People Watching ★ 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐒𝐮𝐧

13: Down memory lane

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

"Do you want candy?"

The boy didn't look up, his voice barely a whisper. "No."

Sunoo raised an eyebrow, surprised by the soft refusal. "Are you sure?" he pressed, holding out a brightly colored lollipop from his fox-shaped bag.

The boy finally looked up, his eyes dark with uncertainty. "I'm not allowed to take stuff from strangers."

With a playful grin, Sunoo placed the lollipop on the boy's lap and sat beside him on the bench. "But we're not strangers! We're in the same class."

The boy lowered his head again, pulling his knees closer to his chest. "We don't know each other. That makes us strangers."

Sunoo's voice softened as he extended his hand. "Then let's change that. I'm Kim Sunoo."

There was a long pause before the boy finally spoke, his voice a mere murmur. "I'm Park Sunghoon."

Suddenly, Sunoo was yanked back to reality by the sound of Jungwon's voice. "Sunoo! Hey! Earth to Sunoo!" Jungwon stood impatiently in the middle of Sunoo's room, frustration lacing his tone. He grabbed a pillow and smacked Sunoo with it, forcing him to snap out of his trance.

"What's your problem?" Sunoo yelped, his hands clenching around the pillow Jungwon had thrown at him. He hurled it across the room, watching it slam against the wall.

Jungwon crossed his arms, unimpressed. "Why are you so spaced out today? You don't usually get mad this fast." He leaned in, placing the back of his hand against Sunoo's forehead. "You don't have a fever..."

Sunoo slapped his hand away, getting up from the bed. "I'm fine, okay? See, it's the same old me!" He forced a grin, but Jungwon cringed, shaking his head.

"Ew, don't do that. Ever again." Jungwon made a face, and Sunoo's smile dropped. His shoulders slumped as he muttered under his breath, "That stupid emo..."

In a sudden burst of frustration, Sunoo threw himself onto the floor like a child throwing a tantrum. "He thinks he can make decisions for everyone else!" he shouted, his fists pounding the carpet. "He'll pay for this. I don't even know why I cared! I'm done worrying about people!"

Jungwon stood nearby, arms still crossed, watching Sunoo's outburst with a calm expression. "Feeling better now?" he asked when Sunoo finally sat up, breathing heavily from all the shouting.

Sunoo nodded, brushing off his pants. "Actually, yeah. It felt good."

Jungwon rolled his eyes. "Well, I hope so. I had to listen to your endless whining." He sat down on the bed. "But what do you mean, you worry about him? Are you seriously talking about the guy who made you cry for weeks when we were kids?"

Sunoo looked down, avoiding eye contact. He hadn't told Jungwon about what had happened with Sunghoon earlier. "It's happened twice now," he finally admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Jungwon's jaw dropped. "What? Twice?" His disbelief was palpable, and he tapped his foot on the floor as he processed what Sunoo had said. "Someone needs to have a serious talk with that guy."

Sunoo, realizing where Jungwon's mind was headed, blurted out, "Wait! Aren't you the one always telling me that violence isn't the answer?"

Jungwon's confusion deepened. "Dude, what are you talking about?"

"You can't hurt him!" Sunoo's voice was sharp, almost desperate.

Jungwon's eyes narrowed, then softened with understanding. "I'm not gonna hurt him," he said quietly. "I just need to talk to him."

Before Sunoo could respond, Jungwon bolted down the stairs, ready to confront Sunghoon. Panicking, Sunoo raced after him, but just as they were about to make it out the door, his mom appeared, blocking their way.

"Hold on, boys," she said, adjusting her earrings. "Sunoo, remember you're in charge of your little brother today. I'm going out, so make sure he doesn't burn the house down."

She glanced at Jungwon with a knowing look. "Wonie, help make sure these two don't end up killing each other, okay?"

Jungwon saluted her playfully. "Of course, Ms. Kim. I've got it under control."

Sunoo groaned, checking the time on his watch. "At 9 a.m.? Really?"

His mom rolled her eyes. "It's just a coffee date, honey." She blew them a kiss before walking out the door.

As soon as she left, Jungwon sighed dramatically. "You're lucky your mom stopped me," he muttered. "If it weren't for her, I'd have given Sunghoon the talking of his life."

Sunoo shook his head, determination filling his eyes. "We don't need a talking. We need a plan."

Jungwon raised an eyebrow. "A plan? We don't even have one."

Sunoo grinned mischievously. "Oh, we will. But for now, we've got to deal with that gremlin."

His gaze shifted toward Niki, who was sprawled across the couch, completely immersed in his game. Niki's ears perked up, catching the word "gremlin."

"I can hear you, you know," Niki grumbled without looking up.

Sunoo chuckled. "That's exactly why I said it, fool."

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

For the lazy, by yours truly 13 ʚ(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )ɞ

Chapter summary: As the memories came rushing back, Jungwon quickly shook Sunoo out of his daze. Sunoo then proceeded to recount the events of the previous night with Sunghoon. The more Jungwon listened, the more furious he became, and he decided that he needed to confront Sunghoon. However, just as they were about to head downstairs, Sunoo's mother intervened, reminding them that they still had to take care of Niki.