faraway things always look beautiful.
i wonder what the closely approached world will show me.

chapter five.

"Can we help you?"

The class was at utter chaos, hums of gossip fluttering the tiny room - more so than usual - like bees to flowers. It wasn't, after all, too common that they got visitors from the class next over.

Especially not visitors like this one.

So why was Jongup there, looking completely lost - guilty, you could even say, like he'd been caught red handed with his fingers digging into a cookie jar in the middle of the night - in Junhong's classroom?

Just because they'd talked the other day - sort of - didn't quite make them the best of friends. It just didn't work that way.

"Well, I - uh … … I wanted to talk to Junhong."

Changhyun was now looking at the mentioned boy funny, a curious brow lifted and an unasked question demanding to be filled in on whatever it was that he seemed to have missed. He'd left Junhong alone for a grand total of twenty minutes the other day, that didn't give the other boy any reason to go and ditch him for someone else. Junhong wasn't that low. Was he?

The boy had already come to the conclusion he might not like Jongup so much. He was just barely taller than him, a minute difference you couldn't even tell unless squinted, and yet still had that air around him that made it seem as if he were looking down on Changhyun. All the boys of the popular crowd - species, he liked better to put it, they just weren't human - did.

"Yeah? Why? What about?"

Maybe Changhyun was just being a jealous brat, because judging Junhong's lift of brow, he'd be just as surprised, but he'd never quite been a fan of the popular crowd; he wasn't just going to smile and cheer now that they bothered to grace him with the company. Junhong might have have cared so much, but Changhyun was bothered.

The popular crowd never stooped down to their level unless without well enough of a reason.

Changhyun wasn't about to sit and watch his friend be swooped away by the beasts of the class next door.

Jongup seemed to flinch slightly at the cold snort - he'd never been spat at before - but was quick to regain what little of his composure he held upon entering - which, mind you, wasn't much to begin with. He was smiling, but just how genuine could that smile be, anyways with Changhyun glaring so hard?

“Uh, Junhong?”

Peering his head around Changhyun, Jongup looked as if he were trying to ask Junhong for help.

“Say it here then,” Changhyun crossed his arm, looking as stern as can be with is face baby. “What’s wrong, is it so secretive that you can’t say it outloud in front of everyone?”

Well, wasn’t this just a peachy situation, Junhong’s best friend and his brother’s friend’s little brother, arguing over what it looked like him. Junhong knew he was special, but ladies, there were enough Junhong to go around.

“Well, Himchan wants me to tell you that he wants to come over today.”

Junhong blinked. “No.”

“I don’t think he cares what you say.”

He really couldn’t say he’d expected anything less of the situation. Himchan didn’t seem like a sort of person that would stop at anyone telling him no. Especially not Junhong.

Junhong rolled his eyes. He flicked his wrist nonchalantly. Annoying, but it didn’t seem he could do anything about it. If anything, he could lock himself up in his room while Himchan did whatever it was that he did with his brother when Junhong wasn’t around.

That said, he’d expected Jongup to then take his leave.

What he got instead of Jongup still standing there, toying with the hem of his uniform sleeve.

“What?”

“He said he’s going to be picking us up after school.”

“Us?”

Us? As in two people? As in both Junhong and Jongup (and the awkward atmosphere that always seemed to follow the two whenever they were together)?

He repeated the word again, rising out of his seat with hands slammed on in his desk.

(Everyone around flinched at his outburst, including Changhyun and Jongup.)

And his hand hurt just by the slight from the impact.

“That’s what he told me to tell you.”

It wouldn’t have been a lie to say that Junhong’s sudden outburst didn’t scare Jongup at all. As hot-blooded the guy was, Jongup hadn’t expected him to suddenly burst out like that. He’d thought despite Junhong’s temper, he’d expected the guy to be as placid as they came (minus his raging protective nature toward Yongguk).

“Us? As in me and you? As in the both of us? Junhong and Jongup?”

