Chapter Text
"And the winner of the bangtan belt is...RM!" The announcement echoes through the office, but the moment is abruptly stopped as the screen turns black, leaving Heeseung perplexed about why he's sitting there, watching a match from a few years ago.
Heeseung, tired and covered in sweat from his workout, had been in the middle of a bench press when his coach interrupted him to watch this mysterious video. Confused, he speaks up, "Coach, I don't understand what the point of this is."
The older man sighs, taking a moment to situate himself to face the young boxer. "Heeseung, I want you to listen to what I have to say, but you cannot interrupt until I'm done, alright?" he instructs firmly.
Heeseung nods, still curious and suspicious about the whole situation. His coach's voice carries a mixture of seriousness and genuineness as he begins to speak.
"Obviously, you know who that was," he remarks, referring to the winner of the match they were watching. Heeseung nods in acknowledgment, assuring his coach that he's paying attention.
A moment of silence fills the room as the older man gathers his thoughts. "I've been thinking that I should send you to him," he finally discloses, catching Heeseung by surprise. Sent? Sent to whom and for what purpose?
Seeing his trainee's confusion, the coach elaborates. "I won't make you go if you don't want to, but I think it's a great opportunity. He lives in a small town in a kind of mountainous area, and being outdoors would be beneficial for both your physical and mental well-being."
Silence falls once again as Heeseung looks away, contemplating the proposition. It isn't the worst idea, and he doesn't have any strong ties to his current city, except for the gym and a few acquaintances. He sighs before responding, "I guess you're right. How long will I be staying?"
His coach smiles, pleased with Heeseung's willingness to consider the option. "Well, you can technically stay as long as you'd like, but I want you there for at least 6 weeks."
And with that decision made, Heeseung's journey begins.
Other than an uncomfortable encounter sharing an aisle with an old man who slept on his shoulder, Heeseung's plane ride was relatively decent. Stepping out of the gate, he scans the small crowd, searching for any signs of the retired boxer he's supposed to meet. Soon, he spots two men bick
He steps out of the gate, searching for any signs of the retired boxer. After a short scan of the small crowd, he sees two men bickering with a large sign spelling his name in big red letters. He treks over to them silently.
They don't seem to not notice him, as they keep talking.
"He definitely said it's spelled H-e-e-s-u-n-g, there's no extra e." One relents, and Heeseung recognizes him as Namjoon. The other rolls his eyes dramatically, scoffing before retorting, "I should schedule an appointment with our doctor then because you obviously can't hear right!"
Heeseung tries to silence his laughter, though he's too late. Two pairs of eyes look at him with surprise evident on their faces. "Where are our manners!" The man beside Namjoon says, slightly shoving said man with his shoulder.
"Welcome Heeseung! You of course know Namjoon, and i'm his husband, Seokjin!" He smiles at Heeseung brightly, whilst also urging his husband to say something.
"Heeseung, it's great to meet you." Namjoon says calmly, holding out his hand for Heeseung to shake. He takes it gladly, "The pleasure is all mine, thank you so much for this opportunity."
Namjoon chuckles at the young man's politeness. "I see something special in you, apologies if you parted with anything important to you back home."
Heeseung blushed, flustered by the compliment. "Ah no, I didn't have a lot going on there besides boxing, so it's really nothing." Namjoon nods his head in retaliation.
"Well, I'm gonna assume you have other bags, yes?" Seokjin inquires, gesturing to the small carry on sitting upon Heeseung's back.
"Yes, I do."
Since the airport wasn't directly near the town they lived in, the car ride was about an hour long, filled by friendly small talk and the soft hum of the radio.
"So Heeseung, how do you spell your name?" Seokjin asks, breaking the comfortable silence that was enveloping the car. Heeseung smiles as he's looking out the window. "You guys spelled it right on the sign."
"I knew I was right," Seokjin hisses, looking over at the man next to him who is currently rolling his eyes. “How does it feel to be wrong all the time, huh? Must suck.” He bemoans with fake pity, placing a hand on Namjoons shoulder.
Heeseung grins widely, feeling a sense of warmth from their welcoming attitude.
As they drive further into the scenic countryside, Heeseung can't help but admire the picturesque landscape. The lush green mountains standing tall against the clear blue sky, and the winding roads lead them through charming little towns.
"So, Heeseung, your coach told us a bit about your boxing skills. We're really looking forward to seeing you in action," Namjoon says, breaking the silence.
Heeseung glances back at him and smiles gratefully. "I'm excited to train with you. I mean you are one of the best."
Namjoon smiles back. "Oh you flatter me really, and we're always happy to help someone like you who's passionate about boxing."
The car eventually reaches their destination, a quaint little town nestled among the mountains. They pull up to a cozy cabin surrounded by nature, and Heeseung can't help but feel a sense of tranquility in the air.
"Welcome to your temporary home, Heeseung," Seokjin says excitedly, opening the car door and stepping out.
Once he's out of the car, Heeseung takes a long deep breath, filling his lungs with the scent of fresh naturey air. "It's beautiful here," he remarks, looking around with awe, and in the distance he thinks he sees some sparkling through the trees, but decides it's probably because he hasn't seen the real outdoors since he went camping with his dad as a kid.
