Chapter Text
"Who's that?" Sunwoo nudged Eric, gesturing to the newest addition to their classroom. The new boy's eyes were sharp and his gaze cutting as he stared outside the window. He sat at the very back, at the corner of the classroom, going unnoticed by Sunwoo, who just arrived.
"I don't know. Do you think we should say hi?" Eric put his phone down to look behind me. "It's already the middle of the semester and someone transferred... wow."
Sunwoo took his seat beside Eric, forcing himself to look away from the boy at the very back. His features were strikingly cold and beautiful, it made Sunwoo shiver internally. "He must be an army brat." Sunwoo commented, opening his bag to finish the homework he had fallen asleep on the night before.
When the bell rang ten minutes later, Seungmin, the class president, went up to the front with a big smile. He lightly tapped on the teacher's table, gathering his classmates' attention.
"Guys! We have a new transfer student!" Seungmin announced excitedly. He then clapped, beckoning the new student forward. "Please introduce yourself!"
The new student didn't make a move to go to the front. He simply glanced around the classroom, sizing everyone up, before saying, "My name is Heo Hyunjoon." they waited for further information, but it seemed it was all Hyunjoon was going to say.
Seungmin's smile didn't falter though. "Nice to meet you, Hyunjoon! Welcome to MBC Prep! You're going to like it here!"
Sunwoo turned to look at Hyunjoon again, eyebrows knitted into a frown. Hyunjoon met his glare evenly, eyes narrowing as if he was threatening Sunwoo. Eric noticed the rising tension, and he not so low-key grabbed Sunwoo's necktie to make his friend face front.
"It's his first day, Sunwoo." Eric reminded.
"Yeah, exactly. He should at least be courteous!"
"Maybe he's just scared."
"Of what? Making friends?" Sunwoo hmph'ed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Whatever. I won't be his friend. He looks like an angry cat. I don't like cats."
Eric rolled his eyes, about to snark back a reply, but their homeroom and English teacher Mr. Hong was already walking in. Sunwoo continued to brood and give Hyunjoon the stink eye the entire day, with Eric watching the interaction with amusement.
"You know what's going to be funny? Like, the truest gag of the century?" Eric said when they were lacing their shoes in the locker room for after school soccer practice. "If you and Hyunjoon go together for Prom."
"Haha. Never happening." Sunwoo scowled, double lacing his studs.
"That's why I said it's a gag." Eric hummed, stretching his neck. "Hey, do you think Felix will go with me if I ask him? I could show up with a bouquet of fries. He's a sucker for fries."
They went out into the field, listening to their new football instructor, who happened to be Sunwoo's older brother Juyeon, for what they were going to do. Juyeon was only volunteering for the month, to be evaluated by the resident teachers to see if he was fit enough to be a PE teacher.
Sunwoo was pretty sure his brother was going to get the job.
"We're doing penalty kicks first." Juyeon announced, holding two soccer balls. "I want each of you to kick ten times. The one who can score the most out of ten won't run with the others for three laps around the field. For the goalies, the one who can block the most."
"Hyung! That's too much!" Eric nagged. The other members of the team agreed, pouting at Juyeon and knowing he couldn't resist them.
"Fine. Two laps."
They settled on the two goals, and Sunwoo calmly stretched as he waited for his turn to kick. An all-black figure sitting in the stands caught his attention, and he looked up, shielding his eyes from the sun's glare to see who it was.
Hyunjoon was calmly eating a pack of chips, chewing slowly and looking back at him.
Sunwoo, being a very intelligent, very mature high schooler, did the smartest thing he could think of: he stuck his tongue out. Hyunjoon was apparently not expecting that because he choked on a chip, and Sunwoo had to look away before the other could see his burning cheeks.
Unsurprisingly, Sunwoo scored the highest goal, missing only one when Bomin shouted, "Sunwoo, you're so awesome!"
Bomin received a kick to the shin from Sunwoo when Juyeon had his back turned to them.
"Run one lap." Juyeon frowned at Sunwoo when the younger plopped on the grass, smug and content. "You're going to get lousy if you just sit your ass down."
"I won your challenge fair and square, hyung. Let me be." Sunwoo laughed, rolling around the grass. Juyeon sighed, joining him. Sunwoo looked at him with a grin, "Aren't you proud your brother is continuing the legacy of the Lee-Kim's Football Skillz?"
"Of course I'm proud of you, Woo-yah." Juyeon replied. "How did I do on my first day of being trainer?"
"Well, I could tell the guys liked you better than old Mr. Song, so that's a big thumbs up."
Juyeon cracked a grin. "Thanks. Now, are you going to tell me why you're making faces at the student wearing a black fur coat in the bleachers? I saw you stick your tongue out at him earlier."
Sunwoo felt his face burn again. "It's the new transfer student. He's just giving off this angry, disgruntled cat vibes. I don't like him."
"You love cats."
"No, I don't." Sunwoo quickly replied. A little too quick, it made his brother snort in disbelief. Sunwoo pouted, progressing to a whine. "Hyung, I just don't like the new student, okay? I can't explain it, but I just... is that Chanhee-hyung in your jacket?"
"Oh. Practice is over." Juyeon got up, then blew his whistle. The rest of the team went over to the huddle, panting slightly. "This is just a warm up, guys. Tomorrow, we're going to have a mini play off, in teams of five. For now, I say good work."
They watched him walk towards their also newly-hired maths teacher, Choi Chanhee, with a great, big grin on his face.
"Your brother is hot." Eric told Sunwoo in a whisper.
"Dude, gross." Sunwoo shoved him lightly, then turned to his team mates. "Alright, guys! We have a huge game before Prom, and I know it's months away, but most of us are graduating this school year so it's our last chance to show off. Don't get injured and sick, we got this!"
