II  MORNING'S AFTERTASTE

It was late into the night when a familiar aroma had started to invade every nook and cranny of the kitchen, playfully teased by a faint hint of fresh leeks. Seungcheol was never fond of late night snacks, or in this case: a meal. However, when it came to Jeonghan's seemingly ordinary ramyun, he could never say no.

You never would have thought that a couple sticks of green chili peppers (청고추), cloves of mashed up garlic, leeks and half cooked eggs would

. Topped with half cooked eggs, (usually up to his own generosity as to how many), it gave the final and needed touch for the red bubbling concoction. Surprisingly, others – that Seungcheol knew of – did not seem to mind this persistence as the ramyun would always end up mouthwatering each time.

And in all honesty, Seungcheol was definitely one of the biggest fans.

If he were asked to choose only one food to live on for the rest of his life, that boy would easily choose his best friend’s ramyun without the bat of an eye. Because damn, the eruption of flavours was definitely to die for and Seungcheol was so damn sure he would never grow tired of it.

Until that night.

The moment Jeonghan placed a pretty generous portion in front of him, Seungcheol’s stomach could not help but to feel repulsed at the sight. He could only stare at the still sizzling ramyun and with each passing second, his insides were getting more and more upset. The raven haired child wanted to run, to ing dump the whole thing into a nearby dustbin. Yet said thoughts were immediately cast away, fearing it might upset Jeonghan to a certain extent he did not wish to cross.

As a small sigh escaped his lips, the boy willed his hand to pick up the utensils, scooping an adequate amount of broth in his steel spoon.

Still, his thoughts drifted back to a certain pink haired boy he met merely an hour ago.

“Just please, let me go.”

It came out almost as a whisper, but Seungcheol heard it loud and clear. However, he was too higgledy-piggledy by the stranger’s previous outburst that he could only stare despite the pleading. His fingers were tightly curled around the shorter male’s wrist, still unable to wrap his mind around the situation.

Jihoon on the other hand, who was feeling a foreign and uncomfortable constriction in his chest managed to grit his words through his teeth, “I said, LET. GO.”

Almost instantly, Seungcheol loosened his grip, feeling dismayed after letting the still nameless boy go.

Within the moment of confusion, Seungcheol noted his words were repressed – as if they were no longer present, finding it awfully futile to ask further, albeit stuck at the tip of his  lips. Seungcheol’s mind was in a tangled mess.

.

As miserable as it may sound, his own cognizance was as muddled as a grey sky on an especially rainy night. He just couldn’t ‘think’. Well, then again, it doesn’t happen every day to have a complete stranger yelling at you, on top of that calling you an ‘Opulent trash’.

Right?

Before he could even utter a word, the boy who was initially in front of him was no longer in sight, leaving absolutely no trace behind. As if he was never there in the first place. As if Seungcheol had always been by himself. Staring down to his own pair of hands, Seungcheol noticed a bread. The bread that one had decided to ditch and perhaps would never be coming back for again.

On that night, Seungcheol swore; the last thing he saw was the boy’s appalled face, embedded into his now disarrayed mind.

- - - - - - - - - - -

“Earth to Seungcheol.”

Shaken from his own reverie, Seungcheol noted a spatula being waved in front of his face and somewhat dangerously close to the tip of his nose. A light chuckle then went off, coming from the person sitting adjacent to him, flipping his majestic long locks with said item which was then set down onto the counter. If looks could kill, Jeonghan would have been pretty much dead few minutes ago.

Sadly, Seungcheol’s glare did not possess such power.

Without the much needed ability, the raven could only curse, mentally scolding himself as he lifted the previously abandoned spoon, dipping the metal into his now lukewarm broth.

Aware of his friend’s distraught, Jeonghan raised an eyebrow, “Someone seems pensive tonight.”

“No, I’m not.”

Despite saying so, the blond remained unconvinced, displeased with Seungcheol’s lackluster answer. Jeonghan shook his head in vain, his long hair once again moving gracefully, in sync with the motion. To him, there was no ing way Seungcheol could get himself off the hook that easily. Nope, not with Jeonghan.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong.”

“Seungcheol, I have known you since we were pretty much in diapers. Now spill.”

“I swear, Jeonghan. I’m just under the weather.”

“HA. Bull. .”

And somehow, they both burst into a fit of laughter.

“Yah, say that again,” Seungcheol nudged at the blond male, amused by Jeonghan’s choice of word. Said boy could only smack the toned arm away, muttering a low ‘’ which emitted another hearty laugh from Seungcheol -- who by then was already doubling over with his arms around his mid-torso, face stricken with tears.

Gradually, their laughter died down, the ramyun on the countertop long forgotten. Sensing the still worried Jeonghan, Seungcheol mustered a tiny smile, “I’ll be fine. I swear.”

And that was the first lie he ever told his childhood friend.

