Made of Glass | Kino x Wooseok PTG

Part 12

One day on his way back from training, Kino felt his stomach grumble with hunger. It's almost like dancing, and singing made him completely ignore the hunger that had been building up the whole day.

So on his way home, he decided to quickly pop into a shop to grab a snack.

When he entered he heard "Welcome to...Kino?"

Kino turns to his left where the till was to see Wooseok, dressed in the blue uniform, standing behind the counter with a surprised expression.

"Devil child?"

"Ha, funny" Wooseok tells him with a roll of his eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to buy something to eat. I think the more important question is...you work here?"

Wooseok only get a job here maybe two weeks ago and so far he had managed to avoid everyone from school. Of course Kino was the one to ruin that streak. "Yeah. Money is nice you know. Plus cigarettes cost quite a bit these days".

"Mm right. Well, don't let me bother you then. I'll just..." he points towards the aisles and then walks away. Odd. Wooseok working. Having to be polite to customers. Was he even capable of that?

Kino grabs a sausage, a packet of crisps and a small carton of milk. An odd selection sure but who cared.

The store was otherwise empty, and with no one there but Kino,Wooseok had sat himself behind the till, just looking out at nothing in particular. This job was easy. Not much to do which he appreciated, and money was money at the end of the day.

Kino finally came to the till and placed his items on the counter. Wooseok scans them all and then looks at the milk. "You like mint chocolate milk too?"

"Uh yeah?" he can't help but chuckle "Is that so surprising?"

"No I've just never met anyone who likes mint chocolate milk. We're a rare breed"

"Right" Kino says, looking at Wooseok with a quirked brow. "Anyway..."

"That'll be 20,000 won"

"What do you mean that's not how much it costs!"

"I charge extra for people I don't like. It's like making it up you know?"

"Oh shut up" Kino says, rolling his eyes before grabbing everything off the counter. "I'll tell your manager and have you fired" he sings songs out. He lays down a bill on the counter and Wooseok pops it into the till.

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out"

"Don't steal any cigarettes now" Kino tells him as he leaves the store in a hurry.

He's so annoying. Kinda sucked how this was the closest store, and conveniently on his way home from practise too. It would mean he'd probably end up bumping into Wooseok here more than he wanted to.

Kino doesn't notice a hooded man following him, with his hands stuffed in his pockets and his head hung somewhat low. It was only once he was approaching an alley that Kino felt the presence. The man ended up patting Kino on the shoulder.

"Give me money"

The brunette turns around and looks at the stranger with his brow quirked in confusion. "I'm sorry?"

"I said give me money"

"Uh...no?"

The man suddenly lunges at Kino and shoves him against the nearest wall, his arm now pressing against the poor boys neck as Kino struggles to push him off. It was sudden. Unexpected. "You want me to fucking hurt you whilst I take the money off you huh?" Kino couldn't see his face too well at all. The mask covered most of it. Fuck what was he meant to do now. "Where's your goddamn wallet"

Kino isn't even able to speak because the idiot of a man is pressing too hard on his throat for him to be able to say anything. Somehow seconds feel like hours, with the pressure on his throat only getting more intense but at one point the pressure suddenly disappears.

Kino double over and starts coughing, whilst holding onto the wall for support. It takes him a second to gather his thoughts, and whilst still coughing he looks up to see why the man suddenly let go. It's because someone else had come and pulled him off of Kino.

Shit, it was Wooseok. He was now shoving the, obviously shorter, man around, punching him in the face a few times when he got the chance.

"Wooseok" Kino coughs out, "Don't. Stop it. You'll get in trouble", more coughing "Wooseok".

The boy was a raging bull though, giving the man a taste of his own medicine and then some. "You best fuck off and hope I don't see your ugly mug around here again. The broken nose is an improvement. Touch him again, you die. Got it?"

The man ends up falling to the ground due to the forcefulness of Wooseok's actions, and then scowers away like a rat into the alley, vowing to never rob people in that area again if that kid was there...

"You alright?" Wooseok asks, addressing Kino now that he was free. He even goes over and places a hand on his shoulder. "Did he hurt you? Did he take any money?"

Kino shakes his head and swallows audibly "No. I mean he pressed on my neck a little too hard but he didn't take anything. You got here. Thanks. How did you...."

"I saw him hanging around the store when you came inside, and I saw the way he followed you. I had a gut feeling he was a sleazy rat. So I just came to check it out" he explains, straightening back up and stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Why do you care?" Kino breathes out all shallow, finally able to stand properly as well.

"I don't necessarily care. But like, you're fucking small. He wasn't. I knew he might annihilate you, and I can't really be bothered to be interviewed as the last person who saw you alive you know?"

Kino scoffs softly but ends up chuckling at Wooseok's words anyway. He strokes a hand over his neck and clears his throat once more. "Well either way. Thanks. I probably would have given him my wallet and hoped he would have left me alone"

"Bet you would have. Easiest way out but who knows he could have like, stabbed you or something for good measure".

"Mm, I guess so. He didn't, but yeah"

"Did he really not hurt you more?" Wooseok is suddenly close to Kino, with his hand gently on top of his neck, his own head ducking to examine the area.

Kino's eyes widen and his whole body freezes. Here he was again, invading his personal space.

"You might bruise or something. Looks kinda red. Does it hurt?". His hand is ridiculously big, and warm and Kino felt his pulse speed up, which meant Wooseok would too.

"Why are you like this" Kino whines, gently pushing at Wooseok's chest to get him away but of course he doesn't budge.

"Look just...I know it doesn't seem that way, but I kind of don't like people physically hurt this way. By someone else as well". His head fills with thoughts of his dad, and how many times he was hit, punched, kicked, spat on. How many bruises he has had. How many times he had to clean his own blood, or bandage up his own wrist. It was a lonely and painful life. He wished he had someone to turn to in those moments, or for someone to tend to his wounds. It was worse a couple years ago. These days be kind of got used to it. Going at it alone.

So seeing other people get hurt like this, suddenly, with no pretence, well he hated it. Just a side effect of being on the receiving end of it I guess.

He wouldn't tell Kino this obviously. So slowly he steps away and just nods at him. "You're fine. You'll live".

"Yeah, thank you for your diagnosis doctor". Kino licks over his dry lips and takes a step out of the alley. He turns to face Wooseok one last time, "Thank you again. For helping me".

"Next time, do it yourself" Wooseok tells him teasingly. The smile on his face throws Kino off a little, so all he can do is nod before making his way home. Through more crowded streets now though.