"See you guys tomorrow!" Hyunjin grinned, almost dragging Jeongin and Jisung away from the field. Sunwoo also waved bye to Jeno, Injoon, Donghyuck, Renjun, and their new, quiet member Yangyang. Bomin stayed behind to nag at Sunwoo for help with their math homework, but also left when he saw his hyungs' car in the parking lot.
"Hyunjoon's still here." Eric waved to the boy in the bleachers.
Hyunjoon didn't wave back, just packed his stuff up and walked away. Eric and Sunwoo exchanged glances, not really sure what to make of him. "He seems like an asshole, dude." Sunwoo frowned. "I don't like him."
-----
Mrs. Kim woke Sunwoo up from his short power nap before dinner and handed him a tupperware. "Go over next door and give this to them. They're new in town, I've heard. Also, tell them I'm inviting them to dinner on Sunday."
"Why can't you send Juyeon-hyung?" Sunwoo complained, opening the tupperware. "Oh my god-- mom, is this your signature kimbap? I want a roll too!"
"Your brother is still not home and yes, I made you two rolls but you'll only get them if you deliver those right now." Mrs. Kim warned, which caused Sunwoo to sprint all the way from the couch to the door to grab his jacket and shoes. His mother could only laugh at him struggling to get his shoes on in a minute.
Sunwoo flew out his house and landed on the front door of the next door house. There was a cat in the porch, all black and reminding Sunwoo of a certain new transferee, but he pushed the thought out of his head as he knocked on the door and then patted the feline.
"... what."
Hyunjoon had opened the door, wearing a fashionable night robe and BT21 pajamas. He looked like he had just woken up and was very confused as to why Sunwoo had knocked on his door. Sunwoo was gaping too.
They were shook out of their staring contest when the cat Sunwoo was petting purred, jumping down from the railing to rub his fur against Hyunjoon. "Get inside, Jimin!" Hyunjoon gently shoved it inside before turning to Sunwoo. "What do you want?"
"You're our new neighbor?" Sunwoo didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the new discovery.
Hyunjoon glared at him.
/Oh, I see how it is./
Sunwoo glared back, thrusting the tupperware towards Hyunjoon. "Mom made that as a welcome gift. She's also inviting your family over for a dinner this Sunday. Just so you know, I would definitely prefer it if you didn't come."
Hyunjoon slammed the door in his face.
"I hate you." Sunwoo hissed at the closed door. He jogged back to his own house, still mentally cursing Hyunjoon. Juyeon was just pulling up to the driveway, and he greeted Sunwoo with a high five before they both entered the house.
"Hey, mom." Juyeon kissed her cheek. "Where's dad?"
"Kitchen, making kimchi. How's Chanhee? Did you guys drive over to the new house you bought together?" Mrs. Kim asked, then nagged at both her sons to leave their shoes properly in the foyer. "Yeobo, the kids are here! Let's eat!"
After dinner, Sunwoo locked himself in his room, pulling up a chat tab to full-on rant to Eric about how the new transfer student was wearing expensive BT21 pajamas and named his cat after a K-Pop Idol Sunwoo liked too and how Hyunjoon was his new neighbor.
Eric responded to the long, long rant with a laughing emoji.
Deciding that was all Eric was going to say because he probably was playing on his X-box again, Sunwoo closed the chat tab and started on his assignments. Glancing out his window after a particularly long brain smash for Physics, Sunwoo realized Hyunjoon's room was right beside his and that the other boy was trying to crawl out of his window.
He watched as Hyunjoon succeeded on plopping safely down the balcony, where he then pulled a blanket from the window and hoisted Jimin along with him. Hyunjoon huddled in the tiny balcony, unaware of Sunwoo watching him curiously.
Sunwoo wondered if he should do something, like maybe call Hyunjoon out for voluntarily freezing his skinny ass in the cold.
But then, the other boy brought out a small telescope and a notebook. Jimin the cat rested on his owner's leg, peacefully asleep, as Hyunjoon periodically looked through his telescope and then jotted down on his notebook.
He completely forgot about his homework as he just continued to watch Hyunjoon.
---------
"Can he please stop sneezing, it's annoying the hell out of me!" Sanha whined. It was study period, and for other students, it was a free time if they don't have anything to cram. Sadly, Sunwoo had spent the entire night creepily stalking Hyunjoon from his window, so he had a full set of physics problems to finish.
Sanha gladly accompanied him, if only to copy his answers.
Sunwoo realized belatedly that Sanha was referring to Hyunjoon, who was sat alone at the end of the table they were both sat on. Hyunjoon sniffled, brushed his hair back to reveal how he plugged his ears with airpods (expensive-ass bitch) and continued to scribble down on what looked like an answer sheet.
"I'm this close to scr--"
"Dude, shut up, we're in the library!" Sunwoo hissed.
"But he's annoying me!" Sanha repeated.
"One more word and I won't let you copy my answers."
Sanha did keep his mouth shut after that threat, pouting. Sunwoo kept stealing glances over at Hyunjoon, wondering if the other boy caught the cold after staying in the cold all night. He felt kind of guilty. If he had called him out the night before, would Hyunjoon have gone down with the cold?
Finally finished, Sunwoo pushed his homework over to Sanha, who cheered and moved fast to copy everything down. Sunwoo then went back to watching Hyunjoon, not even trying to be subtle. Hyunjoon was adorably drowning in a more plush, bigger fur coat and Sunwoo hoped it wasn't real animal fur.
"He's weird, isn't he?" Sanha commented, picking up on Sunwoo's staring.
"Mhm."
"He also limps when he's walking. I wonder why."
Sunwoo turned to his friend and raised his eyebrows in surprise. He never noticed Hyunjoon had a limp, but then again, Sunwoo had only started paying attention to him thirty minutes ago. "He does?"
