lean on me » showki

nana

"Where did you disappear off to yesterday?" Jooheon asked, cornering Kihyun as he began setting up the painting station for the day.

"What do you mean where did I disappear off to? You left before me," Kihyun retorted, not looking up at Jooheon, and the latter pulled out a tiny chair and sat on it, swinging one leg over the other and resting his knuckles atop one of his knees.

That way, Kihyun was forced to look at the other male, and did so with a raised eyebrow.

"I didn't leave, my stuff was still in the staff room," Jooheon explained with a grin and Kihyun rolled his eyes. "Besides, when have I ever left without saying goodbye to you?"

"Wouldn't have been the first time," Kihyun muttered under his breath; not that he really cared whether Jooheon heard him or not. "You know I don't go in the staff room."

"Still," Jooheon replied bitterly. "I wasn't gone, I was just across the road getting smoothies with Hoseok."

Kihyun looked up at Jooheon again, this time a frown prominent on his face.

"If anything, that's even worse," he said, rolling up his sleeves and grabbing a tube of purple paint. "You didn't even invite me."

"Minhyuk was still here, you couldn't just disappear-"

"But you could."

"-so Hoseok and I bought a smoothie for you but when we got back you were gone," Jooheon concluded, and Kihyun's gaze softened.

"Oh," was all he managed to get out, seemingly out of witty retorts.

"What are we all doing in here?" Hoseok asked from the door, right leg crossed over the other as he leaned against the doorframe.

"Didn't we get him a smoothie yesterday?" Jooheon asked Hoseok, who nodded before stepping into the classroom. Jooheon turned back to Kihyun. "Exactly."

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry," Kihyun held his hands up in surrender as Hoseok laughed, gums showing as he did so.

"So, where did you disappear off to?" Jooheon tried once again, and Kihyun sighed as he put his hands down.

"I went home with Minhyuk and his dad," the pink-haired male admitted hesitantly, and both Jooheon and Hoseok's jaws dropped at least to the ground.

There was silence for a moment before Hoseok decided to speak up.

"Dude."

"Kihyun, that's crossing so many lines," the youngest of the trio stated, and Kihyun looked down at the floor in shame. He shouldn't be ashamed, though. What he did wasn't wrong - it was permitted.

"Did you get it on with his dad while Minhyuk was asleep or something?" Hoseok asked, and Jooheon elbowed his side while Kihyun scowled at him.

"That's gross," Kihyun replied. "I just went over to help them. His dad seemed tired and I didn't have anything better to do."

"Why are you so obsessed with Minhyuk's dad?" Hoseok questioned and Kihyun ran a hand through his pink locks in frustration.

"I don't know how many times I've said this and I'm actually getting tired or saying it," he began, and the two held their breath.

When Kihyun was annoyed, it was different. He had this glare that could cut diamond, and such a look on a soft, sweet face like Kihyun's was actually rather frightening. Either Jooheon and Hoseok (or both of them at the same time) were normally at the receiving end of such a glare.

"But I am not obsessed with Minhyuk or his dad. He's just a nice person and so am I and because I'm a nice person, I offered to help him out. Is that so much of a crime?"

"Kihyun, we get it," Jooheon said sympathetically, placing a hand on the elder's shoulder and squeezing it. "We're just worried you'll get hurt."

The annoyance on Kihyun's face fizzled away into something akin to sadness. Although he wasn't actively sad, he could feel the lump in his throat already and the drop of his stomach becoming imminent in its existence.

"Your heart's too big for your body, it's practically spilling out of your mouth," Hoseok added, and Jooheon grimaced at the imagery. "This guy hasn't really done anything that would warrant reward, or help."

"He's a single father, guys," Kihyun argued in a small voice. "He's probably been through Hell, you don't know that. And he's raised Minhyuk who's by far the best child I've ever met - and I've met a lot of children. He should be rewarded for that, in my opinion."

"We know, Kihyun," Jooheon smiled sadly, hand moving up from Kihyun's shoulder to his cheek, and it was then that Kihyun realised he was crying.

What for, he didn't know why, but he was crying.

Kihyun had always been scolded for crying so much, told by so many people - even his own father - that he needed to man up and stop crying so much. That was why he cried so much in his adult life, as he was stripped that right to feel emotions during his teenage years.

Jooheon and Hoseok understood. They were his best friends. Of course they would understand.

"We just want you to be careful," Hoseok shushed. "You're too naive and that gets you hurt sometimes."

Kihyun nodded his understanding and pulled away from Jooheon's hand, pulling his sleeve further up his arm to rub his eyes.

"You clean yourself up in the bathroom," Jooheon gave Kihyun a light shove. "I'll man the cove while you're gone."

"I'll be here at lunch," Hoseok promised, and Kihyun nodded again, not wanting to speak in case his voice cracked and he let show how weak he really was.

He couldn't remember the last time he cried so much. Not to mention over someone he really knew nothing about.

~*~

kihyun is the type of guy who wears fluffy jumpers and skinny jeans in this fic