Chapter Text
It was summer in the Kujo mansion when Yuta was told he needs to move somewhere far from the glory house he lives in. At first he frowns, then he glares at his grandfather, but the second he opens his mouth, the old man of Kujo beats him to it.
“Nikko is your mother’s favourite place. And it’s only where your father won’t dare to find you. Go there, spend your last year of high school and come back once your father is gone”
Yuta wants to ask why his father needs to come here, to the land he had vowed to never come back. He remembers how his uncles and aunts cursed his father for leaving the Kujo. How they resent him, the one that was chosen by his own grandfather to take care of the family business despite his age. Yuta didn’t say more, but the fact his father is coming back, after a shameful pit of accusing his birth to be the cause of his mother's longtime sickness, pisses him off.
‘Must be for the inheritance’, he mumbles, as he rests his head on the car window. The long drive was so boring, with only him and the driver itself driving past the mountains and forest. Just where is he going to be confined? Nikko is pretty, but Yuta knows his grandfather probably put him in a random village he doesn’t know existed.
But when the car slows in a small one way lane, and when Yuta sees the signboard written Nasu, he rolls down the window. The fresh air of autumn hits him, the crisp of dying leaves invade his senses and his grey ivory hair sweeps away with the wind. Yuta's round eyes were mesmerised by the scenery. He is nowhere near Tokyo, but this doesn’t look like Japan at all.
“Do you like the view, Young Sir?”
Yuta didn’t answer, as his greyish orbs widened and his mouth parted, taking in the evening view like its the only thing that matters.
———
When they reached the gates, Yuta didn’t even wait for the car to stop when he jumped out. But what made him yell in shock was a doberman suddenly barking at him, in which Yuta almost falls down.
“Young sir!”
Yuta was about to fall his ass flat when he was suddenly grabbed by someone, strong arms caught his waist and pulled him strong. Too strong his button nose hits the rock hard chest that Yuta huffed in pain. The doberman is still barking, and Yuta is dizzy from all the stimulation around him.
“Why the fu-“
“Are you alright?”
‘What an odd japanese is that,’ Yuta frowns as he looks up, and this time his eyes widened not because of the panoramic mountains or the evening sunset. He is surprised to see red orbs staring back at him, a very much heavy eyebag looking into him intently, and how come a man could be this big in the middle of nowhere?
“This is Baek Seunghyun, the son of the family that is taking care of this house, he has been cleaning this house for your arrival, Young Sir”
Yuta, who still has his chin buried in that rock hard chest, deepening his frown at the man. He then pushed himself hard, almost stumbling back as he looked away. Not even a day in this random village and he is already hugging a man. A stranger too!
“I see, sorry about that. My name is Kujo Yuta”
“Nice to meet you, Kujo san”
Yuta frowns again. He speaks Japanese, but there’s a tang of unheard accents, and his name isn’t Japanese. He looks at the eyebag man again and turns to his driver, in which the driver rushes to explain. “Seunghyun is from Korea, he-“
“You can have dinner before washing up. I will be going now”
Yuta and his driver looked at each other when Baek Seunghyun bowed a little and walked away. The house was on a hill, and Seunghyun was heading down the direction he came up before. There’s only one house near him, and it must be his. If he squinted a little, he could see the small town near just a few snake lanes in front of them. It really is the middle of nowhere.
How did his grandfather find such an odd place and have an odd man taking care of it?
——
“Wow, I can’t believe you are really leaving me here alone”, Yuta says in disbelief, resting his side on the gate as his driver sheepishly bowed with a guilty smile. The sun was not even up, and his driver had to drive back already. No wonder he knocked out early. Things in Tokyo must be hard if even one man cannot slack off to be in a village in an unknown place.
“I will come back in the weekend, please make sure you eat well, Young Sir”
“Send my regards to grandfather. Tell him to not worry at all”
“Sure. And Seunghyun will come to walk you to school. You should get ready by now, Young Sir”
Yuta waved his hand, shutting him off as the driver laughed at being silenced. His aunt used to reprimand how unbothered he is in the terms of hierarchy in the Kujo house. Yuta didn’t seem to care. He was always alone in that house, what was the point in being arrogant and rude to everyone? It was better to make them comfortable if he wanted to make them stay with the Kujo longer. Even this driver makes jokes about him to not be scared at such a house alone.
Once he drove off, Yuta sighed as he walked back. He was already ready to go to school, he just need to change shoes-
Woof!