Sanha nodded, mouth and hand working simultaneously. "Actually, it was Bomin who noticed. Bomin also said something about the new guy--"
"His name is Hyunjoon."
"...Bomin said Hyunjoon had a Busan accent when he talks. Apparently, Bomin already talked with him a lot yesterday. Figures, really. Both look like they're snobby company heirs. And they're seatmates."
"Uhuh."
"You seem really interested in him." Sanha noted, finishing up on copying.
Sunwoo found himself scoffing. "I'm just wondering why he looks like a wet cat."
Unfortunately, Hyunjoon overheard. He gave the two other boys a blank look, then collected his stuff and walked out of the library. Sunwoo caught sight and realized Hyunjoon only had one earpod the entire time. Sunwoo cursed, kicking Sanha under the table.
"Ow!"
"Mr. Yoon!" The librarian called out.
Sanha glared at Sunwoo before trudging towards the librarian to receive his punishment for yelling in the library. Sunwoo took his things too, quickly exiting the room and running in hopes he can find Hyunjoon. He passed by Chanhee in the hallway, and Sunwoo only had time to wave before catching glimpse of black fur and running after it.
Hyunjoon was just settling under the shade of an old, thick-foliaged tree, when Sunwoo almost ran into him. Sunwoo paused to catch his breath, leaning one hand on the broad trunk and the other in a shushing motion to prevent Hyunjoon from asking any questions he didn't have answers to.
When he finally caught his breath, Sunwoo started to panic.
He made such a scene and for what? What was he planning to do? What was he going to say? Hyunjoon was still looking at him blankly, sharp eyes cutting into Sunwoo and basically challenging him to something.
"Sorry."
"Do I really look like a wet cat?"
They spoke at the same time. Hyunjoon's eyes were wide with surprise at the sudden apology, and Sunwoo was internally beating himself up over it because it meant Hyunjoon wasn't ever expecting him to even apologize. Sunwoo gulped. It was becoming really awkward really fast.
"Only when you glare at stuff." Sunwoo tried, hands flying as he tried to dispel the nervous energy from within him. "It's like when a cat gets wet and it starts looking at everything with an anger--"
Hyunjoon frowned, looking away.
"I'm not good with words." Sunwoo found himself saying, sitting down cross-legged on the grass beside Hyunjoon, who was adamantly avoiding his eyes. "I sound like an asshole most of time and I can't help it, I know. Juyeon-hyung smacks my head when I sound mean at home, but he can't do it everywhere. If I offended you in some way..."
"You can just say sorry and leave." Hyunjoon said, still looking everywhere but Sunwoo.
Seeing as there was absolutely nothing else he could do, Sunwoo promptly stood up and walked away. His head was spinning and he thought he was going to get ill at the way the ground was slipping under him. Thankfully it was a Friday, so Sunwoo just had to get through football practice and then it would be the weekend.
"You look pale, Woo-yah. You good?" Juyeon noted when they were in the field waiting for the other members of the football team. He offered his brother water from his bottle, which Sunwoo took gratefully.
"Yeah."
"You don't look like you're good."
Sunwoo shook his head, resolute. He just had to get Hyunjoon's sharp words out of his mind, he knew. Sunwoo saw Hyunjoon take a seat at the bleachers again with a stray cat he was feeding with actual cat food. It was taking all of his will power to not go over there and pet the animal. Or scream at the human.
Practice was definitely tiring, though they barely noticed until the end because Juyeon paced their session as such. They were so tired after the practice that the players ended in a sweaty pile in the grass.
Juyeon merely laughed at them before bidding goodbye.
"Your brother is so hot." Eric breathed out.
"Dude!"
"I'm serious!"
"You're not allowed to come over anymore."
Bomin then sat up, retrieving his bag from the bench and pulling out several envelopes. "Dad's diner is finally operating and there's a soft opening tomorrow. These are coupons for half the prize!" he said as he handed them out.
"Sweet! Thanks, bro." Sunwoo wow'ed at the envelope.
"You all better be there." Bomin lightheartedly threatened before running up to the bleachers. He was all big smiles as he gave the last envelope to Hyunjoon, who looked surprised. Sunwoo watched with some unknown feeling in his gut as they talked.
Then Hyunjoon smiled.
He smiled.
Sunwoo felt his jaw drop. Hyunjoon's cheeks squish up when he smiles, eyes disappearing into cute, dark crescents as his perfect teeth showed. Sunwoo quickly turned away, telling Eric he had to go because he wasn't feeling well, and bid bye to his teammates.
The bus ride home alone was quiet and it made Sunwoo rethink everything he ever did or thought regarding Hyunjoon. He wondered why he was so drawn and affected by the transferee: the instant dislike, instant want to know him better, to see him smile again.
Sunwoo didn't want to admit it, but he might be having a crush on Heo Hyunjoon.
He couldn't tell Sanha. Sanha would laugh at him and maybe even complain about Sunwoo's poor taste. He definitely couldn't tell Bomin, not with the definite closeness Sunwoo saw between them and Hyunjoon earlier.
And Sunwoo was never ever going to tell Eric because Eric would end up blurting it out to the entire class and Sunwoo would never live it down.
That night, Sunwoo turned his lights off early, sitting at his desk so he can watch Hyunjoon climb out of his window again. Jimin had jumped on his own that time, but still snuggled with Hyunjoon's leg as the human continued to look out of his telescope.
Sunwoo realized he was willing to fight rain clouds just as long as Hyunjoon could continue looking at the night sky as much as he wants.
-------
Bomin's dad's diner had a throwback to the 90s vibe to it, complete with a matching, fully functional jukebox. Renjun and Yangyang immediately swarmed towards it, and the rest of the football team just hung around drinking milkshakes with their class and cheering Bomin as he tried to (unsuccessfully) down an entire liter of strawberry milkshake in one go.
