Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sunoo was a regular guy, nothing too special. He had a low paying job, and survived off convenience store food. He had a cute best friend, Jungwon, who totally got him.  They had been friends since Jungwon had moved to Sunoo’s poor town, after his parents divorced. 

Jungwon was just as boring. He was a smart kid, who just didn’t care enough about school to do well. It was understandable, though, everyone in that town was depressed and/or unmotivated.

They sat on the roof of Sunoo’s house together a lot, dreaming of all the great things they could do one day. Sunoo wanted to become a singer one day, Jungwon a dancer. They were great at what they did, but they were low status. Status, class, money, that meant everything.

Jungwon smoked, something Sunoo always refused to touch. Sunoo tried getting him to quit multiple times, but it would always end the same. Jungwon hated it too, he really did, but he couldn’t bring himself to give the stupid cigarettes up.

Jungwon looked over, admiring his hyung. His hyung, the one he was lucky enough to call his best friend. His hyung, the one who was perfect. Perfect enough to get himself out of this mess. The hyung he didn’t deserve. Whenever Jungwon thought of himself as unworthy, Sunoo would stubbornly talk him out of his delusions. Stubbornly stay by his side. Sunoo was painfully stubborn. But maybe that was a good thing.

Jungwon’s eyes darted back to the stars, he was staring for too long. Jungwon slowly exhaled again, deciding to finally crush the cigarette. Sunoo didn’t look over, not really, but Jungwon swore he saw a tiny smile forming. Jungwon smiled a little, too. Happy hyung, happy Won, he thought to himself. He liked that phrase a lot, he didn’t know why. It just…resonated with him, if you catch the drift.

“Hyung,” Jungwon whispered, catching Sunoo’s attention. Jungwon rolled to his side to face Sunoo. 

“Mm..” Sunoo smiled sleepily at Jungwon, reaching out a gentle hand to fix Jungwon’s hair., “what’s up, Wonie..?”

“Think we’ll get outta here one day?” Jungwon looked down, a little embarrassed about his question. Besides, he knew what Sunoo would say anyway. 

“Not me, but maybe you will,” Sunoo mumbled, half conscious. He pulled Jungwon closer, ready to fall asleep right there, on the roof. “With all that fluidity and control, you’ll be the best dancer in the whole wide world…”

“Well, with a voice like yours, you’ll have everyone in a trance. And besides, you know I'd never leave you behind, right? If I leave, you leave with me,” Jungwon said back, easing into Sunoo’s embrace. Sunoo just chuckled, placing a gentle kiss onto Jungwon’s head.

“Cutie Won…” he whispered fondly, treading a hand through his favorite dongsaeng’s hair.

“Cutie Sun…” Jungwon teased, nuzzling his head deep into Sunoo’s neck.

“Hmm…I love you, Wonie,” Sunoo murmured, rubbing Jungwon’s back with a slightly shaky hand. This didn’t go unnoticed, but Jungwon chose to keep quiet.

“I love you too, Sunoo hyung,” Jungwon replied, trying to get even closer than he already was.

“More than Jay hyung..?” Sunoo questioned teasingly. Jungwon cracked a smile.

“I don’t know about that,” Jungwon joked. Sunoo laughed softly. “We’ll see…”

“Okay, I see how it is. I’m blocking you, first thing tomorrow..” 

“Nooo, hyung…” Jungwon laughed too, feeling warm and fuzzy inside. Sunoo always made him feel better. And that went both ways. Hard days were always easier. And bullies were dealt with accordingly, as they liked to say. But really, it was just a nicer saying for “beat up”.

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Sunoo sat silently, lost in his head, forcing himself numb. His mother yelled and screamed, talking nonsense to him about shit that didn’t matter. It never mattered. Nothing did. He just kept cooking dinner, like he always did. His mother’s voice grew louder each sentence. It distracted him.

“Mom, could you please lower your voice a little?” Sunoo blurted, voice small and barely audible. He realized that was a bad idea. He should’ve just kept his mouth shut. And, of course, his mother caught it. He dropped his utensils before something happened. Almost immediately, the sting he’d been waiting for reached his cheek. His ears rang, making his head hurt. He said nothing. What was there to say?

“Kim Seonwoo, don't talk to me like that! And did you hear a single damn thing I said anyway?!” His mother shrieked, her voice intruding his ears. “Answer me!”

Sunoo raised his uncertain gaze, eyes meeting hers. He shivered. Finally, he nodded his head. His mother raised an eyebrow, eyebrows furrowing, expression hardening. Another sting. “Don’t lie to me!”

“I’m not lying,” Sunoo muttered weakly. Bullshit answer, he knew that. His mother wasn’t the brightest bulb, so he hoped she wouldn’t notice. Guess how that went. This was going to be a long night, wasn’t it?

Later that night, Sunoo lay in bed, head shoved into the pillow. Sunoo sighed, pulling out his phone and raising it to eye level. He scrolled through his contacts, too scared to talk to his friends, but still wanting comfort. But he didn't want to be a bother. His eyes landed on the contact:

Noonaaaaa ♥️♥️

Last chat: 7/26/23

> AARRGGHHHHH

> IM GONNA MISS UUUUU

NOOOONNAAAAAA😢 <

DONT LEAVE ME WITH THESE PEOPLE PLSSS <

> MY BABYYYYY 💔

> IM SORRY 

> ILL COME BACK FOR U

> I PROMISEEEE 

u better 😡 <

ill be waiting…. <

> dont worry sun

> Ill be back before u know it

> just u wait

Ok 😞 <

I love u noona <

Dont forget abt me <

> I love u too sun ❤️

have fun in college noona ❤️ <

> thank you sun

> have fun in junior year ❤️

No New Messages

Sunoo sighed in defeat, the frown on his face growing more prominent. He should've known not to trust her. She had always been desperate to get away, even more so than Sunoo. That being said, Sunoo would classify himself as a pretty desperate guy. She was too desperate, at least, in Sunoo’s opinion. Leaving your little brother is a little much, right? 

In Seoul, a girl’s phone buzzed. She was with her boyfriend. She checked the notification, confused. She specifically told her friends not to bother her tonight. It was their first date night in months. They’d been too busy.

Her eyes widened when she saw. She quickly turned off her phone and turned it facing down. Her boyfriend looked away from the movie, suspicious. Was she cheating? What was she hiding? Why’d she react like that?

“Darling?” The boy asked, concerned, but definitely suspicious.

“Yes, Heeseung?” She asked quietly, snapping out of her trance.

“Darling, what happened? You look nervous..” her boyfriend, Heeseung, stared her up and down. He trusted her, never doubted her before, but he felt weird about this.

“Just…it’s no one important.”

“...” Heeseung paused, debating in his head. Finally, he said, almost silently: “Are you cheating..?”

“What? Hee, no, never!” she exclaimed, internally panicking. She didn't want to lose her boyfriend over this…

“Then who is it? You don't need to give me details,” Heeseung added quickly, “but who is it? I just need to be sure, y’know..?”

“It’s only my brother…” she muttered.

“I didn't know you had a brother,” Heeseung commented, a little embarrassed. They’d been together for 2 years, and he still didn't know anything about her family.

“I never told you. I don’t like talking about my family,” she whispered, finally picking up her phone to check the messages. Heeseung didn't push, he was interested, but wasn't about to make his girlfriend uncomfortable

Sunny Boy😊♥️

10/18/23

> Noona?

10/21/23

> I miss you :((

11/3/23

> Noona?

> Could you please answer me?

> Noona please?

2/20/24

> Dad did it again

> It really hurts

> Everyone’s busy

> Please talk to me

> Please Noona?

