(Continued)

A few minutes passed without conversation and Hyunseung was feeling awkward. The silence wasn’t awkward. Oh, no, it was the fact that he was once again sitting with Junhyung, their hands intertwined, and Hyunseung didn’t know what to do. He should have been feeling cold, but his heart was racing and he was all warm and fuzzy inside.

Hyunseung decided to break the silence, knowing that Junhyung probably wouldn’t take the initiative to do so. “I’m graduating in two days,” Hyunseung said offhandedly, hoping to start some semblance of conversation.

Junhyung blinked at Hyunseung, trying to process what Hyunseung was saying. “And…?”

Hyunseung rolled his eyes. “I want you to come to me and Doojoon’s graduation!” Hyunseung exclaimed, looking at Junhyung like he was a densest person ever. He groaned in misery when it seemed that Junhyung still didn’t get it. “Are you listening?”

“I am! Sheesh, be patient. Who else will be going?” Junhyung questioned.

“Gikwang and Dongwoon, obviously. Seobie will probably go since Doojoon’s graduating too,” Hyunseung replied. Junhyung nodded and thought about it. He couldn’t think of any reason to decline, and if he was free Hara would hunt him down. That was one of the reasons why he kept hanging around the store in the first place. He wanted to see Hyunseung too, of course.

“Fine. Are you guys going to celebrate after that?” Junhyung asked. Hyunseung grinned and nodded, sending Junhyung’s heart into frenzy. Junhyung just smiled in response and hoped that he wouldn’t die from Hyunseung-overload.

They were silent again after that, and Hyunseung just glanced at Junhyung. He took his time admiring Junhyung’s facial features and turned away abruptly when Junhyung caught him staring. Junhyung didn’t know what to make of the situation. What did Hyunseung want him to do?

Should I kiss him? Would he think that I’m weird? Junhyung wondered, staring at Hyunseung’s lips and unconsciously his own. He shook his head suddenly, shocking Hyunseung. I must be crazy for even thinking that!

“What happened?” Hyunseung asked, worry lacing his voice.

“N-nothing,” Junhyung stammered, trying to hide his embarrassment. What was he thinking? Hyunseung would have been more than freaked out if Junhyung suddenly kissed him… wouldn’t he?

Junhyung messed his hair up, groaning in frustration. Hyunseung blinked at the object of his affection a few times, confused by Junhyung’s outburst. It wasn’t normal for Junhyung to act so crazy, Hyunseung knew that. Junhyung seemed perfectly normal around their friends, yet he was completely abnormal around Hyunseung.

So I’ve figured out that I’m more than just a friend to him. But does he really LIKE me? Hyunseung thought, tilting his head to the side as he was absorbed in his thoughts. Junhyung didn’t think that his heart could stand looking at Hyunseung any longer, so he turned away and coughed awkwardly.

“Do you want to get some coffee?” Junhyung asked. Hyunseung raised a brow at the younger male, staring at him as if he was mad.

“Junhyung, it’s almost 10pm,” Hyunseung deadpanned. Junhyung shrugged.

“So? I happen to know a wonderful café. Come on,” Junhyung stood up, still keeping his grip on Hyunseung’s hand. He tugged on Hyunseung’s hand lightly, careful not to injure the elder although his left hand was perfectly fine. Hyunseung chewed on his lower lip, contemplating for a moment, before deciding that Junhyung wasn’t going to harm him.

Hyunseung followed Junhyung back to the store and got into his car. Junhyung began to drive out of the commercial area, and out of the urban district. Hyunseung watched buildings zoom past him, wondering where on earth Junhyung was bringing him to.

He was beginning to get a little worried when a half hour passed, and they were in a deserted area of Seoul. There weren’t many people or vehicles on the streets, but the neon signs of shops set off warning bells in Hyunseung’s head. He brought me to the red-light district?!

Hyunseung was about to demand an explanation from Junhyung when the latter drove into an alleyway, getting off the car and walking over to Hyunseung’s side. Junhyung gentlemanly held the door open for Hyunseung and although slightly afraid, Hyunseung got off the car.

“Junhyung, I don’t like this place…” Hyunseung felt a shiver run up his spine. Junhyung gave Hyunseung a reassuring smile and Hyunseung couldn’t decide if he should believe his instincts or the younger male. He decided on the latter eventually and let Junhyung hold his hand.

Junhyung led him to a door on the left side of the alleyway, taking a set of keys out and unlocking the door. He then walked in, motioning for Hyunseung to close the door behind him while he turned the lights on.

Hyunseung did as told and turned around in time to see Junhyung sitting down on the couch. He put two and two together, gasping as realisation hit him like a brick.

