( ` he tries to yell but nothing comes out; a small mound of shock sits at his throat; he turns, eyes wide. ) jaebum-ah⊠( ` and he looks just as he did before: solid, mature, a figure with a future and stability. but something changes â not fractured but discolored. like his old memory were a piece of fabric that had just been washed again and again and again; the color bled; the fringes hardened. but still, it felt familiar. ) hyung, how do you keep your big muscles if you are only eating junk. arenât you tired all the time? ( ` he steps closer, pokes at jaebumâs chest, his shoulder, his bicep. ) what have  you eaten today? hyungâŠ
jaebum-hyung, ( - the correction the only thing holding some sort of power over the situation, without even knowing the law student had walked into a scolding and he wasnât sure how to adapt to it - )  i donât eat junk all the time, jinyoung-ah ( - itâs uncomfortable for his habits to be picked apart - usually jaebum himself was the one who did the deed to others not the other way around - ) ... ( - he feels embarrassed - sheepish to say the least as he finds himself inching away from the youngerâs prodding -) ah uh, i ate some rice with kimchi earlier? the last of the side dishes my mom sent.
( ` he recognizes the glow but still does not have a name for it â only knows its shape and how it settles. much like light: heâs aware, but it is never tangible; it splashes over him; it warms him; but he never tries to collect it. he knows his limitations, follows them with a childish scrutiny. ) . Â . Â . ( ` jaebumâs door is an easy infiltration: the spare key is warm in his hand where he has gripped it tight as he walked. now he slips it into his pocket, treads forward towards the promising shape of the fridge. he opens it breathes cool air into his face; his lips curl around surprise â a shocked circle. ) im jaebum. Â . Â . ( ` heâs sure that heâs here somewhere â perhaps in a room, perhaps in the bathroom, so jin yells to accommodate. ) im jaebum! how do you live off string cheese?! thereâs no food in here!
( - jaebum doesnât want to admit it, but the stillness of his new apartment was a bit off putting. hani not being around to mother him, or the fact that yuta was not there to argue with him,..it was something to get used to - ).....( - so jaebum does what he does best,and  bury himself in his studies, so the law student is caught off guard when he hears his name being called about thirty minutes into his study session - ) huh ? thereâs food, i just got some chinese food like three days ago! ( - he barks back, before pulling out his earphones and making his way to the kitchen where jin stood - ) there should be food there ..? doesnât string cheese count ?â
heâs swam like this so many times, has sneaked into a few pools before, but nothing feels the same. everything is new â a gleaming addition. it makes him gasp, it makes him smile; it fills the dark of his eyes with glimmering reflections; it feels beautiful.
âhyung,â his voice is more quiet; he leans in closer, âwe have to be careful or weâll get caught â thereâs security at night.â
thereâs a tug in his chest. something thatâs causing jaebum to be hesitant in letting the hold he had jinyoung in go. the tug is small and but jaebum wonders what exactly is causing the tug in his chest, but he fears that it would cause a lot more trouble than jaebum was used to.
yet - while rather out of character, jaebum found himself not caring about the trouble. instead taking in the younger manâs touch - gentle and curious touches, much like jinyoung himself. well at least how jaebum remembers the teenager before he had left for the path set before him as an adult. Â he wasnât too sure of the youngerâs personality now, park jinyoung had become an enigma - and jaebum was itching to learn more about him.
why does it seem as if time stands still when they floated in this pool. so quite jaebum can hear the own beats of his heart echo in his ear. and he worries that jinyoung could perhaps hear his the palpation of the heart beneath the sounds of their breathing.
he wonders when did jinyoung grow up ? thereâs a maturity that has hallowed jinyoungâs cheeks and that has broadened his shoulders. a sense of calmness that was never as apparent when jinyoung was sitting alongside his brother back in high school. it was a bit jarring and jaebum canât argue when jinyoung mentions that jaebum himself has been gone for quite some time, the past two years were much more eventful than he had first assumed.
â i canât deny that..but i suppose i should work harder to catch up.â jaebum continues to be a bit unfocused - his gaze finding themselves on the youngerâs lips. his brain going to a bit of a lull as he leans closer to jinyoung, his fingers curling around the youngerâs neck. â will you ..will you help hyung catch up ?â jaebum questions, his words soft and his gaze even softer.
heâs pulled at whatever daze he had fallen to when jinyoung mentions the word security. and the stillness of the moment is taken away, as a bit of anxiety begins to grow.
