Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The late afternoon sun bled pale gold through the grimy windows of Yusung Tech. Most students were long gone, their voices fading outside. The halls were quiet, except for the faint buzz of old lights overhead.

Lee Hyunwoo sat slouched at the end of the corridor, back against the wall, legs sprawled out like he owned the place. His windbreaker hung loose, cigarette between his lips, unlit. Bruises scattered across his face — cheekbone swollen, lip split, jaw dark with fading purple. His knuckles were worse, split raw and stiff from fighting Pi han Wul’s rats who were mad at him for “betraying” them.

To anyone passing by, he looked the same as always: cocky, lazy, untouchable. But his eyes had that dull weight in them — exhaustion clinging heavy, like smoke that wouldn’t clear. He was so damn tired. Stabbing that teacher and going to jail for it had scarred him. People would eye him and mumble shit about him. Even though, he was declared innocent by the judge. Just a frustrated teen with so much potential who was manipulated by Pi han and had no choice but to obey. That was it.

Nobody fucking believed that though. But does it really matter? Hyunwoo was used to being seen as a reckless, violent piece of shit and maybe he liked this reputation. Hyunwoo smirked to himself lazily, arms on the floor on his sides.

His train of thought was cut off by footsteps which echoed, steady, deliberate. Getting closer and closer. Who could it be? It’s dismissal time and if its a teacher then he’s definitely fucked. The school could only let so much slide.

And so Hyunwoo was forced to look despite himself.

But he didn’t look up, just side-eyed from beneath his fringe. The corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk.
“…The fuck do you want?”

Gyeonyeop stopped a few feet away, tall frame blocking the weak sunlight. Windbreaker zipped high, eyes sharp as always, dark hair neatly parted from the front, expression blank, unreadable. But he looked so damn serious. He said nothing. Just stood there, gaze fixed on Hyunwoo like he was peeling back layers.

Hyunwoo scoffed, leaning his head back against the wall, curly, fluffy hair moving along the motion. “Don’t tell me you came all the way here just to have your fill, too?” he scoffed, “go ahead then, beat me up.”

Silence.

Hyunwoo clicked his tongue, shifting the cigarette between his teeth. His gaze flicked up at Gyeonyeop, sharp and mocking.
Hyunwoo sighed. This guy was the last person he wanted to deal with right now. He didn’t know why he was even here but he had a glimpse of it. “You know I wasn’t the one who fucked with your mom, right? So quit hovering around me and fuck off, haunt someone else.”

The words were meant to cut, to hurt and to make him leave.

Gyeonyeop didn’t even blink. His voice, when it came, was flat, low.
“I know.”

And Hyunwoo felt it then, the taller’s heavy gaze staring right into him and Hyunwoo glanced up staring back. There was a flicker of something in the other’s eyes that anyone would easily miss but Hyunwoo caught it. It was something almost tender, something close to concern.

And Hyunwoo had no idea how he felt about it but it was something close to dread. The fear of being known and seen.

That threw Hyunwoo for half a minute. His smirk had long faltered, before snapping back into place. He looked away, dragging the lighter out of his pocket with a sharp click.
“Then fuck off, yeah? You’re killing the vibe.”

The flame caught, glow brushing against his bruised face. And Gyeonyeop couldn’t stop noticing these little things. The way Hyunwoo still looked unfairly pretty like this. The moles on his cheek and under his eyes looked.. almost inviting. His lips plump and hair perfectly curly.

He didn’t know why he was even here. Maybe because he now knew Hyunwoo wasn’t a bad guy, he was under Pi han’s influence and did everything to protect his sister, Lee Jiwoo, his only family. Maybe, it reminded him of himself and the lengths he’d go through to protect his late mother.

Gyeonyeop wanted to say something, he wanted Hyunwoo to be away from trouble, wanted to stay close but even he himself did not realise it fully. He felt this strange pull towards Hyunwoo and he HAD to take action. And today he’d tell him that. He had made up his mind, but he didn’t know what to say and how to say it. He had never approached anyone like this before, never felt the desire to build connections after his mother’s passing.

Hyunwoo inhaled, patience running out. He lazily propped himself up and stood on his feet, Gyeonyeop’s eyes followed him. Hyunwoo wanted to eliminate the height difference but it was still very much there. He stepped forward, now face to face, and took a drag. Smoke curled out in lazy spirals, he eyed Gyeonyeop the whole time. The taller boy also stepped closer, but only enough that the air felt heavier between them.

Hyunwoo huffed out a short laugh, blowing smoke deliberately toward him.
“What, you want a piece of me too? Get in line.”