> At least tell me to leave you alone

> I’ll do it but please talk to me

6/7/25

> please answe

> noona pleas plase please plae please please

> moms yellinga tme 

> noona its been 2 years please anser

> you saisd yoiud ccoem back for me

Today, 11:20 pm

> dad dkd it agaon

> for the seoncd tiem today

Sunoo? <

> look who acme back from the dead

> hiiiii noonaaaaa

Sunoo are u ok? <

> liek no

> but you fianlly texted back :))

Were u guilt tripping me back there? <

> why the hell would you think that

Sun? <

You there sunny? <

Read: 11:24 pm

No New Messages

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Jungwon scrolled through the messages, one hand on Sunoo’s phone, the other in Sunoo’s hair. He was growing frustrated. His sister was so dumb. She literally knew how bad that house was, and she still dared to question Sunoo? Her own brother? The brother who defended her every time? 

“Hyung, get a better sister,” Jungwon grumbled, sounding more angry than Sunoo himself.

“She ghosted me for 2 years, just to act like nothing happened, and that everything we went through was fake, and that I’m just making shit up for fun now!” Sunoo let out a sob, muffled by Jungwon’s pillow. Sunoo pathetically sobbed and punched Jungwon's mattress, like the bed was the one doing him wrong.

“Seriously, what’s up with that?? You were even being polite!” Jungwon’s frown deepened, watching how his noona desperately tried to reach Sunoo over the past few days. Then an evil smirk showed on his face. “Let’s ghost her back. Give her a taster of her own medicine. Read each message, but don't respond unless you really need to.”

“Jungwonie, I can’t even do this anymore…” Sunoo moved his body closer to Jungwon’s with a groan. He lay his head on Jungwon’s lap, tears running down his face, and onto Jungwon’s sweatpants. Quietly, he added: “you won’t leave me, right Won..?”

“Of course not!!” Jungwon exclaimed, a little surprised Sunoo even suggested something like that. But, he couldn't exactly blame his best friend either. His sister ditched him, so what made him think no one else would?

“You better not,” Sunoo mumbled, wrapping his arms around Jungwon’s legs and nuzzling his cheek against his sweatpants. “You’re mine now.”

“Okay, weirdo, I’m not going anywhere.” Jungwon put his hands up, in mock surrender. “You’d prolly hunt me down if I did. I’d rather not get my head bashed in.”

“Haha. Wise decision, Wonie.” Sunoo looked up, eyes still watery, but slightly less pained. Good. That was Jungwon’s goal, to make everything better. 

“I’m scared of you.” Jungwon shifted, to lay down, next to Sunoo. “But you're a hottie, so I guess it’s fine.”

“Oh, and you call me weird? Sure.” Sunoo chuckled softly, that teasing glint in his eyes reappearing. “Whatever, cutie.”

“You’re cuter.”

“If I’m cuter, you're hotter.”

“Fine, deal.”

“Exactly, deal.”

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Sunoo got ready for school, brushing his hair, making himself some toast, packing his bag. Tying his shoes, he ignored the way his father stared at him. Picking up his bag, he ignored the way his mother yelled at him. Walking out the door, he ignored the way parents always fought. He passed by Jungwon, who was waiting for him with Sunghoon. 

Sunoo waved, walking faster to go greet them. They walked and talked about stupid school drama. Like these new girls: Sooha, Eunjin, and Chloe. 

“Did you hear? That new girl, Sooha’s been trying reaalllll hard to get Jay’s number,” Sunghoon mentioned. “She even cornered me after school the other day. I guess she stalked him enough to know that we’re close.”

“Eww. Y’know that freshman transfer, Riki?” Jungwon started. Sunoo and Sunghoon nodded. “Well, Chloe has the fattest fucking crush on him, it’s pathetic. Riki’s in the school dance club with me. We’re both friendless losers, so he talks to me a lot. Apparently, Chloe wrote an entire song for him!!”

“Whaaattt? I mean, I respect the dedication, but not the delusion,” Sunoo commented. “What’s it called?”

“It’s called…” Jungwon chuckled to himself.

“Dude, spill it already!” Sunghoon exclaimed. Sunghoon needed to work on patience. Really badly.

“It’s called…“XO (Only If You Say Yes)” or something like that,” Jungwon laughed. His laugh was obnoxiously loud, but also infectious. So Sunoo, who didn't even find it funny, was laughing too.

“Why’s the name so long?” Sunghoon said between chuckles.

“Couldnt tell you,” Jungwon answered, making himself laugh with his own laugh. God, Sunoo’s best friend was so stupid.

All good things come to an end, and so did their walk to school. The three sighed simultaneously, clearly dreading going into that god-forsaken building. The paint was peeling, and the windows were cracked in almost every room. Not to mention, half the classroom doors didnt close properly. They all made eye contact. Even worse, all 3 of them were in different years, so they only had P.E together. Sucks.

Sunoo begrudgingly stepped into the classroom. All he wanted was to be on the roof with Jungwon again. He sat next to this girl, Wonhee. It was an assigned seat, but he and Wonhee were kind of alike. They emanated soft, happy energy, even when they were rough, and angry.

“Morning, oppa!” Wonhee smiled, waving at Sunoo, who waved back. 

“How’d you sleep, Wonhee?” Sunoo asked sweetly, pretending like it was a normal question and that he didn't notice the dark circles under her eyes. 

“Oh, well, it was fine, I guess.” Wonhee hummed thoughtfully, probably coming up with some bullshit excuse. “I fell asleep late, though. My family was making all sorts of noise when I was trying to sleep. Thanks for asking, oppa.”

“Dang, that sucks…” Sunoo muttered. He really did feel bad for Wonhee. Almost every parent/family/everyone in the town was a psycho.

Wonhee just flipped the question, not wanting to talk about herself. “How’d you sleep, oppa? Hopefully better than I did?”

“I wish…I have the worst insomnia.” Yeah, Sunoo was lying too. Wonhee could tell, but didn't comment. Whenever kids lied about home life, the rule of thumb was: “never question it”.

The lesson started, much to their dismay. The teacher droned on and on about math or whatever. No one was paying attention, especially Sunoo. Not that he was really listening anyway, but his phone kept buzzing in his pocket. It was so annoying. 

When the teacher wasn’t looking, he checked for a split second. Of course, the person texting was his noona. He snuck his phone behind the desk and checked the message while he still had time. He wasn't going to respond, because he wanted to give his noona a taste of her own medicine, but the message was not good. Not good at all

Noonaaaaa ♥️♥️

Today, 8:12 am

> Sun

> Im coming back

> dont tell the parentals

wtf no your not <

Just dont talk to me while youre here <

Keep the streak of ghosting me going ☺️ <

> Sunoo dont be ridiculous

The moment you got out, you left me behind <

I was there for you even when I wasnt home <

Why couldnt you do the same for me? <

> Sun I just wanted to escape home

> I know I was wrong

Dont give me the homework excuse either <

Or the “I didnt have time” <

> I know you still needed me back them

There’s always time for family. <

You should know that by now <

Especially after all I did for you <

Anyways Im about to get caught by the teacher <

> Dont text in class

So bye ig <

> bye Sun :(

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Jake and Jay, two idiot stepbrothers, were playing tug of war with Sunoo, fighting over whose lap he would sit on. Truth be told, he didn't want to sit on either, but whatever. They weren't uncomfortable chairs, though, not by any means.

“JAYYYYY!!! You had him last timeeeee!!!” Jake whined, in English.

“Ever considered I’m just better??” Jay replied. “I’m an eagle, and you're some stupid kangaroo. CAW CAWWWW!!!”

Niki sat there, bewildered. “Is this normal..?” he asked Jungwon quietly. Sunghoon and Jungwon both nodded. Sunghoon was smirking at how annoyed Sunoo looked. Eventually, Jake won, somehow. No one was actually watching that closely. 

Jake, victorious, placed Sunoo on his lap, platonically, of course. None of the 6 boys were gay. Probably. Jake even tried feeding Sunoo, just because he wanted to see what would happen. Unsurprisingly, his hand promptly got slapped away, and he received a lecture from Sunghoon.

“Dude, I have hands for a reason,” Sunoo mumbled.

“Besides, feeding him’s my thing..” Sunghoon added, clearly jealous. 

“Oh yeah? Well you’re not the one who cuddles him every night, are you?” Jungwon commented.

