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Kenny met Nathan while he was doing a study abroad program in South Korea. The two of them bonded quickly after being the only two Americans on the floor of their international dorms. One day before their winter break his roommate Aito suggested that the two Americans take a trip to visit other parts of Korea. Kenny knew it was just Aito being polite about the fact that if he had to spend more than a week living with Kenny without a daily escape he would probably kill him. Half of Kenny wanted to ask Nathan to have a sleepover in his room just to piss the other off more, but the other half did like being alive, so he agreed to leaving.
The two quickly realized how expensive going to any of the fun vacation destinations in Korea would be. Most of the budget options were still too much for their college wallets to handle. So they were left with the lesser known places in the Korean countryside. "Oh, This looks fun, it's all cute and snowy. We can get some cute pictures and make people think we went skiing or something." Kenny said, pointing at the photos on the screen, it was only a couple hours by bus and there seemed to be a lot of free things to do because of the holidays. Despite the place being ridiculously small, it was near a larger city where most tourists went, so they had more things to do than other places in the area.
"I don't know, isn't it cold enough here, do you really want to go up north?" Nathan said skeptically.
Kenny hummed and quickly glanced over the other options, "It's the best we can afford. Unless you wanna stay here and risk getting your entire bloodline cursed by Aito."
"Deal. I get to pick one actually fun thing to do though. I don't wanna be your personal camera man the entire time." Nathan said already searching up thrill events in the area.
A dramatic gasp left Kenny's lips as he placed a hand on his chest, "My presence isn't enough enjoyment for you?"
"No Kenny, it's not." Nathan said as he continued to click trough the web pages.
The next day they had packed their things and prepared to board the bus to the destination. Besides the fact that they were on a crowded bus, the ride was actually pleasant. Between the warm heating, snacks they brought for the journey and the snowy landscape outside the window, it was no wonder Kenny started taking photos before they even got off the bus.
"So what did you book anyway?" Kenny asked as they grabbed hot drinks from a convenience store. "I heard you laughing as you put in the credit card info."
Nathan had a smug grin on his face "Just a sky tour of the area."
The choice of words immediately set off the alarm bells in Kenny's head. "Sky tour? That sounds fancy, how did you afford that? It's either dangerous or a scam."
Nathan waved off his concerns, "It's not a scam, I did my research."
"Bro, I've seen your grades that does not make me feel better." He replied, crossing his arms.
"Think of all the cool pictures we can get..." Nathan exaggerated in a melodic tone.
With a deep sigh Kenny reluctantly agreed. "Fine, lets get this over with."
When he saw that this tour was some guy with two hang gliders he nearly ran off, but seeing how enthusiastic Nathan was about it he stayed to listen to the safety presentation and tried not to freak out at the fact one of them would have to go solo. The instructor reassured Kenny he would be right next to him. (he lost rock paper scissors) Maybe he should've been concerned when they were also handed parachutes 'in case of freak accidents.'
"Nathan, I'm going to kill you," Kenny scowled as he was forced to run down the steep hill he just struggled to climb in order to catch the wind. Every step became lighter as the weight of all the gear he was dragging around began to lighten.
As soon as his feet left the ground he began praying to god not to let him die before he'd gotten a boyfriend. That seemed to be the wrong choice of words. Just as he was beginning to enjoy himself and take in the view of the snowy landscape below him a sudden gust of wind rushed under his glider and forced him into the air. All he could do was shriek as he was suddenly launched higher into the sky.
His breath was increasing but he tried to remain calm and remember this would just mean he would land later. The wind suddenly changed direction and before he could think, Nathan and the instructor were suddenly out of his sight. This seemed to qualify as a freak accident, the perfect time to pull the parachute cord, but Kenny's hands were gripping the handle of the glider so tight he couldn't bring himself to let go. The cold air combined with his fear left him chilled to the bone, he was 90% sure he was going blue at this point.
A sudden ringing from his pockets broke him out of his thoughts. With shaking hands he brought his phone up to his ear, dropping the device was the least of his worries at this point. When he read the caller ID some warmth did come back to his body, the anger that surged through him providing enough clarity for him to start yelling. "Nathan start planning your funeral! When I get down there I'm gonna-"
"Kenny listen to me, you're heading towards North Korea. Do not let go of that glider until you absolutely have to." Nathan said on the other side.