- - - - - - - - - - -

In the midst of a night haze, a black silhouette appeared just as the air simultaneously thickened, a small cry heard in the distance. It was faint at first, but the sound built up in intensity, shrilling almost. The familiar tune then set in, the voice was humming to a nursery song, a mediocre setting of most haunted stories.

So, Jihoon decided to run.

He let his feet take off on their own accords, pushing himself to his limit in spite lacking air, further sprinting forward. Jihoon knew the shadow was getting closer and closer, because , he could ‘feel’ the unknown’s presence, nearly grazing his exposed neck. He was too slow. Too ing slow for the possible man-eating monster.

However, Jihoon had to survive – for Seokmin, for himself and for his dead paren--

“Jihoon, my boy.”

Mom!

Halting himself to a complete stop, Jihoon then saw her. The horrific shadow was now gone, only to be replaced with his mother, all dressed in white and Jihoon vowed she looked like an angel. A literal goddess descended from heaven.

Wait, maybe this place was indeed heaven.

“Am I dead?”

“No, sweetheart. You’re very much alive,” and Jihoon cried.

Why? First, he realized just how much he had missed her voice – her soothing, gentle voice – and second, it was because his mother was cradling his face. After so long, Jihoon noticed the longing he had been suppressing, the thirst for his mother’s touch and in that very second, all those emotions came pouring out like a waterfall.

Jihoon missed her. Jihoon just missed her so ing much.

And he was glad that he finally came across his beloved mother. That, until he felt a warm liquid, trapped between his mother’s hand and his cheek.

Cracking his eyes open, Jihoon instantly fell to the floor, a silent scream coming out of his now trembling lips as his ‘mother’ drowned in thick, red blood; her hands extended towards him while screaming for his name.

“Jihoon.. Jihoon..! JIHOON HYUNG!”

Jihoon immediately jolted awake, his tee drenched with own sweat as Seokmin’s worried face finally set in. Releasing a guff of trapped air he had been holding in, the elder mumbled a short ‘fine’, sluggishly pulled himself up as he walked into the restroom, leaving a very confused Seokmin behind.

- - - - - - - - - - -

“Why are you guys here?”

Soonyoung, already seated at the small dining table solely waved in response, paying little to no attention to Jihoon’s question, who had just exited the restroom, all washed up. Noticing the look Jihoon’s face, Seungkwan slipped in between the two, raising a small plastic bag, jostling it in front of a very much annoyed Jihoon. “I brought you guys breakfast! I know, you’d starve without me, hyung.”

“Excuse me?” the current oldest cleared his throat, slightly pushing Seungkwan away so he could have a better view of his fellow Indigent friend. “As a matter of fact, I drove you there Seungkwannie. So technically, you brats would have starved without me.”

Jihoon almost let out a snort.

“But I bought it! With my OWN barcode! Sorry, not to offend anyone-” he faced the three Indigents in the room as Seokmin smiled, mouthing ‘none taken’, urging the obvious Bourgeois-status Seungkwan to continue, “-but it was MY car and MY purchase.”

“I don’t even want to ask why a person without a license would own a car.”

Sighing, Jihoon let both Indigent and Bourgeois continue on with their usual bicker, suppressing a growing smile that was threatening to pull on the corner of his lips. Even though his two friends could be a pain in his , Jihoon was inwardly thankful. Yes, they could be hella noisy most of the time, but then again, he needed that in his somehow pitiful life. Without Soonyoung and Seungkwan, his life would be dull and although it may come off as stupidly cheesy, his friends were the sunlight on frequent dark days.

Especially at that very moment. Jihoon could really use some distraction after the gory image he had acquired in his dream.  So what better distraction to have than two growing males going at each other’s throats?

With the surge of overwhelming warmth invading his chest, Jihoon bit upon his lower lips, holding back the forming smile. Keeping up his front, he resorted to his usual violence as he smacked the two across their heads, rolling his eyes at the wincing pair.

“I can take care of Seokmin and myself just fine, thank you very much.”

- - - - - - - - - - -

The sun was already high up when Seungcheol emerged from his room, all dressed in his usual get-up. Torn washed-out jeans, paired with a simple black graphic t-shirt along with brand new sneakers; squeaking as he climbed down the freshly polished stairs. Glancing at the digital clock hung on one of the hallways leading to the kitchen, he noted the blinking 11, realizing that it was less than an hour to 12pm.

It then dawned on him that he still hadn’t had his breakfast.

Allowing his stomach to grumble, he maneuvered his way to the kitchen, only to be greeted by no one. Slightly pouting, he roamed around the island to find at least some decent food for his empty stomach, when he came across a blinking red light on the door of the oven. Giving it a double tap, the touch screen transitioned to a familiar handwriting in which Seungcheol easily identified as his mother’s.

