Author's Note: 

Thank you so much for reading the previous chapter and for all your comments, I really appreciate them! I was smiling like a fool while reading all of them because I'm still blown away people actually took time to read what I wrote. It really means a lot to me.

Hope you enjoy Chapter 2. I won't say much about it, except that it takes place the morning after their Halloween shenanigans. :)

By the way, if you've got Twitter and if it's cool with you, let's be mutuals! I'm also @iKONfastfiction on stan twt. Haha. I write some very short fic tweets in there too. Would love to hear what you think about them. And hit me up with some fic requests too if you like!

The holidays are fast approaching, so if you celebrate them, a very merry Christmas and a happy new year to you and your loved ones! Until the next update!    

*****

Junhoe never misses Jiu-Jitsu training. Once, he showed up bright and early to train even after playing video games with Chanwoo all night. One time, he came to train even after only a few hours of sleep because he and Donghyuk binge-watched “Weightlifting Fairy” one particularly dull Friday night.

So it wasn’t surprising that he was right on time for training this morning and did pretty well, considering his Halloween misadventures the night before.

It was a struggle to get Donghyuk anywhere while he was annoyingly drunk, so Chanwoo made an executive decision to just have him stay at his place for the night. They planned to sneak Donghyuk into his room, and Chanwoo figured he’d just find a way to sneak him out of the house and into school the next day.

Meanwhile, Junhoe had to impersonate Donghyuk and call his mom to tell her he’d be staying over at Chanwoo’s place, and not to bother Chanwoo’s parents about it because they’re already too busy managing their massive conglomerate as it is to be bothered with such trivial things as their son’s sleepover.

The plan had worked and Junhoe managed to get home, albeit later than he intended. And after a few hours he was up and ready to train.

If he had it his way, he would rather train after school than very early in the morning before his first class, but his afternoons would be full all month of November, so he needed to adjust his schedule.

Junhoe waited on the curb in front of the studio with his duffle bag, wrapping his jacket tighter around himself. The air was especially cold given it was just a little past 8AM and winter was fast approaching. He had been trying to call Chanwoo and Donghyuk but neither were picking up.

Why do I associate myself with fools? He thought. Chanwoo usually drove them all to school, and before the Halloween party, Junhoe reminded him that the next day he would have to pick him up at the Jiu-Jitsu studio and not at his house like usual. But he was nowhere in sight and when Junhoe called, he still wouldn’t pick up.

They’re probably sleeping in. Junhoe was ready to start the long trek to school when a car he didn’t recognize stopped in front of him.

“Need a ride?”

The car window rolled down to reveal a head of bright, purple hair.

“Yeah,” Junhoe answered.

“Going to school?” Bobby asked, voice upbeat and smile bright, too bright for a winter morning. Junhoe nodded again.

“Me too. Hop in.” He reached across from the driver’s seat to open the door on the passenger side.

Junhoe slid in and sat, closing the door after he had settled down. But the car didn’t move forward. When he turned to his right, he found Bobby looking at him, with seemingly no plans to start to drive.

“Seatbelt,” he said, his eyes disappearing into his smile.

“Huh?” Junhoe wasn’t usually this clueless, but it was early, he was a little exhausted from training, and being around this purple-haired boy made him lose focus somehow.

Bobby reached across from the driver’s seat again, this time tugging at the seatbelt to wrap it across Junhoe and lock it in place.

“There. Now I can drive.”

You know how in teen movies, there’s always a shot of the popular guy looking super attractive while driving his super cool car? Bobby, Junhoe came to find, was that movie scene brought to life. He leaned back on his seat, one hand on the steering wheel while the other played with his purple hair. Every now and then he would make a comment or ask Junhoe a question, and every time he did he would briefly turn to his side to look at him. For a split second they would lock eyes, before he turned his attention back to the road ahead, as coolly and as casually as he can. Junhoe couldn’t say the same for himself, a fidgeting, awkward mess. He wasn’t good with meeting new people and random car rides.

“So you went to training even after last night? I’m impressed. That’s commitment, man.”

Junhoe shrugged. “I’m used to it. Jiu-Jitsu’s fun.” He fiddled absentmindedly with his phone. “What were you doing there anyway?”

“I work part-time at the gym,” Bobby informed him. “I’m on opening duty all week.”

“So how early did you have to be there?”

“Hmm. I had to come in at 4AM? So yeah, I’m pretty wrecked right now.”

“ for you.” Junhoe had this lazy way of talking that made him look like he didn’t care about anything or anyone, and often it made him seem like a douchebag. The truth was, he just wasn’t the best at small talk and having casual chats.

“It’s not so bad.” The truth was up until a few minutes ago Bobby did think it was a horrible setup, but after this chance encounter, he was convinced things were starting to look up.

At the stoplight, Bobby fumbled with his phone and played some music through the car’s speakers.

I can dim the lights and sing you songs full of sad things

We can do the tango just for two

I can serenade and gently play on your heartstrings

Be all Valentino just for you

“You like Queen?” Junhoe asked, interested piqued. He recognized the song and that voice instantly. He never would have expected another boy his age in this town to like the same music he did.

“Yeah. You?”

“Since I was little. They’re my second favorite next to Michael Jackson.”

“Nice. There’s more Queen here and a bunch of others.” Bobby handed him his phone. “Here, you be the DJ.”

Junhoe scrolled through the other boy’s playlist: The Smiths, The Beatles, some Marvin Gaye. There were some relatively new stuff too: Phoenix, MGMT, No Doubt, Oasis, Erykah Badu. Suffice to say he was fairly impressed with Bobby’s eclectic choice of music. He pressed play on “Electric Feel” by MGMT.

“Excellent choice,” Bobby remarked, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the music.

“Duh, it’s your playlist. Of course you like it,” Junhoe quipped, rolling his eyes at him. That made Bobby snicker. This guy wasn’t easy to please.

“Ooh girl, shock me like an electric eel. Baby girl, with your electric feel.” Junhoe sang the lyrics with his low, husky voice, much to Bobby’s surprise.

“You sing?”

“A little bit.”

He waited for the other boy to elaborate, but that was all Junhoe said. He was starting to think getting to know this guy wouldn’t be easy.

They reached the school and Bobby offered to drop Junhoe off at the entrance before he went to park.

“Thanks,” Junhoe blurted out as he handed Bobby his phone, fingers briefly touching. He gave him a small smile before getting out of the car.

“See you around,” Bobby called after him as the boy quickly walked away with his long strides, and it was only then that Bobby realized he never got to ask what his name was.