Yuta turns around to see the same doberman waiting at his gate, wagging his tail as he obediently sits there. Then, someone pushed the door, and the tall Baek Seunghyun was there. Cladded in his uniform, he looks at Yuta with a blank gaze. “Good morning, Kujo san”
“Good morning to you too-,” he doesn’t know how to call this man in a Korean Honorific. Is it Baek san? Seunghyun san? Were there others for a Korean? Is he even a Korean?
At the pause in Yuta’s words, Seunghyun smiles. “You can call me Seunghyun. Just that. My family has been working under the Kujo for almost a decade now”
“Ah, I see,” he scratches his head, not knowing what to do with the information.
“We should get going now. The walk to school is quite far”
Yuta thought he was joking.
———
“Fuck, did you always walk this far?,” Yuta groans as he bends down, holding his shaking knees from walking for so long. Fuck, he is athletic, just not enough for an early morning brisk walk. The Doberman Seunghyun had was nudging his face with a snout, clearly trying for affection but Yuta is just too tired to give one. It was two uphill and two downhills, and they got in time just for the gates to open.
He is going to curse his mother in the grave for suggesting this in the first place. Just when he is making pages of bad words, something pokes his cheek. It was the tip of the bottle. He looked up, and it was Seunghyun offering him a bottle of water.
“You can drink this”
“Do you do this everyday?”
“No, I rode my bike”
Yuta was about to drink when he stopped midway. A bike? Does he mean a bicycle? And it was an option all this time? Yuta glares at Seunghyun who looks like he is holding back his laugh as he drinks his.
“But my sister broke hers yesterday, so she uses mine today. Her school is in the town, so she needs it more. It's getting repaired, so I will get it back tomorrow”
Yuta took a deep breath, trying to not get angry at the reasonable explanation as he drank. He glances at the dog, and kneeled down to brush his fur. “How about her? Don’t tell me she’s going back down herself?”
Just when Yuta asked, the dog ran to the light up guardhouse and was greeted by the guard happily. The old man then looks up to the pair and smiles . “Oi Shiraishi! You are early today, and Tora is already angry, who is that boy beside you?”
Yuta blinks at the Shiraishi name, and as he glances at Seunghyun, there was a thin smile on his lips as he forced himself to smile. “My neighbour, Kujo Yuta. And you should call me Seunghyun, not that, Keidaki San”
The guard laughs. “ Sorry, old habits are hard to die. Bring your friend in, a pretty little thing like him might get cold”
Yuta tsk-ed at that. Is he some perverted old man? Yet he bows politely before he walks in, holding Seunghyun’s sleeves as they walked in. Tori barked at them goodbye, and Yuta waved back. “What’s that old man deal,” he muttered before turning back to the front. Seunghyun was quiet, and Yuta didn't ask about the new name he got from the guard.
———
It was as if fate, he is in the same class with Seunghyun. He was briefed about the school layout, the classes he will take and the events that are going to go on until next year, in which Yuta just nods away. They seem to know who his family is with the way even the principal was shaking his hand when they met in the teacher’s room. Some kids are already looking at him weirdly, even eyeing his shoes. Ah, Seunghyun had given him a handkerchief to wipe off the dirt, and he even said he will see if there are some running shoes for Yuta to wear for school.
He had expected Seunghyun to have friends at how alarmingly popular he is from the guards to the teachers, but turns out he was a loner. The only empty spot was beside the man, and he only stares at Yuta. His other classmates looked at Yuta pitying as to why he needed to sit with him, but the man simply didn't care.
“Kujo san, you can ask to sit alone if he is bothering you,” someone whispered to him when they were passing work sheets, and Yuta just smiled in bewilderment. He then passed the paper to Seunghyun, who seemed to not look into his eyes anymore. For the whole class, until break period, Seunghyun really refused to look at him.
When students scatter around to have their break, Yuta realizes he doesn’t have any food with him. Do they have a cafeteria here? He didn’t hear the homeroom teacher explain that, and he sighs. He was about to ignore his hunger when Seunghyun placed several stacks of containers in front of him.
“My mother cooks for you too”
“Oh, I thought we were going to be strangers the whole time,” Yuta joked as he opened the tupperwares, in which his mouth waters at the several small dishes. The rice is indeed too much for one person, so he pushed it halfway, entering Seunghyun’s table line. The action definitely made some of his classmates stop talking, but Yuta was unaware of the silence.
“We should share, there’s even two sets of chopsticks, and I know you are hungry too”
Seunghyun looks at him, blinking as he doesn't understand what Yuta is doing. The Kujo, however, is too hungry and impatient to wait for Seunghyun’s response that he places one piece of egg and a little veggie on the rice, then picks it up with his chopsticks to feed Seunghyun. “Come on, I’m hungry too,” he muttered and pushed the tip of the chopsticks on Seunghyun’s lips.
