A/N: Might have some mistakes. Did this in a rush. Press '+' if you like background music while reading.

taken by Myungsoo. The view outside his window.

02:  Time Goes Slowly

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Myungsoo walks up to his house. Sungyeol has detention today (again) and going to the park was out of the option. His father would be waiting for him expectantly to come home. Not to mention his step-mother and brother. 

The door opens and his father greets him, “Hurry in.”

Myungsoo ushers in and sees a woman, standing by their kitchen door. He bows immediately. As she comes over to hug him, Myungsoo doesn’t know what to feel.

“Good afternoon, ma’am.” he says.

She smiles to him and it takes Myungsoo a couple of seconds to see how beautiful is. And nice. “Good afternoon, Myungsoo-ssi. How was school?”

“It was okay.”

Myungsoo’s father comes to her side and smiles to him too. “That’s good,” his father pats his shoulder. “Your brother is upstairs; help him unpack.”

Myungsoo nods and begins making his way.

“Myungsoo-ssi.” His step-mom reaches to him. “You and Sungjong come down for dinner at six, arraseo?”

Myungsoo nods again and ascends up the staircase, gripping his bookbag with one hand. He knocks his door and peers in right when—

“Ah!” A number of sketch books flew to the floor as Sungjong stared at him in surprise. “You scared me.”

Myungsoo stares at the girl in his room. He slowly closes the door before dropping his bookbag and running downstairs.

“Dad!” his father looks up and Myungsoo goes to him, blinking furiously in shock. “I have a sister?”

“A what?”

“A sis—“

Sungjong strides in the living room and Myungsoo points to him. “You told me I was getting brother.” Myungsoo was okay with this whole thing of a new mom, yeah yeah, a little brother, okay—but a little sister? Had he heard his dad wrong—hold up—

“Yah!” Sungjong said. “I’m a boy! Take that back!”

Myungsoo’s jaw dropped.

“Son—“ his father begins.

“What’s happening?” Sungjong’s mother comes in, taking off her apron.

Everyone is quiet before Sungjong stomps back upstairs.

Myungsoo sees her eyes follow her son’s figure “I—I—thought---“

“Nothing, Eun Mi.” his father walks up to her. “Myungsoo was getting to know Sungjong…who seems a little shy.”

“Shy?” Sungjong’s mother looks to him and Myungsoo nods shakily. “Oh Sungjong tends to be like that. Go talk to him Myungsoo, he’s fine.”

“But I—“

His father looks at him and Myungsoo hesitantly nods again.

Myungsoo knocks and then he wonders why does he really have to before opening the door.

He sees Sungjong lying on his bed, looking at the ceiling. “Hello Kim Myungsoo.” He says not looking away.

“Hi. Um, I’m sorry. About that.”

“It’s okay…happens all the time.” Sungjong murmurs.

“Really?” he asks.

Sungjong slowly looks at him. “What do you think?”

Myungsoo stares back at him, unsure of what to say. They stay like that for a couple of minutes before Sungjong sighs and gets up. “I’m going to shower first.” He says. Myungsoo doesn’t know why but he did it and oh well.

He grabbed Sungjong’s wrist. “Wait.”

 “What do you want?” Sungjong is pulling away.

“I’m sorry okay? I really am.”

“Excuse me—“

Myungsoo sighs loudly and steps back, bowing lowly.

 Sungjong stares in mild surprise. “What are you doing? ”

“Apologizing.” Myungsoo doesn’t move.

 Sungjong looks around as if someone is watching and pulls at his sweater, “Get up.”

 “Not until you accept my apology.”

“Yah! Kim Myungsoo, this isn’t funny!”

Sungjong keeps trying to pull him up but Myungsoo is rigid. Sungjong looks at the door worriedly and continues in trying to get his older step-brother up. “It’s okay! I accept it or whatever, just get up!”

Myungsoo straightens up so quickly that Sungjong had to move away before his chin gets hit. “Really?” Myungsoo smiles and Sungjong stares before looking away hastily.

“Yes, now if you excuse me—“

“You sound like you still don’t forgive me.”

Sungjong covers his face in his hands, “I. Forgive. You. Kim Myungsoo.” It’s muffled but when he puts his hands down, Sungjong gives him a warm smile. “I forgive you okay?”

“Okay.” Myungsoo smiles again. “You can go shower now, Sungjong.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem.”

Sungjong sticks a tongue at him before leaving the room and Myungsoo blinks.

There is a picture next to Sungjong’s bed and Myungsoo takes it, holding it up.