â we should go then, we canât stay for too long, what if you get a cold.â he whispers - detaching himself from jinyoung, the tug in his heart forgotten. his fingers clasping around the wrist of the younger and pulling him along. â come on jinyoungie, iâll take you home.â
truth be told, senior year of high school was definitely not the highlight of kangjoonâs life. it doesnât even reach his top ten, twenty or thirty notable moments in life. (he only really has about seven such moments, but the point remains.) between impending exams and applying for universities, heâd been more stress than human being.Â
things werenât all bad though, he had a few things going for him, like volunteer work and some promising freelance piano gigs⊠and, as luck would have it, a boyfriend.Â
however, kangjoon has never really been on lady luckâs good side, and it turns out luck- ever the petty one- saw him dumped eight months into what kangjoon had thought to be a rather decent relationship. looking back, it made sense- exams were right around the corner and they were only seniors, their relationship had an expiration date.Â
of course kangjoon is nothing if he isnât petty, and now that heâs stuck with jaebum not only in the same school again- but the same job in the same position⊠well, itâs too good of an opportunity to pass up. besides, jaebum practically presents kangjoon with chances to tease him on a golden platter.Â
itâs easier during their breaks, when theyâre stuck in a far too quiet restaurant with far too much awkwardness between them, for kangjoon to assist jaebum in sticking his foot in his mouth.Â
âso, nightwing, have you heard from batman at all recently?â he begins conversationally, mouth full of that nightâs special. âthat is your secret identity isnât it? or was itâŠ. nightcrawler?â
jaebum liked to think he didnât make many mistakes. his educational past was free of anything lower than an a minus, and letter of recommendations were hardly hard to gather when jaebum needed them. Â but his personal life ? well there was perhaps one mishap, and he couldnât blame it on anyone one else beside himself.
he had dated kangjoon during their senior year. and jaebum had to admit that it had less to do with actual affection and rather the fact he knew that he needed to start dating sooner or later. and well kangjoon was a pleasant person to be around for the most part, when they had dated ( after the fact well, that was a different story ), it couldnât be blamed on kangjoon, after all jaebum had broken up with kangjoon because exams were coming up and he didnât have time for nay sort of relationship.
yes looking back on it, jaebum was a bit cold and well he had tried to apologize for his aloofness when he had first found out kangjoon had worked as a piano player in the restaurant as himself.
but it seems to have not worked after all, not with the way kangjoon ran his mouth at jaebum whenever they were stuck with one another in the same room. and jaebum supposed he deserved it but alas, it still cause some awkwardness for the law student during these shifts.
a grimace appearing on his lips as kangjoonâs voice called out to him, his eyes leaving his phone and towards the other pianist. â Â you were correct the first time, and well i havenât had a chance to really go to a convention lately, iâm doing interviews for internships - but itâs not too bad.â he wasnât ashamed of his hobby, after all there would be worse things to enjoy in his spare time.
â and donât talk while chewing, itâs rather gross.â
summary:Â thereâs only four bowls at dinner, and jaebum canât help but ask why.
warnings: um nothing really but itâs just angsty overallÂ
jaebum doesnât like his grandparentsâ home. it was too stuffy and the faint stench of tiger balm was evident in all areas of the house. but his mother had told him that he had to keep strong in front of his younger siblings because if they found out he was uncomfortable at their grandparentâs house then they would throw an even bigger fit than the one they gave with their mother had dropped them off few days prior.
but worry not! his mother had told him she would be back to get them in five days time, therefore jaebum had packed up his things ( along with his siblingsâ bags), and waited patiently for his mother to pick them up.
his grandparents are antsy - avoiding his eyes and skittish for some reason. theyâve been like this for the whole trip and jaebum canât help become rather curious about the whole ordeal -he was beginning to wonder what the adults were hiding from him.
it was obvious to the ten year old, a rather sick feeling in his stomach as he watched his grandparents clean up the home as they waited for his mother to arrive home.
