Let me In | Enhypen

Tag | 16

For at least half an hour Heeseung had sat watching as Riki and Jay had talked about something. From Heeseung's point of view it seemed mostly like it was Jay talking in a comforting manner to the younger one.

A small sigh escaped Heeseung as he pushed himself up from where he sat. The two other boys immediately halted their conversation as they watched the older boy drag his feet towards them before eventually slumping down on the other side of Riki.

Not a word left Heeseung, he simply looked at the floor in front of him while resting his arms on his knees. Beside him Riki was staring at him with confused eyes as Jay only looked at him with sorrow. Having known Heeseung for long - Jay knew exactly what thoughts were running through his head. He felt bad for how he treated Millie and now he was scared he would never get to make it up, or at least that was the basic thoughts everyone could figure out went through Heeseung's head. Jay, however, also knew how Heeseung worried if his sister got any food or water out in the hallways, how he would explain to his parents his sister might be more paranoid when they got out of here. No matter what, all his worries fell back onto his sister.

"You'll get out of here," Heeseung eventually spoke up, looking at neither of the two boys he only looked straight ahead, "and your girlfriend will greet you in the airport... she might've prepared a big sign wishing you welcome back. She probably has a lot of fishbread with her - maybe if you're lucky she might've also bought a Nintendo Switch while you were gone so you two can play together for the days to come after you've returned home."

"She would make a sign wishing me welcome back from rehab or such," Riki commented tugging at the corners of Heeseung's lips as he simply nodded. He knew his sister would've done the exact same for him, "if she brings me fishbread she probably put something into the filling... toothpaste or mayonaise. It would seem like her. If she bought a Nintendo..." Riki paused as he imagined the scenery in front of him - it looked relatively happy in his head, yet he couldn't even muster a smile, "she would've played on it non-stop to assure she would win over me once I get home."

"She likes to tease you," Jay remarked and Riki simply shrugged in return, "she doesn't?"

"I think she enjoys playing around," Riki shook his head as he picked at the hem of his shirt, "I kind of fell for her childish antics... she's too innocent, it makes me fear what would happen to her if I don't get out of here... if she found out what happened to me, or if I just end up as a missing person's case. I can't imagine she'll ever smile again."

"That's why you'll get out," Heeseung nodded once again, "because you have something to fight for. The rest of us don't."

"We do," Jay insisted and Heeseung quietly shook his head.

"All we have to fight for is in here with us," Heeseung remarked, "none of us really love our families, do we? Jake's dad is always on business trips and his mom works hard. Sunghoon has trained so much he's distant from his family. Sunoo only smiles when he's around us. Jungwon is in constant conflict with his dad. Mom and dad puts too much pressure on me to be the perfect kid, and you..." Heeseung trailed off as he looked to Jay, "you're always bitter of how your parents go to those fancy business dinners every other night instead of spending time with their only child."

"That's not true," Jay spoke through gritted teeth.

"It is," Heeseung insisted, "if it wasn't true you wouldn't look so frustrated. Matter of fact is that all we have are our friends, some of us are lucky enough to have romantic partners, but even then they're dragged into this mess with us. Riki has a girl to go home to, one he obviously is very fond of. We are nothing but a bunch of outcasts out in the real world and you know that."

Jay frowned at the older boy, knowing he was right in what he was saying, yet he didn't want to admit it out loud leaving the three of them in a deep silence. The tension between Heeseung and Jay grew by the second, not going unnoticed by Riki - while he glanced between each of the two.

"We all have something to live for," Riki eventually shook his head in denial, "it might not be our families, our friends or our partners. Maybe it's the miniscule things... Jay hyung loves to cook, he loves serving it for people to get their compliments," Riki stated as an example, earning a small glance from Jay, "Sunoo hyung loves going around and smiling at everyone just because he wants them to be happy. Jungwon-ie hyung does his Taekwondo, it might be irrelevant to everyone else and the situation, but to him it's stress relief and his free-space. Our reasons to get out of here doesn't have to be a specific person. Maybe it's just the small joys in our daily lives we want to live for."

Jay and Heeseung shared a look before looking back at Riki, who quietly pressed his lips into a thin line. He was obviously affected by his own words.

"Next Player please enter."

Heeseung let out another small sigh before getting up from the floor and walking towards the door to start the game himself.