Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Someone was moving in next door.

Han Yoojin sat on the front stairs, short legs swinging slightly as he sipped at his juice. There had been men coming in and out of the house beside theirs all day, bringing boxes and furniture and making lots of noise, but he hadn't seen who was moving just yet.

Grandpa said it was probably someone rich and obnu-- obnush-- annoying, because there'd been men working on the house for a long time now, and the house looked nothing like it used to, before. 'What a waste of a perfectly good hanok,' Grandpa had said, followed by the grumbling of 'people these days and their modern tastes'. But Han Yoojin remembered it had used to look very old, and broken, and abandoned, and sad, and secretly thought it actually looked better like this.

He didn't say it to Grandpa, though. He had already gotten a lecture that day about getting Froggy all muddy. Frogs were supposed to live in mud, but Grandpa had said that mud was also supposed to be outside the house, and Han Yoojin hadn't been able to think up an argument against that quickly enough.

So now Froggy was in the washing machine. And Han Yoojin was all by himself, watching the men walking in and out, admiring the way their muscles bulged as they carried boxes bigger than Han Yoojin himself. Which was not hard, exactly, because Han Yoojin always struggled to look over the kitchen counters, but it was okay because Grandpa said he'd get bigger when he got older! And Yoohyun-ie had even more to grow than he did, so!

A car drifted by, stopping near the moving van. It was all black and shiny, with windows that didn't let Han Yoojin peek inside; the door opened, and a well-dressed man came out.

Grandpa hated the kind of men who wore fancy suits. Han Yoojin considered going inside to call him so he could watch as Grandpa hovered and grumbled and growled at the man, but figured he hadn't been quite forgiven for the muddy floors just yet.

And then.

And then, wide-eyed, Han Yoojin watched as the back door also opened. Out came a far shorter pair of legs, dangling above the ground before their owner hopped out of the car, arms spread like a gymnast on TV. It's a kid!

Han Yoojin didn't know they'd be having a kid for a neighbour! Instantly, that whole moving business became heaps more fun: this meant Han Yoojin would have a friend to play with at home! Yoohyun-ie was very, very, super cute, but he was also too little to do anything more but wiggle around cutely in his crib, and Han Yoojin had been strictly forbidden from giving him any of his favourite toys because it was dangerous.

But maybe the other kid would even have action figures!

Han Yoojin jumped excitedly to the ground, juice box long forgotten. His small legs carried him to the curb as quickly as they managed, and he was skidding on mud before he could stop himself properly. It was fine! Grandpa said the clothes were already dirty enough that they were just going to go on the wash anyway! It was way more important to be polite, so Han Yoojin stuck out his little hand in front of him for the other kid to shake.

"Hi! I'm Han Yoojin!"

And then he thought wow! Because the pretty, shiny hair, the perfectly round face, and the golden eyes framed by super long and even shinier lashes, had got to make this the prettiest person he'd ever seen. Han Yoojin gaped a little, before he remembered that was rude and snapped his mouth shut again.

And then the other kid looked down at his clothes. Down to his hand. And opened his mouth. "Good for you."

Which. Was not the answer Han Yoojin had been expecting. He frowned down at his still-stretched hand, trying to make sense of the answer. "O... kay?"

He kept his hand up. Maybe that was a compliment? The other kid looked a bit like a foreigner, so maybe his Korean just wasn't that good?

"What's your name?"

"Sung Hyunjae." The other kid frowned. "You're dirty."

"Oh." Han Yoojin paused; wiped his hand before sticking it out again. "That's okay, it's just mud. I was playing with Froggy just now!"

"Frogs are ugly."

...What? "They are not!"

"Are too."

"Are not!"

"They're dirty and ugly and gross."

"Froggy is cute!"

"Froggy is dirty and ug--"

That was it. Han Yoojin threw him down on the mud. "Who's dirty now?!"

By the time both their caretakers reached them, there wasn't a single clean spot left on either of them.

***

"I deeply apologize for the actions of my young master."

A middle-aged, tired-looking man in a suit bowed deeply to the Han family patriarch.

Grandpa sighed deeply, bowing back. "No need, no need. It was our Yoojin who threw the first punch, from what I hear. We should be the ones to apologize."

"No, I don't believe so," the other man said. "Unfortunately, I am well aware of what my young master is like, so he likely only encouraged it. I am afraid he's become more vicious recently, but there's only so much I can do in my position."

Grandpa eyed him consideringly. "Babysitter?"

"Something like it, at least for now." If the man disliked it, he didn't show it; his face stayed apologetic, but neutral. "I am Edeal Vantes, an aide to the Sung family. Recently, caring for the young master has become my sole responsibility."