“I can feed-mmph!,” Seunghyun didn’t get to speak as Yuta shoves in the spoon, and only then does he realise how quiet the class is. He turns around, and raises an eyebrow at how his classmates are gasping. What is so surprising about feeding a man? He then took the same chopsticks and fed himself, humming a little at how delicious it was before smiling to everyone.
“Does anyone want some? It is really good,” he beckons to them, and they quickly get back to their food, in which Yuta scoffed. Were they afraid of Seunghyun or something? Just what this boy can do, he is a highschooler just like the others. If he was a delinquent student, well he is yet to be one to Yuta. Not like he can.
“Why bother letting me have everything, you should eat too,” he puts the chopsticks in Seunghyun’s hand, a little smile playing on his lips as he eats his part of rice. Seunghyun didn’t say a thing as he did the same with Yuta, sharing one plate of rice together in silence. Yet Yuta was unaware of how red Seunghyun’s ears were as they ate in silence, their chopsticks bumping against each other but Yuta didn’t care.
———
Yuta woke up that morning when his alarm blasted off. He momentarily cursed how he might need to walk again, and finally realising how he has been taking for granted the ride from home to school back in Kyoto. He took time to prepare, almost burned himself while boiling the water, and chewed bread on his way out. He was told to reheat the food he got before he came to Nasu but he found it a hustle to do it in the morning.
So imagine his shock when he slides the door open, he sees Seunghyun already sitting at the gazebo, brushing Tori’s head as there are two packed meals beside him. “My mother is very happy that you liked her food, so packed more for us,” he says with a light tone. He must be up for some time at how ungroggy his voice is as Yuta feels like a croak in the morning.
“Oh, thank you. Have you been waiting for too long?”
Seunghyun shook as he pats the place beside him in which Yuta did, bewildered at the request. To his surprise, Seunghyun knelt down, and Yuta’s eyes widened when his dainty ankle covered with socks were lifted up. “Wait, what are you-“
“We will be taking a bike today, but if it breaks halfway we need to walk. These are my sister’s sport shoes, I guessed it fits you,” Seunghyun says as he slides one shoe to Yuta's feet, gently holding the ankle as he makes way to the brown worn sport shoes. Yuta has been living in wealth that this act of service was often done when he was a child or when he visited any estate of his family, but this time it feels different. With the morning sounds too serene and with only them at the gazebo of this old house, Yuta could feel his cheeks getting warm.
"I can do it myself," he muttered, looking away in shyness as his sharp eyes that often frowns shakes in uncertainty. Perhaps Seunghyun was told that he should do this to the heir of Kujo. But they are in the middle of nowhere, just who will see Baek Seunghyun's loyalty?
"I know, but I'm checking it first," Seunghyun says gently with a hint of teasing, and Yuta sighs. Guess he just let the boy do it as he slides another pair, and Tora finds a spot on Yuta's lap to rest his head. This doberman is affectionate. He often sees Doberman being aggressive, so he wonders how Seunghyun can tame the dog, for sure this small village doesn't have a training centre right?
"Done, it fits nicely," he looks down at, and Seunghyun was right. He even tied it a perfect ribbon bow. Yuta laughs at the sigh before standing up, almost forgetting the bread he had bitten before was at his hand all this time. They walked to the gate, and Tora was excited for them to move.
"Do you often tie your sister's shoes?"
"I do, but they learn fast, and yours are the first in some years," Seunghyun says as he pulls up the bike stopper. Yuta realised then, the bike only had one seat. Is he going to walk alone as Seunghyun rides it? Before Yuta could protest, the boy with the heavy eyebag continued. "There's a saying in Korean that if you give a pair of shoes to your lovers, they will run away. My sisters often said I might be the cause of my future partners leaving. But they won't leave if I always have them in front of me, right?"
Yuta didn't know Seunghyun could talk more, cheerily even. He has a small smile as the dusk rays hit his skin, autumn wind blew away a few of his strands of hair. Obviously he never heard of it, but it does sound logical , yet what does Seunghyun mean by they won't leave if the person is always in front of them? "Come here, you should sit at the front," Seunghyun beckons and Yuta tilted his head, puzzled.
"Huh? Am I the one riding?"
"Both of us, come, we might be late"
"How do we-," he was pulled gently by Seunghyun and before he knew it, his feet were placed at the side metals that won't disturb the pedals, and Seunghyun was standing behind him. His big torso leans towards Yuta, as his arm stretches to the handlebars, engulfing Yuta's hands that are placed there. "Wait, this is dangerous! How are you going-Agh!"
