Now Look Here!

Paring: SeKai

Summary: It’s been a long time since Jongin last visited his home town, so imagine his surprise when he comes home to find the kid he used to tease is back, and he seems intent on making him feel confused.

Notes: This was vaguely based off a manhwa I read once, I forgot what it was called, but it was super cute and funny, if a little confusing at times. Then again, most manhwa is confusing to me unless I read it while completely focused. I might make another SeKai or KaiSoo story based off Totally Captivated. Now that is some quality manhwa >:3

When the new kid moved into the rural town Jongin lived in near the mountain that his great grandfathers inhabited, Jongin was beside himself with irritation. He was supposed to be the only kid in the neighborhood, he was supposed to be the only one to charm the ajhummas in the market and get candy from the ajussi who pat him on the head as he walked by.
But the new kid, Oh Sehun, was stealing his spotlight and Jongin didn’t like it one bit. To make matters worse, his mom kept meeting up with the other kid’s mom and they both prattled on about boring things while they pushed their sons to play together.

“Hey Jonginnie, when were you born?” Sehun asked, his little lips forming a shy smile as he looked down at Jongin.

Bristling, the honey hued boy crossed his arms and glared up at Sehun. “I was born January 14, 1994.”

Sehun raised a brow and tilted his head innocently, looking like the puppy Jongin wanted from the pet store but wasn’t allowed. “Really!? That makes you my hyung,” He pursed his lips and looked deep in thought while Jongin rejoiced at the news, being a hyung meant that he could order Sehun around.

“But you’re short and cute, so I’ll be your hyung,” Sehun decided at last, nodding to himself and looking at the other shocked boy with a smile and a bright look in his eyes.

“No! I was born earlier! I’m the hyung!” Jongin stomped his foot and pouted angrily, feeling his irritation skyrocket at Sehun’s audacity.

Sehun shook his head and gently patted Jongin on the head, ruffling his hair in a condescending manner. “No Jonginnie, hyungs don’t look like puppies.”

Fed up, Jongin narrowed his eyes at Sehun and before the taller male could so much as register the glint in his eyes, Jongin grabbed his wrist and bit his hand, right on the thick fleshy part near his thumb.

Sehun’s wide eyes and the expression on his face was gratifying, that is until he opened his mouth and began bawling, tears springing out of his eyes like rain from the sky.

As punishment, Jongin had to stand in the corner, holding up a bucket of water while Sehun’s mommy took him out to have ice cream from the ajussi who used to be Jongin’s favorite vendor.

‘I hate you Sehunnnie!’ Jongin thought with a forlorn sniffle, the long dried tears in the corner of his eyes making them itch.

The next time Sehun and Jongin met, the taller boy pulled Jongin in for a hug, completely disregarding the bite from last time. “Jonginnnie! Hyung missed you!” Sehun cooed, pulling away from the scowling Jongin long enough to bop his nose.

“I didn’t miss you,” Jongin muttered sulkily, but Sehun merely giggled and grabbed his wrist, dragging him off to the living room of his home where a plate of snacks was set on a low legged coffee table.

Jongin was distracted enough to let Sehun arrange him on the pillow seat next to his. ‘Sehun’s mommy lets him have cookies!’ Jongin thought with excitement and a little bit of envy. Unfortunately, before Jongin’s little hand could dart out to snatch up a cookie, Sehun had pushed the plate out of his reach.

“No!” Jongin whined, stretching his arms out to try and reach the tray again. Sehun watched him struggle for a moment before he decided to help his self-proclaimed dongsaeng.

“Here Jonginnie~” Sehun called and when Jongin turned to look at him, he was holding a cookie out to him. Blinking, Jongin reached out with his hand, but Sehun smiled mischievously and moved the cookie out of the way. “No, let hyung feed you,” Sehun said and Jongin’s lips twisted into a frustrated little pout that Sehun wanted to poke with his finger to see if it was as soft as it looked.

“You’re not my hyung!” Jongin protested, his eyes longingly following the cookie that Sehun waved in front of him playfully.