"That's quite the circumstance." Grandpa sighed, putting his hands on his hips and stretching his back. "You're the ones moving in next door, right? Do let us know if you have any issues with the house."

"After what happened, it feels like too much to ask this." Edeal Vantes hesitated. "But rather than anything to do with the house, would it be possible to have the kids play together instead? My young master is-- He is not allowed to be taken out of the house much, I'm afraid."

Grandpa's eyes climbed up his forehead. "After they threw each other in the mud?"

Vantes sighed deeply.

A pause.

"It's not like I'm against it." Grandpa looked back at where Han Yoojin was pouting, entirely dishevelled and covered head to toe in mud. "But I don't think the kids themselves would want to."

"They'd be under supervision, this time." Vantes also looked back to his own ward who had ran inside, trailing mud the whole way. "I'd take full responsibility for this, of course. It is my request after all."

This seemed to make Grandpa reconsider. "No need to go that far; they can play here occasionally. But it's not a bad suggestion."

There was a baby in the house, after all, and no healthy, vigorous child of Han Yoojin's age could stay quiet for that long, even if they were the kind to fuss over their younger sibling. If there was enough supervision that they wouldn't get in trouble again--

Vantes' tight posture slackened with relief. "Thank you, Elder. I cannot state how much I appreciate this."

"No," Grandpa said, already thinking of at least one quiet afternoon in his future, "thank you."

***

"I don't want to!"

Han Yoojin clung onto Froggy, freshly washed and warm from the dryer. Grandpa sighed, stretching slightly before putting his hands on his hips.

"Just the other day you were complaining you had no one but Yoohyun-ie to play with."

"But I don't want to play with him." Han Yoojin pulled his little face into a grimace. "He's a meanie."

"You hit him first, remember?"

"Because he was mean!"

"That's not a good enough reason."

Which was a lot when Grandpa was the one saying it, considering the amount of times he got in fights and then grumbled over his bruised knuckles so Han Yoojin would do the dishes instead. Han Yoojin pouted up at him, holding tight to Froggy. "What if he's mean to Froggy again?"

"Be mean to him back."

"You just said--!"

"You just can't hit him."

"What if--"

"Don't bite him either. Think of poor Vantes-ssi."

"Poor Vantes-ahjussi should keep him locked up, then," Han Yoojin grumbled. But at that point Grandpa had already neatly bundled him up and out the door, and the big gate next door was swinging open to welcome them inside.

"Yoojin-ah, Elder, welcome." Vantes-ahjussi stood inside, dressed in his usual neat suit. Han Yoojin thought it was a little weird to dress up like that just to hang out at home, but maybe he thought Grandpa was just really impressive and wanted to dress up for him? He clung a little to Grandpa's pant leg, wishing he was fast enough to sprint back home without getting caught.

"Vantes-ssi, good morning. Yoojin-ah, greet Vantes-ssi too."

Han Yoojin shrunk a bit. "...Hi."

"Good morning, Han Yoojin. Did you sleep well?"

"..."

"Yoojin-ah."

"...Mn."

Grandpa sighed. "Please don't mind his shyness. He'll get over it fast, and then you won't be able to get him to stop talking."

Han Yoojin poked vengefully at his leg.

"I understand." Vantes-ahjussi nodded, looking a little wistful. "Ah, but despite everything, I don't think I caught your name the other day, Elder."

Oh! Han Yoojin knew that much! He drew himself really straight, nearly vibrating with excitement. "Young Chaos!"

Vantes-ahjussi looked down at Han Yoojin in bewilderment, who immediately hid again behind Grandpa's leg.

Grandpa paused for a second, before one corner of his lips quirked up. "...You heard the kid."

"...Young Chaos-nim?"

"As my friends call me."

"...Elder, then."

"If you insist." Grandpa didn't seem bothered, pushing Han Yoojin forward from where he was hiding. "Be good, Yoojin-ah. Don't cause Vantes-ssi any more trouble."

"Can't I go home?" Han Yoojin whined softly into Grandpa's sleeve. Unfortunately, it must have been muffled enough that Grandpa didn't hear, because he only patted his shoulder and took a step back from where Han Yoojin stood.

"I'll come get you when it's time for Yoohyun-ie to wake up," Grandpa said, and patted him again for good measure, this time in the head. Han Yoojin pouted at him, feeling like he'd been abandoned to the wolves.

Vantes-ahjussi smiled softly down at him, holding the door open. "Shall we go inside?"

Resigned, Han Yoojin went.

***

The house was huge.