Seunghyun moves his leg, and before Yuta knows what is happening, they are already riding downhill at an alarming speed, his grey hair riding with the wind as he shrieks in horror. Tora is running behind them, obviously having fun catching up with Seunghyun. As for the said man, he doesn't seem bothered at having to stand up as he is the one to move the bicycle and Yuta sitting at the front trying to not think of any horror scenarios.
"Fuck we are going to crash!"
"Wait Seunghyun, there's a car!"
And with time, Yuta didn't bother yelling anymore as he turned to hide his face on Seunghyun' chest, cursing this boy in his head but what made him flinch was the rumble of his chest. It was creating ripples, and when Yuta looked up from his chest, the Korean boy was laughing and smiling widely along the ride. He is enjoying it too much, and Yuta didn't have it in his heart to continue cursing him as he closed his eyes in resignation.
Well, at least one of them is happy now.
------
"Are you good at dodgeball, Kujo san?"
"Why? Are we going to play it today?"
Yuta asked back with a smile, he wonders why the girls and the boys here always come to his place, but never seems to approach Seunghyun beside him who was staring at his book. He wonders if he is even reading all that or is he pretending to read to avoid their classmates eye contact. He probably should start digging into why they are so afraid of Seunghyun. He has been the only one to talk with the boy, and whenever he does so, their classmates will gasp in surprise.
"We hope you can be in our team for that, can you? We are making a group of seven for the game"
"How many spots are left?"
"There's only left, just for you if you want it'
Yuta glances at Seunghyun who has been ignoring the conversation. He tsk-ed mentally. Can at least this boy show some interest?
"Ah too bad, I want to team with Seunghyun. If there's two spots, both of us can join"
Seunghyun, who Yuta thought will definitely not realise he was being dragged into his scheme, whipped his head fast to turn at the boy. He is smiling sweetly at Seunghyun when he says that, and rested his side to the rock hard shoulder. Their classmates were indeed flabbergasted at the sight, but Yuta's grins got wider. “As you can see, me and Baek san are close. He needs to play too,” the sudden Baek san made Seunghyun flinch but he didn’t push Yuta away.
“Does- does Baek san want to play with us too?,” one of their classmates finally says, and Yuta stands up straight as he claps in excitement. His eyes widened in glee as he grabbed Seunghyun with him, only managing to lift up his hand along with his.
“See! He is excited, let’s go to the changing room Baek san, I’m really good at dodgeball,” he winks at the dumbfounded man, but somehow Yuta has grabbed their change bag and dragged him out despite him being the heavier side. Turns out it wasn't just their classmates who can’t seem to speak with Seunghyun, everyone on the corridor who wanted to see a glimpse of Kujo Yuta was also surprised to see the new boy dragging the unwanted student with him.
The view was outplaced, but somehow seeing how Yuta was excitingly telling Seunghyun how good he is at dodgeball as they walked together side by side, it seemed right. His hand was still holding onto Seunghyun’s sleeve as they walked side by side, and it didn’t seem forced on Seunghyun’s side.
Instead, it looked like Seunghyun liked the idea of staying by Yuta’s side.
———
Yuta wasn’t lying about how good he is at dodgeball, avoiding and throwing at the same time. When the opposite team is aiming for him, Yuta moves like a glider as he moves to the side. He didn’t stop moving as he kept laughing how they could not aim at him properly. Yuta was just too fast, that even when his group ended with only him, it continued for 15 minutes until the coach himself asked them to stop.
Well as for Seunghyun, he died too early.
“This is because you are too big, Seunghyun. All these muscles and you are just a high schooler!” Yuta gently punched his chest as he snorted. His team didn’t dare to get mad at Seunghyun when he died too early, even though he did try to avoid the ball. They all circled Yuta, who is standing in front of Seunghyun as they discussed their strategy to be the one throwing the ball now.
“Were you in the boxer team?”
When Yuta asked that question, everyone fell silent, even the coach himself. Seunghyun didn’t seem fazed, but he glared at the others who wanted to answer for him.
“There used to be one, not anymore”
“What a bummer, you could be in a national team or a pro fighter if you continue. Anyway, here’s our strategy,” he didn’t press more. As much as Yuta is ignoring things around Seunghyun, he knows it bothered him much. But it is never his spot to ask nor to pry on more. He either will know when someone from the Kujo house comes this weekend or from Seunghyun himself. Does Yuta even want to know? He glances at Seunghhyun, seeing how intently he was looking at the dirt doodle Yuta had drawn for them. Perhaps it didn't matter. Whatever was Baek Seunghyun before, he realised it's not something that would bother Yuta much. He just likes being this way already. Seunghyun is his first friend here after all.
