𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 | woosan

two

two.
the aurora cabaret

—

Along the busy streets of Crestlocke, populated by airheaded pedestrians and their hard-headed driving counterparts, Seonghwa and Wooyoung slowly inched their way through downtown.

Rush hour was nowhere near now, but the arrival of the large passenger ship turned the calm early afternoon into madness. The aggressive horns of automobiles sprang up all around them like fresh shoots in spring, alerting fellow vehicles and people they had somewhere important to be — yet so did everyone else.

The urgency in Crestlocke was so frequent that it constantly prevented Wooyoung from taking even the shortest cat nap. Just when he thought an opportunity arose to nod off, his head already leaning towards the glass, another chorus of honks would jolt him back to reality.

The soldier would heave a defeated sigh, slumping back uncomfortably to begin the miserable process again.

At Wooyoung's side, Seonghwa was silently reading a book he rushed to purchase before they left for Crestlocke yesterday.

A thin pair of metal bifocals rested on the tip of his nose, allowing his eyes to swiftly digest each inked page with clarity. He looked rather scholarly, sitting with his left leg crossed over his right and a brow raised in amusement at Wooyoung's ongoing frustration with the outside world.

And when the soldier finally fell asleep, Seonghwa pulled Wooyoung's head to rest steadily on his broad shoulder.

Some unknown forces of nature couldn't seem to get enough of the young male's constant irritation at their antics, a reaction that owed itself to his occasional short temper.

It wasn't Wooyoung's fault the wick was barely a cigarette's length at times, as it was solely dependent on how the day went. Seonghwa knew how moody Wooyoung could be, something he learned when they first met.

It would have been the day all the recruitment boats docked at the nearest port town, presumably Twilight Heights; the flat and forested terrain contrary to what the name implied. This was also the town Seonghwa and Wooyoung shipped off yesterday evening to arrive in Crestlocke now.

Anyway, when the young boys rolled into the training grounds on military rovers, preparations for the first day of training promptly followed. Rooms were assigned, clothing issued and parcels inspected to ensure nothing dangerous was brought onto the premises.

Seonghwa remembered when he first laid eyes on Jung Wooyoung, his immediate impression being that the boy was a misplaced milquetoast. He was visibly shaking in front of the review counter, patiently waiting for a senior soldier to finish checking his personal belongings.

To put it simply, Wooyoung looked mentally unprepared to enroll in the army.

And when Seonghwa noticed the younger male receive his uniform and drop the heavy combat boots that came with it, his initial profiling was practically validated.

"Looks like you could use some help." The major (then a senior soldier) called, making Wooyoung's face widen in mortification. The boy tried to form a response, but nothing came out of his blubbering lips as Seonghwa swiftly strode over and squatted down to pick up the boots.

"No, it's okay! I can do it myself!" Wooyoung managed to find his voice as a guilty weight crushed his stomach and forced some noise to be made.

I can't even manage to carry a pair of boots without being babied? I must be making an absolute fool of myself right now!, the boy had thought to himself as Seonghwa froze, lowered on his hunches and blank gaze on the shoes.