"I accept the challenge Seungcheol. Let's do the project."
"Wait, you're serious?" Seungcheol lifted a brow, still not fully trusting what Jeonghan just said. What was understandable after their little incident from the day before.
"If i wasn't serious about it i wouldn't have ran all the way trough the rain to attend school. So yes, I'm serious. I want to do this project with you to prove everyone i can do it." Jeonghan said, trying to sound as confident as possible. After everything he said the day before he didn't want to appear weak in front of seungcheol, who looked so confident it might even seem a little overwhelming. But not to jeonghan, who actually felt kind of comfortable in the boy's presence.
A big smile appeared on Seungcheol's face and he looked like he was about to embrace Jeonghan in a hug. But he didn't and just patted his shoulder instead. "Well, I'm really glad you came back. I knew you could do it." Seungcheol said, smile never leaving his face. "But you're all soaked. Didn't you bring dry clothes with you? You'll get sick if you wear this all day. Come i'll bring you to your place to pick you up some clothes. I have a car?" He immediately switched to worried mode.
"We can't go to my place. "Jeonghan instantly panicked about him mentioning his place. He couldn't bring seungcheol there? Although it might seem like any other normal place to him, he couldn't. He never even brought his friends to his place after his parents divorced. And he especially didn't want to bring seungcheol, a boy who he just met, to the broken place. He didn't even knew why he was so worried about it. He didn't even knew him yet he was so scared to bring him home.
But Seungcheol just nodded, not questioning his startled reply. "Then at least let me bring you to my place? You can't walk around in soaked clothes all day. We still have a project to work on and i don't want you to be sick at home the upcoming days."
Seungcheol was right. He really needed some dry clothes if he didn't want to catch a cold. Going to his own house didn't seem like an option since he really didn't want to involve seungcheol in the mess he might encounter the moment they stepped foot inside. So going with seungcheol would be the only option left.
"If you're okay with that?" Jeonghan asked, suddenly feeling incredibly insecure. But his feelings were washed away when Seungcheol showed him one of his bright smiles, being utterly okay with taking jeonghan to his place.
"Of course i am! I would actually feel responsible for you if you catched a cold." Seungcheol was the first one to turn around again, walking outside the school's entrance. He led them around the corner to the parking lot on a fast pace since it was still pouring right on them.
Seungcheol pulled out his carkeys and pressed the button. The tail light of a black jeep lit up and Jeonghan was surprised by how totally badass the car looked. It totally fit Seungcheol from his eyes sight. Since Seungcheol looked like a pretty tough guy himself.
Quickly both of them got in, Jeonghan in the passenger seat right next to seungcheol who was seated behind the wheel. To his luck the chairs were leather seated, so it wasn't a problem if he sat on them with his fully soaked clothes. The quality wouldn't get ruined by that.
"Nice car." Jeonghan admitted, looking around him in adoration as he heard Seungcheol twisted the key and the engine started running.
"Thank you." Seungcheol shortly replied, being too focused on getting them in safety out of their parking spot, trying to avoid hitting the other cars around him. But it went smoothly and before they knew it, they were on the road driving their way to seungcheol's house.
"So.. how old are you?" Seungcheol was the first one to speak up again after a silence fell between the two of them.
"I'm seventeen. How about you?"
"Ha! I'm eighteen. That means.. i'm older than you!" Seungcheol said going followed by a quiet laugh.
"That means i'm not the eldest for once!" Jeonghan said with a relieved sigh. "In my group of friends i'm the eldest. And that means i'm the responsible one and i basically take care of everyone. Not that i mind, but sometimes it's nice to be one of the younger ones, you know?"
He didn't even know why he told seungcheol all this. But it felt good. And it kept their conversation going, what was at least a thousand times better than to endure a painful silence for the rest of the ride.
"I get what you mean." Seungcheol said, occasionally glancing over at the boy seated next to him. "But i'm older than you, so i will take care of you." He added jokingly.
But something about the last sentence brought Jeonghan at ease a little. It satisfied his call for help deep inside. His call for someone who could understand, without feeling sorry for him.
"You're already driving me to your house to get me clothes. You didn't even have to do that you know. Who cares if i get sick?" Jeonghan said, seriously asking himself that question.
"Don't be stupid. I would. Stop complaining and just accept my offer. Not that you can decline it now you're already on your way home with me."
"Who said you weren't some creepy kidnapper who's taking me to his house to keep me hostage to get ransom? Well i can tell you already, my family isn't extremely rich-"
"I'm not kidnapping you Jeonghan, chill out. I just want to give us a new start after what happened yesterday and you being soaked by the rain gave me a good excuse for that."
They took another turn and Jeonghan couldn't stop the blush from creeping on his face. He wanted a new start? He actually wanted to be around him. Damn it, he was even about to give him some clothes from his own closet.
Why did it make him feel so.. weird?