“That’s what he said.” His eyes squinched in apology. “I mean, I tried to tell him no - not that I don’t want to hang with you, you’re really cool and all, but I thought you’d have better things to do and …” Jongup frowned, wrinkled his nose then shook his head. He’d strayed off topic again. “But then he got all determined and said it’s either that or he’s going to cut my allowance and not drive me around anymore.” Then he got all frowny faced and puckered. “Just play along, please?”

Junhong scoffed, rolling his eyes and flopping back into his seat. He didn’t feel much like staying in class anymore; there wasn’t anything to look forward to back at home anyways, not with Himchan and Jongup coming along.

(Not that there was anything wrong with Jongup - there wasn’t something wrong with the two younger brother’s relationship - but there was something definitely queer about Himchan that Junhong didn’t like.)

And when the afternoon came along, there would wait the obnoxiously red sports car - convertible, the one Junhong recalled wanting to ride in not too long ago (because when would he ever get to ride of in such a car?) - along the edge of their school, surrounded by onlookers cooing into the vehicle.

(What was it about the Kim brothers being surrounded by people?)

What would his classmates say, when they saw Junhong so casually walking into the red open top car?

What would they say the day after, when they saw him in class?

Well, he’d find out tomorrow, wouldn’t he?

“You’re seriously going to go home with him?” Changhyun was in a sort of outrage as the last bell of their school day rang out shrill. His brows pulled together to an unpleased frown, eyes narrowed almost scarily onto Junhong.

“I’m not going anywhere with him.” Not really. “I’m going home, and someone’s giving me a free ride.”

Because that was Junhong’s excuse and what he was going to stick with.

But Changhyun’s scowl didn’t quite fall.

“You’d better not be replacing me with that brat.”

“Replace?” Junhong snorted, pulling his bookbag strap across his shoulder. “He and I don’t, can’t, get along. You saw how it was in class earlier.”

“Yeah, but you’re like that with everyone.”

Again, he rolled his eyes, shoving his hands into uniform slacks. “If that’s what you’re worried about, then buzz off, no one replace you.”

He gave a slight smile and Changhyun returned it slyly.

And then it was Jongup, all Jongup, Himchan and Junhong. What was he supposed to make of that?

It was even worse in the car than it had been the days prior when he’d sat along on the benches with Jongup. At least back then, Jongup had seemed to understand the tense atmosphere.

Himchan on the other hand, didn’t seem to notice at all.

Either that, or he just didn’t seem to care at all.

“I still can’t believe I didn’t know Yongguk’s little brother used to be in Jongup’s class? Why didn’t you tell me earlier Jongup? It would have been awesome if all of us could meet up instead of just me and Yongguk. I mean, I knew Yongguk had a little brother, since he’s always talked about him, you, and all. But who would have thought?”

Himchan seemed to be a neverending talking machine, as if he could be , but not flipped off. He was the complete opposite to Jongup, who always seemed to have a lack of words to say, communicating with smiles or body.

Junhong thought he was loud and annoying.

Jongup seemed to agree.

“Himchan,” Jongup whined, kicking the back of his brother’s seat lightly in just socks with shoe toed off. “You’re taking too much.”

Not that it shut the older up any.

“And you don’t say enough,” Himchan bit back just a he rolled to a stop at the apartment driveway, parking in the spot originally intended for the house owner (not that the slot remained occupied for long, their father more often at work than home). “And that,” he smiled, it was creepy, “is why I’m doing this.”

Junhong had opened his mouth to ask what, Jongup mirroring the move with a roll of his jaw, but stopped as a clink of metal cut into his train of thoughts.

“What is this, Himchan?”

The shortest of the three spoke up first, tugging as far away from the rest of the car’s inhabitants with an unsure frown.

Junhong followed.

“A little something to make sure you’ll be the best of friend in ever.”

Repeat: his smile was creepy.

