For the next week, Woohyun continued with his work, and his life seemed to be going on as per usual. Except for one thing. He couldn’t stop thinking about Kim Sunggyu. He never saw him again, and was tempted to go back to that rooftop just to see if he would be there.

He never actually got up the courage to do it though.

One rainy afternoon, Woohyun was sitting at his reading table, bored. He barely had any customers the whole day because of the bad weather. He hoped the rain would ease up a bit or his business would definitely suffer.

Suddenly the entrance bell dinged, and Woohyun instantly got into character. He paused when he recognized the man at the door.

“Woobin-sshi?” Woohyun sighed. “Look, I told you this before. No refunds—.”

“Well Nam Woohyun-sshi.” Woobin spat, wearing a conceited smirk. “I’ve got some friends who would disagree with you on that.”

“W-What?” Woohyun stood up just as several burly men in suits barged in past Woobin. They immediately grabbed either of Woohyun’s arms. He struggled to shove them off, but they outnumbered him and their biceps were as thick as his thighs. “Y-You’re not allowed to do this! I’ll call the cops!”

“Ok great!” Woobin smirked. “Then we can tell them all about how you enjoy scamming innocent people with your so-called fortune telling. People will be suing you left right and center. Ah that is if you don’t get thrown in jail first!” Woohyun gritted his teeth, as the men pulled him outside into the rain with Woobin leading them to an abandoned alley.

“So what? You’re just going to beat me up?” Woohyun shot the older man a glare, though the rain made it slightly less effective. “That’s not going to make me give you your money back.”

Woobin scoffed. “Ok, well we’ll see. Taewoo.” He then gestured to one of the men who was standing beside him. Taewoo, also in a suit, was slightly tan and had black stubble splattered across his hardened jaw line. He cracked his knuckles, which were concealed by the black leather gloves he wore.

He grabbed Woohyun by the collar of his shirt, and raised his fist in the air.

“W-Wait!” Woohyun shouted.

“Heh.” Woobin folded his arms. “Knew he would give in.”

“No, its not that.” Woohyun his lips, his eyes full of defiance. “Just try not to mess my face up too much. It’s one of my best features.”

Woobin merely rolled his eyes, while Taewoo grinned. He cupped Woohyun chin and raised it up slightly as he leaned closer.

“Sir, he’s right.” Taewoo sent Woohyun a spine-chilling leer. “It is a nice face.”

“Who cares? Just beat the out of him. That’s what I paid you people for isn’t it?” Woobin sighed, and then muttered something about never working with gangsters again to himself.

“Aw, what a shame.” Taewoo grinned creepily at Woohyun, as his thumb the younger man’s cheek. “But I’ll try not to mess up your pretty face ok?”

Woohyun gulped nervously, though he still kept the tough glare plastered on his face. He knew he couldn’t show weakness in front of these people. He prepared for the pain he was about to receive, when a knee was into his stomach, almost knocking the wind out of him. He gasped and coughed desperately.

“Aigoo…that was barely anything and he’s almost dead.” Taewoo turned to Woobin. “You sure I should continue? This kid’s already—.”

“Keep beating him up until he agrees to give my money back.” Woobin ordered, as he stood a safe distance away from them, with an umbrella shielding him from the rain.

“Well if you say so.” Taewoo turned back to Woohyun, and threw a few more punches to the gut, and a kick in the calf. Woohyun stood there limply, his head hung low. If the two men on either side of him weren’t holding him up, he would already have collapsed onto the cement.

He forced himself to control the tears from pouring out of his eyes. It hurt and he was scared. He swallowed down a whimper, as he felt another kick in his leg, sending him to his knees.

“S-Stop…” He whispered, shakily.

“Hm?” Taewoo’s rough hand grabbed his chin and forced Woohyun to face him. “What was that? Are you going to give our dearest employer his money back?”

“N-No…” Woohyun muttered. “I-I’ll never—!” Suddenly a punch flew across his face.

“Aw look what you made me do?” Taewoo leaned in again, still wearing that creepy grin on his face. “I messed up your cute face.”