“WHAT???” Jay looked up from his food. “Luckyyy…”

Sunoo just smirked, he hated attention, unless the attention came from his friends. Then he loved it. Besides, they were just stupidly feeding his ego, which he greatly appreciated. Niki silently laughed along, still a little awkward, but liking the overall vibe. Niki hoped that he’d one day be able to joke with them so easily. They seemed so cool and fun. Like a bunch of older brothers

“You’re also not the one who kissed him last night,” Jungwon said, intentionally loud and smug. Everyone’s head snapped back and forth between Jungwon and Sunoo.

“Duuddeeeee…” Jake muttered, trying to sound disgusted instead of envious. Although he couldn't stop a quiet “lucky” from coming out of his mouth.

“Why though??” Jay asked, alarmed. Sunoo and Jungwon exchanged a look. Sunoo let out a huff of laughter. “No, seriously, why????”

“Oh, yeah. I got a reeaalll nice kiss to the cheek,” Jungwon added, way too late. Everyone groaned. “Didn’t I, Sunoo hyung?” 

“Oh, yeah. He got the best smooch to the cheek he’ll ever get for the rest of his life.” Sunoo blew a kiss to Jungwon, just to tease. “My lips were sent from the gods, I know.”

“Oh, you're not special,” Sunghoon said, his disgruntled expression wiped almost immediately. “If we’re talking kisses to the cheek, he kisses everyone.”

“He doesn't kiss me, though!” Jake exclaimed, looking down at the peaceful, but smug boy in his lap. Sunoo looked up at Jake, then looked back down.

“Acting as if I just committed a war crime…” Sunoo giggled to himself. 

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Sunoo let the tears sink into his pillow, his body weak and useless. No one was here to save him. Noona was never home, Mommy didn't care. He had long since stopped fighting. And it hurt, but he’d live. Daddy said he’d be okay, so…he was okay. Daddy also said it wouldn't hurt, it would only be a second. But…it hurt really bad, and Sunoo was pretty sure seconds weren't supposed to last this long.

Sunoo was left there, bleeding and hurting, after a few long painful hours. His eyes were red and puffy, and his throat felt raw. There was this weird feeling that clung to his skin. It was this dirty feeling that he so desperately hated. He’d never felt this way before, it was so weird. But the bad kind of weird. The really bad kind of weird. He didn’t like it. And it kept happening. Over and over.

No matter how much he scrubbed, the gross feeling never went away. No matter how much soap, no matter how many showers. No matter how much he sobbed into his pillow, no matter how many stuffies he threw at the wall, the frustration and disgust never left him. 

Sometimes he’d catch himself staring blankly into nothing. He’d never done that before. He was always bright, bubbly, even for how awful his life was. This was unlike him. But then the boy moved in next door, Yang Jungwon. His lord and savior, Yang Jungwon.

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Whoever decided it was a good idea to go see a local viewpoint was a dumbass. Jay was going at least 30 miles above the speed limit. Sunoo’s shrieks of terror filled the car, while everyone laughed. Except Jake, who was just as terrified, convinced his brother would get them into a car crash. Jake was forced to sit on Sunghoon’s lap because Jay’s car couldn't fit all 6 of them properly. So, yeah, they were breaking multiple traffic laws. But that was the whole fun of it, right?

Niki sat, clinging to Jake, aggressively trying to rip Jake off Sunghoon’s lap. But, hey, at least he was laughing, smile bright, and eyes gleaming. Niki was a total menace, so far. Ever since they got more comfortable with each other, all that stupid freshman did was dig for gold in their ass cracks. He specifically liked targeting Jake and Sunoo, which was also why he insisted he sit between them for this…exciting adventure.

“JAY, YOU’RE GONNA DRIVE US OFF THE FUCKING CLIFF!!!” Jake screamed, too terrified to speak Korean, apparently. Sunghoon laughed evilly, and pulled Jake closer. 

“If it means killing you, then good,” Jay replied, just driving faster in response with an evil smirk plastered on his face. Jake screeched, while Sunoo was flopping around, trying to evade Niki’s hand (which was headed straight for his ass). It was total chaos in that car, and to them, that was perfect.

“HOLY SHIIITTT GET AWAY!!!” Sunoo wrestled Niki, who was way too determined. Jungwon looked back and let out his obnoxiously loud laugh, clapping and scrunching his nose like watching his best friend suffer was the most entertaining sitcom ever.

Finally, they reached that dumb viewpoint. Jay was taking pictures like a facebook mom, Niki was trying to wrestle Sunghoon off the cliff, Jungwon was chasing a squirrel, and Jake was winded. Sunoo collapsed next to Jake on the viewpoint’s bench. 

“God, why am I even friends with these people..” Sunoo asked himself.

“Bitch.” That was it. That was all Jake said. Sunoo laughed softly. God, Sunoo loved these people. They made everything better. And that was the point, wasn't it?

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While all that was happening, Sunoo’s noona was stressing herself out. She was packing a bag to go back to her hometown. Yes, she realized she was a total idiot for neglecting her brother, so she was now on a mission. Her boyfriend was being dragged along, against his will, of course. After hearing only 3 stories, he was quite sure he never wanted to visit her hometown. Yet, here he was.

“Should I be scared?” Heeseung asked, more to himself than anyone. She nodded.

“Just stay by me, and avoid my parents at all costs. Also avoid my brother’s friends, they're all idiots,” she warned. It really wasn't reassuring whatsoever. “That Sunghoon guy, especially. Seriously, avoid that guy.”

“Then why is your brother friends with him? From what you told me, your brother seems nice enough…” Heeseung muttered, folding a shirt.

“Well, the selection back home is limited. Besides, I had idiot friends before coming to Seoul. He doesn't know what real people are like.”

Heeseung sighed, throwing his and his girlfriend’s luggage in the trunk. He climbed into the drivers and pulled out the map. His girlfriend pulled out her phone to text her brother. Heeseung was still confused. After all, how bad could her family be for her to ghost her brother, who did nothing wrong for 2 years?

Sunny Boy😊♥️

Today, 11:27 am

Sun <

me and my bf are on our way <

> why

> No liek actually why

No New Messages

Sunoo paused, groaned, then paused, then groaned again. Jake, slightly recovered, looked over. “Hmm? What’s up, Sunshine?”

“My noona’s coming back, for some reason,” Sunoo explained, clearly unhappy. Jake’s expression hardened. He had never really liked Sunoo’s sister, for many reasons. He never said anything, though, because Sunoo loved her. But knowing Sunoo was displeased as well, made Jake a little happier.

“Need me to beat her?”

“Like, no, but I wish.”

Chapter Text

Heeseung drove and listened as his girlfriend, Eunji, ranted about her past. Heeseung grew more and more nervous, but chose to stay silent. Sometimes, all people needed was understanding, not advice, not condescension. Just someone lending their ears, their time, their love.

“And our mother used to hit us,” she added, rough and sad . “And her slaps hurt so bad, I don’t know why…”

“And don’t even get me started on my father..!” She gritted out, voice shaky with sudden anger. Or maybe the anger was always there, just more apparent now. “He-…he’s disgusting, despicable, evil…”

“What did he do?” Heeseung asked gently, reaching a hand from the wheel, to rest on her thigh. She gladly accepted it, and took his hand in hers, squeezing it to keep herself sane. 

“Bad things. You don’t wanna know,” she said simply. “You could probably guess, just by looking at him, to be honest.”

After a while of talking, they reached a gas station. Heeseung refilled the tank, shaken by how expensive the gas was getting. Eunji bought some road snacks for the rest of the drive. This would be a long drive, a long trip. Even if she was starting to regret this, she had to go. She had to make sure her brother was okay. 

“And Sun- my brother’s friends are all dumbasses too,” she complained. “They’re weirdly obsessed with him, it’s creepy. Of course, he sees nothing wrong with it, though…”

Heeseung hummed and nodded. “What do they do? It can’t be that bad, right?”

