A self-photograph of Myungsoo. Titled "me".

04:  Songs About Happiness He Said

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Click.

“Hello? Why are you calling so early hyung…Oh. You’re drunk…Hyung, drink some water. What. What do you mean you can’t get up? How wasted are you?...Who is that?...Hyung, is that Dongwoo? Tell him to get you some--”

Sungjong stared into the darkness of 4 in morning.

His cellphone dropped from his hands.

“Had a good sleep boys?”

Myungsoo smiled to his father in answer. Sungjong did the same warmly. They were eating breakfast—it was Saturday morning. They ate in silence, toast and a sunny-side up egg for Sungjong. Rice, also an egg and side dish of kimchi for Myungsoo. His dad drank his coffee while exhaling calmly.

“I have to go to work in a few minutes,” he said. “Your mother told me she wouldn’t be back until 8—same for me.”

Myungsoo frowned. They were going out together after work, weren’t they?

But he nodded, “Alright. We’ll take care of the house until you get back.” Sungjong looked at his stepfather in agreement and they resumed their meals.

Shortly after they were done, Myungsoo’s father grabbed his briefcase, bid them farewell and left.

Sungjong took the dirty dishes to the sink and began to wash them. “Hyung.” He said.

Myungsoo slowly walked behind him and leaned his head on the back of Sungjong’s shoulder.

“Hyung?”

“I’m here.”

 “…Can I tell you something?”

“Yeah.”

“I think Hoya hyung cheated on me.”

It. It takes a couple of moments for Myungsoo to collect himself. It’s not every day where someone tells you these types of things. That they were cheated on. Especially not your younger step brother. Myungsoo straightened his body and looked at the back of Sungjong’s head.

He noticed the boy wasn’t moving, not cleaning any dishes. But the water kept on running.

Myungsoo slowly turned Sungjong around.

Mid-way, he only saw Sungjong’s red scrunched up face before the boy threw his arms around his neck, letting out a wet painful sob.

“He—He—called me th—this mo—morning an—and he was dr-drunk and—“

Myungsoo hugged him tightly and whispered shushing sounds. He led them out of the kitchen and to the living room.

Sungjong still couldn’t stop crying.

Myungsoo’s heart felt heavy. And this time, he knew why. “Do you want to talk right now?”

Sungjong opened his mouth but all that came out were more tear-filled blubber. Myungsoo sat him down on the couch and sat beside him, resting Sungjong’s head on his shoulder.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to talk.”

“I—I—“ but Sungjong just cried even harder, this time shutting his eyes—not wanting to see anything, not wanting to feel anything.

“You don’t have to talk.” Myungsoo took his hand and massaged it softly. “I’m here.”

“Hyung—He—I know I left but I still thought me and him could—“

“It’s okay, Sungjong.”

“—be together. He texted me every night—telling me that he misses me—“

“…”

“But he jumps straight to Dongwoo!” Sungjong is screaming now. “I knew it would happen! I knew it would! Me being there—I was the only thing to stop it from happening!—“

Myungsoo put a finger to Sungjong’s lips. The boy stared at him, panting with wet eyes and red cheeks.

“Sungjong. Do you want to eat ice cream?”

Myungsoo knew one thing.

He really wasn’t himself when he was around Sungjong. It’s already been a couple of days and he’s changed. It happens. Sungyeol was the same. After a couple of days of the guy following him around and talking to him constantly, Myungsoo not only began to talk to more to other classmates.

He began to become much more outgoing. In some ways.

Sungjong? Well, he didn’t know what exactly changes in him when he’s around his step-brother. He knows he feels like he can do anything. He feels as if it’s worth getting up every morning (and looking at the empty bed and hearing the noise of the shower (and Sungjong’s humming too)). He feels like everything is more than okay.

More than fine. Like—everything is perfect.

Myungsoo sighs, looking at his side all the while munching on a piece of chicken. He can’t ever say something in his mind without sounding…Myungsoo cringes. Cheesy.

Sungjong is next to him, engrossed in the scary film they’re watching—a container of strawberry and vanilla ice cream on his lap as well as the heaps of blankets covering them. “O, o-omo, hyung! Look!” he shakes Myungsoo’s arm.

Myungsoo looks at the screen.

Suddenly a white figure zooms to the camera and flashes all at once. Sungjong shrieks, covering his face into Myungsoo’s chest.

“What happened?” Myungsoo continues staring at the television. And Sungjong is shaking.

“I don—don’t want to look!”

“But nothing is happening now.”

“It’s safe?”

“Yeah, so tell me what’s going on.”

“You ordered this movie and you aren’t even paying attention.” Sungjong hits his chest and Myungsoo smiles down at him warmly.

“I’m paying attention to you.”

Cheesy. Again. Myungsoo, how long are you going to keep this up because honestly—

Sungjong sighs and nuzzles his head into Myungsoo’s chest again. “I’m okay.”

“You are?”

“No…but I will be.”

“Good.” Sungjong feels Myungsoo ruffling his hair.

Sungjong isn’t watching the movie and if Myungsoo is, his mind isn’t on it.

“…You smell nice.” Sungjong murmurs.

Myungsoo pauses before looking down at Sungjong. The boy fell asleep.

He stares at him for a few moments before reaching for the control and turning off the tv.

Myungsoo looks around their room and then back to soundly sleeping boy.

