Chapter Text
Humin gently held Baekjin from behind, his arms wrapped around him. A pleasant lassitude washed over his body. He couldn't remember the last time he’d slept this well. Sharing a bed with someone was new and unfamiliar. It felt like coming home.
Humin buried his nose in Baekjin’s neck, memorizing the scent of his skin. He smelled of warmth, mixed with something dry and bitter — familiar to the point of trembling. The scent calmed him strangely, because Baekjin himself was calm. He was curled up in Humin’s arms like a cat, quietly snoring. Humin had never seen him so relaxed.
Dawn was already breaking, painting the room in patches of amber. Humin lightly crumpled the fabric of Baekjin’s T‑shirt and closed his eyes, sinking back into sleep. The familiar scent was better than any sleeping pill.
They woke up at nine in the morning, soft and drowsy. The blanket pressed down on them pleasantly. It was incredibly warm and cozy. Baekjin stirred in Humin’s arms, waking him. The white fabric of the T‑shirt slipped from his grasp. Humin smiled, barely opening his eyes.
“Good morning, Jin‑a.”
Baekjin nearly fell off the bed when he heard his voice and spun around. His eyes grew comically wide. He’d completely forgotten… Humin chuckled softly, holding out a placating hand.
“Easy. It’s just me.”
Baekjin let out a shaky breath, dropped his head, and looked at Humin with embarrassment.
“Min‑a. Good morning.”
His heart was pounding very fast. Humin looked so domestic in his old T‑shirt. Messy hair. Sleepy, soft eyes. Baekjin’s chest filled with a sweet flutter when Humin smiled at him.
“Sleeping with you is nice.”
Baekjin’s cheeks flushed. Humin bit his tongue, mentally slapping himself.
“What an idiot!... How could I say something like that?!”
Baekjin quickly averted his gaze, but he answered anyway:
“With you too.”
Humin blinked, his mouth slightly open. He knew Baekjin wouldn’t hit him, no matter what nonsense he said, but his reaction kindled a fire in his chest. He was truly accepted for who he was.
“How strange... and even romantic. Too romantic for two guys.”
He shook off the thought and reached out his hand to help Baekjin up. Baekjin’s hand felt so fragile in his palm. His eyes burned with affection. Humin had no idea that they were looking at each other the same way.
Suddenly, Baekjin’s pupils narrowed with fear.
“Wait! Did you tell your father you’d be staying over at my place?... ”
Humin froze, gripping his friend’s hand tighter. Baekjin looked adorably flustered.
“Yes,” Humin lied, flashing a disarming smile. Truth be told, Park Jincheol didn’t care about his son as long as he had a bottle of soju in hand. And Humin knew that last night he had been dead asleep.
A flicker of doubt passed through Baekjin’s eyes, but it quickly faded. Humin exhaled inwardly.
“I’m starving!” he exclaimed, throwing an arm around his friend’s shoulders.
The boys made the bed and stepped out into the hallway, merging with the crowd of children. There were many of them on the weekend.
“Never a dull moment here, huh?” Humin chuckled, clutching Baekjin’s T‑shirt so he wouldn’t lose him.
“What?”
It was hard to hear anything over the noise. Baekjin pulled him into the washroom, where the sinks were.
“It’s breakfast time now, so we can take a shower without any rush,” he said with a smile. “Or just brush our teeth.”
Sure enough, there were only six younger boys in the shower room, and they were fooling around more than washing. Humin grinned. After the morning routine, the boys headed to the cafeteria. Breakfast was miso soup with omelet and vegetable side dishes.
“Awesome!” Humin said, rubbing his hands together, and sat down next to Baekjin. The cafeteria was packed.
“Masitke meogeo!” announced the caretaker, cutting through the chatter. The children answered in a chorus:
“Jal meokgesseumnida!”
Humin was a little late, out of sync with the choir, which made Baekjin and a few others chuckle. The atmosphere instantly lightened — or maybe it just seemed that way to Baekjin, because everything became easier when Humin was around. He habitually scanned the room for Yeonjun’s gang — they weren’t there yet. Baekjin breathed a sigh of relief.
