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The movie wasn’t that interesting.
It was a western film, The Great Gilby (?) or something, and maybe it was because he had missed the first 20 minutes, but everything was just confusing and boring. It’d probably been years since he was able to slack off and watch a movie, but if this was the shit on TV, he really wasn’t missing much, he realised.
Subin didn’t even understand why Woori picked it in the first place. The bastard seemed worse off than him, eyes glazing over and drool escaping his lips as he sat across from him, like the lack of stimulation left him brain-dead. Ah, but that would imply his brain worked in the first place.
‘I guess this kind of movie isn’t his taste,’ He thought, watching as Woori jumped up from the couch the next second, clearly too miserable to continue any longer. He tossed the pillow he was clutching onto the ground absentmindedly, “Let’s go to sleep,” He said, despite it only being 8 p.m.
‘He even goes to sleep surprisingly early…’ Whenever he came home from work early, Sei would stay on the phone with her friends until midnight, laughing and gossiping about whatever middle-school girls cared about. He thought it was normal for teenagers, but Woori was anything but normal, wasn’t he? This was the same guy who didn’t have any of his friends’ numbers saved until this week, after all.
Woori walked to his bedroom without even turning back to glance at him, as if he knew Subin would follow behind him anyway.
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“Why didn’t you go with your parents?” Subin asked, staring up at the vast ceiling of Woori’s bedroom, lying across from the boy. They were side by side on his bed, the distance between their shoulders probably only an inch.
“I like it here,” Woori replied, “I had no desire to follow my parents into business. And my friends are at school here,” He said it as if he didn’t make friends everywhere he went, and like he didn’t toss them aside whenever he got bored of them. “A guy like you could easily make friends overseas,” Subin told him. It was just the truth— people flocked around him for his looks, and stayed ‘cause he made them feel all special and chosen.
“Why do you keep trying to send me far away? If I did, we would’ve never met. And I don’t even speak English,” Woori pointed out, eyes closed shut since he plopped down onto the soft mattress. ‘I think I would’ve been fine not meeting you,’ Subin thought honestly, but he didn’t say it out loud for some reason.
“What are you gonna do with your first paycheck?” Woori’s voice was a little smug-sounding, Subin felt, and he chuckled a bit as he asked. “You told me to pay for the door,” Subin’s voice was dry as he reminded him. “Right, I mean, after deducting all of that,” He knew what Woori meant, but he didn’t like making anything easy for the asshole.
“...Savings,” He answered plainly. What else would he do with the money— buy a SquishyRoll subscription?
“Savings? All of it? Any plans to move?” Woori’s voice was confused as he questioned again. “I will…” He rolled on his side, facing the door as he finished, “Someday…” As soon as he could, hopefully close to a good high school, and in a comfortable apartment with at least two bedrooms.
Woori laughed, “I wanna see Sei too. It’s been a while,” Subin was silent for a bit before he admitted, “...She’d probably like that,” She’d love it. Sei hadn’t seen him in years, but saw Woori as more of an older brother than him.
“Oh, really?” Woori laughed like he already expected that answer, and it ticked him off a bit.
“How old was Sei again? Isn’t she entering high school soon? Which school did she say she’s going to?” This guy started sounding like Curious Jorge.
“I don’t know, she doesn’t seem to have thought about it,” And even if she did, she wouldn’t bother telling Subin anyway.
“??? Tell her to apply to our school!” Even with his back turned, he could hear the grin in Woori’s voice, like he just solved all of Subin's problems. Despite himself, he smiled a bit, “She’d probably fucking hate that.”
“Our school is a total mess. There isn’t a single thing about it that doesn’t suck,” Woori said it honestly, like he wasn’t even trying to be mean.
“Is it because it’s old?” Subin inquired, and Woori continued, “The facilities are one thing, but the kids are weird too. Watching them, it’s like they’re NPCs with no desires. Like they don’t have any thoughts, so they don’t talk much?? It’s like they’re moving based on an algorithm someone set up…” It was stupid, but he sounded so concerned for them that Subin actually laughed, “Yeah, I think I know what you mean.”
“What about college for you?” Woori turned to face him, nudging his leg with his own foot.
“What the hell do you mean, college,” He knew Subin had given up on college already. Even if he wasn’t working himself to death anymore, only ‘cause he got fired, he had neglected his studies for too long. There was no hope for him.
“Why? If you study hard starting now, you might be able to go. I’ll bet one of my balls it’s not completely impossible,” He could feel Woori looming over him as he spoke, even with his eyes shut.
“I should just rip it off right now.”
Woori flipped over again, facing the window as he muttered, “Should I fix it up…?” Subin didn’t know what he was going on about, but he could guess the rich bastard was talking about their high school. He already donated a sports field for fun, so it wasn’t outlandish. He could do whatever he wanted.
He ignored him, though, standing up from his place on the other boy’s bed, “Just go to sleep now.”
“Hey, where are you going?” Woori asked, voice dangerously close to a whine. He contained the urge to roll his eyes as he turned to look at him, “To sleep.”
The other boy was curled up on the bed, knees to his chest, as he looked up at him, “You can’t do that. What if someone breaks in and you’re too far away to hear my screams of terror? You’re my bodyguard, remember?”
