fiftytwo
Yes, I'm HeroIndex:
(BY) – Yongguk speaking
(Z) – Zelo speaking
(DO) – Kyungsoo speaking
(YJ) – Young Jae speaking
(DH) – Daehyun speaking
(Y) – Yuri speaking
(SJ) – Sungjong speaking
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“Zelo! Are you home?” (BY) Yongguk impatiently tapped his foot as he stood there in the living room, waiting for some sort of response. Just as he was about to call out for his brother again, the sound of movement upstairs instantly pulled Yongguk’s attention. In a heartbeat, Yongguk was on the move. His movements were swift, yet quiet. His thoughts acted upon instinct, like a lion closing in on its prey.
Heading up the stairs and down the hallway, Yongguk paused for a brief moment to listen for any other sounds. To his luck, the sound of someone or something bumping into something else quickly pricked his ears, causing Yongguk to move towards the sound of the direction. Stopping in front of Zelo’s room, Yongguk took hold of the doorknob before turning it and pushing the door open. “Zelo! I have to talk to you.” (BY)
Upon spotting his younger brother, he could see both surprise and confusion mixed together through Zelo’s facial expression. He noted that his brother was currently putting up a poster of his favorite group, but that could wait for a later time. What he had to say was much more important. “Zelo, I need you to tell me where you go. Have you been talking with Sungjong?” (BY)
“Uh…” (Z) Zelo looked at his poster for a moment before deciding that it was probably best if he set it down. Taking the thumbtacks out of the wall, he put them back into a small box that was currently sitting on top of the bedside table before taking his poster down and setting it onto his bed. Once he was seated next to his poster, Zelo looked up at Yongguk. “I was only going downtown because that’s where the new comic book store opened up.” (Z)
“Do you talk to Sungjong?” (BY)
“No! Well… maybe once, but that’s it! I didn’t do anything else, I swear!” (Z) Yongguk narrowed his eyelids as he stared directly into Zelo’s eyes. Instead of looking away like he normally did when he lied, Zelo stared back at him with pleading eyes. With a small sigh, Yongguk leaned against the wall behind him before folding his arms and trying to think. If Zelo really was telling the truth, then it would be easier to keep Zelo safe. Maybe if he asked Young Jae, he could have a guard with Zelo at all times? Sungjong shouldn’t know where they lived, but who knows what else Sungjong knew? “Am I in… trouble?” (Z)
“Depends. Are you telling the truth?” (BY)
“Yes! I am! You can even ask Jongup or Baekhyun or Jongin! They were with me when Sungjong spoke to me! We only go to the comic store together and on Fridays.” (Z) Had it been anyone else, they probably would’ve looked pretty suspicious right then and there. However, knowing Zelo, Yongguk knew that Zelo was the type of person who would only travel in groups. He was a bit of a… troublemaker and ever since the time Zelo got into a bit of trouble with a group of bullies back in middle school, he’s only ever traveled with other people. Though, one question did arise.
“Why Friday?” (BY)
“That’s when the new shipment of comic books are stocked! Look look look! I just got the new comic of The Flying Dead! I made sure to get three.” (Z) Zelo quickly ran over to his bookshelf before taking hold of one of the books. Once he was certain that it was the right comic book, he shuffled over to Yongguk before holding out the comic book.
“Three…?” (BY) Yongguk took the book out of Zelo’s hands and stared down at it, but the cover itself seemed a little… odd. The cover had the main characters on it, or at least, he assumed that they were the main characters, but that wasn’t the weird part. The weird part was the literal flying dead corpses in the background. Well, they were technically undead judging by the way that they were reaching out for the main characters, but he just didn’t understand why the zombies had wings. What was the point?
“One to read, one to collect, one as a backup!” (Z) It was both smart and a little… foolish. Still, he wasn’t going to question it. He knew how much comic books could be in the right hands and he could only hope that Zelo was capable of the task he had set himself up for.
Either way, now that Yongguk had a better understanding of the situation, he would have to try and figure out what his next move would be. His best bet would have to involve trying to figure out what Sungjong knew for certain. Luckily, Yongguk had the right kind of contacts. The next step, however, was to figure out how to go about confronting Sungjong once the time was right. “Okay… So, you aren’t allowed to go there anymore without me. Do you understand?” (BY)
“What? Bu-… Mm… Okay.” (Z) Well, if Zelo really did stick to his word, then that was at least one less problem he had to worry about.
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“Why are you here? And don’t waste my time. I don’t feel like staring at your ing face for too long.” (DO) Kyungsoo still couldn’t believe that Young Jae, of all people, had come to visit him. He would’ve been angry with Young Jae, but he knew that it wasn’t Young Jae’s fault that he was in here. Still, that wasn’t enough for him to just act like they were the closest of friends all of a sudden.
