People Watching ★ 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐒𝐮𝐧

26: Unspoken

AN: Hey everyone! I just wanted to share that this might be my last update for a little while. With all the wildfires raging here in California, things are a bit chaotic. Looking forward to reconnecting when things settle down! Take care!

—

Sunghoon's fingers tightened around the fabric of his hoodie pocket, the weight of the moment pulling him down like an anchor. Heeseung didn't look at him with judgment—he never had. But that was the problem. Heeseung didn't see him the way their father did. The way the world did. To Heeseung, Sunghoon was just the little brother who hadn't figured himself out yet, someone still "finding his place."

But Sunghoon knew what everyone else saw: a disappointment.

Heeseung finally glanced over at him, a flicker of concern in his eyes, but Sunghoon turned his gaze to the floor before their eyes could meet. He couldn't take Heeseung's pity tonight.

"Sunghoon," Heeseung said after a moment, his voice steady, careful. "Can we talk outside for a second?"

Their father huffed, waving them off like it was a waste of time. "Do whatever you want, but don't sugarcoat things for him, Heeseung. He needs to hear the truth if he's ever going to grow up."

Sunghoon's jaw clenched as he brushed past his brother toward the front door. He could feel Heeseung's eyes on him, could almost hear the gears turning in his head as he tried to figure out how to fix things—because Heeseung always wanted to fix things.

The crisp evening air hit Sunghoon's face as he stepped outside, the familiar hum of the city filling the silence between them. Heeseung closed the door behind them, his movements deliberate, like he was treading on eggshells.

"What do you want?" Sunghoon asked, his tone sharp enough to cut through the night. Heeseung didn't flinch, though. He never did.

"I just wanted to check in with you," Heeseung said, leaning casually against the porch railing. "You've been... quiet."

Sunghoon let out a bitter laugh. "Quiet? What am I supposed to say? Dad's already got it all figured out, doesn't he? I'm a failure. End of story."

"That's not what he meant."

"Don't do that," Sunghoon snapped, turning to face his brother. "Don't defend him like he didn't just call me worthless in front of you."

Heeseung sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm not defending him. I'm just saying... Dad's hard on everyone. Even me."

Sunghoon scoffed. "Yeah, right. You're the golden boy, remember? The one who's always perfect in his eyes. The one who gets to come back from America and be the hero while I'm stuck here being nothing."

The words spilled out before he could stop them, raw and unfiltered. Heeseung didn't interrupt, didn't try to calm him down. He just listened, his brows furrowing as the weight of Sunghoon's frustration sank in.

"I'm not trying to compete with you, Sunghoon," Heeseung said quietly after a long pause. "You're my brother. I just... I wish you'd let me help."

Sunghoon shook his head, laughing bitterly again. "You can't help. You don't get it. You've never been the one left behind, never been the one Dad looks at like a waste of space. You'll never get what it's like to be second, no matter how hard you try."

Heeseung opened his mouth to respond, but Sunghoon was already walking away, his fists clenched at his sides. He didn't know where he was going, only that he needed to get out of there before the suffocating weight of their father's words—and Heeseung's concern—buried him alive.

—

The park was quiet, the kind of stillness that felt heavy and alive all at once. Sunghoon sat on the swing, hands loosely gripping the chains as he stared at the ground.

Sunoo's voice broke through the silence, sharp and teasing as always. "Wow, sitting here all alone, looking like a sad art student sketch. What's next? Are you gonna start monologuing about the meaning of life?"

Sunghoon glanced up briefly, his expression unreadable. "Go home, Sunoo."

"Nah," Sunoo said, plopping himself onto the swing next to him. He kicked his legs out, letting the swing sway lazily. "I saw you walking out here and figured I'd come ruin your brooding session. You're welcome."

Sunghoon shook his head but didn't respond.

The silence stretched, and Sunoo tapped his foot against the ground, the sound filling the gap. He hated quiet moments like these—they made his chest feel tight, like something was clawing its way out.

"So," Sunoo began, voice deliberately light, "what's eating you? Your dad, I'm guessing."

Sunghoon's shoulders tensed, and Sunoo immediately regretted the comment. Not that he'd let it show.

"No, wait. Don't tell me." Sunoo leaned toward him, his tone mock-dramatic. "Did someone dare to insult your perfect hair? Or—wait—did you finally realize you're not as cool as you think you are?"

"Sunoo," Sunghoon muttered, his voice low, almost warning.

"What?" Sunoo grinned, though it faltered slightly under Sunghoon's sharp gaze. "Just trying to lighten the mood. You're welcome, by the way."

Sunghoon sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. "You don't have to be here, you know."

"Yeah, yeah," Sunoo said, waving a hand. "But here I am anyway. Call it my good deed for the day."

Sunghoon didn't reply, and Sunoo felt his stomach twist. He hated when Sunghoon got like this—closed off, unreachable. It wasn't like Sunoo didn't know why. He knew enough about Sunghoon's dad to piece things together, even if Sunghoon never said much outright. But still...

"Well," Sunoo said, his voice quieter now, "if it is your dad, I hope he trips on his stupid Chief badge and falls into a mud puddle. Preferably in public."

That earned him a faint snort, and Sunoo's chest loosened a bit.

"See? You'd miss me if I wasn't around."

Sunghoon gave him a look. "That's debatable."

"Liar," Sunoo shot back, smirking. But his hands gripped the swing's chains tighter than necessary, and he avoided meeting Sunghoon's eyes.

The truth was, he wanted to say something real, something that would actually help, but every time he tried, his stomach flipped, and his brain screamed at him to stop.

Instead, he kicked at the ground, his swing rocking slightly. "Anyway, you're not getting rid of me, so suck it up. Someone has to make sure you don't, I don't know, turn into Batman or something."

Sunghoon shook his head again, but his lips twitched upward. "You're unbelievable."

"And yet you keep me around," Sunoo quipped. "You're welcome for that, too."

This time, Sunghoon didn't respond, and the quiet that followed wasn't so heavy anymore.

Sunoo swung his legs lazily, pretending his heart wasn't racing. He told himself it was just the cold air, not the way Sunghoon's faint smile had made his chest do that stupid fluttery thing again.

He cleared his throat, hopping off the swing with exaggerated energy. "Well, this has been fun, but I should probably go before you decide to start crying or something. Later!"

"Sunoo," Sunghoon called after him, his tone softer now.

Sunoo froze for a second, his back to Sunghoon, before turning around with a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yeah?"

"Thanks."

Sunoo blinked, his grin faltering for half a second before he recovered. "You better be thanking me. I'm pretty amazing."

Without waiting for a reply, he turned on his heel and walked off, his steps quick and a little uneven.

Behind him, Sunghoon sat quietly, watching until Sunoo disappeared into the night.