"You could have just been in our team, Kujo san, your team is full of weaklings," someone suddenly speaks, and Yuta turns to that person. Oh, it's the loudest boy in the class, Deiki san. Yuta personally tries to not be involved with him too much, but Deiki seems to like trying to talk with Yuta all day. Of course he only did that when Seunghyun was not around. Yuta looks at his team, well it was indeed an odd group. Minus him and Seunghyun, all of them are girls. They were winning the dodgeball solely because of Yuta after all.
"You are calling me a weakling?," He raised his eyebrow, gaze sharp at Deiki as the boy flinched at the tone. Yuta didn't actually put some walls between his classmates, but they certainly did due to the social class. It was when the second day he heard of the rumour that his grandfather foundation was the one supporting this school. In his dismay, the rumour was right, which makes them more scared at Yuta. Well, he didn't think of breaking the wall either.
"I-I mean-, you could win if you are with us! We have an athlete here, of course not strong as Kujo san"
"Idiot," Yuta mumbles, quiet enough that only his team heard it. He kicks the ball on his feet and catches it with his hand. "Well, let's see who wins then, Deiki san. My team won against you a few minutes ago, that didn't ring a bell to your head didn't it?"
Before Deiki san could say anything, Yuta throws the ball hard enough it hits his chest, and he fumbles back. The other boys quickly scattered to him, and even the coach belatedly whistled as a warning. "Kujo san, Deiki san, cut it-"
"We should play it now, there's only twenty minutes left"
The atmosphere went chill, and there was a crazed look in Yuta's eyes.
------
"Just one more left," Yuta yelled as he caught the ball and threw it at the remaining boy in the opposite team. Seunghyun, who was standing beside Yuta, had to move away whenever Yuta threw the ball. It hit people hard, to the point even his team was also shouting in excitement whenever one goes down.
"Come on Baek san, you need to throw too!," he throws the ball at Seunghyun, and for a moment the opposite team could feel their end is coming near. But the girls are also shouting to Seunghyun to throw it now, and Yuta was tugging impatiently, so he had no choice as he aimed to the remaining one boy. As he throws, probably a little harder than Yuta, the ball hits the boy's back and Yuta yells in victory as he jumps on Seunghyun in excitement.
"See! We can win this!," he yelled as he hugged the boy's neck, too tall for his liking that Seunghyun had to lean down a little, letting Yuta excitement run its course. Even the others were shouting as they won, and the whistle blew at the end of the game. It looked a little odd at how Yuta was saying his strategy works on his team, all while hugging Seunghyun lightly. "Who the hell is he calling a weakling when we have you, tsk," he scoffed before letting Seunghyun go and punch his chest lightly in a joking manner.
"As agreed, the losing team would have to clean the court, as we are the last class to have sports today, make sure it is clean," their coach said before heading back to the bench, discussing something with a few students that came to see him. Yuta glances at Deiki team, was his full name Deiki Daijiru or something Yuta don't even remember, was not satisfied their team loses as he keeps throwing dirty glare at his team. Specifically, it was for Seunghyun. Yuta frowned, if he had a problem with Yuta, why would he look at Seunghyun like that?
"Let's go back," Yuta tugs on Seunghyun sleeves. The boy nodded, and Yuta wished he had asked why because he didn't seem to realise the dirty look he was given.
"Kujo san! Baek san! Here!," someone called for them, and it was the girl in their team, Hirai san. She didn't look uptight as she always does whenever Seunghyun is beside Yuta, and that's probably a good thing as she gave them two bottles to drink. "Good job today, I didn't know Baek san is good in sports too, thank you for today too Baek san!"
Seunghyun, a person who was never getting a simple thank you by his own classmates, was indeed taken aback at the sincerity, even after Hirai san leaves them. Yuta glances at him, and he chuckles before tapping Seunghyun's nose with his bottle. "See, I know you will get excited playing with us, what so bad about making friends, you had no problem being mine," he says with a smile, tilting his head in amusement as Seunghyun with those gentle eyes looking at him again. Come to think of it, his eyebags are not because of lack of sleep. He just had it, and while it made others look tired, he didn't look tired, but scary indeed. Scarier even when he glares at others.
"You are different," he answered and Yuta huffed. "Because your family served mine? If that was true, we would be more of a servant and his owner then? I don't think I did make you think like a servant, did I?"
