Chapter Text
"Oh, kitty. You feel bad, huh?” The man scoffed, thoroughly enjoying the fear and terror in the minor.
He heard him laugh and froze completely, experiencing the most grotesque and terrifying sensation he had ever felt in his life. He was terrified.
“C'mon, little one. Everything that happened in this room was totally thanks to you. All for you".
He wanted to hide from everything and everyone so that no one else could find him.
So that no one could ever hurt him again.
Strip him of his saintness.
The soccer game ended successfully, with Bang Chan quite exhausted, but satisfied by the hard work of the guys on his soccer team to make the game go well, despite it being just practice.
I could say that the club became a very important part of him in many ways. He liked to exercise, run. That feeling of liberation. Be free. Puts every muscle in his body into action. Experience the adrenaline that runs through his veins of having control of the ball and giving it his all, as if his life depended on it, of scoring a goal that could fill him with total serotonin and emotion for victory. Victory. The victory that would make him feel alive.
Feel alive.
To have the confidence to feel alive.
A fucking precious and wonderful feeling that was unlike any other.
There are no exact words to describe how much he loved to play, but his passion for the sport was apparent from the moment he stepped foot on the pitch. And all his efforts paid off when he was named captain of the soccer team. For Chan there was no better reward than that, and he would give his best for the team and his boys no matter what.
With a towel he wiped away the annoying beads of sweat on his forehead and neck. Most of her boys went to take a shower. Some to their homes and others to the clubs that the university had to offer. And he... he would kill for a fucking shower.
A thin arm wrapped around his neck, followed by a giggly laugh, and he easily deduced who it was. He confirmed it by lifting her face to meet a sweet gaze decorated with a cute mole under his eye. One of his best friends; Hwang Hyunjin.
"You were excellent in the soccer game, Hyung!" He exclaimed gleefully and a flash of emotion flashed across his eyes, turning his friendly grip into a more cloying one. "How did I do? Did I get better?"
Chan thought that his friend had already left a long time ago. Hyunjin didn't like to stay after practice and almost always left under the excuse of going to the library to study, or for other personal matters.
"Mhm.." He didn't answer anything and stayed like that for a few seconds before saying something, merely to annoy the minor with said silence. "No, you're still very bad at soccer." He added with false seriousness, resisting the urge to laugh out loud at the hilarious way Hyunjin's face twisted in outrage. As dramatic as ever.
Chan's seriousness lasted only a few seconds because almost immediately he began to laugh in his friend's face, earning a soft blow to the stomach that stole his breath. He grunted in annoyance and broke the hold between the two of them by pushing him away.
"Hey! Just kidding, just kidding... You know you've really improved and I'm so proud of you for it”. He admitted with a gentle and sincere smile as he rubbed his abdomen. He hadn't hurt much, actually.
"I don't believe you at all! Eish”.
Hyunjin joined to the soccer team months ago after being convinced by Chan and Jisung for several days, who encouraged him under the premise that it would help him open up better socially and improve his dealings with others. Chan recognized how much his friend tried to be better day by day in soccer, at least in the club and with the boys on the team. But Hyunjin was like a little baby, a huge one. Very tall and handsome, but too shy, introverted and nerdy to socialize with anyone other than his two friends.
"What the fuck are you two doing?" Han Jisung's familiar voice brought them both out of their thoughts. The boy was also sweaty and with messy hair, but it was his annoyed voice as well as his features that really caught the attention of the other two boys. "Do I have something on my face or what?" He snorted in irritation, something strange for someone as cheerful and charismatic as Han Jisung.
"What's your problem, dude?" Hyunjin narrowed his eyes puzzled, but mostly hurt by the tone of voice directed at him. He didn't like to admit it, but he was very sensitive to aggressive treatment.
“Hey”. Chan tried to defuse the situation by gently patting the two on the back. “What's wrong with you, Han Ji? It's not normal for you to be so down”.
Hyunjin nodded much more relaxed now. Jisung sighed wearily but softened his features forcing a subtle smile. After all, his friends weren't to blame for his discomfort, much less the cause of it.
"Well well. It makes me sad that nobody came to our training to see us. No one… no pretty girl, not even a nosy guy… no one!” He exclaimed raising both hands to his head totally full of frustration.
Chan and Hyunjin looked at each other in disbelief at the stupidity that came out of their friend's mouth, but then remembered that they were dealing with idiot Jisung. How could they have cared that he was having a hard time?
"You're a jerk. That's what you are". Chan walked off the field towards the locker room, not intending to waste any more time with Han's problems. Hyunjin followed him, sharing the same feeling of annoyance at the nonsense from just now.
"Hey, c'mon!" Jisung ran towards them seeking his attention. "I know it sounds silly, but this is all the new guy's fault".
"New guy?" Hyunjin subtly frowned, still refusing to look directly at his idiotic friend of his. "The Aussie?" He emphasized, receiving a nod in return.
