Author's Note: Hello, for my existing readers, I have combined the first five chapters into one big chapter! Since they're all actually quite short, I'm hoping to make it easier to read. All previous updates are included here, and the next chapter will be part 2! Happy reading ♡

1. The Town

It was nearly two hours from their home out to Jongin’s grandparents’ house, but it felt like a lifetime. Saying goodbye to the familiar apartment had been hard; Jongin was so used to the clean, elegant, open space with its modern appliances, the wall of glass giving a view of the cityscape below, his comfortable bedroom with a huge bed, not to mention all the electronics – television, his personal laptop, video games. The laptop was coming with him, but it would be of little use at his grandparents’ place considering they had no internet. And that was only the first of his problems; his grandparents lived in a tiny house, cramped and old and underwhelming at best. It only had two bedrooms, though his mother had fortunately offered to sleep on the couch, and there was nothing to do but read some old books or go outside. Cringe.

But it was only for one month. It was not how Jongin had been hoping to spend his summer vacation, but his mother had convinced him that spending quality time with their family would be good. His grandparents were getting old, they wouldn’t live forever after all. And a change of scenery would help him appreciate how good his life was. As if he didn’t appreciate it enough now. As far as he was concerned, his parents were just being cheap this year and didn’t want to take him on a better vacation.

His father wasn’t joining them though. He would be staying in the city to work – something about extra projects, important business, blah blah. That was all the man ever said these days, but Jongin consoled himself by thinking that extra work would mean extra money. Maybe his parents were planning something big for the winter holiday. A trip to Hawaii or something like that. And if that meant staying at his grandparents’ this summer, he would take it.

Jongin and his mother lugged their suitcases up the way to his grandparents’ house, Jongin complaining about how the wheels kicked up dirt and were making a mess of his things. “How does anyone live out here? It’s so dirty,” he muttered, his mother quickly hushing him and telling him not to be saying those kinds of things around his grandparents. He forced a smile as his grandfather opened the door, giving the old man a hug before wheeling his things inside. Soon enough they were settled in, Jongin just barely able to fit all the clothes from his two suitcases into the closet and dresser. Then they had lunch, and immediately after Jongin was faced with his most daunting concern.

“What do I do now?” he asked his mother. “I can’t play any games…” And he certainly didn’t want to sit around and watch old-people television on a TV that was probably older than him.

“Why don’t you go outside and play with the local boys?” his mother suggested, giving an encouraging smile. “You’re going to be here for a while, I’m sure it will be more fun if you have friends.” Jongin pulled a face, the idea of hanging out with the local boys less than appealing. He saw them around whenever he came to visit, and they were always… dirty, poorly dressed, obnoxious, no sense of class. His mother didn’t miss the look, reaching over to pat his cheek. “Maybe one of them has some video games you can play.”

And that was how he found himself outside, looking for the familiar old park that hadn’t changed since he was born. The town was so small, it was nearly impossible to get lost, most things accessible from the main street. The park was less than ten minutes from their house, and when he got there he saw all sorts of kids playing around, including a group of boys around his age. But then he was presented with a new problem: how was he supposed to approach? Hey, do any of you have video games we could play? That was rude, not to mention going to them first felt pathetic.

Kicking a rock, Jongin tried to think of a way to make them come to him. As he watched them, he noticed a little convenience store just past their group that had some old plastic tables and chairs out front. An idea clicked then – if he went there, he would have to walk past them, and they would undoubtedly notice him. He could buy himself a drink and sit at one of the tables, playing on his phone and acting casual. It seemed flawless, so he did exactly that.

And it worked – sort of. He felt the eyes of one of them on him as he went by, and when he came back out with his drink he garnered several glances. Jongin was sure they were talking about him. ‘Isn’t he familiar?’ But they didn’t come over. Maybe they’re intimidated by how cool I am, he thought, sighing to himself. He didn’t exactly want to hang out with a bunch of guys he was that much cooler than; why had he come here? What was he supposed to do now…?

A few long moments went by, Jongin trying and failing not to feel too bitter as he sipped his drink. He decided he was going to just give up and go home, beg his mother to buy them some temporary Wi-Fi. As he planned out what to say, he heard a child crying behind him and looked around. Whoever she was, she was upset because she didn’t have enough money for an ice cream she wanted, and her older sister was refusing to buy it for her. Jongin watched on silently, pitying the kid. When it became clear she wouldn’t be getting her way, Jongin stood up with a sigh. He headed over to the freezer, grabbed one of the ice cream bars, and went in to pay for it. Then he brought it back out and held it out for the kid. The little girl looked up at him, eyes wet with tears and full of confusion, only taking the ice cream when Jongin pushed it towards her and giving a shy thank you. Jongin just nodded and went back to his seat, feeling eyes on him but choosing to ignore it.

“That was nice of you.” Jongin looked up in surprise, finding the group of boys standing much closer now and one addressing him. He had unwittingly caught their interest, apparently. Silently thanking that crying kid, Jongin gave a nonchalant shrug.

“It was a thousand won,” he said casually. “It’s not that hard to be decent.” Jongin didn’t have any siblings himself, but he thought that if he had a younger sister, he wouldn’t want to go out of his way to make her cry like that – especially over something so small. The group of boys just exchanged looks and nods, before one of them prodded the one who had spoken before.

“Are you waiting for someone?” the guy asked, shaking his too-long hair out of his face. “Or- did you wanna hang out with us? We were gonna go somewhere more fun…”

Jongin perked up, but tried to play it cool. More fun sounded like video games to his ears. “I was just, um, looking for a change of scenery,” he lied, trying to sound more mature than he was. “But I mean, I guess, if you don’t mind.” The guys smiled, looking welcoming and nodding again, so Jongin got to his feet.

“I’m Kang, by the way,” the other boy said, then took a step towards the convenience store door. “I’m gonna buy some water, just a second.” He disappeared inside, one of the other boys – the smallest, and whom Jongin suspected was the youngest – calling after him to get him a banana milk, and someone quickly smacked his arm and scolded him while he beamed innocently. Then they turned to Jongin.

“I’m Moongyu. This is Daewon, Kwonho, Sungwoon, and Taemin.” The slimmest of them pointed to each boy as he introduced them. Jongin gave a nod, looking them all over. They all seemed like high school students, except maybe the last one, Taemin – Jongin suspected he might be one of their younger brothers or cousins or something. Probably the one named Sungwoon; they had a look for each other. He didn’t mention this though, just giving his name in return. Not long after, the one named Kang came back and they set off, Jongin not missing the way the kid, Taemin, got his banana milk while everyone else was given water.