He begins to laugh softly.

It was 4 PM when Myungsoo woke up. He looked around to find that both him and Sungjong had laid on his bed together, the blankets tangled with their legs.

Myungsoo shook his head quickly, looking dumbly at nothing.

Don’t think like that Kim Myungsoo!

A phone began to buzz and Myungsoo squints at a little light coming for Sungjong’s bed. He gets off of his (careful not to disturb Sungjong) and answers the cellphone.

“Hello?” his bed-ridden voice sounds in the room.

“Sungjong? Is that you?”

It was Hoya, Myungsoo immediately realized.

“This is his step-brother. He’s sleeping right now.”

“Can you tell him to call me back please? I need to speak to him as soon as he gets up!” Myungsoo looks at Sungjong’s sleeping face. It looks peaceful, like he was in dreamland or something.

“Hello? Are you there?”

Myungsoo then bites the inside of his cheek. “He’s sleeping.”

“I know but can you please tell him—“

“You hurt him.” Myungsoo doesn’t know when he decided to say what he said. “He wouldn’t want to talk to you.”

“I don’t have time for this!” Hoya yells. “Sungjong! It was a mistake!”

“For the third time. He’s sleeping.” Myungsoo ends the call.

He stares at the phone in the darkness, the light illuminating in his face. Myungsoo decides on one thing though.

He finds Received Calls and deletes Hoya’s from the list.

He decided on that.

Sungjong hears something. Something like…guitar. Like someone is playing it. Slowly…and softly.

He groggily opens his eyes and looks around from his pillow (that wasn’t there before, he notices).

Myungsoo is sitting on the floor, playing his acoustic. His eyes are closed and with his hoodie over his head, Sungjong finds it really nice. The desk lamp is on, casting the little room in a glow.

He rests his palms on his cheeks as he watches Myungsoo begin to sing.

“nae-ga ja-la-seo

mwo-ga doe-go sip-nya-go mul-eo-bon-da-myeon-.

doe-go sip-eun geot-deul-i neo-mu man-a-

nan mal-ha-ji mot-han chae-

ip-sae-man peol-leok-i-get-ji-

yae-gi-hae-do doel-kka-

mae-il nae-ga kku-neun kkum-

bi-ut-ji an-go-seo na-ui yae-gi deul-eo-jun-da-myeon-

han-beon neu-lit-neu-lit yae-gi-hae-bol-kka-…”

Myungsoo keeps singing and Sungjong feels like he stopped breathing. He has heard many nice voices before…he just didn’t think Myungsoo had one. It sounded airy and breathy yet strong—and Myungsoo’s expression fit his voice exactly.

He looked conflicted, torn or unsure or maybe all of those. A tinge of sadness too.

Sungjong’s eyes soften as the song ends and Myungsoo opens his eyes after the last strum. He meets Sungjong’s eyes, shocked.

“Bravo, bravo.” Sungjong claps softly. “You sing really beautiful, hyung.”

Myungsoo clears his throat. “I—uh, thank you.” He sets down his guitar. “So how long…have you been awake?”

“Only a couple of minutes.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Sungjong suddenly sighs and rolls over in Myungsoo’s bed. “Play me a song.”

“Have any requests?” Myungsoo smiles.

“Hmm…Oh! That song!”

“Which?”

Sungjong is puzzled but he sits up and pretends he has a guitar on his lap. He starts to ‘play’. “It goes like…Seeeeeeee My Eyeeeeees—“

“—neon naege banhaesso?” Myungsoo grins. “It’s called You Fallen For Me.”

“Yeah!” Sungjong laughs. “Play it for me—“

But Myungsoo is already playing. And Sungjong watches him entranced.

“Uyeonhido geureohke uri shijakdwennabwa…

Cheoeumen sarangil kkeorago

Kkumedo mollanneunde

Geuge sarangiljuriya…”

Myungsoo looks at Sungjong.

“Shijangi mak jakkuman dugeundugeun georigo…

Nalbomyeon misoman heureugo

Nimamdo moreuge nal

Saranghage dwengeoya.."

Sungjong begins to laugh and clap to the tempo.

Myungsoo smiles.

“Neo naege banhaesseo banhaesseo

Dalkkomhan nae sarange noga beoryeosseo

Neo naege banhaesseo banhaesseo

Hwangholhan nae nunbiche chwihae beoryeosseo…”

See my eyes

Neon naege ppajyeosseo OH

See my eyes

Neo naege banhaesseo OH!”

Myungsoo ends it there and Sungjong claps loudly.

“You liked it?” Myungsoo sits next to him.

The boy nods, “You really do sing beautiful hyung. Why not join a band?”

“Tried that…”Myungsoo huffs but is still smiling. “I rather just keep this to myself.”

Sungjong laughs, “Why?”

Myungsoo doesn’t answer. He looks at his guitar perched against Sungjong’s bed.

“Sungjong. Why did you pick that song?”

Sungjong’s laughter dies down a bit and he looks at Myungsoo. Myungsoo looks back at him.

“It seems fitting.”

A/N: Chapter 5 will be done soon. And I read some comments about how the drama tied to the story and that suprised me. Also, you finally see what happened to Hojong. And about Sungyeol, there is no appeareance of him here. I guarentee you that in future chapters, he will start appearing much much more frequently. See you then.