Under the Umbrella // A WooSan Story ✔

Chapter 6

Wooyoung was on the phone the whole lunch break. He didn't even get anything to eat in the canteen and just went straight outside, so he could speak in private. He had called his old workplace and asked, if they needed any help but they already had a new part-timer and didn't need anyone else. Since they were pretty happy with his work the last time the owner told him, they'll call him, if they need any help again. That didn't really help Wooyoung right now. He needed money. Quickly.

After school he left the building in a rush and went down the road to the street of the agency. He went straight to the convenience store. The owner was there and Wooyoung asked right away for a part-time job. Sadly, there wasn't a position available and Wooyoung had to find some other place.

He walked back to his apartment and called a company whether they could fix the damage. They agreed to meet up in two days to take a look at everything and then they'll be able to tell him the costs and the time they'd need to fix everything.

When Wooyoung ended the call, he saw that Mingi, Yeosang and Seonghwa were trying to call him. He also got a call from an unknown number. He called that one first, thinking it might be one of the places he applied for.

"Wooyoung!" The voice on the other end seemed concerned. "Where are you?"

"Who is this?", Wooyoung asked, but had a feeling he should know the person.

"San, it's San! Yeosang gave me your number. We are at the agency and waiting for you. When do you come?"

"Oh sorry. I totally forgot to tell you guys", Wooyoung said and ruffled his hair at the back of his head. "I can't come today ... I ... I don't think I can come this week at all. Have a lot on my plate right now."

"But what about practice?" San asked.

"Just practice without me. I'll be there at the weekend ... I hope it at least. Please tell the others they don't have to worry." Wooyoung ended the call without waiting for Sans answer. He saved his number in his phone and put it on the table. Wooyoung stared at the void for a few minutes before he made up his mind and left his apartment again.

He walked through his district to find a job somewhere. Luckily there was a café looking for cashiers and he got the job. He'd start working the next day and get payed weekly. The downside was he'd have to work at weekends, too, so he'd had less time to practice.

By the time he went home it was already night time. Wooyoung checked his mattress again, but it was still wet. He wouldn't be able to sleep here again.

"I have to get rid of damaged and broken furniture, tomorrow" Wooyoung thought to himself and signed deeply as he took out another batch of clothing from his closet and left to get to the agency again.

His hopes that none would be there were crushed, when he saw the light shining out of the window. Wooyoung stood down at the streets for a while and looked up, thinking whether he should enter or not. Maybe he could just practice with the person still there and then pretend to leave?

Seemed like a plan to Wooyoung so he entered the building.

As suspected, it was San, that was still in the practice room. Wooyoung watched him for a few minutes again, before he made a noise. San was dancing to the other song again, not the one they were training to perform. His movements were even sharper and more defined than before, Wooyoung noticed and San was even more immersed in his own dancing.

It was as if San was possessed by the dance gods or something like that and Wooyoung was not able to look away.

After the song ended, Wooyoung cleared his throat and San finally turned around.

"There you are!" San said and walked right to him. "Everything all right? Why are you here so late? What happened? Where were you today?"

San bombarded him with questions and Wooyoung felt a bit uncomfortable. "I'm fine. I told you I had some things to handle. You don't need to worry." He said and put his bag down beside Sans stuff. He rummaged in his belongings only to find that he forgot to get something to drink. He sighed and thought of just letting it go.

"I can tell that something is not right", San said and Wooyoung noticed that he stood right behind him.

"Just let it be, okay?" Wooyoung told him, stood up and looked him straight in the eye. "I can handle it myself."

San stared right back at him and Wooyoung felt a bit intimidated by the other. He still wondered how San could be intimidating while dancing and in situations like this but behaved like a little child in most other situations.

"Are you done with practice?" Wooyoung then asked and broke their eye contact.

"Almost", San answered and finally let it be, like Wooyoung asked. "I could show you what we practiced earlier?"

"That'd be great", Wooyoung answered still in a mood, but willing to do something productive today that'll actually help him accomplish his dreams.

They practiced for about another hour till San let himself fall to the floor, soaking in sweat. "I'm done", he declared and looked up at Wooyoung, who is still practicing the same move over and over again. "You still want to go at it?"

"Yeah I want this to work now", Wooyoung said through gritted teeth and turned the music back on.

San watched his dancing for a while until his heartbeat calmed down. A few songs later Wooyoung finally had the right feeling for this part of the choreography and turned off the music.

"You are still here", he noticed the boy sitting at the other end of the practice room.

"Yes, I thought I might as well wait for you."

"You didn't need to", Wooyoung said and took a look at this bag.

"Well, now we can go together", San said as a matter of fact and began to collect his things that were scattered around the corners of the room.

"Ah, you go first ... I ..." Wooyoung was looking for an excuse. "I have to shower first."

"But I thought you didn't like to shower here because your apartment is right around the corner?" San asked in confusion.

"Well ... they turned off the water today for repairs ... so I don't have water there ... But you can go. It'll just take a few minutes."

"Hmm ... okay then." San said and watched as Wooyoung left the room to go to the showers.

It should've really just taken Wooyoung a few minutes, till he was finished. But under the warm stream of water, Wooyoung felt suddenly dizzy and weak. He grasped a hold on the tap and felt his surroundings disappearing. Everything went black and Wooyoung heard the rush of his blood in his ears.

The next thing he knew a pair of hands were holding his torso and making sure he didn't fall over. Through the rush of water and blood he couldn't hear what the person was saying but he could feel that he was in panic.

When Wooyoung came back to it, he was lying on the floor of the bathroom, the water was turned off, and San was shaking his shoulders, saying his name over and over again.

"What happened?", Wooyoung asked with a voice so small, he wasn't sure, San had heard him.

"That's what I want to know!" San answered in a loud voice. "If I hadn't checked up on you because you took so long, you would have hit your head on the floor!"

Wooyoung looked back up at San who had wrinkles of concern in his forehead. He raised his hand to smooth them out.

"The wrinkles make you look ugly."