Chapter Text
It all started that spring day when his cousin came back from university. With his graduation around the corner, his cousin Yuta decided to head back home to finish writing his thesis. Sicheng didn’t understand why Yuta would prefer to spend time at home instead of in a city that was 5 hours away from home, but he was glad to have him back. It would make life in a village where nothing ever happened a little more exciting, maybe.
His aunt and uncle had announced Yuta would be back early in the morning on Sunday, before the church service they attended every week. But it wasn’t Sunday yet when Sicheng saw him again.
His parents were out to a late night bible discussion, one that he was allowed to skip because it was Saturday night and although his parents were sometimes cruel, they weren’t that cruel to take his Saturday nights. Sicheng was playing a videogame in his room when he smelt smoke coming through his window. Alarmed, he looked outside the window and noticed it came from their neighbours yard. His concern grew once he realised that his neighbours, who also happened to be his aunt and uncle, were currently at the same gathering as his parents…
He ran into the backyard to see what was going on, only to find Yuta and 4 guys he had seen around before, but didn’t know by name, sitting around a bonfire. He recognized them from high school. They were in their last year when Sicheng was in his first. He didn’t know much about them, except that they were popular, just like Yuta, and more alarming: trouble.
Sicheng froze. His first instinct was to go back inside and pretend he didn’t see anything. But he didn’t stand a chance; after all, their backyards were only separated by a very low fence.
“Sichengiee”, his cousin said as soon as he spotted the younger boy. He sounded drunk.
“Hi, Yuta,” Sicheng said, “I thought you were coming back tomorrow?”
“Nopee, came back this evening”, the older replied.
Sicheng sensed the other guys staring at him, which made him feel uncomfortable.
“Do aunt and uncle know you’re back?” Sicheng asked.
“Yesss,” he replied, “don’t worry, little cousin, it’s cool.”
“Alright,” Sicheng said, not sure he believed his cousin in this state. He shot a quick glance at the other guys to check if they were also drunk, and 3 of them seemed at least a little tipsy looking at their body gestures. One he couldn’t quite tell. He was staring intensely at Sicheng, like a predator at his prey, and Sicheng felt more than a little intimidated by the way he was drilling his eyes into Sichengs. Sicheng tried to remember his name, but he only remembered some random facts about him, like how he was a regular in detention back in high school, how he rode a motorcycle, and how he was probably the only popular guy at their school who never seemed interested in the girls swooning over him.
“You done staring, christian boy?” the guy in question asked. Panic suddenly came rushing over Sichengs body, and he walked back inside as soon as possible, hearing his cousin stutter “be… ni-nice to Sichengie” in between hiccups before closing the door behind him.
If Yuta had caused any trouble that night, he didn’t hear his aunt or uncle complain about it the next day. Yuta showed up at the Sunday service in neat clothes, his exhausted eyes the only evidence left of the night before.
“Got any plans after school tomorrow?” Yuta asked him after the service.
“No”, Sicheng answered. Besides homework, he didn’t have anything planned; after all, it was just a regular Monday.
“I’ll pick you up after school”, Yuta said.
Sicheng spotted Yuta as soon as he left the school building. He was leaning against his car, talking to a teacher Sicheng didn’t immediately recognize. He was glad it wasn’t one of his own teachers, as it would have been awkward to walk up to them and join the conversation. Still, it could be awkward, so he already planned to wait until they finished their conversation, but Yuta saw him in the distance and waved at him.
As he came closer, he picked up a little of their conversation and heard them talk about Yuta’s studies. As soon as Sicheng arrived, Yuta ended the conversation smoothly. The teacher said a kind goodbye and wished him good luck before leaving. Sicheng realised nothing had really changed. Yuta was still the perfect student, he still had all the teachers wrapped around his fingers despite being a troublemaker sometimes, and he was still great at making conversation in a way that Sicheng could never comprehend. It was like all the right words just magically came out of his mouth. How did he do that?
“Thanks for picking me up”, Sicheng said as soon as he was seated inside the car. He couldn’t remember the last time he didn’t have to ride home on his bike (which took him about 40 minutes). This was pleasant. He could get used to it.