Subin stared down at the boy blankly, as if silently asking if he was stupid.
Woori spread his arms and legs wide on the bed, smiling as he ignored Subin’s irritated expression, “Look, it’s big enough for the both of us!”
Subin imagined punching this dumbass in the face, but instead, he begrudgingly sat back down on the plush mattress, resting his head on a pillow in silence. He could tell the idiot beside him was content and had fallen asleep almost immediately.
He didn’t know what Woori’s issue was. Why the hell would he wanna sleep next to another guy? Maybe he was gay. That would explain a lot about him.
He chased after girls like flies swarming around garbage, though, so maybe he swung both ways.
He shifted around a bit; he wasn’t used to the chill of an air-conditioned room, and for some reason, this weirdo slept without so much as a blanket. Just as he was about to slip off the bed quietly, to find a cover, maybe, in this unnecessarily big house, he felt an arm sling over his shoulder. And then a leg strewn over his. He stiffened.
He turnt his head to look, but the culprit was still sleeping. The bastard even had the nerve to get closer, burying his face into Subin’s neck.
Is this why he wanted to sleep together? To treat him like a stuffed animal? This guy really pissed him off.
He could feel the smooth texture of the boy’s satin pyjamas against his bare skin, and the warmth of his body seeping through his clothes. Woori was near enough that his hair tickled his chin, and he could smell the shampoo he had used only a few hours ago. It was sickly sweet—like a flower garden. He wanted to puke at the smell, but it felt like
Maybe he just couldn’t control his anger.
Sweat was prickling at his forehead, as if he wasn’t shivering a moment ago, until this moron decided to latch onto him like a parasite.
Woori was snoring softly against his neck, letting out small puffs of warm air, and he shivered a bit. He sounded like a pig, and it’d be so easy to just push him off, but he just lay there and listened. His fingers twitched at his side, and his cheeks were embarrassingly hot. This wasn’t even the first time they slept together.
He remembered that day in the hospital bed with Woori, 6 years ago.
The other boy had asked him to stay, just like tonight, even though Subin was the reason he ended up there in the first place.
It was so pitiful, he couldn’t say no.
He remembers how fast his heart beat when he slid under the sheet with him, clutching it so tightly it could’ve torn apart in his small fist. Woori giggled at how red his face was, but his own cheeks were flushed too.
Unconsciously, he carded his fingers through Woori’s hair. This was how he used to coax Sei to sleep when they were kids; that was all, yet it just sounded like he was trying to convince himself. Woori’s hair slipped through his fingers like silk, so soft it would probably make Sei jealous. It was messy, but there wasn't a single tangle in it, and Subin wanted nothing more than to grip a fistful of it.
He wanted to yank the other boy’s head back, to trace the curve of his slender neck with his teeth.
He wondered what kind of expression he would make. Would he be shocked? Scared? Would he like it?
Did he want him to like it?
His heart was pounding hard against his ribcage; it was almost painful now, and so obnoxiously loud he was scared it would wake Woori up. Subin swallowed thickly, adams apple bobbing as he shifted, keeping his hand entangled in Woori’s hair as he gently turned on his side to face him.
He didn’t know what he was doing, didn’t know how the hell his other hand found its way to the boy’s waist, tightening around him— pulling him closer. Moonlight shone on them from outside the window, and it was starting to feel unbearably hot in Woori’s air-conditioned bedroom.
He must be going insane, he thought, that’s the only reasonable explanation for what was going on here. He’d rather die than even consider the possibility of him having…God, he can’t even say it.
It really felt like his hand wasn’t his anymore as it slid down from its place in the other boy’s hair, landing on his earlobe, massaging it gently. He froze as he heard something, though. It was a noise so soft it could’ve been lost among all the thoughts racing in his head— but he had heard it loud and clear.
Woori’s breath had hitched, and it felt like all the air was knocked out of him.
He looked down slowly, dread filling his body as he saw the pinkened tips of the boy’s earlobe, how even his face was flushed an irritating red. A chilling clarity came over him, and he could suddenly feel how Woori was damn near trembling in his hold, eyes shut so tightly it seemed like he was scared of something.
He didn’t even think about it. He shoved Woori away, jumping up and running out of the room.
He didn’t even think about where he was going, just ran and ran until he reached the front door of his and Sei’s run-down, basement apartment.
He didn’t go inside, just slid down the door with his head in his hands.
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“Shit—What the fuck is that kid’s problem?!” Woori screeched, tugging his hair as the incident played back in his mind, all alone in his bedroom with the door wide open. Subin had sprinted out of the room like a frightened cat, running like he was the one who had been wronged!
But he did have to count his blessings, though. At least that bastard didn’t kill him out of pure embarrassment…
He was fine with Sei having a crush on him; it was beneficial (kind of), but why the fuck was that psycho in love with him now, too??!! Was he just that Goddamn charismatic?? He really needed to tone it down from now on, then, huh…
Fuck, what if those crazy ass siblings fight over him…
A shiver ran down his spine as he imagined it.
Subin was the only one who really mattered; he needed to keep him happy so he wouldn’t stab him or something, so Sei’s feelings didn’t matter right now.
He was just doing this for his own safety. Yeah.
He ignored the weird feeling in his stomach and how his scalp tingled.