“They just…are so stupid. Obsessed with breaking laws and policies, it’s so dumb. Last time I was in town, they accidentally killed someone!”

“What.” That surely made Heeseung pause. God, he shouldn’t have let his girlfriend drag him along. This was such a bad idea. Who knows? Maybe he was next, he’d be their next victim of whatever the fuck. 

“I mean, it was an accident, but still,” she whined, “that idiot Jungwon did something. I don’t really remember it well.”

Okay, Heeseung would give them the benefit of the doubt. God, he was gonna die if he kept doing shit like this. He was too young. “Darling, are you sure I’m not their next victim?”

She chuckled. “Nope.”

“Oh…” Heeseung laughed it off, pretending like he wasn’t absolutely horrified. Eventually, much to their dismay, they reached the dingy hotel they’d be staying in. The staff were rude, and the room was not clean by any means. Eunji claimed it was just the town in general.

“Everything around here is unsafe, don't you even worry.” That was not reassuring, but sure. 

Sunny Boy😊♥️

Today, 3:51 pm

Sun <

We’re here <

We should meet <

> oh no

> we actually shouldn’t 

> won’s over rn

> also I don’t wanna see u lol

Dude 😐<

I didn’t drive all the way for nothing <

> coming here was YOUR idea

> LOLLLL

>  also u left me first

> so idek what ur on abt

No New Messages

She sighed, tempted to throw her phone across the room. Or maybe punch some sense into her little brother. Either one worked fine. Heeseung noticed her distress, and wrapped an arm around her waist. He whispered that it’d be okay, even though he himself wasn’t so sure of that.

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Sunoo sighed, leaning back on the couch, listening to Jay drone on and on about TongTong, his guitar. Jungwon was also there, fully engaged, like this was the most interesting thing he’d ever heard. This was unbelievably boring, but Sunoo would rather not get beat up with a baseball bat. Suddenly, a knock was heard at the door. Sunoo took this opportunity to run away. 

Sunoo stepped over a few empty bottles of alcohol and packs of cigarettes. Of course, you could never be too careful in a neighborhood like this, so he checked the peephole. His sister.

“Of course…” Sunoo grumbled, not happy about the person standing on the other side. Her eye was also pressed against the peephole, something she used to do to make him laugh back when he was 9 years old. Well, too bad he wasn’t 9 years old anymore.

He turned to Jay and Jungwon. “Jay hyung, I don’t mean to interrupt, but Eunji noona’s kinda sorta here.” 

“NOO!!” Jay yelled, “DONT OPEN THE DOOR, SUNSHINE DONT DO IT!!”

“Sunoo hyung, don't you dare,” Jungwon was already on his feet, ready to fight. It was abundantly clear no one liked Sunoo’s sister. Interesting. 

The knocking didn’t stop, it was so irritating. Not even Jay’s endless yapping could tune it out. Anyways, Sunoo opened the door because he was losing his mind, listening to his sister bang on the door.

“Oh!” Jungwon exclaimed, looking over Sunoo’s shoulder, directly at Heeseung. “Who the fuck is that?”

“Fuck if I know,” Sunoo mumbled in response. 

“He’s my boyfriend,” she answered, giving Jungwon and Jay cold glares and a warm smile.

“Holly shit, he’s a hottie. How did you bag a face like that??” Jay asked quietly, genuinely confused.

“They say opposites attract,” Jungwon commented, fully laughing now. Sunoo slapped him, but was quietly snickering too. Heeseung's eyes darted around uncomfortably.

“I’m Heeseung…” he practically whispered. Sunoo nodded, as if he actually cared.

“Sunoo,” he gave a half-assed bow out of “respect”.

“I’m Jay, and this is Jungwonie,” Jay said, violently slapping a hand over Jungwon’s mouth before he made any more snarky comments. Jay definitely wouldn't be able to hold in his laugh next time. 3 loud pairs of footsteps stormed down the stairs. Eunji looked like she was about to slit her throat. 

“Since when was there another..?” she mumbled to herself. 

“Since, like, 5 months ago,” Sunoo answered, offering a shrug.

“Eww, dude, put a shirt on!” Jay yelled at Sunghoon. Heeseung and Eunji averted their eyes. It wasn't uncommon for him to see his friends with no shirt, but Heeseung wasn't exactly close to them.

“Oh, so you handle my dick, but you can’t handle my abs?” Sunghoon questioned, a huge smirk on his face. Heeseung looked at his girlfriend, who didn’t even seem phased, only annoyed. Was this normal? Or was Heeseung just raised in a really modest household? Sunghoon took one look at the door and his smile dropped.

“That was horrendously worded, Hoon,” Jake said, expression fading, breaking the awkward silence. “Anyways, who is that? And why is your sister here, Sun?”

“This is my boyfriend, Heeseung. I’m here because it’s been too long since I’ve been back home,” she answered, a vein popping out at the sight of Jake. 

“Hah! Didn’t know you could actually pull,” Jake muttered. Niki looked confused, but had heard enough complaints that he knew Eunji was a bad person.

“Yeah, now, who is that kid?” She asked, pointing straight at Niki. “Is he another one of your idiot friends, Sun?”

Niki now totally understood why everyone in the group hated her. She was calling their group idiots? I mean, they were, but that was still rude to say, nonetheless. Besides, who was she to be judging him on their first meeting? Of course, you could argue that Niki was too quick to judge as well, but it wasn't unprovoked. 

“My name is Niki.” Niki looked her up and down, then whispered something in Sunghoon’s ear, making him laugh. Sunoo made a note to check in about that later. Heeseung noticed that no one really liked Eunji, and the feeling was definitely mutual. What had happened between them? Surely, it wasn't that bad, right..?

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။၊|။|||။|||။၊ 

There was a time, so many years ago, when they were close. Before Jake and Jay, before Niki, before even Jungwon. No one hated each other, life was simpler then. That was, until Eunji got new friends. She ignored everyone suddenly. She snuck out, she smoked, she drank, did everything she wasn't supposed to do. And who covered for her every time? Sunoo and Sunghoon.

Eunji was never there anymore, leaving them all alone. No more cooking disasters, no more nighttime debriefs. Sunoo still loved her, and believed she still loved him too. Of course, she sort of did, but it wasn't the same. She no longer thought of him as human, it seemed. Just a doll she still needed to take care of. Something she could use to her advantage.

She’d vent to him, and never let him vent back. She wouldn't make him super spicy tteokbokki on hard nights because she wasn't home. Then, she’d be all sweet, just like she used to. But it didn’t hold the same amount of depth that it used to. Like she had to say it to keep him, not to love him.

Sunoo never gave up on Eunji, but Sunghoon definitely did. After all, who was the one to clean Sunoo up after what happened? Who was the one who held a sobbing mess in his arms? Who was the one who became Eunji’s replacement? Sunghoon was.

The others never really understood why Sunoo and Sunghoon got all sad and somber at the mention of Eunji. They only knew her as the cruel idiot who had behind her little brother to get laid by strangers. 

Jungwon held a grudge against Eunji. She had tried to get Sunoo to leave him by feeding lies. She’d act like she needed to vent, then spout bullshit she “overheard”. Sunoo, thankfully, never believed her and her lies. 

Jay especially hated Eunji, she had made it her personal mission to torture him. Jay would come home with his father and step-mother upset at him. He’d walk into school with everyone whispering about him. The rumors were bad. So bad, in fact, that Jake had to clutch Jay’s leg with snot and tears running down his face, to talk him out of kicking the chair. Why did Eunji do this? No one actually knew. 

Sunghoon never understood why Sunoo still loved her. But, honestly. maybe he didn't, maybe he just held onto the thought of who she used to be. Maybe he believed she’d come back, become the big sister she had been. Maybe it was the memories they’d never make, and times they’d leave behind. Either way, it was all wishful thinking. She wasn't coming back, not now, not ever. 

And frankly, Sunghoon didn't want her back anyway. Not after everything she’d done. It didn't matter if she’d changed or not. In his mind, she would always be the girl who failed him. The girl who let his Sun dim. The girl who let his Sun become a supernova. 

↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺

Jay and Jake walked into school, like they’d been doing ever since they moved. They were lucky, really. Most step siblings couldn’t stand each other. It gave them a little more confidence, knowing that they would always have at least one friend. Sunghoon, Jungwon, and Sunoo met them by a bench near the entrance. Jungwon jumped up and ran to Jay. 

“Jay hyung!” Jungwon had exclaimed, throwing himself against Jay’s chest. Sure, Jungwon was clingy, but he never did that. Jake and Jay exchanged confused glances. 

For the rest of the day, people glared at Jay when he passed. His acquaintance from science class stayed silent, moving his chair to the opposite side of their desk. Jay didn't understand, the teachers, and even lunchladies, avoided talking and calling on him.

By the end of the day, Jake looked sad, and Jay was frustrated. He didn't understand what was happening. Jay couldn't stand it anymore, and begged Jake to tell him when they were walking home.

“Jay, there’s rumors going around about you,” Jake had said quietly. 

“Really? What kind of rumors? And why are the teachers believing them?” Jay was used to rumors from living in the US. Usually his teachers knew better, but this was a whole different country. These rumors couldn't be that bad, right? Wrong.

↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺

By the time the other rumors were disproven, there were already new ones going around. This time they involved Jake directly. That was already bad enough. It was even worse when they found out what they were, and who started them.

Sunoo came up to the two, during lunch, food in hand, looking like he had just gotten run over. He was limping, no surprise. Jay made space for him on the bench. Jake and Sunghoon were on the concrete, Jungwon in the bathroom.

“These rumors are really getting to me,” Jake commented, exhaustion evident in his voice. “Everyone’s looking at me and Jay weird…”

“I know who started the rumors..” Sunoo mumbled sadly. Everyone looked at him. “It was Eunji noona…”

“All 5 times?” Sunghoon asked, voice low. Sunoo nodded in conformation. Was anyone actually surprised? Not at all. Were they upset, though? Absolutely. 

“What even are the rumors?” Jay asked quietly. Sunoo looked around. He didn't want to say it, but no one else seemed to know.

“I-...” Sunoo’s eyes looked for Jungwon. Luckily, the boy was already in the process of running back to them. Jay and Jake looked at him expectantly. Sunoo didn’t want to be the one who put out the light in their eyes. “I don’t wanna say it…”

Jungwon caught on quick. He looked at Sunoo, then back at everyone else. “Are we talking about the rumors..? Do you guys know what they are?”

When everyone shook their heads, Jungwon bit the inside of his lip. “Let’s keep it that way. You don’t wanna know.”

After spending half of the lunch period convincing Jungwon and Sunoo to spill it, they finally caved in. “Fine! But don’t blame us when you get traumatized and never wanna show your face again.”

“Basically,” Jungwon started, hesitating. He looked at all his friends, feeling bad. “Uhm. Basically, so…uhm.”

“Jungwonie, please, just spill it. The suspense is killing me, and no one else will talk to me,” Jay pleaded, ready to get on his knees, if that’s what it took. Maybe if he knew what the rumors were, he could fix it.

“Okay, hyung…the rumors are that…you and Jake hyung- well, that- uhh. I- uhm.” Jungwon took a deep breath. “You’vebeenforcingyourselfontoJakehyungandJakehyunghassomesortastockholmsyndrometypethingwhichiswhyyouguysaresoclose!!” He exclaimed, all in one mouthful. 

“What the actual fuck.”

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။၊|။|||။|||။၊ 

Sunoo was making coffee for a bunch of snobby parents and gangster teens the whole day. He got hit on at least 7 times, how annoying. Finally, he only had 30 minutes left of his shift. And guess who showed up, Eunji and Heeseung. Sunoo requested getting off the register, but his coworkers told him to deal with the next customers first. Sunoo sighed, but didn't fight it. He needed to keep up his reputation of being the only sensible teenage boy in town.

“What do you want?” he asked flatly, much different from his usual, soft, sweet tone. “And why are you at my job? There’s another coffee house down the street.”

“Didn’t know you worked here, Sun, that's all,” Eunji answered, voice remorseful, but not really. 

“I worked here since before you even moved.”

“I’d just like an iced latte, it’s hot today, isn't it?” she said, completely ignoring Sunoo’s previous statement. “What would you like, Hee?”

“I’d like an iced tea,” Heeseung requested awkwardly. “Thank you…”

“Mhm.” Sunoo breathed a sigh of pure relief when they left the register. And of course, right after they leave, his coworkers are available to work the register. How irritating. 

Sunoo sat on the curb for a while after his shift ended. He didn't have his own car, his family was too broke, and kept stealing his money. He always had to wait for Jay to pick him up, sometimes Jake. They were the only people with decent money in the whole town. But even they weren’t rich. 

Today, Jay drove up to him, screaming for him to get in. This time, the car was by no means empty. Jungwon was dead asleep in the back seat. Sunoo couldn't help but smile, Jungwon was so cute. Too cute. 

“Soooo, how was work?” Jay asked, speeding off before another car honked at him for parking in the middle of the road.

“Euhh, fine. Eunji noona and her boyfriend showed up, though.” Sunoo grumbled.

“Weird. They showed up to mine too. Y’know, the cinema downtown?” Jay sighed. “Her boyfriend doesn't even seem half bad, that's the worst thing about it. Why in the everloving fuck is he with her?”

“As Wonie said, opposites attract, I guess,” Sunoo mumbled, turning on the radio in Jay’s car. “He was pretty nice to me at the register.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Speaking of Wonie, why’s he passed out in your car?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know, weather boy?”

“Speaking of Jungwon, why is he passed out in your car?” Sunoo repeated.

“Why are you asking?”

“Speaking of the boy, Yang Jungwon, why is he passed out in the backseat of your car?” Sunoo repeated again.

“We fucked, why?” Jay answered, finally.

“Oh, cool. That’s really all I wanted to know, was it so hard to answer?” Sunoo asked, switching the radio station for the 5th time.

“Man, I’m kidding. He wanted me to drive him somewhere, but then he passed out before he told me where to go, and I was too scared to wake him up, so I moved him to the backseat so that he could rest properly, and then I came here to pick you up from work, and now you’re asking, so here I am answering your question.”

“Mansplaining final boss..” Sunoo muttered under his breath.

“You should try it sometime, it’s actually pretty fun,” Jay reached over a hand to ruffle Sunoo’s hair. Sunoo groaned, his hard work being messed up in a matter of seconds, all because some stupid American, named Jay, couldn’t keep his hands to himself for 5 minutes.

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။၊|။|||။|||။၊ 

Unbeknownst to everyone, a knock was heard at Sunoo’s door. Sunoo was planning to sneak Jungwon in through the window, not the front door. Goodness, Jungwon was careless sometimes. But just as Sunoo was about to get up to sneak out of his room, Jungwon banged on the window. Sunoo, confused, went to open it. 

“Sunoo hyung, there's a weirdo by your door. He looks like a more legit version of the wannabe emo kids at school!” Jungwon exclaimed, jumping into Sunoo’s room. “Oh! And they have an entire gang. Oh! And they have guns!”

Sunoo, absolutely bewildered, gestured for Jungwon to slow the hell down. “Wonie, what in the world??” he whisper-yelled, “so, some creeps are at my house, with guns and a gang, and they aren't wannabe emos??”

Jungwon shook his head, latching himself onto Sunoo’s arm. “No, I’m being so deadass. It scared me, and I had to go take the long way to your house because I didn't wanna get shot dead at 16, y’know?”

Sunoo and Jungwon slowly emerged from the room, careful not to wake his parents. Sunoo stepped carefully and looked through the peep hole. Sure enough, there was a gang of 5 weirdos at his door. It was 1:00AM, what could they possibly want? One of them noticed movement inside the house, despite his blank gaze. He tapped the blondie’s shoulder and pointed. The blondie knocked on the door again, quieter this time.