“No problem”, Yuta said as he showed Sicheng his signature toothpaste-commercial-smile.
“I’m glad you’re back”, Sicheng said, and he meant it.
“Me too”, he said, but there was uncertainty in the way he said it. Yeah, Sicheng thought, I’d miss being away from home, too, if I were you, although he would never admit it. He respected his parents and the way they took care of him too much to ever say such things out loud.
The car protested when Yuta tried to start it. When he tried the second time, the engine obeyed.
“My car is getting old”, Yuta said apologetically. Sicheng noticed it made a shrieking sound once they were on the road.
“Is that normal?”
“Yeah, it’s okay, don’t worry, we’ll get home safe and sound”, Yuta said, smiling.
“How’s school?” Sicheng asked, trying to start a conversation to distract him from the awful sounds the car was making. He never let a chance go by to ask about Yuta’s life at university. He liked the stories Yuta told him, it made him dream about his own life at university in the future. A future that was actually getting really close these days…
“It’s…” Yuta seemed to have to think about it. Sicheng didn’t know if it was genuinely a difficult question, or if he was just distracted by his protesting car. “Let’s just say I’m glad I’m almost graduating”, Yuta concluded. Sicheng was a little surprised by this answer. He always thought Yuta lead the perfect life.
“Why is that? Because you’re not the most popular kid anymore?” Sicheng teased. He expected Yuta to be at least a little annoyed, but instead he just laughed.
“If only that was my only concern”, Yuta said. Before Sicheng could ask any further questions, Yuta hit the brakes as hard as he could in an attempt to avoid hitting a squirrel crossing the road. The car stopped roughly and fell silent. Sicheng almost screamed in terror.
Luckily, they were on a quiet road and didn’t cause any accidents.
“Sorry”, Yuta said. “Did I hit it?”
“I don’t think so”, Sicheng said, already half outside the car to check if the squirrel was there.
Meanwhile Yuta was trying to start the engine again, but this time the car didn’t do anything, not even after trying a second, a third, a fourth time.
“I think the car broke down”, Yuta said. Before Sicheng could take another step, he was suddenly on the ground in pain. It all happened too quick for him to realise what exactly happened.
“Shit! Oh God, oh God, oh God”, Yuta panicked. Sicheng wasn’t sure he ever heard his cousin swear before. He wasn’t sure if his arm was still attached, either.
Somewhere far away, he heard Yuta call an ambulance. Then he was on the ground next to him.
“I’m so sorry”, he kept saying. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. The car suddenly moved, I don't know how I let it happen. I'm so sorry. I called an ambulance, they’re coming soon, hold on.”
“M- my arm is hurting”, Sicheng managed to say, breathing heavily.
“Sshh, don’t talk, try to lay still”, Yuta said.
The doctor said he was lucky. Sicheng begged to differ. He broke an arm, he had some superficial wounds, “but nothing that won’t heal”, the doctor said.
“What happened?” his mother screamed once she arrived at the hospital.
“My car broke down,” Yuta explained, “and I tried to start the engine when suddenly it moved with Sicheng still standing in front of it. It was only a meter before it broke down again and I pulled the handbrake on reflex, I swear, but by that time it had already hit Sicheng…”
“Why was he in front of the car?!” his mother asked, still not understanding how this happened.
“To check on a squirrel…” Yuta said, silently. And Sicheng didn’t know if it was because of how miserable he felt, or because of how silly Yuta sounded, but he started laughing.
“The squirrel was fine, by the way”, he said to his cousin, and now the other one was laughing too. His mother sighed.
It was two days later when Sicheng went for a walk outside. He had been inside for the entire past 48 hours, even though he was allowed to go to school. His mother didn’t want to risk it, as Sicheng had gotten some serious headaches throughout the day. Sicheng got a little tired of his mother taking care of him. He needed some air. When he left the house, he spotted Yuta and one of the guys from the other night in Yuta’s front yard. It was the guy who had stared at him. In the daylight, he looked less intimidating. But intimidating nonetheless.