Gyeonyeop’s gaze flicked to his busted lips, then back to his eyes. “Don’t torture yourself. You’re not like them.” he spoke, no judgment, no heat — just that intense, unreadable stare.

Hyunwoo shifted, restless under it. He squirmed under his gaze, getting slightly confused . “Fuck are you talking about?”

Gyeonyeop exhaled and opened his mouth, “Let’s stick together.”

Hyunwoo’s eyes widened, caught off guard, he cursed under his breath, dragging another long pull from his cigarette before throwing it away, like he could smoke the tension away.

He scoffed once more, closing the little gap they had in between. “And why should I do that?”

Gyeonyeop’s eyes tensed and darted on Hyunwoo’s face. Still looking down at him.

Wow.

A guy like Gyeonyeop… the same Gyeonyeop who had pinned him down in that parking lot, appeared flustered now.

“I want to know you more,” immediately looking away after as if recoiling from what he just said.

Hyunwoo’s lips involuntarily parted. He gazed up at him, expression much softer now. And God, Gyeonyeop felt a pang in his chest. Things were more clearer now. The more he observed this guy, the more he wanted to be by his side.

Chapter Text

By the time Hyunwoo stepped outside, the campus was nearly empty, only the hum of distant traffic filling the air. He shoved his hands into his pockets, head ducked, cigarette pack rattling against his lighter.

He dug out another cigarette, tapping it against the box with a sharp snap before sticking it between his lips. His lighter clicked once, twice. Flame caught, glow brushing against the bruises on his face.

He hated how that guy’s words stuck in his head.

“Let’s stick together.”

The hell was that supposed to mean?

Hyunwoo blew out smoke and shook his head, trying to shrug it off as he crossed the empty courtyard.

Hyunwoo didn’t really know Geonyeop. Not back then. All he knew was that he was the quiet kid whose mom got murdered because of Pi Han-wul’s filthy business. And yeah — Hyunwoo had sympathized.

When the truth first came out about Geonyeop’s mom, about how brutally casual Pi Han had been about the whole thing, Hyunwoo had felt sick to his stomach. It wasn’t pity, not exactly — more like that cold, crawling anger that burns in your chest when you hear about something so unfair it almost doesn’t feel real.

But it hadn’t been for Geonyeop. Not personally.

It was just… basic human decency. The kind that kicks in whether you like the person or not. He could’ve been a stranger on the street, and Hyunwoo still would’ve felt bad for him.

Because back then, Geonyeop was just another face in the crowd — someone Hyunwoo barely paid attention to.

So why was Geonyeop proposing something like this to him? He was sure it was the same for Geonyeop, they rarely even saw each other.

The words kept repeating, playing over and over until he wanted to punch something. It was just so… stupid. Or maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it pissed him off because it didn’t sound stupid at all.

Hyunwoo kicked a pebble down the street, jaw tightening.

Yeah, whatever.

He felt a little relieved knowing Geonyeop or anyone at all won’t disturb him again. After all, just earlier he had pushed and cussed at him to stay the hell away and not try to be his damn therapist. No one in their right mind would bother him again after that. Right?

Wrong.

And he felt it — that presence again.

He turned, already knowing who he’d see.

Sure enough, when he glanced back over his shoulder, Geonyeop was there — walking a few paces behind him, hands in his pockets, long legs eating up the distance like he had nowhere else in the world to be.

Hyunwoo clicked his tongue and stopped walking.
“…You seriously following me right now?”

Geonyeop didn’t answer, just stopped too, staring at him with that same maddeningly blank face.

Hyunwoo laughed under his breath, sharp and humorless.
“You’re actually out of your mind.” He turned fully, squinting at him through the haze of smoke. “I said stay away, bastard.”

No reply.

He turned back around and kept walking, faster this time, like that might make Geonyeop stop.

But the footsteps stayed behind him — steady, patient, unhurried.

Hyunwoo’s shoulders tensed. After a block, he spun back around, exasperation sharp in his voice.
“You got nothing better to do?”

Geonyeop didn’t flinch. “No.”

That one word made Hyunwoo stare for a second before scoffing, shaking his head.
“You’re seriously hopeless,” he muttered.

Geonyeop didn’t answer, just stopped too, staring at him with that same maddeningly blank face.

Hyunwoo laughed under his breath, sharp and humorless.
“You’re actually out of your mind.” He turned fully, squinting at him through the haze of smoke. “What’s your deal, huh? You mute or just really like wasting my time?”

No reply.

Hyunwoo sighed dramatically, dragging a hand through his messy curls.
“God, you’re annoying.”

