Temporary

003

Today's classes were extremely boring for San. They discussed the history of fashion through several decades and epochs. All things San had long ago learned and looked up himself, after all this was his passion.
To create clothes and styles people could identify themselves with; express their feelings, emotions and thoughts; be comfortable and confident in. When their lecturer finally told them they could go, San quickly rushed out of the building, avoiding his fellow students as if they were a plague. They were used to this behaviour from the boy.
Finally back in his neighbourhood, San once again dropped by the convenience store. Again, the cashier was Jongho. San had never questioned why the younger worked there every single day. It supposedly was the boy's part-time job, he was still in school, but San had never heard of a part-timer working every single day. Even on Saturdays Jongho stood behind the counter.
"'Sup," San greeted.
"Aye, how is my favorite idiot doing."
"One would think you'd show some gratitude and respect after I saved you from getting into trouble again," San chuckled.
"Never asked you for it," Jongho shrugged grinning. "Did Seonghwa give you the money back?" Jongho didn't even wait for an answer, "Honestly, I was pretty shocked the dude came back and acted all nice. Who would've thought the brats could have polite friends, huh."
San blushed slightly, the boy coming back into his mind. Who is he kidding, the boy never even left his mind to begin with.
"Ha, yeah, who would've thought," San awkwardly answered. Luckily, at least for San, Jongho didn't notice his flushed cheeks, otherwise San would've been up to never ending, teasing comments from the younger.
"I wonder who that was anyway, never seen him around those pricks before. Maybe he's a university student like you? Yo, have you ever seen him around?"
He hadn't. Even if San wouldn't have been as antisocial and would've payed attention to his fellow students, he doubted the guy was in his major and it's not like the university was small. Thousands of students were enrolled. Chances are they did go to the same university and San would never cross his path. Who even said he went to KQ University? There were several other good universities in Seoul.
Still caught in his thoughts San didn't notice the door of the convenience store open up again. Jongho did. And he was slightly shocked if he was honest with himself, but of course he didn't show any reaction.
The guy came up to him, eyed him for a second and broke out into a cute grin.
"Hi! Are you Jongho?"
"Uhh, yeah."
"I'm Hongjoong, any chance your friend here? The one who kept you from beating up Kang Yeosang?"
It took Jongho a second, his mind was loading up all the different rumours he had heard about the guy, before he reacted with his usual attitude.
"Why do you even care, grandpa."
Hongjoong didn't even react to the nickname. He learned long ago how to entirely ignore any kinds of comments. He had to admit though, 'grandpa' was a new one.
"Just wanted to have a short chat with the two of you."
Jongho eyed him for a second and sighed. Whatever.
"Yo, San, dude, come up here for a sec," he called out. The called boy appeared around the corner and stopped dead in his tracks upon seeing Hongjoong. He wasn't exactly scared, rumours were just that - rumours. But he couldn't deny that he felt as if it was a really bad idea to get on the guy's bad side.
"Ah, hello, so you are San," Hongjoong said in a kind voice, while taking a good look at the fashion major.
"Well, I'll keep it short, I came to apologise," he started and sure enough Jongho, who was just taking a sip from his water bottle, started coughing a little in surprise.
"What."
"Yeosang and Mingi behaved like immature idiots and thus I'd like to apologise for their behaviour. And you, San, I'd like to thank you for keeping your friend here from throwing punches," he explained with the sweetest smile on. However, his words sounded cold, almost threatening although the context wasn't a threat. Jongho still stood in shock.
"Ah well, don't mention it, Jongho has a habit of creating trouble and it's mine to try and keep him out of it, haha, you know how kids are," San awkwardly answered, trying hard to avoid eye contact, but he could very well feel Hongjoong's stare on him.
"Indeed, kids are like that."
Somehow, Jongho found his way back to reality and clicked his tongue. "Don't call me a kid, Sunshine Boy, I am sure as hell at least four times more mature than that brat Mingi," he stated, arms crossed.
"YAH, you brat I told you to never call me that, you prick, go clean the bathrooms or something, you little shit!" San exclaimed, seriously annoyed that Jongho dared to call him that goddamn nickname. It was supposed to buried with all the shit that was connected to it. Slightly alarmed, Jongho bid a quick nod towards Hongjoong and disappeared into the staff room.
Hongjoong chuckled at the interaction. "He is a kid. And no better than Mingi," he chuckled. San was confused to no end. What were two idiots like Yeosang and Mingi doing, hanging out with someone like Kim Hongjoong? It didn't make any sense to him. Hongjoong noticed San's confused expression, but decided not to act on it. "I should be going then," he said and pulled the door open.

"Wait!"
San grabbed the older's shoulder and swung him around, surprised at his own strengh. Hongjoong this time send him a slightly annoyed glare.
"Uhhh, so, uhm, eh...the third guy that was with them, uhm, w-what's his name?" San asked shyly and looked down. Hongjoong's expression immediately softened. How cute.
"Wooyoung," he answered and glanced down to San's official university bag which was slung across his shoulders, "he's a dance major at KQ University."

✨

I like a gangster Hongjoong 💁🏻‍♀️
Also, autocorrect keeps making. San into Sam 😂