“Just don’t run into them,” he repeated like a mantra, picking at his plate. Humin stopped him with a light touch.
“Jin‑a, are you okay?”
Three more children sat down across from them. Baekjin nodded, mumbling something.
“Hyung!” an eight‑year‑old boy sitting across from Humin suddenly exclaimed. “Who are you?”
Humin grinned and flashed two fingers in a peace sign.
“I’m Baku!”
“Baku?” the boy frowned. “That’s a weird name!”
“It’s not a name. It’s my callsign!” Humin replied, still beaming. The boy stared at him in confusion.
“Callsign?”
“And what does it mean?” another boy chimed in, unable to sit still until his neighbor elbowed him.
“Park‑Hu. Park Humin is my real name,” he said, lifting his chin. “That’s what the guys in my basketball team call me. I’m their captain.”
A chorus of impressed “o” rippled through the boys. Humin burst out laughing.
“I love basketball!” the boy shouted, jumping up onto the bench. “I’m the best! I never miss a shot!”
Humin put on a look of genuine surprise. Baekjin shook his head with a fond smile.
“Really? No way!” Baku raised his index finger. “You’re lying!”
“I am not!” the boy protested, sticking his nose up so high he almost fell. The caretaker sat him back down.
“Okay, I believe you.”
The boy puffed up with pride. After that, about a dozen more kids turned their attention to Humin. Baekjin watched him with undisguised adoration.
“You’ve got a cool friend, Baekjin!” one guy said as they were leaving the cafeteria. It stung and pleased him at the same time. Baekjin knew it, and he didn’t like it when others noticed how amazing Humin was. He wasn’t about to share.
Jealously, he grabbed his friend’s hand and pulled him along.
“Baekjin‑a!” Humin whined, though he didn’t really resist.
“Can you swim?” Baekjin asked suddenly, catching his friend off guard.
“Swim?”
“Yeah! We have a pool. It’s old, but it still works. They fill it once a week, on Saturdays.”
“Wow!” Humin said, letting his friend drag him down the hall. “Today’s Saturday!”
Baekjin glanced back, a sly smile tugging at his lips.
“Exactly! There’ll be a lot of people, but I know a time when there’s almost no one.”
“Jin‑a! You’re amazing!”
Baekjin’s cheeks burned, but luckily he was walking ahead, so Humin couldn’t see. They stepped into a tiled hallway. Ahead was an old, battered door. Baekjin approached it, tried the handle — but it wouldn’t budge.
“Damn,” he cursed, letting go of his friend’s hand. “It should already be open...”
“Maybe they’re opening later today?”
“Wait,” Baekjin said, hearing footsteps. “Someone’s coming.”
“Opening the pool?” Humin perked up, looking around. Suddenly, a shout sliced through the air, making them both jump.
“I knew it!”
“Woon, you were right. It’s them!” Yeonjun smirked, stepping forward. He looked them up and down with an air of superiority.
Footsteps echoed from the darkness of the hallway, amplified by the floor tiles. Baekjin’s stomach twisted. Humin instinctively moved in front of his friend, unconsciously gripping his hand.
“It’s okay, Jin‑a. I’m here.”
Fear paralyzed Baekjin, but his friend’s voice cut through him like a shock.
“Humin is here. I’m not alone anymore...”
Baekjin squeezed his hand almost painfully.
“No. I’m stronger... than before,” a thought surfaced. “I won’t hide behind him. I won’t let... them hurt him!”
He stared at the back of Humin’s head. His shoulders were tense, his body in a fighting stance. Baekjin was afraid, but he forced himself to move. He stepped out of the shadows and stood beside him. Humin looked at him in confusion.
“Baekjin‑a...!”
He was about to pull his friend back, but he met his steady gaze — and stopped. Humin was no longer seeing the frightened boy he was used to protecting. He saw a confident young man, ready to fight alongside him. Humin couldn’t help but smile.