Despite Kenny's body already being frozen, now he felt paralyzed. "I'm sorry, repeat that. WHERE?"
"Look dude, we've called the authorities, but with how things are looking the rescue team might not get to you before you cross the border. They don't want to risk you landing in the DMZ." Nathan said from the other side of the phone.
"Did you forget, I'M AMERICAN! The South Korean government can't do shit if I cross that border. What the fuck am I supposed to do?" Kenny said, his panic only growing as the cell signal began to weaken, static began to consume the silence between them.
He could picture the expression of disbelief on Nathans face, "Pretend to be Chinese or something. What's important is you-" The call cut out before the sentence could be finished.
"Nathan, NATHAN!" Kenny called out in one last desperate attempt before shutting the phone off and putting it in his pocket. He wasn't even sure if anything about it would work in North Korea. And if it did would it be better to let them scan all of his personal information or try and hide the thing.
The ground below him began to change and he knew it was the point of no return now. There were all sorts of barriers and specks of military weapons he couldn't quite place. The combination of his low body temp and the altitude he was gliding at must've saved his ass because eventually the scenery returned to normal, well as normal as being in North Korea would be.
Eventually the wind slowed down, and Kenny finally began to descend. When the wind finally stopped he finally let go and opened his parachute, coasting the rest of the way down. Most of the area around him was flat land and forest so he was too worried about running into people, until he realized he was about to land directly in a wheat field which only meant one thing, it was a farm. Unfortunately those don't maintain themselves, that meant a farmer would probably be nearby. Even more unfortunately, one of those farmers happened to be walking through at the exact spot where his legs neared the ground. He couldn't even get a warning out in any language, just yelling in fear when his body collided with the other person.
The two went tumbling to the ground, wrapped up in a mess of gear. Kenny shoved the parachute fabric off of them and realized he was in a compromising position, completely trapping this stranger underneath him. With a red face he stood up as fast as possible. Kenny was too scared to run off, but he didn't know if this person would try to grab him so he kept his distance. If you squinted it would look like he was in a fighting stance but the only damage Kenny could do was with words, and he couldn't use any of them right now. He took a second to look at the stranger. His clothes were a little ragged, but that might be because Kenny just ran him over. Besides, no one was gonna wear their good clothes in the middle of a wheat field.
For a minute or so the two stared at each other, not knowing what the others next move would be. The moment was interrupted when the sound of footsteps broke the silence that surrounded them. Kenny was surprised that the stranger was the first to hide. Shouldn't he be fine since he presumably lives in the area. He slapped a hand over his own mouth to hide the yelp of surprise when the person grabbed his hand and yanked him him into the crops. They hid, both standing frozen as two men in military uniforms walked past waving flashlights and searching like they were looking for something, or someone specific.
How did they find him already?
Just as the pair was about to be discovered, Kenny's discarded gliding equipment distracted the soldiers and gave them an opening to escape. Did Kenny know if this was the right decision? Absolutely not. Something about the North Korean holding his hand and guiding him through a maze of crops made him feel safe despite the danger he was in.
When they finally stopped moving the person finally spoke up. Only problem was that Kenny could barely understand Korean as it is, the accent just added another level of confusion. he picked up on the word 'name' and internally panicked. No one used his Chinese name outside of his relatives but remembering Nathan's advice he decided to use that one instead of his English one.
The person seemed to relax a little at finding out he was "Chinese." and brought him back to his home. It wasn't much, but Kenny knew he was in a rural area so he wasn't expecting anything similar to what he was used to in Seoul. It was only when a wool blanket was draped over him that he realized he was shivering. The stranger began to light a fire in the far corner of the room to heat up not only the stove but also the house.
Kenny wanted to ask his name, but figured his accent would give away that he way lying about his identity. All he could do was point at him and hope that it was enough for him to get it. This time he could understand what was said.
"My name? it's Seok." The other answered as he pulled out a kettle. He began to say more things but Kenny still couldn't understand most of the words. It must've shown on his face because Seok began to speak slower. "Are you hurt?"
