chapter 09 | poetry strikes again

 

“Is it over yet?” Hye Mi says, her hands covering her eyes. Sunggyu flushes a bright pink when he realizes Woohyun has just kissed him in front of Hye Mi.

 

            “You can look now. It’s over,” Woohyun chuckles. Hye Mi drops her hands to her sides and peers over the counter, admiring the cupcakes.

 

            “They look so yummy! Thank you Gyugyu!” she hugs Sunggyu tight and Sunggyu quickly returns the hug, wrapping his arms around her small frame.

 

            “What about your own brother? No thanks to him for getting Gyu here?”

 

            Hye Mi rolls her eyes and pulls away from Sunggyu only to turn to Woohyun and give him a warm hug. “Thank you, Woohyunnie.”

 

            Woohyun smiles and pats her head. “That’s better.”

 

            Sunggyu smiles at the scene and thinks that maybe this is what Hye Mi and Woohyun need. A family.

 

--

 

            “It’s getting late,” Sunggyu says when he sees Hye Mi has drifted off into a peaceful sleep. They’re sitting on the couch watching Beauty and the Beast, Hye Mi curled up between the two. Sunggyu glances out the window, staring into the darkness of night. “I should get going.”

 

            “I’ll drive you home,” Woohyun says, reaching for the remote and turning off the movie.

 

            “You don’t have to. Besides, you should really stay with Hye Mi.”

 

            Woohyun looks like he’s about to protest so Sunggyu continues without giving Woohyun a chance to say anything. “I’ll be fine. I know the way home.”

 

            Sunggyu starts to untangle himself from Hye Mi as slowly as possible so he won’t wake her. “Let me tuck Hye Mi and I’ll go get your clothes. I put them in the wash and they should be done by now.”

 

            Sunggyu nods and watches as Woohyun carefully scoops her up into his arms and carries her up the stairs. Sunggyu stands and decides to take a look around the room. Sunggyu notices the rows of picture frames sitting on the shelf above the fireplace.

 

            Sunggyu picks up the first one, a bright picture of a smiling young boy with dark, messy hair. The boy is holding out his hands, a small Syrian hamster curled up in his small hands. Sunggyu decides this might just be his favourite (albeit the only) picture of Woohyun.

 

            He moves on to the next photo; Woohyun is a little older here and he’s running towards the camera across the shore of a beach. Sunggyu looks at every picture and notices how they seem to get darker as Woohyun gets older. By the last picture, Sunggyu is surprised that the little boy and Woohyun are the same person. Woohyun stops smiling so much in family photos, losing that innocent glow. Sunggyu also notices how their parents are seldom in the pictures. Sunggyu doesn’t really understand because his parents are almost always in his photos so why weren’t Woohyun’s?

 

            Woohyun comes back and hands Sunggyu’s clothes over. “Thanks for helping me today,” Woohyun says, his hand brushing Sunggyu’s as he hands over to pile of folded clothes, causing Sunggyu to blush.

 

            Sunggyu ignores the tingling feeling in the spot where Woohyun touched and takes a step back. “I’ll get going now,” and then Sunggyu is at the front slipping on his shoes and running out the door.

 

--

 

            At school the next day, Sunggyu sits in the cafeteria, a bag sitting next to him. He’s not sure if he should wait until last period to return Woohyun’s clothes or if he should just go now. He doesn’t think he’d have enough courage to do it in front of everyone, even in the classroom. Maybe he can deliver it to Woohyun using some other method.

 

            Dongwoo and Hoya join him a moment later. “What’s in the bag?” Hoya questions as he eyes the bag, slipping into the empty spot next to Sunggyu.

 

            Dongwoo snorts knowingly; he’d seen Sunggyu in Woohyun’s clothes when Sunggyu got back home the previous night. “It’s the heartthrob’s clothes,” Dongwoo says and Sunggyu blushes.

 

            “Wait… do you mean Nam?”

 

            “The one and only!”

 

            Hoya looks at Sunggyu in shock. “How the hell did you get his clothes? You didn’t break into his house, did you?”

 

            “Of course not! He let me borrow them.” Sunggyu says quietly.

 

            Hoya begins to clap slowly and loudly and Sunggyu hits him but it doesn’t really affect Hoya at all. “I am very surprised, Sunggyu. Are you perhaps dating Mister Player?”

 

            “What? No, no! He just needed someone to help him so I did! He doesn’t even like me—”

 

            “Hey, Sunggyu.”