“Sicheng!” his cousin shouted. Sicheng stepped a little closer, but kept some distance.
“Hi”, he said.
“How are you?” his cousin asked, concerned.
“I’m fine”, he replied.
“You look like shit”, Yuta’s intimidating friend said.
“No one asked for you opinion, Jaehyun”, his cousin snapped at his friend before Sicheng could reply.
“You’re talking to the guy who is about to fix your car for free, don’t be rude”, the guy, who apparently went by the name Jaehyun, reminded him.
“I’m going for a walk”, Sicheng announced, before continuing to move away.
“Have fun”, Jaehyun said sarcastically, before turning towards Yuta and saying: “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a car to fix. Some idiot who can’t drive broke it.”
“I can drive!” Yuta objected.
“Says the guy who ran over his cousin.”
On Thursday, Sicheng and Yuta’s parents left for a four day pilgrimage along with Sicheng and Yuta’s grandparents. His mother almost wanted to cancel it, but after Sicheng assured her at least ten times he was going to be fine, he was able to change her mind. One of his father’s friends who lived nearby, would drive him to school on Thursday and Friday, and in the evenings, he would have to take the bus. Taking the bus was like one of his worst nightmares, because it was always too crowded after school, and he didn’t like the kids on it. But it wasn’t nearly as bad as having his mother constantly worrying over him for another 4 days, he concluded.
Thursday went fine. No incidents. Aside from people staring at him, nothing unpleasant. Even the bus ride home was okay. People were nice and did his best at giving him space. Being injured had its advantages sometimes.
Friday was a disaster. It was 3 PM and he still had an hour of class before he was allowed go home, but he had a headache so bad he was unable to concentrate and he was certain he wouldn’t be able to walk to the bus station either.
A classmate helped him get to the school secretariat. The secretary, a woman named Diane, looked at him with a worried expression on her face.
“I have a really bad headache, I think I need someone to come and pick me up”, Sicheng explained.
“Of course, do I need to call your parents?”
“They aren’t home, can you call my aunts house phone?”
“Sure”, the woman said. She looked in her computer to find the number Sicheng had once provided them for emergencies like this.
“Do you want to call yourself, or should I?” she asked.
“I’ll call”, Sicheng said.
She dialled the number and handed Sicheng the telephone. As expected, Yuta picked up.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Yuta. I’m sorry for bothering you, I didn’t know who to call. I think I need someone to pick me up at school, I’ve got a really bad headache and I don’t think I can make it to the bus station. I know our parents are gone and your car is broken, but I can’t really think right now about who to call and maybe you know someone who could help”, Sicheng explained.
“Don’t apologize, Sicheng! Of course you can call me. I’m sorry I can’t come and pick you up. I’ll find someone, I promise, just wait at school. Someone will come and get you soon.”
“Thanks”, Sicheng said. He hung up and handed the secretary the phone again.
“Found someone to come and get you?” she asked.
“Yeah”, Sicheng said, not sure about who would come. It didn't matter, he trusted his cousin, even after he had ran him over with his car. He’d find someone who could get him home safely.
Sicheng fell asleep in the secretary’s office after a few minutes of waiting. He was exhausted. When he woke up, he heard a familiar voice.
“I can’t let you pick him up, Jaehyun, family only”, the secretary said. Sicheng was suddenly awake, his eyes growing wide in surprise as he spotted a familiar dark haired boy behind the reception desk. Did Yuta really send Jaehyun of all people to pick him up?
“Look, Diane,” Jaehyun said, clearly annoyed, “I know we didn’t always get along well. But I’m not that high school boy that got into detention every week anymore.”
