wander [ hyunlix ]

19

Manners, position, and obedience... three concepts which seemed to rule over life an unreasonable amount, and yet were not fit to be questioned by anyone.

Hwang Hyunjin was fourteen years of age, and knew these laws of the land as if it were the back of his hand.

Manners had been the easiest to learn; a few classes here and there had been enough to instill the basics in his head. Obedience came naturally; he'd seen many times the consequences of going against the will of his household.

Position? Well, that was still being worked on... he was just a child after all.

"And then! You're never gonna believe what happened next, Hyun!" resounded the excited voice of a boy, around fifteen, standing on the bed in Hyunjin's room like some sort of ruffian.

"Can you..." Hyunjin spoke up from the chair on which he was sitting quietly, bothered by the other boy stepping on his pillow. "Please... get off? Maybe?"

The older boy, a cheerful kid by the name of Lee Minho, completely ignored him. He'd come up to his friend's bedroom today to impart him with amazing news, and wasn't about to allow Hyunjin's weird reservations to hold him back.

"He! Asked! Me! To DATE him!" Minho enunciated every word in the sentence excitedly, almost squealing in excitement like a little girl. "And I said yes!"

Hyunjin stared at the other boy for a moment, a weird feeling overcoming him at the news. Of course, he'd already known that his friend was gay... that wasn't the surprise. Yet, hearing of his sudden success in actually dating someone...

"That's great!" Hyunjin responded, putting a small smile on his face. "Is it someone I know?"

"Nahhh," Minho flopped down on Hyunjin's bed as he answered, a little too hyperactive. "He's from another school. He's nice though, you would like him!"

Hyunjin gave yet another halfhearted smile at this, not sure of what to reply. Minho, a bit caught up in whatever season of romance he was going through, hopped off of the bed and ran over to Hyunjin, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"So? We have to find you someone now, hottie," Minho teased him, playfully poking him in the chest.

Hyunjin gave an awkward laugh as he brushed Minho's hand away. "Nooo, it's okay. I'm fine..."

"Ahh, come on!" Minho encouraged him. "Isn't there someone you like? Maybe in class?"

The younger boy was silent for a minute, apparently thinking over what Minho had said.
"Well," Hyunjin spoke up after a second. "That, uh, girl from the Kang family is nice. You know the store owners? My parents like her a lot."

Minho gave him a disapproving look. "Really? That's all you could think of?"

"I... I don't know!" Hyunjin defended himself.
"There's also that Yoojung girl whose family has that hotel. My parents like her too—"

"No!" Minho cut him off immediately. "I asked who you like, not your parents!"

"I— I mean," Hyunjin fumbled to explain himself, at a loss for words. "I do like them! They're nice!"