Chapter Text
Cafuné
(n.) running your fingers through the hair of someone you love.
Kun’s tiny fingers fiddled with the lever as he lowered the car’s window. The gentle, sweet-smelling yet humid Summer breeze of Seoul brushed against his soft, unruly, chocolate brown fringe as he sighs and rests his cheek against the frame of the door. The unknown blurry buildings and road signs, the seat belt barely holding him in place as they go over numerous speed bumps and rough roads, and the old 1970 Chinese melodies his parents played every time were all too familiar to Kun.
He was moving once again. A new city, a new house, and new people. His dad was a well-respected consultant. Once a project was over, it was onto the next.
And the next
And the next
And the next
There seemed to be no limit to the “next” as they packed the little things they owned into their tiny minivan, strolled through the halls of their now empty house one last time, running their hands through the painted walls, and drove away onto the next destination, never looking back at their past memories.
CTL, ALT, PASTE, process repeats.
Kun’s little arms wrap around the cardboard labeled “Kunnie’s stuff” as he stands in the middle of his new room. Baby blue walls surround him as he feels the cream carpet tickle his toes. Little stars and planets littered his ceiling as he clutched his airplane plushies. He looks at the tiny window above the barre bed frame, showing the Cherry Blossom tree at the front of the house.
Kun smiles as he watches the little petals rhythmically dance through the wind, memorized and filled with childish joy as each petal fells.
“Kunnie Bear!”
Kun turns his head to the source of the voice and sets the box down against the bed frame.
“Yes, Mama?”
“Time for lunch honey”
“Coming!”
He looks one more time in his new room. “Maybe this time will be different.” he couldn't help but think as he turns away, his little feet padding against the wooden floors as he heads toward the kitchen.
~✽✾✿❀❁❃❋~✽✾✿❀❁❃❋~✽✾✿❀❁❃❋~
Kun’s legs quiver and his heart beats erratically against his chest as he stands before a class of curious stares.
He knows this scene all too well. This was the worst part of moving so much. He was always the kid who “transferred mid-school year”. He never had true friends because when he finally makes a new friend, he always has to move and eventually loses contact with them. All he knows how to say is “Hello” and “Goodbye” to the people he meets in his life. It always ends with him having another uniform to add to his collection he has worn and burying the memories he made at that school.
A warm hand gently squeezes his shoulder. Kun jumped as he looked up with a startled look, only to see his teacher warming looking down at him, smiling encouragingly at him.
“Kun, would you like to introduce yourself to the class,” she asked him softly.
He gulps as he looks down at his feet. “H-Hello. My name is Q-Q-Qian Kun. I am 9 years o-old. I am from Fujian and I-I moved from Busan. P-P-Please treat me well” he finished shyly as he kept his gaze down toward the ground.
His teacher claps for him and the rest of the class mirrors her as they welcome Kun to the classroom.
“Welcome to Dream Elementary Kun. We are excited to have you here! Why don’t you have a seat at any available desk you want?” the teacher said as she pointed at one of the empty desks.
Kun nodded quietly as he picked up his airplane-patterned backpack and sat at the nearest empty desk, trying to make himself as small as possible behind his slightly overgrown bangs and large glasses.
The teacher continued with the lesson about the different constellations and galaxies. Kun couldn’t focus though. Mainly because of nerves and also, he felt like someone was staring at him. Curiosity overtook him as he peeked over his shoulder discreetly, hoping to meet his “admirer”. He scanned the room until he met with a pair of lynx-like dark brown eyes from across the room boring into his chocolate, doe orbs. The owner of those mysterious eyes quickly turned away and hid behind a mop of black hair, a hint of blush evident on his face.
Kun flushed as he looked back at the textbook staring mockingly at him.
“Who is he?” Kun wondered as he rested his chin against his arm, droning in and out of the lesson, pondering about the mysterious eyes that were staring at him earlier.
~✽✾✿❀❁❃❋~✽✾✿❀❁❃❋~✽✾✿❀❁❃❋~
Kun was eating the lunch that his mother made when someone took his lunchbox and threw it off the table. Startled, he looks up to see three buff kids towering over him. “Look who we have here? The new kid dressed in rags.” One of them says as he grabs Kun by the arm. “P-Please let go of me,” Kun said weakly as he struggled to remove his arm from the bully’s strong grip. The gaze of the bully darkened as he threw Kun off the bench. A whimper left Kun’s throat as he felt his back slam against the cold cafeteria floor. “What a coward. You don’t belong here. Go back to the cardboard box you came from” the bully spat as they began to hit and kick him, hurling insults at him. Kun curls up in a ball and over his head as tears burn in his eyes. He felt one of them aggressively remove his jacket and grab his wallet. No matter how much Kun begged them to stop, all they do is kick harder, spit even more derogatory insults, and shut his mouth with their hands.