“This is your house?”

-----------------------

When is he going to realise?

Junhyung huffed as he flicked the light switch, plopping down on the couch in his tiny living room. He watched Hyunseung lock the door and turn around to look at him. Hyunseung gasped suddenly and Junhyung jumped in surprise.

“This is your house?” Hyunseung questioned.

Junhyung heaved a mental sigh of relief when he heard Hyunseung’s question, glad that the elder male wasn’t retarded after all. It wasn’t that hard to tell that Junhyung had brought Hyunseung to his house, was it?

Junhyung nodded simply, patting the space beside him. Hyunseung looked around the house in amazement while he made his way to the couch, sitting down and continuing to look at the house. He turned to look at Junhyung.

“You live in the red-light district? Isn’t that dangerous?” Hyunseung asked. If you were thinking that he was worried about Junhyung’s safety, you were wrong. Hyunseung clearly knew that Junhyung could defend himself.

No. What he was worried about was whether or not the es and gays in the area had hit on Junhyung before. Junhyung smirked when he realised it. Hyunseung’s jealous. Junhyung could just see it on Hyunseung’s expression.

“Nah, not really. Nobody has hit on me before even though I’m handsome as hell,” Junhyung assured Hyunseung playfully, earning himself a whack on the head. Hyunseung’s cheeks were tinged pink and he covered his face with the same cushion that he used to hit Junhyung.

“Stop being so narcissistic! Didn’t you say that you were bringing me to a wonderful café?” Hyunseung demanded. Junhyung nodded, getting up and heading to his kitchen. Curious, Hyunseung followed him and stared in awe as Junhyung poured a precise amount of coffee beans and ground the beans without even measuring them.

Junhyung seemed to have all the things that a café should have, but he was a robber and it just didn’t make any sense to Hyunseung. Still, he watched how Junhyung made the coffee just like a barista would, even making a smiley face on the cappuccino with cream.

“Sugar?” Junhyung asked, holding a packet of sugar in front of Hyunseung. Hyunseung remembered how to close his mouth and nodded blankly. Junhyung added the packet into Hyunseung’s cup and brought the two cups back to the living room, setting the cappuccino on the table.

“Try it,” Junhyung urged, feeling a little nervous. He just wanted Hyunseung to like the coffee. Hyunseung was the type to drink coffee every now and then, and Junhyung wanted to be able to be the one to make coffee for him.

Hyunseung stared at the cappuccino, taking the cup and sipping on it. His face brightened when the coffee made its way down his throat, and Hyunseung closed his eyes in bliss. This is even better than what Donghyun and the others make! And Jongwoon hyung’s coffee is almost as good as this!

“I love it!” Hyunseung exclaimed, grinning brightly while giving Junhyung a thumbs-up. “How’d you learn to make it like this?”

Junhyung shrugged, feeling shy at the praise. He had made coffee for Yoseob and Hara multiple times, but they never did smile as brightly as Hyunseung did. Just thinking about it made Junhyung feel affection for Hyunseung.

“I just played around with things. I worked as a barista for a short while too, of course. I was taking a break from robbing and I thought that it would be a good experience,” Junhyung replied, a faint smile tugging on the corner of his lips.

Hyunseung set the cup down, looking seriously at Junhyung. “Can you answer me honestly?”

Junhyung felt like gulping, not wanting to know what Hyunseung was about to ask. He hesitantly nodded and Hyunseung took a deep breath before speaking again.

“Three days ago, you were having a nightmare. You remember the day when we had breakfast together?” Hyunseung asked. Junhyung nodded, not liking where this was going. He had a feeling that Hyunseung would ask him about it soon enough. He had figured that Hyunseung was the one calming him down when he was having that nightmare. Junhyung shuddered, shaking his thoughts off. Naturally, Hyunseung asked one of the questions that Junhyung dreaded most.

“What happened to your umma?”

--------------------------

Hyunseung and Junhyung sat in silence. Junhyung was debating with himself whether or not he should answer. Hyunseung probably wouldn’t press him for an answer, but Junhyung felt like he owed it to Hyunseung to give him an explanation.

Junhyung sighed deeply, having made up his mind. “My umma was killed when I was six,” he said.

Hyunseung bit back a gasp, biting his lip so hard that it bled. He didn’t just feel sad, surprised, or shocked. He felt angry. He wanted to know who had killed Junhyung’s mother. He wanted to know who the one who caused Junhyung so much pain was. Originally, Hyunseung had thought that Junhyung’s mother had abandoned him, and he was close enough.