his father was probably busy after all, heâs been working overtime for the last few weeks. and jaebum was getting more used to the sight of his fatherâs retreating back.Â
                                                          ______________
his mother comes to pick them up when the giant grandfather clock in the living room strikes four, her timid knock causing jaebum to run towards the door, his heart soaring at the idea of seeing his mother after almost a week. he ignores his grandmotherâs scolding and he wrenches open the door - and reveals his mother looking pensive and unsure.
jaebum canât help but stumble back as he takes in his motherâs appearance, his mother was always a thin woman, but tonight his mother looks gaunt and fragile as if one swift gush of wind would cause his mother to break in half, itâs daunting and jaebum isnât quick enough to hide the look of shock that comes over his face. his mother, however, is too distracted to catch it or perhaps sheâs too tired to show her feeling, and instead, she smiles at jaebum and calls him out, causing the boy to clamber to hug his mother before his siblings come and take her attention away from him.
                            ______________
the drive home is filled with false cheerfulness - his motherâs grip on the steering wheel is tight but his siblings are placed in the back happily retailing about whatever antics happened over their five-day separation. and when his mother question jaebum about his stay with his grandparents, jaebum could only reply with a soft okay before returns his attention back to the window.Â
                             ______________
itâs a surprise to jaebum when he finds his fatherâs car parked in the driveway - and thereâs a small part of jaebumâs heart that soars at the thought of seeing his father before his bed time. and he finds himself running towards the door - hoping to see his fatherâs broad shoulders and sturdy hugs waiting from him as he opens the front door.
instead, jaebum is welcomed by an empty home, dark until his mother follows through and turns the light on without a word.
he canât hide his disappointment as he helps his siblings unpack their overnight bags.
                          ______________Â
his mother calls him out to him as she finishes dinner - ushering him instead of the kitchen and orders him to began to set the table, her calloused hands running through his hair before she gestures him to begin.Â
and as jaebum takes out the bowls - his mother stops him, her lips pursed as she spoke.
âjaebum-yah, we only need four bowls from now on alright? now go set it on the table.â
the boy frowns, confusion appearing on his young face as his eyes shift to the plastic clock placed on their kitchen wall. it was almost 6:30, and they would usually set their fatherâs placemat along with their own just in case he made it home before then.
â but dad might come home, did he call you saying he was gonna be home late again ?â his nose scrunched as glanced down at the bowls in his hand.
his mother who had been quiet for most of the night seems to tense, her kind eyes becoming somewhat cold, her fingers gripping the dish rag with much more than needed strength.Â
â your father isnât going to be home for awhile jaebum-yah.â
â what do you mean by that ?â he knows itâs rude, but jaebum presses on - curiosity taking over any manners he usually posses.
and thereâs sudden tears growing in his motherâs eyes, her hand covering her lips as a short sob escape her lips as she turns away from jaebum. unable to control herself as she drops onto the kitchen floor.
what exactly had his father done?
but that would have to wait because right now he needed to take care of his mother.Â
the boy strides towards his mother, kneeling down to wipe the tears away from his motherâs eyes, and a soft smile appearing on jaebumâs face as he spoke, â mom you can tell me, itâs okay, iâll help you take care of it.â
                                                   ______________
jaebum isnât sure what the feeling that grows in stomach is, but itâs unpleasant one. hearing about his fatherâs deeds in between his motherâs tears was not exactly the best way to start dinner, and jaebum canât really wrap his mind over the mess.
instead, he tries to keep himself busy, as he ushers his mother to her bedroom upstairs, he slips back into the kitchen and begins to finish transferring dinner onto the table so he and his siblings can eat.
he canât let the twins know whatâs going on not yet, so he finds himself lying to them as he calls them out for dinner.
that mother was feeling ill but not to worry because he was going to take care of his siblings until she felt better.
but as they sit around the dinner table, he canât help but lose his appetite when one of the twins questions on where their father is.
for a man who usually prided himself in his studies and preparedness - he was unable to remember where he was supposed to met his newest tutor subject. Â was it in one of the classrooms ? or was it in one of the study rooms in the library. all jaebum knew was that he was set to meet with the student around three, and it was already two-fifty, maybe it wasnât a good idea to spend the night before catching up on filming and editing for his channel.
groaning, jaebum made his way towards one of the empty study rooms, hoping that he had gotten to the designated location.
and after a few moments, a student walked in. was this the person? well, it had to be the student, it would make the most sense.