“This is the worst idea anyone’s ever come up with. What the hell?” Junhong raised his arm with a scowl - Jongup did as well - doing his best to somehow obtain the ability to murder with sight. “Where’s the key?”

The situation was stupid, utterly stupid - did he mention how much it was stupid?

A cuff, just like the ones used in those cheesy Hollywood-wannabe movies, all shiny and binding. Except maybe this one wasn’t so durable as the ones he saw on screen, a prop real from the police stations he saw so often while passing to his school (didn’t mean Junhong nor Jongup could break it so simply - not like he wanted).

He waved his wrist with a frown, not caring how Jongup whined from the other end of the practical leash.

“Nope,” the bastard snorted, turning back around to the wheel and twisting the key out of its slot. “No can do. Not until you guys are the best of friends, like me and Yongguk.”

Junhong thought Himchan was crazy.

There was no way Himchan and Yongguk were the best of friends.

He’d thought that maybe when they got in the apartment (he’d nearly tripped Jongup a thousand times with all the tugging he did) Yongguk would break Himchan of his stupid spree. He’d thought that maybe Yongguk would pry the key from Himchan’s grasp and unlock their hold to each other.

He’d thought he could trust Yongguk.

He had been mistaken.

“It’s not funny!”

Junhong wasn’t at the least pleased by Yongguk’s reaction.

Yongguk had laughed when Junhong flashed the silvery metal in the older brother’s face. He’d pat the younger brother on the head and told him to cool his temper, that it could prove to be a fun experience to play with someone other than Changhyun for once.

He ended up sitting on the sofa couch with Jongup on the other end, their hands awkwardly connected in the middle, leaving as much space between them as possible. In minutes, his arm was starting to tingle.

While Yongguk and Himchan laughed on the side, the younger brothers sat around chewing at their lips.

It took them maybe two or three hours before any of them spoke up.

“I have to pee.”

It was Junhong and he squirmed uncomfortably in his seat with his legs crossed, eyes squinched up.

He’d forgotten to go to the restroom back at school. He was deeply regretting it now; but what could he say, he hadn’t expected to be locked up with some kid from first year.

“Well, ain’t that a pity?” Himchan hummed.

Junhong was well tempted to wipe that smile from his face.

The bastard.

Jongup shared the look on Junhong’s face, raising his brows and blinking profusely.

“He has to go to the restroom, Himchan.”

Judging the strain in Jongup’s voice, so did he.

“Yeah? How bad?”

Junhong growled.

“Pretty bad, huh?”

Leaning across the coffee table, Himchan laughed, abusing Yongguk’s absence to abuse the brothers. There was the greatest urge to kick the desk out from his elbow - maybe landing face full of stiff wooden floor would teach him a lesson or two.

He had to grit his teeth and plea, just for the sake of his bladder.

“Mn, well then, what’re you doing still just sitting there?”

“Excuse me?”

(They said it at the same time.

Maybe this metallic bond that held the two of them together was starting to connect their heads as well.)

“You heard me,” he sat back, smiling almost deviously, “hop to it.”

If his bladder wasn’t about to implode, Junhong would have never done it. If Jongup wasn’t already halfway out of the sofa himself, racing Junhong to the marble toilet.

“I, uh, won’t look if you promise to hurry.”

“Whatever, just turn around!”

“H-hey! Use your left hand! You’re still connected to me!”

“You try peeing with one hand!”

It really wasn’t at all fun going to the restroom with one hand less than you usually did.

“Shoot over, you’re hogging the water.”

Maybe it was because they were both the same age, that their brains took priorities on the stupidest of thing. But right now, the most important thing was to wash their hands, just in case they accidentally leaked wrong.

And maybe it was because of that, the two boys ended up pushing and shoving down the hallway, a trace of a laugh pulling as they tumbled over to Junhong’s room. It really was a mystery, even to them, how they ended up in the younger of the two’s room sharing laughs (and making fun of Jongup’s brother all the same).