“This isn’t personal, Jaehyun”, Diane said, but she didn’t sound convincing, “it’s just the rule. Surely there must be some family member that can come pick Sicheng up. Now if you would be so kind to step away, there are students in line behind you that need my help.” Jaehyun looked behind him and saw two girls giggling. He rolled his eyes before bringing his head a little closer and leaning over the counter like he was about to whisper in the secretary’s ear. But instead, he spoke loud and clear (and desperate?) when he said: “Please let me take care of him. He's my boyfriend and his parents are out of town and I would do a really shitty job as their son-in-law if I didn’t take care of him like I promised. Please”, he begged. Sicheng gasped, his jaw dropping in astonishment. It was at that moment both Diane and Jaehyun noticed he was awake. Sicheng sat up in his chair, trying to look unaffected by Jaehyuns words.
Diane looked lost for words for a few long seconds. Then she turned her gaze towards Sicheng, who was still trying to figure out whether he had actually heard those words coming from Jaehyuns mouth, or if he had been hallucinating.
“Is that true, Sicheng?” Diane asked. Sicheng noticed the girls waiting behind Jaehyun had stopped giggling and were looking at him.
“Y-yeah”, he stuttered out, not very convincing.
The girls behind Jaehyun looked at each other with an expression he couldn’t decode.
“Alright”, Diane said. “But just this once. If anything would happen to Sicheng again and you’d like to pick him up during school hours, I want to hear his parents giving permission for it first.”
“Will do”, Jaehyun said. He sounded back to his old self, confident and callous. He grabbed Sicheng by his good arm to help him stand up before putting a hand on his back as he guided him out of the building he knew all too well. Sicheng shivered at the touch. He was certain his cheeks had turned red. How would he ever be able to face the secretary again, he thought to himself. And more concerning: those girls. What if they told anyone? Sicheng knew how easily gossips went around at their school…
As soon as they were out of the building, Sicheng gasped for air. A thousand thoughts came into mind and caused him to panic. What just happened? What if his parents found out about this? How could Yuta have done this to him? Didn’t he have any less horrible friends to come pick him up?
“What a shitshow”, Jaehyun said, sounding annoyed, as he kept walking, a little faster than Sicheng could keep up with. “I’m so fucking glad I’m out of that prison they dare to call a school.”
Sicheng didn’t reply. He didn’t know what to say. He never knew what to say in common situations, and this was the weirdest, most awkward and terrifying situation he ever encountered, so he certainly wouldn’t be able to find his words now.
Jaehyun stopped when he reached a motorcycle that was parked in front of the school gate. Realisation hit Sicheng. The terror must have been visible on his face, because Jaehyun smirked.
“Don’t be afraid, christian boy, I’m a good driver, unlike your cousin”, he said, the smirk never leaving his face.
Sicheng’s mind was clouded with worries for another few seconds before deciding that if Yuta trusted this guy, he should do too, because Yuta would only ever want the best for him. (Even though he ran him over with his car.)
“Step on”, Jaehyun said once he was seated. He gave Sicheng a helmet, but Sicheng was unsure what to do with it. Jaehyun sighed and took the helmet back, only to put it on Sichengs head himself.
“Here you go”, he said. “Hold on tight, okay? I’ll drive safely, but you only have one arm so it might be a little more difficult.”
His parents would kill him if they knew.
Sicheng used his good arm to grab Jaehyun by the waist as he stepped on the motorcycle.
He would go to hell.
“You good?” Jaehyun asked as the motor started running.
“Yeah”, Sicheng replied. His grip on the others waist tightened. Jaehyun didn’t wait any longer. He started driving.
They took the same way home Sicheng was used to. But somehow everything around him was new, like he was only seeing the fields, the roads and the surroundings for the first time. It was like he had received a fresh pair of eyes. He almost didn’t feel his headache anymore.
When they arrived home, Sicheng didn’t waste a second before getting off the motorcycle. All he wanted right now was to lock himself inside his room and forget about this. He struggled to take off the helmet, and Jaehyun laughed before helping him a hand. Once Sichengs head was freed, Jaehyun ran a hand through his hair to fix it. Sicheng wanted to move away, but before he could react, the hand was already gone and Jaehyun had his hands on the grip of his motorcycle again.
“Take care”, Jaehyun said, before starting the engine of his motorcycle.
“I will”, Sicheng said while walking towards his house. He heard Jaehyun drive away. A front door opened before he reached his own. Yuta ran towards him.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine”, Sicheng said.