"This place is awesome!" Eric grinned as he brought his second chocolate fudge ice cream.
"You let him go on another fudge? You know what happens when Eric gets too much sugar." Hyunjin raised an eyebrow, relaxing on the booth they were sharing. "I'm not the only one who remembers he almost got us killed by stealing a car and driving, right?"
"Shh, we don't talk about that." Felix interrupted, helping himself to Eric's fudge.
Sunwoo contentedly sipped on his milkshake, feeling at peace with his classmates and teammates all in one place and old 2000s songs playing on the jukebox. It wasn't to last long though.
"I'm sorry, am I late? I got lost."
"It's fine! I'm glad you didn't die along the way!"
Sunwoo snapped his head towards Hyunjoon at the counter. He was wearing an... does that even qualify as a sweater? It was extremely low-cut in the back, with three straps piecing them together, showing Hyunjoon's unblemished, milky skin. He was carrying his padded coat, though, so he probably wasn't walking around the cold in a lousy excuse of a sweater.
Bomin was leaning on the counter, smiling brightly at Hyunjoon.
"Do you want a milkshake?"
"Yes, please."
"Dude, hey. What do you have against Hyunjoon? You always seem to be staring at him or something." Jisung asked, bringing Sunwoo's attention away from the newcomer. "He's pretty chill, isn't he, Hyunjin-ah?"
"Oh yeah, definitely." Hyunjin answered, waving at Hyunjoon. Hyunjoon waved back, about to smile (Sunwoo can see his eyes beginning to turn into crescents) -- but stopped when he saw Sunwoo. Hyunjoon turned back, giving Bomin his full attention.
Sunwoo frowned. What the hell?
Hyunjin looked at Sunwoo, confused. "Damn, that was cold, bruh. You hate each other or something?"
Seeing as he didn't really know, Sunwoo just shrugged. He tried focusing on Felix and Eric making a disgusting mix of shake and fudge, but really, all he could think about was Hyunjoon's reaction to him. Was he repulsed by something Sunwoo did?
His phone buzzed, showing a message from his brother.
[Best Hyung : Mom said we're getting groceries. Wanna come with?]
[Domesticated Raccoon : Yeah]
[Best Hyung : Pick you up in 5]
Sunwoo downed the rest of his milkshake down, glad to have an excuse to leave. He went to the counter to tell Bomin he needed to go, unintentionally ending up beside Hyunjoon with the crowd pushing him in a wave.
"Juyeon-hyung's picking me up in a bit." Sunwoo explained. "Nice place, by the way! Congratulations to you and your dad!"
"Aww, wish you stayed longer, but say hi to Juyeon-hyung for all of us here."
"Will do, bro. See you in class." Sunwoo briefly considered adding, /you too, Hyunjoon/, but his own shame got the better of him. If he really was harboring a crush on him, maybe it was best if Sunwoo ignored him until the feelings went away. He left quickly, hoping Juyeon was close by.
The new car their dad gave Juyeon as a graduation from college gift made its appearance not even a minute after Sunwoo went into the freezing cold. He quickly crawled into the backseat, seeing as Chanhee had occupied shotgun and was scrolling through his phone on social media.
"Hey, Woo-yah." Chanhee smiled at him. "You look relieved to get out of there."
"Did their milkshakes taste bad?" Juyeon asked, reversing out of the parking lot.
"No, but..." Sunwoo sighed. "Hyung, I think I'm gay."
"... Sunwoo we know. You said it way back when you were 13. The crush you had on Younghoon-hyung? You cried when they moved to Seoul." Juyeon answered with furrowed eyebrows. "Is this about the boy that watches our football practice? The one who's always wearing a fancy coat?"
Sunwoo sank into the leather backseat, fiddling with his fingers. "Maybe."
"Ooh, Sunwoo's growing up!" Chanhee laughed, winking at him from the rearview mirror. "What's wrong? Is he taken? Is he in my classes?" Chanhee gasped. "Is he a bully? Sunwoo-yah, is he hurting you?"
"Chanhee." Juyeon chided, pulling up to the grocery. "You're scaring him."
"I want to know~!"
"Um, no, I don't think he's in any of advanced maths. He's not a bully either... I just... I don't know. I think I gave him a bad impression when we first met and now he thinks I'm an asshole and that I hate him." Sunwoo sighed again, getting out of the car. He kept talking to Chanhee as Juyeon trailed behind them. "First time we met, he was probably just too shy but I glared at him... he glared back."
Juyeon took a cart and they went through the aisles.
"What makes you think he hates you?" Chanhee asked.
"Maybe because I keep calling him a cat... and then flat out lied that I don't like cats... and maybe because he might have heard Sanha talking shit with me in the library yesterday." Sunwoo grabbed a bucket of ice cream and put it on the cart, flashing Juyeon puppy eyes so he won't put it back.
"Fine. Total douche move, by the way, Woo-yah. How bad was the shit-talking?" Juyeon rolled his eyes, arranging the contents of the cart so the ice cream wasn't touching anything with paper.
Sunwoo looked down in reply.
"You should apologize." Chanhee ruffled his hair. Sunwoo pouted at his hyung's fiance, silently asking an exasperated HOW, and Chanhee replied with a small smile. "I know it's hard and your pride prevents you from doing so, but at the end of the day, what will pride do for you?"
"You should have been an ethics and civics teacher, hyung." Sunwoo hugged Chanhee, clinging onto him for the whole grocery trip. Juyeon tried to pry him off, saying Chanhee was his fiance and Sunwoo was stealing him, but all the youngest did was cling tighter.
Ultimately, Juyeon let him be.
Sunwoo took shotgun when they were driving home, since Juyeon was dropping Chanhee off at his own parents' place. Until they could finish building their own house, the two had sworn to not get married yet. Sunwoo was looking forward to his hyungs' wedding, especially since Juyeon said it'll happen before Sunwoo goes away for college.
