That was silly so this didn’t make any sense. Before Henry could respond a shadow fell over them, making the boys stop abruptly. Neither had been paying much attention to where they were going.
Looking up the looks in both of their eyes darkened considerably. “Can I speak with you Henry?” Ryeowook tried to hide his surprise by looking away. Was it wrong that he had been expecting the person in front of him to be speaking to him not his best friend? He felt a tinge of guilt for being so self-centered but if it wasn’t for Kim Jong Woon, he refused to use Yesung now, always coming to bug him not Henry, then this misconception wouldn’t have happened in the first place. “What could you possibly have to say?” Henry practically growled at the obstacle in their way, tugging on Ryeowook’s arm he indicated for them to walk around the said obstacle. Ryeowook did was was suggested but a hand reached out and grabbed onto Henry’s arm, stopping them both once again. Making Ryeowook squeak a little as he bumped into his friend. The tension between Henry and the obstacle was so thick you’d need more than a knife to cut through it. In the midst of this all, the onlooker which is what he felt like, he couldn’t even be annoyed by the new presence, he was to intrigued by the two in front of him and what this could mean.
After a huff from Henry, he let go of Ryeowook’s hand reluctantly but did so anyways. “Fine but you have one minute.” One minute was being extremely generous. Whenever Jong Woon was around, Henry grew instantly protective of his friend. He wasn’t to be messed with and this person here was trying to do exactly what Henry wouldn’t allow. Turning towards his friend, he said, “Just a minute, I’ll be right back.” Watching the frown form on his friends face and then hearing the annoyed Humph, come from him it only made Henry sigh and dislike the now called Yesung more. He still hadn’t told Ryeowook just who this person was. Thinking of that now he felt his insides twist as the guilt clawed at him. Henry ignored it and followed Yesung off to the side by the railing where you could look down into the center of the first floor of the mall below. “Clocks ticking.” He grumbled.
“I know why you dislike me,” Yesung started but was interrupted by a snort, obviously indicating that dislike wasn’t strong enough of a word. “but we weren’t always like this. Wouldn’t it be better to put this all to rest?” Henry stared blankly at the taller guy in front of him with those strange upside down glasses. He really needed some better fashion sense, but that was an issue for another day. “If you had any idea about anything then you wouldn’t even bother asking me this. Anyways it’s not as if you even apologized. It’s a bit late now.” Maybe if Yesung had apologized right after it happened or even a few days, Henry would feel differently. Especially since he knew very well that Ryeowook had been good friends with the kid before the traumatizing event but there was nothing. Jong Woon never once apologized, when people would make fun of Ryeowook even after the fact he never stood up for him, he just watched helplessly or turned the other cheek. With the way it still seemed to effect Ryeowook now, there was no way that Henry was about to help this newly named person.
Yesung’s eyebrows knit together at the wording that Henry used. There was something in it that he couldn’t understand, a missing piece that he knew he needed to know. Those thoughts were shoved away when it was said that he never apologized. That was a lie. “What are you talking about? I apologized multiple times.” The frustration was evident in his voice that had become slightly raised. Henry only raised an eyebrow not sure if he should believe it or not. “Well, your minute is up so figure this out yourself.” He grumbled, shoving past Yesung, knocking his shoulder into the others on his way past. “And stop stalking us, it’s creepy.”
All the while Ryeowook had kept his eye on the pair of them, wanting to get closer and hear what they were saying but the mall was a really bad place for him to do an undercover type mission. He couldn’t get near so he didn’t but just stood there with his arms crossed and his foot tapping the ground impatiently. Henry came back over and tried to give him a bright smile. He pulled apart his friends crossed arms and intertwined their fingers again, holding hands once more. Henry looked over his shoulder at Yesung one last time, it was his way of saying that Ryeowook was his and not to bother. Being protective as he was, he’d accomplish that in just about anyway even if it gave people misconceptions, especially Kim Jong Woon or Yesung, whatever the hell you wanted to call him. Turning back to his friend he turned on the charm. “I’m sorry for making you wait so long. Let’s go get ice cream.” Knowing that Ryeowook had quite the sweet tooth at times, ice cream would surely do him in.
“Fine, you can buy me ice cream but you’re still telling me what Jong Woon said to you.” He ground out not noticing just how far Henry’s jaw dropped.