Sehun shook his head at Jongin and made a disappointed sound. “If you don’t call me hyung, I won’t feed you, so be a good boy Jonginnie.”

Jongin frowned and he shook his head. He really wanted the cookie, but Sehun was being so mean! He wasn’t even the hyung anyway, he was younger than Jongin!

A little gurgle coming from the direction of his stomach had Jongin flushing in embarrassment when Sehun laughed. “F-fine!” Jongin said, glaring at Sehun as the corner of his plump lips turned down. “H-hyung, please m-may I have some?”

Sehun looked at him with wide eyes and when Jongin felt irritation welling up again, the taller boy cooed and squished him in a hug. “Oh you’re so cute~!” Sehun said in a sickly sweet tone. His hands were pawing at Jongin’s cheeks and he was mushing Jongin’s face, making him look like a fish.
Struggling against the sudden perceived attack, Jongin wriggled out of Sehun’s hold and he tried to get up and run. Unfortunately, Sehun was taller, and therefore had longer limbs. It was very easy for him to use his long arms to grab Jongin around the waist and pull him into his lap so that he couldn’t escape Sehun’s dotting.

But like a cat, Jongin hissed and instinctively buried his sharp little teeth into Sehun’s arm.
Sehun cried out and Jongin got another unfair time out from his mommy while Sehun got more ice cream—

Only this time Sehun’s mom took him aside and explained things to him.

“So umma, Jonginnie doesn’t hate me?” He asked with wide eyes, his tears long since dried up, leaving only the remnants of sniffles here and there as he ate his ice cream.

The older woman nodded and she gently took Sehun’s hand as they walked down the street, heading home before the dark fell. “Your Appa was just like Jongin, he was so mean to me that I was convinced he didn’t like me either.” The woman smiled at the memory while Sehun scrunched up his eyebrows and frowned in confusion.

“Why did you marry Appa if he was so mean, Umma?” He asked.

The woman laughed, “I wouldn’t have if my Umma, your Halmeoni, hadn’t told me a little secret.”

Sehun stopped eating his ice cream and he looked up at his mom with wide eyes. “What secret?”

Sehun’s mom paused and she cast an exaggerated look around the area, though in their sleepy country town the streets were mostly calm and empty. “Well, if I tell you, will you promise not to tell anyone?” She asked and Sehun nodded so fast that he almost made himself dizzy with the movement. Holding back a laugh, the woman crouched by Sehun’s side and leaned closer to whisper in his ear.

“Boys like to be mean to someone they like a lot.”

Sehun blinked and then he scoffed and shook his head. “Umma stop joking!” He said and he huffed some more and began walking back home ahead of the shocked woman. “I’m not mean to Jonginnie, what a bad secret.”

It was officially the middle of summer and Jongin was beyond bored. He wasn’t allowed to go back to Sehun’s house unless he did what his mom told him to do and apologized. Which he refused to do, because it wasn’t his fault that the only way to escape Sehun was to bite him.

But it was so hot that the T.V. was turned off to save money on electricity, and Jongin’s toys were taken away by his mean Appa (Who Jongin was sure was only on his mom’s side).

‘Maybe I could just look outside and find something to play with…’ Jongin thought to himself and he perked up at his own brilliant idea. He ran to the window and shoved the pale green curtains aside, only to be met with the sight of Sehun playing under a shady tree with a puppy.

The same puppy Jongin was begging his mother for from the pet store last week.
Absolutely scandalized, Jongin shut the curtain and raced to put his shoes on. He had to save the puppy from Sehun! With that in mind, Jongin left his home and walked straight across the yard to where Sehun was.

The other boy looked up from where he was playing fetch with his new puppy and he smiled at Jongin. Despite what happened last time, he was happy to see the older boy again. It also helped that his affronted expression was adorable rather than scary, along with his oversized shirt and his extra-long, fuzzy socks.