Then they knocked again. And again. And again, until Sunoo was about to lose his mind. With Jungwon safely tucked behind his back like a kid, Sunoo opened the door. The five gangster boys looked confused at the sight of the two teenagers.

“Oh. You're not who we’re looking for,” said the redhead. “You sure this is the right house, Soobin?”

“I read the address, like, 10 different times, yes, I’m sure!” the blondie said with a calm, yet explosive, yet playful rage that made Sunoo shiver.

“Just making sure, geez,” the redhead smirked, “anyways, who are you guys?”

“Uhm, better question, who are you guys??” Jungwon questioned, his head peeking out from behind Sunoo.

“We were here to meet some gal, Kim Eunji, but she doesn't seem to be here,” said the man with the blank gaze. He looked past Sunoo and Jungwon, into the house. “Unless you're hiding her?”

Sunoo looked at Jungwon, who looked back at Sunoo. Slowly, Jungwon stepped out from behind the older boy. Sunoo gulped. “I mean, why do you need her?”

“Well, she owes us. We kinda sorta made a deal back in high school. We hacked a school system and gave her money for her to get into college,” said one of them. “Told her she needed to pay us back someday, and I heard she’s back in town.”

“And why do you need guns for this?” Sunoo asked, keeping his tone sweet, still trying to keep the nice guy facade up, even now. 

“Uhh, just in case we needed to give a lil’ push, y’know?” said Soobin. “Don’t worry, they aren't loaded, I don't think.”

“Cool, but keep that thing far away from me,” Sunoo requested. “Now, if you have no more business here, I think you can leave.”

“Wait- not so fast. You're at her address, so you must know her in some way, right? Tell us the location, and we’ll leave.”

“Wait- not so fast. You’re at our house, so you must know trespassing is illegal in some way, right? Stay on this property and we’ll call the cops,” Jungwon mocked. Sunoo realized this boy’s attitude was the exact reason he always got in trouble. He sighed, pinching Jungwon’s arm gently.

“Uhm, anyway. Where is she?” the redhead asked again. Sunoo debated in his head, rat out his sister, or keep her safe, when she clearly would never do the same for him. 

“...I don’t know where she is. I haven’t spoken to her since she left for college.”

Chapter Text

This was weird, to say the very least. 5 gangsters were in his house, passed out on his bed, cuddling his stuffed animals, and for what?? Sunoo frowned, eyebrows knitting together. Jungwon, attached to Sunoo’s side again, made a similar face.

The five boys, Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Kai, had insisted on staying at his house. The deal that was forced upon them was as follows: “We eat your food, use your things, and trespass on your property because we don’t trust you. If Kim Eunji shows up by tomorrow night, you all die, if she doesn’t, we’ll pay you back, free of charge. Oh, and don't text anyone, because then we’ll trust you even less and you have a higher chance of being curb stomped.” It was such bullshit and totally unfair.

When Sunoo was sure they were dead asleep, he secretly pulled out his phone and begrudgingly clicked on his noona’s contact. The phone was at the lowest brightness and his heart was pounding. But then again, he wasn't in the mood to die, even if death was his only escape. Well, he could run away, but again, his family was stealing his money. Also, he’d surely get hunted down by the police and brought home. Sunoo’s father wasn’t one to let go of his toys easily, ever since he was a kid.

Noona

Today, 1:43 am

Noona dont come home <

A bunch of creeps are threatening to kill us or smth <

They have a gun <

So <

Be smart abt this <

> What are you talking about Sun?

Just keep me and Wonie alive pls <

Lol anyways bye <

> Kim Seonwoo

> Dont pull stupid pranks like this

> Im serious or else

You do you <

But Wonie just told me that he’d rather not die today <

[photo📷] <

No New Messages

Those boys threatened to beat them if they tried to leave the house. Sunoo was disappointed. He wanted to sneak to the roof with Jungwon, but then those 5 showed up. Now Sunoo also had to make sure his father didn’t find those boys. And Jungwon was stuck at the house now. This was bad. This meant a beating from his parents. His dad was strong, and it wasn't like Jungwon was weak, but he was scared. Fear changed everything.

Sunoo sat on the floor of his own room, Jungwon curled in his lap. Sunoo ran a gentle hand through his best friend’s hair. His poor Wonie was trembling, understandably, Sunoo was too. But Sunoo was the hyung, so it was his duty to protect dongsaeng. He could feel Jungwon’s shaky exhale against his collarbone. He didn't like seeing Jungwon scared.

“Hyung, I’m scared…” Jungwon whispered, trying to keep his voice quiet. “Your parents will be so mad- so will mine..”

“Wonie, it’s okay, you know I can handle it,” Sunoo replied, keeping his voice as steady as possible. Sunoo leaned his head down slightly, pressing a soft kiss to Jungwon’s temple. “It’s you that I’m worried about..”

“Hyung, what if they really kill us..?” Jungwon asked, after a moment of silence. His whole body was shaking. Tears prickled at the corners of his eyes. “Hyung, I really don’t wanna die…”

“Jungwonie,” Sunoo muttered. He exhaled, rubbing Jungwon’s cheek with his thumb. “We’ll be alright. They’ll leave tomorrow, and we’ll be okay…”

Sunoo was trying to convince himself just as much as he was trying to convince Jungwon. It was easy to forget that they were just kids. Sure, they were somewhat more grown than they needed to be, but they were still just kids. Kids weren’t supposed to go through stuff like this. They weren’t supposed to live in fear, stepping on eggshells around their parents. Going to school to escape home, and going home to escape school.

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။၊|။|||။|||။၊ 

Sunghoon remembered it all so clearly. Sunoo’s face when they heard his father come back home, drunk outta his mind. Sunghoon remembered each time, every single one. The look of terror written all over Sunoo’s face. 

Sunghoon didn't know at the time, no one ever told him. But hiding in the closet, hand clasped over his mouth, not even daring to breathe, he understood. Under the bed, covering his ears, he wished he could take it instead. Hushing Wonie, hiding in the bathroom, he hoped this would never happen again. 

He never knew what to do, never knew how to make it stop. All he wanted was to jump out and beat Sunoo’s father to a pulp, but he wasn't strong enough. He didn't stand a chance against drunken punches and broken bottles. All he could do was listen, wishing he was better than this. Wishing he could help, when he knew he never could.

↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺

The first time, he was only 13, Sunoo was 12. Sunghoon had gone over to Sunoo’s to help with homework. Maybe dote on his dongsaeng a bit, give him a few kisses on his adorable, chubby cheeks. Sunoo’s father had unfortunately come home from the bar early because there was a massive fight and there was an early closing. No new hookup to keep him satisfied for the night.

Sunoo had immediately panicked and shoved Sunghoon into the closet. He listened as Sunoo tried to muffle his cries into the pillow, but to no avail. Sunghoon had been too scared to cover his ears, opting to cover his mouth, just in case he couldn't contain his tears and loud breathing.

The second time, he was 15. Jungwon needed help bandaging some cuts, so they were in the bathroom helping him. Sunoo’s father had woken up and had a hangover, and needed a “distraction” from how bad it was. Sunoo had started to tear up. Then the knocks became loud thumps on the door. 

Sunoo had pushed them behind the shower curtain and exited the bathroom, trembling. Sunghoon had covered Jungwon’s ears as the whimpers and wails became louder. That night, he spent the rest of his visit cleaning Sunoo up, promising himself that next time, he'd protect his Sun. 

Next time came, Sunoo didn't want help. Sunghoon was 16. He kicked Sunghoon under the bed, saying that he didn't want Sunghoon to get hurt too. Sunoo didn't seem to understand that he was getting hurt by not helping. But his father ended up being extra violent that day, for whatever reason. Sunghoon felt selfish, but he was also a little bit glad that Sunoo had stopped him. They both would've gotten beat to a pulp, and no one would be there to clean up the mess.