Yeonjun’s gang stepped into the light. Six of them — two were big, the rest were taller and clearly stronger. Baekjin swallowed a bitter lump.
“I shouldn’t have come here,” he thought bitterly, watching the boys’ every move. Fear clawed at his throat. He stepped back, breathing deeply to steady himself.
“This time I’m going to make you pay,” Yeonjun said in a flat voice, which was a bad sign. He never sounded that calm. “I won’t let you waltz onto my turf and threaten me again, Park Humin.”
Baku couldn’t help but smirk.
“So you dug through my biography? Impressive. Find anything interesting?”
“I’m not here to chat,” Yeonjun said coldly, closing in step by step. “I’m here to get rid of the parasite that crawled into my house!”
Humin let out a long breath.
“What did I do to deserve such hospitality?”
Yeonjun grinned maliciously. His knuckles were white from the force with which he clenched his fists. His eyes blazed with pitiless fire.
“Take care of them,” Yeonjun ordered, smugly watching the boys.
“Bring it on!” Baku shouted, raising his hands. “Just so you know, you’re headed to the hospital!”
Baekjin assumed a fighting stance, standing back‑to‑back with Humin. His legs tingled with fear, but he was determined not to retreat. Yeonjun and his cronies openly sneered.
“Oh, little Jinny got tough? Look at that! I thought you’d always be a doormat!”
Baekjin clenched his fists until they hurt. A suffocating wave of rage surged from his chest. He felt such power inside that his legs lunged forward on their own.
“Baekjin, no!” Humin cried, but his friend’s fist had already connected with the jaw of the nearest guy, sending him flying back. Baku was taken aback, but he didn’t hesitate, rushing to cover his friend. His fists worked cleanly, without wasted motion.
Yeonjun’s gang hadn’t expected resistance. Some of them even backed off. Yeonjun paused for a moment, assessing the situation. His face twisted with fury.
“You bastards!” he shouted, shoving his own men aside. “I’ll deal with this myself!”
He swung at Humin, but Humin dodged, and Baekjin, without thinking, threw his fist forward, aiming for Yeonjun’s side. His fist glanced off his ribs, doing no real damage, but making his opponent flinch.
“You little punk!” Yeonjun hissed, turning to Baekjin. “How dare you?!”
Baekjin didn’t back down. He stared straight into Yeonjun’s eyes, though inside he trembled with the fear and rage he’d carried all these years. Finally, they found an outlet. Humin stood beside him, shoulder to shoulder.
“What’s wrong, don’t like getting a taste of your own medicine?” he grinned. A punch came from the side. Humin caught his arm, yanked him forward, and kneed him in the stomach. The guy doubled over, gasping. The rest hesitated for a second. Yeonjun lunged forward again.
Baekjin moved fast, but chaotically. He dodged, hit, dodged again. A fist landed on his shoulder, another on his side. He couldn’t block everything, but he didn’t fall, didn’t curl up. He fought back.
Humin fought differently — clean, hard, almost professionally. He used his opponent’s weight against him, tripping him up, not letting him get up. Yeonjun’s gang wasn’t ready for that. But there were more of them.
At one point, Baekjin took a hit to the jaw and staggered back, but Humin was there, covering him.
“Follow me!” Humin shouted, kicking one of the guys away. Baekjin exhaled shakily, wiping the blood from his lip.
Yeonjun came from the side and hit him in the shoulder. Humin stumbled, opening a gap. One of the guys immediately took advantage — he grabbed Baekjin’s shirt and yanked him back. He lost his balance and fell on the tiles, hitting his elbow.
“Baekjin!” Humin yelled, turning around. Yeonjun didn’t let him get to him — he lunged forward, pressing him against the wall. A tall guy leaned over Baekjin, already winding up for a kick. Baekjin threw his arms up in defense, and in that moment, something clicked.
He didn’t think. He just acted.
He caught the guy’s foot as it was coming down and jerked it upward. The guy lost his balance and crashed onto his back with a dull thud. Baekjin scrambled up, hardly believing it worked. Humin let out a nervous laugh.