This time, it was Yuta who mothered him. He took care of him until their parents came home Sunday evening and Sichengs mother took over the task again.
Sicheng had almost forgotten about Friday when his father was driving him to school Monday morning.
“Will you be alright taking the bus after school?” his father asked him.
“Yes,” Sicheng reassured him. “It went fine Thursday.” A pause. “And Friday." The lie tasted bitter on his tongue. “I don’t want you or mom staying home from work, I’ll be fine.”
“Alright.”
As Sicheng entered the school building, he noticed something had changed. People were looking at him. Not with that hey-look-it’s-that-stupid-church-boy-look, but with a look Sicheng couldn’t define. When people started whispering to each other as he passed them, he was sure he had grown a tail or something, because there couldn’t be any other reason why he had suddenly become the centre of attention.
When he spotted some of his classmates, who he wasn’t particularly good friends with, but at least they were nice to him, and tried to join their conversation, they suddenly fell silent.
“Hi, everyone”, Sicheng tried, but instead everyone just looked at him like he had turned into Shrek.
“What’s going on?” Sicheng asked.
“Dude,” a guy named Donghyuck said, “why didn’t you tell us you were dating Jung Jaehyun? Were you afraid? Because, that guy is a legend, and really, there’s nothing to be ashamed about.” Alarmbells rang inside Sicheng’s head. EVERYONE THOUGHT HE WAS DATING JAEHYUN? And now they thought he was cool?! Donghyuck had sounded almost starstruck. Sicheng wondered what Jaehyun had done to earn such a name.
“I, uhm-”, Sicheng didn’t know what to say. More than anything, he wanted to deny it, because the idea that people thought he and Jaehyun were a thing, freaked him out. But he couldn’t stop thinking about how disappointed everyone would be if he did that. Was he really going to let his only chance to be cool pass by? To finally belong here?
“It’s…” Sicheng started, and he was sure he couldn’t keep the act up. He couldn’t lie even if his life depended on it. But somehow he managed to say: “We haven’t been together for that long. I was going to tell you, it just felt a little too early.” And it sounded convincing. Everyone seemed to believe him. Did he really just lie to some of the few people he considered something close to friends? He felt the guilt in his guts. But O, the way they looked at him…
“That’s okay”, Donghyuck said. “I understand.” He sounded so cool about it. How could people be so cool about a gay relationship? He had grown up with the thought it was very, very, wrong, but somehow, the entire world seemed to disagree. It was heart-warming in a way he couldn’t describe.
“Cool”, Sicheng said. His voice cracked.
What was he doing?
The real panic hit Sicheng when Yuta sent him a text over lunch with the following text:
Heard you have to take the bus home. Asked Jaehyun to pick you up again, it will be safer
He typed as fast as he could:
No it’s ok. Tell him I’m taking the bus, I’ll be fine
He got his response two minutes later, but those two minutes felt like an hour.
Don’t worry, I insisted he’d bring his car instead of motorcycle this time
Sicheng didn’t bother to object. He knew how stubborn his cousin was. Yuta was impossible to convince. He sighed. What had he gotten himself into…
As expected, Sicheng saw Jaehyun at the school parking after school, leaning casually against a car that was definitely in a better state than Yuta’s. Sicheng got a little mad at the thought that he could’ve just brought him home with this perfectly functioning car Friday, but instead decided to show up with his motorcycle.
“Hi there, christian boy, heard you needed a ride?” he smirked once Sicheng was stepping closer towards him. It took Jaehyun a few seconds before he realised that everyone was staring at them. Jaehyun shot some of the students a deadly glance in order to make them turn their head away, but it wasn’t enough, there were too many of them.
“What’s up with these kids?” he asked in annoyance.
“Yeah, about that,” Sicheng cleared his throat, “do you remember what you said Friday, to the secretary?”
Jaehyun seemed confused for a second, like he didn’t remember. Then realisation hit him, and he started laughing.