Kenny shook his head, Seok broke his fall surprisingly well. The only issue he had was being colder than he'd ever felt in his life. There were so many questions he wanted to ask. Why was Seok in that field? Why was he running from guards? How was he supposed to get home from here?
It was all too much to think about in the moment, and that was probably the reason why Seok just handed him a cup of hot water and pretended everything was normal. They could deal with it in the morning. Now that Kenny could feel his fingers he could actually process his surroundings. Taking a seat at one of the stools set near the fire he began to let his eyes wander around the space.
Besides the obvious of the fact that his current safe house was a bit more run down than he previously noticed. He noticed that the floor and walls were concrete, but it was hidden with a couple pictures and a rug so he assumed it was just tile or something. The stove used to heat up the place was run down as well, with a spotted coat he wasn't sure was chipping paint or flaking metal. There was a door leading into a small room that ate into their available floor space and all Kenny could hope was that it was a bathroom because that was another thing he failed to consider. There were lights, but since the place was so small the glow of the fire was enough to see everything they needed to.
The most important observation was that Seok was really hot. It was already confusing enough being in this situation, but now he was stuck in it with a guy who made his brain turn to mush every time they made eye contact? Seok didn't seem to pay Kenny any mind though, Getting up to grab some blankets and sleeping mats from where they were piled up in another corner of the room. There was a small mattress in the corner, but it obviously wouldn't fit both of them unless the two got really familiar really quickly.
Since Seok was so busy Kenny took it upon himself to get more water, pulling his hand back quicky as the heat from the kettle handle burned his finger tips. It must've been cooler when Seok held it or the guy has insane heat tolerance. Wrapping the blanket around his hand he was able to pour more water into his cup. He probably could've asked for tea, but flavor didn't matter to him in the moment. He was only drinking the stuff to raise his body temperature.
At first Kenny thought he'd be the one to lay on the ground since he was technically a guest/ fugitive. Seok had just finished arranging both sleeping areas, but instead of laying on the bed, he lay sprawled out on the floor setup. It was obvious the man was exhausted and would've fallen asleep the second he got home if it weren't for their encounter. So the foreigner took the hint and quickly finished his drink before taking his given place on the bed.
What happened that night couldn't be described as sleep. Despite the fire remaining on all night, it was still uncomfortably cold. Kenny bundled up the best he could and shut his eyes, hoping his body would do the rest for him. However, sleep came in phases, only a few minutes at a time before he shocked himself awake again. By the time he actually fell unconscious, Seok was shaking him awake. For a second Kenny almost cursed him out but then remembered he wasn't supposed to talk, luckily catching himself before he made a sound.
Seok had brought him a bowl of rice and some tea for breakfast. Kenny was noticing a pattern but didn't comment on it. As he was eating a new person came though the door and Kenny instinctively flinched. Keeping his distance from the obvious military official. Despite being decorated with medals, the solider looked fairly young. He didn't seem surprised to see Kenny either, simply turning to Seok and saying something to him that he couldn't quite catch.
After their surprisingly animated conversation the officer turned to Kenny, "Do you understand South Korean?"
Shit. A translator. Kenny made a maybe gesture but his eyes showed recognition.
"Mandarin?" The officer asked in the language.
Again, Kenny made the maybe gesture.
"English?" The two looked at him expectantly, like there was a right and wrong answer to this question.
How he managed to avoid getting discovered should've earned him an Oscar. He confidently introduced himself in Mandarin hoping the issue would be dropped at that.
The solider continued to speak in mandarin, "Would you understand more if we spoke in Mandarin or South Korean dialect?"
"Mandarin." Kenny answered. The less affiliated with America the better right? It seemed to be the correct option because the solider finally dropped the act and began to sit down, making himself comfortable.
"You know they mentioned something about a tourist emergency in the south, but it was an American. Had to make sure that wasn't you." The soldier said with an amused expression.
All the foreigner could do was nod along and try to hide the nervous body language.
"Oh, I have not introduced myself." The solider suddenly perked up, "I have a Chinese name, but for consistency you can call me Hyuk."
Now it was Seok's turn to look incredibly confused at the conversation. Kenny felt kind of bad, if he just said he understood Korean they could all communicate. But no matter how hot Seok was, his priority was getting out of there.