"Aussie?" This time Chan asked.
Now he was a little interested, or rather curious, to know who they were talking about. Truth be told, he was always the last to know what was going on at the university. Gossip, fights, or trouble… he was the last to know. His friends commonly called him distracted or boomer for that very reason, but he preferred to focus on other more important and productive things. How did they even expect him to be aware of new income? Every day new kids arrived at the university. What was different now? Exactly, nothing. But he couldn't deny that the word "Aussie" caught his attention. It was not common to have foreigners in universities in Korea, much less in his native country of Australia.
"I thought you knew". A smirk decorated Jisung's face. “He arrived today and I heard a lot of people talking about him. But I'm sure they only do it because he is a foreigner! I don't know him but I doubt it's a big deal".
Hyunjin next to him laughed at his friend's comment and hugged him around the neck in a friendly way. "Our Han is jealous that that boy is becoming more popular than him?" And in response he received an elbow to the stomach that made him gasp in pain. “Too bad, man. I'm playing".
"Don't dream about it. No one will surpass the great Han Jisung. The most handsome player on the soccer team”. Chris let out an amused laugh while Hyunjin rolled his eyes. "Anyway. I'm leaving you guys. Today I have a date with someone and it's getting late for me to get home and get ready".
Han said goodbye giving them one last smile before leaving the locker room. Both boys didn't even take the time to question who this person was, as it was quite common for Jisung to go out with different girls every week. Let's just say that he wanted to take the role of Playboy quite seriously, but Hyunjin and Chan knew him well enough to know that he was a pure and friendly person, quite an asshole, yes, but a good person.
“What about you, Hyunjin? Are you going to go now or take a shower before you go too?”
Chan opened his locker and took out a change of clothes consisting of a tank top, his boxers and shorts, followed by a towel. He intended to wait for his friend to go to the showers together but the expression on his face betrayed his possible denial.
"Eh no". Hyunjin looked down at the ground for a few seconds before looking back from his friend's face. "But I'll do it coming home!"
There was something behind Hyunjin's words that Chan wasn't entirely convinced by. The minor's personality caused idiots to bother him. He witnessed how many times Hyunjin was pushed, punched and made fun of for being so quiet and freak, in the words of others, but he is not surprised that assholes did not even take the time to meet a person as sweet as him.
"Dude, you know you can trust me if any of those idiots keep bothering you". Chan whispered, giving his a comforting hug. Hyunjin just nodded, biting his bottom lip.
“Thank you Hyung, but I'm fine. See ya' tomorrow!"
"See ya'".
Chan exhaled heavily on his way to the showers. Luckily there weren't so many kids there anymore, only a few that he assumed were from the basketball or volleyball club because they were unrecognized faces, at least not from his team.
He closed the curtain behind him and finally turned on the shower faucet, slightly adjusting the temperature of the water. He liked it pretty hot. He groaned in satisfaction at the delicious sensation running through his skin, feeling every muscle in his back loosen as the seconds passed. There was nothing better than a nice hot shower after a hard workout. He washed his hair as well as his body, roughly scrubbing the muscles of his chest and abdomen to remove any traces of dirt.
There was another thing that he was quite proud of himself and that was his physique. He didn't deny his attractiveness, much less his bodily attractiveness that he had worked so hard for years to achieve. He had toned and firm muscles, and his strength was great, without exaggeration.
Although Chan didn't want to admit it, he was quite popular. Maybe even a little more than Jisung. How could he not be? He was handsome and fit. He was also the captain of the soccer team. Not to mention that his gentle and kind personality filled the people around him with confidence. Something that drew a lot of attention among girls, including boys. However, Chan never took advantage of this and never would. He paid no attention to her and ignored such a situation.
The shower lasted only a few minutes and when he got out he simply dressed after drying off. He would let his hair dry naturally with the passage of minutes or hours. It didn't really matter, it's not like he was going home either. In fact he had other plans, the plan of every day. Relaxing in his safe zone.
On the top floor of the gym there was a small room, a warehouse, that not many knew about. It was almost always found closed because it was only used as a store for mats and a few balls. For that very reason Chan made it his own. The place where he went to listen to music, sleep, or just relax without anyone or anything bothering him. The gym coach didn't mind that the boy was there knowing full well that Chan was a good student and athlete.
A long yawn escaped his lips, a bit drowsy as to realize that the warehouse handle had already been opened earlier. A little push was enough for the door to open completely. The lights were off and he did not feel the presence of anyone, but he perfectly remembered closing the door yesterday before leaving.
He sharpened his vision enough to see a small figure sitting on one of the mats. It was like a lump... a child... a ghost? No. Damn, he didn't believe in ghosts. So who or what was that?
"Fuck!" He cursed hoarsely and immediately turned on the light.
"Shit.."
A deep scream was heard belonging to what seemed to be a simple boy.