“Why do you dislike me?” (YJ)
“HAH! THAT’S why you’re here?! To figure out why I don’t like you?! Let me tell you something, little BRO…” (DO) Kyungsoo sat forward, his gaze locked on Young Jae as he narrowed his eyelids. “I don’t give a damn if you ever find out why I don’t like you. Maybe I just wanted our parents attention all to myself. Maybe I just wanted to be selfish.” (DO)
“Do you think that would even help? You pretended to be the perfect child around dad, then you bullied me and got in trouble with mom, which in turn, made you get into trouble with dad! It’s your own damn fault.” (YJ) Kyungsoo scoffed as he leaned back in his seat before looking off to the side. Young Jae shook his head as he also leaned back in his seat. Well, at least they were talking. “I just want to understand you better…” (YJ)
“You’ll never understand. You aren’t older.” (DO)
“What does age have to do with it?” (YJ) Kyungsoo hesitated, but after a moment or so passed, he looked back at Young Jae. Would it even matter if he kept quiet anymore? He already lost everything. He was in prison and there was nothing he could do to change that.
“I hated being older. Being told to do this, being expected to do that, having to become the heir only because I was older… I was supposed to be the perfect child. I hated it. I didn’t even tell our parents that I’m gay! Looking back on it now, yeah, I’ll admit, I’m a ing idiot. My actions were completely stupid and how I acted? Tch, I’m a little just complaining. You wanna know why I killed Taehyung? Because I was desperate. I wanted Baekhyun. I wanted him to know that I loved him, but he deserved better. I treated him like a ing and I even convinced myself that I didn’t need him. Truth is, I’m just a coward.” (DO) Kyungsoo sat up in his seat before running a hand through his hair. He leaned forward, resting his elbow on the table as he used his hand to keep his head propped up. “So, what else do you want?” (DO)
After hearing everything Kyungsoo said, he wasn’t sure if he should believe him or not. The Kyungsoo that he had grown to known was a cocky piece of that seemed to always have his together. Now, though, he just seemed to be completely broken, almost as if he was just a shell now. It felt foreign, but Young Jae decided to give Kyungsoo the benefit of the doubt… for now. “I want… to reconcile. End this feud between us.” (YJ)
“Reconcile?! Are you fu-…” (DO) Kyungsoo looked at Young Jae, but he could see the determined look in his eyes. It didn’t make any sense for Young Jae to want to reconcile with him. After all of the bull that he pulled for so long, it only confused Kyungsoo. “Why…? Why do you want to reconcile with me?” (DO)
“Because… we’re brothers.” (YJ)
“What, so it’s another damn expectation placed on my shoulders?” (DO)
“No. It’s a choice. You can take it or leave it.” (YJ) As Kyungsoo weighed his options, Young Jae sat there for a moment longer before standing up. Almost immediately, Kyungsoo sat up in his seat, a look of surprise on his face as he quickly raised a hand to keep Young Jae from leaving.
“Wait! I…” (DO) Kyungsoo grit his teeth as he turned his gaze downwards. Part of him was trying to keep him from patching their already mangled relationship, but the rest of him wanted this. He’s already lost everyone’s trust and disappointed their parents. If… Young Jae was willing to forgive him or reconcile with him or whatever the hell he wanted to call it, then… Kyungsoo wanted to give it a shot. “I... Before I agree, can you… could you… come visit me again with… Baekhyun? I want to talk to him one last time.” (DO)
“What makes you think I can get him to talk to you?” (YJ)
“… Please… I… I need to talk to him… just… just one last time.” (DO) Kyungsoo was visibly shaking and his facial expression seemed to show that he was just barely keeping his composure. Even if Young Jae did want to completely help Kyungsoo, there was little to no way that Baekhyun would agree to see Kyungsoo. “I need this, Young Jae. You want to reconcile? I owe you, but there isn’t I can do in here. Just… do this for me and… and I’ll agree to whatever you say. I’ll do whatever you want. I’ll…” (DO)
“Okay, okay! I’ll try to get Baekhyun to visit, but I can’t guarantee that he’ll come.” (YJ) A spark of hope seemed to instantly ignite in Kyungsoo’s eyes as he looked up at Young Jae. It was weird seeing Kyungsoo act like this and it was a little sad that he had changed only after the death of Taehyung, but maybe it was eating away at him from the inside. “I’ll be back.” (YJ)
“Okay! Okay… Thanks.” (DO) Young Jae put the phone back on the hook, to which Kyungsoo did the same thing. With a small nod of his head, Young Jae turned before leaving the room. Kyungsoo watched through the glass as nervousness began to course through his body. Young Jae had just left and already, Kyungsoo was anxious for his return. He truly hoped that Young Jae would be able to get Baekhyun to talk to him. Even if Baekhyun yelled at him, scolded him and proclaimed to the world that he would never want to be with him ever again, Kyungsoo wouldn’t care. Just… to see his face and to hear his voice one last time would be enough for him.