Hyuk suddenly looked serious, "Well, in order for me to get you out of here you have to do what I say okay?"
Kenny nodded, listening along to the plan. It wasn't the most cunning or fool proof but if it got him to any of the surrounding countries he'd be okay. Essentially he had to get himself deported to China. Since the country was so heavily surveilled their biggest issue would be convincing the government that he slipped through the cracks somehow.
The story that worked best was that he worked on a shipping boat and when they docked to make a delivery he got lost in the commotion of unloading that the boat had begun to leave by the time he realized. He was going to head to the embassy but he couldn't understand Korean to figure out where he was. Kenny began to wander looking for a road and ended up unconscious near their town. Seok wouldn't get in trouble for housing Kenny either because as far as the office was concerned Kenny was unconscious when Seok found him, the phone lines were down for the night, and Kenny didn't say anything until Hyuk started speaking to him in Mandarin.
The whole time they spoke Kenny's leg was bouncing. It couldn't be that easy could it? Was Hyuk more powerful than he thought? What if someone had seen him landing and reported it? What if they said he matched the description of the American too well? He quietly dabbed the sweat off his forehead as the thoughts continued to worry him.
Hyuk didn't seem the least bit worried though, like this sort of thing happened often. He must've been close with Seok since he was so willing to do this without a second thought. "We can not go tonight though." He said. "There is supposed to be heavy snow in a few hours and we are not supposed to drive unless it is emergency services."
Seok was actually the most surprised to hear that. But Hyuk said something teasing to him that made him blush and step out of the house.
Kenny looked at Hyuk in confusion, as if to ask what he said only to get a laugh in response.
"I asked why he is so scared of sharing a space with a cute boy all of a sudden."
All he could do was look around in shock and point to himself.
Seok was carrying several boxes of things and suddenly everything clicked in Kenny's mind, "Oh, you live together." Kenny said out loud. He'd grown used to the Mandarin now so suddenly slipping into English was less of a concern.
Without thinking Seok responded with "Have been for years now." in Mandarin and quickly slapped a hand over his mouth.
Hyuk just laughed, playfully slapping the others hand.
Kenny wasn't quite sure what the story was between the two of them. Honestly he wasn't entitled to knowing either. Finding not one, but two people who were so willing to help him and be nice was a bit jarring to say the least. There were several questions and he wasn't sure if it was allowed to ask. He was a stranger in their home. These people were putting themselves at risk for him, wouldn't it just be easier to stay silent? Despite the calm and talkative exterior, the exhaustion on Hyuks face was obvious to anyone who looked closer at him. The dark circles under his eyes, the slight puffiness in his face, the way his hair was beginning to lose it's perfectly crafted form. Maybe he was supposed to be on a break too, but Kenny showed up and ruined that plan for him. Seok was even worse for ware, his clothes were comfortable for the climate, but looked to be hanging on by a tread. The tips of his fingers were a different color than the rest of his hands, and despite trying to hide it he kept stretching as if to relieve the muscle soreness.
Seeing all of this he made up his mind, getting up from his spot on the bed and grabbing the boxes out of Seoks hands, trying not to notice how the other blushed at the slight brush of their hands. He carried the items to an empty corner and set them down, "Is there anything else we need to get?"
The two quickly opposed Kenny stepping out of the house, he reluctantly agreed but as more things kept being brought in, he would take them from Seok as soon as he crossed the threshold.
"Is there anything in particular you can not eat?" Hyuk asked as he began to fill the stove with more firewood. When he got a shake of his head in response Hyuk groaned and finally sat up. "Great, because there were not many alternatives."
Kenny looked over to see Seok had finally sat on the bed, but when Kenny sat beside him he tried to keep as much space between them as possible. "So you can speak Mandarin as well?" He asked, trying to make small talk.
The other still avoided eye contact but still answered, "I learned some things here and there, but I don't know enough to get a government position."
"Do you know any other languages?" Kenny asked, trying to hide his excitement that he finally opened up.
Seok nodded, "I think i do a pretty good Southern impression. Sometimes Hyuk brings me-" He was quickly cut off by a loud clanging sound.
"Seok, I know you are a little lovestruck but do not reveal too much, okay?" Hyuk said in a soft tone before going back to cooking.