As they left the park, the boys announced they were going to bike to the edge of town. “Bike?” Jongin echoed, trying not to make a face. “I don’t have a bike…” Not to mention how little experience he had with biking. Besides, why would they bike when they could just take a car?

There were some worried glances exchanged, but then Taemin pitched in, “My older brother has a bike! You can borrow it.” Everyone else looked relieved, though Jongin didn’t feel it himself. I guess we can bike for a bit. Then they’ll get tired and want to go home and play… He would have to be patient and endure, and be grateful his friends would never see him with this group. (Their sense of style was appalling – old tees, baggy flannel shirts, and grass stains galore, without a single clean shoe in sight.)

The group split up as they went to their separate houses, Jongin soon left with Kang and Taemin. They lived just a few houses apart, Kang’s house coming first and thus leaving Jongin to awkwardly follow Taemin to his yard. “You’re sure your brother would be okay with me borrowing his bike?” he asked, suddenly feeling like some sort of babysitter for the kid now they were alone. Taemin just nodded and pulled a bike out from the side of his house, wheeling it back to Jongin.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” he assured with a smile as he passed the bike over and went to grab his own. Jongin stared at the bike – black with splatters of dried dirt, the seat slightly too high for him. Then Taemin came back with his own bike, this one red but somehow even dirtier. Taemin seemed unbothered by this, hopping on and biking up the street and back. “Coming?”

Jongin tried to be careful not to rub his pants on the bike as he lifted his leg over it. He sat on the seat, struggling to get in the right position as only one foot could reach the ground. But he played this off, trying to push off and pedal his way toward the other boy – only to miss the pedal, lose his balance and go tumbling off the bike onto the ground.

Before he knew it, Taemin was hurrying over and asking if he was okay. Jongin cursed under his breath, sitting up and feeling a stinging pain in the hand which had caught his fall, now scraped and dirty. This was the lesser of his worries though, his clothes no doubt a mess from the bike and the ground. Taemin didn’t seem to care about this though, just offering a hand to help Jongin up. Jongin took it, noting how much smaller the other’s hands were and feeling slightly annoyed that he had to get help from a kid. This is so humiliating, he thought as he quickly tried to brush the dirt off his pants.

“Here, let me lower the seat for you,” Taemin said as Jongin sorted himself out. In no time he had fixed the seat, wiping the oil on his hands off on his pants and making Jongin have to bite his tongue so as not to comment. Instead he tried the bike again, finding it much easier now and muttering an embarrassed thanks. He hoped this beginning wouldn’t be an omen of how the rest of the day would turn out…

2. Trees

Jongin wasn’t really sure what he had expected with the whole bike thing. Maybe a few leisurely laps around the main strip until someone announced they should do something more fun, and then they would all head inside and play on someone’s Xbox. This was only a dream though. Instead, Kang shouted, ‘Race you to the field!’ and everyone chased after him while Jongin struggled to figure out how to even bike straight. Soon they were all distant specks and he was just there, worriedly chasing after them and feeling exhausted. It wasn’t even like he could give up and go home – he had Taemin’s brother’s bike, and he had already forgotten where Taemin lived.

This , he thought, feeling resentment building. Towards his mother for bringing him there; towards his grandparents for not having internet like every other person in the twenty-first century; towards the boys for completely abandoning him without any regard… What if he was kidnapped? Or killed, hit by a car or mauled by a wild animal? The further he went, the less houses he saw and the more probable this fate seemed. Where were they even going?

Just when he had lost all hope, one of the dots started growing. Slowly, it got bigger until it took the form of one of the boys. Jongin finally recognized him when he could make out the red bike.

“Is it your first time on a bike?” Taemin called as he passed, looping around and coming back to pedal alongside Jongin. “Sorry, I thought you were still with us. I didn’t realize you were so far behind…”

Jongin wanted to tell him off for the backhanded comment, but he withheld (barely). “Not my first time,” he returned coolly, trying to sound like he wasn’t out of breath. “Just don’t ride one in the city…” If he wanted to go anywhere, his parents would take him; bikes were for poor people, and he wasn’t one of them.

“So you are from the city,” Taemin hummed, grinning just slightly with a mischievous look in his eyes. “How come you came here then? Family?”

Jongin nodded, taking the chance to win some points – considering up until now he had only made a fool of himself. “I came to see my grandparents since – we’re probably going to Hawaii for our winter vacation.” He said it like it was no big deal, but he caught the surprised glance Taemin sent his way. “Usually we go somewhere every vacation, but it’s more local – like Japan or the Philippines or Thailand…” he continued, subtly bragging. “Just for half the vacation too, so we can visit family. But this time it’ll be the whole vacation, so…”

For a moment, Taemin didn’t say anything, already large eyes even wider as he processed. Then he nodded and shot Jongin a smile. “That sounds fun. What kind of things will you do there?” He was so sincere about it, Jongin feeling both relieved and proud at impressing him. Then Jongin went on about all the plans he had for the trip he wasn’t even sure if his parents were really taking him on, not caring as Taemin ate it all up. When he finally ran out of ideas, Taemin said, “I wish I could go there someday.”

“Where does your family usually go on vacation?” Jongin asked him, curious about what a country kid would consider as travelling. Being from such a small town, he probably thought a trip to the big cities was a whole new world.

“Well- last year we went to Jeju,” Taemin said humbly, not sounding quite as eager to share things though his tone remained cheerful. “That was a lot of fun… But normally we don’t really travel. Just day trips, to go to the beach or skiing, things like that.” It sounded pitiful, but Jongin played along, feigning interest as if he didn’t do those kinds of things on normal weekends. At least he could be secure in knowing he was much more interesting than the other boys; it would definitely be to his advantage.

Eventually they caught up to the group, who had all pulled off on a little dirt road and ditched their bikes. They were sipping their water bottles and sitting in the grass, waving when Jongin and Taemin pulled up. “You get lost or something?” Kang teased, not waiting for an answer. “Come on, we’re gonna go climb.”

Taemin deserted his bike, so Jongin copied him and followed after the group, wondering what they planned on climbing. The answer quickly became clear as they headed towards the forest at the end of the field, each step feeling heavier to Jongin. Could they be more stereotypical? They were really going to climb in trees?

“Let’s see if anyone can climb higher than Taemin today,” one of the boys – the one who might have been Taemin’s cousin, but Jongin had forgotten his name; Sunghoon? Sungjoon? – said with an amused look. He added to Jongin, “This guy’s an absolute monkey.”

