Work Text:
Yeosang looks by the window of his new home. It's the classical suburban area, each house looking like the other one, with a little back and front yard added. It all lacked... individuality in the end. He's reassuring himself: he just has to stay two years in this forsaken country.
Yeosang really didn't want to leave the nice flat his family got in Seoul for this small house in the middle of nowhere in California but well... he didn't really have a say in the decision anyways.
His dad has a nice position in a growing company in downtown Seoul. It started as a little extravagant from a Chaebol family but actually prospered beyond what the CEO expected. All in all, it was well established by now and ten years ago they decided to expand on the other side of the Pacific Ocean. Resulting in present day sixteen Yeosang having to move there since his father was offered a position as project leader there.
So he left school and everything he knew behind. The most heartbreaking was certainly saying goodbye to his childhood best friend and neighbor: Jung Wooyoung. His family and the Jungs had been friends forever and Wooyoung's mother also worked for the company but wasn't offered to leave the country.
Yeosang tries to see positive things: if he keeps his good grade in high school, he'll get to come back and join the college he wants. Also, as the company paid for everything (their living condition and the high school) Yeosang was to be introduced to the Korean families who also moved and lived here. He still has a month until school starts again and so a month to befriend as many people as he can. He still views american high school like this jungle they depicted in Mean Girls (he's watched this movie with Wooyoung, hoping they'll never live through that).
Over all, he knows he'll adapt. At least, he hopes. He knows he's quiet and an introvert and he knows he was beloved for his personality and looks back in Seoul but he's not sure he's fitted for the American life.
It's two days after they move in, as he unpacks the last stuff they got delivered from Korea that the door rings. Curiously, he opens the door of his room to check downstairs his mom, in an apron running to the door and opening it on a couple, the woman holding what's look like a fresh bash of Kimchi.
"Oh come in! Come in!" she welcomes them in Korean, which is a bit surprising for Yeosang.
His english is perfect because well, his father wanted his family to be able to speak the language just in case a scenario like this one was to happen. He knows he'll have to speak mostly English but he secretly hoped the Korean families of the company would mainly speak Korean. He's not disappointed.
"Oh you brought your son with you. I'll call my Yeosangie. YEOSANG-AH!"
"Coming!"
He checks himself real quick, making sure he's not too casual for that first meeting. He has no idea who is downstairs but he just wants to make a good first impression. Without Wooyoung to guide him in new meetings, he feels a bit too shy but he knows he has to work it through.
So he gets downstairs. His mom settled them in the living room and his dad is already speaking work with the other man. Yeosang rolls his eyes at that but kind of stands awkwardly in the door frame, until his mother spots him:
"Yeosang-ah! Come meet the Chois! Mister Choi is the second leader of the project your dad will be working on. He came to introduce himself, with his wife and also his son San. San is the same age as you and goes to the same school you will go too!"
"Hello Yeosang." the other woman greets him and he greets her back by bowing and then he turns and...
There, stands probably the most beautiful boy Yeosang has ever seen. He's smiling politely and also warmly at him and he has dimples and Yeosang's heart stop for a second. He's also so American somehow, wearing a baseball cap that hides what Yeosang can see is blond bleached hair:
"Nice to meet you Yeosang."
"Nice to mee you too San."
"You two boys should get to know each others while we discuss boring work stuffs. Is your room tidy enough Yeosangie? Or you could go in the backyard."
"No my room is fine. I mean, unless you want to go outside?"
"Your room it is then!"
He takes the other boy upstairs, showing him where the toilets are "in case you want to use it" cringing at himself while San giggle. He tells San he can sit on the bed or on his desk chair where he's the most comfortable and so San sits on the bed while he takes the chair.
"So... you already have a nice room." San says, looking around.
"Yeah. My things came first from Korea. I got lucky I guess."
They proceed to talk a bit about themselves and mostly Yeosang's hobbies from what San could observe around. It's mostly awkward, even though more on Yeosang's side as San seems comfortable with the conversation. And then he spots his skateboard and says in English:
"Oh !! You do skateboard?"
"As much as I can yes."
"And you already speak English! Nice."
"Why? You thought I didn't?"
"You wouldn't be the first one I have to teach to. Jongho, he is another Choi, his family moved in here five years ago and he didn't speak a word in English. I had to teach him a whole language in like six weeks. He was ten and me eleven. Fun times."
They laugh together at that and then Yeosang asks:
"How long have you been here?"
"My dad was the first to move here when the company branched out. I've been here for ten years."
"Wow... did you go back to Korea?"
"From time to time. For winter holidays mostly. I don't have memories living there. California is basically all I've ever know."
"I don't know if I should be sorry..." Yeosang adds with a smirk.
"Ah, I guess coming here wasn't your first choice?"
"Not exactly... My sister got to stay behind because she finishes high school in November and applied for College and everything but I had to follow so. Here I am. It's just... a big change. I'm not very... good at meeting new people and well. All I've ever known is Seoul so..."