Specks of white began to show out the window, the snowstorm that the eldest mentioned before had finally arrived. With how bare the home was, Kenny expected to be colder, but the warmth of the fire and his clothes made him feel right at home. In fact he was so comfortable his eyes slipped shut before he could even realize what happened. It was only when mumbled voices started to pick up in volume that he woke up. His eyes slowly fluttered open. Confusion was the first thing he felt because his face was pressed against something warm instead of a cold cement wall. After a couple seconds he realized it wasn't a something, it was a someone. Kenny quickly threw himself off Seok, muttering nervous apologies.
"It's okay, I didn't mind." The other responded, "Dinner is ready."
Kenny looked over and Hyuk had a grin on his face, witnessing the whole ordeal. He knew something Kenny didn't.
"I tried not to go overboard just because we have a guest." Hyuk said as he poured a portion of tofu stew into a bowl and handed it to Kenny, along with a bowl of rice.
The cracks in the facade began to show more. Looking down at the meal he noticed that despite there being vegetables and some seasoning, there wasn't as much as what Kenny remembers form when he'd eat traditional food in the south. If there wasn't tofu there wouldn't have been any protein and Kenny was left to wonder if they were vegetarians or was meat that scarce? Once again he reminded himself that he was in no position to speculate about anything.
Silence took over, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Normally Kenny would want to break the ice and try to make friends, or more than friends if he ran into Seok with different circumstances. Yet he was content to just sit and observe. It was interesting to learn more about the two. Soon their plan made it's way back to his mind and the calm he found quickly dissolved.
"So what exactly happens once I get handed over to the government?" Kenny finally spoke up.
Hyuk hummed. "They will interrogate you, maybe question why you are wearing foreign-made clothing, and ask what company you work for. Just say you are not a fixed employee. I will give you a name of one that is likely to confirm our story. If you have anything incriminating, just hand it over to me and I'll give it back when we do the transfer."
"You seem really confident." Kenny muttered.
"Do I have the privilege of being nervous?" Hyuk replied. "Trust me, the more oblivious you are, the higher our chances of getting you out of here."
This was the most intimidating Hyuk had looked since being introduced, Kenny just nodded and continued to eat. Despite his doubts about the meal earlier he actually felt satiated. When Hyuk was distracted he turned to Seok. "Does that mean I can't ask about you?"
Seoks eyes widened as he wasn't expecting to be addressed, "What do you want to know?"
"How do you know Mandarin? And if you know multiple languages, shouldn't you also be a military officer?" It was an invasive question in hindsight. Despite the kindness he'd been shown all of this could be some kind of trap.
There was hesitation, which didn't help his worries. Seok looked up to make sure Hyuk was still distracted, or at least pretending to be. "They can't find out how I learned it."
"How did you learn?" Kenny asked.
Seok shook his head, "I can't tell you that. Let's just say the answer to your question is I like having options."
"I am the only government employee that still lives here." Hyuk replied, letting them know he was listening. "Everyone else moved to the larger villages and cities. Most jumped at the opportunity but that made me realize, if less people lived out here, then I could finally have moments to myself."
Seok chimed in, "Yeah, it can get a little rough out here, especially since Hyuk is gone for weeks to months at a time for work. The privacy makes up for it though. I could get a better job doing something else, but I'm content out here. We don't have to worry about any surprise visitors." He joked.
Kenny chuckled a little, immediately noticing how the others lips curled up. "You have a pretty smile." He said without thinking.
The air in the room instantly chilled as Kenny hid his face in his hands, "Can you forget I said that?"
Hyuk's laughter broke the tension that seemed to form between the two. "This is adorable."
Hiding his face wasn't enough, Kenny took his hood and threw it over his head, hiding his body in a ball. He only revealed himself when Seok placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad you like my smile, can you come out now?" He said softly.
Reluctantly, the foreigner revealed himself, "I'm sorry, I've been overstepping."
"Honestly I have been holding back too. You probably know so much about the world, but I shouldn't ask." Seok's eyes lit up for the first time since they met.
Suddenly the vague answers made sense in Kenny's head, but he knew despite feeling safe with the two, he couldn't reveal his secret. "I think you'd like it out there." Was the only thing he could bring himself to say about the whole ordeal.