The bell rang and a rush of students started to head out of the cafeteria. “Hey man, we gotta go,” said one of the bullies to the one who was holding Kun’s collar. He nodded and threw Kun with force, causing Kun to slump against the bench. The bully grabs Kun’s chin, forcing him to look at him. “You are worth nothing” the bully spitted one last time as he lets go and walked away with Kun’s wallet. Finally when the cafeteria was empty, Kun put his weight against the bench and struggled to get up. Everything hurt so badly, he could barely stand. He hisses as a sharp pain radiates through his abdomen and can already see bruises appearing. Silent tears pooled in his eyes as he picked up his stuff and limps out of the cafeteria. So much for a “new beginning,” Kun thought as he began to feel his pockets.
Right, they took his wallet that had his money for the bus ride back home.
The tears pooling at his eyes finally falls against his face as he swallows a sob, trying not to make any noises in the now empty hallways. It’s only his first day here and he has already become a target for bullying. What did he do wrong? Why do they hate him so much? Kun wipes his eyes, but the tears just didn’t want to stop. In the midst of his wallowing, he didn’t realize that there was a pair of lynx-like, dark brown eyes looking at him behind the pillar. By the time Kun looked up with his watering eyes, the mysterious eyes were long gone.
~✽✾✿❀❁❃❋~ ✽✾✿❀❁❃❋~✽✾✿❀❁❃❋~
This went on for two weeks. Arrive at school, be bullied and thrown against the ground, cry alone in the bathroom stall, walk home by himself, ignore his parents concerned looks over his bruises and dried tear tracks. Repeat. No one ever came to his rescue. Never
It was just one of those days yet again. Kun was sitting in the corner library working on his homework when he felt a hand grasping the base of his neck harshly. Dread fills him even before he turns around. “Don’t even move a muscle”, whispered the bully. Kun embraced for the hit when it never came. Instead, he heard cursing and screaming. Kun quickly looked up and gasped as he hid under the table. In front of him was a short boy with ruffled black hair and round glasses on top of his bullies, his face contorted with anger as he pulled Kun’s bullies hair.
“GET AWAY FROM HIM” yelled the unknown boy as the bullies try to continue to hit him.
“LET GO OF ME IDIOT, THAT LOSER DESERVE NOTH-” the bully started to say before a fist came in contact with his face. The bully screeched as he held his now bleeding nose.
“DON’T TALK ABOUT HIM LIKE THAT. GET OUT BEFORE I REPORT YOU” screamed the unknown boy as he held one of the bullies by the collar. A fear of look reflects on the bully’s face as he tries to stare down the unknown boy but fails. Finally, after 10 minutes of heavy silence, endless staring and unspoken conversation, one of the bullies spoke up and said “Let's get out of here” as he shoved the unknown boy. “He is just as big of a loser as that coward is,” said the other. Before the unknown boy can throw another punch, all three of the bullies scrambled out of the library.
Breathing heavily, the unknown boy turns and crouches to look at the other hidden boy under the desk.
“He’s pretty”, the unknown boy thought as he offered his hand and looked at the boy with a gentle smile.
Kun, who was still shocked by the whole fight in front of him, hesitated and looked from his hand to his eyes.
Wait, it's those dark brown, lynx-like eyes who was staring at him on the first day. Kun widened his eyes but before he could say anything, a warm hand grasped his hand and pulled him from under the table.
“Did they hurt you?” asked the unknown boy.
Suddenly all the emotions that Kun has felt from the past 2 weeks hit him and couldn’t stop the prickling in his eyes. Before he knew it, he started crying heavily and felt himself being pulled into a hug. He felt so safe in the arms of this unknown boy, strongly holding him, unlike the arms that choked him when he refused to give his wallet. He sobbed and heaved against the chest of his savior, gripping tighter to the back of his savior’s shirt.
“Shhh, it's okay. Don’t cry. They won’t hurt you anymore” said the unknown savior as he tried to comfort the sobbing boy in his arms.
After several minutes of saying comforting words and hugging the slightly smaller boy, they pull apart. Even with a red splotchy face, puffed up eyes, and dry tear tracks, the unknown stranger couldn’t help to think how cute Kun looked. Kun’s doe-like eyes meet his lynx-like eyes. Who was this gege who saved him?
“Hi, I’m Moon Taeil. You can call me Taeil hyung if you want to” Taeil introduces softly, almost like he read Kun’s mind. Kun cocked his head to the side like a lost puppy.
“T-Taiyi H-Hyung?”