“Is that what the banana milk is for then?” Jongin wondered, making the group laugh.

“I’ll beat you to the top this time!”

“You can’t even beat me, Sungwoon,” Kang called as the other started climbing a tree. Soon Kang was chasing after him, and Taemin had disappeared up a third tree. Meanwhile, two of the other boys (whose names were long gone from Jongin’s mind) settled on the lowest branches of one tree, and the last boy – Moongyu? – stayed behind with him on the ground.

Jongin had no clue what to say. He watched as the three boys went up, the branches starting to bend under their weight but not deterring them in the slightest. “Isn’t it dangerous?” he wondered quietly to Moongyu, wincing as he heard a snap and saw a small branch break off in Kang’s hand.

“They know what they’re doing,” Moongyu assured. No one else seemed nearly as worried about this, so Jongin tried not to overthink it either. “We’ve had a few falls, but nothing serious. Are you scared of heights?” Jongin shook his head at the question, deciding not to mention that he lived thirty floors up. “I am. Those two are too but they won’t admit it,” Moongyu said with a grin, pointing to the ones who hadn’t climbed up high. In response, the one with shaggy, long hair hung upside down by their legs and stuck his tongue out.

“Talk to me when you can do this, Gyu,” he replied casually. Jongin secretly found it pretty impressive, but just chuckled and then went back to watching the others climb.

As promised, Taemin was first to get to the top of his tree, sitting on a branch that looked too slim to support him and waving down at the others. Kang and Sungwoon weren’t able to climb as high, stopping on lower branches and admitting their defeat. Considering Taemin was smaller, it felt like he had an unfair advantage, but Jongin didn’t mention this, just squinting up at him wordlessly.

“You should try, Jongin!” Taemin called down. “It’s fun!”

Jongin was trying to think of a way to politely decline – he couldn’t exactly say he thought it was dirty and gross when everyone else was doing it – when he heard Taemin yelp. “Ah- bug- ah!” There was some swatting involved, and then Jongin’s heart dropped as the distraction caused the boy to lose his grip and slip off the branch. He was so high up, Jongin was sure he would die if he fell to the ground, but all he could do was watch as the other plummeted. To his huge relief, Taemin managed to catch himself on a lower branch, clinging onto it and then swinging himself up to sit securely.

Everyone else seemed to let out a breath together, and then Kang was scolding, “Taemin! Would you please be careful for one day of your life!” Taemin let out a laugh in response, slowly climbing back down and jumping from the lowest branch.

“Are you okay?” Moongyu asked as Taemin awkwardly held his hands out in front of him, palms up. Taemin approached, and Jongin could see that both hands were badly scraped and bleeding. He smiled sheepishly and looked to Jongin.

“Hey, we match now,” he said lightly, drawing a slight laugh from Jongin as he held up his own, much less-scraped, hand. The boy turned to Moongyu then. “Do you have any band-aids?”

“I’ll go look,” Moongyu groaned, running off in the direction of their bikes, soon coming back with his backpack and pulling out some bandages. “Always have to be ready with this kid…”

In no time, Taemin was patched up and running back to the trees as if nothing had happened. He was a little more cautious this time though, stopping on a low branch and looking back down. “Are you coming, Jongin?”

After watching you almost die? “Oh- no, no thanks. Maybe next time…”

Fortunately, no one pressed him on it, and eventually the boys all came back down.

They all ended up sitting in a circle in the grass, Taemin using his flannel shirt as a blanket – ‘to avoid bugs,’ as Kang explained. Daewon, the shaggy-haired, mostly quiet guy who had been hanging in the tree, noticed Jongin’s hesitancy to sit and gave his own long-sleeve shirt for him to use. “City kids don’t like bugs either,” Taemin noted.

“Yeah, so what’s your excuse then?” the other boy, Kwonho, asked cheekily. Taemin just stuck out his tongue and didn’t answer. Then the conversation suddenly switched topics. “Daewon was telling me about his crush-“ Daewon swatted Kwonho as he said it, but this didn’t deter him. “-and I think he’ll probably have a girlfriend soon, so cherish your remaining time with him.” The accused boy whined that that wasn’t true, and the other boys started complaining in return.

“You can’t leave us for her!”

“We only have a few months left with you!”

“Wait until university for that stuff!”

“She doesn’t even like me,” Daewon told them, both hands up as he was attacked from all sides.

“Don’t any of you have girlfriends?” Jongin chimed in, surprised at how they were all reacting to the idea of a friend dating. Jongin and his friends dated all the time, he didn’t see why it was such a big deal. The way they all turned to look at him though, it seemed things were different out in the country.

“What, and abandon the group for some girls? No way!” Moongyu said, sounding highly offended.

“Then… you guys have – never dated?” Jongin was stunned, wondering what on earth people did out here. Was climbing trees truly the best thrill they could give themselves?

To his relief though, Moongyu shook his head. “Daewon had a girlfriend before,” he explained. “And Kang has had two. Sungwoon two, Kwonho had one, I don’t think Taemin’s even held hands with a girl before…”

“I have so!” Taemin huffed, cheeks turning pink. When prompted if he had ever kissed a girl then, he blushed further. “No… shut up…” The group laughed, Kang patting his shoulder. “How many of you have kissed girls then?” Taemin shot back defensively. Everyone looked at each other, before all raising their hands. “What- Moongyu, you never even dated anyone!”

Moongyu shrugged. “Don’t have to date someone to kiss them.” Jongin nodded, everyone looking at him then. Some eyebrows were raised, obviously curious as to what things were like in the city.

“I’ve kissed twice as many girls as I’ve dated,” he said, which sounded a lot cooler than saying he had dated two girls and kissed four. Regardless, they all looked pretty impressed, so he didn’t elaborate.

“Yeah, well Kang lost his ity,” Sungwoon pitched in, making the other yell and shove him away.

“I did not! Stop telling people that!”

The group all laughed, apparently in on the situation, and Sungwoon added cheekily, “Well you did something.”

“It wasn’t , so can it before my parents murder me,” Kang said with a glare. They all laughed again, except Taemin who was looking rather flustered. Maybe he was too young to be hearing about these kinds of things, Jongin thought. It seemed like Daewon was thinking the same thing, because he decided to change the subject again.

“Do you guys think Eunyoung would date Jongin?” he asked the group, earning a few raised eyebrows.

“Who’s Eunyoung?” Jongin wondered, not sure why he was suddenly being paired with a stranger.

