Chapter Text
after last night, yonghyun still managed to force himself to go to the bar. his steps are heavy but he keeps going, trying to convince himself that tonight everything will be much better, maybe he'll get much money to buy something for himself. so he gets dress in the makeup room, putting eyeliner on his eyes, lip balm on his lips and fixing his hair for the last touch.to yonghyun today is just another night standing under the glittering lights. another night he wishes would never happened to him, that he doesn't need to strip in front of people, yet he dances anyway.
the music starts to kick in. yonghyun stares at the crowd once again before he moves, reassuring himself than he can do well tonight, that he can get money for living another shitty months. his silk top, that is redder than his lips, hanging low on his shoulder, almost revealing his chest. he can feel the cold breeze of the air conditioner, even after doha complained that it didn't work yesterday. maybe it's not the cold that he usually feels, maybe it's another cold that’s formed by empty feeling. maybe he just wants to stop, even if he cant. yonghyun ends his dance with strong gaze he's been practicing for years. just like yesterday, some people clap, some don't and yonghyun could care less. he just wants to go home, having shower, and let his drowsiness drifts him away. but thing has never worked out so easy for yonghyun. suddenly, he's being dragged out from the bar by four familiar faces, and yonghyun couldn't do anything. he just wishes tonight someone would actually save him. just once, and it would be enough.
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jinseok gets out from the bar after yonghyun finished his performance. he usually loves to stay longer but this time he feels like he should go home quickly. jinseok walks slowly to the alley behind the bar, he planned to take the shortcut to the parking lot since he parked his car near the drugstore but before he could step further he saw someone is being dragged from the bar's backdoor. jinseok knows the red top, that's yonghyun's favorite top, the one he used so many times to perform his dance. before jinseok could think again, he runs to yonghyun, and punches the men who dragged him. his adrenaline is taking over his mind and body. the next thing he knows he grabs yonghyun's hand and run to the direction where he parked his car. jinseok stops right in front of his car, they both breathless. he doesn't want to let go yonghyun's hand, but he has to. after all, he and yonghyun are strangers, nothing more.
"it's fine now. i think" jinseok tries to break the silence, it's getting so awkward each second and yonghyun still looks shocked after what happened.
"thanks for helping me." yonghyun finally managed to mutter some words. jinseok can tell that yonghyun is still trying to recover.
"i'm oh jinseok btw" jinseok forms a smile for the latter.
"ah right the boy who always sits at the same exact spot, ordering the same drink whenever i'm on the stage.” yonghyun finally looks calmer as he speaks to jinseok. Jinseok just nods in response and chuckles slightly. “don’t get me wrong it’s not like i'm staring my audience one by one. It’s just, you're always there never absent and your features kind of stand out so I recognize you. i'm kim yonghyun by the way as you've already known." yonghyun laughs, then followed by a smile on the edge of his lips. it's somehow so different from what jinseok always picturing. he knows nothing about yonghyun, he only knows the wild stare yonghyun always gives when he's on the stage. the person who stands in front of him doesn’t have all of that, he's certainly more bright, delicate but also looked sad.
"are you okay now? i mean all of that must be terrifying" that's the only thing jinseok managed to say after yonghyun introduced himself. he sucks at comforting people, and the words he just said explain a lot about it.
"yeah, it's not the first time someone does this to me. it's the bad part of my job. once again thank you for saving me." yonghyun smiles again. but this time his smile looked more genuine. "i'll take you home then, or if you don’t have some place to stay, you can stay at mine." jinseok feels stupid, of course yonghyun has some place to stay and offering someone to stay at his place after the first meeting -if that can be called as a meeting, is odd and wrong. "can i stay at your place? i know this is weird but i trust you, if you're one of that bad guy you would've taken me but instead you just sits at the same exact spot everynight and you even saved me today." that's exactly not what jinseok expected. but deep down he feels relieved and happy.
jinseok drives silently to his apartment but his curiosity keeps bothering him.
"mind if i ask why those guys chasing after you?"
"well, my father has some debt and he's nowhere to be found. his debt is so much, at first i thought i'll be able to pay all of that since my father begged me to help him but turned out no i can’t pay all of that and those guys want my money and also my body, they..." yonghyun sighs and take a deep breath. "did that for fun. and they think i'm some kind of whore who can be used by so many people bc i'm a stripper. god i dont even know anymore." yonghyun sobs in silent, jinseok can only say sorry. he doesn't know yonghyun's life is this hard, he knows somehow yonghyun's broken but not this scattered.
ten minutes had passed, they finally arrived at jinseok's apartment. jinseok parked his car and they both got off, walking to jinseok’s room.
"your room is nice. it's warm and also clean. exactly the opposite of mine." yonghyun speaks as they enter jinseok's room. his eyes gleaming under the light, jinseok can tell yonghyun is mesmerized.
"thanks. your room is that way, you can rest there. i'll make dinner." jinseok smiles, his smile is so genuine and he wishes yonghyun could see that through.
"i'll help you."
"i'm fine seriously. you have to rest, i'll tell you if dinner is ready." jinseok is so nervous to have yonghyun in his apartment. he barely talked to yonghyun before, and now he's in the same roof as him. somehow it's too much to process. he still can't believe everything that just happened.
they eat in silent after everything is set on the table, sometimes yonghyun says jinseok's food is delicious and thanking him again for everything. jinseok only smiles in response, trying to convince yonghyun that everything he did is nothing.
after dinner they both decide to sleep in each other room. jinseok also feels so tired after all the work he has to do today. but after he lies on bed he can't close his eyes. his mind's still filled with thoughts, too much, everything is too much for him. the fact that he saved yonghyun, how broken yonghyun is, and how he finally ended up in the same roof with yonghyun are too much. he's so grateful, happy because he finally speaks even saves the one he adores so much. but he's also sad and anxious with the fact that yonghyun is far from okay. he needs someone to protect him, of course jinseok will offer himself wilingly. but he's scared yonghyun wouldn't accept him. jinseok keeps thinking until he finally feels tired and give up to his drowsiness.