Chapter Text
“Everything here looks really good.” Haejoon said as he looked around, eyes locking onto a food stand selling rice cakes. The menu was too far away to see clearly, making him have to squint as he tried to find out the cost of one serving.
Eunyung nodded. “Yeah, we just ate but I’m already starting to feel hungry.”
The festival was everything they’d expected it to be. Bright lanterns illuminated the sky while vendors displayed their goods and crafts. Somewhere in the distance Haejoon heard a quick, energetic melody playing, likely a part of some show. The only thing Haejoon would change about the event was how busy it was. The area was packed as he and Eunyung followed Juwan through the crowd.
“Maybe we can grab something later on? We have all night after all.” Juwan suggested from ahead of them. He did a surprisingly good job of clearing a path for them through the crowd.
Haejoon agreed and sent one last look at the rice cake stand before turning away. He carefully followed Juwan, doing his best not to bump into anyone or knock anything over.
Out of nowhere, Juwan paused and squinted at something several meters away. “Woah, is that a wooden Judo figure? Hara would love that!” He excused himself and ran from the group to examine the table.
Eunyung turned to Haejoon, “I’ll be back too. Gotta go find a bathroom.”
“Why didn’t you just go when we were at the restaurant?”
Eunyung shot him a look and Haejoon decided it would be best to shut up. He told Eunyung to just call him if he got lost and watched as the blonde disappeared into the crowd.
Haejoon wandered the area aimlessly while gazing at statues and small toys. As he turned away from a tent selling windmills, something sparkled out the corner of his eye. Haejoon looked over to find where it came from and found himself staring at a table selling hair accessories.
Seriously? Why did this catch my eye? Haejoon looked over the items. Eunyung’s the one who would use this kind of thing. He stifled a laugh as he suddenly remembered the blonde's retaliation against the supervisor that wanted him to cut his hair. Well, he did look really nice.
The small, elderly woman running the stand noticed his gaze and smiled, “I see you have good taste. Which one of these are you interested in?”
He opened his mouth to decline, but paused. Well, since I’m already here, I might as well look, right?
Hair pins and clips of all different styles laid on the table in front of him. He examined a sapphire blue pin with small ribbons surrounding a gem, but that wasn’t it. Then his eyes gravitated towards a sunflower clip. Its soft petals invited Haejoon’s touch, but it still wasn’t quite what caught his attention in the first place. He quickly skimmed through the accessories. Dozens of beautiful hand-crafted pins all lay before him, but none of them fit the image Haejoon held in his mind.
After half a minute of searching, a glimmer of red revealed what he had been looking for. Haejoon pointed to a red flower hair clip that was buried behind several other accessories. It’s so hidden. How did I even notice it in the first place? The woman followed his hand and lifted the clip out from under the pile. A bright hibiscus flower surrounded by vibrant leaves rested in the palm of her hand. She flipped it upside down to reveal the claw attached to it.
“Ah yes, this is one of my favorites. It’s meaning is simple really. The hibiscus represents beauty.” She held the accessory behind her head. Small gemstones on the flower glittered in the light. “It’s meant to be worn on the back of the head, making its wearer appear beautiful from all angles.”
Something about the pin reminded him of Eunyung. Haejoon imagined how prettily it would sit in his blonde hair. Red was certainly a good color on him. The cherry hair tie he wore all the time proved that. Haejoon smiled at the idea of Eunyung wearing something he’d bought for him. It would be like he carried a small piece of Haejoon everywhere he went.
“How much is it?” Haejoon asked, pulling out his wallet.
The woman thought for a second and then smiled. “Young man, do you have someone you like?”
He was caught off guard by the sudden question. “Someone I like? No no it’s not like that at all. This is just going to be a gift.” He looked away, avoiding eye contact at all cost while blood rushed to his face.
She chuckled and placed the clip into a bag. “Calm down, I didn’t mean to scare you. This one will cost ₩9,300.”
