𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚊 {𝚑𝚎𝚎𝚔𝚒}

Chapter 2

He took some drags uncomfortably as silence settled in.

"Oh, my name's Heeseung by the way..." he said in a weak voice and rubbed the back of his neck, trying not to cough.

"Do I look like I care?" the boy fired back rudely as he looked at Heeseung, clearly upset, his eyes piercing through him.

Heeseung was surprised but he tried not to show this unpleasant feeling he got whenever he felt like he annoyed someone.

"Oh sorry I just..." he cleared his throat. "I've seen you sitting here before some times and I was wondering if you're a local," he continued, trying to sound approachable and casual or whatever it takes to not look weird

The guy had a different opinion though. He glanced at Heeseung with an intimidating look and scoffed.

"You don't have to be up on everybody's business. Or talk to other other people unprovoked," he stated and got up after taking a good look of Heeseung's face for the first time. Then he frowned and walked away.

Ok, good for me I guess. Speaking with this asshole was a waste of time anyway. Heeseung thought and got up too.

While he was ready to cross the road, he saw that punk again  further on the pavement stumbling and it looked like he was going to collapse.

Heeseung became worried suddenly, remembering the heavy smell of alcohol and ran towards him.

When he was just a footstep away from the guy, the latter immediately turned his head to face him under this yellow light, a brighter one than the booth's pale soft blue one.

He looked worse. He looked sick. Under his eyes there was a crimson colour and eye bags. His face was paper white and his lips were ghastly.

Heeseung got concerned as he stared at the stranger.

"Are you ok?" Heeseung asked calmly as he held the guy's waist.

He didn't answer as he suddenly held Heeseung's arm trying not to fall.

"Do you want me to get you somewhere?" Heeseung asked as the stranger had his face turned to the pavement.

"N-no you get on my nerves," he stranger refused breathlessly as he clung harder on Heeseung's arm.

A cool air blew and the guy grew colder, his shaking worsened. Heeseung started getting more and more concerned to the point where he basically started begging.

"You don't look ok at all. Let's go somewhere until you feel better," he said knowing that he'd feel guilty if he left the other man alone here.

Ni-ki shivered as half of his weight was on Heeseung. The guy was taller and more masculine and it was difficult for the other to hold him.

"You know, I can't carry you forever," Heeseung said sternly as his knees folded.

"Let's g-go to a cafe," the other said refusing to look at Heeseeung's eyes.

"Whatever," Heeseung breathed out and tried his best to carry the guy as he placed the stranger's arm on his shoulder and held his waist tightly.

They crossed the road silently as they headed towards the center of the small town. After passing some silent roads of the houses they were on the life of the town, the center. The lights were brighter and more yellow and loud voices of locals and tourists could be heard from the nearby markets with souvenirs.

"Heeseung," the stranger's weak voice was heard and the other looked at him with brief surprise on his face, convinced that the guy would've forgotten his name. "A quiet place, ok?"

They walked a little and they entered a small cafe that only had a couple.

"Is it ok here?" Heeseung asked, after placing him on the chair.

The other one gave a nod and looked around him.

"I want a hot tea." he said and looked out of the window. Heeseung nodded and waited for the waiter.

"Can you please bring us a cold espresso and a hot tea?" Heeseung ordered and silence fell between them.

The stranger was still intimidating, even in thus state but Heeseung was sick of listening to the couple laughing at each others' stupid jokes.

"What's your name?"

"Ni-ki."

Another silence.

"Sounds foreigner," Heeseung commented.

"I'm Japanese."

"No wonder," Heeseung said.

Ni-ki misinterpreted it and raised an eyebrow as he stared the other man down and folded his arms.

The waitress arrived with the drinks and let them on the table. Ni-ki carefully held the big cup of hot tea and took a sip.

"What's wrong with being Japanese, huh?" Ni-ki raised his chin as he stared intensely at the other.

"Didn't mean anything bad, it was about your features."

"Mm..." the other man looked at the window. "Many Koreans here have decided to put their two cents about my ethnicity, that's all."

It is a small town after all. No surprise racism would be a thing.
Heeseung figured.

"So what do you do when they say stuff like that?" Heeseung asked.

"I beat the shit out of them."

"Don't you have trouble with the police?" Heeseung wasn't really surprised by the answer.

"Police?" Ni-ki chuckled. "I'm seventeen, bro."

Heeseung's eyes widened. The guy in front of him looked older than him, having this build, the height, the hair, the face as well as the earring and the lip piercing. Though listing these things in his mind made the other one sound more like a delinquent.

"No way... I've just turned nineteen a month ago."

Ni-ki laughed out loud. "Ok man, sure."

They stopped talking for a little as Heeseung took a sip of his drink. He suddenly became self conscious of his unkempt hair , his gray sweatpants and his white t-shirt.

"So what are you doing here? There's no uni's or colleges in this area," Ni-ki suddenly said as his eyes followed a group of girls walking.

"I um... I write a book."

"So daddy's money."

"I finished my first year but I want a gap year," Heeseung resorted back to a safe explanation, not wanting to unwind all of the past happenings that led to this decision.

"So what do you study?"

"Architecture."

"Fancy," Ni-ki commented, tapping his finger to the table as he took a long look of Heeseung. "It is said that most architecture students swing a certain way," he said with a half smile.

"That's bullshit," Heeseung rolled his eyes uncomfortably. Did this bratty soon-to-be senior think that he was hitting on him?

"Mmmh... It figures."

Ni-ki suddenly got up as he straightened his black shirt.

"Thanks for the tea, Heeseung, see you around," he said as he went to the exit without looking back.