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Today was the day. Both Young Jae and Jongup had their final exams, or at least, he assumed that they were final exams. Regardless, Daehyun had been spending a good amount of time preparing a nice meal for the two. After all, both Young Jae and Jongup were probably going to be hungry when they got home and he wanted to celebrate their success on completing their exams.
As he finished preparing one dish, Daehyun paused for a moment. He was a little jealous that Young Jae and Jongup were able to get one step closer to completing their schooling. Sure, Young Jae had paid off any loans made for Jongup’s school, but Daehyun felt obligated to pay Young Jae back for that money. Of course, it was a little ironic at the moment, considering the fact that he was being paid by Young Jae. He’d have to find another job soon and quit this one, but he felt bad since their living conditions were definitely a lot better than before. Would Jongup even be okay with leaving this house?
Just as he pulled himself from his thoughts, the sound of a small alarm pulled his attention. Quickly looking over at the oven, Daehyun made his way over to it as he turned the timer off. Pulling the oven door open, he took a nearby fork and pierced the delicate surface of the nearest pastry before pulling the fork free of the pastry confines. He examined it before smiling approvingly. Turning off the oven, Daehyun put on the cooking mitt before pulling the tray out of the oven and setting it on top of a stand meant to keep the counter safe from burning. Closing the oven, Daehyun let out a satisfied sigh as he took the mitt off and set it back onto the counter.
Walking over to the kitchen island, Daehyun slid onto one of the stools before letting out yet another sigh. This has probably been the most he’s ever cooked and even then, he wasn’t entirely certain if the food turned out okay. After all, he wasn't a professional chef or anything. All of the recipes he learned were through the Internet as well as his own experimentation. Even then, as nice as it was to stay at home all day, Daehyun wanted to do something productive with his life. Being a chef and just cooking at home wasn’t all that satisfying, especially since he only ever cooked for two people, three if he counted himself.
Running a hand through his soft locks, Daehyun leaned forward a bit as he used his arm to keep his head propped up. Should he say something to Young Jae? He couldn’t remember if he already had spoken to Young Jae about it, but he felt like Young Jae would end up paying for his schooling and that was something he couldn’t let happen. Young Jae already paid off any debts that him and Jongup had for Jongup’s tuition, so he couldn’t have Young Jae paying for him also. That was the plan all along, right? To save up enough money to go to school? How long would that take though? How much did he even have in his savings account?
“Hey. You okay? You look tired.” (YJ) Daehyun slowly sat up as he looked to see Young Jae now standing in front of him. When had he gotten home? A better question may have been when did Young Jae get in front of him? Well, either way, Young Jae was home now and he didn’t have to worry about the food going cold. So, in order to ensure that Young Jae didn’t end up worrying too much, Daehyun forced a small yet tired smile on his face as he nodded.
“Yeah, I’m okay. Don’t worry about me, but how did your tests go?” (DH) A smile immediately graced Young Jae’s lips as he walked around the island and sat in the stool right next to Daehyun. Daehyun turned to the other side to face Young Jae. Judging by the smile alone, Young Jae seemed to be rather confident that he did well with the tests.
“I think it went well! I finished pretty quick.” (YJ) Daehyun grinned as he gave Young Jae a pat on his shoulder.
“That’s great! I cooked to celebrate. Do you want to-” (DH) Daehyun’s words were cut off as a small chime from his phone caught his attention. Pulling his phone up, he looked at the text for a brief moment before quickly responding to it. Once he was done, he set his phone back down before looking at Young Jae. “That was Jongup and… well, it looks like he’s celebrating with his friends. We can eat just by ourselves if you want.” (DH)
Young Jae’s happiness seemed to dissipate as he looked off to the side. Daehyun raised a single brow as he moved in an attempt to get a better view of Young Jae’s face, but Young Jae quickly pulled himself together as he put on a nervous smile. “Well, you see… uh… I actually have to go meet one other person… BUT we uh… we can celebrate when I get back!” (YJ)
“Oh… okay. I’ll be here… then.” (DH) Young Jae could see the clear disappointment on Daehyun’s face, despite the fact that Daehyun seemed to be trying to force a smile. Maybe he should bring Daehyun along? No. Maybe… it might be better to just put it off for another day.