It’s Sungjong and another guy. They look like their friends, and of course they do because the intimacy shows it all. Hand holding and laughing at camera. They look happy, Myungsoo notes.

“That’s me and Hoya hyung.” Myungsoo drops the photo, startled.

Sungjong is leaning at the doorway, towel drying his hair. “He’s my best friend.”

“Oh.” Myungsoo says simply.

Sungjong walks over to him and picks up the photo, putting it back in place. “What about you?”

“Me?”

“Yeah.”

Myungsoo looks around, not understanding.

Sungjong then points to his picture, “Best friend?”

“Oh. Oh, yeah.” Myungsoo smiles. “Sungyeol.”

“Sungyeol?” Sungjong his head to the side. “Can I see a picture of him?”

Myungsoo nods and pulls out a polaroid picture from his drawer that was nearby. Sungjong takes it and immediately grins. “I knew it!”

Myungsoo’s eyebrow knit in confusion.

“I met him before!” Sungjong looks back at the picture. Sungyeol is seen drinking a carton of milk and giving whoever took the picture a thumbs up. “He was in the office.”

Myungsoo laughs and looks away, “Where else would he be…”

Sungjong falls into a fit of giggles, still looking at the picture.

Dinner passes on well.

Myungsoo gives Sungjong a couple of pointers about school, how if he ever got lost, to go directly to the office. His father patted his back and commended on how well a big brother he was being, “and quick too” his father added.

Myungsoo just shrugs and looks over to Sungjong, who already staring back before looking away.

“Did they give you your schedule?”

Both of them are on their beds, Sungjong drawing and Myungsoo towel-drying his hair. Sungjong briefly looks up at him.

“No. I have to pick it up tomorrow before class.”

Myungsoo nods, “Okay.”

A little bit of a silence follows before a song buzzes into the air. Sungjong reaches over for his phone before answering.

“Hello? Hoya-hyung! …Yes, I’m okay—How are you?...Ah…Stop it, hyung…I miss you too…”

Myungsoo watches how Sungjong suddenly whispers the last bit before turning completely away from him.

“…Tell him I miss him too!...Is that him trying to act cute? Yah! Nam Wooh—Hoya hyung, put me on speaker…Yah Nam Woohyun! Stop it, it’s failing!” Sungjong laughs. “No, no it’s failing hyung! I said stop!”

Myungsoo learns the names of all of Sungjong’s friends in the passing minutes: Nam Woohyun, Hoya, of course, Dongwoo and Sunggyu. Each of them had certain qualities: Nam Woohyun was always trying to act cute but is always failing miserably (apparently), Dongwoo sounded careful and a little cautious from the way Sungjong spoke. And Sunggyu sounded like Sungjong’s father (“Yes, I will eat well hyung. Yes. Yes, hyung. Okay, hyung. Yes, I will eat well.”).

Hoya was the only one Myungsoo couldn’t be sure of.

“Alright, alright. Bye Hoya-hyung…Yes, I miss you too. I love you too. Goodnight.” Sungjong hangs up and puts the phone back to it’s place. He catches Myungsoo’s eyes on him.

“What?”

Myungsoo turns away. “Nothing.”

Sungjong stares at him before shrugging and going back to his drawing. Myungsoo slowly looks back at him again.

“Do you miss them a lot?” Well that’s a dumb question. Of course he misses his—“ Your friends?”

“A lot, yeah.”

“They sound nice.” Myungsoo fidgets. He doesn’t know why he is even.

Sungjong stops drawing and smiles at him. “You’re weird, Kim Myungsoo.”

“…You’re not the first to say it.”

Myungsoo clicks off the lamp and lays on his bed. He hears Sungjong’s soft breathing after a few moments. He sighs and turns to his side, facing him.

He didn’t expect Sungjong to be openly staring at him.

“I’m nervous,” he quickly says.

Myungsoo smiles in the dark. “You’ll be fine. Now sleep.”

Sungjong blinks slowly before nodding.

“Okay.”

When Myungsoo wakes up he finds Sungjong brushing his teeth while picking out his clothes.

“Good morning.” He says groggily and Sungjong jumps.

“G-Good morning. You scared me.”

“Do you get scared easily?” Myungsoo gets up. “Because yesterday then today…”

Sungjong hastens to the bathroom and rinses his mouth before coming back. “No, it’s just you.” He says.

“Me?”

Sungjong smiles cheekily before taking his clothes and going to the bathroom.

Myungsoo stares after him before looking tiredly at his surroundings.

“Why does he need to go to the bathroom to change?”

A/N: Chapter 3 is being worked on.