Han Yoojin was fairly sure the old house hadn't been as big. It had always looked so tiny and sad, and they had changed so many things anyway, so maybe they'd made the house twice as big, too! But it wasn't fair that Sung Hyunjae got to live in a house this big, though maybe the way it felt cold and empty inside made up for it. Han Yoojin thought a dog house would fit him better instead.

He marvelled at the lack of pictures on the walls, at how there were no toys on the floor anywhere, or even discarded pieces of baby clothing. It felt so different in comparison to Grandpa's old house - full of nicks, and scratches, because Grandpa and his friends sometimes practiced with their swords or brawl where they shouldn't, and Han Yoojin tended to trip everywhere, and also stray bits of paint where Han Yoojin had accidentally wiped his hand against the wall after using his colours.

This house was new, though. Maybe Sung Hyunjae just hadn't painted with any colours yet, or maybe Vantes-ahjussi cared more about keeping the house clean than Grandpa ever did.

"The Young Master is in the kitchen," Vantes-ahjussi said soothingly, guiding Han Yoojin forward.

Reluctantly, he went. The kitchen was big and white and shiny, nothing like Grandpa's traditional one, and sitting at a stool in the middle of it, sulking with crossed arms, was Sung Hyunjae.

Han Yoojin felt his own mouth form into a scowl just at the sight of him. Sung Hyunjae didn't say anything, so he didn't say anything either; Sung Hyunjae didn't look at him, so Han Yoojin hmphed and looked away, too. It wasn't like he wanted to speak with him either, anyway! He was only here to be good for Grandpa!

"Kids, do you want a snack before playing?"

Han Yoojin kind of did want a snack. But Sung Hyunjae didn't say anything, so he guiltily only shook his head in order not to be that rude, thinking all the while that Vantes-ahjussi was way too nice to have to put up with such a bratty kid as Sung Hyunjae.

Vantes-ahjussi gave a sad little look to Sung Hyunjae, before he clapped his hands together once and said, "Well, let us move on to the playroom, then."

There was an entire room just for playing? It was enough to get Han Yoojin excited, but that quickly fizzled out when Sung Hyunjae hopped from his seat and strode ahead of them, completely ignoring them both.

Han Yoojin tugged at Vantes-ahjussi's sleeve. "...Is Sung Hyunjae mad at you too?"

Vantes-ahjussi graced him with a tired smile. "My young master is a very kind boy, but he has a lot of pride as well."

Han Yoojin wasn't too sure what that had to do with anything, but he was also afraid of Sung Hyunjae overhearing and making fun of him for asking, so he quieted down again and followed after. Sung Hyunjae pulled a door open at some point, disappearing inside with a scowl, and Vantes-ahjussi guided him inside after him.

There were so many toys. Shelves and shelves of them, shiny and brand-new and some even still in their packaging, unlike Han Yoojin's broken train set and old spinning top that had once belonged to Grandpa too; it felt like he was in a dream, knowing he could play with any and all of them. His eyes glittered greedily, falling on one thing after the other: fancy robots, glistening car models and race tracks, a set of balls for different sports, and even a trampoline! He wanted to race towards it so bad, but--

But Sung Hyunjae had sat in a corner, back towards all of them. It didn't look like he was playing with any toys at all.

...This was stupid.

"Young Master, don't you want to play together?"

Poor Vantes-ahjussi was still trying, despite Sung Hyunjae putting his nose in the air at the mere suggestion. "This was your idea, so he can play by himself. It's not like he has any good toys anyway. Just that stupid frog."

"Froggy is a hundred times more fun than you!" A pause. "And prettier!" Which was a lie, because he'd never seen anyone prettier than Sung Hyunjae, but Sung Hyunjae didn't need to know that. Besides, Froggy was way nicer, and everyone knew that was better than being pretty!

"You're ugly!"

"No, you!"

"...Kids." Vantes-ahjussi sighed, placing a hand on Han Yoojin's shoulder. Han Yoojin realized he was trembling, fists clenched, and lowered his eyes to the ground.

Grandpa had said not to cause trouble for Vantes-ahjussi.

"I don't like you," Han Yoojin said meanly, and whirled on his feet. He found his own corner of the room to cross his arms in, pretending he couldn't see all the shiny toys around him, because if they were Sung Hyunjae's then he didn't want to play with them at all.

This was stupid. Sung Hyunjae was stupid.

...Han Yoojin wanted to go home.

***

The following times weren't any better.