"Be careful on the way home, okay?" Chanhee pecked Juyeon's cheek and patted Sunwoo's hair. "Sunwoo, remember our talk!"
"I'll pick you up for the dinner tomorrow." Juyeon said as Chanhee got out of the car. "Love you, pinkie!"
"Love you too, grinch!"
Sunwoo rolled the window down to wave at Chanhee.
"You guys are so lucky you found each other." Sunwoo sighed, rolling the window up again when Juyeon started to drive. "I wish I could find that too."
"You will, bro. You know, Statistics say you've met your soulmate when you turn 16, so you probably already have."
"You're talking about Hyunjoon?"
Juyeon grinned. "I didn't mention a name."
------
Mrs. Kim was in a flurry the next day, preparing for dinner with the Heos. When Sunwoo went down early to have a morning run, and he almost bumped into his mother covered in flour and icing. Sunwoo asked what was going on, and Mrs. Kim replied that she and Mrs. Heo talked the day before.
"Oh?"
"Yes. Apparently, their youngest is your age and absolutely loves apple pie. Luckily, we have the best apples in this neighborhood just in our backyard!" Mrs. Kim looked really happy. "And! Mrs. Heo said she's making a dish she learned from overseas for dinner!"
Sunwoo left in a hurry after that, before Mrs. Kim could go into full detail of what Mrs. Heo was going to bring.
He met up with Eric near the park, and as they set their pedometers to 0, Eric told him what happened after Sunwoo left the soft opening the day before. "Bro, they played some sort of truth or dare, but with milkshakes and fries. Felix wanted to join, but I told him Sanha was in the circle, so the dares would probably involve a lot of embarrassment. And I was right! Injoon had to run around the block in just his boxers--"
"It was freezing yesterday?"
"And Hyunjoon and Bomin were dared to kiss each other!"
"What?" Sunwoo almost lost his balance.
Eric started to laugh at his face. "That was a joke, Sunwoo. Hyunjin told me to tell you that and watch how you'll react. I mean, it kind of was a joke. Hyunjoon was dared to kiss Bomin, but Yangyang forgot to mention where so Hyunjoon just kissed Bomin's cheek."
Sunwoo swallowed the jealousy down. "Yangyang's an idiot."
"And you're greener than the Hulk." Eric rolled his eyes. "Anyway. See you after nine thousand steps!"
Sunwoo was left alone in the cold morning forest to mull over the recent happenings. He hated how easy he was for everybody else to read. Did Hyunjoon know about his feelings? How come everyone knew already? Sunwoo pushed all of his frustrations into his run, going out of the usual routes to one-up Eric on their step counter.
He came home a little past eight, sweaty and probably smelling like it too. Mrs. Kim demanded he shower at once and then help her cook. His father was out in the city for work, but will be back in time for dinner and Juyeon was at the community pool training, leaving Sunwoo at his mother's mercy.
"Mom, why are you so friendly with the Heos?"
"They're new around here, Woo-yah." Mrs. Kim explained quietly. "They moved here after Mr. Heo died just recently, looking for a fresh start, I guess. They're Busan natives, and it must be very stressful for them to move so far from the beaches and nearer Seoul. Here, boil these."
Sunwoo felt even more shame eat him. Hyunjoon's father recently died and Sunwoo has been treating Hyunjoon like shit. Sunwoo frowned, dumping the rice cakes into the pot. He really was a Class-A+ Asshole.
He tried to console himself by sneaking bites of the salad his mother was making.
Night came too quickly for Sunwoo. He was forced to dress in jeans and a presentable long-sleeved polo, swinging his legs in the back door facing their orchard as they waited for 6 pm and the Heos to arrive. Chanhee was already there, helping Mrs. Kim with last minute details like plate arrangement and such.
Sunwoo leaned against the railing, mind blank and fingers cold.
"Sunwoo, hey. The Heos are here." Juyeon peeked in from the door. Sunwoo quickly got to his feet, brushing off non-existent dust from his jeans, and joined his brother. Mrs. Heo was pretty, and Sunwoo could immediately see where Hyunjoon got his looks and fashion from. Two men maybe Juyeon's age followed after her, both carrying foil-covered plates. Introductions came around, and Sunwoo learned the two men were named Sangyeon and Jaehyun.
Hyunjoon wasn't with them.
"I'm sorry. He's being bratty, locking his door all day. This is really embarrassing--"
"Is he feeling fine? Maybe he's sick?"
Sunwoo bit his lip, remembering how he definitely told Hyunjoon he would much rather not have him over.
"I'll convince him." he found himself saying. "We're classmates."
Chanhee tried to hide a giggle, fake-slapping Juyeon. Sunwoo dutifully ignored them and asked for permission from Mrs. Heo. She agreed, saying they left the front door unlocked and that Hyunjoon's door was the one with a big poster of BTS on front. Sunwoo practically sprinted towards the neighboring house, flying past the front door and up the stairs.
Once in front of Hyunjoon's door, though, Sunwoo felt rooted to the spot like a rock. What was he going to say? What did he think was going to happen? Still, he raised a fist to knock (Mrs. Kim didn't raise a disrespectful kid). When no one answered, Sunwoo made his knock louder, banging even, on the wooden door.
"Wha--" Hyunjoon opened the door, looking very annoyed. Sunwoo's fist was still raised in mid-knock, but his jaw had dropped because Hyunjoon was wearing another set of BT21 pajamas and was...
He looked cute. There was a fluffy rabbit headband on his head, keeping his hair away, and a rather deep indention on his cheek by a pillow crease.
"How did you get in here?" Hyunjoon demanded.
"The front door wasn't locked." Sunwoo almost stammered. "And uh, your mom said I can."
"Why?"
