snow ; changki ◯ ON HOLD

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hello hehe, long time no see :)
I started this book on AO3 and decided I should also post it here as some may find (I missed my readers, easier author x reader interactions and the easy in-app editing) it easier to read on Wattpad since it's an app etc
sooooo, enjoy ♡

***

The entire time, Changkyun didn't say a word, didn't make a sound, didn't make a move.

He sat silently in the near empty police station, time quickly stretching into the early hours of a Sunday as the place remained lively, like it was broad daylight. In the pretty shirt and jeans he wore, he was cold, but he couldn't bring himself to even shiver for warmth. So he sat quietly and still, letting shame eat away at him.

"Someone's here to pick you up." His ears perked up slightly at the sentence the police officer said as he sat back on his chair, the doors opening to his tired, sleepy roommate, still in his pyjamas with nothing but his phone and car keys in his hands. Had it been a better time, his heart would have swelled at seeing Jooheon come get him this late at night (knowing full well he'd left work a mere four hours ago), but in fact, he wanted, well, the ground the ground to swallow him whole and leave no trace of his existence.

Partly from embarrassment, but mostly from guilt; that his messy shenanigans had selfishly dragged him out of bed to come get him. Still silent, he watched him sign a couple forms and sheepishly nod to something the police officer told him, before finally making eye contact with the younger.

"Come on."

"I-"

"I know. Don't apologise, you were just trying to get money, I know," he yawned. "but there are better ways to do so, Kyun. This could have gone badly very easily."

"I know, and it's stupid but, I need it big time, and no other jobs have replied to me."

"So borrow from me, honestly," Jooheon stopped walking. "I want to help."

"No, it's too big of an ask. I shouldn't have you tangled up in my family business." he shook his head, nipping at his lip.

"I also don't want you to suffer in silence, or to wake up one day with a phone call from the police saying you've been abducted into sex trafficking or killed by some dodgy person you got with for the night. If my help ensures that you fucking stay alive, I will willingly offer it."

"Jooheon, I promise. It was a one off." To this he only sighed, opening the car door and sliding inside. It seemed nowadays that most of their conversations would end this way.

Changkyun didn't bother to say much either, slipping into the passenger seat before they were off back to their apartment. Tiny snowflakes began to fall, and accompanied by the soft radio in the background, he nearly forgot the night he had, and that this could be the most embarrassing thing he'd accidentally exposed to his best friend. "I'm sorry," he found himself saying initially to the back of Jooheon's head, until he slowly turned around, the two now stood in the hallway of their apartment.

"I will clean up my act one day. It's just, my Mom needs the money."

"I understand, Kyun, and honestly wish you could let me help," his best friend tapped his head with a tiny sympathetic smile, and Changkyun felt a bit better. "go rest. You had a hell of a night."

It had been a hellish night for them both; Changkyun for the aforementioned, but for Jooheon - he'd left work and went straight to the library until nothing but words swam in his view when his eyes would flutter shut and then trudged home and collapsed on his bed until a good 30 minutes ago, woken up by a panic-inducing call from Changkyun all the way from Myungdong. He'd be lucky to get some shut-eye before his alarm rang at this rate.