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╭┈─────── ೄྀ࿐ ˊˎ-
❝ halcyon days pt ii ❞
After that incident, you find yourself gravitating towards Sung Jinwoo more often than not and vice versa. It should feel strange, and maybe it would be if it were anyone else, but it's not. Probably because he saw you at your weakest and extended a helping hand. Bonded by trauma and all that.
During class, the two of you sit next to each other. You don't speak at all, but when the words on the page blend into one big chunk of soup swirling black onto white, you'll find a piece of paper lying innocuously on your desk. He doesn't give you the answers, though. He just writes an explanation in neat strokes and for that, you're grateful. It would seem too much like pity otherwise.
You spend your lunch sitting together on the school rooftop, because you don't have anywhere else to sit. Sung Jinwoo talks a lot. About his sister. About his eomma. About his appa. Your shoulders brush on occasion, but you don't say a word. You just listen silently, humming occasionally to show you're listening. You don't mind the company.
As you don't really have a lot of money to spend, you tend to go some days without food. You need to save up for your rent, and your secret cash stash just in case you need a quick escape. While you're used to it, Sung Jinwoo seems to be incredibly averse to the idea of you not eating three square meals a day. You don't have the heart to tell him you barely eat one. So when you find small offerings of homemade gimbap and bulgogi and rice with kimchi placed on your desk, you silently consume the food.
When the other children sneer at you for being disturbing and weird, he says nothing but stands quietly at your side. A silent supporter. It doesn't change much, not really. You're not sure it should change much. He's weaker, so you should be the one protecting him. Not the other way around. But he's there all the same. And that changes everything.
Your debts are piling up, you think.
If he continues being so kind to you, you'll never be rid of him. You're so stupid. Accepting his help, yet unable to do anything to balance out the scales. He helped you once before, still continues to help you now. All you have to offer him are your talents, but you don't think he would look kindly upon your offer of taking out his enemies for him. He wouldn't want that.
Kindness, love, care. These are shackles of the worst kind.
All you can do for him in return is make sure he stays safe. The other students tend to avoid you like the plague, citing you're too "emotionless" and "doll-like" that "it's creepy". With the added safety net of your presence, Sung Jinwoo soon becomes a deterrent for bullies seeking to make themselves feel bigger. The only downside is that the other students avoid him too, for fear of you sucking out their souls with your creepy demon eyes.
