Work Text:
Euijoo sighed as he moved the last box into his room. He and his dad just moved from Korea to Japan. He stares at his room, at all the boxes; memories of his prior life packed neatly away while he flew across the sea. He can't help but feel sad.
He just up and left–well after some planning–but he left! He left his friends, school, grandparents, and mom.
After the divorce Euijoo's mom wanted nothing to do with him, which he can't lie; it stung, but he's better now, happier now. Much happier...
"Are you okay, Joo?" His father manages to pull him out of his small daydream, though was it ever a dream?
Euijoo nods, "I'm okay," he says, attempting to convince himself. He's sure his father picked up on the small undertone of sadness.
"Buddy, I know it's hard. But this will be good, I can feel it," his dad pulls him in for a hug. Euijoo lets himself bask in his father's presence just a bit. This will be good. It will be.
He's in a new place, and no one knows him, how bad could it be? What if someone doesn't like him? What if he NEVER makes any friends? He's alone in a country where he doesn't speak the language, he's alone.
Over the next few days, Euijoo and his dad spent almost all day in the door, the cool air fighting the Shibuya heat. It's been three days of unpacking and cleaning. Euijoo had only had time to sleep, eat, and shower.
He hasn't left. Some part of him says it's okay because he has the whole summer to make some friends, before school. There's another part of him that is scared to leave.
While he's been practicing Japanese with his dad for about four months, and he would say he's decently conversational, he is nowhere near good enough to talk to anyone else...let alone someone his age.
Today was different, today; thirteen-year-old Euijoo from South Korea was going to explore Shibuya, with his dad of course. He woke up early, though his dad would argue that nine was late, Euijoo told him to be proud that he wasn't sleeping all day.
He got ready, picking out a super cool (said himself) outfit; which consisted of some baggy jeans shorts, a baggy shirt with a crossbody bag, and white shoes with ankle socks.
Euijoo and his dad left around ten after eating some assorted side dishes that they had. He walked out of his little apartment with his dad and exited the big building.
Their little place was in a suburb of the city, just a few kilometers out from the infamous city center. They waited at the bus stop, hoping that the map app did not lie to them, and then got on the bus. Euijoo didn't know where to look. Everything seemed so different, it was different.
While most people back home were more neutral in their dressing many people were dressed up! He wasn't sure what the occasion was, but they looked cool. Just a few seats in front of his dad and him there was a boy.
He looked to be Euijoo's age, and was sitting between his mom and another woman, maybe his aunt? She looked pretty young too. Euijoo and the boy make eye contact, and the boy waves and smiles at him. Euijoo repeats the action and then the boy goes back to talking to one of the women.
"Shibuya station," the bus driver says over the intercom. Euijoo notices how the boy gets up from the seat with the two women and walks off the bus. Euijoo and his father follow behind them as well.
"Euijoo, where do you want to go first?" His father asks in Korean rather than Japanese.
Euijoo shrugs, "I wanted to visit some stationary stores, I need some things," he watches as the boy from the bus stops and stares at him.
They hold eye contact till the boy says, "Mom! he speaks Korean too!" while the Korean wasn't perfect, not that Euijoo can judge, he can still understand what's being said.
"You speak Korean?" he asks the boy.
And he nods, "I do! I also speak Chinese and Japanese!" he adds.
"Woah! I'm from Korea," Euijoo is smiling. both boys have moved away from their parents, who all stand together watching the two interact.
"I'm Nicholas, what's your name?"
"I'm Euijoo."
"Well, Euijoo, I can tell we are going to be great friends! let me show you around." Nicholas pulls Euijoo to the parents.
"Mom!"
"Dad!"
Euijoo is now seventeen and has been living in Japan for five years. He's well accustomed to the language, has made plenty of friends, and he's finally happy.
"BYUN EUIJOO," he takes his headphones off and looks up from his school workbook. Nicho, or Nicholas, is standing right above him, looking down at him. "I've been blowing your phone up, dude," he playfully punches his arm.
Ah. Nicholas. He and Nicholas have been... Good. Well, he assumes that they're good because Nicho doesn't know something, despite him claiming that he knows EVERYTHING about Euijoo there is.
Euijoo is in love with Nicholas. He figured that out one late night two summers ago. coHe had to consult his friends from Korea in the middle of the night. Jungwon and Jay were not fond of the late-night call but helped him nonetheless.
So yeah...maybe they aren't good, or at least in that way. But Euijoo would never ruin what they have by admitting his feelings, he admires Nicholas too much for that.
"Oh. Sorry," he says and bows his head in embarrassment.
Nicho laughs, flashing his teeth, "It's fine. But let's go get food, you've been here for hours already," he says.
Euijoo finally picks his phone up, and shit; it's five o'clock already. School got out at two, so he's been hovering over this damn book for three hours.
"I guess we could," he mumbles. Nicho understands what's being said. He stands patiently as Euijoo packs his things and then stands up.
Nicholas watches as he stretches, eyes fixing on the little bit of the stomach that peeks through when his arms reach above his head. He quickly looks away as his throat bobs. He turns his head to the side, hiding the blush on his face. He's thankful that Euijoo is too busy packing up to notice this.
"I'm ready," Euijoo says softly. Nicholas nods and the two boys start walking in the direction of whatever food place they are going to.
The weather was nice since it was spring and it was still light outside. The cicadas were just starting to sing as they walked out of the cafe. Euijoo was full, Nicholas had told him to get whatever he wanted.
The two walk home together, after that one day in Shibuya years ago, and they notice that they live next to each other. Yeah, Euijoo has ridiculed himself for falling in love with the boy next door.