Hyuk, who'd previously been amused, cut the conversation at that, "Okay, time to sleep, big day tomorrow."
"Hyung, take the bed, we can sleep on the floor tonight." Seok quickly got up from his spot and began to lay out the sleeping mats once again.
Kenny didn't like being volunteered but he did agree with the statement, helping Seok arrange the bedding for the night. As quiet settled over the room Seok and Kenny were left alone, laying next to each other as Hyuk's snores filled the empty space.
"Why do you think I'd like being out there?" The other finally whispered.
"I don't know you very well," he admitted, voice so quiet he could barely hear himself, "I can tell you're a curious person. You'd have so many ways to indulge in that. I would've loved to know what you learned."
There were no words exchanged after that, but the realization that this would be their last time seeing each other was a looming presence. As the memories of their first encounter lulled both men to sleep. The two found themselves drifting closer together as the night carried on. By morning Kenny was practically laying on top of Seok, the others arm resting on his back.
"Did anything happen while I was asleep?" Hyuk joked.
Kenny was the first to wake up and quickly rolled over, only to be met with the resistance of Seok pulling him back in. He felt himself turning red at the situation, quickly tapping the other, "Seok, Seok!" He whisper-yelled.
With a muttered voice the last of the three finally woke up. He didn't seem aware of what he was doing, his hand still holding onto Kenny until his brain finally comprehended what his body was doing. The two were practically on the opposite sides of the room within seconds and Hyuk just laughed at them the entire time.
"I have to get the car ready to leave. So if you two are going to do something romantic, now is the time," Was all that was said before the door opened and closed.
The two were left alone with unspoken tension between them, neither of them having the nerve to break the silence. They both knew it wasn't logical to have feelings for each other after one day. Confessing would make even less sense. With longing stares they silently agreed that this was the end. Kenny wanted to reach out and hug him as one final goodbye, but that would only make separation that much harder. If he couldn't play his role correctly, they would all be in trouble.
Hyuk came back in and instantly noticed the distance between the two. Instead of offering words of comfort he just clapped his hands to break the two out of their trances. "Alright, It is time to go. I already called ahead so there is no turning back now."
Kenny sighed and got to his feet. With one last look at Seok, he walked out the door.
The car ride was mostly silent. And when Hyuk did talk it was strange the relaxed and playful tone was completely gone.
"Since the embassy is near the border we may be driving a while." was all the officer said.
Kenny's eyes scanned the interior, and for the most part it looked normal. The radio was the biggest change, all the controls were there but they looked to be blacked out and he noticed tiny clusters of holes in certain areas. Of course the car was wired. The house was probably the only place safe from cameras, but that might be because electricity was so limited out there it wouldn't make sense to waste the resources.
With the knowledge that he couldn't say anything and nothing but snow covered wilderness outside the window, Kenny leaned back in the passengers seat and began to doze off. Part of him hoped he could just sleep through the whole journey, it would make his whole clueless act come across better and take the government target off his back when he returned to Korea.
Maybe it was the exhaustion from everything finally catching up with him, or the vibrations of the car consistently rocking him to sleep, but that's exactly what happened. He remembers shadows casting over him at some points, and even hearing murmured voices. Other than that he wasn't woken up until he was well within the limits of a city. Hyuk reached over and tapped him, telling him to sit up, sending him a knowing glance between him and the glove compartment.
Kenny nodded and pulled the handle, the only thing in it was a small bag and he instantly got the message, pulling out his phone, wallet, and anything else that might incriminate him and putting them inside before hiding it again.
When he finally had the chance to look around, everything looked pretty normal, unlike all the propaganda he'd been led to believe. Something felt off though, almost too pristine. All the small imperfections that came with larger cities were minimal if non existent from what he could see. It wasn't like he could go through and check every nook and cranny of the place, especially since they'd just pulled up to a large government building with the Chinese flag on it.
When they got out the car Hyuk had a tight hold on Kenny's arm, acting as if he was preventing him from fleeing. They walked inside after Hyuk showed his ID and the guards out front nodded. Surprisingly, Kenny could understand this portion of Korean but he maintained a confused expression to show he was listening but didn't process the words.
