Too Quiet ° Meanie °

11. Futile Devices

It isn't much longer until the doorbell can be heard along with a couple of knocks lightly rapping against the front door. Wonwoo and I both perk up and look towards the sound. "Let me go get that. I'll be right back, okay?" Looking back at the older I notice just how tired he seems to appear, but he nods his head anyways and focuses back on the drama that is still playing.

I unlock the door and I'm instantly greeted with Vernon standing quietly with a hood over his head, face half covered. In one hand is a closed umbrella and the other is supporting a bag that's slung over one shoulder. Something is definitely off this time.

I let him in by opening the door wider and he slowly steps in, immediately taking his damp sneakers off and then placing his outer coat in the closet beside the door while leaning his droplet covered umbrella against the wall. "Hey..." The younger looks up and then quickly back down. I bite my lip and try again. "Did you eat?" He shakes his head, fabric quietly ruffling with each languid movement, and I gently begin to push him in the direction of the kitchen, which the younger complies with silently. "Come on, I made food." He still doesn't say anything, just nods his head.

Once in the kitchen, the younger places his backpack on the ground and sits where I had previously eaten just moments ago. I busy myself with grabbing a plate and small bowl from the cabinet and plating his meal. "Who else is here?" I stop plating food and look over my shoulder to where Vernon's looking at- the sink. "Earlier today I thought you said your parents went on a trip? I know that Minseo stays at your grandparents when they're away." Vernon's tone is back to normal and instead of the somber one from before, it's genuine curiosity.

Dipping the ladle back in the pot I scoop some more soup into the youngers bowl. "Oh, uh, Wonwoo's here." Vernon doesn't say anything so I continue. "He kinda got into a fight with Joonea and... passed out after school." I say in a smaller voice.

"Dude, is he okay?!"

"Shh!" I jerk my head towards the younger and give him a pleading face. Vernon immediately closes his mouth, but gives me a stern look in return. "Yes, Wonwoo's perfectly fine, no one laid a finger on him, just shook him up a little. That's all." I close the pot with the lid and move on to the noodles, knowing that the younger would want a little bit of them as well. "Seungcheol and Jeonghan showed up a few minutes after I found Wonwoo and helped me get him here. None of us knew where his house was, so we just came to mine." Gently, I place the plate down on the table in front of Vernon and then the bowl.

"What about calling his parents?" He asks while picking up his utensils. "Does he not have a phone or something?" I grab another bowl out of the cabinet and look back at Vernon.

"No. Well not anymore at least- look, I really don't want to talk about it right now." I let out a sigh and turn back to the rice cooker, already feeling sorry for being short with the younger, but I seriously can't handle talking about this right now. I hear Vernon let out a quiet 'fine' before I begin to talk again. "Do you want rice?" I ask the question with the scoop in one hand and a bowl in the other, already knowing the response.

"Sure"

I set the rice on the table and seat myself in the chair across from Vernon, not wanting to leave him alone just yet. I pull out my phone and begin to look up some nearby beaches- still holding on to my previous thoughts about taking Wonwoo to one. I scroll through a few that are close enough to at least spend the day at and read a couple of reviews here and there.

If it wasn't for the close eye I'm keeping on the younger, I would have missed his languid movements completely. Vernon takes a few more bites and suddenly stops, setting down his chopsticks and removing his hoodie from his head. I do a double take at the fresh bruise blossoming across the younger's temple and place my phone slowly on the table. I'm just about to ask when he starts to talk- more like whisper. "She hit me this time..." Vernon looks down at his meal and I just stare at the mark. It's not big, about half the size of a playing card, but it's there nonetheless.