“Did you know that Himchan’s got this obsession with the color pink?”

Junhong snorted, “Seriously?”

“Yeah! He’s got this pink jacket he’s completely obsessed with. He’s always got it on when he goes to sleep and all. Apparently he can’t go to sleep without it.”

“Even during the summer?”

He nodded, “Yep! He’ll be sweating buckets and not even wearing boxers but he’ll always have that stupid pink sweatshirt on!”

And Junhong rolled over with a snort, gigging and kicking his legs in the air - Jongup fell over too, and not only because the chain between them forced him to. They laughed so hard Himchan stormed in with a growl, lips - pink! - pressed together to a line. It made the two laugh even harder.

“What the hell are you brats laughing about?”

“You wanted us to be the best of friends, didn’t you?”

They fell over in laughter again, and this time, Yongguk showed up with plate of tiny triangular cut sandwiches.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” Jongup gasped in Junhong stead, patting the chained boy on the back with his free hand. “Oh god, I’m crying.”

Junhong wiped Jongup’s eyes, gasping back giggles.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry.”

Yongguk wasn’t sure why they were laughing to the point of tears, but it surely was contagious.

Himchan seemed to be the only one not laughing.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Jongup you have dance today, remember?”

“Oh! Right!”

Himchan dug into his pockets, and then the other, frowning and going back to the first.

Yongguk seemed to be the first one to notice this, passing over the plate of mini sandwiches to the two on the bed. “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t find it.”

Everyone paused, the bread hanging between lips or chewed up in cheeks.

“Find what?”

Please don’t say the key. Please don’t say the -

“The key.”

Jongup paled.

“Himchan, stop joking around, I have to go to practice.”

Himchan didn’t stop playing around, lips pointed down and fingers digging back through the same pocket for the umpteenth time.

He really needed to stop.

It wasn’t funny.

He didn’t though. He kept frowning, kept digging.

“I think I might have left it somewhere or something.”

“What do I do?” If Jongup had been laughing, happy, before, he was the complete opposite now, his back straightened and eyes widened in a sort of fear and panic. “We have a competition next week! I can’t skip!”

“I’m looking, alright?”

“Not fast enough! I have to go!”

Junhong wasn’t at all real sure what happened. One minute he was on his bed, staring curiously at the Kim brothers bicker. And the next, he was at Jongup’s friend’s studio, wide eyed at all the rest of the boy there, now staring at the newbie in their way.

“Junhong, that’s Byunghun, Minhyuk, Jimin, and Lay. This is Junhong, I’m going to go get changed, call me if something happens!”

“Hi - hey!”

He didn’t get a chance to say hello, Jongup dragging Junhong along to the change room the other door away. He probably didn’t even remember that Junhong was still tied to his wrist, carelessly dragging the lankier boy behind him real fast without second thought.

Junhong didn’t get to speak up until Jongup stopped at his locker, blinking up in surprise when he found Junhong puffing next to him with a scowl.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were going to say hello? They don’t bite or anything if you’re scared.”

(Junhong snorted.)

He lifted their chained arm without a word, leaning against one of the metal lockers next to Jongup’s. “Forgetting something?”

“Oh.”

He rolled his eyes.

Oh? Was what all Jongup had to offer?

“Sorry, I might’ve forgot that we’re still locked together.”

Jongup rose his arm to rub the back of his neck, and Junhong’s arm followed.

“Great, and now that you do know, how do you plan to participate in practice today?”

And as if to reinforce his point, Junhong shook the chain again.

“Oh, right.” As if their being locked together was so easy to forget. “Uh …

“Can you dance?”

a/n: i need to learn to write ahead of time and not die trying to fill in a chapter on the last day. sorry for the bad/rushed/eh update. i'll learn to stop being so lazy someday - hopefully soon otl.

+ i may or may not take another quick hiatus during the coming finals week two/three weeks away.

other than that, hope you guys enjoyed. sleep time now.