Woohyun groaned angrily, refusing to budge. His eyes shifted around to look for some way to escape, but the rain and the stinging pain hindered his sight.

Taewoo was about to make another move, when they heard sirens around the corner.

“ the cops!” Taewoo turned to Woobin. “Yah we have to get out of here!”

Woohyun found his chance. The men holding his arms unconsciously let their grips loosen enough for Woohyun to shove them away.

“Wait! Don’t let him escape!” Woobin pointed to Woohyun who was already making his way down the dirty alley way. “Get him!”

Woohyun stumbled as he ran, barely managing not to slip on the wet pavement. His lungs ached and everything hurt, but he knew if he stopped now, it would be the end for him.

“Hyung…help me.” Woohyun’s eyes burned as hot tears streamed down his cheeks, melding in with the cold rain drops soaking his hair and face. He turned down a cluttered street, past uncaring strangers, who only wanted to hurry out of the rain. “Boohyun hyung, s-save me!” Woohyun didn’t even realize he had his eyes squeezed shut, until he tripped over something behind a dumpster, falling to the cold rigid concrete. He probably skinned his knees in the process, but he didn’t care, and forced himself back up, as he frantically glanced behind him.

He froze in place though when a familiar pair of eyes flashed by his vision. He turned around completely to see what he had tripped over was actually a leg…Kim Sunggyu’s leg.

There he was, sitting behind a dumpster, with the same cargo bag beside him, and he was wearing the same clothes he had worn the last time Woohyun saw him. Except this time he had on a ragged black zip up hoodie under his jacket.

Sunggyu lifted his hood lightly, and blinked. “You…”

Woohyun felt more tears pour out of his eyes as he desperately grabbed onto Sunggyu’s arm.

“P-Please…” He breathed. “H-Help me.”

Sunggyu immediately grabbed a slightly damp newspaper that was beside him and pulled Woohyun onto his lap.

“W-What’re you—?”

“Shut up.” Sunggyu pulled Woohyun’s face to his chest, and started spreading the newspaper over Woohyun’s head.

“I think he went this way!” They heard a man’s voice yell out. Woohyun’s breath hitched, until Sunggyu gripped onto his hand tightly.

“Its ok.” He heard Sunggyu whisper. Woohyun breathed slightly, feeling his heart calm down just a tad at those words. He couldn’t see anything because of the newspaper over his head, but he heard some angry footsteps rush past them.

“When we find him, he’s so dead!” Woohyun identified the voice as Woobin’s.

“Yah, why don’t you just give him to me?” Taewoo suggested in a sleazy tone. “I’ll take good care of him.”

Woohyun clutched fearfully onto Sunggyu’s shirt, and he could have sworn he felt Sunggyu his hair gently.

Sunggyu waited for a while until he was sure the men were completely out of sight before lifting the newspaper up over Woohyun’s head. He was surprised to see that Woohyun had fallen asleep there, with his cheek pressed to Sunggyu’s chest. Sunggyu hesitantly removed a strand of wet hair from Woohyun forehead that was sticky with sweat. He studied the reddish purple bruise on the younger man’s tear stained cheek for a moment, and sighed softly.

He managed to hoist Woohyun onto his back, and slid his bag onto his arm.

As he walked down the now emptied street, through the rain, he heard Woohyun mumble slightly in his sleep several times, mostly words like “Hyung,” and “Don’t leave.” 

“What happened to you?” Sunggyu murmured under his breath, knowing very well that Woohyun wouldn’t hear him. “I don’t even know your name…”

♥ ♣ ♦ ♠

When Woohyun woke up, it was already the next morning, and he was once again on his lumpy couch.

“It happened again…” He thought. “I saw him again…”

But then he remembered about Woobin and those scary men and quickly sat up, but then winced at the pain in his legs. He noticed the bruises on his legs and abdomen had been bandaged up haphazardly. He touched his cheek, which also had a strip of gauze plastered on it.