“Well done, Jin‑a!”
Baekjin didn’t have time to answer. Yeonjun, who had been waiting for his moment, lunged forward and slammed his fist into Baekjin’s face. He flew back, hitting his head against the wall. His vision blurred.
“Baekjin!”
Humin shoved aside the guy holding him and rushed to his friend. He stood between him and Yeonjun, blocking his path. His fist split the guy’s cheek. Yeonjun staggered and fell to his knees.
“Touch him again, and I’ll break your arms!” Humin yelled, towering over him.
Yeonjun smirked, but there was no confidence left in it. He looked at Baekjin, who was struggling to get up, leaning against the wall. His face was pale, his breathing ragged.
“We’re leaving,” Humin said, pulling Baekjin up by the arm. His eyes blazed with a fire that could have burned Yeonjun alive. “I warned you. Touch Baekjin again, and I’ll kill you!”
Yeonjun didn’t answer — he just watched them go as they slowly made their way to the exit. He let out a quiet chuckle, suppressing something that looked almost like fear.
Baekjin held onto Humin and felt the tremor running through his entire body.
“If this keeps up, I’ll have to finish off Joo Yeonjun,” rage burned in Baku’s chest, but he couldn’t keep fighting. They weren’t ready. “What else will that bastard try? Baekjin is alone here... I have to deal with them!”
He glanced sidelong at Baekjin. An ugly bruise was forming on his cheek. Humin clenched his fists, staring ahead. They were heading to the infirmary.
“I’m sorry... Baekjin,” Baku said guiltily. Baekjin stared at him in shock. “I messed up, and you got hurt.”
“Don’t you dare blame yourself!” Baekjin exclaimed, gripping Humin’s elbow tightly. “Don’t shift their guilt onto yourself! Don’t you dare!”
Humin was stunned, looking at his friend with desperate eyes. They were already filling with tears. Baekjin, without looking back, dragged him into the infirmary and locked the door. They found themselves in complete silence, vulnerable in front of each other. Humin lowered his gaze and walked past him to the cabinet with the medical supplies.
He silently sat his friend on the cot, turned him so his back was facing him, and examined the spot where he’d been hit.
“No blood,” Baku breathed in relief, smoothing his hair. Baekjin gripped his hands on his knees. He didn’t allow himself to shed a single tear. He wanted to seem stronger in front of Humin, but Humin didn’t care about his pretense. Baku carefully examined his friend’s face, turning it as he needed, and treated it with alcohol and Madecassol.
“You shouldn’t have gotten involved,” Baku scolded him, but there was no malice in his voice, only weariness and worry. Baekjin lowered his gaze guiltily. “You know they’re stronger and there are more of them. What were you even thinking?!”
In his emotion, he didn’t notice how he hurt his friend. Baekjin hissed, covering his cheek with his hand. It burned. Humin’s senses returned with the pain. He blew gently on the stinging scrape.
“Sorry... Jin‑a! I’m so sorry! Sorry!” Humin apologized, hugging his friend’s shoulders and still blowing on the raw skin. The blood rushed to his head, making Baekjin’s cheeks crimson. “I’m so sorry...”
“It’s okay, Min‑a...” he muttered, trying to cope with the shame. Humin’s hand burned on his chest, or his chest burned beneath it — Baekjin couldn’t tell.
“Humin‑a... What are you doing to me?”
Baekjin was ready to cry from the emotions that overwhelmed him. He so wanted to protect his precious friend from all this cruelty. He just couldn’t put him in danger and hide behind his back. No, not anymore. Now he was a fighter.
Humin thought otherwise. He frowned, thinking about what they’d just been through, and was angry at Baekjin’s recklessness. He needed him to listen.
“Baekjin.”
The boy looked up, confused, and instantly remembered why they were here. His throat tightened with guilt.
“Listen, I...” Baekjin stammered. “I wanted... I wanted to protect you. From them.”
Humin looked at him with utter seriousness. A frown creased between his brows. He was truly beside himself with anger.