Taeil looks confused and then giggles as he looks at the now pouting boy. He forgot for a moment that the boy was from China. “You can call me Taiyi-Ge if you want to as well”. He reassured him as he held the young Chinese boy’s hand with his.
Moments of silences passed by when Kun suddenly spoke up in a quivering voice
“I’m Kunnie”
He said it so quietly that Taeil almost missed it. He nods. Even though he knew Kun’s name from class, Kunnie was a cute name too. He looks in his bag for a small little airplane keychain he got from the prize box. Kun liked airplanes right? He extends his arm and offers the keychain as he smiles.
“Nice to meet you, Kunnie. Let’s be friends!”
The slightly younger blushes as he nods and holds onto his new friend’s arm with the keychain dangling between his fingers.
“Okay, Taiyi Ge”.
~✽✾✿❀❁❃❋~✽✾✿❀❁❃❋~✽✾✿❀❁❃❋~
“GEGE MY HAIR, BE GENTLE” shrieked Kun as he felt Taeil’s fingers brush against a knot in his hair. “Sorry Kunnie” teased Taeil as he tugs a bit harder. Kun shot up and slapped Taeil’s arm. “GEGEEEEEEEE” whines Kun as Taeil clutched his stomach from laughing hard. “Okay, Okay I'm sorry Kunnie. I’m just teasing, lay down, I promise to be gentle”. Kun huffs as he lays down in Taeil’s lap. They were sitting under a cherry blossom tree in front of a tiny pond. The Seoul summer breeze kisses them as the clear water of the pond ripples. Taeil weaved little Cherry blossom petals into Kun’s wavy brown hair as Kun lazily told Taeil about the little Siamese cat he found near his house.
“Taiyi Ge, if we get married, we should get a Siamese cat and name it Louis” said Kun as he looks into Taeil’s eyes. Taeil smirks “Who said I want to marry you Kunnie?” mocked Taeil as Kun pouts and scrunches his nose. “GEGE YOU ARE SO MEAN. WHY WOULD SAY THA-” Kun complains until he felt a pair of soft and delicate lips on his. It was a quick peck. It was kinda off aim and childish. But it felt so right. Kun blushes as he looks up at Taeil. “I was joking, Kunnie. When we are old enough, let's have a wedding near this cherry blossom tree. You are like my soulmate” said a flustered Taeil as he hides his blushing behind the petals in his hands. Kun smiles as he tackles Taeil into a hug. Their laughter filled the air as they entangled themselves in each other's arms.
“Gege is blushing~”
“No, I’m not Kunnie!”
“Yes, you were. Aww~ my tiny gege is so embarrassed~”
“I AM NOT TINY KUN!”
“Yes you are, Taiyi Ge!”
“Fine, then we aren’t naming our cat Louis.”
“TAIYI GE!”
~✽✾✿❀❁❃❋~✽✾✿❀❁❃❋~✽✾✿❀❁❃❋~
Kun and Taeil laughed arm and arm as they crossed the street.
“Ge, Can we go get ice cream?”
“Sure let’s g- KUN WATCH OUT”
Taeil yelled as he saw a car driving uncontrollably and was heading toward Kun. He pushes Kun as hard as he can away from the car and only heard the honking of the car before he felt immense pain and himself getting hit by the car. Kun starred in horror as time felt like it slowed down. There was blood trickling from Taeil’s head and stained his silky black hair. His heart reaches the bottom of his stomach as he runs toward him desperately tries to wake up Taeil.
“TAIYI GE WAKE UP” screeched Kun over and over again, hysterically sobbing as he shakes Taeil’s body over and over again, Taeil's blood staining Kun's shirt and fingers. But he didn't care. All he wants is his Taiyi Ge to be okay. Why isn’t he opening his eyes?
The rest seemed like a flash. Taeil was rushed to the hospital and Kun sobbed and sobbed the whole way to and back from the hospital that day. He would read stories to Taeil and sing Taeil's favorite songs, and just talk to Taeil about his day and how much he misses him. There was never response from Taeil but Kun didn't care. He just wants Taeil to wake up. Suddenly his parents were packing and shoving everything into their car. Kun didn’t want to leave. He didn't get to say goodbye to Taeil. He wants to stay with Taeil. It is his fault his gege is in the hospital. What about their promise? NO LEAVE ME ALONE, TAEIL PLEASE NO. Kun bangs the window of the car, was held in place by his parents as they fastened his seatbelt, screamed until his voice went raw, yelled Taeil’s name over and over again and cried hysterically until he was forced into unconsciousness, falling against the seat of the rustic car with the airplane keychain resting in his hands, tear tracks apparent on his face.
He dreamed of a kind face with dark brown, lynx-like eyes smiling at him that night.
“Taiyi-Gege. You are my soulmate”