Hyunsik Orphanage
"I-I don't think this is a good idea, Taehyung," Jeongguk stammers, bottom lip trembling and eyes anxious as they walk down the sidewalk. Taehyung's strides are wide, confident, and Jeongguk scuffles behind him.
"Oh come on, Jeongguk. I'm getting bored of sitting in my house all day," Taehyung rolls his eyes. "A change in scenery will be a great way to expand my mind." He swings his hands out dramatically, before grinning down at the red-faced boy.
"Anywhere else, Taehyung, please," Jeongguk tugs at Taehyung's sleeve. "It's not a good idea, I'm not comfortable... "
"Relax, Jeongguk. It'll be fine," Taehyung says, throwing his arm around the younger's shoulders and putting him into a headlock.
He rubs his knuckles on the boy's head before releasing him. Jeongguk scrambles to smooth his hair down (which Taehyung thinks is a bit useless considering how naturally unkempt it usually is).
The smile remains on Taheyung's face for a moment at how cutely Jeongguk blushes, until a car zooms past them, the passengers whooping and yelling, making him jump in surprise.
It makes him dart his eyes warily through the neighborhood, and he realizes that he is definitely
not in Kangnam anymore. The stores are graffitied, the streets are cracked and crowded, and he can't get used to the awful smell in the air.
Not to mention, he had taken public transportation for the first time in his life. It had been terriblethe bus reeked of urine, and a homeless man had kept staring at him until he and Jeongguk had gotten off. It was the worst hour of his life.
Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.
Taehyung's original plan had been to get Jeongguk to trust him enough to invite him to his house.
Then he'd be able to work his killer charm on Jeongguk's parents, gain their favor, and maybe then Jeongguk would start warming up to him.
This plan isn't going to work otherwise.
But he hadn't realized how far Jeongguk lived from the school, or what kind of neighborhood he lived in. Taehyung tugs his school uniform sleeve over his Rolex watch nervously.
I don't want to get jumped. I'm too pretty to get jumped.
"Uhm..." Jeongguk mumbles, stopping in front of a run down house. The wire fence is rusting and has a massive hole in it. The front yard's grass has dried up to the point where it just looks like hay sprinkled over dirt.
The house looks like it's about to collapse on itself. The exterior paint is aged and peeling, and there's graffiti on one side. The windows have been barred shut, and not a single sound comes from the place, save for the incessant barking of a dog somewhere next door.
But what drains the blood from Taehyung's face is the sign, stuck haphazardly in the ground at the front.
Hyunsik Orphanage.
"Y-you live here?" Taehyung asks, and suddenly, he's lost a significant bit of his bravado. His hands are shaking.
Jeongguk nods slightly. Taehyung gulps.
"I told you we should have gone somewhere else," he mutters, kicking at the gravel near his shoe.
"N-no, it's fine."
Get your shit together, Taehyung.
Taehyung forces a smile on his face. Jeongguk looks at him incredulously before pushing the small gate open and walking up to the door. The stairs creak dangerously when they climb them.
