Payback AU: What If

Act 2.15 - So You Won't Get Any Scars

Yoohan felt like he was finally leaving Wonderland as they arrived at Incheon. This past month had been a rollercoaster of feelings for him, and he left the foreign land in quite a dazed state.

Jay's mother had wanted Jay to bring her ash back to Korea, so they wasted no time finishing any procedure and came back immediately. There was no more reason for them to stay there any longer, anyway.

It was Yoohan's first time inside a columbarium. Apparently, Jay's mother had already reserved a place for her ever since she was diagnosed with cancer years ago. As he watched Jay look at his mother's urn wordlessly, Yoohan suddenly wanted to hold the man's hand, for some reason. Jay looked at him when Yoohan grabbed his hand and entwined their fingers. The man smiled gently, because Yoohan seemed more saddened about this than him, and kissed his lover's forehead softly.

"Let's get you home." He pulled Yoohan's hand and walked out without looking back. Both mother and son had bid their goodbyes since a long time ago, and both had been contented. Jay thought his mother didn't have to hang onto false hope anymore, and the mother had felt relieved his only son wouldn't be alone anymore.

Yoohan was the one who got silent along the ride home. He was staring absentmindedly at the scenery, brows furrowing like he was contemplating something seriously. When they arrived in the parking lot of Yoohan's apartment complex, the young man looked at Jay, and spoke in a rather serious tone.

"Do you want to come up?"

It took Jay five full seconds to fully comprehend what Yoohan asked of him. He turned his head to look at the young man. Surprisingly, there was no embarrassment there. The black eyes were firm and determined. When Jay just stared at him silently, Yoohan finally spoke again.

"My mother and brother are home."

The car was silent again, with only the soft rumbling of an engine could be heard. For the first time, Yoohan actually saw a glimpse of fluster on Jay's face, although it only stayed for a second. The man wordlessly turned off the car's engine and alighted briskly, almost looking like a kid getting excited about an amusement ride.

Yoohan felt the corner of his mouth twitch. He wanted to smile, wanted to laugh at the way Jay turned to look at the car impatiently when Yoohan still hadn't come out. Yoohan took a deep breath before walking out of the car. He was the one that offered Jay to come, and he was serious about it. But as he climbed the stairs, he also started to think whether this was alright.

Should he talk separately to his mother first? But looking at Jay that calmly followed him while carrying his suitcase, Yoohan suddenly didn't really care anymore. He punched the passkey and almost could hear Hansoo shouting 'Mom, that must be Hyung!' so loud from inside. When he opened the door, his only two family member's faces greeted him almost immediately—his mother might miss him, but Hansoo probably just want some souvenir, the damn brat.

And just like Yoohan thought, Hansoo practically run into him while shouting "Hyung! Souvenir!" while pushing both his hands forward, palm up for collection.

"Hansoo-ah, you should let your brother rest first—"

But both of them immediately froze when they saw another person standing behind Yoohan. With his tall, solid frame, the man was hard to miss. Not to mention his overall vibe—the black three-piece suit, handsome visage, and sharp pale eyes—that was way too unfitting to be present in that humble apartment unit. It would probably feel even funnier if they were still living in that semi-basement room.

"Good evening," Jay smiled kindly, his smooth voice dripped with honey, dimple shown for the whole world to see. Yoohan looked at the man with dumbfounded eyes. He never recalled hearing Jay talked this sweetly before—the man really took advantage of his god-tier voice.