Confused, Haejoon looked at the sign posted on the side of the table. “But here it says all items are at least ₩15,000? I’m thankful, but I don’t want to take advantage of you.”
“Consider the discount a gift.” She pushed the bag into his hands and reached her hand out for the payment. “I’m rooting for you and your lovely person.”
Worried that refusing anymore would be rude, Haejoon thanked her profusely and paid for the item. Before he left, she gave him white tissue paper to hide the clip from plain sight. As he went to stuff it in the bag, he realized the flower clip wasn’t alone. Beside it was a smooth, scarlet red bobby pin. He was confused, but left it alone and hid both items underneath the paper.
He continued exploring the festival and eventually found Eunyung and Juwan competing against each other in a fishing game. The objective was to scoop fish from a tank and place them into a bucket. The concept seemed simple enough, but a string of curses from Eunyung revealed that not to be the case.
“Damn it! These stupid fucking fish. Why won’t they just get in the net?” Eunyung glared at the small figures swimming away from him.
“You gotta be better than that, Eunyung. Just watch and learn.” Juwan leaned forward and confidently plunged his net into the water.
He cornered a fish against the side of the tank and scooped before it could swim away. Cheering, he raised it from out of the tank and held it above the water. Just as it was about to carry it to his bucket, the fish began to flop and struggle. With a sharp turn of its body, it flew out of its net and smacked against Juwan’s glasses.
“WHA–” Startled, Juwan fell backwards and threw the net back into the tank. He watched as the fish landed back into the water and swam away as if nothing ever happened.
Still processing the situation, Juwan remained silent and looked up at the night sky. Then, he made the mistake of looking over and making eye contact with Eunyung.
Eunyung, who had the pleasure of witnessing the entire situation, couldn’t hold it anymore and broke.
“HAHAHAHAHA. Oh my god I can’t believe it,” Eunyung doubled over. “‘Watch and learn,’ right? God that’s fucking hilarious I wish I could see that again.” He sat up and handed his net over to Juwan. “Actually, can you do that again? I want to record it this time.”
Annoyed, Juwan slapped the net away. “Yeah yeah, very funny. At least I could actually catch a fish.” He stood up and dusted himself off. “Let’s just never talk about this again. I refuse to let anyone else know what happened here.”
“Too late for that,” Haejoon finally piped in.
Juwan turned a full one-eighty degrees, mortified by Haejoon’s sudden appearance. He pointed at him, the tank, the bucket, Eunyung, and all around while opening and closing his mouth. Haejoon just nodded, confirming that he had indeed seen everything.
Embarrassed, Juwan hid his face in his hands and turned away from the other two. The game attendant tried to make him feel better by offering a fish plushie as a prize, but the effort only sent Eunyung into another fit of giggles. In the end, they left the game, fish plushie and all, to go find something else to do.
“Oh hey,” Juwan asked after finally recovering, “What’s in the bag?”
Haejoon lifted it up, “Oh this? Well…” he began, but drifted off once he realized Eunyung was paying attention.
Panicking, Haejoon just said the first thing that came to mind. “It’s uhh, a souvenir! Yeah that’s right. Just something I thought looked nice so I bought it.”
Please don’t question it. Don’t keep asking what it is.
“A souvenir? Cool! I wonder if I should bring anything back for the dorm.” Juwan suggested happily.
Haejoon was thankful for the change in topic and joined him in the conversation. “That sounds like a good idea. Maybe we could buy a poster or something.”
Eunyung grinned and pointed at another game. “Lmao forget the poster, that bear over there looks fucking perfect for you.”
They followed his hand to find a shooting game with a row of stuffed animals strung near the top of the stand. One of those was a fuzzy, black teddy bear with grumpy eyes.
“More stuffed animals? But Juwan already has the fish.” Haejoon stated.
Juwan hid his face in his hands. “Please don’t remind me.”
Eunyung shook his head. “Juwan and his fish are perfect for each other. But that bear looks exactly like you! I mean just look at it. I feel like it’s gonna start talking with your voice any second now.”
