Slow Down - Jaywon

12: 'Tears and breakdowns'

He had woken up when the car came to a halt. Jay had parked outside of the dormitory building and Jungwon came to realize that he had slept the entire ride.

"You're up," Jay said as he reached for the bag in the backseat.

"Sorry...for falling asleep," Jungwon said, looking down at his hands.

"I said it was okay," Jay told him.

He pressed the button in as the seatbelt clicked, and Jungwon carefully moved his arms to take it off. "Come on," he said, fixing the key ring on his finger. "Let's go inside, yeah?"

Jungwon nodded faintly, stretching his arms out a little. "Okay."

"I'll put everything away, just go get some sleep, alright?"

Though Jungwon looked hesitant to agree, gawking at the small bag as if it were too much for Jay to put away alone, he eventually did. The boy nodded his head and made a way to his room the moment he removed his shoes.

The door closed behind him and Jay sighed. He had a lot of questions, possibly too many to count on his fingers alone, but he knew it wasn't the time to ask them. Maybe it won't ever be; not for him, and not for Jungwon. He wanted to appreciate it, the fact that Jungwon was willing to share, the fact that he was trying, but he couldn't if it was at the expense of his own comfort.

But he could at least appreciate that something was getting better, little by little but surely.

And it has only been how many days?

Six. (And classes were starting up tomorrow.)

He chose not to think about it anymore and instead just finish putting everything away like he said. It only took a few minutes and then Jay was in his room, setting alarms belatedly as the realization--that classes are about to start up the next day--hit him. A part of him wondered if Jungwon knew it, too, but it was Jungwon, so he most likely did.

Hell, there were a lot of things on his mind, but classes wouldn't push back their time and he needed to go to sleep.