 

            “Yongguk!” Sungyu squeaks, immediately moving the bag from the seat beside him and gesturing for Yongguk to sit. Yongguk looks at Sunggyu questioningly as he takes a seat. Sunggyu’s face is read and he’s fidgeting with the hem of his shirt nervously. “How are you?”

 

            “I’m good… Are you okay? Your face is all red. You don’t have a cold, do you?” Yongguk reaches over and places the palm of large hand on Sunggyu’s forehead. He’s a little warm but he doesn’t have a fever. Hoya and Dongwoo exchange curious glances as they watch Yongguk fuss over Sunggyu’s health.

           

            “Oh, Yongguk, you needn’t worry for our little hamster,” Dongwoo starts.

 

            “He’s just a little lovesick,” Hoya finishes.

 

            Yongguk raises his eyebrows and looks at Sunggyu who can’t seem to meet his or anyone’s eyes. Sunggyu quickly stomps on Hoya’s foot, making Hoya yelp. “Lovesick?” Yongguk repeats.

 

            “Precisely. You see, our Sunggyu has been fancying someone for quite some time now. His love, of course, is unrequited.”

 

            “Oh, I see,” Yongguk says, his expression unreadable; Hoya thinks he looks a little hopeful. “And how do you know it’s unrequited?”

 

            “Well, we’re pretty sure it is. I mean, most people don’t even notice his presence! Everyone just knows Sunggyu as the kid with the red hair,” Dongwoo slings his arm over Sunggyu’s shoulders. Ouch. Straight in the confidence.

 

            Yongguk shrugs. “You never know. He probably already knows who you are.”

 

            Sunggyu doesn’t really answer but kind of wants to get out of the crowded cafeteria. “W-we’re going to go to the music room… do you want to join us?”

 

            “I’d love to.”

 

--

 

            It’s last period when Woohyun sits beside Sunggyu. “Hey,” he says as he sits.

 

            “H-hi,” Sunggyu says. “U-um, I washed the clothes you let me borrow. Thank you,” Sunggyu says as he quickly hands the bag to Woohyun, making sure their hands don’t touch.

 

            Woohyun thanks him, his hand casually moving to Sunggyu’s arm. Sunggyu bites his lip and tries to turn his attention back to Neue Gedichte. Woohyun peers down at the pages and raises his eyebrow. “You speak German?”

 

            “Well, not exactly. I’m not really fluent but I can understand it a little.”

 

            “Is that poetry?”

 

            “Oh, um, yeah. It is.”

 

            “I didn’t know you read poetry. I read some myself, too, but usually only in a language I know. Who’s your favourite poet?”

 

            “R-Rilke,” Sunggyu mutters very quietly. He’d never pegged Woohyun as a poetry kind of guy either – he seemed much too cool for that.

 

            “I think I’ve heard of him but I’ve never read any of his works. Are you reading Rilke now?”

 

            Sunggyu nods and Woohyun seems to scoot closer, looking at the page. “Read it to me?”

 

            Sunggyu gulps, thinking how much this is like how he became friends with Yongguk, Was Rilke the secret to speaking to people? Sunggyu mentally notes that he should always carry a Rilke book.

 

              “Wie sol lich meine Seele helten, daß sie nicht an deine ruhrt? Wie soll ich sie hinheben über dich zu andern Dingen? 
Ach gerne möcht ich sie bei irgendwas Verlorenem im Dunkel unterbringen an einer fremden stillen Stelle, die nicht weiterschwingt, 
wenn deine Tiefen swingen.” 

 

            “What does it mean?”

 

            Sunggyu reads the translation, “How might I keep my soul from touching yours? How should I try to set it free, to lift it higher? How willingly I’d hide it in some foreign, distant place, in darkness, silence; among desolate things that would not answer when your spirit sings.”

 

            “I think I might check out some German poetry. Do you mind if I borrow that book when you’re finished?”

 

            “O-of course. You can borrow it now, if you want. I’ve already read it a few times,” Sunggyu says, closing the book and slowly handing it over.

 

            Woohyun takes it and smiles at Sunggyu charmingly. “Great! Thanks,” and instead of casually touching Sunggyu’s arm, Woohyun’s fingers drop down to his thigh, making Sunggyu’s breath hitch in his throat.

 

            Woohyun really is going to kill him one day. 

 

I don't know if you can tell already but my favourite poet is Rilke.