"Glad you like it," Namjoon says while walking around to the trunk of the car. "So you can't see it on the drive here, but there's a lake somewhere over there," he continues, pointing vaguely to the left.
So Heeseung hadn't been hallucinating and there really was a large body of water there. "Oh wow! That's so cool. I can swim there right?" He asked, walking over to the trunk to collect his suitcases.
Seokjin's voice carried over from the front door. "Oh my, don't carry all of those yourself! Namjoon help the kid!" He worries to his husband, who in turn rolls his shoulders back before grabbing Heeseung's second and last suitcase.
The door is wide open as they walk in carrying Heeseung's two bags. "Yeah, of course you can swim in the Lake. You know when he and I were younger and we first came here, we always used to swim around in the lake late at night. It's beautiful out there, really." Namjoon set down the case near the front door, Heeseung following suit.
The elder had a lazy smile on his face and heart eyes directed towards the other male who looked like he was looking for something in the kitchen. "Is this place yours?" He seemed to snap out of his reminiscent mindset at the young boxer's words.
The couch seems to catch Namjoons attention, as he walks over and sits with a heave. "No no, this house isn't ours. It's actually Jaeyun's mothers house. Jaeyun is the person who lives just down the street," he pauses, a look of pondering on his face. "If i'm remembering correctly, he's a year younger than you."
Heeseung perks up at this, maybe they could be friends. Seokjin seems intrigued by their conversation and walks over, hovering just above Namjoon and placing his hands atop his lover's shoulders to ease whatever pain might be there. "Jaeyun-ah is a very sweet boy, I'm sure the two of you would get along well. Honestly he's like a puppy, everyone loves him."
Namjoon laughs at Seokjin's words, but still adds on, "He works at the library in town, though I think it's closed today." He hums. Heeseung nods his head, he's excited to meet this Jaeyun.
Seokjin tenses his grip, causing Namjoon to hiss in pain, tapping the other's hand to let go. "Speaking of Jaeyun. I couldn't find the other key to the house, so you may have to ask him for one when you meet him. For now there's just this one, but it's always nice to have an extra under the doormat or something."
Heeseung makes a sound of affirmation, nodding his head. "Thank you so much, Namjoon-ssi and Seokjin-ssi, I really appreciate all of this so much." He says, bowing to the older couple politely.
"Of course! And call us Hyung, no need for all those pleasantries, and please, if you ever need anything at all we're always here for you. No matter what." Heeseung could've sworn he saw a glint of something serious flash across Seokjin's eyes, but it was gone as fast as it had come.
He nods his head, smiling widely. They seemed like such lovely people. "Well kid, we'll be out of your hair now, let you settle in. You must be tired, get some rest." Namjoon tacks on as he stands up from his place on the couch.
"I will for sure."
The couple walk to the door, Namjoon turning around one last time remembering to tell Heeseung something. "Oh and training starts in a week so you can get used to the town first. The basement has a small workout room so you can still stay in shape, and then you can always go out for runs if you'd like." He finishes, kindly shooting the boy a smile before Seokjin cuts him off.
"Joon leave him alone now, I bet he wants us to leave." Namjoon only shrugs and waves to Heeseung.
"Bye Heeseung! Remember you have our numbers so don't hesitate to text!"
And then the door shut and it was silent.
He took a deep breath in and out, taking in the sight of the cabin on the inside. It was nice, cozy, and most importantly it did not look too tacky like those cookie cutter 'cabin in the woods' cabin he has seen on TV. This one had large open windows everywhere, and wow a beautiful view of the lake they were talking about. It was sparkling in a strangely alluring way, and Heeseung, well he's always been a weak man, So, he succumbs to his desires and opens the sliding door carefully, stepping out onto the deck.
There were stairs leading down onto the ground that he followed, then being led down a path of stone to the lake.
It was even more beautiful up close, clear sparkly water glistening in the mid afternoon sun.
"It is kinda hot..." Heeseung murmurs to himself as he walks further onto the wooden deck. It seems as if there's no one around for miles, save for the other house he's just now spotting that's a short distance away from his own house, though the house he's staying in is on the right side of the deck, and the other is on the left side.
The house looked bigger than the cabin, it must be the main house and his must be the guest house. I should thank this Jaeyun boy for letting me stay here, it is very kind of him... he notes in his thoughts and saves it for later on.
As he comes to a stop at the end of the deck, he finds himself taking off his shoes and socks and placing them safely to the side. He gently sits down and lets his feet dip into the coolish water. It's the perfect temperature, cold enough to relieve him of the hot summer sun, but not cold enough to send goosebumps across his skin.
He sighs loudly, closing his eyes and taking everything in. It smelled so nice in the mountains, so clean and untainted by society. He forces his eyes open again, looking down at the lake in contemplation.
In seconds his shirt and shorts are on the same warm wood that his shoes and socks had earlier been placed, and his body is diving into the sparkly, cold lake water.
Heeseung continued to swim in the cool, refreshing lake, losing himself in the breathtaking scenery around him. The sparkling water seemed to embrace him, as if the lake itself was inviting him to explore its depths. He swam further away from the deck, his mind at ease, and the worries of the world fading away.