"To fetch you for dinner?"
Hyunjoon huffed. "Tell her I'm sick." he moved to close the door, but Sunwoo stuck his foot out and stopped him. Hyunjoon glared at him, turning red. "You said you didn't want me there! I'm just following what you wanted!"
"I was a douche bag! I'm sorry!" Sunwoo pushed the door wider again. Hyunjoon stepped back, eyes sharp and cold, but Sunwoo had nothing more to lose anyway, so he continued, "I don't know how to talk to people without sounding like an asshole, and I'm sorry for that. I was just intimidated by you because you're so cold to me but not to anyone else! You stop smiling when I'm around and I don't know why!"
"You agreed when Sanha called me weird!"
"I didn't!"
"But you didn't say anything otherwise!"
Sunwoo deflated. "That's true."
They stood still for a few moments, recovering from their mini-shouting session. Hyunjoon was clenching and unclenching his fists. Sunwoo looked away, not sure what to do. Did their family members hear their screaming? Hopefully not. That would be awkward when Sunwoo gets back. What would Mrs. Heo say if he failed to bring Hyunjoon back---
"I'm sorry too."
"Huh?" Sunwoo snapped his gaze up to meet Hyunjoon's.
"I was being a jerk too. It's just... I'm not used to anything here." Hyunjoon's eyes were watery. He quickly wiped them away. "Can we start over?"
"Okay." Sunwoo felt all tension leave his shoulders. He held a hand out, eyes bright and grin wide. "I'm Kim Sunwoo, captain of MBC Prep's football team!"
Hyunjoon took his hand, giving it a light squeeze. Sunwoo finally got to see his smile from up close, and it was directed towards him. "My name is Heo Hyunjoon, and I just moved here from Busan."
------
Their friendship was fast and deep. Hyunjoon watched every football practice, though Sunwoo still had no idea why he was voluntarily freezing his ass out in the bleachers. Sunwoo had also started to join Hyunjoon's nightly adventures on the balcony. He had to climb over the window ledge, carrying his notebook for homework, and just sit beside the other boy as Hyunjoon mapped out the night sky.
[ "What for, though?
"My dad taught me this. I had drawn Busan's night sky. When he died, we had to move because the house was too empty without him... I'm mapping out the sky here. He said dead souls become new stars."
"You're looking for him."
"Yeah." ]
Sunwoo had also started to integrate Hyunjoon into his group of friends, though he was still pretty much jealous whenever Bomin was around. Eric and Hyunjin would relentlessly tease him about it, but they instantly shut up when Hyunjoon's around, at least. They respected Sunwoo's decision to just pine.
That didn't mean they were happy about it.
"Keep staring and Hyunjoon would turn into a puddle of goo." Hyunjin whispered, dropping his tray of lunch food on the table. He slid on the bench too, frowning at Sunwoo, who was watching Bomin and Hyunjoon laugh over a miniature stick figure they made out of toothpicks. "Dude, seriously."
"Do you think he likes Bomin?"
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Hyunjin picked the lunch sandwich apart, putting his cucumbers and tomatoes on the tray so he won't eat them.
"He seems to like Bomin."
"Oh my god." Hyunjin dropped his sandwich to shove Sunwoo's shoulder. "What do you think's going to happen if you just stare at him, huh?"
Sunwoo glared at him, rubbing his arm where Hyunjin pushed him. "Why did you have to push me?"
"At this point I'm willing to do anything to get your sorry ass to confess. Oh, Hyunjoon's coming over. Act natural, don't eat your shirt." Hyunjin grinned, earning himself a kick from Sunwoo under the table.
"Hey." Hyunjoon walked up to them. "Sunwoo, can I talk to you?"
"Me? Oh, yeah. Okay, okay. Sure."
Hyunjin didn't even try hiding his face-palm when Sunwoo strumbled all over himself to get out of the bench. Hyunjoon waved at Hyunjin as a greeting, pushing Sunwoo towards the exit and to the locker hall. They stopped in front of Hyunjoon's locker, and Sunwoo watched curiously as Hyunjoon struggled to open it.
"Let me?" Sunwoo laughed after a while. Hyunjoon nodded, stepping back, and Sunwoo suddenly hit the metal container. It opened right after.
"Thanks, Hulk."
"You're welcome, Iron Man."
Hyunjoon then dug out a box from the bottom of his locker and shook itl enthusiastically in front of Sunwoo's confused but amused face. "My package arrived! I've been waiting literal months for this, and I'm glad they agreed to change the shipping address so last minute."
"What is that?" Sunwoo asked, crouching down while Hyunjoon full-on sat on the tiled floor to rip the packaging open.
"A telescope!"
That made Sunwoo sit down properly, helping Hyunjoon assemble the telescope on the floor. They read over the instructions, carefully fitting the the lenses and Hyunjoon explaining to Sunwoo about optics and magnification. Sunwoo didn't really understand what he was talking about, but he couldn't bring himself to say that. It actually consisted mostly of Sunwoo handing Hyunjoon whatever the other was asking for while talked.
Listening to Hyunjoon talk about physics passionately made Sunwoo happy.
Actually, Hyunjoon makes Sunwoo happy. Period.
"That looks awesome!" Sunwoo exclaimed when they were done. The bell rang and students poured out of their rooms, forcing the two boys to get up from the floor. Hyunjoon put the telescope back in the box, tucked it under his arm, and grinned at Sunwoo.
Sunwoo's heart skipped a beat.
/Goddamn it./
"See you tonight, then!" Hyunjoon ran off to his next class. Sunwoo paused in the middle of the busy hallway to watch Hyunjoon go, hair fluffy and jet-black, wings protruding from his shoulders. It was like a movie, slow-mo'ed and edited to add sparkles at Hyunjoon, and Sunwoo felt out of breath.