He was startled slightly when the gold curtain shifted and Sunggyu walked in to the cramped space.

“Oh…you’re up.” Sunggyu noticed the panicked look on Woohyun’s face. “Don’t worry, those men…they won’t bother you again.”

“W-What…?” Woohyun blinked. “But—.”

“I gave him his money back.” Sunggyu stated, before walking past the couch and taking the kettle off the stove.

“But how?” Woohyun’s eyes shifted around. “Did you find where I kept my money—?”

“I didn’t use your money to pay him.” Sunggyu replied, as he poured tea into one of the two slightly chipped mugs that Woohyun owned.

“You mean you…?” Woohyun paused. “But why? You shouldn’t have done that!”

“Why?” Sunggyu frowned. “Then they would just come back here and beat you up again.”

“But I…” Woohyun bit his lip. “I-I’ll pay you back!” He announced and tried to stand up, but ended up tripping and falling onto the stained laminate floor.

“Yah!” Sunggyu rushed up to him. “Are you ok?”

“I-I think…” Woohyun mumbled as Sunggyu helped him back onto the sofa.

 “Don’t do anything hasty. Just sit down and drink this.” Sunggyu handed him a cup of hot tea. Woohyun stared up at Sunggyu, with his mouth hanging open. “…What?”

“Uh…” Woohyun looked down into his mug, suddenly feeling his cheeks grow hot. “I just…thanks.” He felt slightly nervous as Sunggyu plopped down beside him.

“Are you ok?” Sunggyu leaned closer, as his fingers reached out to touch the plaster on Woohyun’s cheek. It somehow gave Woohyun a safe feeling. Like he could depend on this kind stranger.

“No…” Woohyun mumbled, and then met Sunggyu’s gaze. “I-I’m not ok…” He leaned his forehead on Sunggyu’s shoulder.

Sunggyu hesitantly wrapped an arm around Woohyun’s waist as his other hand softly rubbed the back of the younger man’s head.

“I-It’ll be ok.”

“I-I’m tired…and why is everything so scary…?” Woohyun found himself once again crying into Sunggyu’s chest as he gripped onto the edge of Sunggyu’s shirt. “Why did hyung have to leave me? I-I’m tired of being alone...”

“Me too…” Sunggyu whispered, as his fingers tangled in Woohyun’s hair.

“Wah…” Woohyun pulled back slightly, grinning despite his tear streaked cheeks. “I-I’m sorry this is really embarrassing. I keep crying like this…ah your shirt got all wet.” Woohyun rubbed a spot on Sunggyu’s t-shirt, and then noticed that it was the same shirt with the holes in it as before. “You…” He remembered how Sunggyu was just sitting behind that dumpster, with only that huge duffel bag. “Do you…have a home?”

Sunggyu smiled sadly. “Not anymore…”

“You mean you’ve been living on the streets?!” Woohyun gasped.

“Uh just for a little while…” Sunggyu admitted, and then forced a chuckle. “…Music careers don’t always pan out like you think they will.”

“But then how’d you afford to pay Woobin back?”

“I had a bit of money saved up.”

“You mean you payed him back with your entire life savings?!” Woohyun felt guilt stab him hard. “You have to stay here!” He grabbed onto Sunggyu’s arms.

“W-What?” Sunggyu blinked.

“I don’t have much, but it’s the least I can do. Please.” Woohyun insisted.

“But—.”

“I-I don’t want to be alone anymore!” Woohyun interrupted. “And isn’t it the same for you too Sunggyu-sshi? We can escape our loneliness together! We can be best friends—no even closer!”

“Just wait a second.” Sunggyu couldn’t fight the smile forming on his lips.

“Ah!” Woohyun pointed at his face. “That’s the first time I’ve seen you smile!”

“Yah.” Sunggyu grinned. “I don’t even know your name.”

“Oh really?” Woohyun put a finger to his chin, before beaming at Sunggyu and ing his hand forward. “Well its Nam Woohyun, 23 years old.”

“Nam Woohyun…” Sunggyu nodded, as he took Woohyun’s hand in his.