"This is the man I told you about on the phone. He says he got abandoned by his ship on accident. Something about the holidays seems to mess with people."
The woman at the front desk shook her head, "Again? That is like the 3rd time this year, we will have to tighten our grip on the suppliers."
Hyuk was quick to shake his head, "Considering how far away he got, it seems like this is an individual problem."
"Take him to processing, you know the drill," She said, pointing him down a hallway.
Hyuk nodded and brought him to an interrogation room, similar to the ones you find in police departments. Not that he knew what those actually looked like. His hands were handcuffed and latched onto a table bolted to the ground.
"It is standard procedure to do this. I know you mean no harm but technically you are a criminal." Hyuk explained before taking a seat across from him.
Two soldiers came in, one Chinese, and one another North Korean Officer who took Hyuks place. Kenny was hoping Hyuk would stay there, but it made sense why he couldn't. Hyuk could lie about what he was saying to him, or have a bias because they had interacted for a long time without supervision.
The Chinese officer looked at him with wide eyes before snapping back to reality. "Prepare for a search, it will be non-invasive," he said.
Kenny stood up as both officers pat him down. The North Korean officer freaked out at the English on his tags before the Chinese officer pointed out that Chinese and Korean were present as well. Many manufactures do that to save on production costs. It wasn't concrete evidence of spying.
Hyuk did not prepare him for how brutal the interrogation process was. Kenny was tearing up at several points from the amount of yelling. To make it worse, he didn't have an ID on him so he had to pretend that the interview stressed him out so much that he couldn't remember.
"Who did you speak to?" "What did you see?" "What towns did you pass through?" "Where did you get these clothes?" "Have you ever had military training?" Along with an unfathomable amount of questions about his parents, his grandparents, what company he worked for, how he got the job, and so many more. Some of the questions made him realize that Hyuk didn't coach him well enough because it was probably things that would be easy for a Chinese person to answer. Luckily on the questions he might've failed the Chinese officer was able to quell the lingering suspicion.
It seemed to work, but he couldn't know for sure, both soldiers simply walked out the room and left him there to wonder if he was about to be stuck here or get his freedom. Hyuk came back into the room and removed his handcuffs from the table, but he was still restrained. "We have deemed you not a threat to our national security. The Chinese government has agreed to let you return to the country for proper identification. You will be placed in a transport vehicle and brought to the nearest detention center on the other side of the border." Was all he could say.
The two walked as close as they could without drawing suspicion, the truck they used to transport him was intimidating to say the least, but it would only be him. Kenny wanted to say something, anything, to the man that had helped him so much, but all they could spare was quick glances as he was enclosed in the truck.
As soon as the vehicle began moving he finally let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Relief washing over him for the first time since he arrived. It didn't take long for him to get to the secondary prison in China, but thankfully his reputation preceded him, so he didn't have to waste his breath on explaining the situation. They did replace the North Korean handcuffs with their own though. Kenny was placed in a holding cell while yet another car was on it's way to take him to the US embassy for another round of interrogations. In that moment of alone time he felt around in his pockets to find the pouch with all his belongings in it was back in his pocket. He doesn't know how Hyuk managed to do that but he was both impressed and terrified. He was then brought to the U.S embassy. English, despite it being his native language, sounded almost unfamiliar to him after being stuck in a country that didn't even use loanwords for a few days. The interrogations were just as, if not more intense than before. They searched his phone, scanned his ID, searched up his Social Security number, and even hooked him up to a lie detector test. He was asked the same questions about who he knew, his family history, what he'd seen. They told him to write about everything in detail. Kenny did, except for the part about how he was interested in Seok. The one thing he made sure to emphasize that no one knew he was an American. Nor did anyone really know how he actually ended up in the country. The thing that terrified him the most was that he'd somehow put Hyuk and Seok in danger by saying the wrong thing.
Once again he was deemed safe, but he couldn't go back to Korea. After being deported back home and having his passport shipped back to him, it took a long time to get his visa issues resolved. The first thing he did when he was finally back in South Korea was find Nathan. "I'm never doing anything with you again!" He yelled, repeatedly hitting him. "I hope you finally figured out how to do better research because if you had gotten stuck there, you'd automatically be in prison!"