Haejoon squinted at the toy. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“It’s the exact same color as your hair.”
“My hair is black. It’s a common color.”
“No, I think Eunyung is right. It does look a little bit like you.” Juwan added unhelpfully.
Haejoon shot him a look. “Thanks.”
“Told you so~” Eunyung smirked. “I’m gonna win it.”
“What? No–” Haejoon tried stopping him but it was already too late. Eunyung exchanged his money for bullets and started loading his gun. He raised the barrel to the target, but before he could get the first shot off Haejoon slammed his own money on the table and joined the game.
“What are you doing?” Eunyung questioned.
Haejoon loaded his own gun. “Not letting you win.”
Amused, Eunyung copied Haejoon’s stance. “So you wanna play that game? Fine.”
The game attendant explained the rules. They would get five shots in total. Of those five, at least three had to hit the bullseye for them to win the bear. Once they were ready, he moved out of the way and let them take their shots.
Haejoon fired first, his shot just barely missing the center. He cursed and watched as Eunyung fired two in succession. Miraculously, both of them hit the middle.
“YES!! Wow I’m better at this than I thought~” Eunyung gloated.
Annoyed, Haejoon planted his feet and aimed for the second shot. This time, it hit the center.
“Nice! You got one!” Juwan cheered for him.
“You’re cheering for him and not me? I’m hurt, Juwan.” Eunyung complained.
“This is revenge for laughing at me earlier.” Juwan glared.
The memory sparked another fit of laughter from Eunyung. When he tried to fire his next shot, it missed wildly.
Eunyung cursed. “Fuck. Look at what you did. I missed it!”
While Eunyung and Juwan bickered over the missed shot, Haejoon fired his next two. He got one hit and one miss, leaving him on his last bullet. Eunyung caught on and fired his fourth shot. It missed the center.
“You boys are making this a pretty close game, huh?” The game attendant commented. “I’m sorry to say this, but I’ve only got one of those bears. The next shot wins it.”
They glanced at each other and retook their positions. Raising their barrels, both of them aimed for the shot.
BANG. BANG.
Two guns fired at the targets, and, somehow, both managed to hit their bullseyes. Behind them Juwan cheered and, unable to contain their excitement, both of them joined him.
“That was so cool! How are you guys so good at this?”
“No fucking idea. I’ve never even played one of these before.” Eunyung grinned, still not believing what just happened.
Haejoon was just as surprised. “I tried this kind of game when I was little, but I’m a little shocked that I actually made it.”
The game attendant clapped and unhooked the bear from its spot. “Gotta say, that was a pretty impressive show you two put on. But…” he handed the bear to Haejoon, “From what I saw, he fired first.”
Disappointed, Eunyung placed his gun back on the table. “Damn it~ I can’t believe you stole my prize. I really thought I had it there.”
The attendant smiled understandingly. “I’ve got this if you’d like it instead?” He held up a different stuffed animal. A pretty yellow cat plushie with blonde stripes and black eyes.
Something about the plush was familiar. With a start, Haejoon realized that its fur was the exact same color as Eunyung’s hair. The resemblance gave him an idea.
“Actually, can I have that one instead? Here.” Haejoon tossed the bear to Eunyung and took the cat from the game attendant. He searched through his souvenir bag, pulled out the red bobby pin from earlier, and clipped it just below one of the cat's ears.
Juwan realized what Haejoon had done and laughed. “Pfft– seriously? Where did you even find that?”
Smiling, Haejoon turned to look at Eunyung. “What do you think? Now it matches you.”
Eunyung stared at his plush lookalike. “Just because something is blonde and has a red hair clip doesn’t mean it’s me.”
“But a black teddy bear is me just because we share the same hair color?”
“That’s different. You and the bear have the same personality.”
“How does that even make sense?”
They continued bickering as they left the game. After walking for a little while, they realized that they had explored everything they’d wanted to see. The group made their way back to the entrance and Juwan wandered off to find a Taxi. Haejoon turned to ask Eunyung a question, but realized the boy had disappeared. He turned in circles but couldn’t spot him anywhere.
