Chapter One
I Love You, Anyway
Jongup blinks at his brother.
He's sitting next to his girlfriend, both of them are holding hands, smiling widely. He's gathered the whole family here today for some unknown reason. Everyone is seated at the long table in the reserved room at the restaurant. Their dinner is spread before them in a marvelous feast, looking pristine and the smell wafts through the air. Jongup, however, isn't interested, instead, he doesn't take his eyes off of his older brother, who's sitting across from him. Something is strange. His brother turns his gaze to him, connecting eyes for a brief moment. There's a flicker of something in his eyes, something that puts Jongup off.
He looks around him.
He wants to see other people's reactions. To what-he doesn't know. He's just expecting someone to have some reaction. He doesn't move his eyes. The room is silent save for the sounds of silver against porcelain. His brother turns his gaze back to him and his girlfriend follows suit, smiling at Jongup, looking down towards her lap and trying to surpress her happiness. Something is really strange. He stares as his brother grips his girlfriend's hand a little tighter, raises his fork to his champange glass and asks everyone for their attention. Everyone turns their gazes to him and Jongup looks away, looking at everyone but his brother.
There's a sound of a throat clearing.
His brother rambles on about something he can't quite make out because his head is spinning, his vision is blurred and he feels a heat crash over him. He sees people smiling softly. Something is definitley strange. He turns his gaze back to his brother and his girlfriend right as he takes a deep breath, inhaling a large amount of air.
"We're engaged."
People applaud.
Jongup listens to people saying congratulatory words, positive messages expressing their delight, wishing them their best. He hears things like 'it's about time' 'I'm so happy for you!' 'I can't wait until you two are married!' and so on. He looks around him at all the people who are standing and slowly making their way towards his brother and he feels a wave of nausea wash over him. He gets out of his seat and sneaks past the people who start mingling, opening the glass doors and making his way over to the front door. He pulls a phone from his pocket and dials a number that's become a life line for him over the years. "Junhong? I need you right now. Really badly."
~~
Jongup sighs in relief.
"Thanks for coming, Junhong." The boy comes to a halt and picks his skateboard up, dropping it down next to Jongup. He sits on the curb and rests his head on the brunette's shoulder. "Jonguppie... I still don't understand." The older boy tilts his head to the side and rests his head on top of Junhong's. "Everything's going to change." Junhong frowns and nuzzles into the other male's neck, trying to comfort him. "I'm sure they miss you inside." The older boy looks behind him through the restaraunt's doors. "I'm sure they don't know I'm gone." "If you left me I'd notice," the younger coos. "Of course you would, if I left you'd have no pillow." The younger giggles and presses his smile to the other male's neck. "Junhoong, I think that pink hair dye is affecting your mind." He wraps his arms around the younger male's waist.
"Everything's going to change," he repeats.
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