Hey, honey. We’re going for a vacay this entire weekend! Sorry that we have to leave you alone, but I made you your favourite! Do invite Jeonghan and Jisoo over if you feel bored. Oh and that boy, Wonwoo too. We love you!

xx Mom and Dad.

The boy could only chuckle at his parents, knowing very well of their almost weekly activity together. Not that he was mad at them – not even the slightest. Of course he did wish that his parents would spend more time with him, though it was nice to see them enjoying their time together. Seeing his parents smile would make Seungcheol happy too.

Swiping the message into the bin, he eagerly tapped onto the ‘unlock’ icon, the door finally opened with a ‘ding’.

When he laid his eyes upon the steamy cheesy bun, the corner of his lips were stretched to his ears, clearly satisfied with his breakfast. Yet the excitement was cut short as the face of a specific boy with pink hair popped into his vision, scowling at him with great disgust.

Maybe, he was not that hungry after all.

- - - - - - - - - - -

After Seungkwan and Soonyoung left without forgetting to tell them about Mingyu’s encounter with the two new Bourgeoisies who had just migrated from China, Jihoon did not expect his brother to promptly be in his face.

“Eyy, hyung~! But the weather is nice!”

“No.”

“You’ve been cooped up for so long.”

“You know I don’t enjoy having my skin under the sun, Seokmin,” and that was partially true.

Truthfully said, Jihoon did not like feeling hot, even warm at all. He preferred subzero winter over a hot savannah disguised as summer. Though, it was not the sun that he hated most – it was more of an excuse he casually made. Well, summer could be hot, but that would not stop him from going outside. At least for a cup of ice-cream (if he were able to buy one).

In all honesty, it was the buildings that depleted his desire to a complete nil.

Summer should be scorching anyway. On the other hand, seeing cracked and abandoned buildings, with few of them almost collapsing, possibly pulling along few inhabitants inside just made Jihoon wanting to crawl into his bed and sleep.

Not that the building he lived in was any better, but he could be rest assured as said building did not seem that it would topple any time soon.

He hated the environment he lived in. He hated the known fact that Indigents were forced to live in such condition. Jihoon wanted to have a ‘talk’ with those people who were responsible for it, but he knew well he would end up being exiled to another abandoned place if he were to go against the government.

Jihoon could not risk that. Especially at the thought of leaving Seokmin behind.

The pink haired swore he would ing kill anyone who even came close to dragging him out, but boy oh boy, the wall around Jihoon instantly crumbled to the floor the moment he saw Seokmin, attempting puppy eyes at him.

“You can’t do that. It’s not fair,” he grumbled helplessly, further tempting Seokmin to jut out his lower lips, pouting. “Seokmin-ah.”

“Jihoon-hyung, please?”

Closing his eyes as he tried to block out Seokmin’s growing pout, a heavy sigh released from his now tightened lips. Raising a white flag, the older of the two knew he would eventually give in; because who could resist a smiling Seokmin?

“Fine, let’s go.”

- - - - - - - - - - -

Seokmin was right.

The weather was indeed a perfect temperature for a walk – not too hot, not too cold.

With breeze of incoming spring invading his personal bubble and Seokmin, playfully walking backwards, Jihoon suddenly became hopeful. For the first time in several years, he regained faith that perhaps, at one point in the future, things could get better for them siblings.

Up until his idiot brother bumped shoulders with another stranger.

In contrast to Seokmin who needed Jihoon to prevent him from tumbling over, the boy who seemed as if he was not from the neighborhood only gasped, his face tainted with worry.

“Oh lord, are you okay? I’m so sorry,”but just as he was about to take a step closer to examine Seokmin for any possible injuries, Jihoon, suddenly all defensive decided to step in between the two. His body may be smaller than Seokmin’s, but he further pushed his stepbrother behind regardless, shielding the younger from the unknown man.

“He’s fine,” Jihoon tried to cut the person off, giving the shortest reply he could and as if sensing the situation, the other simply nodded.

“Glad to know that. But please, be careful next time,” as the boy bent down to pick up couple of paper bags, a honk could be heard nearby, stealing both Jihoon and Seokmin’s attention to a bright red convertible by the curb.

The tinted window was rolled down, revealing another guy with long blonde hair, oblivious to the two awkwardly stood Indigents.

“Jisoo!” without forgetting to cast an apologetic smile to the ‘Lee’ brothers, the stranger who hypothetically to be ‘Jisoo’ quickly dashed towards the vehicle, leaving them in thin smoke as the car sped away.

Judging by the car and their appearances, Jihoon instantly caught on that the two might be Opulents. Not that he cared anyway. But Seokmin, always the clueless oddball decided to drop a bomb there and then.

“Those guys seemed nice. Right, hyung?”

With one look from Jihoon, the look that Seokmin was very much aware of, the latter completely shut his lips, fearing for his dear life.