Han Yoojin sulked as he was forced to go to the Sung household's garden, to the grocery store, to a playground, and to the public park together. Sung Hyunjae, on the latter, slipped away as soon as Vantes-ahjussi's eyes weren't on them, and Han Yoojin was only too happy to be away from him, so he didn't snitch. Instead, he gave a wide berth to the flower field Sung Hyunjae had installed himself in, and busied himself running around after a flock of birds to see if he could catch one to show Yoohyun-ie.

His Yoohyun-ie was so cute! He liked to stand on his crib staring at Han Yoojin with his huge black eyes, waiting to be taken out for a cuddle. Han Yoojin couldn't do it without help, though, so he liked to just hold hands over the edge and play like that until Grandpa could come and do it for him. Yoohyun-ie was so warm and soft after he woke up from a nap, and that was Han Yoojin's favourite time to play with him, holding him close like a living plushie.

Yoohyun-ie wasn't really interested in the outside world, but that was okay! Han Yoojin could bring him stuff to see, because Yoohyun-ie paid more attention when it was Han Yoojin showing anything to him, and then he could get to like them. And if he didn't, Han Yoojin could find something else! Because Yoohyun-ie was the cutest!

So Han Yoojin collected a few neat stones, a leaf with a weird shape, and a grasshopper. The grasshopper wasn't the best idea though, because it kept squirming inside Han Yoojin's sweaty hands, and it'd been there for a while now, and Han Yoojin wasn't sure when they'd actually leave.

So he went to ask Vantes-ahjussi.

Vantes-ahjussi was a little caught off-guard, because he blinked at Han Yoojin for a bit before replying. "Where is the young master?"

Oops. Han Yoojin had forgotten that they were supposed to be playing together. "Ah, I just came ahead to ask," he lied. "I'll go tell him if we're going soon."

Vantes-ahjussi looked a bit reluctant, but he nodded. "I supposed it's nearing snack time, anyway. Go and warn the young master while I gather our things."

Han Yoojin nodded happily, skipping off back to the flower field. It was really unfair that poor Vantes-ahjussi was stuck with someone like Sung Hyunjae; he was way too nice to have to deal with someone like that all the time. Han Yoojin only had to deal with him occasionally, and that was already bad enough.

Han Yoojin called for Sung Hyunjae, who was laying down on the flowers and looking a little like a fairy from a storybook. So unfair! Mean people should never get to look this nice, and Han Yoojin pouted when Sung Hyunjae didn't reply.

Maybe he hadn't heard him? Han Yoojin called for him again.

Sung Hyunjae didn't reply.

Well, he wasn't asleep, because Han Yoojin could see that he had his eyes open, from where he stood. He was even looking at Han Yoojin, just a little; a glance to him and then away, as if he wanted to make sure that he knew Sung Hyunjae was ignoring him on purpose.

Han Yoojin looked at Sung Hyunjae's dumb, smug face. And then at his hands, where the grasshopper was still squirming insistently.

And he let it jump.

Directly in Sung Hyunjae's face.

***

"Perhaps this wasn't a good idea," Vantes-ahjussi said, sounding a bit sad. Han Yoojin peeked around the open door to see him cradling one of Grandpa's most fragile cups of tea, the kind that he never let Han Yoojin play with.

Grandpa leaned back, looking slightly awkward. "It's fine, it's fine. I'm also to blame. I didn't think the kids would get along this badly."

Vantes-ahjussi sighed. "The young master has never learned to properly socialize, so it is only to be expected. I had hoped that moving here could give him a more normal life, but--"

"Ah, kids are unpredictable, Vantes-ssi." Grandpa waved him off, taking a drink from his own tea. "Trust me on that. I didn't know what to expect when I decided to care for mine, and they still surprised me."

"Yours as in...?"

"Yoojin-ie and Yoohyun-ie," Grandpa confirmed, and Han Yoojin curled up on himself, huddling back behind the wall. He felt he was hearing it from very far away when Grandpa continued: "They're my grand-nephews, and I barely even knew their parents. But they didn't want to keep Yoohyun-ie, and Yoojin-ie was too attached to him to stay behind."

Han Yoojin squeezed his plushie tight. Froggy's little head flopped back, beady black eyes reflecting the living room's light. Why was Grandpa bringing that up again?

Suddenly, he wanted to go back to his room.

"Mine is the same."

Han Yoojin paused.

Vantes-ahjussi gave a wry laugh. "It is rather unprofessional of me to say this, but unfortunately the young master's parents did not enjoy his presence. They wished to send him abroad; that I managed to convince them to try a more secluded environment instead was nothing short of a miracle."

"Him, too?" Grandpa sighed. "I don't understand people who have kids without wanting them."

