ONF | Underground

-

the streets were quiet and he loved it.  his steps able to echo off the stone buildings as he walked home.  he didn't speed up to catch up to the male in front of him, no.  he kept his pace.

"are we going to get our test results soon?"

he filled to silence calmly, his high voice quiet as to not desturb the environment around them.  the other man's footsteps came to a halt.

"i hope not."

the youngers steps stopped as well, a few feet behind the man in a thick coat.  it was snowing but the snow was ugly to the older man, to the younger it was absolutely beautiful.

"why not, don't you want to know how we did?"

"it's not that easy, seungjun," the voice was barely above a whisper, "this is the lab.  we were being tested by the lab.  im nervous."

"so what," seungjun mumbled, kicking at the thin layer of snow on the ground, "it's still just a test, hyojinnie, there's no need to worry."

hyojin grabbed seungjun's hand, tugging him forward, "let's go.  you're only wearing a sweater and you'll get sick."

"what if i want to get sick?"

"fine," hyojin mumbled, letting go of seungjun's hand and contined walking, seungjun crossing his arms and standing back in his heels.  it was around half a block where hyojin stopped and turned around, "please?"

seungjun giggled, running to catch up with hyojin.

the walk was short for them, so used to the path of gray streets and building.  they didn't have to think twice about where they were going.

hyojin flicked open the metal mailbox, seungjun cringing at the sound of his finger hitting the metal, the male reached it, blank faced as he grabbed the letter, immediately tearing to envelope open.

"i passed," hyojin whispered, he repeated it, voice raised and happy, "jun, i passed!"

"if you passed there's no way i failed," seungjun laughed as hyojin took his wrist and dragged him over to the house that was only 2 houses down.

seungjun opened the mailbox, fingers brushing over letters that weren't his until he landed on that one letter.  he grabbed it, ripping it open with his teeth as he simultaneously closed the mailbox.

grabbing the paper inside, he let the envelope fall to the ground as he unfolded it, hyojin bouncing on the balls of his feet.

"this isn't fair," was all seungjun could muster up once his eyes scanned the information he was looking for, "i... failed.... and they want me.  tomorrow."

-

when he heard tomorrow he didn't think at 7 am.  he normally wasn't a morning person but something told him to get ready early that day, hyojin didn't regret it.

seungjun's voice was something his ears were trained to and hearing the younger yelling had him running outside.

city security guards stood around him, 4 of them, they looked more like soldiers.  seungjun's family was held to the side.

"i can't say goodbye? i can't bring anything?"

there was no response except for him being shoved forward.

hyojin was careful, creeping forward until he was in front of seungjun's house, the guards more concerned with seungjun's resisting than anyone watching.

"seungjun!"

"hyojin!"

hyojin gave himself away, desperate to at least get a goodbye from his best friend.  he hoped they could see each other at the lab and be together soon but he still wanted a temporary goodbye.