“Just the prettiest girl in the girls’ high school,” Kang explained casually. “Basically everyone has had a crush on her, but she – understandably – has crazy high standards.”

“I bet she’d date him,” Daewon chimed in quietly.

“Yeah, you look like a model,” Moongyu agreed as everyone looked Jongin over appraisingly. “Definitely her type.”

“And he’s a city kid,” Taemin added, everyone nodding solemnly as if it had some deep meaning. Jongin just waited for the explanation.

“She doesn’t really like locals,” Sungwoon told him. “She wants exotic boys. Aka, anyone not from around here.” Something in his tone sounded the tiniest bit bitter, and Jongin wondered if he had been rejected by the girl. Out of all of them, he thought Sungwoon was probably the best looking. Maybe Sungwoon felt the same…

“Who says I would want to date her though?” Jongin returned, doubting any girl around here would be up to his standards.

“You haven’t seen her,” Kang said, shaking his head. Jongin wasn’t convinced, and it must have shown on his face because he added, “Maybe we need to go back to town and show you…”

And before he knew it, they were all getting back on their bikes and making their way through the fields, back towards civilization and the prettiest girl their little town had to offer.

Unfortunately, Jongin was just as slow biking home as he had been going out, and by the time he got back it was nearing dinnertime. He returned Taemin’s brother’s bike to their house, and then followed Taemin’s directions home. The group promised to meet up tomorrow to find the mysterious Eunyoung, but Jongin wasn’t really that interested. As if he would ever date someone from the country anyway.

3. Games

The next day, Jongin met the girl Eunyoung and her group of friends. She was agreeably the prettiest among them, but Jongin didn’t find her to be anything exceptional. He assured the guys that there were many girls as pretty as her, not to mention even more beautiful, where he lived. They were all in awe at the idea, except Daewon who reminded them that ‘looks aren’t everything’.

Jongin spent the day with the boys, and the day after that. There was no mention of any video games at any point over the three days, and he was starting to get concerned. Did no one have fun around here? Was he supposed to get all his thrills from riding bikes through empty fields and climbing up trees?

At the end of the third day, he had to ask. “Do any of you game?” he prodded as they walked home.

“Like, video games?” Kang asked. Jongin nodded eagerly. “Sometimes, yeah. My mom doesn’t like me playing too much. Thinks I should be studying and all…”

“On summer break too?”

“Yeah, she’s weird… But Taemin’s brother has games too,” Kang noted, looking to Taemin. The boy hummed. “Taemin’s crap at games, but his brother is pretty good. If I really wanna play, I tell my mom I’m going to hang out with them and just go over.”

“You guys can come over tomorrow if you want,” Taemin offered brightly. Even over the short amount of time Jongin had known him, he was sure Taemin was one of the brightest and most smiley people he had ever met. He always seemed happy just to be there. (Though, if Jongin was a middle schooler hanging out with a bunch of high school kids, he reasoned, he’d probably be pretty happy too.)

Jongin had to hold himself back from cheering. Finally! “That sounds great,” he said, grinning back as they made plans to meet after lunch. Thank God, his schmoozing had actually paid off.

The following day, Jongin downed his lunch and all but ran to the door when he was done. “I’m going to a friend’s house!” he announced, his mother seeming delighted that he had made friends so quickly.

“Whose house is it dear?” his grandmother asked as he put on his shoes. He was about to answer that she wouldn’t know, but then he remembered that everyone knew everyone around here, and she probably would know.

“Uh, his name is Taemin,” Jongin said, not knowing his family name or much else. Luckily for him, it was all his grandmother needed, her face brightening right away.

“Oh! He’s a nice boy. They go to our church,” his grandmother noted, moving about the kitchen for a moment and then bringing a container out to Jongin. “Pass these on to him and his brother for me,” she requested. Jongin took the container without question, nodding and heading for the door with a see you!

By the time he got to Taemin’s house, it was just past twelve-thirty. When he knocked, the door was answered by someone who could only have been Taemin’s brother. They bore some resemblance, though his brother was taller, his eyes smaller, and his cheeks not so round. “Hi?” the other said, confusion knitting his brow.

“Oh, is Tae-”

“Jongin!” Taemin appeared down the hallway, waving and beaming. “Come in!” He came up beside his brother, Jongin stepping inside and removing his shoes. “This is my brother Taesun, Taesun this is Jongin. We were just about to eat,” he added sheepishly.

“Right- I guess I’m a little early,” Jongin admitted, realizing his haste had not been echoed by the others. As some sort of apology, he held up the container his grandmother had given him. “Here, my grandma wanted you to have this.”

Taemin’s face lit up again, and he took the container enthusiastically. “Oh, what is it?” he wondered, Jongin embarrassingly realizing he hadn’t even asked that himself. Fortunately, Taemin didn’t wait for an answer and just opened it, revealing it was full of various colored rice cakes. “Yay! We can have these with lunch.”

He led the way to the kitchen, Jongin silently noting how similar their house was to his grandparents’. Small, stuffy, outdated. It smelled like the lingering scent of smoke, and also like dog. As they passed the minute living room, Jongin spotted a little brown furball curled up on a dog bed, figuring that was the culprit. Then they turned into the kitchen, which had a little table just big enough for four people. On it were two sandwiches – it seemed like Taemin’s parents weren’t home.

“Is that all you’re eating?” Jongin couldn’t stop himself from asking. A sandwich was… well, a snack to him. Taemin set the container of rice cakes down between the sandwiches and gave a tiny smile.

“No, we have these,” he pointed out, grabbing one of the treats and popping it in his mouth. Jongin held back from mentioning that if he hadn’t brought those, then they only would have had the sandwiches, but it seemed like Taemin could read his mind. “We had a late breakfast,” he explained, not seeming at all bothered by the lack of food his meal consisted of. Again, Jongin didn’t say anything on it, figuring it wasn’t appropriate to ask.

The two brothers started to eat after that, Jongin not sure what to say as he felt like he had intruded. Finally, Taemin’s brother asked, “When did you make a new friend?” Then he turned to Jongin and added, “Do you go to our school?”

Our school? Was it possible that the two of them were in the same school? Was Taemin really not a middle schooler? He must have been a first year like Jongin. That was hard to process, and he was so shocked that he forgot to answer.

“You mean my school. But no, Jongin’s just visiting,” Taemin said on his behalf, gesturing to the rice cakes. “His grandparents.”

“Wow, your grandparents are rice cakes? That’s crazy…” Taesun muttered as he picked one up. Jongin laughed out loud, surprised at the sudden joke. “Haha, I’m gonna steal your friends,” the boy teased his brother, making Taemin pout. “Just kidding, I don’t want any kids to be my friends.”

