When all Hongjoong’s classes ended he went to the on-campus studio, he had a song he had to finish for a project that was due soon and he didn’t get much done, the studios were only open for a little while, and at home, he couldn’t play music at night since the walls were really thin.

As he was working he got a notification on his phone, he knew it wouldn’t be his friends since they knew he was working and they usually didn’t bother him so he could focus, so curiously he picked it up and a smile instantly spread across his face.

“Did you get home safely? No one bothered you again right?” - Taehwan.

He was happy the boy got his phone back and he couldn’t help but smile seeing that he was checking on him.

“I’m still at school hyung” - Hongjoong.

He sent the message and placed his phone on his desk and went through some notes he made while he couldn’t get to the studio to work on the song. Shortly after there was another ring for the messages. 

“School why?” - Taehwan.

“I have a song to finish for a project but I can only use the school’s studios for it and they are usually full so I can only come in late at night because I can’t do it at home” - Hongjoong.

Before he could even place his phone down it started ringing, this time it wasn’t a message but a call.

“Hyung?” was the first thing Hongjoong said, he was quite surprised that Taehwan called him.

“Are you okay there? It’s really dangerous at night, there are a lot of thugs hiding out at night around the university” Taehwan asked him.

“I’m fine hyung, it isn’t the first time I have to stay this late, my friend usually picks me up once I’m done,”  Hongjoong told the older.

“Hmm let me know if they can’t, I will come get you, I don’t want you walking around this late at night” Hongjoong hummed a little a small smile appearing on his face, the more he thought about it the more he realized that although Taehwan looked rough and scary on the outside truly he was just a big fluffy bear on the inside who cared a lot.

“Oh hyung also thank you for the lunch it was really amazing~ I think my friends were a little jealous since I got a nice meal and they had to eat food from the cafeteria” Hongjoong boasted a little, usually he would just buy something at the convenience store or go to the cafeteria as he really didn’t really have time to cook for himself so it was the first time in a while he had a proper home-cooked meal.

“Next time I’ll make more and you can all share it~ I can imagine that you all being Uni students that none of you eat properly, it isn’t good to eat instant food every day,” Taehwan told Hongjoong.

“Hmm I have one friend who is a cooking major but since he has to learn so many recipes and cooking he doesn’t ever want to cook for us,” Hongjoong said thinking about Yunho’s major, the boy usually only cooked for special occasions.

“Sounds about right, but how is your project going?” 

“It’s okay~ I haven’t really made any progress at all” Hongjoong whined, “I had so many assignments to do when we first got the project that I couldn’t really get started on it at all, and since the deadline is close everyone who procrastinated are rushing to get it done so the rooms are always full” 

“That must really , isn’t there any other way you can get it done?” Taehwan asked the boy, it was obvious that the older was worried about him.

“No sadly not, I have all the equipment at home but I can’t do much since it would make to much noise so it would bother my neighbors” 

“Then… uh how about you do it at my place? You can bring the equipment and stay here until you’re done with your project, then I know you’re safe and that you won’t be going home late plus then you can have proper meals~” Taehwan offered the boy.

Hongjoong thought about it, basically, Taehwan was a stranger to him in a sense they have known one another for two days and sure they are on good terms… and sure it doesn’t seem like the man means any harm to him at all he still worried that maybe he would be a bother to the older but then he thought about how the project was important for his grade at it was about 60% of his grade he didn’t really have much of a choice in the matter.

“Then if it’s okay with Hyung…” he started.

“It’s really okay with me, I wouldn’t offer if it wasn’t” Taehwan reassured the boy, Hongjoong could hear he was smiling as he was speaking.

“Thank you hyung, seriously” 

“It’s nothing Hongjoong, hmm should I come to get you now and we go collect your stuff so long? So you can get started?” 

“Sure hyung, let me just let my friend know that he doesn’t have to come to pick me up~”

The two hung up shortly after that, Hongjoong quickly messaged Seonghwa telling the boy that he didn’t have to pick him up since he made plans with a friend, he decided for the time being it might be better to keep that he was going to live in Taehwan’s place a secret, just for a bit, he really didn’t want to worry his friends, and it did seem like everyone got the wrong impression of Taehwan just from how he looks.

Once he sent the message he stayed in the studio collecting his things and once Taehwan let him know that he arrived he left the studio locking it in the process, when he got outside he saw Taehwan’s car, he assumed the boy brought his car instead of the bike he was on earlier because they would be picking up some of Hongjoong’s things.

Once he got in the car he greeted the older, once again thanking him for going out of his way just to help him with his project.

They got to his apartment and the two went up to his room and slowly they started gathering his stuff up, Hongjoong packed some clothes for the next few days as well as his equipment and the two carried everything to Taehwan’s car.

Once they had everything they needed the two left, they kept talking on their way to Taehwan’s place, Taehwan asked Hongjoong about his project and what he was planning on doing for it, and Hongjoong replied happily.

When they got to Taehwan’s place Hongjoong was really surprised, well surprised wasn’t even the word he would use, it was more shocking, Hongjoong was sure that if he was left alone in this house he would definitely get lost, it was really just too big.

“Hyung… it’s huge,” Hongjoong said as they took his things out.

“Hmm it is quite big~ I live with a few other people so it isn’t too much honestly, we get to stay here because of our work,” Taehwan told the boy.

The two walked in and Hongjoong was surprised, he was greeted by loads of people, they all looked just as big and intimidating as Taehwan, it got Hongjoong thinking.

‘He isn’t really some gangster, right? But even if he was… he still helped me so much’ he tried shaking the feeling but honestly, it was a lot to think about, although he just got to know Taehwan, he was a man Hongjoong wanted to befriend and keep close but now he wasn’t really sure if it would be okay to keep Taehwan in his life if the boy was in such a dangerous business.

Taehwan showed the boy to his room and told the boy to be as comfortable as he wanted to be since all the rooms were soundproofed so he could work as long as he wanted without worry.

The boy let Hongjoong settle in and went to the kitchen to make dinner for the boy since he assumed he didn’t eat since it sounded like he had been in the studio since all his classes ended.

“He is a good hyung~, even if he is some gangster or mafia boss, he is still taking great care of me,” Hongjoong told himself as he unpacked his things.

One dinner was done the two ate together and soon enough Hongjoong went to wash up and started working on his song a little with the notes he made and eventually went to bed around 2 am.