Yesung, watched as the two stuck to each other like glue, not missing the much implied relationship that Henry as displaying in his actions. He had never displayed any interest in Ryeowook like that but if Henry was going to such lengths then obviously he picked up on some of those feelings somewhere along the way. Turning away he walked back over to his younger brother and slung an arm around his shoulder. “Come on Jong Jin, let’s go get what you need for band.” Music tended to run in their family it seemed one way or another. Yesung was distracted, thinking about why and how Henry had decided to use those actions to prove things. When had he displayed any kind of interest? He couldn’t find a time but there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Ryeowook was attractive.
-------
When the two boys had gotten their ice cream and sat down a table in the food court, that was when Henry asked his friend the question he had been dying to ask him. “How did you know?” The question tumbled out and Henry wasn’t at all sorry for how he was staring at his friend, open mouthed in shock. It was rude but oh well, much more important things were at hand. “Huh? Oh!…” Now, it was Ryeowook’s turn to look away, staring down at his ice cream, the guilt of keeping this information to himself made him almost lose his appetite. “I uh, found out during gym yesterday. I’m so sorry Henli-ah! I meant to tell you but I was just so, so, so mad that I didn’t want to bring it up again.” His tone changed from soft laced with guilt to stronger with anger. Looking up from his ice cream, seeking forgiveness when Henry’s words hit him like a ton of bricks. “Yah! You knew?! Since when? Why didn’t you tell me?!” Oops, Henry looked guilty again, he really was holding onto that look a bit too much today for his liking. “Uh, ever since he started school, BUT, I just didn’t want to upset you. You know, you’ve been better Wookie so um ya know it seemed counterproductive.” He mumbled and hung his head, hoping his friend wouldn’t be too upset with him.
Feeling something cold and wet hit his face Henry’s eyes flew open in shock and then outrage. “Yah!” he said as he took his spoon, scooping up some ice cream and flinging it at Ryeowook who ducked and managed not to get hit with it but he didn’t miss the second one that was pelted on him and hit him on the nose. The two started laughing, seeing how silly they looked and chucked a couple more scoops of ice cream at each other, only stopping when they accidentally hit a person walking by who gave them a nasty glare. It made them both burst into more giggles, that had started out hushed only to turn into full out laughter that was disturbing peoples lunches. They received many curious looks but the two didn’t notice. Grabbing a napkin while still laughing though not quite as hard as Ryeowook was earlier he reached over and wiped off Henry’s face being careful not to get the ice cream in his eyes. Then he wiped himself off. “It’s okay Henli-ah. We both didn’t mention it, so we’re even.” he said with a twinkle in his eyes, still feeling mischievous from their ice cream fight. Henry grinned and nodded. “Even.” he said and then pointed to their melting ice cream. “We should eat this before it all goes to waist.” Ryeowook agreed and the two boys dug in eagerly. Somehow that little fight had given them quite an appetite.
Things were back to normal between Ryeowook and Henry after their time at the mall. Yesung had been quiet for the most part. A lot of that was due because Ryeowook would just ignore him. Ignoring him wasn’t going to last much longer though. Their history teacher wanted to do a fun activity. Which meant it was the complete opposite. “Alright, class. I’ve got your groups selected for the reenactment production, so listen up.” Professor Seo raised his voice a decibel to properly get everyone attention. Then he proceeded to read off of his list, who was in whose group. Ryeowook was sitting in his chair listening intently so that way he didn’t miss his name being called. “Kim Ryeowook, Baek Yi Jeong and Kim Yesung. That’s it. You all can go ahead and get into your groups and start discussing which of the five topics you would like to do. Be sure to turn in your decisions to me before the end of class.” Professor Seo walked to his desk, took a seat picking up his book and ignored the class for the rest of the period.
Normally, Ryeowook would enjoy this time thoroughly because they would talk about whatever they wanted or do whatever they wanted for a good hour but no not today. He flipped his dark brown locks out of his eyes and huffed as he turned sideways in his seat. His eyes glared hard at the floor, wondering what was taking so long for their third group member to show up. Yesung was being quiet as he had learned to be. After what felt like forever, the brunette looked up and swept his gaze across the room, to his disappointment Yi Jeong was nowhere to be found. That stunk, the kid was absent on the one day he would actually want the little nerd to be here. He was grumpy and when he was grumpy he was mean. Not even looking at Jong Woon he said, “I don’t care what you chose just pick one and then we’re done for today.” Yesung just stared a Ryeowook and shook his head. “You know, you could be nicer.” He grumbled before he looked down at his notebook where he had written down the options for the project.