"Yeah, I understand. I'm a social butterfly so things like that are easy but the number of shy kids who move here... it's a lot. You're not the first one don't worry."
Somehow, a little fire in the pit of his stomach awakens hearing this. Of course, Yeosang is not special. San's dad probably took him every summer to meet a new family. He's had to befriend and babysit them until school starts and then be free to either leave them alone or... stay polite acquaintances?
"You could meet Mingi and Jongho? They're my two best friends here! Mingi also skates so we could hang out at the park one day."
"Sure!" Yeosang forces a smile, a bit sobered up. "That'd be nice. I don't need language classes but I wouldn't mind some like... cultural ones? American high school scares the shit out of me."
"Let me guess. Mean girls?"
And they laugh when Yeosang barely nods, holding back an ashamed smile.
The next few days are spent helping his parents settle everything in the house. By the end of it, it has a lot more of their personalities and Yeosang feels less like living in a blank house and more at home. He hangs out a few time with San in the backyard the evening, after dinner. The three times it happens, it's because they see the other in their respective garden, exchange a smile and San is always the one asking if Yeosang wants to hang out, the other a little too shy to do it himself (he doesn't want to bother San, or whatever excuses he tells himself).
His dad starts working the week after, Mingi and Jongho come back from their vacation visiting the Mid West and his mom plans on doing the last of his high school registration. San will take him to the skate park to meet Mingi and Jongho on Wednesday and Yeosang looks forwards to it. He speaks a lot about San to Wooyoung who catches on it and starts teasing him (and remind him to not replace him with another boy or their college roommate deal will be broken).
Mingi and Jongho are really nice. They are complete opposite and San somehow fits in the middle but Jongho is snarky like Yeosang can be and Mingi matches him well at the skatepark. They order some soda on a food truck close to the skatepark and drink them under the Californian sun.
"Most difficult thing to acclimate was the weather. That sun is deadly."
"How long have you been here?" Yeosang asks Mingi, while also noticing San and Jongho next to them.
The older one is trying to steal from the younger one's drink and of course, Jongho won't let him. Seeing as he was stronger than San though, he's winning easily, but gets really annoyed when San manages to kiss him on the cheek in their battle. Yeosang looks away, the ugly fire in his stomach coming back. He scrunches up his nose. The last time he's felt like that was when Wooyoung met Yeonjun when they were twelve and his dramatic ass thought his best friend would abandon him for the cooler kid. But he's known San for merely ten days...
"I've been here for three years. My father is in finance and also the only one fluent enough in English to be transferred here. I was warned a little in advance though so I could learn it in Korea. Unlike Jongho."
"When will you two let go of this!! I was ten!! Of course I didn't know how to speak English."
"Never!!" San squeals and throws himself onto Jongho trying to hug him and Yeosang looks away again.
They hang out some more together. Yeosang likes Mingi. He's easy to be around, they share a lot of common hobbies. But even if they all hang out together during the day, in the evenings it's just San and him in the mostly empty streets. One evening, San comes knocking on the Kang's door, with his baseball bat and half his attire on (mainly his tee and cap), and with a big smile, gives him a second bat and tells him he's going to teach him how to play.
"Is it mandatory in american high-school?" Yeosang asks playfully as they walk their streets up until the outskirts of the suburb.
"In my book? Yes it is."
"Alright, let's get started on the Choi San school of baseball then."
"Hey!"
San takes them into a deserted area, where he explains he usually goes to train with Jongho, seeing as the younger one enjoys doing sports (at least much more than Mingi).
The first half hour, San shows him how to handle the bat and what position he should have. More than once, they get real close and San's hands end up on his, making him blush and try to hide said blush. He miserably fails to do so every time though and he is sure San catches on it. The sessions always end with Yeosang kicking his feet on his bed and hiding his face in his pillow when he comes home. Maybe he's starting to develop a silly crush on his cute neighbor.
But then one day, he spots his new and old boards in the corner of his room and he has the idea of taking them both with him later that evening when it's time to hang out with San.
San doesn't look too sure about it when Yeosang asks him if he wants him to teach how to skateboard, but accepts with a shy smile. They don't have to go out of town for this and it's even better if they start on tar roads. However San takes them to a less busy streets, making sure they won't be interrupted by too many cars.
When Yeosang hands him his older board, San asks playfully while raising an eyebrow:
"You don't trust me with the shiny one?" pointing out Yeosang's new board.
"Uhm..." Yeosang fakes thinking more about it before adding with a smirk. "Nah."
He knows a little about San by now to know he's going to make him pout by answering that and when the younger on actually does pout, Yeosang giggles, before telling him to start finding equilibrium on the board.