Nathan shouted out in pain, but he didn't object to any of it. He knew it was what he deserved for almost singlehandedly causing an international crisis. "I'm sorry!" He shouted, once the hits lightened up. "I'll buy you barbeque."
The bargaining only made Kenny more upset. "Oh that's not gonna cut it." He said gabbing him and dragging him to the floor to basically stay on top of him and trap him there to listen to him complaining. "I get your credit card for a week, No restrictions!" He said, grabbing Nathans arm and bending it until he conceited.
"Ow ow ow! FINE!" Nathan said, collapsing on the floor to take a breath not that the torture had stopped. "I'm glad you're back though."
Kenny gave a warm smile, "Glad to be back. Now where's Aito? I need to see what he did with all my stuff."
Things started off weird. Even though the government kept the whole situation under wraps, his classmates knew something was off and pieced things together. So he was constantly asked about it as if it was some gossip topic, but he signed several NDA's so the attention died down fast. One thing he learned is that when people realize they can't get information out of you they don't care what happens to you after that.
He still thinks about Hyuk, and to a greater extent Seok. Sometimes he would let his hands brush across where they touched, or think back to the look in his eyes. At first he tried to lie to himself and say he was reading too much into it. He tried to distract himself and get over his feelings and that made it worse. Just when he was destined to be stuck longing for a man he could never have, his program director announced that a new student from North Korea would be joining them. Kenny tried not to get his hopes up, but the constant murmuring from his classmates made his heartrate spike.
When Seok walked though those doors, everything around him froze. He didn't hear what the teacher said, he's not sure Seok did either, but suddenly the empty chair next to him was occupied. His mind told him that he couldn't say anything yet. Seok might not feel the same way. Maybe he felt betrayed knowing that he was being lied to. Maybe he thought it was coincidence and Kenny would have to break the news that he was lying to him. His leg began to bounce anxiously only to be stopped by a hand on his knee. Kenny instantly whipped his head around to look at the other, not caring what confused stares were directed at him.
Seok was obviously trying to hold back a laugh as he offered his hand underneath the table, his grin only grew as Kenny took it.
Between passed notes the two agreed to meet in Kenny's dorm once class let out. As soon as the door shut behind them the facade finally dropped. Not in the way it used to. For the first time, the two could finally see each other as they truly were.
"You lied to me, 'Kenny'." Seok said in a teasing voice, making his way towards him.
Kenny was still overthinking things and completely missed the flirting, jumping straight into apologies. "I know, and I'm sorry. With how things are between the two countries I didn't think you'd help me if I was honest. I understand if-" He was cut off by hands cupping the sides of his face. When he finally looked into the others eyes the affection was so obvious it was almost overwhelming. "Isn't this a little fast?" He swallowed.
"If you call waiting for over a year fast." Seok replied. "I don't care that you lied. We were all lying to some degree that's just how things are there. That's one of the things I like about being here. I don't have to hide how what I'm feeling." He said, running his thumb along the others cheek.
"But what if you end up hating me?" Kenny said, still hesitating to give in completely.
Seok got impossibly closer, their noses almost brushing together, "What if I end up loving you? Will you allow me to find out what the answer will be?"
"Aren't you scared?" Kenny asked, he wanted to pull back, but couldn't bring himself to. "What about Hyuk? Shouldn't you wait until he's safe?"
The other shook his head with a slight grin. "Who do you think my roommate is? What I'm scared of is losing my chance with the handsome guy who thinks I have a pretty smile. I don't want to miss the opportunity to love him out loud. Do you think he'd let me?"
Kenny couldn't even finish nodding before their lips connected. His hands instinctively finding Seoks waist. It was gentle and sweet, clearly the first, but far from the last.
Unfortunately the kiss was broken, not by their own choice, but because Aito had entered. He completely ignored the scene in front of him and just grabbed a few of his belongings. "Don't have too much fun." was all he said before closing the door and leaving the two alone once again.
Kenny pinched the bridge of his nose, partly to hid the blush on his face. "I'm sorry about him."
Seok pulled the other closer, gently pulling the hand away from his face to intertwine their fingers. "Well he is right about me having fun."
There was a small moment where Kenny pretended to be scandalized before Seok began planting kisses across his entire face.