“Oh, did the gossip go around?” he asked teasingly. Sicheng didn’t reply, the answer was obvious. A few young girls passing by made an “aww” sound when they spotted the two guys.
“They’re so cute”, Sicheng heard one of them say. Sicheng turned his gaze towards the ground, too ashamed to look at Jaehyun. Jaehyun seemed entertained by it.
“You’re turning as red as a tomato”, he said to Sicheng, as if Sicheng hadn’t noticed himself. He was burning up inside.
“Just bring me home, please”, Sicheng said.
“Sure, boyfriend”, Jaehyun said, a smile still on his stupid face. If it was possible for Sichengs face to turn even redder, it did. But at least Jaehyun had the decency not to tease him about it. Instead they stepped inside the car in silence.
While looking out the window a weird realisation hit Sicheng. He hadn’t disliked the motor ride home last time. He remembered how exciting it felt, how he enjoyed the view like never before. The feeling in his stomach. It was gone now, sitting inside a car.
It was quiet. Jaehyun didn’t seem to want to put up a conversation, and neither did Sicheng. But there was a question burning at the tip of his tongue.
“Why are you doing this? Bringing me home, I mean. You didn’t have to”, Sicheng said.
The car stopped in front of a red light and Jaehyun put the shifter back in first gear before answering the question.
“I might seem like a shitty person to you, but I can assure you I’m not a shitty friend. If Yuta is worried about his cousin getting home safe from school, I’m happy to help him”, Jaehyun explained.
“That’s… nice of you”, Sicheng said, not sure how he felt about that answer.
Jaehyun didn’t reply. They drove the rest of the way in silence.
“Thanks for the ride”, Sicheng said before closing the car door behind him.
“No problem, boyfriend”, Jaehyun teased him. He drove away with a grin on his face. Sicheng didn’t know if he had to be happy Jaehyun wasn’t calling him ‘christian boy’ anymore. Was this improvement? Probably not, Sicheng concluded, as he felt his cheeks turn red again.
Yuta came over in the evening to tell Sicheng that Jaehyun would pick him up tomorrow as well.
“Yuta, I told you, I can take the bus, it’s okay”, Sicheng insisted.
“But the bus is always crowded, and you need more comfort with your broken arm. Jaehyun doesn’t mind, don’t worry about it."
“No, Yuta, it’s okay. Besides, I feel bad about lying to my parents, they’re paying for a bus I’m not taking.”
“And I feel bad about ruining your arm. Please let Jaehyun pick you up. I made him promise not to bother you. I’ll even ask him not to talk to you, if that’s what you want”, Yuta said, his eyes begging.
“Alright”, Sicheng said, confused about whether he agreed just to help his cousin get rid of his guilt, or if he really liked the idea of Jaehyun picking him up.
Definitely the first reason. Why was he even confused about that?
“Is everything alright with you two? You looked kind of uncomfortable when he came to pick you up yesterday”, Sichengs classmate Ten asked Sicheng the next day and oh no, had the whole school seen how Jaehyun came to pick him up?
Sicheng had barely been talking to Ten and now the subject had already changed into his pretend boyfriend.
“We’re okay”, Sicheng answered quickly, turning his eyes away from Tens concerned face.
“You know, you can always talk to me”, Ten said. “I know what it’s like. Not to have a super hot boyfriend picking me up at school, I mean. I wish. But to be… out, to the school. It can be scary at the beginning, I totally understand you’re uncomfortable.” Sicheng had completely forgotten about Tens sexuality and he felt surprised not only by his sudden confession but also how kind he was. They had never been close, but still he offered a sympathic ear. Sicheng felt guilty. This was wrong. How did he get so caught up in this lie. He was deceiving nice people like Ten. They didn’t deserve this.
“Jaehyun,” Sicheng said once he was seated in the car. He had thought the entire afternoon about how he was going to say this, now all he had to do was say it. “People still think we’re a couple.”
“I noticed”, Jaehyun said. No grin on his face this time. He didn’t seem bothered by it either.
“You need to help me convince Yuta that it’s not necessary for you to pick me up anymore. That way I can tell people we’ve broken up.”
