Woohyun would have never thought that waking Sunggyu would be such a chore. There he lay, like a rock, unmoving and practically dead.Woohyun nudged Sunggyu with his weight pushing against his back. Sunggyu groaned under the pressure. He complained, again and again, asking for more time to sleep but eventually gave up when Woohyun put him in a headlock.

Sunggyu told Woohyun to wash up first while he made breakfast. The bathroom was quaint and tidy, as expected. Sunggyu seemed to be a borderline neat freak. The one thing out of place was the lock on the door or rather absence of one. But Sunggyu and Woohyun were the only ones there, and Sunggyu knows he’s in the shower, so there wasn’t anything to really worry about. But then as the door opened suddenly, Woohyun caught a fright. It was Sunggyu.

“W-What are you do—!?”

He looked at Woohyun funny as he proceeded to his pants and use the toilet. He was confused because Sunggyu wouldn’t answer him, instead, he gave a small grin as he left and as the door closed I heard something strange. 

“He’s cute, you have good taste.” 

Woohyun dried off and threw on his uniform as fast as he could. Running out to chastise Sunggyu but holding back when he’s faced with not one, but two Sunggyu.

“Oh, you’re done? That was fast, Come and have something to eat.”

Woohyun sat at the end of the table. Across from him, a familiar looking stranger. One who was totally focused on eating and didn’t even look at Woohyun. Meanwhile, Woohyun’s head was spinning and felt like he was seeing double.

—

He froze there. With his fork suspended in the air, the egg sliding off and dropping to the plate. It was one thing he hadn’t asked about. Perhaps because Woohyun, being so sensitive toward his own family situation, was reluctant to ask Sunggyu about his.  

Sungwoo, in a sense, was Sunggyu’s older brother—by about 3 minutes. Glancing closely Woohyun tried to pick apart their differences. Sungwoo wore his hair short unlike Sunggyu and Sungwoo had a beauty mark on the bridge of his nose.  Even their personalities seemed different. 

When Sungwoo had come over, as he was still chewing food, and hugged Woohyun from behind. He was far more aggressive compared to Sunggyu. Sunggyu yelled from across the room, glaring at Sungwoo until he removed his hands from Woohyun. Sunggyu apologized for his brother’s rudeness, but Woohyun didn’t care. He gave Sungwoo a smile with his hand extended and formally introduced himself.

            “Kim Sunggyu, how’d you pick this stray pup up?”

            “Don’t call my boyfriend a pup, please…”

There it was, that word. Boyfriend… That’s right we’re dating, aren’t we? That’s how it works right… two sides confess, they kiss, and they date? Right right. I, Nam Woohyun, am Kim Sunggyu’s boyfriend. And that is the best feeling I’ve had the pleasure of having.                                                      

 Sunggyu was all his. He could kiss those supple peachy lips and hold his warm hands in his own. Sunggyu looked at him with such affection that he feared that if he were to look away, even for a second, the feeling would disappear.  That may be the very reason that Woohyun began to long for him at these times. If he had a fault, Woohyun wouldn’t care. Sungwoo is right in calling him a pup;  he demanded attention and loyalty and in return, he’ll give him all of his devoted heart.

Woohyun rises from his seat. Sunggyu still in the kitchen has his back now turned. Sungwoo goes back to eating. Woohyun glides across the smooth surfaced floor in dirty white socks. Sunggyu’s back is long and broad. Woohyun’s hands wrap around his waist and rests his head on the center of his back.

            “Hi.” He says.

            “Hi.” Woohyun say back.

It was sweet like that.Words felt too empty. Sunggyu deserved more than just words. Sunggyu kisses him under the jaundice kitchen light. His hand on Woohyun’s neck and a tingling sensation on his skin. His heart is in his throat.

Sunggyu’s lips part into a grin as he straightens up. He messes Woohyun’s hair with his moist hand and turns back to washing dishes.

            “We’ll leave for school in a few minutes.”

—

Woohyun occupies himself with tying his shoelaces. For the third time, he’d adjust the tightness. Sunggyu wraps a grey muffler around Woohyun’s neck. He says softly that the weather had cooled and he should keep warm. Sunggyu wore a layer of sweaters under his black trench coat. Today his hair was combed down and swept to the side.

           “Hyung, I’ll be back later!” Sunggyu yelled as they left.

They let the car warm up a moment. Sunggyu rubbed his hands together and groaned about the cold.

           “Maybe you need this more than I do,” Woohyun said removing the scarf from his neck and handing it to him. But he promptly declined but Woohyun bundles it around him anyway.

Woohyun begins their drive by asking Sunggyu more about his family. He said that his parents were farmers down south. His mother has Alzheimer’s and often forgets who he was. A few years back his brother got a job in a broadcasting station and moved up to Seoul and Sunggyu eventually followed suit to find a better chance at employment. His father disapproved of the two moving away from home but the twins promised that they would visit often. Sunggyu can’t recall why he originally wanted to move to Seoul. The whole memory was faint.                                                      

    “I suppose the idea of adventure overtook my moral compass”                                        

He got interested in teaching by chance. A woman carrying several rustling paper bags tripped on the sidewalk. Sunggyu happened to be there and carried her things for her. She led him to the elementary school in the neighborhood. He went as far as going into the classroom.

       “Looking at all those little faces sparked something in me. The way that learning had excited them, had also excited me. So I went back to school and here we are.”

They received a few stares from passing students and faculty as Woohyun exited Sunggyu’s car, but Sunggyu didn’t care. He locked his car with the press of a button and walked on. Woohyun was too scared to walk too close and Sunggyu knew that. He didn’t try to maintain distance, but Woohyun did. If it got out that a teacher and a student were engaging in anything other than teaching, it would ruin things for Sunggyu andWoohyun didn’t want to see that happen.

Myungsoo caught Woohyun on the main staircase. He grabbed him by the arm as Woohyun was stepping up, causing him to stumble back. He looked concerned again but with reason.

         “You know people are talking about you and Mr. Kim coming to school together? What’s up with that?”

          “He was just giving me a ride, it’s no big deal, let them talk.”

           “Are you sure that’s it? I’m hearing some nasty things...”

           “With what proof? Jesus Christ… Don’t believe everything you hear.”

          Myungsoo finally gave up trying and eventually moved on to more trivial things like last night’s trig homework that he didn’t do. Something wasn’t sitting well in Woohyun’s stomach about his relationship with Sunggyu, all the while Sunggyu looked unaffected as they exchanged glances.

        At the start of class, Woohyun's phone buzzed in his pocket. Ms. Kim:

           I told your father what you had relayed to me. He appears to be appeased but I am unsure of how long that may last.

        The situation with Sunggyu has distracted Woohyun from dealing with own priorities and at the top of that list was his father.