with that, jaebum stood up from the desk bowing his head slightly before he spoke. â are you the person i'm supposed to be tutoring? did you get here alright? i know thereâs a lot of traffic around the school at this time.â
and even under, with his fingers breaking into sheets of water, hands pulling him along, he lets his eyes stay shut. he relies on instinct, a blind science; the muffled sounds that slip into his ears and the pressure of water against his frame. there is no direction to his swimming, only propulsion, action â something more primal that excites him; as though danger actually loomed. as though heâd be ready.
a few seconds later, he surfaces with a small gasp, rubs at his eyes, stays afloat. his location is a mystery, but a smile remains. the chill of the night sits on his shoulders, his neck; stretches over his cheeks. something rustles in the distance but his ears are tuned to the water, search for the sound of danger.
    jaebum allows himself to sneak deeper into the water, letting the liquid envelope himself in itâs cool embrace, and as the moments passed by jaebum begins to realize feel as though this pool was not set in reality. this whole scenario felt out of placed and merely a fantasy when compared to the dull and rigid routine he had placed on himself upon leaving the army. the stillness of the water giving the air a sense of dreaminess - even jinyoung seemed out of reach, as if jaebum were to placed his hand on the youngerâs wrist he was to disappear in a gust of wind. that the boy was apart of this odd fantasy he had put himself through and jaebum couldnât shake this odd feeling from his mind.Â
    jaebum couldnât help but feel slightly out of place. as if this position was not meant for him - at least not now.
    as jinyoung takes off in the opposite direction, the memories of the summers of his childhood canât help but appear. flashes of searing summers, of childish squeals from his siblings they rough housed around the pool. those days were long gone where jaebum could easily lose himself in the antics of pool games and laughter, but he found himself slipping into the same role he held long ago, as he began to partake in such a childish game.
     a boyish bout of laughter escaping jaebumâs lips as the chase began. thereâs a difference of course, from his childish escapades in the pool, and the one he was currently taking part in. heâs no longer a sullen youth with clumsy swimming skills - his movements more polished, more refined as purses the retreating figure. though he finds himself allowing jinyoung to disappear from his line of vision, the younger vanishing for a moment, causing jaebum to pause for a moment. the former soldier taking in his surroundings for any quick movements or sound.
thatâs when he hears an almost inaudible gasp - alerting jaebum that jinyoung was closer than he realized. a rather wolfish smile growing on his lips as he begins to quicken his pace in hopes to catch the other.Â
    his movements are no longer as precise as he takes the chance to make larger strides in hopes he would be able to catch jinyoung.Â
     it takes a few moments, but soon enough jinyoung is an arm lengthâs way - and jaebum takes the chance to grab ahold of jinyoung and pull him closer to himself. boyish laughter filling the air, as he feels the adrenaline pumping through his blood comes to a stop, and he allows himself to catch his breath, his hold around jinyoung finally relaxing.
    â thatâs a lot more tiring than i remembered, give me a moment jinyoungie.â
sana was tired and decided that perhaps a trip to yutaâs place might allow her to rest a little bit while he watched over the baby. she hadnât even thought that him not being home might even be a possibility ( why she thought that she wasnât too sure ).
so when she knocked on the door and sheâs met by his roommate, she felt a bit embarrassed at having not given a heads up at showing up first. âoh, hello,â she bowed her head in return just a bit as she stepped inside.
âis yuta home?â she asked, looking around but it seemed rather quiet for anyone else to be there. âi thought i would bring jaejin to see him, but âŠâ her head continued to bob up and down in various positions, but she didnât see any sight of him nor was he appearing.
âis this a bad time? i could go,â she pointed to the door awkwardly, though part of her hoped that he might just offer to watch the kid for a little while so she could at least sit and relax for a moment.
jaebum had only met sana a handful of times before, having first met her with the younger was very pregnant he had always felt the need to be mindful of his manners when she was around him. perhaps his motherâs teachings had seeped too much into his daily life - anyways itching to ensure everyone around him was comfortable and taken care of. so he found himself straightening up his posture as he had let sana into the penthouse
â yuta ?â he repeated, as he gestured for sana to sit on the couch as they made their way to the living room. â ah, well i was in my room studying so iâm not really aware if heâs here, but if heâs gone he shouldnât be away for long, so uh make yourself at home.â jaebum said as he himself sat down on one of the couches stationed in the room.
