Amidst the stars | Heehoon

Chapter 16

Upon entering the house, Sunghoon flicked on the lights, and flashbacks from the party came flying back into his head once again. "I'll be back from the restroom," Sunghoon said, placing down his bag across from Heeseung, who was resting on the couch. The boy nodded, averting his gaze away from the boy to the TV. He was now alone with Sunghoon in his house, and his mind was running wild.

"No.. heeseung, you need to calm the fuck down..." he muttered under his breath, throwing his head back and resting it against the backrest. He knew the boy had been feeling off for a few days; he would constantly zone out, face turning pale at times, and that concerned Heeseung. He knew he should at least mention it, but the thought of Sunghoon's health worsening was keeping him hesitant.

"Hey," he heard a low mumble approaching him. Sunghoon was now dressed casually in a plaid, black shirt with grey sweatpants, the frown was still evident on his face, but he looked much more lively compared to before. "Wanna wear these for now?" he asked, holding up a pair of teddy pajamas. Heeseung stared at him with a dull face, "really? Out of everything you had, you chose these teddy pjs?" He asked, scoffing and standing up. Sunghoon shrugged as his lips curved into a thin smile. "You'll look cute," he whispered, but Heeseung heard it clearly, suppressing a chuckle.

___

"Popcorn or pizza?" Sunghoon asked while pulling the bag of popcorn into the microwave. "Hmm.. you have ramen?" Heeseung asked, plopping on the kitchen counter. "Watching movies while eating ramen is the best feeling," he added. "Uh, I have three packets of shin ramen, want that?" he asked, placing the bag of popcorn inside the microwave, "we'll have some popcorn too," he mumbled while shuffling through the cabinet to find the three bags of ramen he mentioned earlier. Heeseung only hummed, watching the younger's movement intently. It's as if everything the younger did would cause his heart to melt.

He really did waddle like a penguin, and there was no denying it. "Penguin," heeseung called out, and the younger simply hummed, being used to the nickname since it became common to his ears. "You walk like a penguin," Heeseung spoke after a few seconds of silence, and Sunghoon immediately turned around to face him, cheeks tinted cherry red. "W-what? I don't walk like a penguin, the fuck–" he rolled his eyes, and turned back around to dig through the shelves. Heeseung chuckled, and the younger threw a glare at him—- which looked cute rather than intimidating.

"Ish..." He heard the younger mumble, finally letting his lips fall open as snickered at the younger's cuteness. "What're you laughing at, idiot? You like to see me suffer, don't you?" Sunghoon traced heavy footsteps toward the older who watched him in glee. He stopped in front of Heeseung, head just a few inches shorter. Sunghoon gulped, eyeing the boy in front of him, but then his gaze shifted to the cabinet behind and he forgot what he was going to say.

"Hyung, can you get the ramen packets from behind you? They're on top of the shelves— and I can't believe I just noticed them," he asked, stepping back, eyes falling back on Heeseung. The latter turned his head and also noticed the packs of noodles on top of the brown cabinet. "How'd they even get there in the first place?" the taller muttered under his breath, slipping his feat over the counter and standing up, hands firmly clutched around the cabinet to keep him stable. He grabbed the packets, and threw them down to Sunghoon who caught them, mumbling a low thanks.

"Want me to help you, penguin?" heeseung asked, peeking over Sunghoon's shoulder. The younger almost gasped, flinching lightly. "Dude– can you not just appear behind me like that? You have a knack for showing up at the most random times.." sunghoon whined, voice trailing off. Heeseung chuckled, settling his arms on the counter beside the younger, caging him in between his arms. Sunghoon gulped, trying not to meet gaze with Heeseung. He thought it was normal for friends to do such things— Jungwon would hug him and sometimes cage him between his arms, but his heart never went crazy like that. So what exactly is he feeling? Hunger? Disgust— no way— anger? Fatigue? Butterflies? There was no way, he thought.