"You didn't look scared when we first met"
Yuta blinked in surprise. He stares at Seunghyun, trying to process those words coming out from his lips before he laughs. "Just because you are big, doesn't mean I cannot fight you. Why would I be scared? Instead, I should thank you for being friends with me," he says sincerely, a soft grin on his lips , but giggles when Seunghyun looks away, his neck and ear gets red. Does he rarely get compliments? Maybe Yuta can tease him about that-
"Kujo san watch out!"
Yuta only heard the yell when he saw a ball heading straight to him, and his reflex was too late to dodge as it was too sudden. He covered his head, and a loud 'bam!’ hit somewhere. Who is hitting a ball that hard when the game has ended? But the impact didn't hit him, and when Yuta uncovered his eyes, he saw Seunghyun covering him, and only then did he realise he was pulled into the boy's arms tightly. Just like the first time he met him, he had his body slammed to this man's chest covering his vision. Seunghyun was staring at him, worried while the whole court ran to them.
"Huh?," he said when something 'plopped' to his cheek, and it was Seunghyun's nose bleeding. "Seunghyun!" He yelled as he cupped his cheek, anxious as he tried to stop the blood from falling down more with his sleeves, asking the man to tilt his head up. He hears the coach yelling something while his classmates get havoc about what is happening.
"Why the fuck did you-"
"Kujo san, you should bring him to the infirmary first," someone cuts him off, and Yuta realises that was the right action now. Still, he cannot help but be worried as he took a clean cloth from someone and pressed it onto Seunghyun's nose. But before he whisked them away, he turned to his classmates, and saw Deiki san looking at them, guilt written on his face. That fucker, all because of a dodgeball?
"That asshole," he says under his breath.
-----
“That hit was for me, so why were you the one who took it?” Yuta says as he sits at the edge of the bed. The school doctor just left, and even she was puzzled at the sight before. Yuta was speaking fast as to what happened to Seunghyun, dramatically showing the blood on his hand as he pointed at Seunghyun’s nose. The boy on the other hand just sits quietly as Yuta fusses all over him.
“And why would you have to take it?,” Seunghyun asked back as he sat straight on the bed, a small bandage on his nose. Apparently the ball did scratch his face, and the nose bleed was just a minor concussion for a while but nothing serious. Thankfully he didn’t break his nose, but it did make Yuta think it would.
“Well he was obviously not losing against us well, and did you see the dirty look he threw at you? We are high schoolers for fuck sake a dodgeball shouldn’t-“
Seunghyun suddenly laughs, and Yuta blinks, startled at the reaction. Why is he suddenly laughing? Did he say something funny or did some screws on his head go loose? Yuta frowns as he pouts, “Why are you laughing? You could be seriously hurt-“
“Thank god I didn’t, right? You might as well drag me to the hospital in town,” he grins, and Yuta huffs. He really isn’t taking this seriously. Was this a normal occurrence for him to always get hit or does he really care less about it?
“I might drag you now, I think you are sick right now. Get some rest, I will fetch you when school’s done”
“Alright Kujo san”
Yuta was about to stand up when he stopped himself. He gazes at Seunghyun, close to glaring before he sighs. “ Just Yuta, why do we matter with formality when it’s just the two of us? I told you, you are my friend,” he gently reminds, and a soft smile drawn to his lips before he taps on Seunghyun’s nose. The boy blinked, and Yuta turned to laugh.
“Rest well, don’t leave until I come, okay?,” he reminds again, and this time Seunghyun nods with a smile. Why is this boy so isolated from others? He is kind enough for Yuta, and he didn’t bother others. Why was everyone so uptight with him?
And why is he so kind with Yuta?
———-
“Ah you have been close with Seunghyun, Young Sir,” his driver from before, Mori san teases as he closes the fridge. Yuta can see the stacked food filling the spaces, and he glances at the empty ones at the floor. It was a miracle he updated too fast and didn’t even starve. Mori san only showed him once how to reheat the foods with a stove and Yuta managed to do it well without burning the whole house.
“He is nice. And my first friend too, well he is too quiet at school”
Mori san stood up and took a seat at the dining table chair, which Yuta followed suit. The man must have been tired, he will be tasked to drive every week from Tokyo to Nikko, then this small town of Nasu. “Well, it’s still a wonder they still allows him to go to school, thanks to your grandfather”
Yuta raised his eyebrows. “My grandfather? Why, because he sponsored the school?”