That's not fair, Han Yoojin thought, hugging Froggy tighter. Mommy and daddy wanted me, and they wanted Yoohyun-ie. Even though they had stopped looking at Han Yoohyun not too long after he had been born, and their smiles had turned stiff and forced when Han Yoojin wanted to hug him, or feed him, or play with him, or bring him along when their parents wanted to go out.

But they did want him still!

"The young master was not what they expected," Vantes-ahjussi said, though Han Yoojin's little ears barely picked it up. "He's very smart, you know? It's hard to keep anything a secret from him, and his personality isn't the kind to forgive easily. He could tell that he wasn't wanted, and there was no walking back from that. From how often they left him behind, or left his care to others, or didn't know his favourite things--"

...He didn't want to listen to this anymore. Han Yoojin got up, Froggy held close, and ran for Yoohyun-ie's bedroom before anyone could scold him for listening in.

***

One good thing came out of the grasshopper incident: Han Yoojin stopped being forced to play with Sung Hyunjae. He wasn't sure whether to feel smug or guilty about it, though, because Vantes-ahjussi had looked pretty sad, and Grandpa seemed to be disappointed in him. Han Yoojin wanted to be a good kid, especially for Grandpa!

Grandpa didn't seem very convinced when Han Yoojin told him that he hadn't hit Sung Hyunjae, this time. But Grandpa wasn't the one who had to put up with Sung Hyunjae, either. So.

With a vicious sort of satisfaction, Han Yoojin doubled down on his efforts to spoil little Yoohyun-ie. So much that Grandpa took extra efforts to get them both out of the house, now that Vantes-ahjussi wasn't doing it anymore, and Han Yoojin was pretty happy about it!

He loved going out with Yoohyun-ie and Grandpa - to the park, to visit Elder Sloth and Elder Dandelion, to watch as Grandpa taught at the dojang, to the mall, to the pool - and on the way home, even the sight of Sung Hyunjae slipping into the park wasn't enough to ruin his mood before he forgot all about him again.

But poor Vantes-ahjussi...

That very day, he came knocking at their door, frantic. His eyes were very wide, and he looked as scared as Han Yoojin had the one time Yoohyun-ie had started choking on his own spit and he thought he had killed him, and his hands were shaking as Grandpa told him to sit down while he made tea.

"I cannot stay, I'm afraid," Vantes-ahjussi said, wringing his hands. "The young master is missing. I don't suppose you've seen him anywhere? Any clue as to where he might be would help; I've already asked around in the neighbourhood, and no one has seen him. I'll be going to the police next, but--"

"Vantes-ssi, please calm down--" Grandpa was saying, and Han Yoojin tuned him out, going right back to playing with Yoohyun-ie.

If Sung Hyunjae had decided to run away, then that was his own problem. Han Yoojin threw tantrums too, but he knew better than to do that, because Grandpa would be worried and Yoohyun-ie wouldn't have anyone to play with, so he couldn't.

He mentally patted Vantes-ahjussi, who seemed like he must be stressed every day from trying to deal with Sung Hyunjae, and went back to playing with his toys.

***

It was about to rain.

Yoohyun-ie babbled at him, in that cute, serious way of his, wiggling his tiny fists.

"Yes, it's the rain!" Han Yoojin said cheerfully. "You know rain, Yoohyun-ie! Where frogs like to play, and slugs come out! I think you'll like slugs. They're slimy and squishy and fun!"

Then again, Yoohyun-ie's tiny fists tended to curl up really tight, so maybe the slug would just be squished out from his hand? He'd have to ask Grandpa, who'd scolded him the last time he brought a bug for Yoohyun-ie to play with.

He needed Grandpa's help to get Yoohyun-ie down from the crib, anyway, so he bounced to the kitchen to ask. But, as he got close, there were voices from the entry hall.

Oh, was that Vantes-ahjussi again?

"I've been searching everywhere." He sounded exhausted, worse than Grandpa did after Yoohyun-ie and Han Yoojin had both been stubborn all day. "The police are already notified, but it's getting dark. His parents are currently on their way--"

Wow, Sung Hyunjae might even get something out of this. Han Yoojin thought his parents wouldn't come, if it was him.

"--to Europe, so they mentioned they would be unreachable."

Oh. Han Yoojin's tummy churned.

That was a bit mean of them, wasn't it?

Vantes-ahjussi's voice was aggrieved. "He was waiting for them to call all of yesterday."

...Now he was feeling kind of bad. He waffled a bit back and forth, wondering if he should tell Vantes-ahjussi where Sung Hyunjae might be. But if Sung Hyunjae had ran away once, then wouldn't he just run away again if he saw Vantes-ahjussi? He frowned as he walked back to the bedroom, stroking his chin thoughtfully like he saw Grandpa do sometimes when playing janggi with his Elder Sloth.

