Hello, Neighbor

Chapter Eighteen.

Jeongin himself thought he was dead.

While falling, his life flashed before his eyes.

But, the moment in his life that stuck out the most of him was Kindergarten, where he met Jisung. His best friend.

A five-year-old Jeongin stumbles around the classroom for orientation, a bubblegum sucker his teacher had given him between his lips. He is looking for his desk, but not being able to read, he can't seem to find it. And everyone else seems to have found theirs already.

While adjusting his circular glasses, Jeongin begins to sniffle, his bottom lip quivering.

Another boy, who towers over him slightly, comes up behind him. He sets his chin on the ravenette's shoulder, smiling. He has longish black hair and has clear glasses on, his eyes seem to be small due to the lenses, yet they are large and childish.

Jeongin wipes his tears, tilting his head, "Huh-"

"You're Jeongin?" The boy almost pronounces his name wrong yet manages to speak clearly, reading his name tag. "I like that name. I'm Jisung."

The younger looks around, "Thank you..." He mumbles, pointing ahead, "Do you know where my desk is?"

Jisung's eyes scan the desks, letting out a little hum, "Right there!" He exclaims, glancing to the left. "We're desk mates!"

Jeongin nods, smiling softly at him. He pokes his cheeks, giggling at the little jiggle, bouncing up and down. "Are you in my grade?"

"I'm in first grade," He holds up a one and then digs into his pocket, pulling out a spider-man figurine. "Do you like spider-man?"

"I love spider-man!" Says Jeongin, who claps, "Can I see it?"

Jisung hands it over, gasping, "You should come over to my house!" He exclaims, "I have comics-"

As soon as he says this, Jeongin sprints, calling for his mother to tell her that he made a new friend, and that he needs to go over to his house soon.

And that's how they met and have been friends ever since then.

Though, Jeongin didn't expect to see Jisung when he opened his eyes.

He can't move, nor can he open his mouth to speak much more than a quiet hiss. He is in such pain that it is nearly unbearable, squeezing his eyes shut in pain.

Infront of him is Jisung, who is in a dog cage, bound and bruised.

From what Jeongin can tell, Chris is holding him by the waist, hugging him softly. He listens to his faint breathing, feeling him shift in bed and him sitting up.

"Jeongin," His voice is uneven as if he has been weeping for hours. He pulls Jeongin over to face him, and he lets out a shout of pain, tears welling in his eyes. "Oh my god... Jeongin."

The boy silently cries, shaking his head weakly. "You..." He forces out, "How-"

Chris hushes him, leaning down to kiss above his eyebrow, "I'm sorry," He whispers, trying to calm him. If anything, it makes it much worse.

"Get, Get away," Jeongin sobs, trying to get up, only to scream out once more. Every shift in the boy's shoulder prompts him to cry harder, and now even his knee is aching so terribly. "Oh, fucking Christ!"

"I can take care of you-"

Jisung begins to rock the kennel, yelling beneath the gag in his mouth.

Jeongin desperately tries to get up, yet can't manage to, crying out. "How could you..." He says with a painful shout that hardly passes his lips, falling back onto the bed. Chris comforts him by touseling his hair. "How..?"