But the footsteps stayed behind and then in front of him— Geonyeop was now blocking his path.

Hyunwoo’s paused, his shoulders tensed. Slightly shocked from the sudden closeness  then there came the exasperation sharp in his voice.
“This bastard… he’s lost it.” He looked up at him straight in the eyes. Now ready to throw fists anytime.

“Lee Hyunwoo,” Geonyeop finally spoke. “just listen to me, All I want is for you to not end up like the rest of them.”

Hyunwoo felt his temper spike.
“Oh, shut the fuck up. You don’t know me. You think you’ve got me figured out just ‘cause you stood there staring at me for five minutes?”

Geonyeop stepped forward expression dead serious. Close enough to make Hyunwoo feel caged, but not close enough to touch.

“You’re right,” Geonyeop said. “I don’t know you. But I want to.”

There it was again. That calm, quiet force that felt heavier than yelling.

Hyunwoo hated that it made his stomach feel weird. He wanted to beat him up and have him give up but he couldn’t afford more trouble. He had promised himself to just take the beatings, only fight when threatened. All for Jiwoo’s sake.

So he just sighed.

“You’re a fucking freak, you know that?” Hyunwoo muttered, shoving past him.

But Geonyeop followed again.

He followed him all the way down the street, even when Hyunwoo cut through a side alley just to shake him off.

By the time Hyunwoo whirled on him, chest heaving, his patience was gone.
“Are you looking for a fight?”

“Just hear me out.”

Hyunwoo scoffed, fully annoyed now.

“Fine,” he snapped, shrugging off his windbreaker and tossing it aside.

Geonyeop felt a sense of accomplishment, Hyunwoo was finally willing to listen after all. But Hyunwoo had started to curl his hands into fists now, positioning himself as to punch him.

That sense of accomplishment faded fast.

“Let’s go then. You’ve been dying to take a swing at me since day one, right?,” Hyunwoo spoke.

Geonyeop’s eyes flickered for a moment. He exhaled, a glimpse of confusion in his eyes. This isn’t what he wanted.

“You’re not ready,” he exhaled.

That stung more than Hyunwoo expected.

“Fuck you mean I’m not ready?!” Hyunwoo snarled, stepping right into his space, finger jabbing at his chest. “I’ll fucking—”

And before Hyunwoo could finish his sentence, Geonyeop’s hand shot out  fast, fingers precisely wrapping around Hyunwoo’s wrist, slamming it to the wall.

Hyunwoo froze, a sharp breath leaving him.

Not out of fear but because of how sudden it was. 

Geonyeop’s grip wasn’t bone-crushing, but it was unshakable, solid against Hyunwoo’s bruised skin. The wall felt cold against his back, and the air between them tightened, heavy enough to choke on.

“Stop looking for ways to destroy yourself,” Geonyeop spoke, voice calm and low. 

Hyunwoo’s eyes flicked up to meet his, startled despite himself.

Up close, Geonyeop’s face looked determined, his eyes boring into him like he could see straight through the front Hyunwoo put up for the world.

And Hyunwoo hated how exposed that made him feel.

“Please..,” Geonyeop uttered, voice dripping with worry, eyebrows now knitted together a little, pleading.

Hyunwoo swallowed, throat dry. Chin up and eyes darting all over Geonyeop’s face as if taken aback.

“The hell do you care?” he muttered, trying to sound sharp — but it came out quieter than he meant.

Geonyeop just stood there, close enough that Hyunwoo could feel the heat radiating off him, close enough to notice how calm his breathing was compared to his own erratic heartbeat.

But of course thats only how it appeared to Hyunwoo. In reality, Geonyeop’s heart had picked up a pace.

The look in Hyunwoo’s eyes, the eye contact, the burning sensation where he held him. The sound of Hyunwoo breathing.

All of it was messing with his head.

The longer the silence stretched, the more restless Hyunwoo felt.

“Let go,” he said finally, but it was softer this time — almost a whisper.

For a moment, Geonyeop didn’t move. His grip loosened slowly, fingers trailing off Hyunwoo’s wrist but eyes still focused onto the shorter, like he was reluctant to release him, before finally stepping back just enough to give him space.

Hyunwoo stayed against the wall a second longer than he meant to, chest heaving with quiet, shallow breaths, before pushing off it and putting some distance between them.

“Stay out of my business,” he spat, but his voice cracked just a little.

Geonyeop didn’t answer, just watched him turn and leave, feeling disappointed in himself.

The latter didn’t look back, didn’t slow down until he was halfway home, heart hammering in his chest like he’d just been in a fight.

Except it wasn’t a fight. Not really.

And that pissed him off more than anything.