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။၊|။|||။|||။၊ 

Here they were, skipping school because a group of boys didn’t trust them. Jungwon tried crying, kitten eyes, begging, pleading, nothing worked. Sunoo was forced to cook after his parents left for work (aka to hook up with someone new). God, he hoped nothing happened because of this. But the school would probably call his parents, and then he was really in for it. 

It wasn't like the group of boys weren't funny or even slightly nice, because they were, they were just holding Sunoo and his best friend hostage. Taehyun, the guy who blinked once in a blue moon, was pretty blunt, and Kai had a really obnoxious laugh, but that was mostly it. But Kai’s evil Disney villain laugh was nothing Sunoo wasn’t used to. After all, the boy who forced Sunoo to listen to his laugh for hours was trapped there with him.

“Soobin Soobin you know you know Soobin??” They were playing old videos from high school, it was so annoying. Sunoo just had to pray that his parents wouldn't come home early. Then came the text of despair and doom. Sunoo went to the bathroom to check his phone, just in case those boys weren’t kidding.

Noona

Today, 10:53 am

> Im sending heeseung

> because they dont know him

> he’s going to act clueless

> let him in

no u did not <

BRO IM NOT TRYNA DIE RN <

NO IM BEING SO SERIOUS <

TAKE HIM BACK <

WONIES OGNNA HAEV ANOTHER BREAKDOWN <

No New Messages

Sure enough, there Heeseung was, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else. Sunoo awkwardly answered the door, letting Heeseung in. The most annoying one, who’d been chasing people and throwing shit at Jungwon, Beomgyu, looked up. 

“Yooo, Lee Heeseung!” He called out, then stayed stubbornly silent. 

“Huh..? Oh no…” Heeseung froze dead in place when his eyes landed on Beomgyu. The sight of him alone made it seem like the world was ending. “I thought you went to the mental hospital…” 

“I did, but then I got put into foster care, so that’s why I never came back,” Beomgyu said.

A long stretch of silence.

“Yooo, Lee Heeseung.”

“Bro, stop calling his name and then saying nothing!!” Soobin yelled. “Who even is that, anyway?!” 

“Lee Heeseung, dumbass,” Yeonjun slapped Soobin’s thigh, and Soobin howled dramatically. “Oh, shut up, Soobin.”

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။၊|။|||။|||။၊ 

Jungwon remembered the first day so, so well. His father had committed a crime, so they needed to escape the authorities. His parents never told him what crime it was, though. He still, to this day, isn't sure. Now, instead of moving to a new country, they moved to a city where the authorities just didn't care. Jungwon was scared, like any 12 year old would be. He had already seen 30 too many gangsters on the drive to his new house alone. 

As he took out a box that was too heavy for him, he made eye contact with one of the  Boy(s)NextDoor. He was cute, fluffy, like a cheeseball. His name was Kim Sunoo, and he was really nice. Jungwon knew he had to Go See The Stars with him. Back in his old town, he used to stargaze on the grass outside his house. No one was with him, he was all alone, like he always was. But not anymore.

Days turned to weeks with that boy, Sunoo. Nights on Sunoo’s roof, staring at the sky in silence,  loudly complaining about school, home, talking about what they wanted. Soon, he and Sunoo’s best friend were also best friends. They were the power trio, as they liked to say. They all lived nearby to each other, only a 5 minute walk at max, the short way. The long way was only 10 minutes. They became close quickly. 

The three, when Jungwon was 13, had found a weird place off the trail of their local park. It was pretty, they'd sneak there often. Whether they were on their own or with the whole group, it was their comfort place. 

Eventually, when Jungwon was 14, Jay and Jake moved to the town. They bonded with Sunghoon over being in most of the same classes. Sunghoon was now their “honorary third brother”. Very soon, they showed Jake and Jay that special spot. They'd have picnics together, vent together, do homework together, escape home together, everything together. Anything, just as long as they were together.

And with Niki joining when Jungwon was 16, the group finally felt complete. They needed some mischief and youngster humor around, so it was good to have him. Even better, al 6 of them had two common interests: Singing and dancing.

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။၊|။|||။|||။၊ 

Sunghoon walked alone to school. He’d never done that before, always had at least one of them by his side. He was worried. He blew up Sunoo and Jungwon’s phones the whole way there, hid his phone during class, and stared intensely at his screen during passing periods. He didn't like when he got no reply, it never meant anything good, especially around this town.

When Sunoo and Jungwon didn't show up to school at all, Sunghoon immediately assumed the worst. Niki was upset that his hyungs didn't show up, but he didn't make too big of a deal out of it. Obviously, he didn't want to be too annoying. Jake was seen texting someone the entire lunch period, and when Jay tried to sneak a look, Jake wrenched the phone out of his sight.

“Jaeyunieeee, this is the first thing you haven’t told me, you need to spill!!” Jay whined, but as you could probably guess, his efforts were in vain. Randomly, after Sunghoon went on a 30 minute rant about how worried he was for Sunoo and Jungwon, Jake spoke up.

“Uhh…I think I know what’s happening with them,” Jake said uncertainly. He looked around at everyone’s confused faces.

“Wha-? Why you? They haven't answered me all day!” Sunghoon exclaimed. 

“They haven't answered me either,” Jake mumbled. Sunghoon rolled his eyes. The lunch table fell into awkward silence

“Soooooo…are you gonna tell us what's up with them?” Niki said, breaking the silence. Niki was so serious about it, that he put down his chopsticks to pay closer attention.

“Oh, yeah. I buncha guys showed up to Sunoo’s, demanding Eunji noona,” Jake answered. Jay’s eyebrows furrowed, suspicious. This just didn't feel right. No one in this group ever just…stopped answering messages. “They won't leave until tonight.”

“And you know about this…how?” Jay asked. He didn't want to suspect his brother of anything, but the way he’d been hiding his phone lately and keeping secrets, when they told each other everything…he wasn't too sure. Not to mention, this had all started happening once Eunji came back to town. It all felt too...incriminating. 

Jake didn't answer.

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။၊|။|||။|||။၊ 

Heeseung was now trapped in the house too, now being suspected of knowing Eunji as well. The boys just would not give this up, even talking about tying Heeseung to a chair and torturing the answers out of him. God, Beomgyu was still fucking insane, even after all that therapy and mental work shit. 

“Lee Heeseung, you didn't send me a birthday text last year, or this year, or every year since I left,” Beomgyu accused, summoning terribly fake tears.

“Youre phone service plan ended, I couldn't send them…” Heeseung mumbled, staying far, far away from Beomgyu.

“So, who are you, though?” Soobin asked again, tired of this back and forth. “I’m serious, Beomgyu has never mentioned a Lee Heeseung before.”

“We went to the same school for elementary, middle, and some of high school,” Heeseung answered, clearly very uncomfortable.

“I see, and how do you know Kim Sunoo and Yang Jungwon?” It was a full on interrogation now, question after question after question. Heeseung was visibly getting tired of all these questions.

“Are you Eunji’s boyfriend?” Soobin asked.

“No, I only know Eunji from them,” Heeseung lied. He felt pretty bad, and he knew this was risky, but it was all out of desperation.

“How’d you know Sunoo and Jungwon?” Beomgyu asked, an evil smirk on his lips. “Far as I know, you still live back home, right?”

Heeseung, practically sweating buckets, tried to think of a good lie, but Jungwon thought of one faster. Jungwon shrugged and answered easily: “Online friends, y’know?”

Everyone seemed to buy it. Good, they all got to live another day.

Chapter Text

It was nearing 11:45pm, so the boys’ stay was almost over. Only until 2:00am, Sunoo thought to himself. Jungwon could see his phone blowing up with messages, but he didn't dare to answer them. Sunoo knew his father and mother would be back soon. He sighed, getting up from the couch.

“You guys need to go back to my room,” Sunoo said awkwardly. Jungwon checked Sunoo’s broken clock and sighed. The clock was 5 hours ahead, and Jungwon absolutely despised math.

“Yeah, it's almost midnight,” Jungwon commented, shooting Sunoo a worried glance. “His parents will be home soon.”