He was so immersed in the beauty of the lake that he didn't notice the small pitter patter of light footsteps.
“Hi! You're Heeseung, right?” A voice calls out cheerily.
Heeseung yelps as he jumps out of his skin, turning his head to look at the boy on the dock. He’s holding a fluffy blue towel in his right hand and has a friendly tilt to his head as he speaks.
“Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you.” The boy quickly backtracks as soon as he hears the sound leave Heeseung's mouth.
“I just saw you swimming and noticed you didn't have a towel, so I thought I could bring you one, and um introduce myself…” In his head, Heeseung couldn't help but agree with Seokjin's description of Jake as a puppy. Jake's friendly nature and eagerness to help is endearing.
Heeseung lifts himself onto the deck, still a bit startled by the sudden encounter but feeling more at ease with Jake's warm and welcoming demeanor. As Heeseung reaches for the offered towel, he notices Jaeyun is, perhaps not so discreetly, admiring his muscles, faint blush dusting his cheeks. Despite being caught off guard, a smile spreads across Heeseung's face.
As the younger takes his time ogling his muscles, Heeseung takes the liberty to look at Jaeyun up close. He’s a good couple inches shorter than himself, coming up to maybe his shoulder at most, his skin is tan and sunkissed, he has cute, puffy heart shaped lips, and big brown eyes that he could get lost in. In short, Jaeyun was adorable, pretty, handsome, and beautiful, all wrapped up in one package.
Heeseung decides this is a perfect time to fluster the boy. “Thank you for the towel, Jaeyun-ah.” he muses, making sure his voice sound's velvety smooth and his eyes are hooded for when the younger decides to look at him again. He’s met with Jaeyun’s wide brown eyes and a flush coating his face down to his neck.
“H-how do you know my name?” The shorter squeaks out, meeting Heeseung’s eyes.
Heeseung wraps the towel around his waist, keeping his upper half on display, just in case Jaeyun wants to admire him again. “Seokjin Hyung and Namjoon Hyung told me about you.” Jaeyun beans as a large smile breaks out on his face, his mood seemingly returning after the mention of the older couple.
“Ah, I should've known. They must've misplaced the extra key to the house.” Heeseung breaks into a loud bout of laughter, Jaeyun confused until he responds, after, his laughing fit.
“Precisely.” He smiles widely at Jaeyun, the boy smiling just as wide, “I’ll give you the key, don't worry.”
A comfortable silence envelops them but only for a moment before the younger says something else. “Would you like to come over for dinner? You must not have a lot of food.” He suggests, looking up at the taller curiously.
He's surprised at the generous offer, he himself wouldn't invite over a stranger that he just met and cook for him, but he guesses that Jaeyun is just like that. Just that nice. “Oh no, I eat a lot, I wouldn't want to devour all your food.”
Shaking his head and giggling a bit, Jaeyun insists, “That's not a problem at all! I’ll make something big. Do you like bibimbap? I can make anything really, well not anything, but I have a lot of ingredients since I love cooking.” And really, Heeseung doesn't want to impose on Jaeyun and make him cook a meal for three, but his adorable little puppy eyes are really getting to him, and now that they're talking about it he’s really hungry, and it's not his fault that his stomach interrupts whatever’s about to come out of his mouth.
Jaeyun breaks out into a large grin, seeming to say ‘gotcha’. It was adorable. Jaeyun was just so adorable.
Heeseung needs to get a fucking grip.
“Are you sure? Like one time I went out with my coach and he said that he paid the same amount as when he took his family out to dinner. I really don't want to impose on you.” His eyes are wide and calculating as he watched Jaeyun’s reaction, but the younger shows no sign of taking back his offer.
“Nonsense! Please, I couldn't possibly have you go home and eat, what were you thinking? Ramyeon maybe? Especially after traveling all day! You need a real meal.” Heeseung greatly appreciates the incessant gesture, he was definitely going to go back to the cabin and cook 2 packets of ramyeon, but how did Jaeyun guess that? He must have read his mind.
He sighs, collecting himself, and giving up. The puppy eyes and big bright smile (and also his stomach) were too much to handle. “Okay. Thank you so much, you really are so kind.” Jaeyun only continues to smile at him with a victorious expression gracing his features. “Let me put on proper clothes and then I’ll come over.”
The younger nods before adding, “Is it alright if I come with you? The path to the main house is a little hard to spot, especially when you’ve never seen it before.” Heeseung nods, turning around and bending down to pick up his shoes, and also maybe not so subtly flexing his back muscles too.
He could feel the burn of Jaeyuns eyes on his back as he turned back around, smirking not so subtly. “After you, Jaeyun-ah.” He spoke smoothly, gesturing with his right arm for Jaeyun to lead the way back to the cabin. The boy quickly grew red and swiveled around nodding his head.
As they walked along the path of stones, Heeseung couldn't help but think how blessed he is to be given the chance to train out here, living in this whimsical forest with a sparkly lake just outside of his cabin, and to have the cutest neighbor one could ask for. He sure felt lucky.