Gongchan felt in heaven that evening.

Going for a walk with Jinyoung was probably the most exciting thing he’d ever done. He felt like he couldn’t handle his own emotions; the joy he felt, the blushing on his face, the shine in his eyes. Everything betrayed him, but for once, it didn’t seem important. It didn’t matter because since they first started walking and chatting, Gongchan felt easy near his hyung, like he could just be himself. It was such a new experience to feel that way.

Jinyoung, in the meantime, was beyond confused. In a normal date –or flash date, the way he liked to call these kinds of walks in the park-, he would already have tried to held the hand of the girl. Or boy. God, he would’ve already tried to kiss him. But this time he didn’t want to push too hard, he didn’t want to ruin it. Maybe, and just maybe, Gongchan made him a little nervous.

Jinyoung just couldn’t understand why it mattered so much now, when it had never mattered before.

“How does it feel?” Jinyoung asked, breaking out from his thoughts “you know, to have lived in so many different places.”

Gongchan smiled at the question, it was nice, for once, had someone ask something directly to him. “It’s weird” he said, all honest “You never get to make any good friends” or any friends at all.

“I can be your good friend” Jinyoung offered “Even if you leave Korea, we can still be in touch”

“I’m not leaving Korea” Gongchan felt a warm sensation inside of him, He wanted to say thank you, but he couldn’t say a word because in that very moment his feet chose to got tangled and make him fall into the floor.

Jinyoung catch him in the middle of the fall.

“You should be more careful” Jinyoung laughed, he was holding him by the waist. Gongchan hurriedly stood up.

“, I don’t usually trip like this” he giggled, nervously “That’s more like my hyung”

“Sandeul?”

“Yeah”

“You don’t look alike, really” Jinyoung remembered the boy from lunchtime “You don’t even like alike”

“I know, I’m not even sure he’s the hyung”

They kept chatting and walking side by side down the park for an hour or so. The time flew, and Gongchan kept changing their path so they wouldn’t get home just yet. Gongchan find out that Jinyoung had an easy laugh, he didn’t seem to mind the world around him. He couldn’t cease staring.

Too bad for him, it started to get dark and the park was getting filled with people walking back to their houses from work. So, Gongchan finally walked the right path to his house. He clearly wasn’t thinking straight at the moment.

When he opened the door to his house, Gongchan heard noises coming from the kitchen, but he supposed it was only his hyung –who always, always was in the kitchen-, so he invited Jinyoung in. Maybe he would want a coke or something.

But he didn’t count on his dad appearing in the living room with a cup of coffee on his hand just the moment they were getting their shoes off.

***

“So, Baro-yah, where are you taking me?” Sandeul asked for the thousandth time. The class had just ended and Baro was packing his stuff, taking his time on propose.

“I told you, we’re going to have ice cream. And, if you’re still hungry, any other sweet threat you want”

“Sounds fine”

“Huh” Baro frowned “I thought you’d me more excited”

“I’d be if I knew where we’re going!”

“I ALREADY TOLD YOU”

“I MEAN IN AN ADRESS KIND OF WAY”

Baro sighed “Why do you want to know anyway?”

“Maybe you’re kidnapping me”

“Why would I want to kidnap such a boy? Like I don’t know better”

“’Cause I’m damn great” Sandeul showed a gummy smile.

You wish.

Sandeul’s eyes were as big as a planet when they got outside the ice cream shop, his mouth was hanging a little and Baro got the urge of closing it with his fingers. He jumped out of surprise when his friend took his hand and urged him into the place, Sandeul, it seemed, had no conscience of personal space, but Baro thought he could get used to it.

Inside there were all kind of cakes and pastries and a window shop full of different flavors of ice cream. Sandeul’s eyes widened even more. Such a kid. Baro thought, and drove his zombie-like friend to a table.

A nice girl came to take their order.

“Who’s your new friend, Baro?”

The boy coughed “No one, noona, just a friend from school”

Noona smiled, accomplice. “What do you guys want?”

Baro waited for Sandeul to say something, but he was just staring at his noona like an idiot. Baro just looked at her like saying I don’t know what’s wrong with him.

“Just bring a bit of everything. Let him try it all”

“Copied” the girl said, and left giving him a strange look.

Junghwan found his voice as soon as the girl disappeared “Who was that??” he asked, impressed

“Uh, my sister”

“WHAT? But she’s so pretty!”