Jaehyun laughed. He seemed way too amused about this.
“Why don’t you just deny we’re together?” Jaehyun asked. “Just tell the truth, say I made it up so I could take you home.”
“Because…” Sicheng said, and he wasn’t prepared for this question. He hadn’t practiced it in his head, so now he fell silent. Jaehyun seemed to understand somehow. And there it was again, that filthy grin on his face. Along with horribly attractive dimples.
“Because you already confirmed we are together”, Jaehyun filled in for him. Sicheng started to blush again. He covered his red face with his hand. Jaehyun grabbed Sichengs wrist with the hand that wasn’t holding the wheel and forced Sichengs hand away from his face.
“Don’t be shy about it, boyfriend”, Jaehyun said, not letting go of his wrist until he had to change the gears. Sicheng looked away. He just wanted to disappear.
When they arrived at Sichengs house, Jaehyun grabbed Sichengs good arm before he could leave the car.
“I’m picking you up tomorrow,” he said, his eyes drilling into Sichengs, forcing him to look at him, “tell those fake ass people at school we’re together, I don’t care.”
But I care, Sicheng wanted to say. He didn’t. He just nodded, shy as always. As long as his parents didn’t find out about this, it would be okay. He could do this, right? Pretend Jaehyun was his boyfriend, how difficult could that be?
He knew something was wrong when he didn’t see Jaehyun at the school parking the next day. And he knew something was wrong when a group of guys who had bullied him in primary school and never missed an opportunity to make fun of him, came walking towards him.
“What’s wrong, church boy? Didn’t boyfriend come pick you up? Or did your little romance get too sinful for you?” they laughed.
This isn’t primary school, no one thinks you’re cool anymore for bullying, Sicheng wanted to say. But he didn’t, because he was better than that. He let it happen.
At that moment, he spotted a familiar motorcycle in the distance driving faster than the speed limit. Jaehyun made a show of parking his motorcycle next to Sicheng and taking his helmet off, running a hand through his hair, his face sweaty enough be noticeable but not sweaty enough to look gross. It looked almost… sexy?
“Sorry, they asked me to work some extra hours and I lost track of time. I didn’t have time to go home to get my car, is it okay I drive you home with my motorcycle?”
Jaehyun had a job?
“Y-yeah, sure”, Sicheng said. Jaehyun noticed the guys standing next to Sicheng only just now.
“What are you looking at?” Jaehyun asked, not in a very nice way, to say the least. The guys left without saying another word. Sicheng couldn’t keep the smile from his face.
“Were they bothering you?” Jaehyun asked.
“It’s okay”, Sicheng replied. He took the helmet from Jaehyun and put it on, this time without any struggles. He wrapped his arm around Jaehyun’s waist, the smile still on his face, but now it was covered by the helmet. He hoped Jaehyun wouldn’t notice.
“Yuta’s car is almost fixed”, Jaehyun informed him when they arrived at Sichengs house. “Maybe if you can convince your parents to let him drive you again, he can pick you up instead.”
“O”, Sicheng said, trying not to sound disappointed. “Yeah, sure.” He gave back Jaehyuns helmet. They looked into each other’s eyes for a second or three. It was the first time Sicheng wasn’t too shy to look away, and he wondered where he had suddenly gathered the courage.
“Unless you prefer I do it”, Jaehyun said confidently, ruining the moment.
“No”, Sicheng said, looking away. Jaehyun chuckled. He put on the helmet he was holding and stepped back on his motorcycle.
“You’re a bad liar, Sicheng.”
And then he was gone, leaving Sicheng behind with reddened cheeks, as he always did.
All hell broke loose once Sicheng stepped inside his house and noticed his mother was home early.
“Who was that?!” his mother asked in shock. “Why is someone on a motorcycle driving you home?! I thought you were taking the bus? How long have you been lying to us? Sicheng, you can’t be friends with people like this.”
