and here is the origin story of the apartment ! this is the last teaser before the official beginning of the story !! 

i am so so thankful for everyone's support throughout the duration of tkana. i don't even have words for how wonderful everyone's characters are and just how much i have planned for tkana !! you all are awesome and have all of my love. 

reminder that deadline is september 1: a week from now. if you need an extension, lmk !!

today, kim jaehyuk and kim joonyoung are en route to the humble apartment of jaehyuk's parents. the occasion? it's almost christmas and his parents want to have a "christmas dinner" of sorts before jaehyuk gets swamped at the store, and joonyoung was never one to turn down free food. plus, joonyoung's basically a part of the family anyway.

they're on the ktx, jaehyuk's knee jiggling with the sort of frenzy that usually accompanies sugar highs. he's gnawing at his thumbnail and darting his eyes all over the passing scenery. joonyoung is preoccupied with some sort of Super Intelligent article on his phone, earbuds in even though his music is loud enough to be playing straight from the speaker. jaehyuk's foot is subconsciously tapping along to joonyoung's music despite his anxiousness buzzing throughout him. his heart seems to be keeping pace with the train and he feels mildly faint.

joonyoung catches sight of his fidgeting through the corner of his eye and pops his earbuds out, pausing his reading (and his incredibly loud music) and giving jaehyuk his attention.

"what's up?" joonyoung says, twisting in his seat to look at the other boy.

"hmm what??" jaehyuk is still peering out the window. "what's up with you?"

"you're nervous." joonyoung observes.

"obviously," jaehyuk frowns at his reflection in the window. "i always get nervous when i go back home."

"you're still living there, though," joonyoung's brows furrow. "do you act like this every day?"

jaehyuk turns to joonyoung with a pained expression that distorts his face in a way that's almost worrying. joonyoung winces.

"sorry. i didn't mean to hit a nerve."

"no, no," jaehyuk puts his head in his hands, letting out a long sigh. "i mean, it's my fault i'm even sensitive about this in the first place."

joonyoung purses his lips, rubbing jaehyuk's back gently as he hums in thought.

"joon," jaehyuk suddenly looks up at him. "i think i need to get away from my parents."

joonyoung blinks in response. "huh?"

"it's not like i don't love them, because i love them to pieces, but i just-!" jaehyuk sits back, throwing his hands up with exasperation. "i mean, they're taking more time off to spend time with me--which i appreciate !--but i just feel bad. like why do they need to take off for me?? they're already paying for honggik.."

"they want to see you," joonyoung points out. "you never got to see them when you were a kid, and they want to make it up to you."

"but shouldn't i be helping them?" jaehyuk says. "i should take the weight off, right? as their son? but whenever i say it they just don't take me seriously. i want to be taken seriously!"

joonyoung remains silent, watching him instead.

there's a heavy silence that hangs over them that neither one of them are strong enough to lift. they sit in silence for the rest of the train ride.


dinner goes smoothly with joonyoung staying dutifully out of the kitchen while jaehyuk and his mother finish up the cooking. jaehyuk's father is putting on some old records to finish out the evening and his mother has cleared all the plates. joonyoung and jaehyuk are talking about various things, their conversation never quite slowing down or dropping in volume. 

"who's ready for some cake?" jaehyuk's mother calls out, bearing a large cake box from paris baguette. 

"i'm always ready for cake!" jaehyuk perks up, sitting up straight with a wide grin.

his mother cuts up the portions and serves them out with a flourish. jaehyuk digs in almost immediately, but joonyoung waits a bit, holding his fork up and humming to himself thoughtfully.

"mom and dad?" joonyoung suddenly says.

the two turn to joonyoung with warm smiles, expectant. jaehyuk his head as he shoves another forkful of cake into his mouth, question marks almost visible around his head.

"jaehyuk and i were thinking of getting an apartment with some of our other good friends," joonyoung says nonchalantly, stabbing into his cake. "we thought it'd be a nice way to find somewhere cheap to live closer to our jobs and universities."

jaehyuk's parents are wide eyed, staring at joonyoung incredulously. jaehyuk chokes on the icing, sputtering incoherently as joonyoung just sits at the table with one of his cheshire smiles. 

"really?" jaehyuk's mother says. "you're really thinking of moving away, jaehyuk?"

jaehyuk doesn't look up from the mess on his plate. "uh, well, yeah, sure, i-uh, am."

"have you thought about this, joonyoung?" jaehyuk's father pipes up. "there's a lot that goes into getting an apartment."

"we're comparing prices and will be screening our most responsible friends to help chip in," joonyoung says. "i wouldn't worry if i were you. after all, i think i'm pretty responsible myself."

jaehyuk nods stupidly, dazed.

"well, if it's what you want," jaehyuk's mother gnaws at her lower lip. "and you'll be paying for it then i can't really see anything wrong with it..."

"we'll check in with you every now and then! you can keep tabs on us!" joonyoung mentions. "and of course, we'll come down for holidays and birthdays and such."

"we wanted to see you more, jaehyuk," jaehyuk's mother says. "we were taking off more time to spend more time with you..."

"and we will spend time together!" jaehyuk proclaims. "i swear! i'll make it a point to come down and see you guys whenever you're able to take off work! but you guys also shouldn't worry about me. i can take care of myself. i'm turning 22 this year!!"

"you're right," jaehyuk's father chuckles. "we can't control you anymore even if we wanted to."

jaehyuk nods excitedly as joonyoung just laughs.

the rest of the evening passes with smoothing out the details and some recommendations for some good spots coming from jaehyuk's father. the two boys leave the apartment with a sort of glow emminating from them. as they emerge out in front of the apartment complex, jaehyuk engulfs joonyoung in a bone crushing hug, lifting him off the ground with endless triumphant laughter.

"we're getting an apartment!!" jaehyuk hollers. "i can't believe i'm moving out!!"

"i was thinking about the best course of action ever since the train ride," joonyoung mumbles into jaehyuk's embrace. "it's about time you actually grow up."

"hey," jaehyuk whines, pulling away. "i'm totally a grown up."

"sure," joonyoung snorts. "wait until we have to pay rent and we'll see who's a grown up."

jaehyuk emits a mocking offended gasp, doubling backwards into the wall of the complex. "you think so little of me!!"

joonyoung laughs, the tendrils of his breath drifting around his face. "you make it so easy to do."

jaehyuk lunges forward and tackles joonyoung into a snowbank, lightly punching his chest and tossing snow into his mouth. joonyoung is laughing despite it all, swatting at jaehyuk's face and throwing some snow down the front of jaehyuk's coat. 

the two of them fall back into the snow, staring up at the sky that's beginning to color into a moody purple. the moon is bright, shining a spotlight down onto them.

"thank you for that," jaehyuk says at last. "i never thought of getting an apartment. you're such a genius."

"i've been meaning to move out of my grandma's place, anyway," joonyoung shrugs. "plus my university is closer to myeongdong than it is to here. i've had an apartment on the brain for a while."

jaehyuk kicks his legs up in the air, throwing up v-signs through his mittens and hollering with excitement. joonyoung snorts.

"now for the most important question," joonyoung says. "who are we going to share it with?"

jaehyuk turns to joonyoung with a glint in his eyes. "i have a few people in mind..."