soft - woosan

chapter 28

wooyoung san

once in the sleek black cabriolet wooyoung had marveled at and san merely rolled his eyes and ushered him inside, he shut the panel between driver and backseat, turning to his 'date' with serious eyes and clasping his hands in his lap.

"it's only fair i let you know what you're getting into." he began confidently, already having decided it was far too late to turn back now. "my parents... they're certainly a pair of individuals."

it was wooyoung's turn to roll his eyes, and he simply shuffled further back into the comfort of the seat. "well that's fairly obvious. we're in a fucking- i don't even know what car this is!"

san took a small breath, beginning to play with his already clammy fingers. "please take this seriously."

"okay. i will." wooyoung replied lightly before adding more seriously, "i am."

"my mom is alright. she went through a lot when i was slightly younger, but after remarrying jongun and getting in on his company she's too busy to pay much attention to me. so busy that the only time she could call me was the middle of the night." he pretended what he was saying didn't mean much, not wanting the other to have to comfort or act caring towards him. "despite that... at least she's accepting of me. but she can't do much under jongun's authority, and her only friend is her wine glass."

wooyoung whistled at san's brash forwardness, but said nothing, indicator for him to go on. "my stepfather is a little different. his father served in the military and that had a huge influence on the way he brought jongho and i up; me especially since i joined the family later and apparently needed more discipline. but he's... a step up from my real father."

the other raised his eyebrows, giving him a look full of sympathy and care that san detested with his whole being. wooyoung was certainly making it difficult for him to stop having feelings for him when he so obviously cared so much. too much. like no one ever had before. "you seem like you want to elaborate."

san's eyes darted around the car's interior, debating how much he was going to say. "let's just say he's very conservative."

"i'm really not exceeding in korean-"

"for god's sake, jung. he hates/is not very open to gay people. namely me. he wishes he could somehow change me, but he's finally maybe seeing that he can't. it's not something i can remove from myself like dirt." he explained, not looking the other in the eye.

"i'm sorry." he answered quietly. "how come you never said anything?"

i couldn't. "just didn't see the relevance." san shrugged, pursing his lips expectantly as the car slowed and pulled into a familiar driveway. "we're here. better start acting like we really really like each other."

he opened the door hastily, stepping onto the pavement before he could catch wooyoung's dejected fallen expression. the other opened his door more slowly, stepping out and breathing in the air while looking at an upstairs window with nostalgia as if remembering some faraway past memory.

"we'll be fine," wooyoung stated, linking arms with the dark haired boy reassuringly. "i'm a great actor."

they began walking steadily towards the front doors, san's heartbeat increasing with every step, feeling the other's side brush occasionally against his own, the warmth of this familiar yet strange presence a reminder of what it felt like to not be alone.

"wooyoung," he began suddenly as the other lifted the polished bronze lion knocker on the oaken doors, glancing at him fretfully. "i'm scared-"

but the doors opened in answer, interrupting his words and causing them both to stand straighter and plaster broad smiles on their faces. the younger shot him a puzzled yet dismissive look, brief, and then bowed to the maidservant before stepping into the house.