â ah! Itâs been awhile since iâve seen jaejin, heâs must of grown a lot huh ?â jaebum questioned, he was always busy with work when sana had came over to visit yuta, so it wasnât often when jaebum could see the baby boy, which was a shame because jaebum had a fondness for babies and children that he could not deny.
â and oh no, iâm not doing anything. â he said, waving his hand to dismay the thought. â you came all the way with the baby, you must be tired. would you like to something to drink ? â jaebum questions, before his gaze found themselves on jaejin once more. â i could watch him for
baekhyun is far from confrontational, preferring to keep himself hidden under the shadows to be quietly judgmental. but when your last meal was yesterdayâs lunch and hasnât had a wink of sleep since three days ago, anyone is bound to snap at the slightest disturbances.Â
today it comes in the form of two young lovebirds, who decided that the library would be the perfect place for them to suck each otherâs faces off. Â baekhyun eyed the couple with disgust, face crunched into distaste when a particularly wet sound was heard. yuck. are they kissing or eating each otherâs tongue? heâd much rather see a facehugger implanting chestburster eggs in a humanâs chest than this. and judging from the othersâ expression, none of them are comfortable with the situation too.
so without prior reservations, the pink-haired boy turned around from his seat to face the disgusting couple and barked an âya! you both!â, not even trying to hold back the volume of his voice as he continued; âyeah, the ones sucking faces behind the shelves! you both! unless youâre both fucking blind, this isnât a love hotel. nobody wants to see you make babies here.â
after a few moments, jaebum was about to give up his hope of someone stepping in when he heard a loud voice boom through the library. the political science major couldnât help but watch in eye as a pink haired student bark at the couple, a bit amused and also bewildered by the loudness of the otherâs voice and the effect he was having on the couple.Â
jaebum couldnât help but watch in slight glee at the way the couple had almost bounce off of one another, as if they were shocked someone had called them out on their rude behavior. breaking apart and looking at the student who had scolded them for making out in such a public space. thus making the couple leave in a quick and rather dramatic huff, one of them even shouting out a curse at the student who had stopped them a few minutes prior.
as they left, jaebum felt it was only polite to thank the pink haired student who had taken the chance to point out and scold the couple, the political science major quickly made his way towards the table where the other seated and gave a polite smile before tapping the otherâs shoulder to gain their attention. â ah, uh i was at the other table and i saw what you did, and thanks man, you were really doing everyone else a favor by calling them out.â
    jaebumâs soft tone made yugyeom slightly shocked, there were only a few times he had actually heard his friendâs soft tone of voice. he wasnât sure if it was because his friend came across a little forceful by nature, or if it was just to show people that you shouldnât mess with him. either way, yugyeom didnât mind it. he nodded his head, giving jaebum a small smile to show that he wasnât that upset for not being able to lift the weights.Â
   jaebumâs next question made yugyeomâs cheeks flare up a bright shade of pink. he shook his head, no, he hadnât checked how much he was trying to lift. he probably shouldâve, but the moment was gone. he figured it was set to a good amount of weight, but then again, yugyeom wasnât exactly that muscular, and couldnât carry that much weight. when jaebum suggested going to the dumbbells, he groaned softly, standing up from the machine he was using previously to follow his friend.Â
   he just really didnât want to lift weights at all. he didnât want to deal with it, and say yugyeom did end up gaining muscle, he didnât want to go through the effort of maintaining that muscle. but, either way, who was he to argue with im jaebum? honestly, yugyeom was kind of scared of his friend sometimes, knowing that if he refused, heâd get scolded for not trying and asked why he even agreed to go lift weights in the first place ( a question he asked himself ). he grabbed the dumbbells that jaebum had, nodding his head at his statement. he lifted the weight, not that strained from how much it weighed, he mumbled, continuing the back and forth motion to lift the weight, â i guess this isnât so bad⊠â
     one problem jaebum had realized when it came to himself was that he tended to be rather holier than thou, a big brother by nature he often found himself babying those around him. which was evident in the way jaebum had leaned over to ruffle yugyeomâs hair as the younger had followed his advice and decided to continue to lift weights during this session.â youâre a good kid yugyeom-yah iâm glad youâre sticking to your goal for night,â jaebum was just glad that yugyeom wasnât too torn up about not being able to lift the weights while working out, he would hate for yugyeom to feel bad due to his urging to work out. that was the last thing he wanted, thatâs for sure.
