“It all started when I was thirteen…” Sunggyu began. “My mom and dad always used to fight…I hated having to be at home to hear it, so I sat in the park and did my homework until it got too dark to see. But one night, when I was walking home, there were these guys, only a little bit older than me I think. They were smoking and hanging around in the dark. You know…the typical delinquents. They saw me, and called out to me, but I was too scared that they were going to beat me up and ran all the way home.”

“Hyung…you were scared?”

“I was only thirteen!” Sunggyu exclaimed. “Anyways…I was too scared to go to the park, after that, so I stayed at home, and listened to my parents fight every night. But then I…” Sunggyu paused, clenching his fist. “I saw that…that useless dirt bag…he hit her…My so-called father…he hit my mom. It made me so angry. I just exploded. I grabbed onto him and…well I was just a kid…it wasn’t like I could do much…” Sunggyu laughed bitterly. “Anyways, it ended with noona calling the cops. They took my father away after that. But I still couldn’t get over it. I had all this rage built up inside…so the next day, I went back to that park and walked right up those delinquent guys and punched one of them right in the face.”

“You beat them up?”

“No…sadly I was a weakling and got my kicked.” Sunggyu sighed. “But…after that I worked out, became stronger. I even got into a gang. We went around beating up other guys who even looked at us the wrong way, stole stuff, etc. I got myself in jail a couple of times…most of the time noona would bail me out, and we would try to keep it a secret from my mom, but she found out eventually. And the first time she found out…when she cried…it made me realize how much of a loser I really was.” Sunggyu stared at his hands. “The whole reason I wanted to get stronger was so that I could protect her…but I just ended up hurting her more. It made me feel guilty and weak…to be honest, I kind of…I hated myself. I ended up doing self destructive things…drinking until I collapsed, getting into pointless fights…Sometimes I just let the other guy beat me up…I didn’t even fight back.” Sunggyu patted his thigh. “You know right here, I have a scar from a knife wound. It was a wound I could have easily avoided, but I stood there, and let myself get hurt. Because I didn’t care…I thought everything would just be better if I wasn’t around. If I wasn’t alive…” Sunggyu choked on his words. “My mom wouldn’t cry, my sister wouldn’t have to always be bailing me out…”

“Hyung…” Woohyun’s eyes were watery.

“But then…the night before I got this job…my mom and I had a conversation.” Sunggyu looked up at Woohyun. “She told me that it hurt her when I hurt myself. I mean it’s obvious to me now, but I don’t know why I didn’t even think about that…”

“That’s like what you told me before…” Woohyun said. “That when you care about someone, you take care of them, but also take care of yourself for their sake.”

Sunggyu nodded. “That’s why I said you reminded me of me…you keep hurting yourself, and you don’t realize there are people who care about you.”

“I haven’t done anything…after I moved in with you.”

“Really?” Sunggyu breathed a sigh of relief.

“Yeah…” Woohyun nodded. “At your house, you and Umma are there, so I haven’t thought much about it…since I’m not alone anymore…there wasn’t any reason…because when I’m with you, it doesn’t hurt as much. I don’t feel…ugly or useless.”

“I just don’t get you…” Sunggyu sighed. “You’re extremely valuable at your workplace and you’re obviously good looking…so why would you still think—?”

“You think I’m good looking?” Woohyun grinned.

“Do you have selective hearing or something?” Sunggyu rolled his eyes.

“Hyung, you’re mom is kind of an amazing person…” Woohyun said. “She managed to give birth to an angel.”

“Cut it out!” Sunggyu shoved Woohyun. “I’m not an angel you idiot!”

“I wasn’t talking about you hyung. I was talking about your sister. She’s really good at making desserts!”

Sunggyu pouted and looked away. “So?! Does that make her an angel? Just because she can bake…”

“I’m just kidding hyung~” Woohyun chuckled and put an arm around Sunggyu. “Don’t be jealous.”

“I’m not jealous!”

“Aw hyung is the cutest~”

“S-Shut up!”

“Ok if you’re sister’s an angel, you can be one of those cute babies with wings…what’re they called? Cherubs?” Woohyun laughed, amused by his own words.

“Wow…you’re really having a good laugh there, aren’t you?” Sunggyu sighed.

“But seriously…thanks hyung.”

“For what?”

“For telling me that story.” Woohyun smiled warmly. “For chasing after me and…for saving me.”

Sunggyu rubbed the back of his head. “I-I didn’t—.”

“Yes you did hyung.” Woohyun stated. Sunggyu grinned slightly at Woohyun, who was smiling as well.

“A-anyways…” Sunggyu looked away, suddenly feeling awkward, his cheeks slightly pink. “I-It’s getting kind of stuffy in here…” Sunggyu tugged at the collar of his t-shirt, revealing his collarbone and Woohyun noticed how soft and fair Sunggyu’s skin looked. “Uh Woohyun…?” Sunggyu bit his lip, not at all comfortable with the way Woohyun was silently eyeing him.

Woohyun wondered if Sunggyu lips were always that pink and plump and…kissable.

“W-what are you looking at?” Sunggyu backed away slightly, when Woohyun leaned in.

“Hyung…”

“What?”

“Y-your lips…”

“W-what about them?” Sunggyu unconsciously his lips, making Woohyun blush.