Maybe Han Yoojin could try to be nice, even to someone mean like Sung Hyunjae.

Just this once.

"Shh," he told Yoohyun-ie, who was staring at him with wide, unblinking black eyes. "It's gonna be our secret, okay? Don't tell Grandpa!"

He was sure he'd be back before Grandpa even noticed: Han Yoojin was determined he'd be fast, and even come back clean! He bravely tied Froggy to his belt, and then, making sure neither Vantes-ahjussi and Grandpa were by the entrance anymore, stood on his tippy-toes to retrieve his frog umbrella, and sat down on the stairs to put his big green rain shoes on. Then he remembered that Grandpa always gave him food when Han Yoojin was feeling sad, so he took off his rain boots again, dashed clumsily to the kitchen to get a pack of cookies, and ran back to put them back on.

He had a mission!

Decisively, he set off. The rain splish-splashed all around him, creating puddles and little streams down the sides of the street. Han Yoojin mourned for a second that there wasn't time for floating paper boats down them like he used to with Mama and Papa, but shook his head a moment after. He could do that later!

For now, he had to rush to the park!

Sung Hyunjae wasn't where Han Yoojin expected him to be. Han Yoojin frowned, pouting as the rain splashed against his the green fabric of his umbrella; he was sure Sung Hyunjae would have come here, but if not out in the flower field, then--

Oh! Wait! Sung Hyunjae hated mud! Brightening, Han Yoojin dashed for the trees dotting the park, wet umbrella bobbing up and down in his wake. Sung Hyunjae was so prim and fancy that he wouldn't want to be rained on or play around in the puddles, so he must have run away from the rain!

And he was right! After a bit of searching, Han Yoojin found him leaning back against a tree, shivering and miserable, eyebrows stubbornly set when Han Yoojin showed up in front of him. Water dripped down his hair and lashes, soaking into the thin button-up shirt he wore.

"What do you want?" He bit out, as soon as Han Yoojin came close. "I'm not going back."

Han Yoojin held back the insult he wanted to reply with. Grandpa always said 'one should consider other people's feelings', and Han Yoojin would also get angry and mean if he was wet and cold for a long time. So he took a deep breath and placed the umbrella over Sung Hyunjae as well, feeling the rain smack faintly against the back of his raincoat.

"Why would I bring you back?" Han Yoojin said, meaner than he'd meant. Oops. "Ah, no. I mean--"

Sung Hyunjae glared up at him. "Go away, then."

"That's not very nice."

"I don't feel very nice."

"Well, I know that," Han Yoojin huffed. "That's why I came to find you."

"If Vantes sent you--"

"He didn't," he interrupted. "I'm alone. Vantes-ahjussi doesn't even know I'm here."

Sung Hyunjae squinted at him. It was unfair that he was this pretty even then, with rain falling from his lashes like crystals, when he was such a mean person and scowled every time Han Yoojin was around.

But that was fine! Han Yoojin could be friendly anyway. This time, and only because it was his birthday. With a huff, he threw himself down to sit next to Sung Hyunjae, carefully lodging his umbrella in the middle so it could protect them both. What actually happened was that Han Yoojin started getting rain dripping onto his shoulder instead, and on part of Sung Hyunjae's back, but he had on his raincoat and Sung Hyunjae was already wet all over, so. It was fine.

Sung Hyunjae wiggled. "What are you doing?"

"Sitting, stupid." Han Yoojin stuck his tongue out. "I got us cookies."

"I don't want your stupid cookies."

"They're birthday cookies." Han Yoojin waggled them under Sung Hyunjae's wrinkling nose, making ooohhh and aaaaahhhh noises like he'd seen in commercials. "Are you sure you don't want them?"

"...Are you sure they're birthday cookies? It doesn't say anything on the box."

"Well, if they're not birthday cookies, then I'll just eat them all instead."

Sung Hyunjae glared furiously. "You just said they're mine!"

"I said they were birthday cookies! Not yours!"

"But it's my birthday!" Sung Hyunjae cried out, right before sniffling once, twice. And then--

And then, big fat tears were dribbling out, rolling down his rosy cheeks like shiny beads, and nearly scaring Han Yoojin's little heart into beating out of his chest.

"No, no, don't cry!" He clumsily reached for his face with the tips of his fingers, trying very hard not to accidentally shove them into his eyes instead of wiping the tears away. "You can have the cookies, I promise! I brought them for you! I-I was just being mean! And dumb! Sorry!"