They shrugged, standing up. There was a chance his father would go into his room, in that case, his father would find all the boys hiding in his room. That simply couldn't happen. He insisted on staying outside his room, to “make food” as if it wasn't just some bullshit excuse. Jungwon wasn't eager to be separated from Sunoo, but didn't fight it.

Yeonjun had a bad feeling, for some reason. He chose to hide behind the corner instead. Good choice, wasn't it? Well, Yeonjun sorta felt like a stalker, doing it. But Soobin had told him to trust his gut. He wasn’t really sure, but Yeonjun’s gut was usually right. Sunoo sat blankly on the couch, as if he had no personality outside his friends. Not a single thought behind his eyes, just empty staring at the floor. The sound of the door opening, another unknown man’s voice.

“Yah! Sunoo, what are you doing?” Sunoo looked up, finding his mother, stumbling around stupidly, arm wrapped around another man’s neck. “Get out!”

“I’m heating something in the microwave. I’m waiting for it to be done,” Sunoo answered smoothly. “I’ll leave soon.”

He rolled his eyes once he heard the master bedroom door slam shut. His parents sucked. At least his father wasn't home yet. Speak of the devil, 12:04am rolls around, his father busted the door down, grouchy and reeking of alcohol and cigarettes. 

Yeonjun’s breath caught. Bottles shattered against the floor, threats spat bitterly, terrible sounds from the master bedroom, and…the sound of choking? Sunoo was thrown against the wall, a hand wrapped tightly around his neck. Yeonjun was mr toughguy, sure, but was he any match for middle aged men? A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. 

But Yeonjun wasn’t that bad of a person, he had to do something.

A scream, blood everywhere. Yeonjun’s gun clattered to the ground, blood splattering across his face. The world seemed to stop where it was, Sunoo fell to the floor, jaw hung open and blood splattered across his clothes. 

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Jake had felt a rush of blood going to his face the moment he saw that boy. He was so handsome, and good looking, and kind, and even (secretly) gave Jake his number! He was the epitome of perfection. He needed to have him, but there was a problem. He was taken. Taken the most annoying girl in town, no less. Jake was not happy, to say the absolute least. 

Jake was a simple man, he fell in love easily, constantly forced his brother to buy him legos, and he liked being tucked into bed. He also developed crushes super easily. This one, though, he felt was real. They had chemistry, he could feel it. He wasn't sure if he was ready to be a home wrecker, but it’d be worth it for that boy, wouldn't it? Besides, it wasn't like that boy was married, only dating Jake’s worst enemy.

Jake dreamed of that man every night, like a stalker with his victim. Okay, bad analogy. But, the point still stands. The 3rd time they met was by accident. But by then, fate had surely decided they should be together. The boy seemed to understand and accept this fact, he had even suggested that they should hang out. So they did just that. In secret, while the boy was “running errands” they’d be together, getting high or gossiping. Or both. 

Jake remembered when they met for the second time. Jake was working overtime at the freaking gas-station again because his stupid coworkers clocked out early, leaving him to fend for himself. Great, now he was working the register, restocks, and isle assistance, whilst also dealing with stoners and creepy old men all alone. God, he needed a new job so badly.

Jake was running around, hearing a bunch of desperate bells from the counter, "assistance needed in aisle 3-hygiene”, and a shit ton of babies crying. Fuck, he really needed a new job.   

But the heavens were in his favor. Just as he was about to collapse and die, that was when the future love of his life walked in, stunning and glowing at 1:00AM. Jake, being a little lovestruck, forgot to actually pay attention to the current customer he was serving at the register. 

“Hey!” some ancient relic of times past screamed in his ear, “kids these days, ya’ll got no attention span, all dumb fucks working in gas stations for 2 bucks an hour, so stupid! When I was your age, I had 9 kids and a mansion! I worked 2000 hours a week to provide for my wife and kids at the law firm where I made 50000000 per minute!!”

“Mhm, that’s great, sir,” Jake said, snapping back to his job. He scanned the items. “That will be 3000 won. Would you like a bag?”

“No!! You just lost a loyal customer! Fuck yourself, because you sure ain’t pretty enough to have anyone else do it for ya!!!!!” Finally, that man left. But Jake’s crush did not. He came up to the counter, looking better up close than from afar. Jake tried not to drool like an idiot, but that didn't work out too well. 

“H-hi, sir..” Jake rasped out, his throat suddenly dry, and his heart overflowing. “What brings you here so late at night..?”

“Hello. I was just out running errands. That guy in front of me sure was crazy, huh?” he chuckled attractively, placing a few items on the counter, like some makeup products and snacks. Likely for she who shall not be named.

“Yeah, that was an insane insult, didya hear?” Jake smiled while scanning the items. He could feel all his luck being used on this one encounter. 

“Aishhh, don’t listen to old guys like that. He’s yelling just to yell,” said the boy, smiling back. A realization dawned on the boy’s face. “Oh, hey, are you that guy I met the other day?”

“Oh, yeah, I’m Sim Jaeyun or Jake, either one works fine...” Jake extended his arm awkwardly. Then he tried to retract it out of embarrassment, but the boy actually shook it. Jake just hoped and prayed he wasn't red in the face. Although, those hopes and prayers were likely not answered.

▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။||||။၊|။|||။|||။၊ 

Sunghoon had enough. His two closest friends weren't answering his calls or texts. Jay, Niki, and Jake were starting to get seriously worried, as well. Sunghoon was annoyed that it took them so long. Sunghoon, after school, marched right up to Sunoo’s house. He noticed this weird stench from his garbage bin, but maybe that was just his mother’s latest drug concoction.

Sunghoon noticed an eye looking at him through the peephole. Someone was home, that was clear, so he knocked again. And again. And again, until someone finally answered. It was Jungwon, looking more terrified than he’d ever been. Behind him, 5 boys were mopping the floors and furniture and ceiling and walls like madmen. Sunoo sat frozen on the couch. And to Sunghoon’s utter surprise, Eunji’s boyfriend was there too. 

“Jungwonie?” Sunghoon speaks first, as Jungwon seems unable to. Despite how fast Sunghoon’s heart was racing, he tried to stay calm. The last thing he needed was for Jungwon to be overwhelmed. “Are you okay?”

“Uhm..” Jungwon said nothing, only stepping out of the way for Sunghoon to enter. 

“Why haven't you been answering my calls?” Sunghoon asked, trying to calm his mind. 

“Havent been able to...” Jungwon answered, his voice small. “Sorry, hyung..”

Sunghoon took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. This was a little overwhelming ,but he’d get over it, right? He always did. “It’s okay, but why’s Eunji noona’s boyfriend here? And who are those guys?”

Jungwon made a gesture for Sunghoon to zip it. He looked over his shoulder at the 5 boys, luckily they didn't hear. Well, he hoped so, at least. “Heeseung hyung is here because…he wanted to check up on us after last week. Y’know how it is, dontcha, hyung?”

No, Sunghoon didnt know how it was, but he suspected he should just play the part. I mean, Jungwon was the type of person to be weird and then break character after 5 seconds. So, if Jungwon was serious, then the situation must be serious too. Sunghoon acted like he understood, making a small “aahhhh I see” after catching on.

“Oh yeah, makes sense. But why’s Sunoo sitting there like he just got the biggest shock of his life..?” Sunghoon inquired, his voice taking on a slightly softer tone. Jungwon gulped, pulling out a cigarette inside Sunoo’s house, and Sunoo didn’t try to stop him. That’s how Sunghoon knew he probably wasn't ready, and probably never would be. 

“So…we just- no, no…” Heeseung mumbled, sitting Sunghoon down, while Jungwon scurried to the bathroom. “Those guys- well, ughh…”

“Uhm, my friend here just shot your friend’s parents, and his mom’s side dude, dead,” said Taehyun. Sunghoon sat upright, breaking his streak of terrible posture. 

“I’m sorry, what?” Sunghoon glanced back and forth, trying to catch the joke, the moment they’d all jump up and scream “Happy April Fools” in the middle of October. No, that moment never came.