At that, Jongin frowned. “What – I’m not a kid…”

“You guys the same age?”

Jongin looked to Taemin. He had clarified, ‘my school’. Meaning Taesun must not have been in the same school anymore, right? So – he was probably in high school while Taemin remained in middle school. That made sense, so Jongin responded, “Um, older I think.”

“You’re a third year?” Taesun asked, looking a bit skeptical. Wow, is Taemin only a second year in middle school? He’s so young…

“I’m a first year,” Jongin clarified. “But, in high school.”

Taesun blinked at him. Then Taemin looked at him, tilting his head and frowning slightly. “I think we’re both really wrong on our guesses of each other’s age,” he said slowly. “I thought you were my age. How old do you think I am?”

Taemin’s age? Did Jongin really look that young? But… if Jongin wasn’t wrong, was Taemin implying… “Are you… not in middle school?” he asked hesitantly, suddenly not sure of anything. His eyes scanned Taemin’s features again, but he still just looked… like a child.

“He’s older than you, kid,” Taesun said bluntly. When Jongin just stared, he tacked on, “Second year. In high school.”

Well. Jongin couldn’t exactly say he’d been expecting that. He looked Taemin over again, staring at him for a long time. But… “Why do you look so young?” he blurted, unable to believe his own eyes. Admittedly, Jongin had hit a growth spurt recently and was over a hundred and seventy-five centimetres now, so reasonably tall for his age. But Taemin was barely at one-seventy, and he had such a baby face that Jongin would believe it more if someone said he was twelve. “Then – you’re sixteen?”

“Seventeen. Just turned last month,” Taemin said with a cheeky grin. “I have been told I look younger than my age, but middle school…” He held his chest and made a pained expression. “Ouch. I really thought you were older though. Still fifteen? Or…”

“Sixteen,” Jongin replied firmly. “My birthday’s in January.”

“Mine too,” Taesun said casually, standing up as he finished off his sandwich. “You’re both children.”

“Yeah yeah, go do adult things then,” Taemin scoffed, waving his hand to dismiss the other. Taesun cleaned his plate in the sink and then headed for the door, pushing Taemin’s head as he passed.

“I am. Going to help Mom and Dad at work right now,” he announced, pulling on his shoes. “Behave while I’m gone.”

This made Taemin roll his eyes, returning his attention to Jongin once the front door closed. For a moment he just chewed on the last bite of his sandwich. Then he gave a chuckle. “You really thought I was a kid this whole time… I guess you weren’t that bothered, since you were still gonna come over and play with me. Or was that only because Kang was coming?” He grinned, getting to his feet. “Oh yeah, he can’t come until later now. He’s got some stuff to do…”

“Good thing you’re not a middle schooler,” Jongin said, trying to make a joke. He’d accidentally been treating Taemin like a junior this whole time, and wanted to try and recover through humour.

In typical Taemin fashion though, he didn’t seem all that upset about the mishap anyway. He laughed at Jongin’s joke and nodded, then waved for Jongin to follow him. They went upstairs to a small space with two bedrooms, Taemin turning right and switching the light on. “This is Taesun’s room, so any mess is his mess.” Then he gestured across the hall to a smaller room that even from here Jongin could see was in a far worse state. “Any mess in there is all me though.”

Jongin laughed again, somehow feeling more comfortable with Taemin now that he knew he was older. The dutiful feeling – like he was somehow responsible for the other – was gone now, and he was able to just enjoy seeing him as a friend. (Not that they were friends. But… at least he wasn’t a babysitter now.)

In no time Taemin had set things up, the two of them squishing onto Taesun’s bed and Taemin passing Jongin one of the controllers. As he took it, he noticed the bandages on Taemin’s hands, taking them in again. “You’re not gonna use those as an excuse when I beat you, right?” he joked, pointing to Taemin’s hands.

Taemin just laughed, shaking his head. “I don’t need an excuse,” he assured. “I’m just naturally terrible.” Having expected him to brag, Jongin took a moment to react, snorting at his honesty. “Doesn’t seem to matter how much I play, I never get any better. I’ve accepted it.”

“I’ll try to go easy on you then,” Jongin teased as they started. And Taemin wasn’t wrong – he really wasn’t very good. Jongin ended up wondering if it was his first time playing, but Taemin promised he had played the game on several occasions. They went through a couple different games, time flying by. At one point, Kang called to say he wouldn’t be able to make it, overwhelmed by chores, but by then Jongin didn’t really care much. Just playing with Taemin was fun enough.

It was hours before Jongin’s phone chimed, a message coming in from his mother asking where he was. “Oh- it’s nearly dinner,” he said aloud as he realized. Taemin peeked over his shoulder to check the time, looking a little surprised himself.

“Did you wanna come eat with me?” Taemin asked him, pausing their game. “I’m gonna go to my parents’ restaurant…”

And that was how they ended up in the little place his family owned. Jongin didn’t know why he had expected it to be – well, something that it wasn’t; brightly lit, big open space, luxury dining with a pricey menu. No, naturally those kind of places were non-existent here. Taemin’s family’s restaurant was small, with just four tables. There were only six items on the menu, nothing more than a tenner. It wasn’t the type of place Jongin would ever go, usually, but when they walked in they were warmly greeted by a woman who must have been Taemin’s mother. The way she treated him, Jongin felt like he had been there a million times, and truthfully, he didn’t mind the hospitality.

“Who’s this handsome friend, Taeminnie?” she asked as they took one of the tables and she poured them both full glasses of water. Having walked all the way in the summer heat, Jongin took it gratefully, more focused on chugging the drink than her compliment. Taemin downed his glass too, taking the pitcher and refilling it as he replied.

“The one I told you about Mom,” he explained casually, pouring Jongin’s drink as he put his cup down too. “His name’s Jongin, he’s visiting for the summer… What do you want to eat?” he added to Jongin. “We can get whatever you like.”

Jongin glanced at the menu, suggesting the first thing he saw as he wasn’t too picky. Part of him wondered if they even had any kinds of food beyond Korean around here; not that he didn’t like it, but he got bored of it – especially with his grandmother making it every day. But since it was a free meal, he didn’t complain when Taemin’s mother brought two bowls out. Then Taemin and his mother chattered away, Jongin seeing where the influence of his bright personality came from.

Another couple came in, and then a family, and soon Taemin and Jongin were being shooed off. “You two go and play,” his mother told them lightly as an elderly couple came in. Apparently dinner was a busy time, and they were hogging the last table.

