look and listen

1

"xu minghao! please come downstairs and clear your stuff from the table before your father's new student comes by!"

minghao closes his notebook, using his pencil as a bookmark, and hops from his chair. his mother is in the kitchen, furiously scrubbing at a spatula that she'd managed to burn eggs on. minghao knows she tries hard to be a mother, but cooking has never been her strong suit. his father cooked when he had the time. other days, which were beginning to happen more regularly, they ate out.

"mama, who's dad's new student?" minghao keeps his head down as he stacks his reading book on top of his science text book.

"i can't remember his name off the top of my head, but he's around your age. a little bit older," his mother laughs breathlessly, giving up on the spatula and dropping it into the soapy water filling the sink. "your father says he has no hope, he can't play if his life depended on it. but his parents need something for him to do besides hiding in his room reading comic books."

"at least he's reading though," minghao can see his mother's eyes crinkle as she smiles. "most kids are playing computer games or sneaking out at night."

"that is true," she dries her hands and walks to minghao, tucking his hair behind his ear. "we need to get you a haircut soon. how does monday after school sound?" minghao nods and his mother taps his cheek. "okay. i'll set up an appointment. now take those books upstairs, they'll be here in a few minutes."

minghao nods and turns on his heel, his socks slipping on the hardwood floor as he walks up the stairs and into his room. he drops his books on his desk and sits back down, opening his notebook once again and picking up his pencil. before he has the chance to set the tip of his pencil on his paper, the front door downstairs opens. minghao groans and drops his head onto his notebook, dropping his pencil again and standing up.

downstairs, he can hear his father's loud voice, accompanied by his mother's soft one, greeting the new student. minghao peeks out and sees a boy, his back to the stairs. his hair is light and looks soft, like minghao could lose his fingers in the curls if he were to pat his head. his mother meets his eye and she lights up, gesturing for him to come down.

"minghao, please! i'd like you to meet soonyoung."

as minghao makes his way down the stairs, soonyoung turns around and smiles brightly. he has braces, and his cheeks nearly swallow his eyes whole. is he seriously older than minghao? he's like a baby.

"hi! you're minghao, i'm assuming? it's really nice to meet you! my family and i just moved down here from namyangju," the boy sticks his hand out for minghao to shake.

he takes it hesitantly. his hand is soft, softer than his hair looks. "hi, soonyoung. it's nice to meet you. are you here for piano or violin?"

"violin! i'm really bad at it and i don't think i'll improve much, but it's giving me something to do, so i don't mind."

a part of minghao feels bad for soonyoung and the lack of faith he has in himself. he can't assure the boy that he's better than he thinks he is, or that he'll get better, because he's never heard him play. he feels a hand on his shoulder and looks up at his father.

"take him up to your room, will you? i'd like to speak with his parents privately."

minghao nods and turns back to soonyoung, who looks confused, and waves for him to follow him upstairs.

"that wasn't korean," he says as he trails behind minghao. "are you from japan or something?"

"no, we came from china. it was difficult for my dad to find work in anshan, so we moved to korea," minghao leads soonyoung into his bedroom and closes the door behind them. soonyoung takes a seat on his bed and minghao sits at his desk.

"oh, cool. so how old are you?"

"i'm twelve."

"i'm thirteen! looks like i'm your hyung," soonyoung boasts and puffs his chest out, laughing at himself. he has a dumb laugh, it reminds minghao a bit of hiccuping, but he can't help but smile back at him.

"i'm not calling you hyung."

"whatever you say, kid," soonyoung sighs and flops back, looking up at the ceiling. "so what's it like here? are the people at school nice? i'm a little nervous about going to school on monday."

minghao shrugs. "they're okay, i guess. i don't really have a lot of friends, so i'm not the right person to ask."

"you don't have any friends?" soonyoung bolts up. "where do you go during lunch?"

"i typically go to the library. the librarians are nice because i'm quiet."

"could i stay with you during lunch?" soonyoung looks into his lap shyly, fidgeting with his fingers. "i think i like you more than i'm going to like the other kids there."

minghao feels his face flush. "um, yeah. sure," no one has ever made an effort like this to be minghao's friend, let alone preferring to stay with him instead of finding other people.

soonyoung's eyes disappear again as he smiles. "thanks! it'll be a lot of fun, i promise."

before either of them can say anything else, there's a knock on the door minghao's father pokes his head into the room. "hey, soonyoung. are you ready to begin?"

soonyoung nods and slides off the bed. he walks to minghao and pinches his arm gently. "you might want you listen to some music or something for the next hour," he whispers, not meeting minghao's eye. "it's going to sound a bit like i'm torturing a cat."

minghao laughs. "i'm sure it won't be that terrible," soonyoung gives him a look. "but fine, i'll drown it out somehow." that's a lie.

soonyoung gives him one last smile before turning on his heel and leaving the room. minghao's father nods curtly at his son and closes the door. a heavy sigh leaves minghao and he crawls onto his bed, laying down. the spot is warm from soonyoung having sat there. a smile creeps up onto his face. that boy is too cute for his own good. he's going to be popular, especially with girls. he wonders if soonyoung will continue being his friend even after everyone falls in love with him.

a piercing screech sounds from the room opposite his, making minghao jump. he hears soonyoung laugh again, and decides it's more like a dolphin than hiccups. another screech, and minghao winces. as cute as soonyoung is, he can't play violin if his life depended on it.

minghao decides to sit in the front yard for the next hour. the horrible screeching from the violin can still be heard from outside, but it's distant and muted. he picks absentmindedly at the grass and stares out across the street, his mind blank. eventually, another hand on his shoulder startles him out of his thoughts.

"i'm sorry, that was so terrible," soonyoung smiles shyly at minghao, sitting beside him. "my parents said i can stay for dinner, if that's alright with you."

minghao smiles back at him. the wind blows and covers soonyoung's eyes. minghao shivers.

"sure."

--an--
i need to stick to ONE FUCKING PROJECT