But it was as if he hadn't said anything. "It's my birthday!"

"You're right, it's your birthday, it's your birthday!" Han Yoojin distressedly patted him, little fingers nowhere near enough to clean up his tears now that Sung Hyunjae was wailing in full. He waited for Sung Hyunjae to smack him away, but he seemed distracted enough to not even bother. "It's your birthday, I got it!"

"They didn't call!"

"What?" Han Yoojin wiped one tear after the other, a little caught by how they made Sung Hyunjae's golden eyes shine even brighter. "What are you talking about?"

"They didn't call until now," Sung Hyunjae kept babbling, pressing his face against Han Yoojin's questing fingers, "and it was fine, because I know they're busy, so it was okay if they didn't, but it's my birthday!"

"...Your parents?" Hesitatingly, Han Yoojin pulled Sung Hyunjae into a hug, patting his back awkwardly. He didn't like Sung Hyunjae, and Sung Hyunjae didn't like him, but Grandpa said that kind of thing didn't matter when someone was sad.

Sung Hyunjae seemed to agree, because he buried his face into Han Yoojin's shoulder. After a bit, he said softly: "Yeah."

Han Yoojin had already kind of known that, but he thought it'd make Sung Hyunjae feel even worse if he said it. So he tried to go for comfort instead: "Oh, then--"

"...They haven't called at all." His voice came very thin, very faint, muffled by the rain. "Since before we moved here."

Something in Han Yoojin's stomach sunk, too familiar. "...Oh."

"They've only talked to Vantes." A sniffle. "Not me."

"Oh," he said again.

Suddenly he felt very small and lonely, sitting there in the rain. He thought of Yoohyun-ie, waiting back at home, and how even lonelier he would be without Han Yoojin.

"...My parents don't really call anymore, either," he confessed. "They don't like Yoohyun-ie, and they don't like that I like him, so they left both of us behind."

Though they had called him on his birthday, and had asked him to move back with them, on the condition of leaving Yoohyun-ie with Grandpa. Han Yoojin saved that fact for himself guiltily, knowing it would only make things worse.

"That's stupid," Sung Hyunjae complained softly. "Han Yoohyun is just a baby."

"Yes!" Han Yoojin perked up, clenching his hand tighter. "He's such a cute baby! His cheeks are so pinchable! He's so well-behaved! He--"

Then he remembered he was supposed to be talking about Sung Hyunjae, and awkwardly trailed off. "...Adults are just dumb, I think."

His head sunk sheepishly. Sung Hyunjae felt a little cold against him, so he huddled closer to try and warm him as a way to save face; the other did not move away, but rather leaned his faintly trembling form even closer.

"I don't mind," Sung Hyunjae said softly. "You can talk about your brother, if you want. Babies are cute."

"It's okay," Han Yoojin said. "You'll hear a lot about him now that we're friends."

Sung Hyunjae paused. "...We're friends?"

Him questioning it was enough to make Han Yoojin's cheeks heat up in embarrassment; he shrunk on himself, drawing away. "I-If you don't want to, then I guess--"

"I didn't say that." Sung Hyunjae quickly snatched Han Yoojin's hand back up, clenching it tight in his. It was wet, and clammy and cold from the rain, and not entirely pleasant at all, but it warmed Han Yoojin up from the inside. "You're my friend now. You can't take it back."

"I wasn't going to!" Han Yoojin protested embarrassedly. "I just thought-- Uh, I thought you might not want to."

Now it was Sung Hyunjae's turn to look embarrassed. "It's fine."

"It's fine," Han Yoojin parroted, face steaming. "Friends?"

"Friends."

The rain pattered on the umbrella above them both, light in the new, comfortable silence.

"Ah," Sung Hyunjae said, almost as in afterthought. "They'll be looking for you, too."

Oops. Han Yoojin widened his eyes. "I forgot."

They exchanged sheepish little grins. "Do you want to go back?"

"Should we?"

"We're going to be so grounded."

"It's going to be worse the longer we take," Han Yoojin said wisely. He had long since learned this lesson, with Grandpa and with his parents both. "But we can stay, if you're still sad."

Sung Hyunjae tilted his head thoughtfully. "I think it's fine now."

"Yeah?"

"Mhmm." A larger grin spread over his face, wider and wider, until Sung Hyunjae's entire face shone dazzlingly bright and pretty. "Friends sound a lot better than parents, anyway."

Sung Hyunjae got up while Han Yoojin was still blinking the sparkles away from his eyes, hand stretched out to him. "Shall we go?"