Haejoon decided to call him. A ringtone sounded from behind him and Haejoon whipped around to find Eunyung standing right behind him.
“What the hell are you doing?” Eunyung questioned.
“I was calling you. Who just disappears and then sneaks up on someone like that?” Haejoon spotted two boxes in Eunyung’s hands, “And what’s that?”
Eunyung opened one of them to reveal the rice cakes inside, “I was hungry.”
They looked like the one’s Haejoon had been eyeing earlier. Excited, Haejoon asked if he could share and Eunyung obliged. He stuck one with a toothpick and enjoyed the spicy, savory flavor filling his mouth.
“Wow, these are really good! I was actually thinking about them earlier.”
Eunyung popped one into his mouth and mumbled, “I know.”
“You what?”
“Hm?”
Haejoon opened his mouth to repeat himself but was cut off by Juwan.
“Hey! I got us a ride.” He paused at the food in Eunyung’s hands, “Ooo are those rice cakes? Could I have one?”
Eunyung grinned and held the box out, “Sure~ After that show you put on earlier, I think you deserve one.”
“Show…?” Juwan was confused until he noticed Eunyung staring at the fish plushie. Annoyed, he aggressively stabbed one of the rice cakes. “Why do I do anything for you guys? Let’s just get in the taxi.”
~~~~~
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Haejoon, Eunyung, and Juwan had arrived back at the hotel and now stood in the doorway connecting their rooms. They searched through both rooms, examining the walls, the bathroom, and even the area inside the closet. Despite their attempts, there was no sign of there being a secret third room hidden among the space.
“Maybe there could be something behind the mirror?” Juwan walked towards the glass and tapped on it.
“Seriously? How the hell would anything be back there?” Eunyung sighed and sat down on one of the beds.
Before the trip began, the supervisor had told them that each student would get their own room with a twin sized bed, a TV, a desk, and a bathroom. The rooms were also supposed to be connected to each other through a doorway. While all of those things were in the two rooms they’d been given, they were still short one whole room. Haejoon thought back to the odd behavior from the hotel porter that afternoon.
“I think they made a mistake,” he started, “The guy carrying our bags from earlier probably noticed it too. He kept double checking his pocket book.”
Eunyung looked over. “Seriously? And you didn’t think to ask?”
“How was I supposed to know this would happen?”
Juwan interrupted. “Hey what’s done is done. It was really busy earlier, so I don’t think they’ll have any more rooms available. We’ll just have to deal with it for now. I mean, it’s only two nights, right?”
Haejoon and Eunyung looked at each other skeptically.
“Okay…” Eunyung started, “Then who’s sleeping where?”
“Well me and Haejoon could probably shar–”
“Absolutely not.” Haejoon shuddered. “I still haven’t forgotten what happened last time.”
Juwan threw his arms in the air. “It was one time! And I said I was sorry. I can’t control what I do in my sleep.”
“Still not happening.” Haejoon took a step back from Juwan just to be safe.
“Jeeze, and after all I’ve done for you too,” Juwan tsked. “So what, you’re going to share a bed with Eunyung then?”
Haejoon opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out. Why aren’t I saying anything? I should be against this, right? He glanced at Eunyung, who seemed to be considering the idea as well.
“Well, if it's between Haejoon and Mr. ‘touches you in your sleep’ over here. I think the choice is pretty fucking obvious, right?” Eunyung stretched and yawned as if the issue was already settled.
For some reason, Haejoon felt the need to protest. “Hey wait. You can’t just go and decide that by yourself.”
Eunyung raised an eyebrow and turned to face him. “What’s wrong? You don’t wanna sleep with me~?” He smirked and leaned forward from his spot on the bed.
“Yes, I mean no. I mean– Not like– It’s just that–” He stuttered, startled by the sudden suggestion. His face burned and he hoped that the others weren’t paying too close attention to him.