“That too, and he manages to persuade everyone in Nasu including school that Seunghyun won’t be like his family. He is Japanese, I’m sure you sometimes hear someone call him Shiraishi san right? It was Shiraishi Kojiro. Shiraishi was the gangster who came to Nasu and threatened to wipe out the whole village. They were paid by a company so they can build a resort and a casino here”
Yuta gaped at the information. Mori san laughed before he poked an apple with his fork and shoved it into Yuta’s mouth. “Your mother loved Nikko, and often comes to Nasu, so she was furious. Your grandfather steps in, and eventually the old Shiraishi dies leaving three of his children. Master knew they would be looked down, so he sends them to Korea and get adopted there, hence the Korean name Baek Seunghyun”
“Then he comes back?”
“Just four years ago. The Korean family that adopted them wanted to move, and your grandfather suggested Nasu again. Baek Seunghyun didn’t say a thing, he was always often a quiet kid. I heard his life in Korea wasn’t that bad, he was still a quiet kid”
“But he surely has a big body for a kid”
“Ah! He was in the boxer team, but then he somehow got into a fight with a student, and the whole team disband and Seunghyun talent just wasted there”
Yuta munched on the apple belatedly, eyes boring down the cut ones as he thinks of something. Is that why almost everyone avoids him? How are they scared Seunghyun might get violence to the point he might end up like his kin? But he is kind and nice to Yuta, or perhaps he hates Yuta too?
“How did the old Shiraishi die?”
“A Yakuza won’t admit defeat, so of course he fights till he bleeds nothing. That’s just how it was. Why, are you afraid Seunghyun might hate you for his father’s death?”
“Obviously that is the only reason,” Yuta sounds logical, but that also doesn’t make sense. So he shooks and just munches the apple while Mori san changes the topic to what's happening in Tokyo right now.
———
“Oh Seunghyun! You are here early?,” Yuta hears Mori san say something, and when he turns, it’s to Seunghyun in casual attire and Tora beside him. He rushed out as he wore the sports shoes he was given before. Mori san glanced at the odd fashion style, but Yuta ignored him as he approached them.
“I thought Yuta would be bored today, will you be alright if you take him out for a while?”
“You both are really getting close, I must report this back to your grandfather.,” Mori san jokes but Yuta instantly gazed at Seunghyun,gouging his reaction but the boy only smiled. Perhaps he really doesn’t have any bad blood with his family or Seunghyun just wants to hide anything about it. Yuta ignores those thoughts as he bends down to Tora’s eye level and brushes the fur gently with a smile. The affectionate doberman panted in delight, almost jumping up to Yuta.
“Where are we going?,” he gazed up at Seunghyun, and the boy was already smiling at the sight.
“Come, I have my bike with me now”
———
“You better not take your driving license soon with how reckless you used a bike,” Yuta groaned as he went down from it, with the seating remaining the same. He wonders if Seunghyun doesn’t feel in pain riding the bike that way, or if he finds it annoying whenever Yuta yells at him to slow down or hugs him as he prays to not crash on a tree. The boy simply laughed as he turned and turned until they reached their destination.
“Too bad, I’m planning to take one once school is done,” he says as he pours some water in his thermos cap for Tora. Yuta finds it amazing the dog was able to catch up with them along the way to this place. He looks around, and realises they are in the forest with a small path leading back to the main road. He can hear a creak nearby, and with the cold weather for sure the trees are already changing their leaves to brown.
“Where are we exactly?,” he looks around, eyes on a small path heading to somewhere. “There’s a small creak down there, it still not frozen and people don’t really come here”
Seunghyun pulls his sleeves, and with a smile he leads the way to the clueless Yuta. With Seunghyun walking in front, he really couldn’t see anything and just followed the boy. Occasionally Tora would bark and circled himself around Yuta, but the walk was quiet. When they reach a steep small cliff, Seunghyun will be ready down there to catch Yuta. “Just leap into my arms,” he gives out his arm to Yuta who looks sceptical at the steep cliff as he glances between it and Seunghyun.
“If I sprain a leg I’m so going to kill you,” he taunts Seunghyun who laughs as he beckons Yuta to jump. The boy finally did, but the slippery steps caused by the rain yesterday made him misstep and slip on the mushy soil. Before his head could bump down forehead first, Seunghyun caught him perfectly in his arms before slowly putting him down, yet his arm remained around Yuta.
"Ever since you came here don’t you think you are liking my chest a little bit?,” he jokes as he leans in, and Yuta flushed at his statement before he flicked Seunghyun’s head lightly. “You were the one ready to catch me when I fall always don’t twist the narrative,” he corrects him and Seunghyun could only chuckle before letting Yuta go.
