Chapter Text
Hyunsoo was watching the rain hit the ground from behind the barred window of the cell. The puddles were becoming bigger and bigger, making the whole yard muddy. Nobody was really expecting heavy rain, considering the last few days were warm and sunny. And it was on this exact day it had to begin raining. On the exact day, Han Jaeho was about to leave the prison after spending over three years inside.
“It doesn't look like it's going to stop anytime soon,” voiced Hyunsoo, throwing one last look outside before stepping away from the window. He turned towards his hyung, who was laying on his bunk for possibly the last time ever. It didn’t look like he had any intention of moving anytime soon.
His posture seemed lazy, uncaring even, but Hyunsoo liked to think that after all this time, he could read Han Jaeho quite well. He could have seemed indifferent to others, but his eyes were focused, sharp, and he was staring right at Hyunsoo.
Which, in full honesty, baffled the younger man.
Hyung had been scheduled to leave well over an hour ago. There was absolutely nothing keeping him inside these walls. Better things awaited him outside. But despite legally being a free man again, he was still there, inside a prison, in the same cell as Hyunsoo.
“I’m not sure if there is a point waiting it out,” added Hyunsoo, leaning against the wall.
“There is no need to rush,” said Jaeho kindly.
Not knowing what else to say or how to convince the older man, Hyunsoo smiled awkwardly before taking in the room around him one more time. Never had this place looked so empty. Not since Hyunsoo moved here. And not even when Jaeho had been living there alone. All the stuff belonging to hyung were gone, packed into a cardboard box, or redistributed among his people. Hyunsoo himself received a stock of fancy-brand instant coffee and a few packs of cigarettes. No matter how insistent Jaeho was, he refused to accept more.
Hyunsoo decided to try some convincing again.
“There really is no reason to stay here, hyung,”
Jaeho began to chuckle. Hyunsoo felt like he didn't get something obvious. In his eyes, there really was no reason to stay. If it had been Hyunsoo's release day, he would have been gone as soon as possible, probably already on his way back to Busan.
The older man's behavior was confusing, and this time Hyunsoo refused to be dismissed.
“And not wanting to get wet by moving from the main gate to the car is not a valid reason,” he said, deciding not to let the topic go.
“Yeah, it’s not,” Jaeho agreed, still chuckling, “You want me gone so you can get the bigger bed?”
Not really. If it was up to Hyunsoo, Jaeho could stay here. Even if it meant him sleeping in his narrow, uncomfortable bunk. He didn't want Jaeho to go. But it had to happen. And it's better to rip a band-aid quickly.
“Sure. I have to use it at least once," he lied smoothly and his voice didn't even waver, "Who knows how long I will stay in this cell."
He moved to sit down cross-legged in a leather armchair close to Jaeho’s bunk. He supposed it would be taken away soon too.
“Don’t worry about it”. Thanks to Hyunsoo moving closer, he was within Jaeho's reach so the older man could poke his calf with his foot, “I mean it, Hyunsoo-yah.”
He looked sure but Hyunsoo had doubts. Even if he planned to, or already spoke with a warden about it, there was no certainty. Jaeho couldn't promise that Hyunsoo would stay in their cell. There was no telling if Jaeho’s word would matter from the outside. There was also no telling if someone new won’t decide to take Jaeho’s place. The situation with Kim Sunghan proved that the power balance inside the prison was fragile.
Despite this, Hyunsoo didn’t say anything more about it. It was better to change the topic.
“Think you will get tofu?”
“Probably”
“Stupid tradition,” Hyunsoo murmured more to himself than to Jaeho.
However, there were just two of them so Jaeho heard him. And laughed again. Hyunsoo had to admit he would miss that sound.
He looked down, focusing on a stray thread coming out of his prison-issue pants. He could still feel Jaeho's gaze stuck on him.
“You’re staring, Hyung.”
“Well, I won’t see you for two months.”
If you will still remember me after two months, Hyunsoo thought bitterly.
And it could be true.
No matter how much Hyunsoo wanted to believe Jaeho, there was a possibility that Jaeho didn’t truly mean it when he asked Hyunsoo to work with him. He could say it on the spur of the moment because he felt pity for Hyunsoo. And after that, it would have been weird to take it back.
Or there was also a chance that he did mean it back then but outside, he might change his mind. Jaeho probably had a lot to do there. Better and more important things than hanging out with Hyunsoo. Old acquaintances, co-workers, dancers in the clubs. He probably had much better company than Hyunsoo could ever be.
There was also a third option. That Jaeho was lying from the beginning. It was just a way to mess with Hyunsoo from the start. Or at least from the moment, he told him he was a cop. Hyunsoo hated that option the most.
He hoped it was just overthinking.
But that didn't change the fact that those thoughts frightened him. What if, when he left in three months, there would be no one waiting for him? He would be completely alone then.
Hyunsoo had nobody else.
“Han Jaeho-ssi,” Hyunsoo was spared from his thoughts by the guard, who again came to take Jaeho away. This time, instead of sending the man away and telling him to come back later, like a few times before, Hyung sighed loudly like it was the biggest chore in the world and stood up.
Hyunsoo followed.
When it came to actual goodbyes, he had no idea what to do and what to say. After spending every single moment of every single day for the past two years with Jaeho, it was weird to think that he might not be next to him tomorrow.
Surprisingly, Jaeho seemed lost as well. Like he was deciding what would be an appropriate way to say goodbye. It made Hyunsoo feel even weirder. Hyung usually had a way with words, rarely showing confusion. He usually just did what he wanted with absolute confidence.
Finally, after some consideration that seemed to last ages to Hyunsoo, the older man lifted his hand and settled on ruffling Hyunsoo’s hair. Mockery. That Hyunsoo could handle. That was familiar. So he smiled and good-naturedly and rather playfully swatted that hand away.
Jaeho grinned.
“Three months,” he said. It sounded like a resolution or even a promise. Not sure if Jaeho had said that to himself or to him, the younger man still nodded.
For one last time, Jaeho ran his eyes over Hyunsoo and smirked. Next, he grabbed his stuff and crossed the threshold of the cell for the last time.
He didn't turn around.
Hyunsoo was glad that he didn't. He took a step closer to the once again locked cell's door and watched Jaeho's back move further away, to finally disappear behind the corner.
And when that happened, Hyunsoo felt something he hadn’t felt since that night after his mom's funeral when he confessed to Jaeho what he was doing there.
Hyunsoo again felt that he was completely alone.