Eunyung laughed and leaned back. “Chill out lol. You know what I meant. And sharing a bed isn’t even that big of a fucking deal. Shit, I’m just happy we’re inside.”
Haejoon looked away and thought about it from Eunyung’s perspective. He thought about the tent Eunyung used to live in when they’d first met. How thin the walls were and the discomfort he must’ve felt while lying on the ground. When he thought about it that way, sharing didn’t really seem so bad. It seemed like a minor inconvenience compared to the possibility of not even having a roof over his head.
Having made his choice, Haejoon lifted his suitcase and set it down next to the bed Eunyung was on. “I’ll share with him.”
Eunyung felt like giving a little cheer, but stopped himself before any sound came out. I’m happy about this? Why is it something to cheer for? Instead, he just got up and retrieved his bag as well.
Accepting the situation, Juwan sighed and retreated to the other room. The sound of running water came shortly after, indicating that Juwan had decided to brush his teeth and get ready to sleep.
“I’m gonna get ready too.” Haejoon grabbed his items and headed towards the sink. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Eunyung stand up and close the door connecting the two rooms. Not paying it any mind, he began his nightly routine while listening to Eunyung shuffling behind him.
As Haejoon moved to grab a towel and wipe his mouth, he caught a quick glimpse of what Eunyung had been up to. The khaki pants he’d been wearing all day had been replaced by gray sweatpants. Eunyung pinched the hem of his shirt, and Haejoon watched as he lifted it over his head, exposing smooth, pale skin in the process.
Eunyung was skinny, but it wouldn’t be accurate to say he was thin. From the way the muscles in his back shifted with every movement, it was clear that the boy had some muscle. Lean arms threw the polo into the corner of the room and moved to grab his usual white tee. Mesmerized, Haejoon continued to watch as he threw it over his head. For a second, the hair behind his neck parted, revealing the soft skin beneath. Just as quickly as it appeared, though, it was gone. Eunyung leaned down to retrieve something else from his bag, and Haejoon finally realized how hard he’d been staring.
Embarrassed, he turned back towards the sink and splashed his face with cool water to combat the heat burning his cheeks. God… What the fuck am I doing? No matter how you look at it, that's just an invasion of privacy. Not to mention how creepy it was that I was watching him get dressed. He wiped the water off his face and tried to get a hold of himself.
A hand landed itself on his shoulder, and Haejoon jumped. He turned his head and found Eunyung standing behind him with a toothbrush in hand. The blonde didn’t expect the surprised reaction, and stood silent for a few seconds while he tried to remember what it was he wanted to ask.
“Um… Are you done with the sink? Or are you good? Kinda feels like I’ve been sneaking up on you alot today.” Eunyung looked him in the eye, trying to figure out why Haejoon had seemed so off.
“Ah, uh, yeah I’m done.” Haejoon sidestepped awkwardly to give Eunyung more room. He thanked him, and began his nightly routine as if nothing ever happened.
Haejoon made his way to the bed and reached for the pajamas packed in his suitcase. Sparing a glance to make sure Eunyung wasn’t paying attention, Haejoon quickly changed out of his outfit and into comfortable clothes. He tucked the garments away and went to the other room to check up on Juwan.
Juwan was already tucked into his own bed and typing away on the tablet. He looked up as Haejoon entered and waved him over to share what he’d been doing.
“What do you want to do tomorrow? I think it would be a good day for the beach.” Juwan flipped the screen to show Haejoon the different locations he’d found.
“Sounds good to me. Do you know where we can get umbrellas and chairs?”
“I think we can rent some from the front desk. I saw a sign for it earlier.”
“Seriously? Wow. What doesn’t this place have?”
“An extra room, apparently.”
Haejoon chuckled. “Well, I guess that’s true. But I don’t think sharing will be too bad.”
Juwan looked at his friend. “Maybe… Hey, did anything happen with you and Eunyung today? You guys were acting weird at the restaurant earlier.” He thought about mentioning what he saw in the taxi and on the plane as well, but decided to leave it out.