He was grounded. Grounded, of all things. Sicheng never left the house aside from school, but he was grounded anyway. His father still drove him to school every morning before going to work, but after school he had to prove his parents he took the bus home. Sicheng had explained with as little words possible that they didn’t need to worry about Jaehyun (he didn’t tell them his name though) since he wasn’t really his friend. He told his parents the truth, that Jaehyun was Yuta's friend, even though he hated dragging Yuta into this. His parents made him call Yuta to tell him he didn’t want anyone picking him up anymore.
Yuta’s car got fixed a few days after, but he wasn’t allowed to pick Sicheng up. Sicheng didn’t know whether his parents were worried about him causing accidents again, or about ‘bad influences’.
People at school were wondering why Jaehyun wasn’t picking him up after school anymore, but Sicheng just lied he was busy with work. Ironically, Sicheng didn’t even know what Jaehyun did for a living. Still, it felt better than telling people they broke up.
More than a week went by. Sicheng’s eyes still searched the parking lot every time he left the school building, but Jaehyun was never there.
Of course he wasn’t.
On Saturday evening, his parents went to their regular bible discussion. It was one of the few moments they had left Sicheng alone the past week.
“Maybe we should take him with us”, he heard his father say in the kitchen. Sicheng felt panic rushing through his body.
“He’ll be fine. He has been good all week, don’t punish him for that”, his mother said.
“You’re right”, his father agreed.
They took their stuff and put on their coats.
“Don’t wait up”, his mother said before closing the door behind her.
And for the first time in what would have to be at least 5 years, Sicheng started crying.
He started crying because he missed a certain dark haired boy coming to pick him up on his motorcycle after school. He started crying because he didn’t have the guts to tell people at school he wasn’t his boyfriend. He started crying because, honestly, he sometimes wished he was. He started crying because he was lying to people. He started crying because he had no one and he wasn’t even allowed to see his cousin for a while. He started crying because he hated that his parents were doing this to him. He started crying because he hated himself.
Once he was done crying and pitying himself, his sadness got replaced by anger. His parents didn't have the right to keep him from talking to Yuta. It was his cousin, the same cousin who had taken care of him since the day he was born. His cousin, one of the few people who actually made him happy. Who understood him. Who he trusted.
He went outside and knocked on a door he had knocked on countless times. Yuta opened the door within 10 seconds.
“Hi,” he said, a smile spreading on his face.
“Hey”, Sicheng replied.
“I was thinking about coming over, too, but I was afraid you were mad at me”, Yuta confessed.
“Mad? Of course not, why would I be mad?”
“Are you kidding? You have every reason to be mad at me, for starters, I ran you over with my car, and as if that wasn’t bad enough, I got you grounded too.”
“It’s okay”, Sicheng said. “I saw my mom coming over to talk to you last week, I hope she didn’t go hard on you.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s not the first time I’ve had speeches about friends with ‘bad influences’”, Yuta said while mimicking their parents voices. Sicheng couldn’t hold back his laughter.
“You want to come in?” Yuta asked, suddenly realising they were still at the door.
“No, it’s okay. I’m going to bed early, I think”, Sicheng said.
“Alright.” A short silence fell between them.
“Yuta?”
“Yeah?”
“Can you say thank you to Jaehyun for me? I feel a little guilty for not appreciating him bringing me home as much as I should have.”
“Sure, I will”, Yuta said with a kind smile.
“Don’t listen to what my mother has to say about him”, Sicheng continued, and he was certain he never said such a disrespectful thing about his mother in his life, he felt almost guilty about it, weren’t it for the fact he was convinced this was the right thing to say, “he’s actually a really good friend. The fact that he doesn’t only fix your car, but is also willing to pick up your cousin every day after school just for the sake of your friendship, proves he’s not a bad influence at all.” Yuta nodded.
“I know, he’s a good guy, I won’t let anyone tell me otherwise”, Yuta agreed.
“Good”, Sicheng said, and turned around to walk away.
“Sicheng”, Yuta said before he left.
“Yeah?” Sicheng turned around again.
“I don’t think he came to pick you up just for the sake of our friendship though”, Yuta said, smiling.
Before Sicheng could think about the implications of those words, Yuta had already closed the door.