“Hey mom, can Jongin sleep over?” Taemin asked suddenly, before looking to Jongin with wide eyes. “I mean, if you want to…”

It was such a sudden request that Jongin was taken off guard, not sure how to respond. A sleepover? Where had that come from? He wasn't sure if they were really close enough for such a thing. But then he figured, why not? It would give him the chance to play more games, and if he was being honest, he preferred Taemin’s company to his grandparents. (Not that he didn’t love them, but they were old and boring. He could only play so many card games…) After getting a slow nod, Taemin beamed and shot his attention back to his mother, who agreed and waved them away.

“If you want sweetie. Just don’t go too crazy before we get home…”

Taemin seemed thrilled, grabbing Jongin by the wrist and leading the way out. Meanwhile, Jongin barely had the chance to call a thank you out to the woman before they were off down the street, wondering what this fate would bring him.

4. Snacks

The walk to Jongin’s grandparents’ was pretty quiet, as Taemin seemed to be selectively talkative. Jongin himself only opened up around friends and people he was close with, so he settled in a slightly awkward silence until they reached the little house and slipped inside. His family were sitting in the living room, sipping some tea and talking to one another when he and Taemin came in.

“Oh, hello dear – and Taemin, is that you?”

Jongin’s grandmother was up to give them both a hug, Jongin finding it slightly strange that Taemin apparently knew his grandparents so well as he was greeted like an old friend. Quickly dismissing himself to go to his room, he disappeared to go pack an overnight bag. As he did so, he heard Taemin talking again, chuckling to himself. Taemin was a strange guy, he thought. How did he have no trouble talking to his grandmother but not him? And at the same time, he was the one who had wanted Jongin to sleep over. It was hard to read him…

While he was packing, Jongin was surprised by his mother coming into the room and giving him some cash. He took it with a questioning look, and his mother said, “Why don’t you buy some snacks for you and your friend? Since he’s letting you stay over…”

That was unusual; his mother had never tried to provide for his friends before. Then again, his friends in the city were all pretty rich. And maybe there were greater expectations to do that kind of thing around here. People were more traditional and polite, if he was being honest. Still… Jongin frowned, but chose not to remind her of the fact that his father had given him enough money to have three times what she was giving him now, every day of their holidays. He would just use the extra money to get Taemin something too.

“Have fun, and remember your manners,” she told him before leaving him to finish packing. Fresh pajamas, one set of clean clothes, and a handful of other things later, Jongin came back and rescued Taemin from his doting grandparents. Part of him felt like they liked Taemin better than him, and he didn’t really like that. Sure, Taemin was nice, but he was their grandson…

“See you guys tomorrow!” he said, trying not to sound bitter as they went. Taemin quieted back down once they were outside, though he seemed to be in a cheerful mood even without saying anything. Unsure of what to say himself, Jongin let the silence carry on between them though his mind continued to whiz with thoughts. Only once they passed by a convenience store did Jongin speak up as he gestured to it. “Let’s get some snacks…”

Hurrying through to find his favourites, Jongin didn’t notice the way Taemin stayed behind near the door. When he finally realized, he went back for him, spotting Taemin holding just two thousand-won bills in his hand. These were hastily shoved back in his pocket when he noticed Jongin, shooting him a smile. “I don’t think I’ll get anything,” Taemin told him casually.

There wasn’t much he could get for the money he had, only one thing or two really cheap ones. It seemed like he didn’t carry his wallet with him either. Then again, Jongin had never seen the older with a card; maybe he didn’t even have a bank account. It was yet another reminder of how different things were here.

But Jongin wasn’t having it, instead pulling out his wallet and flashing his own card. “Get what you want, it’s on me.” And when Taemin tried to protest, he reminded him, “You gave me dinner, let me get the snacks.”

With that they walked around, Jongin filling a basket with every item Taemin’s gaze lingered on, plus a few things for himself. He got a couple banana milks too, recalling how Taemin had liked them. In the end, it cost twice what his mother had given him, but Jongin hardly minded.  Not only was he respecting his mother’s wishes, but Jongin liked getting to show off, truthfully, and Taemin was happy about it. A win-win situation if you asked him.

Back at Taemin’s house, they went up to his room this time and dropped off Jongin’s bag. Actually stepping into it confirmed that it was definitely messier than Taesun’s room, but if Taemin was at all embarrassed by this, it didn’t show. He threw some dirty clothes from his bed into an already-full hamper, grabbing a few old snack wrappers and taking them downstairs while Jongin changed into his pajamas. Then Taemin changed too – into a pair of too-big pajama pants that must have been secondhand, probably Taesun’s at some point, and a plain t-shirt that was likely white once but now a faded grey. Jongin couldn’t say anything, just looking on wordlessly in his matching satin pajama outfit. They really didn’t care about fashion here, was all he could conclude. It made him wonder what Taemin must have thought of him, but he didn’t dare ask.

Once they were ready, they went downstairs and unloaded the snacks. “I don’t think we’ll be able to eat all this,” Taemin laughed, settling on his favourites and putting the rest back in the plastic bag.

“It’s alright, there’s always tomorrow,” Jongin told him as he took his own snacks and made himself comfortable on the couch. His first observation was that Taemin’s TV was newer than his grandparents’, but it was still big and boxy and older than any Jongin had seen in the past decade. Did no one in this town have flat screens?

Taemin chose a movie for them, holding it up for Jongin to see. Twilight. “Have you seen this? We just finally got it. It’s from last year, but I haven’t watched it yet…” Of course Jongin had heard of it, but…

“Isn’t that a girl movie?” he wondered doubtfully, though he hadn’t seen it yet either. From everything he had ever heard – and the way all the girls in his class were obsessed with it – he had never felt the urge to watch. Some sort of cheesy romance stuff, not anything cool.

“What? No way, it’s like – vampires and stuff. It’s really popular,” Taemin told him, frown lines wrinkling between his eyebrows. Jongin just shrugged, not against it. This was Taemin’s house, and the older had invited him to sleep over; he wasn’t going to be rude about it even if he wasn’t sure on the idea. “If it , we can change it.” Then Taemin popped the disc into the DVD player and came to join Jongin on the couch, skipping through the previews and onto the movie.

And Jongin didn’t really mind it, after all. It was a bit cheesy, but kind of cool. During one scene, a rather heated kiss scene, he had to laugh as he glanced over to see Taemin hiding his face behind a couch pillow, just barely peeking out. (He didn’t acknowledge the fact that he himself had looked away because it made him feel shy.) He was fairly sure Taemin was blushing, but it was hard to tell in the lighting. Making a note internally to later, Jongin returned to watching.