“I can’t say what happened, but we worked it out.” Haejoon paused. “...Honestly I feel like we’ve been getting along pretty well during this trip. It’s like we’ve gotten closer somehow.”
Juwan sighed, relieved. “That’s good to hear. I never know what’s going to happen next with you too. Especially now that you’ll be sharing a room and a bed together.”
Haejoon tried not to think too hard about the bed part. “Thanks for worrying, but I think we’ll be fine.” After sharing his goodnights, he returned to the shared room.
Eunyung was still occupied with the sink, so Haejoon tucked himself into bed first. Immediately, he realized that it was going to be a tighter fit than he initially thought. He shifted his body, trying to get as close to the edge of the bed as he could without falling off.
The lights went out and Haejoon pretended to sleep as Eunyung tucked himself into the bed. Eunyung’s shoulder grazed Haejoon's arm and he flinched, worried that the other would notice he was faking.
They shared several minutes of silence. Haejoon was unsure whether or not to call it awkward. They were back to back with each other, yet he was hyper aware of Eunyung’s every movement. From the way he shifted his legs, to the subtle movement of his shoulders. Every action made Haejoon’s mind race.
Unable to think about anything else, he decided to focus on the steady rise and fall of the other’s chest. It wasn’t much, but he could vaguely feel the movement from behind him. The motion calmed Haejoon. Like counting sheep, he paid close attention to the rhythm of Eunyung’s breathing. Drowsiness weighed on his eyelids, and Haejoon felt himself start to drift off into sleep.
That is, until an elbow hit his back.
“Fuck! Ow.” Haejoon’s eyes shot open.
An apologetic Eunyung sounded from behind him. “Oh shit, sorry. Are you awake?”
Haejoon groaned and turned around. “What does it look like? I am now.”
Eunyung, who now sat with his back against the headboard, stared down at Haejoon’s face. “My bad… I’m having trouble falling asleep.”
“So you decided to wake me up?”
“No, hitting you was an accident.”
Haejoon sighed, “...What’s keeping you up?”
Eunyung shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe cause of how fucking cramped it is in here.”
Haejoon tried to give him more space. “So you noticed.”
“How could I not?” Eunyung went quiet for a bit. “Hah, maybe if you held me the way you did with Juwan before, I’ll fall asleep easier.” His tone was teasing, but something about it also sounded bitter. Eunyung couldn’t figure out why the memory of Juwan and Haejoon together bothered him now.
Haejoon flinched at the suggestion. Him and Eunyung hugging while they slept? The idea was ridiculous. It was even more ridiculous how he caught himself reaching for the other afterwards. There was no way that he actually wanted to hold Eunyung.
“Are you not going to say anything?” Eunyung asked after several moments of silence.
Haejoon snapped out of it. “What is there to say?”
Eunyung just shrugged. “Don’t know.” Then he laid down with his back to Haejoon.
Haejoon tried scooching back yet again to give Eunyung more room, but found there wasn’t any more to give. He felt himself slide off the bed and panicked. In a last ditch effort to save himself, he shot his arms forwards to try and pull himself up.
They wrapped around Eunyung’s body, eliciting a startled yelp from the other. Using all his strength, Haejoon pulled himself up and away from the edge of the bed. Caught off guard by the act, Eunyung turned around to face Haejoon.
“The fuck are you doing!? Shit you fucking scared me. Did you really want to hug me that badly?” Eunyung whisper-yelled. His body was still trapped between Haejoon’s arms.
“It wasn’t my fault! I tried giving you more space but I went too far back and almost fell off.” Haejoon whispered back, his arm still draped over Eunyung’s side.
“Seriously? This idiot…” he shifted his body. “Are you gonna let go or what?”
Haejoon finally realized the position they were in. His face burned as he took note of every point of contact shared between the two of them. One of his arms was trapped under Eunyung’s body while the other was draped over his side. He realized his hand was resting near the nape of the other’s neck, and it took everything Haejoon had to resist brushing away the hair resting there.