     though - the youngerâs sudden confession to have not read and checked the amount he was lifting the weight was a bit concerning. he could already feel the telling throb of a headache appearing. perhaps jaebum should of gone over the basics for a bit, rather than throwing yugyeom straight in. well this wasnât a time to mull over what he should have done, instead he merely sighed, rubbing his temple before speaking once more.â please be careful next time yugyeom-yah, after all, i wouldnât want you to hurt yourself over a small detail.
     sitting on a bench not too far from where yugyeom was standing, jaebum kept a careful eye on the younger to ensure that he was doing his work out properly, learning from his mistake of letting yugyeom to own devices from before. he was a bit relieved when he took note of the fact the younger wasnât struggling with the dumbbells, though jaebum found himself standing up and walking towards the younger with a slight frown on his face. â your posture is a bit sluggish, tighten it up and you should be fine alright yugyeom-yah, and after this set we can grab some food or something.â
â junmyeon helping jaebum with chores. â @acajaebum
debate team was a total hierarchy, no one would ever doubt that.
whatever hyeri said went and no one would ever be stupid to go against that, many people had learned that the hard way. luckily for him, junmyeon had always been very accepting of her authority and with is unofficial position as her right hand, he found himself in a position more privileged than otherâs, it barely happened that jun would be told to carry out any annoying tasks or chores, hyeri made sure of that.
however not everyone seemed to be that lucky, jaebum being the shining example of that for now. after yet another meeting that was mainly spent walking through the list of possible candidates and discussing the future of the team, jaebum had been so unfortunate to be tasked with returning the room to itâs original state after everyone had left and junmyeon felt sympathetic towards the other, a little guilty even that he was always the one to avoid these kinds of jobs.
so, after the meeting had ended and all the members had started to leave the room one by one junmyeon decided to stick around, waiting by the door until the very last person had eventually left before closing it behind him, leaving jaebum and him by themselves. âhey,â he spoke up to make the other aware of his presence. âyou look like you could use some help with that yeah?â and with that he walked back into the middle of the room, putting his messenger bag down again. âjust tell me what i can do to help.â
jaebum enjoys the debate club. no matter how many times he huffs about whatever wacky plan hyeri had in store for them. most of the club were lovely to be around and for the most part, he was able to gain various experiences that would help him throughout his future and his career. so hyeriâs various wacky adventures and scenarios were worth it for the most part. so he didnât mind for the most part doing little errands here and there, after all, if he didnât agree with most of the errands he was sure hyeri would lose her lid, and jaebum wanted to avoid that at all cost.Â
though it was a bit annoying when he was the one picked to clean up after the whole club after some meetings. seeing as they often went overboard and made a bit of a mess of the meeting area. and he was a rather easy target, as jaebum was already cleaning up and organizing the chairs back to their original place as the meeting came to a close. therefore it was expected when the meeting came to a close, and the members filed out that jaebum would be the one to task with cleaning up. Â a bit of a hassle, but he didnât really mind, used to doing these sort of chores since he was a child.
stretching as the meeting was met with itâs end, and his fellow debate team members trail out of the room - he noticed that junmyeon was loitering by the door. causing the political science major to be caught slightly off guard as junmyeon began to approach jaebum as the last member left the room.â oh ?â the young man utters, as jaebum took in the otherâs offer, that was quite polite of junmyeon, and it was rude to reject such a kind offer. â ah thanks for sticking by and itâs not that a problem.â he replies as he waves his hand, before humming shortly. â could you just wipe the whiteboard clean, luckily hyeri didnât cause too much damage today, or else there would have been more.â
âyou know, sometimes i worry about your sodium intake.â these were the words that had left the elderâs lips as soon as jaebum had opened the door. every few days or so, yongguk would come visit the political science major in the penthouse he shared with a few others, often being sent a text beforehand to bring over more ramen since they had run out of stock the night before. at least, that was what yongguk was often told. âiâm pretty sure half your body is made of salt by now.â
offering the two plastic bags filled with a variety of ramen for his best friend to take, yongguk entered the penthouse with ease though he headed straight for the kitchen soon afterwards. seeing as this was routine for the two best friends now, they had to make a few packets of ramen to share since the film major had made his way all the here. âyouâre making it, right? itâs the least you can do after making me the enabler to your addiction, jaebummie.â
jaebum didnât really care for eating, having too much on plate already ( pardon the pun ), so he often opted for food that was quick to make and fulfilling without being too much of a burden on his wallet. Â which lead to most of jaebumâs meals being ramen or whatever packed lunch the local minimart was selling on his way home from work. it wasnât the healthiest diet, but jaebum supposed him working out at least twice a month would balance the unhealthiest of his diet. â itâs probably not that bad yongguk-hyung, i would say maybe around 35% right about now.â he replies without much thought, as he quickly took the bags away from yongguk.