“Actually… I… just remembered that it was for a different day, so let’s celebrate! What do we start with?” (YJ) Daehyun almost immediately perked up as he got to his feet and made his way over to where all of the food currently was. Young Jae let out a quiet sigh of relief as he leaned forward and set his arms on the edge of the island. “Are we gonna do anything after we eat?” (YJ)
“Don’t know yet.” (DH)
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“That was delicious! You’re definitely the best chef I’ve had.” (YJ) Young Jae carefully rubbed his belly as he lay out on the balcony on the lounge chair with Daehyun. The weather has definitely improved, so lying out here didn’t prove to be too much of a problem. “What do you wanna do now?” (YJ)
“Just… digest for a bit. We shouldn’t move too much right after eating.” (DH)
“Okay… then… we can talk.” (YJ) Daehyun thought on it for a moment, but it was a better way for them to get to know each other. Oddly enough, Daehyun couldn’t help but feel as though he knew everything about Young Jae already.
“What do you want to talk about?” (DH)
“You’ve already had your first kiss, right? When was that?” (YJ) Daehyun scratched the back of his head as he tried to think about the answer. It felt a little awkward talking about past relationships with someone that he was currently trying to establish a relationship with, but it was best not to keep any secrets.
“Back in high school. I think it was… when I was sixteen? I’ve dated a few people, but… nothing serious really happened.” (DH) Young Jae looked at Daehyun, whom seemed to still be thinking about it. There wasn’t any hint of it being a lie, so it should be all right to take his word as truth.
“Didn’t you say you weren’t a though?” (YJ) Almost immediately, an amused grin made itself apparent on Daehyun’s face as he looked at Young Jae. He laughed a little bit as he looked away, adjusting his position a bit in the process.
“I meant for dating. I’ve never had yet.” (DH)
“Oh.” (YJ) Daehyun turned his gaze back towards Young Jae as a single brow rose.
“Why’d you sound so disappointed? What, you want a man with experience?” (DH) Young Jae’s eyes widened as he quickly shook his head.
“It wasn’t anything like that! It was like a oh, so that’s what it is!” (YJ) Young Jae’s cheeks began to redden as he looked away in an attempt to hide the embarrassment that Daehyun had caused. Daehyun chuckled a bit as he reached forward and took Young Jae’s arm. Daehyun then pulled the arm closer to him before sliding his hand into Young Jae’s, their fingers interlocking with one another. Leaning closer, Daehyun softly pressed his lips against the back of Young Jae’s hands, softly planting kisses as he made eye contact with Young Jae.
“Don’t worry. We can learn together.” (DH) At first, Young Jae seemed to almost be mesmerized by Daehyun’s words and actions. His mouth was slightly agape and he was still staring at Daehyun’s lips. However, upon realizing what Daehyun just said, his face turned a deep shade of red as he quickly turned his head the opposite way in yet another attempt to hide his embarrassment.
“D-Don’t get ahead of yourself!” (YJ)
“Eh? Weren’t you the one who was going to give me a blow j-” (DH)
“Don’t bring it up! I… I was young and stupid at the time.” (YJ)
“It was only a few months ago.” (DH) Young Jae opened his mouth to say something, but he immediately stopped himself for fear of making things worse. Daehyun held a smile on his face as he gave Young Jae’s hand a light squeeze. Was it weird of him to act this close when they’ve only gone on one date? When it came to Young Jae, it just felt… natural. “So… when can we go on another date?” (DH)
“Huh? Oh… I… have something planned for us this time.” (YJ) Daehyun looked up at Young Jae, curiosity clear on his face. When had Young Jae had the time to plan out their next date? With his finals just finishing, there wouldn’t have been much time for Young Jae to be planning something like that. “It’s a surprise. I’m not telling you anymore.” (YJ)
“Eh? Why not? Just a liiiittle more won’t hurt.” (DH)
“That’s what you get for teasing me.” (YJ) Young Jae turned his head back to Daehyun before sticking his tongue out in a playful manner. Daehyun’s curiosity was building a bit, but he decided to just let it remain a surprise. With a small sigh, Daehyun looked back out at the garden as he let their hands comfortably hang between them.
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An annoyed sigh escaped from a woman’s lips as she went over the numbers written on her paper. Thanks to the little screw up by the people she had ordered from, they were now lacking in supplies for a good handful of their dishes. This would force a loss in revenue as well as potential returning customers and this was something she had been working for a long while to avoid. So, until those idiots restock her kitchen with the RIGHT supplies, it looks like her customers are going to have to accept the food that they can currently serve.