He felt movement beside him and realized Eunyung was trying to back up and get a better look at his face. Haejoon wasn’t one hundred percent sure how he looked at the moment, but he knew it couldn’t be good. The heat that burned his face was an indicator of that. Panicking, Haejoon did the only logical thing possible and pulled Eunyung into his chest.
The action was a shock to both Eunyung and Haejoon. Eunyung tried moving away while Haejoon held him in place.
“Fucking– What now?! Why are you doing this?”
Haejoon searched for an excuse. “You asked for it! When you brought up me and Juwan earlier. You said that it would help you fall asleep.”
Eunyung continued to squirm. “Yeah right, just admit it. You wanted it to go this way, didn’t you?”
“Now you’re just making things up.”
“If I am then why aren’t you denying it? You’re acting like Juwan right now.”
“Like Juwan? Then are you grossed out?”
Haejoon didn’t know why he’d asked that, but for some reason, he was scared to hear the answer. Eunyung stopped fighting and went quiet. For a second, Haejoon wondered if he’d fallen asleep.
“There’s no way I’d fall asleep that quickly.” Eunyung replied. “You said that out loud so don’t look so surprised.”
Eunyung wasn’t sure what to say. When Haejoon asked that question, his first thought was a big ‘no.’ He couldn’t imagine ever being grossed out by Haejoon. But if he didn’t hate what was happening, then how did he feel? Did he really want to consider the idea that he might… like being in this spot? Suddenly, he was glad Haejoon’s chest was there to hide his face.
“Look,” Eunyung started, “I’m not grossed out, okay? You just really surprised me.” He felt tense as he waited for Haejoon’s reply.
Haejoon looked down at Eunyung’s head and sighed. “Okay, thank you. And uh, sorry for grabbing you so suddenly.”
Thank you? Eunyung wondered, but he decided not to question it. A familiar silence fell over them again and Eunyung decided to just accept the situation. Whatever, I can deal with this. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax in Haejoon’s arms. Well… maybe this isn’t so bad.
Despite the comfort, Eunyung didn’t feel himself getting drowsy. It was like there was something still weighing on his mind, preventing him from drifting into sleep. His first thought went back to the taxi ride from that morning. He never figured out why Haejoon had looked so gloomy.
“Hey, are you still awake?” Eunyung broke the silence.
“Yes, why?”
Eunyung thought about his next words carefully. “It’s not like you gotta answer or anything, but… did something happen in the taxi this morning?”
“You mean other than you grabbing my hand?”
Eunyung rolled his eyes. “Yeah, obviously. Just pretend that part never happened.”
Haejoon thought about whether or not he wanted to answer the question. If anyone else had asked, he’d probably just brush it off with an ‘I’m fine’ or a ‘You don’t have to worry about it.’ But, as he had recently come to realize, things were different with Eunyung.
“I just… thought about my mom. Then I got kind of sad I guess.” Haejoon stared at the space behind Eunyung’s head. “I just wish I could’ve gone to this kind of place with her. She would have loved it.”
Ah, fuck. Eunyung immediately felt bad for asking, but knew he had to say something. “Then… Why not go and buy her something. Like… as an offering? Just to make it feel like she really was here.”
Haejoon redirected his gaze to Eunyung only to find the other already staring at him. They maintained eye contact for several seconds. Haejoon was the first to speak.
“That sounds nice. Maybe I’ll do that.”
The arms around Eunyung seemed to squeeze just a little tighter, and he let it happen. He figured it’d be more awkward to tell Haejoon what he was doing than to just accept it. And while he would never say it out loud, Eunyung didn’t mind the feeling.
Finally, after what felt like hours after he’d first laid down, Eunyung felt his eyelids start to get heavy. The familiar feeling of sleep seeped into his body, and he had just enough time to hear a ‘good night’ whispered from somewhere above him before the feeling overtook him entirely.