“Why?” the question was barely louder than a whisper. Hyunseung saw anger in the depth of Junhyung’s eyes. He could tell that Junhyung knew the reason for his umma’s death. A look of hurt flashed in Junhyung’s eyes for a brief moment, but then all Hyunseung could see was anger once again. So this person was someone who Junhyung cared for?

“She was protecting me,” Junhyung replied, the walls that he had built around himself slowly crumbling to pieces. Hara and Yoseob knew the story behind his mother’s death. He had told them a long time ago, and he made it clear that he didn’t want to have anything to do with the murderer. But he hadn’t felt vulnerable when he told them the truth. With Hyunseung looking at him sadly, Junhyung wanted to cry and have somebody comfort him.

It wasn’t as if Yoseob was sympathetic towards Junhyung, yet Junhyung could see that Hyunseung was genuinely upset with the truth. He let Hyunseung gather him into his arms, and Junhyung let the walls around him fall. The tears didn’t stop for some time, because Junhyung had never honestly cried about his mother’s death.

When he was young, he had been shocked at seeing his mother die right in front of him. There had been no funeral, nothing to commemorate her. Her body was carelessly disposed of and Junhyung had managed to find where she was buried. Still, he didn’t cry. He swore that he would avenge her, and that was about it.

Mostly, Junhyung cried for his mother in his dreams. He had never consciously broken down before, not until that moment in Hyunseung’s arms. Junhyung felt Hyunseung patting his back comfortingly and he continued to cry. He made up for all those years of not crying, all in that forty plus minutes. By the time he was done crying, it was nearly 11pm.

Junhyung sniffled as he moved out of Hyunseung’s embrace, not believing that he had just broken down like that, right in front of Hyunseung. What was worse that he had made Hyunseung stay with him for so long.

“I-I’m sorry for making you stay with me till this late,” Junhyung apologised. “I-”

He was silenced by Hyunseung putting a finger on his lips, shaking his head with a small smile on his face. “I chose to stay. Was it an accident?” Hyunseung asked. Junhyung thought about it for a moment. Was he supposed to tell Hyunseung the truth?

“It was an accident,” Junhyung half-lied. He was an accident.

Hyunseung nodded in understanding, grieving for the woman that he didn’t even know. Junhyung felt his heart wrench in pain when he thought of how his mother died, swallowing the lump that was forming in his throat once again.

“Do you want to go back?” Junhyung asked. Hyunseung pouted.

“I haven’t seen the rest of your house yet!” Hyunseung protested. Junhyung had to resist the urge to chuckle then. How is it that this guy can change my mood so easily? I’m really that affected by him?

“How about coming over again tomorrow? I’ll even cook,” Junhyung offered. He had learnt to survive on his own as a teenager, living off cup noodles. Once he became better at being a robber, he had the money and time to actually eat proper food. He didn’t want to sound cocky but he wasn’t too bad in cooking either.

Hyunseung’s eyes lit up and he nodded furiously. “Ok!”

Junhyung shook his head in disbelief, but a chuckle still escaped as he walked back to his car.

Junhyung drove Hyunseung back to his house, stopping in front of the apartment building. Hyunseung looked at Junhyung, at the hint of a smile playing on his lips.

“I’m sorry for bringing back bad memories,” Hyunseung apologised. He was surprised when Junhyung smiled softly at him, shaking his head and telling him that it was fine. Hyunseung’s lips curved up into a smile as he noticed how comfortable Junhyung was around him. Junhyung actually showed his true feelings to Hyunseung, baring himself to the elder male. Hyunseung was honoured to be the only one who Junhyung let his guard down around.

“I’ll see you at the store tomorrow at noon,” Junhyung told Hyunseung. Hyunseung nodded, getting out of the car. Junhyung stared after Hyunseung as the elder male as he walked towards the building, turning around to wave at Junhyung.

Oh, what the heck.

Junhyung threw his worries away, getting out of his car and rushing up to Hyunseung. He placed his lips on Hyunseung’s cheek for a fraction of a second, and then he was running back to his car. His cheeks were burning and he waved to Hyunseung before driving off.

Back in front of the apartment building, Hyunseung touched his cheek.

He kissed my cheek. Wow.

That was the best thing that ever happened to Hyunseung that day.

Lol why did I even make Junhyung live in the red-light district? O.o I will never understand what I'm thinking XP

Well, I hope you guys liked this :) I managed to finish this in time! :D

Next week might be hellish so I really don't think I can update next week, but I'll still try! I have other fics though, so I can't make any promises ><

Please look forward to the next chapter! Annyeong~! ^-^