Someone bumped into him, reminding him that he was living in a real world with real people not made out of static and Magenta, Cyan, Black, and Yellow, and that he should probably move to get to his next class.
He couldn't really concentrate, though. Throughout soccer practice, all Sunwoo could think of was Hyunjoon and his dark, fluttering wings spreading like a painting behind him.
Juyeon noticed Sunwoo's mistakes, and called him to the side while the other players were kicking penalties.
"Hey, what's wrong? You've been spacing out, Woo."
"Hyung, how did you realize you liked Chanhee-hyung more than just a simple crush?"
Juyeon looked surprised at the question, but he quickly frowned. "Dude, c'mon, we're on the field. Put your crush on Hyunjoon away for a bit, okay? I promise I'll tell you all the answers you want at home, but please concentrate on what is happening now."
Sunwoo looked back at the bleachers.
Hyunjoon was petting a cat. He noticed Sunwoo looking, and Hyunjoon sent him a little smile.
"Sunwoo." Juyeon prodded him back to reality.
"Got it, hyung. Sorry." Sunwoo sent a bright grin at Hyunjoon before running back to his team, apologetic and filled to the brim with newfound energy. Eric was the one most confused at the sudden 180° change in their captain's attitude, and on the walk home, he started to pester.
"So..." Eric started, struggling to catch up with Sunwoo's long strides. "Prom is like, in two months, along with our big game against SBS prep."
"Uhuh."
"When are you gonna ask Hyunjoon to be your date?"
Sunwoo almost tripped over a rock in surprise at the sudden question. Eric let out a loud laugh, slapping his own knee for good measure as he doubled over wheezing both of his lungs out.
"Not cool, dude! You know, when your bestfriend trips you should help instead of laughing, right?" Sunwoo grumbled, dusting his shoe off.
"No, bestfriends laugh first then help."
"I don't like you."
"But you like Hyunjoon." Eric teased, a cheeky grin on his face. Eric reminded Sunwoo of an elf too much at times. "Jisung bet against Felix that Hyunjoon would be the one to ask you, so on behalf of Felix and his 50 bucks, I'm begging you to grow some balls and ask your crush out."
Sunwoo holed himself up in his room that night, contemplating on whether to act on his feelings or not.
"Joon-ah."
"Hm?"
Sunwoo moved Jimin away from Hyunjoon so he could shuffle closer, not minding how the cat didn't approve of being so distant from its owner and had started pawing at Sunwoo's pajamas.
"Um," Sunwoo glanced at the notebook at Hyunjoon's feet. It was almost finished, with constellations and planetary movements tracked down with different colored ink. "About prom..."
"I can't go."
"What?"
Hyunjoon put the telescope down, rubbing his eyes. "I haven't told you yet, huh? I keep forgetting, sorry." Hyunjoon smiled sheepishly, looking almost regretful. "I have a doctor's appointment."
"...a doctor's appointment? For what?"
"For this." Hyunjoon lifted the hem of his left pajama pant, up to his knees, to show Sunwoo the prosthetic plastic in place of flesh. "I'm so used to hiding it now, I kind of really forgot it's not real flesh anymore."
Sunwoo hesitantly traced its length with a finger. It was cold, not warm. "What... what happened?"
"It looks ugly, doesn't it?" Hyunjoon sighed, pulling his pant leg down again. "I'm sick, Sunwoo. It's not something I'm very proud of, honestly. I used to be like you; an athlete and a dancer too. I was a really good dancer."
Hyunjoon blinked rapidly, looking away from Sunwoo's eyes hidden in the emotionless dark shadow of the roof.
"Maybe I was already sick before Dad died, but I think my sadness just triggered it, you know? Kinda like Deadpool's mutant gene was activated by his intense pain." Hyunjoon cradled his new telescope. "I fainted during Dad's funeral... and I was brought to the hospital.
"They ran some tests and apparently, I had osteosarcoma..." Hyunjoon paused to wipe his eyes, laughing. "I didn't understand what it was, not until we moved here, closer to the city, that I knew."
Sunwoo didn't know what to think.
He knew what osteosarcoma was.
"How bad... how bad is it?" Sunwoo asked in a quiet voice.
"I honestly don't know, Sunwoo-yah." Hyunjoon shrugged, closing his notebook of stars and facing Sunwoo. "Whenever anyone tells me about it, I shut them out. I don't want to live with the weight of the future on my shoulders. Maybe I'll live. Maybe I'll die. It's kinda like a game."
"Hyunjoon..." Sunwoo held his tiny hands. They were pale and soft and stained with blue ink from writing star names and patterns all night. "You're going to live, right?"
"I don't make promises I can't keep." Hyunjoon replied simply, brushing away a stray tear that had fallen from Sunwoo's eye and onto his cheek. "Don't be sad, Sunwoo-yah. Let's not think of it like that!"
They spent the rest of the night just stargazing, Hyunjoon telling Sunwoo about the stories behind the constellations Aries and Pisces, and Sunwoo holding himself together with a silent prayer that all would be well.
--------
Sunwoo's days settled into a comfortable routine of school, soccer practice, walking home with Eric, and stargazing with Hyunjoon. Their big game and prom was approaching, as well as Juyeon and Chanhee's wedding.
Juyein had bullied Sunwoo and Hyunjoon into helping with planning the wedding, saying, "You guys have free evenings, anyway. What better way to spend it than helping Chanhee and I sort through the guest list and food prep?"
"Seriously?" Sunwoo threw the paper down on the coffee table. "Pink and green?"
"What's wrong with it?" Juyeon asked, offended.
"It's gonna look like spam with mold!"
Chanhee hummed approvingly of Sunwoo's distaste, elbowing Juyeon. "I told you it's horrible. Hyunjoon, what do you think?"
"It looks..." Hyunjoon grinned at the faltering frown on Hyunjoon's face. "Fine to me, I guess."