It's not easy at first. San is used to solid ground and evidently doesn't like being set on the little wheels. They don't get far that first night but San manages to at least stand on it and use it a bit even if Yeosang has to grab his waist from time to time to prevent him from falling. He's not sure with the sunset coloring the sky and the streets but he thinks he sees San blush too. When it gets too dark to be comfortable to skateboard, they walk back, nearly shoulder to shoulder.
Yeosang takes San to his door and hands him the skateboard:
"You can keep it if you want to train without me."
"I... I don't think I want to train without you though?"
This takes Yeosang by surprise a bit. The raw honesty is a little too much in San's eyes and also it awakens another feeling in Yeosang's stomach more akin to butterflies. He's blushing furiously he knows but still tell San to keep the board and wishes him a good night before crossing the frontyard to get home himself.
Overall, school starts in a week but Yeosang feels already at ease. He hopes he'll be in the same class as at least one of the three other boys but he's sure his mom made sure of it when she finished the registration. He won't complain about it.
He is still a bit icky around Jongho when San interacts with him, feeling a little jealous of how endearingly the blond takes care of his younger friend. He knows it's irrational: Jongho is basically the oldest friend San has while he's known Yeosang for a total of three weeks but he's a stupid teenager who can't stop himself but feel a lil envious. Furthermore, he thinks Mingi noticed it but he hasn't brought it to Yeosang and the latter hopes he'll control himself before he does it too much to bring concern to Mingi.
Three days before school starts again, he spends the day out of town with his mom and when he comes back, San is waiting in the front yard. Yeosang's mom greets him while her son carried the stuff they bought inside. He greets her back politely and asks:
"Can I talk with Yeosang Mrs Kang?"
"Of course darling! He'll help me stuff everything away later."
San's tone and smile are polite but also not as warm as it usually is and Yeosang's suddenly anxious, wondering why San hasn't texted all day but wants to talk to him that urgently he waited in front of the house. His brain goes to the worse scenario and all of them involves cowering in shame for whatever he's done and crawling back to Korea and asking refuge to the Jung house.
"I'm sorry, it's just... I would rather speak about this face to face than by texts." San opens the discussion as they sit in the backyard.
"Is everything alright?"
"Mingi brought something to me and I wanted to talk to you about it."
Oh... Mingi...
"He told me you're always wincing whenever you catch me and Jongho doing skinship and I need to make sure... you're not homophobic are you?"
Yeosang feels petrified. Of course. Of course his scrunched noses and avoiding eyes whenever it landed on two men being close could be interpreted as homophobia. It's even the most logical thing and not Yeosang's weird need for San's affection.
"Oh God no! I'm so sorry. No absolutely not."
"Cause I know Korea is a very conservative country and it's not even all that good here but..."
"I'm... I'm not even straight myself! I'm so sorry it came off this way it's just... I'm... I'm kinda feeling jealous when you dot on Jongho like this." Yeosang feels very vulnerable right now because not only he's never came out to anyone but Wooyoung last year but also, he feels the need to be completely honest with this stern San who thought minutes ago he was a potential bigot. "I like spending time with you and I know it's stupid since we've known each other for like a month but... I've never been that comfortable around anyone new and you make me feel really safe and yeah... I guess I was just jealous."
"I needed to make sure you know, because Mingi and Jongho... They're together you see so..."
"Oh my God I'm so sorry. I'll have to apologize to them I must have worried them so much."
"Not so much but... a bit yeah."
"I'm such an idiot." Yeosang laments, head in hands.
"Hey, hey don't be too harsh on yourself!" San stops him, with a small smile. "What matters is that you're not homophobic in the end." Yeosang has a dry laugh at that. "And just so you know... I'm not straight either and.. I like spending time with you too." and this time San smirks, making Yeosang blush. "I wouldn't mind having more skinship with you. But I'm a very affectionate guy so..."
"I get it. You're clingy."
"Yeah." San admits shamelessly.
"Well, I'll let you know when it's too much for my introvert self."
"Ah Yeosang-ah! Let us start right now."
And he hugs Yeosang, taking him by surprise. The angle is a bit awkward as they are sitting, but San smells so good, a bit citrusy and Yeosang's head fits so well on his shoulder he can't stop himself but close his eyes and enjoy the contact. And when he opens them again, all he sees is San's neck and the way his dyed hair falls on it.
"Hey... You dyed your own hair right?" he softly asks against the skin there, making the other one shiver.
"Yeah why?"
"I'm in a silly mood before starting a new year in a new high school? You think we could buy sime dye tomorrow and you'll do my hair."
"Oh you'll be an absolute killer as a blond I'm sure of it. The whole school at your feet. But I'll be the only one who gets to hug you right?"
"Of course San-ah."
And so Yeosang doesn't know what the next two years will be of but he's happy he gets to go through it with San, and also Mingi and Jongho by his side. His dream of going to college and being roommate with Wooyoung will probably evolve a bit. And well, if San and him graduate together and go back to Korea to go to college and join Wooyoung... it'll be a nice addition right?