They were supposed to make a video reenactment of some historical events within the time period they were studying right now. Their professor had really given them some broad options covering war to political assassinations to even scandals within the court. Which as Yesung looked over the five different options and thought about their third group member who would surely be too shy to be on screen, a smirk appeared. This would be fun. Taking out a single piece of paper, he wrote down the names of all the people in his group along with their choice and turned it in to Professor Seo. Taking his seat once more he said in a droll tone, “All done.” Yesung let Ryeowook turn back around in his seat without so much as a word. Keeping an eye on the clock, when it was time for class to end Yesung packed up his things so he could leave first. When the bell rang he stopped by Ryeowook’s desk and dropped a paper with his address and directions onto it. “Since you didn’t want to talk in class you’ll need to come over to my place after school. We only have a week to do this after all.” He said then continued on his way with a big grin plastered on his face for the rest of the day.
Grumbling as he shut his locker he didn’t notice anyone around him and walked right into someone. Ryeowook apologized immediately and looked up to find someone smiling back at him. “Hi Hyung.” Sungmin moved to the side and linked their arms together. “Sungmin-ah, how many times…ugh nevermind. Hi.” He decided it would just be better to keep quiet. Would he be able to beat his friend’s quirks? No, not at all. It never seemed to phase Sungmin no matter how many times they went over this.
“Did you want to come over to my house today, a few others are coming too and Henli can come too if you like.” Every now and then Sungmin had these get togethers at his house and it was a lot of fun. Whenever Ryeowook had joined he never failed to have a good time. It was really tempting to just ditch what he was supposed to be going. “Henli has violin practice today and I have to work on a project.” By the end of his sentence he was grinding his teeth and Sungmin was looking at him questioningly but didn’t voice anything. Instead he put on that killer pout that almost always sucked the brunette in. Really something Sungmin was much too hard to resist. “Don’t you start that. Believe me Sungmin, I’d much MUCH rather be at your place than walking into the lions den.” He shifted his eyes away from the little seductress that his friend was in so many different ways. Sungmin tilted his head slightly, “Lions den?” Ryeowook just shook his head as the two had gotten to the entrance of the school and pushed open the door. “You’re safer not knowing.” He was probably confusing his friend to the utmost degree but he’d rather not explain anything. Watching Sungmin shrug and slip his arm out of his, he was glad that no further prodding was going on. “Alright, whatever you say Ryewookie hyung. I’ll see you later.” He called as he was walking backwards and waving before turning around and going on his way. Pulling the paper out of his bag he looked over the address and directions. It was time to start walking into that lion’s den and so he did.
It took the senior a little longer than he would have liked to get to Jong Woon’s house that turned out to be an apartment. Looking at the building, it wasn’t in the best of shape either. Was this really where Jong Woon had wanted him to go? Maybe it was a trick because he hadn’t been nicer, as someone had told him to be earlier. It would be a really strange trick though. Shoving the paper back in his backpack and switching his bag to his other shoulder, Ryeowook took a deep breath and opened the door. He made it to the stairs and walked up three flights of stairs before finally getting to the level he was supposed to be on. Walking down the hallway he saw some parts of the walls had graffiti on them. Wrinkling his nose as he passed one of the rooms that had put their huge trashbag outside the door, he quickly scurried past and wanted to get inside Jong Woon’s room as soon as possible. He was starting to get a little scared out in the hallway.
Finding 343B he knocked on the door a few times and waited impatiently for the door to open. It really was only a matter of seconds but for Ryeowook who kept looking around him, hoping no one else entered the hall it felt like so much longer. When the door opened, it wasn’t by his school mate but by someone a few years younger. “Oh uh, maybe I have the wrong door?” His voice had become slightly high pitched in his nervousness. The kid standing in front of him just opened the door wider and turned to call to someone, “Your friend is here, hyung.” How, this kid knew who he was as he was insinuating was beyond Ryeowook because he had never laid eyes on the person before in his life. “Friend?” He mumbled dumbstruck. “Jong Jin be polite.” Ryeowook could faintly hear. The boy named Jong Jin apparently nodded and turned back to him. “Come in, bro will be out in a moment Ryeowook hyung.” That was about as polite as he was going to get. Jong Jin motioned for Ryeowook to come inside and he wasn’t going to but going back down that hallway to search for another door seemed much scarier to him.