“You, stay away from my puppy!” Jongin demanded, immediately gathering the puppy in his arms and holding it out of Sehun’s reach. His eyebrows were narrowed over his large almond shaped eyes, his lush lips twisted down into a frown.

Sehun looked at him in surprise, his eyes darting down to the puppy and then meeting Jongin’s again. “He’s my puppy, my Appa and Umma gave him to me.” Sehun said, still finding no logic in Jongin’s claim.

Not faltering, Jongin shook his head and glared even harder at Sehun. “No, I saw him first so he’s mine!”

Sehun ignored him and tried to reach for the dog. However, Jongin made a small growling noise and he bared his teeth at Sehun, who quickly placed his arms back at his sides, fearing another bite. The puppy made a little whining noise and its wet nose poked Jongin’s cheek, making the boy give a pleased giggle and begin playing with the dog. Feeling put out, Sehun sighed and sat with his chin placed on his knees, watching Jongin roll around with his new puppy.

“Jonginnie, hyung wants to play too,” Sehun finally whined, getting bored of just sitting on the sidelines and watching Jongin act cute with a puppy.

Without even looking up at him, Jongin decisively shook his head and picked up the puppy again. “No. I don’t want Sehunnie to ruin the fun.”

Sehun actually pouted at that. “Hey! I’m not gonna ruin anything!”

Wide chocolate eyes blinked at Sehun. Jongin was now laying on his back on the grass and he saw an upside down and forlorn Sehun. He had a feeling rising in his chest, something that happened after biting Sehun every time, and Jongin wondered why it made him want to appease the younger boy when he didn’t like him. At all.

“Fine! Sehunnie can play too.” Jongin relented and the smile that Sehun gave in return was near blinding.

Later when Jongin was tucked into bed at home, he admitted to himself that Sehun wasn’t as annoying as he initially thought.

A storm was raging outside and Jongin was huddled under his bed in fear, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and his favorite stuffed bunny tucked under his chin.
A giant rumble of thunder shook the house, followed by an eerie flash of lightning that made Jongin whimper and shut his eyes. Tears gathered at the corner of his eyes and Jongin desperately wished that someone were here with him. His mom had gone to the market long ago, his father was at work, and the baby sitter hired hadn’t shown up yet.

They were all probably held back by the storm, Jongin’s parents believing that he was safe while the baby sitter assumed his parents stayed in with him.

Another roll of thunder had him shaking even more and Jongin started crying and shaking even harder. His room was dark, the power was out, and there was no one else in the house to comfort him.

Jongin was sure that he’d never been more frightened in his life, and just when he felt as if the fear would make his heart stop, something wet reached out and touched the side of his face.

Shocked, Jongin opened his eyes to see a slobbering puppy held in front of his face, Sehun’s hands wrapped around the wriggling animal with a concerned look on his face.
“Jonginnie, don’t cry,” He said, letting the puppy down so that it could snuggle up to Jongin’s side, where it stood on its hind legs in an effort to the crying boy’s tears away.

Jongin for his part, merely sniffled, pet the dog on the head and looked up at Sehun with watery brown eyes. “H-hyung,” he said and Sehun didn’t even feel the need to gloat over the term as he sat down and pulled Jongin’s shaking form to his, nearly placing the older boy in his lap. “Don’t cry, Hyung will protect you,” Sehun murmured softly as he Jongin’s hair, the rampant storm outside nearly drowning him out.

Jongin eventually relaxed, lulled into a calmer state by the presence of another person. Sehun wasn’t being annoying and Jongin was actually grateful to have him around.

Later that eveing, Jongin’s parents came home to find two lone sleeping boys and a puppy curled up at their feet. Predictably, they went into a panic and they twittered about like chicks, calling the baby sitter, Sehun’s parents, and even the police. But the experience had drawn Sehun and Jongin close and gave them a bond that made them near brothers, until one day, Sehun moved away and Jongin was left alone for a long, long time.

∞

“Mom, for the last time, I can’t stay for longer than a few days.” Jongin sighed into the phone, his frustration from work rolling off him in waves, though he tone