Ryeowook unwrapped his cream filled bread, smiling before taking a bite of it and chewing. Across the courtyard, he could see the 7^th graders playing basketball. Dribbling towards the goal was Hyungsik, a broad smile on his face. Ryeowook watched with interest, chuckling from time to time.

“Hey, what’re you watching?” Heechul, a boy from the high school division, asked. Plopping down beside the eighth grader, he threw an arm across the back of the bench.

Finishing off his snack, he picked up his juice and poked the straw through the hole. Ryeowook corrected his falling, thin rimmed glasses and then smiled at his hyung. “Hyungsik-dongsaeng is playing basketball.”

Heechul looked at Ryeowook, making a slight face of disdain. “Ryeo-ah, you should really watch what you eat. Soon you won’t fit in the biggest size at stores.”

“But food is just so yummy,” he laughed, eyes cast down. Ryeowook sipped at the juice box. “I don’t mind being like this…” So long as Hyungsik doesn’t mind…

“Well…just make sure you don’t die,” Heechul grunted, patting the boy’s shoulder, standing up. “I’m going back to class before my teacher realizes I ditched. Catch ya later, kid.” He winked and walked off, apparently catching up to a lanky foreign transfer student.

Ryeowook glanced down at his body, seeing rolls and indecent bulges from his stomach, chest, and thigh areas. Was Hyungsik really happy with how he looked? His best friend’s opinion of him was very important. It wouldn’t be fair to the younger boy if he was embarrassed walking down the street with someone such as Ryeowook.

“What are you thinking about?” A shadow fell over him. Ryeowook’s head shot up and he smiled at Hyungsik’s sweaty face.

He picked up the towel laying on his school bag and dabbed at his dongsaeng’s glistening features. “Did you win?” Ryeowook questioned.

“What? You weren’t watching closely enough?” he clicked his tongue, pinching one of the chubby boy’s cheeks. Hyungsik nuzzled his head into the soft towel. “But yeah, we won, of course.”

Laughter came from behind the younger male. A group of boys walked past them, patting and cheering Hyungsik. One of them looked at Ryeowook and smirked, “Hyungsik-ah, why don’t you get one of those pretty girls from your class to wipe your sweat off?”

“Yeah, you’re the only one who would want that fatty helping you,” another friend chuckled.

Hyungsik brushed them off, ruffling his hyung’s hair. “Don’t listen to them. You’re beautiful.” He meant it sincerely, really he did. It was obvious in the light that made his eyes shimmer and glisten. No doubt, Ryeowook was the only one who could see such an intimate thing.

“Okay, dongsaeng,” he laughed it off, not bothered by those comments anymore. Hyungsik was the only one whose opinion truly mattered. They were friends and friends were the ones who truly cared. Even Heechul’s backhanded words held some honest concern. Ryeowook knew that his hyung cared deeply for him, and that his feelings were embedded in health concerns. But – he looked down at himself and saw the way his shirt seemed to curve around rolls and jutting fat – what could he do at that point to make all of the weight go away?

For health reasons, wouldn’t it be good to try and lose some of that fat?

“Hey, hey, stop thinking about it,” Hyungsik patted his friend’s cheek, “I already told you, you’re absolutely beautiful the way you are. I don’t care what they have to say about you. Isn’t that all that matters?” He suddenly paused, looking down and seemingly blushing behind the layer of sweat and flushed skin. Taking the towel from Ryeowook, he covered his face, trying to hide.

However, the older male didn’t really notice – too focused on his plans. Ryeowook touched Hyungsik’s shoulder, saying, “Can you help me exercise? Not a lot, just enough to keep my heart pounding,” Ryeowook added at the end.

Recovering, Hyungsik took barely a second to say, “Of course.”

And so, that afternoon, they headed off to the soccer field and started training.

***

“I don’t think you’ve ever sweat that much before,” Hyungsik remarked, suppressing laughter.

Ryeowook shot him a soft glare and continued draining his water bottle. Sweat dripped down from every possible orifice. “I…don’t know how…anyone…,” he had to pause to breathe, heart pounding erratically, “can exercise…like that..!”

The younger male just chuckled and wiped his face with the edge of his shirt. A soccer ball rolled around shifted around on the grass by his feet. “You’ll get used to it eventually.”

“I don’t think I like this,” he argued, coughing and pounding his chest. Suddenly, Ryeowook’s eyes widened and he keeled over, puking harshly into the grass.

