Rental Boyfriend ; Meanie

Chapter 3

Wonwoo is working in the library half-asleep, when he receives a phone call from Junhui. The sudden vibration of his phone startles him, and he almost knocks over his travel mug in his haste to pick up the phone.

“Hello?” Wonwoo whispers when he picks up the call, jogging to find a more open space to talk.

“Hey Wonwoo, are you busy this afternoon?” Junhui’s voice is tight, and Wonwoo immediately picks up on the panic seeping into his tone.

“Hi Mr. Wen! I’m free for the rest of today, is everything alright?”

“I’m so sorry to ask this of you but it’s just….” Junhui pauses, and Wonwoo hears muffled voices talking urgently on the other end. “Sorry about that. What was I saying? Oh, yeah. It’s Minghao. He got sick at school, and they’re not letting him stay. I’m working late tonight, and he was supposed to ride the bus home with a friend, but—”

“Would you like me to pick him up from school?” Wonwoo offers as soon as he figures out the situation.

“Oh god, could you, please?” Junhui says, letting out a deep sigh of relief. “Thank you so much. Minghao and I owe you big time. I won’t be home until eight, so feel free to order whatever you want for dinner, and I’ll pay you back later.”

“Awesome, thanks! I’ll head over to Minghao’s elementary school right away.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you. Drive safe, and please tell Minghao that Dad will be home soon.”

After Wonwoo signs Minghao out of the front office at school, Minghao watches Wonwoo with suspicious, bleary eyes from the back seat of his car.

“Why are you picking me up instead of my dad?” Minghao asks, his voice painfully weak and raspy.

Wonwoo’s heart sinks a little bit when he realizes how disappointed Minghao must be that Junhui isn’t the one taking care of him. He’s at the age where he’s old enough to recognize his father’s absence, but too young to understand why Junhui can’t be there for him all the time.

“Didn’t you miss me, Minghao?” Wonwoo asks lightly. “It’s been over a week since we got to play together. I asked your dad if I could please please please play with Minghao today, and he said yes! So we’re gonna go home and order pizza together, just us dudes, no parents allowed.”

A tiny smile rounds out Minghao’s chubby baby cheeks, and he is uncharacteristically quiet and obedient for the rest of the car ride.

When they arrive at Minghao and Junhui’s house, Wonwoo carries Minghao inside, unlocking the front door with the key that Junhui had given him a long time ago. He tucks Minghao into a blanket and lets him watch television as Wonwoo warms up leftover chicken soup on the stove, as per Junhui’s instructions. Even though Minghao is old enough to feed himself, Wonwoo indulges him by spooning the warm, salty broth into his mouth.

“More noodles!” Minghao demands.

“But the point of chicken soup isn’t the noodles, it’s the soup!”