without being told jaebum found himself taking out two packets of ramen from the plastic bags, then placing the rest of the packets in the cabinet. squatting down to grab one of the metal pots, jaebum began to start the process of cooking the ramen yongguk brought. â donât call me jaebummie, you know i hate that.â he replied crisply, filling the pot with water and then going to the fridge and grabbing two eggs and some chopped green onions from the other day. â just sit there and scroll through your artsy film feed.â
changkyun was happy for once that jaebum and he were living in such proximity; waiting for him to pick he and jisoo up from the dorms when they were going to be together had grown tiring. that isnât to say the drive from the penthouse was infinitely better than waiting, but at the very least it wasnât standing outside for jaebum while his sister got anxious over the smallest things.
speaking of, he wasnât surprised when both he and his brotherâs phones went off with a chime, signaling jisooâs impatience with the slow ( granted, there was an argument to be made that the drive was of an average length being driven at an approximately normal speed and there was no reason to stress, but was hurting jisooâs feelings worth the risk of calling her out? ) drive over.
[ â second the best â im family ] Calm down, we are on the way.
[ â second the best â im family ] He is just a slow driver, not an abandoner. Why abandon us now? Would have worked better a few years ago.
it was a bit of a hassle - having a family outing at least once a week ( especially with the differing schedules that the im siblings had from one another. ) but jaebum had very little things that could top the quality time he spent with his siblings, even if he had to lie to their mother about the three siblings actually going to church. Â
though the drive to ji sooâs dorm was only five minutes away,and usually it wouldnât take that long to pick her up and make their way to the dorms. this afternoon was no different as jaebum was pulling into the dormâs entrance when he and chanâs phone went off with a soft ping. sighing, jaebum quickly parked his car and grab his phone from itâs place on the cup holder before raising an eyebrow at the contents of the text.
he was too easy going with his siblings, the amount of respect he got was a bit saddening.
[ â first the worst â im family ] weâre here, iâm parked at the guest parking lot with chan, calm down kid.
[ â first the worst  â im family ] why would we abandon you ? mom would be displeased to see her only daughter missing from our weekly dinners.
[ â first the worst  â im family ] now hurry up, i want to beat traffic.
jaebum pauses for a moment, as he presses send before glancing over at his brother in the driving seat. â go out and stand by the car, so she can see itâs us.â
the late afternoon sun waking jaebum from his afternoon nap, a soft groan escaping the political science majorâs lips as sat up, a frown appearing on his face as he looked at the time. damn, he slept for that long? luckily jaebum didnât have a shift that evening. but alas losing two hours of study time wasnât the greatest thing.Â
but jaebum couldnât wallow in self-pity for much longer as the sound of the penthouseâs doorbell ringing entered the empty space ( his roommates seemed to be gone that day for whatever reason ). it left jaebum to make him his way towards the door, footsteps sluggish as he was still recovering from his rather lengthy nap.
as he pulled opened the door, a yawn escaped his lips, before his eyes lit up with recognization - he's only met yuta's sister once or twice, therefore he still felt a bit awkward as he bowed his head slightly and made way for sana to come into the penthouse.
he holds in each sound that bubbles in his throat â some are natural reactions, some are squealing odes of excitement, but they are all equally silenced as he finds footing on the other side and undoes the zipper of his bag. with care, he begins to undress: shoes first, pants next; he leaves on his shirt for the moment.