“What does it supposed to mean?”

“That you are, well, not so pretty”

“I don’t need to be pretty” Baro said “Besides, look who’s talking, at least I don’t look like an overfed duck”

“I don’t look like that!”

“Yes, you do. Look, even when you’re pouting, you look like a duck”

Sandeul frowned “Well, it’s all right while I don’t look like an ugly squirrel”

“I don’t look like a squirrel” Baro was offended

“Your teeth do”

Baro hid his teeth with his hand provoking a burst of laughter coming from Sandeul. Baro tried to frown, but Junghwan didn’t stop laughing, he wasn’t even sorry

“Stop it”

“You should’ve seen your face” he kept saying

“I said stop it”

“Aigoo I’m sorry” he didn’t seem like he was sorry at all “Now, seriously, why is someone as cute as your noona working here?”

“This is my family’s shop” Baro said, still annoyed.

“ARE YOU SERIOUS?”

Damn, that kid could be loud.

“Yes?”

“DO YOU KNOW HOW LUCKY YOU ARE? I’D BE SO HAPPY IF I WERE YOU”

“I can tell” it was amusing to see.

Surely Sandeul was about to tell him how he would trade place with him every day if he could, but his mouth stopped midway when Baro’s noona appeared with a tray full of sweets. He could tell his friend got all nervous again, god, he didn’t even noticed the candy.

“Introduce me to your noona” he asked as soon as she left

“No way I’m going to do that”

Baro said it before he could even give it a thought. He wasn’t really that protective over his older sister, but he felt a twinge inside his body when Sandeul asked. Why his noona, and not… He waved away the stupid thought and saw his friend staring at him, pouting.

“Don’t pout at me, Deullie. And eat your food.”

None of them showed any kind of emotion at the sound of ‘Deullie’, but the truth was, they both noticed.

***

Jinyoung didn’t remember being ever that scared. The worst part was, that he wasn’t even scared for him, he was scared for Gongchan, and –as he soon discovered- it was so much worse.

At first, he didn’t understand why the youngest had stopped breathing all along when they saw that man in the living room. Wasn’t it normal that his dad was at home? Then he got it.

“Who’s that, Lee Gongchan?” the man asked as soon as they saw them. His voice wasn’t welcoming exactly.

It seemed that Gongchan had forgotten how to speak, so Jinyoung took a step “I’m Channie’s new friend… from school” he added, not feeling so brave anymore.

And that was it.

He should’ve kept his mouth shut.

The man took his son bu the arm and took him away from Jinyoung. “Get out of my house” he said.

“But…”

“I SAID GET OUT”

Jinyoung catch a glance of Gongchan’s eyes. They told him to better leave, and even if he didn’t want to, he did, scared.

Now he was worried, sitting at Shinwoo’s living room. His best friend was making him some tea to calm him down.

“You can sleep if you want” he had said. Jinyoung of course, had said yes.

“Are you sure he was mad at you?” Shinwoo asked, carrying two cups of tea.

Jinyoung felt his body sink even more on the sofa “Absolutely.”

“He’s going to be okay”

“I don’t know”

“Is the first time I’ve seen you worry so much. You must really, really like him”

“I just met him today” Jinyoung said, blue.

“Do you believe in love at first sight?”

He wasn’t so sure.

***

When Junghwan made it home he was feeling happier that he had in a while. It was already dark outside, but he didn’t care, he could manage his parents being upset at him. He had made a new friend, he had met a pretty girl and his belly was full and warm with candy. He didn’t think he could ask for anything else right now.

That’s why he felt the atmosphere cold as ice when he opened the front door and found his parents sitting at the dinner table, serious faced –and this was important- without Channie or dinner on the table. Maybe he was still with the skinny guy?

“I’m home” he announced to break the sudden ice

“There’s money in the kitchen if you want to get something for dinner” said his mother as a greeting. His father didn’t even look at him.

Instead of going to buy something, he saved the money in his pocket and prepared himself a couple of sandwiches. Thinking that maybe they could get something together when Gongchan made it home. What he didn’t expect, though, was finding his body in bed so early when he entered their bedroom.

“Channie-yah” he asked “Are you asleep?”

No answer.

“Channie?”

A sob came from his brother, his little body shaking. Was he crying?

“Deullie hyung” the boy finally said without turning around “They saw me with Jinyoung hyung”