The Underground - 3RACHA

24

Jisung knew he couldn't call up Chan as he had Yena for the night, so instead, he found himself calling Changbin. It was starting to get dark outside and Jisung was praying he would pick up the phone so he didn't have to be alone after what had happened with Hyunjin earlier.

"Hello?" Changbin's voice finally sounded on the other line and Jisung let out a sigh of relief. "Who is this?"

"Oh, it's Jisung."

"Oh hey, squirrel," Changbin said and for once Jisung was happy to hear the strange nickname, "Is everything ok?"

"Not really," Jisung admitted, staring down at the edge of his bedside table, "Binnie, I don't want to be alone."

"Why? What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Hearing Changbin sound so worried about him brought a smile to Jisung's face despite his pain and gloom because someone cared about him. Two people now and the reminder would always cheer him up. "Are you busy?" He asked.

"No, do you want me to come and get you?"

"Yes, please."

-

"Holy fuck, what happened?" Changbin asked as Jisung stepped out of his house and he could see his face. His temple had a large slit across it, his eye was blackening and even his cheek was still a red colour from the impact of Hyunjin's hand. Jisung didn't reply to the question though, he didn't know how to, so instead he slipped his hand into Changbin's and walked out of his driveway in silence.

Changbin didn't persist on getting an answer at first, wanting Jisung to get as far away as he needed to feel comfortable before telling him; but when they'd been walking for ten minutes and he still hadn't spoken up, he couldn't wait any more. "Jisung, who did that to you?" He asked, stopping in his tracks. Jisung stopped with him, sighing.

"It's ok, don't worry," he tried to smile but his attempt was pathetic.

Changbin frowned, "Jisung, I don't know if you realised but your face is cut and your eye is swollen. It's definitely not ok."

Jisung looked down the street they were stood on with hesitancy. It was almost completely dark now and the only sound that could be heard was the wind whistling between the tree branches, but that didn't calm the anxiety he was feeling build-up from the questioning. "Binnie, can we please go to yours?" He mumbled, his voice sounding small and timid.

"Oh...yeah, sorry," Changbin nodded, rubbing his thumb across the back of Jisung's hand as they started to walk again, trying to offer some comfort but he knew he wasn't doing a good job at it. He was never the best at comforting others.

By the time the two had reached Changbin's apartment building, Jisung had calmed down a bit and he was willing to tell Changbin about Hyunjin, but the prospect was still terrifying to him. He didn't know what would happen if he told him, would Changbin get angry and try and hurt Hyunjin? Would they fight? Would Changbin even care? Perhaps that was the worst possibility of all.

Jisung took his shoes off by the door, revealing the pastel pink socks he'd stolen from Sooyoung and forgotten he was wearing. His feet had never grown very big so he could get away with taking her socks and even her shoes if he felt like wearing heels one day. He doubted he would though. Changbin smiled at the socks, finding them adorable but not saying anything.

"My room is at the end of the hall. I'll be there in a minute," he said, quickly pressing a kiss to Jisung's temple that wasn't cut and walking further into his apartment. Jisung nodded and walked towards where Changbin said his room was while the latter made his way into the kitchen. When he saw his mother standing there with a knife in her hand, he felt his heartbeat quicken. It took him longer than it should have to realise she was cutting up tomatoes and not planning to cut up him.