Pushing the papers away, she ran a hand through her hair as she let out yet another annoyed sigh. As she let her head rest in the palm of her hand, the woman looked out at the patrons currently dining in her restaurant. Were they truly alright with the choices they currently had? Some of them seemed to accept what they had, though she did recall a few other people leaving the restaurant earlier before actually ordering anything. Well, there wasn’t anything that could be done about it. At least there wasn’t any trouble arising out of all of this.
“My my, Yuri! You look like a mess.” (SJ) Well, there went that hope. Yuri sat up slowly as she looked up at Sungjong, whom was now taking the seat next to her. Narrowing her eyelids, she gathered up her papers and looked off to the side as she attempted to ignore the man. Sungjong merely grinned though, amused by Yuri’s failed attempt of trying to act like he wasn’t there. “Yuri, I need a small favor from you.” (SJ)
“You’ll have to ask someone else.” (Y)
“But Yuri~! You’re my BEST friend!” (SJ) Immediately, Yuri stood up from her seat and gathered her paperwork before walking away from the table. It’s been years since they’ve been ‘friends’ let alone ‘BEST friends’ and suddenly, Sungjong decides to pull this crap? “Hey now! It’s rude to walk away from a conversation.” (SJ)
“Nothing to be said here, which means no conversation.” (Y) Walking over to the other room, she made her way over to the bar before walking around the counter and going inside. Setting her papers down, she was about to start taking stock of the liquor they had when Sungjong decided to take a seat at the bar. “What do you want? We have nothing to talk about.” (Y)
“We have everything to talk about.” (SJ)
“Can you just get the hell out? I don’t want you in my restaurant.” (Y) Sungjong clicked his tongue out of annoyance as he leaned back a bit. Yuri was being a little too difficult to work with, but Sungjong was certain that she would be of use to him. Removing any trace of annoyance from his face, Sungjong faked a smile so lovely that it would have seemed to come from the very bottom of his heart. As he set his elbows on the counter top, he leaned forward in an attempt to make it seem more like he was genuine.
“Come now, you don’t mean that. I just need a teeny tiny favor from my closest friend ever. I promise, I still see you as my best friend ever. At least hear me out.” (SJ) Every single fiber of her body was telling her to ignore everything that Sungjong had to say. After being left behind by him when they were children, Yuri has always had problems making friends. She focused on her work and thus, led a relatively solo life. However, a very small portion of her being wanted to listen to what he said. Was she going to cave that easily though? Hell no!
“Nope. Get out.” (Y) Sungjong let out a disappointed sigh as he sat up straight. If they were still kids, then Sungjong’s words would’ve broken through to her. Luckily, she was old enough to know that Sungjong wasn’t the kind of person that she wanted around. Sure, she’ll help him every now and then out of pity, but enough was enough.
“Fine. I’ll get out of your hair.” (SJ) Getting up from his seat, Sungjong dusted himself off before taking a step back. It was clear by now that he was annoyed with Yuri’s tough act, but this was only a minor flaw in his plans. With or without Yuri, he could still get things accomplished. “Just don’t expect to be safe.” (SJ)
“I have camera’s you know. That’s a threat.” (Y) Yuri half-heartedly motioned her hand backwards, to where Sungjong’s gaze trailed towards the camera staring in his general direction. He would’ve said something, but he didn’t exactly know how camera’s worked. Did it really record sound as well, or was it just the image? Well, either way, Sungjong merely gave an amused smile as he waved slightly towards the camera. “Okay. Get out now.” (Y)
“I’ll be back.” (SJ)
“No, you won’t. You come back again, I’m calling the cops.” (Y) The two glared at one another, sparks clashing against one another as the atmosphere around the two quickly began to feel heavy. Only a few seconds had passed, but almost immediately, Sungjong broke the clash as he held a smirk.
“Okay. Have it your way.” (SJ) Turning around, that smirk immediately vanished as he began walking. Who did she think she was? A black pearl? Well, it was time to go with his original plan. Yuri would have made things much easier, but she just had to go and be a little queen .
“Don’t worry… I’ll repay you.” (SJ) As he strolled close to the doorway, Sungjong took a pen from the host’s stand, uncapped it, and harshly dragged the tip against the wall as he left the building. Just his way of giving a… nice… farewell.
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[[ My Own Thoughts:
Yay >3<
Some things are solving, some aren’t.
However, I hope that ya’ll enjoy the fanfic thus far!
Comments are loved >3<
I love talking with everyone!
It’s also nice to see how I’m doing with each chapter. ]]
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