Walking in, he said, “Sorry to intrude.” His eyes roamed all over the apartment that was rather small but as he followed Jong Jin inside, he could tell there were two bedrooms, a small kitchen and then a living room. The furnishings weren’t anything fancy but they were in decent shape just old and worn. There was a fireplace and up on the mantle were some pictures, Ryeowook wandered over not being able to help his curiosity and looked at them. There was a school picture of Jong Jin when he was younger. A portrait of just Jong Jin and Jong Woon, it was good to see that he did have the right apartment. You could see a lot in that portrait, Jong Jin was all smiles and Jong Woon gave off the impression of being very protective and loving towards the younger brother. It was a cute photo. His heart was starting to soften and then he moved on to the last photo, it was just one of Jong Woon, similar to Jung Jin’s single picture. He looked really sad in this one though, why it was on the mantle Ryeowook didn’t know, it just seemed out of place, Jong Woon was smiling but it wasn’t reaching his eyes.
“You can put your bag down, you know.” Jong Jin said, leaning on the back of the couch with his hip. He nodded towards the backpack that Ryeowook still hadn’t removed. “Oh, sure.” It was rude of him to keep on holding it as if he just couldn’t wait to leave. He backed away from the mantle moving over to the couch and slid his bag off his arm onto the floor at the end of the couch. Then he took a seat not wanting to be told to do so as he just was over his bag. “Would you like something to drink?” His brother had told him to be polite so he was. “Uh, no thanks. I’m fine.” Ryeowook said quietly while looking down at his hands in his lap. Jong Jin walked around the couch and took a seat in the chair adjacent to it. He placed his elbows on his knees and cupped his chin in his hands, studying Ryeowook. He was curious to know why his brother had so much interest in this person. He didn’t seem so great to him. “You don’t like my brother do you?” This question startled the brunette and he stopped playing with his fingers and looked up at the boy who he could now see the resemblance to Jong Woon. “Uh, well, I-“ This wasn’t the topic he would have chosen to discuss with Jong Woon’s little brother. “It’s fine, I saw how you looked at him at the mall that one day. You don’t hide your emotions very well.” Jong Jin was a rather blunt child, though he wasn’t quite a child anymore considering how he was in his freshman year of high school. Something Ryeowook hadn’t noticed. He flushed, his whole face turning beat red like a tomato. “I-I…” I what? He didn’t know what to say. He wished they could have gone back to the pleasantries, instead he just lowered his eyes back to his hands.
“My brother likes you a lot. See those pictures above the fireplace? I had to fight to put those up, Jong Woon doesn’t like pictures but he has yours.” This was the second time that Ryeowook was in shock over the blunt words coming out of this kids mouth, his head snapped up as he searched Jong Jin’s expression for any hint that he was lying but there was none. That bothered him even more. “That’s not possible.” He said adamantly and looked away. It was then that footsteps were heard. Jong Jin turned his head to see his brother appear in the room, grinning like an innocent child that he most certainly was not though he didn’t think he said anything wrong so who was to judge. Yesung could see the blush on Ryeowook’s cheeks and the smile of his brother, it was easy to put two and two together. “Go do your homework or no tv later.” He didn’t say it in a mean tone just a stern one which made Jong Jin lose his smile a frown replacing it. “You’re not dad you know.” The younger said with heated annoyance. A brief sadness passed through Yesung’s eyes. “I’m in charge while they’re away and you know he’d be saying the same thing.” That earned him a tongue sticking out at him but Yesung just pointed to the room and Jong Jin got up and marched off to his room.
Sighing, Yesung walked over to the Jong Jin’s previous seat and sat his notebook from History class on the coffee table. “Sorry about that, he’s sort of in a rebellious stage.” Sitting down he looked apologetically to Ryeowook. He was tempted to ask what his brother had said but maybe it was better he didn’t. Ryeowook’s flush was starting to fade and was almost gone. He had watched the exchange between the two brothers and was slightly amused. These were the kinds of displays he never got to have. Being the only child deprived him of what seemed a rather fun time. A little brother or sister seemed like a lot of fun. “He was fine. Where are your parents?” So, he lied about Yesung’s brother being fine but it only seemed like the right thing to do. Jong Jin was quite a bit different but overall it hadn’t been too bad. Watching Yesung shift uncomfortably made him feel like he asked something he shouldn’t have but it was too late for him to take back the words.