With the light on now, Chan looked at him more clearly, though not clearly enough to see his face. The boy wore a baggy sweatshirt and covered his head with its hood, just as the lower part of his face was hidden under a black mask. He could just barely see his eyes and what seemed to be his blond hair. Not to mention that he was sitting on one of the mats, backed up against the corner as if he was hiding from something or someone.
“Why the fuck are you with the lights off? ” Chan questioned leaning against the door frame, still shaken enough to process everything. “And what are you doing here in the first place? ”
The boy didn't answer. Instead he frowned in obvious confusion and looked down at the book he was reading, quickly flipping through the pages as if he were searching for something. Then Chan was able to read the name of the book from him. « Korean-English Dictionary » Wow, he didn't speak Korean?
"I thought no one would come here–". The boy started to speak, without looking up from his dictionary. Too focused on reading correctly before pronouncing something else. “Don't bother holding a… conversion with me. I don't understand you and I don't care, anyhow".
His voice was deep, mixing formality with informality in an endearing way. The Australian accent was too noticeable and Chan was silent, not responding. His mind brought back vague memories of the conversation he had with his friends a couple of hours ago.
The boy passed him with the intention of leaving, but as a reflex action he grabbed him by the wrist, preventing him from leaving. "You're from Australia, right?" Chan stopped speaking Korean to speak English now. His English with an Australian accent. And contrary to the reaction he expected, the boy immediately released himself from his grasp and stepped back abruptly, slapping the back of his hand.
Had the boy hit him? Effectively.
"Don't fucking touch me again". He warned and practically killed him with a look.
Chan swallowed hard, trying hard to stay calm. He was a faithful believer that nothing was solved with violence, but because of that same belief he was the cause that he repressed himself a lot when dealing with situations like this. But he thought that really at another time he would have been very upset by the boy's reaction. He thought about protesting but something stopped him. His body language. Why did the boy look so... scared?
"Hey. I'm sorry if I scared you.. I'm not going to hurt you". In a soft voice, he tried to reassure him and backed away enough to respect his personal space. "Let's start over, okay?" A smile decorated his face making the dimple in his cheek visible. The latter did not go unnoticed by the adversary, who gave him a vague nod full of indifference.
“Whatever".
“I'm Australian but I moved to Korea since I was a kiddo, for that reason I speak the language very well. You can talk with me in English without any problem! If you want, of course...” Chan scratched the back of his own neck feeling slightly nervous.
Silence reigned in that warehouse for seconds that felt like hours.
"So you're Aussie…" The boy finally spoke after torturing him with his silence. "How funny.." A vague almost sarcastic laugh left the boy's lips as he removed the mask from his face, finally revealing his face in its entirety.
His face, dammit.
Chan... Chan didn't know what to say when he was aware of the person in front of him.
Blond hair, delicate and fine features, pale skin but covered with cute little freckles, with a small upturned nose decorated with more of these cute little spots. And his lips, shit, small but full at the same time. Not to mention those pretty honey-colored feline eyes. Was he really real? Yes, of course he was.
He was... fucking gorgeous. Almost like a porcelain doll, a little prince from a fairy tale. No, he was a fairy. A dream come true.
A warm feeling filled his chest and his heart began to beat rapidly. It was a strange feeling, very strange. So strange that he didn't know how long he just stared at it until the boy cleared his throat, bringing him back to reality.
"Um, sorry". He shook his head away from the recent thoughts and sensations still lingering in his chest. "My name is Bang Chan but you can call me just Chan—"
“Felix”.
"Sorry, what?"
"My name is Felix."
Felix. A pretty name that combined perfectly with his features.
"Fine, Felix."
Chan spoke again, struggling to keep the conversation flowing. Something that hadn't been difficult for him before, at least not as much as now, but damn, he felt so out of it with his presence. He couldn't find the exact words to continue speaking, much less knew how to act. He was surely acting foolish in front of him.
“You can come here as many times as you want… Don't worry. I'm the only one who knows this place. It's a good place to sleep, study or just chillin”. He continued speaking after his brief pause, trying to appear as relaxed as possible.
Only then was he aware of the true weight of his own words.
Had he just shared his safe spot with a guy he'd just met? Yes.
Despite his indifferent and unfriendly demeanor, a soft smile barely lit up Felix's face. "Thanks, i think". And Chan felt that he almost choked on his saliva right there but managed to hide it very well by clearing his throat.
"It's no big deal".
Felix left without bothering to look at him one last time.
Chan let out the breath he had been unknowingly holding in all this time. He touched his own cheeks and realized how hot they were, he must have been very red. What a shame. He wanted to hit something. Anything! He even wanted to hit himself from that feeling that invaded his entire body, but mainly from thinking that that smile was the most beautiful he had ever seen before. And maybe in his whole life.
That fucking smile that had stolen his safe space, and maybe, just maybe, a small part of him.