At the end, Taemin asked if he wanted to watch something else, and Jongin didn’t miss a beat as he said, “Sure, this time put on something you can handle.”

“What? I could handle this, it wasn’t even scary!” Taemin whined, looking at Jongin with his brow furrowed once again, this time in confusion.

“Yeah? You seemed pretty freaked out by that kissing action,” Jongin replied playfully, watching as Taemin blinked a few times.

“Oh…” Then he smacked Jongin with his pillow when Jongin laughed again. “Shut up! I was just – taken by surprise, that’s all…” He got up with a huff, finding another movie – this time more child-friendly. So convincing. Returning to the couch, he grabbed the pillow back and propped it against Jongin’s shoulder, using him as a headrest.

“Comfy there?” Jongin wondered, finally stopping his gloating laughter as he glanced over with a raised eyebrow. Since when were they close enough to be… well, close like this? Taemin looked back at him, smiling innocently.

“Yes, thank you,” he replied, putting his attention back on the TV. He was so forward and nonchalant about it that Jongin couldn’t even say anything, just settling back down to watch the new movie. Country kids…

And Taemin hadn’t been joking; within half an hour, his breathing had grown loud and rhythmic, almost a snore. It surprised Jongin, having to check to confirm that the other had actually fallen asleep on him (literally). And yes, Taemin’s eyes were closed, long lashes brushing against his cheeks, lips parted and all in all looking entirely relaxed. So he struggles to talk to me, but has no trouble falling asleep on me. Got it.

For the rest of the movie Jongin tried to keep still and alert, but something about Taemin’s sleepiness was contagious and soon drew him into sleep too. His head drooped to rest against the top of Taemin’s, and that was how Taemin’s family found them when they came home a little while later. His mother gently woke them up, telling them to brush their teeth and go to bed. Jongin hardly remembered any of it, everything a blur between the couch and Taemin’s bed, falling fast asleep the moment they laid back down.

5. The First Heartbreak

That was how their friendship bloomed. Jongin hadn’t expected to make any friends there, and certainly none like Taemin. But video games seemed to be the way to his heart – or maybe, just maybe, when he got past Taemin’s appearance, he was able to see that the way someone dressed didn’t dictate whether or not they could be a good friend. He liked all the other boys, in fact, but it was Taemin he grew closest with. Something about him was easy to be around, whether that was his friendly personality, or the way he was always so giving, or some natural compatibility that just made them click. Even with all their differences, it was just effortless.

And so, despite everything he imagined, Jongin found himself looking forward to their get-togethers, their playdates and sleepovers. Even when their beds were too small for two people, even though Taemin was warm and there was no air conditioning, even when the fans weren’t enough and Jongin woke up with his pajama top gone more times than he could recall. He didn’t really mind it. Nor did he mind how Taemin would curl into him regardless of the heat. Jongin couldn’t remember having such a comfortable friendship – most of his friends weren’t very touchy people – and it was kind of… nice.

He started to find himself almost sad that he would have to go home soon.

Then he learned something that made him feel worse.

It began growing suspicious to him, the way his mother always gave him extra money when he visited Taemin’s house. Never when he was with the whole group, but specifically when he mentioned going to Taemin’s. Jongin wasn’t dumb, and although he didn’t mind the extra money, something about it didn’t feel… right. Finally, he had to confront her about it.

“Why do you always give me this when I hang out with Taemin?” he asked her as she passed over her typical ten thousand won bill. His mother looked surprised at being questioned, but quickly recovered.

“So you can get some treats for yourselves,” she replied, Jongin unable to detect anything off in her voice. His mother was exceptionally good at hiding her emotions.

“Yeah, but why only when it’s with him?”

“Oh. You know…”

“No, I don’t know Mom,” Jongin retorted with a frown, pushing the bill back towards her. Did she expect him to drop this so easily? “What are you not telling me?”

His mother seemed to be speechless for a moment. Then she gave a somewhat sad smile. “Isn’t it obvious?” Taking his hand in hers, she folded her fingers over the bill and pressed it into his palm. Jongin frowned, looking from their hands back to her in confusion. “Your Grandma told me. Taemin’s family… don’t have a lot of money, honey. I figured it’s the least we could do…”

Oh.

The realization made Jongin feel stupid. It was obvious, painfully so. He had noticed every single sign – from the way Taemin recycled the same few outfits to the food he ate, the way he hardly had pocket money to the sad excuse of electronics he had. The old TV, the way Taesun had a tiny TV but Taemin didn’t have one himself; their shared family computer that was even older than the television; not to mention Taemin’s ancient flip-phone that he could only make calls on. Jongin knew, and yet for some reason he hadn’t connected the dots.

Immediately, Jongin felt bad, but he also knew Taemin wouldn’t want his pity. Not when Taemin made a conscious effort to act like everything was fine. The amount of times Taemin had lied so casually, and Jongin had fallen for it every time… All he could do was – well, keep doing what he’d been doing. Sharing his money with Taemin and acting like it was no big deal. Taemin hadn’t objected so far, why would he now?

But beyond this, Jongin started to be more conscious of himself. He didn’t talk about his family to the guys anymore. Suddenly all the times he had bragged about his wealth felt despicable. Of course Taemin had been impressed; and Jongin had been laughing at how pathetic his family’s trips were. It made him wonder if he had always been such a jerk – was he this way with his friends back home? It felt so normal and natural that he thought he must have been; they were all rich too, after all. But he promised himself to be better. Not everyone was as lucky as him, but Taemin hadn’t done anything wrong to deserve this life. (And maybe, if he was being honest, he hadn’t done anything to deserve his wealth.) So he vowed to change his ways, and took himself over to Taemin’s house each time with some extra snacks.

Soon enough, their time together dwindled, and it felt like he had just gotten to that small town when Jongin realized it was already his last week. Once that hit him, he decided he wanted to spend as much time as he could with his friends, and especially Taemin. He might never see them again. And yeah, he’d probably go back to his city life and city friends and things would be normal again, but… he wanted to make memories here. He didn’t want to forget them.

So he was understandably annoyed when his mother called and told him he needed to come home Sunday night – and no friends. He didn’t cause a scene over the phone, but when he got home he didn’t hold back.

“Why can’t I at least have Taemin over?” he shouted as he came through the door, slamming it behind him. His grandparents both jumped and looked round in surprise, his mother getting to her feet. “Why are you taking me away from the friends you wanted me to make when I only have a few more days with them?!”