“How were you going to protect me? I was the one who taught you to fight, remember?”
Baekjin was afraid to look at him like that, but his body felt everything.
“I don’t want you to risk yourself for me! It’s useless! You can’t do it!”
It was a blow to Baekjin’s pride. Did Humin really think that way? Did he think he was... weak? In Baekjin’s chest, a balloon of poison burst and spread through his body. He bit his lip so hard it bled again.
Humin froze, realizing he’d touched a nerve. He’d hurt him. He panicked, reached out to calm him, but Baekjin pushed him away and jumped off the cot.
“Jin‑a! Wait!”
Humin grabbed his hand at the last second. Panic crept into his voice. Baekjin’s heart was pounding. He wanted to run, to hide from the person who could hurt him with just a word. But he couldn’t. Not when Humin was pleading.
“I don’t think you’re weak, Jin‑a! That’s not what I meant!”
“Then what?” Baekjin said before he could stop himself. Humin sighed quietly, still holding his wrist firmly.
“I’m afraid for you. I don’t want you to get hurt. I’ll never forgive myself! Please understand that you’re precious to me, Baekjin!”
He could still only see his friend’s back, but even from it, he could tell how tense he was.
“I’m trying to protect you. But if you keep making reckless decisions like today, I won’t be able to! Please, stand behind me when I tell you to!”
Baekjin tore his hand from his grip. His body was rigid.
“You’re lying!” Baku stared at him in bewilderment. “You think I’m weak! You see me only as someone who needs to be saved! Look at me!”
He spun around. His gaze burned with such deep hurt that Humin caught his breath.
“I can defend myself! I really can! You’re precious to me too, Humin! I’ve been training for months to get stronger. For you! To protect you. So that no one would ever dare hurt you! I’m ready to do anything for that!”
Humin stared at him as if something inside had broken.
“Stop saving me, Humin,” Baekjin said more calmly, breathing raggedly. “I don’t want to be just a burden to you. I want to be something more!”
“You’re not a burden,” Humin’s voice was uncertain, and Baekjin took it the wrong way.
“Of course...” his head drooped. “Even your friends see that I’m dragging you down. They see me through you. And you see a weak little boy. First impressions stick, don’t they?”
Baekjin looked him in the eyes. His lips trembled with the despair rising in his throat.
“I understand,” he fell silent, gathering his thoughts. “I just want you to stop saving me. I want you to see me as I’ve become because of you. I want you to see an equal. I’ll get stronger, I promise! But please, notice my efforts.”
Humin barely breathed, letting every word sink in. His mouth fell open slightly. It was like a revelation. Reviewing the past fight in his head, he finally saw not a victim in Baekjin. He saw how his friend overcame fear and threw himself at enemies. How he hit with confidence, defended himself, thought during the fight, found weak points.
Baekjin had truly grown and become stronger. His sweet Baekjin, who had become his support and his meaning. The person who had taken his pain as his own. The person who had stayed by his side no matter what.
A viscous warmth spread through Humin’s body.
“Baekjin. My beloved, utterly impossible Baekjin. How precious you are to me.”
His heartbeat calmed as he let Baekjin fill his head, his thoughts, his emotions. As he let himself think about what was happening between them. Humin had never been so close to anyone before. No one had ever made him feel so deeply. His heart flared up again. It felt like it was about to explode.
They looked into each other’s eyes without looking away.
“I like you so much, Baekjin. It’s wrong. Guys shouldn’t like other guys. Guys date girls, have children, become respectable family men and providers. But why does my chest ache with these thoughts? Why is it so hard to pretend to be ‘normal’? Why do I want to pull him close and kiss him so he understands that I’ve seen his strength?”
It was impossible to tear himself away from those deep dark pools — Baekjin’s eyes. Humin stepped toward him. Baekjin was alarmed, but he didn’t back away. His features slowly relaxed.
Humin stopped half a step away from him. They didn’t stop looking at each other. Humin took the last step, his hand resting on Baekjin’s waist, and his lips brushed his cheek.