Namsoon wished for that scar to disappear. Selfish, yes he was. All he wanted was to embrace Heungsoo without being reminded of how much, just how much, his friend had sacrificed for him. Sometimes he’d wish Heungsoo would stop acting the role of hyung so dutifully – he loved the attention, but he hated the burden that came with it. 

Namsoon never did visit him in the hospital once. I don’t want him to come I don’t want him to come. It became a chant Heungsoo mumbled in his subconscious, though every action of his indicated otherwise. Where are you, he’d write with his fingers on the mist that fell on the window beside his bed. He kept his mangled-up cellphone close, just to keep the only photo he had with Namsoon – a sticky instant print that he had stuck on his clamshell phone.

He had to rely on crutches for a good three months, but Heungsoo still had to hit the books. Namsoon… wasn’t there. And while a mere three minutes without his bubbly best friend felt like three hours to eternity, accepting the reality that Namsoon wasn’t about to return was excruciating. Every other day he’d ferry the latter’s favourite manhwas and a two packets of ramyun to Namsoon’s house (now clean and vacated), and find himself seated alongside his crutches, daydreaming into the young night. But that didn’t last long.

Namsoon’s absence was well noted by most in Gyeonggi-do. While Heungsoo was passing his days allowing figments of Namsoon flood his thoughts, such news was good news to the jjang communities that dominated the different schools. It was one man down for them.

Heungsoo had no intention to fight anymore. He’d lost his leg, and now his right hand too. The other jjangs weren’t about to let him rest though. They’d take to his school and beat him to a pulp. What’ s the point of fighting when he had no one to fight it together with? So he let them. Till…

Looks like he left you behind.

What a jerk, weren’t you guys close?

Guess he thought the dog would bite its owner.

So he cut you off instead.

He broke you, broke your dreams,

You gonna crawl back to him?

Jjangs my .

One’s a cripple, the other a coward.

Everyone who came to reclaim their humiliation from Heungsoo spat these words. Till now he wonders if he retaliated as an act to protect his dignity, or to protect Namsoon’s. Either way his vicious fists rose to the occasion. Soon he found himself finding a erse sense of solace in fighting, hoping to find a Go Namsoon (or part thereof) to placate his bruised heart.

“I heard you were Go Namsoon’s dog.”

Heungsoo was at his third school, and a freshman at high school. That comment certainly wasn’t inviting, but seeing that a minion made it, he let it slide, making his way to his seat in class. The class noted his haughtiness, and soon the leader of the school’s jjangs, Myungjoon, found his way to Heungsoo’s desk.

“Heard you haven’t met him in awhile. He crushed my brother’s pride once, so I want him down. He crushed your dreams, so we’re on the same side.”

Heungsoo smirked, charismatically pushing his way out of the class.

“I called him over for delivery. Since you couldn’t move a finger against him for 2 years, let me show you how it’s done.”

See you at the rooftop.

Heungsoo’s face turned black. What was that small-time twerp trying to pull off? Nam... soon… Namsoon. He headed off towards the washroom, his eyes darting back and forth trying to shake the exasperation off. None of my business, none of my business, none of my busine-…

He ran out to the nearest window as he saw a scooter make its way into the school yard. Namsoon-ah, where have you been. His eyes started to well up, but it was threats over emotion.

Namsoon waited at the front of the school doors, dialing for the customer who ordered the delivery. Myungjoon chuckled, tossing his ringing phone aside while he took his position on the rooftop, in perfectly clear view of Namsoon five floors below. Heungsoo quickly made his way to the school doors and looked up.

Uh-oh.

He quickly grabbed Namsoon in a tight hug, both falling to the ground. Myungjoon had thrown a table in their direction a few seconds again.

BANG@#$*$@(*#$#THUD@#$*U#(

The table fell right on top of Heungsoo, shattering into pieces in the process. Namsoon had passed out having hit the floor hard.

Namsoon… Namsoon ah! Heungsoo painfully called out. Namsoon was starting to stir.

The table’s metal leg had plunged into Heungsoo’s scalp, and he was bleeding profusely. He was losing strength, and he didn’t want Namsoon to see him. The tall boy slowly crawled to the nearest wall, hiding himself out of sight. The scene was now crowded with security and teachers, fussing over the situation and Namsoon, who was now conscious but confused at the pool of blood that filled the area where he lay. It certainly wasn’t his.

Heungsoo breathed a sigh of relief, before passing out in a pool of blood conspicuously growing larger.

//

A/N: I am so sorry for not updating in so long! Heungsoon is impt but life's been busy. Sorry the initial parts of this chapter is really dry (I was circling round in incoherent thoughts). Its more of a Heungsoo backstory. Enjoy!