His mother came over, reaching out for him. “Jongin…”

But Jongin wasn’t having it. “No! Answer me!” He crossed his arms, glaring and keeping his distance. I won’t be treated like a child.

To everyone’s surprise, but Jongin’s most of all, his grandfather got up next, standing and pointing a finger in Jongin’s direction. His grandfather wasn’t one to get angry often – he tended to quietly and peacefully linger in the background – and it wasn’t a side Jongin remembered seeing of the man.

“Kim Jongin!” the man scolded, louder than Jongin had ever heard him. His voice rang out through the room, leaving no space for argument. “I don’t know where you picked up that attitude, but I know it wasn’t from your mother. Don’t you be disrespectful to the woman who raised you.” He didn’t say anything else, just staring for a moment before he sat back down. But it was enough. Jongin’s eyes welled with tears, and he went off to his room feeling a mix of frustration and guilt. Maybe he had gone too far, but his mother hadn’t even given him a reason…

A knock came at the door not long after Jongin had shut himself in, his mother slowly opening it and letting herself inside. She sat beside him on the bed, rubbing his back gently like she always did to calm him down. “I need to talk to you, sweetie…”

Jongin looked up at her, her tone soft but serious and setting off alarm bells in his head. His anger quickly vanished, turning to worry in its place. Was he in trouble now? It was hard to tell, but something seemed very wrong. He wanted to ask, but his mouth suddenly felt as though it were glued shut, unable to open it to speak. Instead, he waited.

“There’s… there’s something I need to tell you. I didn’t want to have to be the one to tell you, but…” She trailed off, and when Jongin looked in her eyes he found them full of sadness. That was strange, and it scared him all the more. It wasn’t like her to show her feelings, but it seemed like she wasn’t trying to hide them for once. “About this trip, baby. It’s… not a trip.”

What trip? Their vacation? How was it not a trip? What did that even mean?

“We aren’t going back.”

What?

At that point, it all just started sounding like noise. Jongin couldn’t understand what his mother was talking about anymore, as she started to explain that they would be living there, staying there.

“But why?” he asked in a choked voice, words catching in his throat as her words bounced around in his head, trying to get a hold on something. “Did I do something wrong? I’m sorry – I’m sorry for getting upset. I’ll be better, I promise…”

His mom just pulled him into a tight hug then, assuring him over and over that it wasn’t his fault, that he hadn’t done anything wrong and it was nothing to do with him. He felt wet drops on his shoulder, and knew she was crying even if there were no other signs. Something was wrong. His mom never cried. It only made him cry even more.

“Your father and I… are getting a divorce,” she told him softly, sounding strong despite the pain it brought her to say it. “We’ll be staying here until – until things are sorted out. I’m sorry baby…” Then she hugged him and rocked him slowly as he broke down into more tears, struggling to comprehend it but feeling a lot of pain. His chest hurt, the idea of his family suddenly breaking apart tearing him up with it.

Once he got through his first round of tears and the sobs had died down, she explained everything to him, careful and delicate. His father had decided to see another woman, she said. Meaning he had cheated. The extra time at the office had all been a lie. His parents would settle everything between them, and then he and his mom would move back to the city together. Which meant, he wouldn’t get to go back to his home again. His mother would have to get a job. His whole life was about to be pulled out from under his feet…

Jongin didn’t want to talk about it anymore, and he told her as much. “I’m so sorry baby,” she said, kissing his hair and hugging his head. He just held onto her for a little while longer, feeling like a child. A heartbroken child. When he was able to stop crying again, he asked if he could go to Taemin’s. He didn’t want to be there anymore, not today. He didn’t want to be surrounded by this new reality. His mom was understanding, knowing him well enough to give him space when he needed it, and let him go.

He probably should have called ahead, but Jongin was too upset to think clearly. Instead he just made his way over to Taemin’s and tried to stamp out his emotions with each step. When he arrived, he knocked on the door, and tried to make it look like he hadn’t been crying. Taemin’s dad answered, greeting him kindly. “Hey kid. Looking for Taemin?” Jongin just nodded, the man calling for Taemin and Taemin bounding down the stairs, face lighting up at the sight of Jongin.

Something about seeing him made Jongin burst into tears again.

“Jongin? What’s wrong?” Taemin hurried over, his smile dropping immediately as Jongin unexpectedly started crying. Pulling him inside, Taemin drew him into a hug on instinct. “What’s the matter?” he asked as Jongin leaned on his shoulder, voice full of worry as he slowly patted his back. Jongin just shook his head.

“Can we go to your room?” he sniffled, pulling back and wiping at his eyes in embarrassment. It hadn’t been his plan to cry here, and it was a bit humiliating, especially with Taemin’s dad looking on. But thankfully, Taemin didn’t seem to be judging in the slightest. He just took Jongin’s wrist without question and led him up to his room, closing the door and sitting on his bed.

For a moment, neither of them said anything. Jongin sat down beside him and sniffed a few times, the silence weighing heavily between them until it came to be unbearable. Then Taemin put his hand on Jongin’s knee. “Did something happen?” he asked slowly, cautious.

“My- my parents are breaking up.” It hurt to say it out loud, hurt to have to admit it to someone else. It felt like there was no going back now.

“Oh…”

Jongin didn’t have to look to know Taemin was staring at him with those wide eyes. It was audible in his voice that he was stunned by the news. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry Jongin…”

Giving a nod, Jongin glanced his way. He wanted to try and smile, to act like it wasn’t devastating him, but he couldn’t do it. The look Taemin was giving him, not pity but genuine concern and sadness, only drew further tears from him. And Taemin didn’t hesitate to hold out his arms and pull him into another hug, letting him cry it out as he needed.

At some point they laid down, Taemin soothingly patting his back and then his hair. The older didn’t say anything, but Jongin didn’t need him to. There was nothing to say; he just needed to cry. Sometimes Jongin apologized for crying on his shirt and his pillow and him, but Taemin just hushed him and promised it was alright. They stayed there for a long time, no questions asked, just Taemin holding him and Jongin crying the last of his tears. And Jongin fell asleep like that, vulnerable and hurting but safe, finding comfort in his friend.

Author's Note: For new readers, welcome! I hope you've enjoyed so far - let me know your thoughts! I'll be updating in individual chapters every 4 days until the end of the month, then combining those chapters into one big chapter like I've done for this chapter (for easier reading). I hope you'll join us on the journey! ♡