ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 2:
The Waters, Too Deep

It wasn't love at first sight. He was never attracted with him when they first met. He was beautiful. Yes, that was something he couldn't deny. But when they first met each other, Jaehwan didn't see himself falling for the older male. He never saw himself being in love with him.

He was in his last year in primary school when he met him. Jaehwan was on his way back home when he found an abandoned box on the street, in a not so hidden alleyway. Curiously, he approached the box and he was a surprised to find a cute little kitten inside. He wasn't really an animal person but that time he felt like taking the poor animal home with him, and adopt it because how dare someone leave such poor creature alone in a dangerous place just like that.

He lifted the box, securing the sides on his arms but someone started yelling at him to stop what he was doing. He turned around, and that was how he met him.

He was running towards him, and when he stopped he was panting so hard. Jaehwan raised a brow curiously at him. And then he was trying to snatch the box from Jaehwan. Jaehwan was taken by surprise. He reacted instinctively, pulling the box away and holding it firmly. But he still managed to snatch the box from him. And then he claimed that the small animal was actually his. Jaehwan didn't believe him at first. Because if he really was the owner of said kitten, what was it doing on the street? Why would he leave it there?

That was because his parents forced him to throw it away. Jaehwan asked why, and he told him it was because of his, Jaehwan quoted, stupid allergy. Jaehwan saw how sad he really was while he was telling him, and he started to feel bad for almost taking his pet without permission. He felt responsible to apologize to which he did, and Jaehwan took a step back, hands in the air to surrender.

"Then I'll be going now. Sorry for almost stealing your cat." He dismisses, turning away on his heels to continue on his way home. But stopped almost immediately when he was called back.

"Wait..." Jaehwan turns around, raising a brow. "It's not a cat... It's a kitten." He frowns. What difference does it make? "But yes, besically it's cat... But you get what I'm saying, right?"

"Uh, okay." He continued to stare at him weirdly.

"I," he pauses. He slowly laid down the box back on the ground, and picked up the small creature in his hands. Then he looked up at Jaehwan, and shove it to him. Jaehwan blinks. "Do you want to take care of him?"

"Huh?"

"No," he shakes his head, and suddenly there were tears forming around his eyes. Jaehwan was taken by surprise once again. He started to panic. Did he say something wrong? What the hell did he do?

"H...Hey."

"Can you please take care of him... For me?"

"Huh?"

"He's called Ken. I named him after my pet parrot. It talked a lot. It was a gift from my older sister, but it died because I was away for a week. It didn't get fed for those days I was gone." He sobs softly, and Jaehwan grew anxious as people start to pass them by, shooting him awful glances. He was like a deer caught in the headlights as he rapidly shakes his head and defends that it wasn't him who made the other male cry. The male continued to shed tears, looking at the animal in his hands sadly. "I want to take care of him. I really do. But if I don't throw it away, my allergy's going to get worse and my parents won't like it. They will confine me, and that, I don't want it too." He shakes his head minutely.

"But," Jaehwan tried to look for a reason. Or just anything to say in return, but he was already at loss of words. Jaehwan scratches the back of his neck, and then he just found himself agreeing. "Okay. I'll take him in."

"Really?"

He nods robotically. "I mean, I- I guess. Since you're asking me to, and people are already looking at us because you're crying. If I reject your request, then it will only make it look like I really made you cry." He continued to scratch his nape, laughing awkwardly.

"Oh," it seemed like he didn't even realize he was crying himself. He quickly reaches out to wipe his tears off, and laughs back embarrassingly at Jaehwan. "I- I'm sorry. I didn't know I was making you uncomfortable already." Jaehwan noticed the tips of his ears turning beet red, and he chuckles.

"Here." He said, offering his handkerchief to his direction.

"Thank you." The male smiled at him.

Jaehwan thinks he looks even more beautiful when he smiles.

Since that day, Hakyeon and Jaehwan started meeting each other. Hakyeon often pays him a visit at home for Ken. Hakyeon always bring treats for the cat, and nothing for him. Thus, he always complain whenever the older male comes over.

They became friends, then the best of friends, until they were inseparable. And when they finally entered high school, their friendship just grew even more solid. Until Jaehwan didn't realize, that it wasn't just friendship he was feeling anymore... Maybe because of how much their friendship has already grown into, that it started to bud into something he never imagined he would see himself in a position someday.

It was during Kim Seokjin's house birthday party, back when they were in their third year in high school. It was a big birthday party. Everyone was there. And since Jaehwan was one of the cliques and most especially Hakyeon, considering he was one of the excellent students and the current student council president, and was known for his incredible dancing skills, and was really admired for his really down to earth attitude, they were expected to be there as one of the most sought after pair in school. Everyone was anticipating for them to be present as well, like the other popular names, in "princess" Seokjin's party, even though the celebrant was actually a boy (who was just too pretty for his own good).

Though Jaehwan insisted not to attend said party anymore since it wasn't really his and Hakyeon's type of event, and he was a hundred percent sure that considering Seokjin was with the football team where there are lots of conceited and arrogant contemptibly obnoxious boys, the party wouldn't just be a simple party where there are balloons and cakes, and gifts— but something else. And Jaehwan has been having a bad feeling about it ever since they both got the invitations. But Hakyeon, Hakyeon was... He was someone who gets so easily persuaded by anyone every single time. And without knowing it, Hakyeon already accepted the invitation and promised Seokjin that he and Jaehwan would surely be at the party. Jaehwan couldn't believe it when someone named Min Yoongi came over to his house and fetched him for the event. When he got into Yoongi's car, Hakyeon was already there. The older male looked just as surprised as he was.

Then they arrived, and it was just exactly the same way Jaehwan imagined the party would be.

When they arrived, the place reeked in alcohol already. There were several drunk students at the door who welcomed them. Everyone cheered noisily when they entered the door and people grouped around him and Hakyeon. Jaehwan pushed through the crowd, holding Hakyeon firmly on his wrist, and found their spot on the couch at the huge living room where Seokjin, the birthday boy, welcomed them. By the time he and Hakyeon were sitting side by side on the couch, Jaehwan was already annoyed as hell and wanted nothing more but to escape the party.

"Yeonie hyung~" Seokjin was already slurring on his words, clinging on Hakyeon. Hakyeon was just laughing at the boy, like it was nothing. Like Seokjin leaning his whole body on him was nothing at all. Jaehwan's brows skyrocketed. "W're's my gift?" Seokjin buried his face in the crook of Hakyeon's neck, who only complained about how ticklish it was. Jaehwan balled his fists. His brow was rising centimeters high on his forehead. Because what the actual f-

"I wasn't able to prepare one. I'm really sorry." Hakyeon replied, looking genuinely apologetic for not preparing anything for Seokjin. "But I can buy it for you next time!" Hakyeon pipes, smiling widely at Seokjin.

But Seokjin shook his head. "How 'bout you give it to me... Now?"

"Huh?"

"'Iss me." He said incoherently and Hakyeon looks at him.

"What?"

"I said, kiss me!" Seokjin suddenly yelled loudly, and everyone whipped their heads toward their direction. "Kiss me, Yeonie hyung~" Seokjin says a little seductively between his drunken state. Hakyeon had his eyes wide open as Seokjin started to inch their faces together. Everyone started whistling, cheering, and yelling at Hakyeon to give Seokjin what the boy was asking for. Everyone turned rowdy, expressing vehement demands. "Yeonie hyung, come on. It's just a kiss..." Seokjin whispered huskily, and Hakyeon looked completely frozen from where he was seated,