ALLUMETTE
t  w  o

Like hell Seunghyun is going to just let Daesung walk away like that, and after that.

He needs a minute to readjust his clothes in order to look at least a tad bit presentable, and another minute longer to wipe the stupid ‘I just got blown by a dude I just met and it was pure ecstasy’-look off his face.

There’s no particular reason he figured he’d have to search the entire building, including the garden, to find Daesung again. Maybe because it’s something that would happen in one of those romantic comedies his older sister Hyeyoon loves to watch (and makes him watch along with her—because Seunghyun definitely never watches them out of his own volition, no sir). It would seem appropriate, Seunghyun figures, because the feelings rumbling in his chest sure feel like they belong in those kind of cheesy films. So it’s to say he’s more than surprised to simply see Daesung the second he throws open the doors. Right there. Next to his parents. Whilst laughing.

It makes Seunghyun think all kinds of things, nice things, for starters, followed by an irrational jealousy when his eyes fall upon the woman next to Daesung. She’s beautiful, and Seunghyun is sure he hates her.

Seunghyun doesn’t even hesitate before walking right up and joining them, determinedly keeping his eyes on the boy that just blew him. He wonders if Daesung can still taste him every time he swallows.

“Seunghyun!” His mother smiles widely. It’s a smile he recognises as a warning to ‘be good’. So he is, and smiles, too. “Hyejin-ssi was just introducing her nephew to us.” His heart skips a beat. They’re related. How wonderful. Then his mother continues with a vague gesture in Daesung’s direction as she pronounces his name with great care. “Kang Daesung.”

Slowly, Seunghyun tests Daesung’s full name on his tongue, and slowly, he lets it roll right back off until it tugs his smile even wider as he repeats it. His eyes still trained on Daesung, who doesn’t look very impressed.

“Daesung is new in town and doesn’t really know anyone,” Hyejin starts, “so Seunghyun, if I may ask,” her head dips for a second, as if she’s about to ask for a huge favour. “Keep an eye on my little nephew? He can be quite the trouble maker.”

There is no way to describe just how cheeky Seunghyun feels as his smile transforms into a grin. “Yes. Of course.” She shouldn’t even have had to ask, he was planning on it anyway.

He lets his eyes fall back to Daesung, who grins just as boldly back. Even more so, he tantalisingly slowly slips the tip of his tongue over his lips, gliding it halfway before biting his bottom lip, scraping his teeth over it as he draws it in while dropping his gaze meaningfully to Seunghyun’s zipper. 

The interested twitch Seunghyun’s gives in return tells him just how ed he really is.

————

Daesung doesn’t say much when they come home and Hyejin doesn’t comment on it. She’s fairly sure she’s already lucked out with how decent Daesung behaved during the party. Ancestors are thanked, deities are worshipped, life here is going to be just fine.

She bids her nephew a tired good night—to which Daesung says nothing in return, surprise, surprise—and retreats for the day. The second she inches her feet up the stairs, Daesung slips out of the house.

It’s not really sneaking out since there’s nothing subtle about the way he pulls the door shut behind him, nor are his footsteps in any way reticent as he drags them over the pebbles in the driveway. It’s loud and it’s noisy and Daesung simply doesn’t care.

There’s nothing really sneaking its way into his mind, warping his thoughts into a bad place. He just roams, mindlessly enjoying the silence he’s been craving since they got here. The soft thumps his shoes make every time they connect to the pavement oddly ground him. It’s steady and it’s constant; it’s calming his forever on edge nerves.

He’s sure someone would be able to explain the way he suddenly feels lighter when he spots a playground tucked neatly between two old land houses near the end of the road, but that’s not what he needs. What he needs cannot be translated into words, so he merely climbs over the fence and drops himself in the first patch of grass he comes across. 

He can see the stars out here, which is different from the big city. It’s an unwelcome change reminding him of exactly why they’ve come here in the first place, making him want to hurl.

A warm gust of wind breezes through his hair and Daesung closes his eyes. Momentarily letting himself remember. It makes him smile bitterly, and it makes him sad—even more than sad. He indulges until his eyes prickle behind closed lids and his stomach lurches, pounds beneath his flesh to the point of hurting. No, it says. You cannot be at peace.

And maybe he should feel the desire to protest and retort that he very well can be if he so pleases, or maybe he should feel like crying his heart out until his head hurts and call it a night. Maybe life would be a lot easier if those were his options, if he could simply decide how he feels. But that’s not how it works. It never works the way you want it to. If anything, life likes to be antagonistic at best. 

So instead of any of that, he remains silent, because silence is what he’s good at, and because silence is what keeps him safe from other options to bloom.

When another breeze wafts over him, he wills himself to sink away into nothing. A cool darkness bobbing along the warmth of eternal summer heat. 

Silence doesn’t last long. Daesung frowns when a quiet cough pulls him out of his own mind. He only opens one eye, and it takes a moment to realise he’s looking up at another boy—probably around his age. From where he’s lying down, they’re looking at each other upside down.

“You’re in my spot,” the boy says, and Daesung opens his other eye as well.

He doesn’t reply, simply keeps their gazes locked.

Then the guy shrugs. “It’s okay, though. My parents raised me well—I can share.” He doesn’t even hesitate as he prom