Hyungsik’s eyes widened and he rushed over, one hand rubbing circles into the boy’s backside. “Are you okay?” he asked quickly, wincing when he heard more garbled groans slip from his friend’s mouth.

A few minutes passed and Ryeowook sat back, wiping his mouth tiredly. Muttering under his breath, he looked up at Hyungsik who was kneeling at his side. The younger male smiled sheepishly and said, “Maybe we rushed this.”

“Sorry,” Ryeowook sighed, making a face as his esophagus burned.

“Don’t apologize,” he shook his head, “There’s no reason for you to do that. C’mon, let’s head home.” Hyungsik offered his arm, wrapping it around his friend’s shoulders and helping to carry him back towards their houses.

Ryeowook smiled softly, secretly enjoying the lightness of his body. It had felt painful while he was working out, but now he felt great. He hardly thought it was the exercise causing this sudden feeling of emptiness. Instead, he was positive it had to do with throwing up all of that food and acid.

That would definitely be the easy way out. If he just didn’t let it get out of hand, then no one would worry, right?

So, that night, he ate dinner as he normally did, and then headed upstairs to the bathroom. Ryeowook leaned over the toilet, trying to catch his breath and still his beating heart. Parting his lips, he closed his eyes and shoved two fingers deep into his mouth, pressing on his gag reflex.

Choking silently, Ryeowook spit and coughed, abruptly feeling his dinner pour out, sloshing in the water. The mere sound of that made him gag more, forcing bile to rise. Ryeowook snapped the shower on, covering up the painful noises. It was fine. No one would worry so long as he continued eating and acting as he normally did.

Yes, Hyungsik’s opinion was all that mattered, but Ryeowook wanted other people to continue looking on at his friend with respect. They would tease Hyungsik someday if he continued hanging out with a fat bum like Ryeowook.

He knew that.

Ryeowook stepped out of the bathroom after showering and brushing his teeth, only to find Hyungsik sitting in his bedroom. Hardly surprised, Ryeowook placed glasses on and sat down at his desk to start on homework.

A stuffed animal was resting in the younger boy’s arms. Hyungsik played with its thin limbs, at times shaking it to make the head move back and forth.

“What’s up?” Ryeowook asked after some time. He closed his textbook and turned around, hands folded in his lap.

Hyungsik looked him in the eyes, opened his mouth, blushed, and then looked back down with a heavy sigh. Shaking his head, Hyungsik pursed his lips together.

“That wasn’t an answer,” the older male laughed.

“It’s…well, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Ryeowook nodded ever so slowly and then climbed onto the bed beside his friend. There was just enough room for the both of them. “Are you sleeping over tonight? If so, then I’ll grab the extra blankets.”

“Uhm…yeah, okay, I’ll sleep over,” Hyungsik smiled, trying to hide a strangely uncomfortable emotion blooming in the depths of his eyes.

“If there’s something wrong, then please tell me,” he stated seriously, not one to miss the dark inflection in his oldest friend’s expression. Ryeowook took his hand, holding it tightly. “We’re best friends.”

Hyungsik seemed to be fighting within himself, lips trembling terribly. Breathing in sharply, he looked away. “No…it’s just…Ryeowook,” he touched the chubby boy’s cheek, managing a warm, soft chuckle, “I…We…have known each other for twelve years. You really think I don’t feel anything for you?”

“You love me, right?” Ryeowook replied easily, “We’re brothers. Of course I expect you to feel something for me.”

The boy groaned, face heavily flushed, “No, silly, I really mean it! I…,” he squeaked suddenly and shut his mouth in embarrassment.

The air around them changed and right then and there, reality crashed down on him. Ryeowook’s eyes grew large, lips parting in speechlessness. “Hyungsik…,” he mumbled, reaching out for his friend.

“No!” the latter shouted, scrambling off of the bed. Hyungsik covered his face, coughing and running towards the door. “I-It’s nothing! I’ll see you tomorrow.” Then he was practically flying out of the room.

Ryeowook gazed after him, wondering what he had done. It didn’t feel like things were ending. Rather, he felt something opening inside of him. Better yet, it wasn’t just opening, it was warming and growing and finally blossoming into its full potential. Ryeowook leaned back on his headboard, closing his eyes in wonder and excitement.

Would it really work?