street lights // jeongcheol

0.1

You've got to be kidding me! That's the third time today! Jeonghan thought as polluted fumes billowed out from the exhaust pipe of a passing car, blowing right into his face.

Cars honked and taxi drivers merged recklessly from one lane to another. Skyscrapers housing important corporations and law firms towered over the city. Baby blue sky dotted with golden rimmed clouds reflected across the side of their dizzying heights.

Jeonghan was amazed at it all. He's never lived in a big city before, let alone been to one with so many tall buildings. The strap of his backpack started to slip off his shoulder as he gawked at the beautiful sky glistening off the skyscrapers surface.

The more it began to slip, the harder it was for Jeonghan to hold up the backpack. But, he couldn't pull up the strap due to his arms being full. He's carrying a heavy box of his only belongings, other than the ones in his backpack. Today was his first day here and he's still searching for the location of the apartment that'll soon be his new home.

He managed to slide past the other people walking along the busy sidewalk and stop at the entrance of a small alley.

Business women with pencil skirts and heels trotted past, taking important calls and discussing they're constant greed for more. More money, more fame, more leverage on their competition, more men... Just more. It seemed to him that the last thing this city needed was more... but everyone still wanted it.

In the light of the alley, Jeonghan was able to sit his things down and re-adjust the slipping bag. Once ready, he began to bend down and pick up the box to continue his search for his new address.

While reaching down, he heard a myschevious laugh behind him. He quickly turned to check behind him, squinting towards the back of the dark alley way.

Two men stepped into the light and smirked at Jeonghan. They snickered at the way he tensed up while taking in the tough appearances of the two.

"Sorry pretty boy, we didn't mean to interrupt what you were doing" One said, inching closer to the young man who backed away in confusion.

"Yea, don't mind us," The other let out with an airy laugh. "We were having a great time just watching a fit young man like yourself bend over to pick something up. But, maybe I could pick you up instead." Jeonghan scoffed at the mans words but suddenly felt vulnerable under his gaze. The look in the middle aged man's eyes was one of lust and insanity.

Jeonghan felt his breathing become jagged, his lungs screaming out that this was a bad situation, telling him to be afraid. His hands and legs joined in on the pity party, violently shaking as if they were telling him something very bad was going to happen very soon.

He knew the anxiety was beginning to build up around him. Like he was trapped in a bathtub and the faucet keeps running.

No, no, no, no... No! Not right now! Why am I like this damnit! Come on please dont have an anxiety attack please don't. Thoughts ran through Jeonghan's head as he backed against the wall, trying with everything in him to steady his breathing.

This left him no time to focus on the two 35 year old men growing closer to him by the second. He closed his eyes and slumped against the wall, not knowing what to do from here and giving up.

His phone is dead, his body won't cooperate, and there was a wall behind him, leaving the only way out being where the two greasy men were standing and heading for him. He's to frozen from fear to think of an elaborate plan like all the guys in the movies do. As far as Jeonghan knew, there was no escape and these two creepy men were going to take advantage of him and possibly kill him.

So, he just closes his eyes.

"Yah! What are you doing? Get out of here you disgusting rats"

Jeonghan's eyes snapped open at the new voice entering the scene. He watched as another guy, looking to be about his age, grabbed one of the men by the collar.

The mysterious boy roughly pushed the man against the wall opposite to Jeonghan, his hand now wrapped around the olders throat.

"Didn't I tell you an your friends to stay off my block? You're giving this area a bad reputation." He spat on the man's shoe and let him go. Both 35 year olds ran off to who knows where.

Jeonghan slid farther down the wall, now sitting on the ground with his knee's pulled to his chest. All he could do was stare at his hands and internally beg them to stop shaking. He still felt like the panic attack was drowning him, holding his head under water.

"Hey, sorry about that. My names Seungcheol. Are you okay?" Seungcheol hadn't seen the other boys face yet because he's seated in the dark shade of the alley. He let out a casual laugh to lighten the mood, unaware of the others current state.

When he revived no response from the broken boy, he began to worry.

Seungcheol eased over to Jeonghan as carefully as one would walking on egg shells. He didn't want to scare this boy that he hasn't even seen the face of.

As soon as his eyes adjusted to the dark, he could make out the other, snugly compacted in his own shelter of limbs. Scoups watched the boy's tears silently fall as they watched landed on his shaking body.

"Hey, listen, it'll be okay," Seungcheol sat down in front of the anxiety shaken male. "Just take deep breaths in and out. Like this," He started taking a large inhale and felt relieved when the other joined him. Their breathing syncing up and Jeonghan finally calming down after a while.

"T-thank you"

and those were the first words Jeonghan ever said to Seungcheol.

They've only just met, and he's already thankful for this boy.