He's pretty aware that he's zoned out while Nicholas is talking but it doesn't matter, he likes hearing him talk. Sue him, he's whipped okay.
They've finally arrived at Euijoo's house, where they sadly have to part ways. Nicholas walks him up to the doorstep and they face each other.
Nicholas is staring at Euijoo and Euijoo is struggling to hold it. Without thinking Euijoo pecks Nicholas' lips and pulls away. Realizing what he did he bows quickly.
"S-sorry," he stutters in Japanese. He quickly looks for his keys while Nicholas stands there; wordless. Euijoos mind is moving a thousand miles a minute. He finally finds his keys and rushes inside quickly, uttering a "goodbye" to Nicholas, who's still standing outside.
He walks right past his dad after taking his shoes off and goes to his room. He shuts the door and locks it. He drops his bag and then drops it into a small ball.
With his knees tucked to his chest, he tries to calm down. It was a heat of moment thing, he could tell Nicholas that he was fine..It will be okay!
Unless Nicholas thinks he's weird for kissing him, and then he ridicules Euijoo for it. What if he calls him a slur?! What if..he drops him as a friend?!
Euijoo tears up at that thought, he doesn't know what he would do without him. He finally gets up from the floor and then walks over to his bed. Flopping down on it he rolls himself in a blanket.
Once he opens his eyes he sees the small stuffed sloth Nicholas had gotten him for valentine's day. They had agreed to be each other's valentine and white day person. Euijoo smiles at the fond memory and then wipes his tears because it's all gone now.
In the middle of his wallowing, he hears his phone ding. With fear, Euijoo picks his phone up.
NICHO :}
we should talk
I'm not mad, I promise
Euijoo sighs with relief, he's not mad. Euijoo responds with a quick "When?" and then he waits.
Across the road, in the same apartment style as Euijoo, Nicholas is looking at himself in the mirror. His phone buzzes, and looking at it he sees that Euijoo has replied to him. He takes one more look at him and then opens the text.
"In an hour, would that work?" He types. He bites his lower lip and then presses send. He has no clue what he is going to say to him. He's not mad, nor is he weirded out. He liked it... That's his dilemma.
Nicholas is a guy, and he liked that another guy kissed him. He wants more kisses. He wants Euijoo. He splashes his face with cool water and begins to get ready to face Euijoo.
After an hour of panicking, Euijoo is dressed in comfy clothes. He announces that he's taking a walk and puts his shoes on. He walks out the door and sees Nicholas locking his door.
They make eye contact and neither of them move. If Euijoo isn't blind, he's sure that he sees a blush on his best friend's face. He takes one deep breath and walks down the steps, standing halfway on the road.
He watches as Nicholas does the same, they meet in the middle, face to face.
"Hi," Nicholas breathes, smiling a little.
"Hi," Euijoo says awkwardly, though he is relieved that Nicholas is smiling.
"Let's walk," Nicholas says and turns one way and takes a few steps. Euijoo follows him, so matching the man's pace. They walk in unison and silence. Euijoo can feel their fingers brushing against each other.
If he wasn't so attentive to his body right now he wouldn't have felt Nicholas lock their pinkies together.
"I'm gay," Euijoo suddenly blurts. Nicholas stops pinkies still connected, and looks at him.
"Oh," he says and looks down, "that's cool."
Euijoo looks at him, "are we still friends?" he follows up.
Nicholas's face contorts, "I wouldn't drop you as a friend because you're gay Joo Joo," he smiles lightly. "It wouldn't be right considering, I'm not straight myself. Or, I'm pretty sure I'm not," he chuckles softly.
"Oh?" It's because of that kiss, did he turned Nicholas gay? Wait, you can't turn someone gay, Euijoo you're crazy!
"That kiss, I wanna do it again, but longer this time," Nicholas admits, again biting at his lower lip. Euijoo, with some random, found confidence, takes his thumb and pulls it from Nicholas' teeth. He tilts his face up and connects their lips.
They move in sync. One of Euijoo's hands is holding Nicholas's face while the other is on his waist. Nicholas has his hands linked behind Euijoos neck. The kiss felt euphoric to Nicholas like it was everything that he needed and more. It was the stars that had been yearning for the night sky to shine.
They both pull away from the need for air. Both boys huffed and puffed, not breaking eye contact.
"So?" Euijoo says, breaking the silence.
Nicholas blushes, "I liked it," he admits. Okay! That's a start. "I've never done, anything, with a boy before. So if we were to...date, I would want to take it slow," he confesses.
Euijoo nods, "We will, I haven't been with a man before either. I just know I'm attracted to them. I'm also attracted to you, like a lot," he says.
Nicholas giggles, "I think I know that, now," he places a kiss on Euijoos cheek.
"So are we boyfriends?" Euijoo dumbly asks.
Nicholas nods and laughs, "I would like that." Euijoo pulls the boy in again by the waist and holds him tight.
They both stand there and bask under the moonlight. The summer sounds drown out any other thoughts in the boy's head.
On the walk back home they hold hands and talk about how dumb they both were. Euijoo tells him about the time he found out he was gay, and how he realized that he liked Nicholas.
They also recount how Nicholas had apparently liked Euijoo but was so dense that he never noticed that he did like him.
They once find themselves back at the split between their houses. They lock eyes again.
"I'll see you tomorrow?" Euijoo asks.
Nicholas nods, "Of course you will." They kiss one more time before they walk up their steps where they wave at each other from the step before entering.
This time when Euijoo goes to his room, he's beyond happy. He does his nightly routine thinking of Nicholas. Before he closes his eyes he shoots Nicholas a quick goodnight text before dozing off to dreamland.
spoiler: he dreams of Nicholas.