“S-stop doing that…” Woohyun whined, his eyes completely mesmerized with Sunggyu’s mouth.

“Stop doing what?” Sunggyu asked, baffled by Woohyun’s odd behavior. “Y-you’re being weird…”

“I-It’s your fault hyung…”

“W-what are talking about?”

Woohyun eyed Sunggyu’s lips hungrily. “S-stop teasing me like this…”

“W-what are you…?” Sunggyu paused, realizing what Woohyun was about to do. He knew he should push him off, or get him to stop, but his arms wouldn’t budge, and his mouth was unable to form words.

“Hyung—.” Suddenly Sunggyu’s ring tone went off.

“I-It’s my phone!” Sunggyu shoved Woohyun off, and escaped from the confines of the car, shutting the door behind him, leaving Woohyun sitting in the backseat alone. Woohyun blinked dumbly for a few second, before hitting his head on the back of the front seat.

“W-what the hell was I going to do?!” Woohyun panicked. “B-But is it my fault that hyung looked so…Wait no! Stop thinking like that! He’s a man! He doesn’t have s! He has the same parts as you! And down there…it’s the same too! And there’s absolutely nothing attractive about the parts down there!” Woohyun convinced himself. Satisfied with these thoughts, he got out of the car, just as Sunggyu had hung up.

“Who was it?” Woohyun asked.

“It was noona.” Sunggyu replied, avoiding eye contact. “She wanted to know if we wanted to come over to her house for dinner, since mom will be working the night shift anyways.”

“Oh…” Woohyun nodded.

“I told her I’d ask you first.” Sunggyu said. “So do you want to or—.”

“Of course!” Woohyun beamed. “If hyung’s going I’ll go~”

Sunggyu gave him a suspicious stare, wondering why Woohyun was acting as if whatever just happened in the car never actually happened.

“Woohyun—.”

“We should go finish our mission quickly, so we can go see noona.” Woohyun already began taking off into the forest.

“Wait Woohyun—.”

“C’mon hyung, we don’t have all day!” Woohyun yelled without looking back.

“Yeah but...I thought you were going to change.”

Woohyun stopped and turned around with a sheepish grin. “Oh yeah…”

♦♦♦

Sunggyu shoveled a glop of mutant slime into a garbage bag, and then decided to take a breather. He glanced at Woohyun, who was standing in the lake and cleaning. Sunggyu thought he looked different then the usual put together Woohyun. He had rolled up Sunggyu’s black sweat pants and the sleeves of the grey t-shirt as well. There was mud stains on his clothes, and his bangs were wet from sweat. Woohyun stopped to wipe the sweat from his forehead and noticed Sunggyu staring at him.

“What?” He grinned.

“Hm?” Sunggyu looked back down at the slime he was supposed to be shoveling.

“You were looking at me.”

“I was just thinking…” Sunggyu began with a serious expression. “This is the most attractive I’ve seen Nam Woohyun.”

“Shut up!” Woohyun laughed and flung muddy water at Sunggyu.

“Ya! I’m serious!” Sunggyu backed away. “I was just trying to be nice and this is what I get?” He pointed at his now soiled shirt.

“Hyung, you’re so weird.” Woohyun rubbed the back of his neck bashfully.

“Why?” Sunggyu frowned and walked up to the lake’s edge. “I was complimenting you. Why do you think that’s weird?”

“B-because…it’s weird if you just suddenly say something like that...”

Sunggyu eyed the scars on Woohyun’s wrists. Woohyun noticed, and folded his arms behind his back, self consciously. Sunggyu walked into the river towards Woohyun.

“Hyung, you’ll get wet.” Woohyun tried to say, but Sunggyu didn’t listen. He grabbed onto Woohyun’s arms, pulling them in front of him.

“Was it that demon that did this to you?” Sunggyu asked.

Woohyun glanced at his wrists and forearms. “Well some of the cuts—.”

“Not those…” Sunggyu interrupted. “…I meant the scars on your heart.”

Woohyun was silent. He didn’t expect Sunggyu to ask something like that.

“I still remember the way she treated you…” Sunggyu continued. “It was disgusting.”

“…Actually it…” Woohyun backed away slightly, but ended up tripping and falling backwards into the water.

“Are you ok?” Woohyun could see Sunggyu struggling to suppress a laugh, as he reached out his hand to help Woohyun up.

Woohyun frowned. “Why are you smiling hyung? These are your clothes I got all messy and wet.” Sunggyu’s smile faded almost instantly at the comment. Woohyun worked to adjust his wet shirt. “Anyways…we should finish cleaning up, and talk about this later.” He glanced up at the afternoon sky.

“No…” Sunggyu whined and grabbed onto Woohyun’s arm. “I want to hear about it now!”

Woohyun forced himself to resist giving in since Sunggyu clinging onto him and pouting was adorable. “Hyung, Mi Seon noona will be mad at us if we don’t clean up properly. I promise I’ll tell you later ok?”

“Fine…” Sunggyu sighed. “Promise right?” He held up his pinky finger.

Woohyun smiled and linked his pinky with Sunggyu’s. “I Promise.”

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Thanks for subscribing and commenting. This chapter was choppy and cheesy OTL

Got the next few chapters ready to post~ Waiting for your comments lovely readers^^