Help Me Out? (Seongjoong)

~21~

⚠️eating disorder, Alcoholism⚠️

|-|

The food court is beyond busy. So utterly crowded it wasn't even funny.
"Burgers?"
I turn my head to Seonghwa, who was currently gripping at my hoodie sleeve like his life depended on it.

Seonghwa hesitated to answer, biting his lip, and looking back to his mom. His unfinished words from earlier in the dressing room flooded my mind.
"Or not. What else would you like to eat?"
I ask, still not entirely sure what he was so concerned about.
"No, it's fine."
He weakly smiles at me.

When we get in front of the older man working the counter, he looks to Seonghwa's mother, waiting for her order.

"I'll find a table."
She says, before walking off to an empty table.

Seonghwa orders a surprisingly small meal, I squint my eyes at him, but he ignores me. Silently going to the table, tray in hand.

"Are you really going to eat all that?"
His mother asks, pointing her fork to the small plate of food in front of Seonghwa.

What the fuck.

No answer. He just shakes his head.

I watch as he picks around his food. Eating a fry one in awhile. This whole experience was pissing me off now. He refused to make eye contact, his eyes never leaving his plate.

I tried shoving a fry into his mouth, but he quietly turned his head away.

I shift conversations. Hoping to distract him enough to eat more. I ask his mother about being a doctor. Which was a successful subject change. As she goes on a tangent about the small local office she works in, the drama between her coworks, and oddly enough, the fact that she kept tabs on the men that had prescriptions for Viagra. Something I didn't really need to know.

Seonghwa stays quiet though. The only thing he says is a quiet mumble. Something I didn't quite catch.

Finally, the sun begins setting, and she drives us back to campus after one of the most uncomfortable meals I've ever experienced. Giving us a sweet goodbye, before driving down the road.

"You wanna come upstairs?"
Seonghwa asks, and I nod.

When we arrive to his single, he's quick to open his leftovers box from the mall, setting himself at his desk.
"I'm so hungry."
He states, turning to me.
"Do you want anything else? I can run to the cafeteria?"
I offer, plopping myself onto his soft bed. Hoping to get him to eat more food.
"No. Thank you though."
He replys, shoving food into his mouth.

"I knew she was going to do that,"
He says shaking his head.
"I just didn't know if she was going to do it in front of you. I kind of expected her to just cringe at me eating... But that was worse "

I'm silent. Waiting for him to continue. Or to stop. I didn't want to force him into talking when he didn't want to talk.

"She's got a pretty twisted view of food consumption. It's actually annoying..."
His voice trails off. His face shifting into a cringe.
"I wish it wasn't like that."