Sunwoo's jaw dropped and Juyeon cackled out in victory.
"Sorry, Sunwoo-yah." Hyunjoon chuckled, patting Sunwoo's head. "If it makes you feel better, though, I would prefer it to be blue and white if we get married."
"W-wh- huh?"
Hyunjoon just gave him a smile before turning back to his task of arranging confirmed guest names alphabetically, leaving Sunwoo to turn red and choke on his own feelings. Had he been that obvious? How long has Hyunjoon known?
"Well, you're not exactly subtle, and I'm not dumb." Hyunjoon told him bluntly when they were star gazing later that night. "You keep scowling whenever Bomin comes within like, two feet near me. Bomin himself said you probably like me, and Eric... Eric has a loud whisper voice, doesn't he?"
"Oh my god, this is embarrassing!" Sunwoo hid behind his hands, already plotting bloody murder.
"Is it still true, though? Even after I told you about... well, my leg?"
Sunwoo looked up, confused. "How was that supposed to change anything?"
"You know, most people get turned off when their crush isn't 'normal'." Hyunjoon pointed out, scratching Jimin behind its ear. "And on that note, by the way, how are you going to spend prom night? Did you find a date yet?"
"No, I really just wanted to go with you." Sunwoo shook his head, swallowing his embarrassment down. Hyunjoon didn't seem to have a need for it anyway. "I still do, even if you can't go."
"I'm sorry I can't watch your big game too."
"I'll win it for you."
"Aw, that's sweet."
The next few weeks passed by in a blur, with Hyunjoon almost completing his star notebook and Sunwoo getting in tip-top shape for his game. It was a struggle for Sunwoo, to balance his academics with his sports and his friends and his time with Hyunjoon, but he was willing to go through it.
The reality of Hyunjoon's disease doesn't hang over Hyunjoon himself, no. It casted itself upon Sunwoo, waking him up in the middle of the night in fear that the next day, he won't get to hear Hyunjoon talk about Ophiuchus ever again.
"So... your game's tomorrow." Sunwoo had chosen to sit with Hyunjoon under the tree during lunch, sharing a tray of potato wedges and assorted fruits. Hyunjoon had also brought along a pack of homemade cookies to share with Hyunjoon.
"Your doctor's visit is tomorrow." Sunwoo added.
"Good luck on your game."
"I'll see you after."
Hyunjoon laughed at the determination in Sunwoo's voice, face scrunching up and cheeks puffing, taking Sunwoo's breath away. "Just have fun at the prom for me, okay? Play a prank on Eric or something, so he embarrasses himself in front of Felix."
"Please, Felix would probably still find him adorable even if Eric's covered in strawberry syrup."
Hyunjoon then turned silent, looking intently at Sunwoo.
"What?" Sunwoo wondered if he had something on his face. A cookie crumb? A grape bit? Some sour cream essence on his cheek? "What's wrong?"
"Will you look for me in the sky?"
Sunwoo blinked, taken aback by the sudden question. "I-- what? What are you talking about? Hyun-- Did something happen?"
"Nope. Not yet anyway." Hyunjoon managed a small smile. "I don't know. I just want to know if you'll look for me."
"I will." Sunwoo promised immediately, heart beating painfully in his chest. "But I hope I don't have to. I want to stargaze with you forever and listen to your stories, Joon. Even if I don't remember all of the stories and sometimes I fall asleep while you talk. I don't want you to join the stars."
"You fall asleep while I talk?"
"Um... sorry?"
And just like that, Hyunjoon had strayed their conversation to sulking, taking Sunwoo's mind off the inevitable. Hyunjoon also joined him and Eric walking home that day, though their pace slowed a bit with Hyunjoon limping.
"No offense, dude, but your limp wasn't so bad before." Eric pointed out when they stopped to buy ice cream from a vendor by the street. "Did something happen?"
"Oh, it's probably just the cold." Hyunjoon shrugged, ignoring how Sunwoo's eyes went wide.
"The cold, huh?" Sunwoo asked when Eric left them to turn to his own street. "Joon, please tell me what's really going on. You've been dropping hints since lunch and I really don't know what to think."
Hyunjoon cocked his head to one side, eyes sizing up Sunwoo's aggression.
"I like you, Sunwoo-yah. You already know that, though. I know you like me too, but I already told you about what's happening. You know how hazy my future is. Well, maybe if I listened more to what the doctors say, it wouldn't be but--"
He didn't get to finish. Sunwoo took the two tiny steps separating them and sealed their lips, hands holding Hyunjoon's soft cheeks.
Right there on the sidewalk.
Hyunjoon had gasped in surprise, motionless at first because of shock, but quickly recovered and pressed back, molding their lips together as his hands settled on Sunwoo's waist.
"I don't need you to make any promises, Hyunjoon. I just want to be with you." Sunwoo said when he pulled away, eyes brimming with tears. "Let me be with you. Please? I don't care... I don't care if you think it's stupid and wasteful of me to spend my time with you. I just..."
"Hey, please don't cry!" Hyunjoon panicked, brushing Sunwoo's tears away hurriedly.
"Hyunjoon, I think I'm in love with you." Sunwoo gently grabbed Hyunjoon's shoulders. "I don't know how or why, so don't ask me that. I just know I do. Please, please, please. Live for me, even for just a while."
Even just for a while.
Hyunjoon agreed, brushing Sunwoo's cheek with a kiss before tugging at their joined hands the rest of the way home. Mrs. Kim didn't look surprised when Sunwoo came home holding Hyunjoom's hand tightly. She just sent them a warm smile and placed a roll of her special kimbap on the table for them to share.
"So, does this mean you're my boyfriend now?" Hyunjoon asked, smile cheeky as he straight up stole Sunwoo's kimbap from right under his nose.