âyeah, itâs really charming.â though his eyes are nowhere near the pool â they trace the shape of jaebumâs back and the way his arms move as they tug on his shirt. nostalgia forms in his chest and mottles his breaths; he thinks of his nights as a high school student when this same image had kept him up at night; had made him warm and sweaty, the punctuation of an influx of hormones. the opening of a new era in his life. though it had been imagined, then â nothing more than a fantasy. nothing like the live and tangible display that unfolded in front of him.
something in the air shivers as the cackle of energy as it readjusts, settles into this space. and as jinyoung looks away, his thoughts change â the night no longer feels real. rather, jinyoung is sure one of his daydreams had risen like balloons; had climbed so far up that it had burst and fell back to earth; that shards of that fantasy fell around him, like glimmering debris. only that can explain jaebumâs shirtless frame and his willingness to swim with him; only that explains jaebumâs increased presence in his life, the small ways he would emerge and enter, nothing like before â everything is new and pristine.
jaebum from his teenage fantasies isnât the same man he is now: heâs less boyish, wider in the shoulders; heâs less of a mystery â more transparent â but just as alluring.
part of him knows that if it had been a few years before, he wouldnât be able to stand: his knees would shake, his hands would fumble.
but maturity arrives in parallel strokes. he, too, has changed: heâs taller, more masculine; less timid, less quiet; less afraid. as he pulls of his shirt in confident strokes â as he fits the trunks around his hips and wiggles his toes and straightens his posture, jinyoung wonders if jaebum has noticed these changes. rather than ponder, he lets his steps take him to the edge of the pool; his foot dips into the water before he jumps inside, emerges a second later with a quiet laugh; his hands smooth his hair back, away from his face.
âhyung â i really thought itâd be so cold. itâs warm! come, jump inside!â
heâs undressed before others many times prior - hardly caring as he stripped his garments in front of his friends or his fellow soldiers and jaebum would consider this time no different. after all, heâs known jinyoung for quite some time, perhaps as not as frequently and close encounters as they have in the past few months but heâs known jinyoung for a longer time frame than most.
yet he finds himself a bit shy as he pulls off his shirt - perhaps itâs due to the fact that even if heâs known jinyoung for almost a decade, the two years he was gone had changed the younger male more than jaebum had realized. his movements a bit hesitant as he mulls over how the jinyoung he knew in his youth would never be so forward with jaebum, or how timid the younger was through each of their meetings up until when he first returned from the army. throughout high school jaebum had worried that jinyoung hated him - seeing how skittish the younger was when he had entered the room.
and thereâs still a small part of him that hones that worry. but of course he knows that small part of him is paranoid and illogical - there was no reason for jinyoung to invited him out to a pool after hours if he had ill feelings towards him.
he shakes that worry from his mind and instead quickly strips himself of his sweats, leaving himself in his boxers. the late spring air causing a slight shiver travel up jaebumâs spine. his focus shifting towards jinyoung as the younger male continues to undress, and he finds himself noticing how lean the youngerâs frame was. though smaller than his own, it was no longer as lanky as he was during high school ( well from what he could remember ), and jaebum finds himself gazing at the youngerâs form for longer than he would like to admit. he hopes that jinyoung did not catch wind of his gaze - the embarrassment of the chance of being caught is evident in the way jaebumâs cheeks.
he has to hide those thoughts away, theyâre confusing and not worth the time. theyâre a bit too dangerous to put any more time towards. and jaebum wasnât one for crossing to an adventurous territory. even now with how jaebum was a bit wary as he hesitantly made his way towards the edge of the pool. observing the water and jinyoung himself as he jumps into the pool.
but even as he hesitates on the edge of the pool, thin lips upturned into a smile, the youngerâs laughter causing something in jaebum to brighten.
It was a nice sound, and it draws jaebum to the pool with more conviction than jinyoungâs words did.
thus jaebum steps into the pool, finding the water to be a warm temperature, his posture relaxing as he got used to poolâs environment.
a sudden streak of mischievous runs through jaebumâs mind, his eyes twinkling with boyish glee, Â â youâre right, i guess it wouldnât be too bad to play some games in the pool right? i remember playing tag a lot during the summer pool as a kid.â he explains as he begins to swim closer to jinyoung, â one person was the shark, and had to catch the others right ?â the grin on jaebumâs lips turning a bit sinister as he spoke. â jinyoungie you should start swimming away right about now.