“Ah but Sunggyu-sshi—.”

“Hyung.”

“Huh?”

“Call me hyung.” Sunggyu announced.

“Ok…” Woohyun smiled. “Sunggyu-hyung~”

“What?” Sunggyu chuckled.

“Nothing, I just wanted to say it.” Woohyun grinned.

♥ ♣ ♦ ♠

They spent the morning, sitting and telling each other about themselves. Sunggyu told Woohyun about his cousin who had passed away, about how he and his cousin were like brothers, and that he was the only one who supported Sunggyu in his dreams to be a singer.

“There’s something I wondered about…” Woohyun began. “Uh, you don’t have to tell me though…but about those scars on your arms.”

“Ah those…” Sunggyu nodded. “Let’s just say they were from a job gone wrong?”

“A job? So someone else did those to you?”

“Yeah?” Sunggyu frowned, when Woohyun breathed a sigh of relief. “Your concern for my well being is outstanding.” He deadpanned.

“Sorry.” Woohyun averted his gaze. “I just…”

“Yah.” Sunggyu grabbed onto Woohyun’s hands, unconsciously intertwining their fingers. “The only way I’ll die is if someone kills me…or you know old age, health reasons…etc.”

Woohyun matched Sunggyu’s gaze, nervously. “R-Really?”

“…Who was it?” Sunggyu suddenly asked.

“Huh?”

“Who was it that…left you?” Sunggyu didn’t know how else to word it without sounding too blunt.

Woohyun bit his lip, gripping harder onto Sunggyu’s hands. “H-He didn’t leave me! I’m the one who wasn’t good enough!”

“Is that…the hyung you were talking about?”

“It was my brother.” Woohyun admitted in a shaky voice. “B-Boohyun hyung…he was all I had…but I let him down…I couldn’t support him. If I had done something…”

“What could you have done?”

Woohyun felt anger surge up inside of him, as he ripped his hands away from Sunggyu’s. “Y-You don’t know anything! Boohyun hyung needed me! W-We only had each other!” Woohyun clenched his fists, and pursed his lips. “He was always there for me, and I…I was just a stupid naïve idiot who was too childish! I depended on him too much! I never tried to help him! I-If I just—.”

“If you just what?” Sunggyu stared at him.

“I-I don’t know!” Woohyun huffed, and stood up ignoring the dull pain in his legs.

“Yah, you should sit—.”

“I hate it! I-Its not fair…why did he leave me?” Woohyun sunk to his knees. Sunggyu got off the couch and knelt down in front of him.

“Woohyun, its not your fault…what happened to your brother.”

“I-Its not Boohyun hyung’s fault!” Woohyun cried.

“I didn’t say it was his fault either.” Sunggyu rested a warm hand on Woohyun’s head.

“But then who’s—.”

“I don’t think…finding someone to put the blame on will help anything.” Sunggyu spoke softly.

“B-But then how am I supposed to get past this?” Woohyun looked up at Sunggyu with a hopeless gaze. Sunggyu could see how tired Woohyun looked. That he had been shouldering all this by himself for too long. “How am I supposed to continue? H-How am I supposed to sleep at night?”

“With me.” Sunggyu found himself uttering the words, without thinking it through.

“W-What?”

“I…I’ll be here for you, ok?” Sunggyu tried to sound comforting, but it mostly came across as awkward and flustered. “D-Didn’t you say it before? We’ll escape our loneliness together?”

“Y-You’ll really stay with me?” Woohyun searched Sunggyu’s eyes for some kind of proof the other wasn’t lying. “Y-You…won’t leave my side?”

Sunggyu ruffled up Woohyun’s hair. “As long as you don’t leave mine.”

“I-I won’t!” Woohyun nodded fervently. “I never will! I promise!”

“Well let’s make it official.” Sunggyu stuck out his pinky finger. Woohyun stared at the elder for a moment before smiling slightly and linking his pinky with Sunggyu’s.

-------------

Two more chapters to go~