𝐁𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐬 • 𝐒𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐠

2. Beneath your Façade

For the rest of the afternoon Seonghwa caved back into his quiet self.

Yeosang wondered why it was so easy for Seonghwa to brush off lunchtime's events like it never occurred. He seemed so indifferent to what happened. No one deserves to go through that kind of torment so why didn't he speak up to the teacher? Was it possible that Seonghwa went through this type of bullying regularly? Maybe he was scared? Maybe he'd been threatened?

Yeosang occasionally caught Seonghwa looking at him and each time he did Yeosang returned the olders gaze with a friendly smile, it was the least he could do.

Yeosang didn't know it at the time but it was those smiles and what happened prior that were a catalyst for their friendship.

In the following days and soon the fresh term to come, the boys would at first smile at each other with a mutual understanding of shared experiences, then it turned into simple hello's and greetings. Seonghwa began to seek Yeosang out when he was being taunted and each time Yeosang would comfort the older and come to his defence. He was more than happy to help.

Thankfully the bullies soon began to back off, Yeosang may look like an angel, but he could quickly switch and become the devil. Yeosang had a sharp tongue and savage words, overall he gave off a vibe that he was a force to be reckoned with, even though he was terrified half the time.

Seonghwa constantly told Yeosang that he was his hero, his protector, but Yeosang always brushed it off, feeling undeserving of such praise.

During class time when Seonghwa would pull out his mutilated books; books he'd tried to painstakingly salvage with sticky tape, Yeosang couldn't help but cringe.

He wondered why Seonghwa hadn't just bought new books, why did he have to use those ones?

Yeosang decided that until Seonghwa got new books that he would share his own and he made an effort to sit next to Seonghwa each class, pushing away Seonghwa's books and replacing them with his own.

Seonghwa would protest in the beginning but over time sharing with Yeosang became natural for the older. Seonghwa wouldn't even pull his books out anymore. Yeosang wondered at one point whether Seonghwa even brought them with him.

At recess and lunchtime Seonghwa began to appear more, and slowly inch by inch he'd scoot closer to Yeosang until they were finally side by side. Yeosang soon learnt about Seonghwa's hobbies and interests and most importantly his home life.

Yeosang began to understand why it was that Seonghwa had insisted on keeping his ruined books; it wasn't that he wanted to keep them but rather he couldn't afford new ones.

For Seonghwa some days were better than others; Yeosang learnt how Seonghwa's parents both struggled to make ends meet. His father was a door to door salesman by day and a gambling alcoholic by night, and his mother was an underpaid house maid and a long term sufferer of depression.

Seonghwa himself worked at the corner convenience store gathering as many shifts as he could, he was a paper delivery boy on Sunday morning, and finally, an editor for a family friends column on their online blog in the time in between.

Sometimes their family would have food, sometimes they didn't, sometimes they'd have water and electricity, sometimes they didn't. Sometimes they had money but most of the time they didn't.

Yeosang started to pack an extra sandwich and fruit in his lunch just so he could share with Seonghwa to ensure the boy actually ate and got some substance in his diet; he didn't like to see Seonghwa suffer, and it wasn't until much later on but Yeosang also began to let Seonghwa shower at his place when he had no water.

Yeosang with the help of his own mother helped Seonghwa set up a secure bank account that his father couldn't access, since prior Seonghwa had only been receiving cash in hand. His money was easily snaffled by his father from his piggy bank and his and his mother's many hiding places around the house and even yard. Seonghwa's father was a desperate man and no amount of dirt could stop him from searching.

Despite Seonghwa's tough life, hidden under Seonghwa's shy exterior was actually quite a sweet, friendly and charming boy. Yeosang could see that his experiences had built him into a very independent, strong willed, caring person.

What threw Yeosang out the most is how cheeky Seonghwa became once he started opening up. Seonghwa had an adorable laugh, a smile that melted hearts and greetings and goodbyes were always met with a friendly hug.

Yunho was always in the back of Yeosang's mind, but Seonghwa had begun to wedge his own space there as well.

Everyone in their friend group started to get closer and it was clear as day for those who knew the pair that Seonghwa had a crush on Yeosang.

Yeosang knew about it, but he still found himself denying it.

Seonghwa one particular time had been very tired all morning and when lunch finally rolled around his eyes were practically glued shut.

Their little group were sitting down in a grassy area under the shade of a tree and Yeosang had suggested Seonghwa sleep, expecting him to head back to their classroom or to the library which was another place he liked to sleep, but instead Seonghwa had yawned and then curled up on his side in the grass, resting his head on Yeosang's thigh.

Seonghwa had never done this before and Yeosang simply froze up as Seonghwa fell asleep within seconds.

Every one of their friends were silently cooing and making hearts and even taking photos much to Yeosang's protests. If Seonghwa hadn't been laying on his thigh he would have swatted their phones out of their hands, but then again if Seonghwa hadn't been laying on his thigh then he wouldn't have needed to swat those phones in the first place.

It was this lunch time that Yeosang began to realise just how much Seonghwa had changed since they first met and he also began to realise that Seonghwa did indeed have feelings for him.

Yeosang still very much liked Yunho though so Seonghwa sleeping on his lap, or his shoulder or giving him hugs to say goodbye and hello didn't affect him that much, which was really saying something since Seonghwa was a very affectionate person. Seonghwa hugging and falling asleep didn't make Yeosang uncomfortable, maybe a little flustered yes, but it never really meant much more than friendliness on Yeosang's end.

Letting Seonghwa sleep on him, returning his hugs with equally warm ones and matching his smiles with his own, it was just an act of kindness and friendship.

What else are friends for?

A/n Seonghwa protection society where we at???