A Warrior's Heart

Chapter 38; Telling Namjoon

"I'm telling you that guy is a freak. I've seen the things he does it's just odd. Like why would you dress like that? It just doesn't make sense, I mean I haven't seen him blink once in like, ever! Doesn't that seem weird to you?"

Taehyun sighed as he listened to the ranting of his friend sitting next to him. He had been on the topic for a while now and it didn't look like he'd be done any time soon.

"Just let it go, Yeonjun." The burnette sighed, drawing something in his notebook, a habit he had picked up way back in the days when he had to follow boring classes for a subject he didn't even like in the first place but choose to take anyway because it would help him with his studies for programming.  "It's not that big a deal."

"Except that it is!" The other defended himself, looking at him with wide eyes.  "I just think it's weird and you should think so too. After all you're the one that made him."

A sigh left his lips again and he raised his arm to flick the back of his friend's head.  "Indeed. I made him. So just drop the topic and go with what I created."  He told him. Yeonjun whined as he gripped at his head with one hand, picking up the pen he had dropped on the table with the other.

Taehyun looked back up to the board in front of the classroom again, trying to focus on what the teacher was explaining to them. Yes, he knew the character he had created was a little odd and wasn't that close to reality, but he wasn't going to do anything with it. It was just a simple game character he had made to kill some time, he wasn't going to make something permanent out of it.

He gave up on trying to understand the teacher's words and resumed his sketching on the paper in front of him. He dragged the pencil over the paper and made the lines flow perfectly, trying to capture how the boy had looked once he had smiled up at him. With big doe eyes and his bangs falling into them so angelic and his soft cheeks and.. A soft smile tugged at his lips now that he remembered it.

"Who's that?"  Yeonjun asked him as he leant in, bumping their shoulders together lightly. He looked at it for a second or two before his eyes widened in realisation.  "Oh! That's that boy!"

Taehyun sighed and nodded while staring at his work. He had told the other about the blonde boy, and apparently he had made it sound like he was head over heels for the boy. Ever since that day Yeonjun wouldn't let him live that down.  "Yeah." He replied.

"Awe, our little Taehyunnie is in love~"  The other teased, poking his cheek with a finger.  "Love love love lo-"

"Shut up!"  Taehyun cut him off, but laughing at his friend.  "Can't blame you though that guy is hot."  Yeonjun commented then, leaning back in his own chair and bringing his pencil up to his mouth, biting at the edge of it as he looked up to the ceiling.  "I mean damn, I'd do him."

Taehyun reached out and smacked his chest, earning a groan from the other.  "Shut up,"  He hissed again.  "You can't talk about people like that!" He said, partly because he didn't want people to talk about the blonde that way. Yeonjun shot him a glare but finally dropped the topic. They spend the rest of the class talking about random things and not paying attention most of the time, and even though Taehyun knew he had to get a good grade on this subject to pass the year, he just didn't feel like working for it today.

When class was over - luckily it was the last of the day - they packed their bags and walked out of the classroom, getting some things from their lockers and buying some snacks from the candy machine before they headed out of the building.

"You up for a game later today?" Yeonjun asked as they walked to their bikes. "I practised and I'm so sure I'll beat you today!" He stated and made a fist with his hand. Taehyun shook his head and looked down at the ground. "I'm going to the store today."

"You still work there?" The shorter male asked him then, which made him nod in response. "Yeah I like it there, Namjoon-Hyung is really nice."

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then." The black haired male said. After they bid their goodbyes and the other had left Taehyun took a deep breath and went on his way. He took his usual route towards the small shop, nodding his head politely to everyone he passed. When he finally got to the store he stepped off his bike, opening the door and rolling the thing inside.

"Ah, hello!"  The taller greeted him with a warm smile. He was just setting aside a few things and then leant with his forearms over the counter.  "Hey,"  Taehyun replied, setting his bike against the wall behind the door before he walked up to the man.  "What do you need my help with today, Hyung?"

And so he wound up standing behind the counter, helping customers and rearranging some of the things on the shelves behind him. Namjoon was walking around with a broom and duster and he was just cleaning up a bit, making the place look more lively and together they made small talk as they worked.

Taehyun felt the need to tell the older about what happened, just to get it off his chest and to have a second opinion on it all, to help him see it from a different point of view. But something held him back. Something that told him not to do it. He didn't want the older to think he was stupid or something, didn't want him to think it was just a made up story and didn't want him to think he was crazy. But he had kept it to himself for so long already, and he really needed to tell someone about it. He couldn't keep his mouth shut anymore.

"Hyung?" He said as he waved a customer goodbye, the little bell above the door tinging softly. Namjoon looked up from where he stood next to the coffeemaker. "Mhm?" He hummed, looking up briefly to make eye contact and then focusing on getting two cups from where they were stacked next to the machine.

"Can I tell you something?" Taehyun continued after a second. He was a little hesitant, tapping with his foot on the ground and fidgeting with his fingers to ease some of his nerves. Namjoon nodded. "Of course you can." He replied. "What is it?"

The brunette bit his bottom lip nervously, nibbling on it gently.  "Well, it's something kinda important, but I don't want you to think I'm crazy or anything."

The taller frowned as he took the two cups now filled with coffee and walked over to where Taehyun was standing behind the counter, placing one of the cups in front of him. The smaller thanked him softly and brought it to his lips, taking a tiny sip before putting it down again.  "I won't think that,"  Namjoon replied, reassuring him.  "You can tell me. If you won't tell me you'll never know how I think about it." He wisely said. Taehyun sighed and nodded at the other's words, knowing there was no backing out now. He had to put his fear away and just go for it.

"Well, what if I told you there exists another world? Like, a very different one from our own." He started. "I know it sounds stupid but the basket you gave me a couple weeks ago, the one with the Chinese engravements... I-It's enchanted. If you step through it you get to some sort of ancient China with soldiers and warriors and stuff." Taehyun couldn't help but rant, the words leaving his mouth in a hurry after he had started.

Namjoon was watching him intently while sipping on his coffee, big hands wrapped around the cup and nearly covering it from the world. All the time the brunette was talking he kept quiet, but his brows were furrowed in concentration as he tried to picture it in front of him. He didn't think the younger was out of his mind - he even thought there was some of truth in it - but as a practical thinker, he couldn't see how a person could possibly fit through a basket as small as that one.

Through the thinking of the older Taehyun had continued talking, losing track of the main story and letting the rant be engulfed mainly by feelings.  "And I just miss him and I want to go back but I can't because the basket is broken and I don't know how to make a new one and-"

"Okay, okay, calm down!" Namjoon finally said with a small chuckle, cutting him off and effectively silencing him. He set his now empty cup down and pressed his glasses further up his nose. "I think there might be a way for me to help you."