Good for you, Han Yoojin remembered him saying, the last time a hand had been stretched out between them. Now, he thought the same thing, but he thought it sincerely. He took Sung Hyunjae's hand, allowing himself to be pulled up. "Yes!"

Only to get caught by a gust of wind.

"Ah! The umbrella!"

The frog-shaped umbrella went flying, ripped from his hand and rolling downhill with a bewildered expression in its fabric eyes. They gave it chase down the muddy trail and across the flower field, only to find rolling down the road in a chase for freedom, too far for them to have any hope to catch up.

"...It's okay," Sung Hyunjae said, and then sagely added: "We can't get any more wet than this, anyway."

"Grandpa is going to be so mad."

Han Yoojin giggled, which meant that Sung Hyunjae laughed right after. "Vantes is never going to let me back outside. Will you come visit?"

Han Yoojin swung his arms happily, taking out Froggy to play in the rain. "If Grandpa ever lets me go back outside, sure!"

Though he imagined it wouldn't take very long: Grandpa liked his peace and quiet to watch all those lame afternoon dramas, and there was only so long Han Yoojin could quietly watch Yoohyun-ie sleep in his crib. He'd wait a week to seem like he really was sorry, and then get extra noisy to make him run out of patience. Han Yoojin knew how to handle Grandpa well enough.

Then, as he looked at Froggy's floppy smile, he remembered something. "Oh, but! If we're friends now..." Han Yoojin moved it behind his back, shifting anxiously from foot to foot. "Then you need a birthday present, right?"

Sung Hyunjae looked down at the cookie sleeve, now mostly eaten or otherwise crushed in his hand.

"That's birthday cookies," Han Yoojin scolded. "It's not the same."

"Isn't it?" Sung Hyunjae said hesitantly. "I've never gotten birthday cookies before."

"I'll give you another one anyway," Han Yoojin declared, and then hesitated. "Umm, I mean-- You'll take care of him, right?"

"Of who...?"

Avoiding Sung Hyunjae's wide golden eyes, he tenderly hugged Froggy for a moment. "He's a good boy, so don't be mean to him, okay?"

Sung Hyunjae's eyes widened even further. "You're giving me Froggy?!"

"Not giving," Han Yoojin said defensively. "We're sharing. But he can live with you, since we're friends now."

He kept staring at Sung Hyunjae, Froggy hugged tightly within his arms.

"I can bring Froggy so you can see him," Sung Hyunjae blurted out. "Or you can come over. Since we're friends. I'll be good."

Han Yoojin passed Froggy over, after giving him a goodbye hug. Sung Hyunjae took him slowly, carefully, turning him over in his hands as if Froggy's damp fabric was the most precious thing he'd ever seen.

So much for calling him ugly.

"Bye-bye, Froggy," Han Yoojin said solemnly, taking a paw and waving it back at himself. "Make sure to behave. Don't make Vantes-ahjussi mad."

"I'll tell him he'll have to like frogs now," Sung Hyunjae said, just as seriously. "I'll dig him a pond in the backyard so he can splash around and everything."

Han Yoojin nodded back, feeling slightly more assured. He slipped his hand into Sung Hyunjae's, pulling him along as Sung Hyunjae lingered behind, admiring his new gift. See?, he thought triumphantly. Froggy's not dirty. Well, maybe just a little.

But Grandpa would be proud, Han Yoojin thought. He was always saying Han Yoojin was too possessive, and that he needed to learn to be nicer. Han Yoojin though most things couldn't be solved by being nice, but Grandpa could be right just this once.

"...They're not actually birthday cookies, by the way," Han Yoojin confessed as they walked back, hand in hand. Sung Hyunjae's hand was a bit wet, maybe from sweat, maybe from the rain, or from the mud splashing them both, but it was warm and clenched tightly to his own. "I just got them from Grandpa's secret stash. Sorry."

Sung Hyunjae tugged a bit at his hand. "'S okay. I figured."

His voice sounded uncommonly shy. It almost had Han Yoojin turning around to look at him, to try and figure out what expression he might be wearing, but then he gasped.

"Hyunjae-yah, look! A rainbow!"

A bit of drizzle was still coming down, but the light shimmered and sparkled in the air, coating them gently. Han Yoojin laughed, jumping on a puddle, and then on the next, dragging Sung Hyunjae along.

"Careful with Froggy!" Sung Hyunjae protested, but then he was laughing too, jumping until they were muddy and even more wet than before. And that was how they made it back home - absolutely filthy, faces smudged with dirt and cookie crumbles, and laughter filling the air.

They were grounded for months, of course. But it wasn't enough to wipe the giddiness of their smiles away.