They walked side to side now, and this time it wasn’t in silence when Yuta started to ask a few things. “I heard from Mori-san about your upbringing. Did the Korean family treat you well?,” he asked, though he sounded unsure because he might pick on some sensitive issue to this man. Yuta did think of letting it pass but it gnawed on him, afraid that Seunghyun's kindness meant something else to Yuta. Not when he starts to like living here and being friends with him too.
“They are kind. Are you worried about me or the things you have heard about me?”
“Shouldn’t I? You are always isolated, but you are kind and nice on the inside. I guess I can’t help myself to know about you”
Seunghyun didn’t say anything as he smiled, but then his fingers reached to intertwine them with Yuta’s slender ones. His thumb brushes on the wrinkles on his knuckles, carefully touching it as they walk side by side. The act was so gentle it made Yuta’s heart race, but he didn’t pull away and simply let the man lead the way with him touching Yuta’s fingers. With how quiet it is, he was afraid Seunghyun would hear his heartbeat.
Just when the silence makes him more flustered, the sound of streaming waters flows through the forest. When Yuta looks straight, the sun rays peek from the leaves on the trees, which then fall to the running water in front of them. The small creak is yet to freeze, but Yuta knows it is chilly enough to even swim in it. “Wow, how did you find this place?,” Still, that didn’t stop him from putting away his shoes as he bent down to fold his pants till his knee lengths. He rarely gets to see streams like this, and usually when he does it’s not for him to play in it.
“Careful, it’s cold,” Seunghyun helped him to stabilise himself as he worked on the next sleeves, clearly excited at the idea of jumping into the stream. He then realised Seunghyun is not doing the same, so he looked up in a frown.
“Are you not coming too?”
The boy raised an eyebrow. “Are you really going into it?”
Yuta grins as he nods before crouching down to Seunghyun’s shoes. “And you too!”
———
“Wait,wait Yuta-,” another splash hits Seunghyun with the boy cackling as Tora joins the fun, jumping around with big ripples causing the splashes to be bigger. He was splashed all over the place, the cold freezing autumn water was hitting him on every spot that Seunghyun had trouble opening his eyes.
“You are soaked from head to toe Seunghyun!,” he yells in which the latter realised Yuta was right. He looked down at himself, he was already soaked as if he took a dip himself. Yuta on the other hand, only had a few water spots on himself. Well the boy probably is fast, but in terms of strength Seunghyun could definitely make him soaked too.
So he strides himself fast to Yuta, in which the boy’s eyes go wide at the fast pace catching him. Yet he grinned so hard that he laughed as he took off, though the water is making it hard to move on. Tora had taken a blast the moment Seunghyun was taking big steps to him, so it’s only Yuta running away from him.
Before Yuta could reach to the side, Seunghyun’s arms circled his waist and lifted him up to the air. “Hey! That’s cheating!,” he shrieks but all he sees is Seunghyun’s smug face before he turns them back to the creak. The boy adjusted Yuta in his arm, fearing he might slip from his hold itself. Yuta tries to wriggle himself out, even calling for Tora who is just barking at the sight of both of them as Seunghyun brings him to the other side of the creak. By now, the depth was reaching past Seunghyun’s thighs, and Yuta had his eyes wide in fear as he could feel the current touch the sleeves of his shirt.
“You are not drowning me here right?”
“You don’t trust me?”
Yuta glanced at him, the eyes holding a mischievous look but a certain warmth that Yuta frowned at. “I do, but this isn’t something- wait!”
He did not get to finish his words when Seunghyun dived in both of them to the water, the boy had his eyes closed and cheeks puffed for the lack of air, feeling the rush of the cold current around them. Baek Seunghyun was one crazy man when he had them soaked deep in this cold water in the middle of autumn! Yuta unconsciously grabbed Seunghyun’s shoulder tighter, feeling the bubbling pressure around them when he felt a light tap on his head. He opens his eyes, despite the pain of the water entering it, he lets his view be Seunghyun, hair up in the water, his eyes clearer as he smiles at Yuta’s baffled gaze.
He is close, too close that Yuta can count his eyelashes, those red orbs staring into him even though the water pressure is getting around him. Too close that he can see his own reflection in those eyes, equally mesmerized as his grey light hair flew in every direction of the water. How long have they been in this water? Since when does Seunghyun make all those questions matter less to him? He could feel his heart skip a beat, his senses alerted even in the freezing water, before it made sense when Seunghyun pulled them both up to the water. It was only when he coughed for air, and the warm big han reaches for his cheek to transfer any little warmth they have.
“Now, both of us are wet,” Seunghyun rasped before helping Yuta to blow his nose, oblivious to the red face of the boy thinking it was because of the water, not the erratic sounds of his own heartbeat. Yuta lets him do it, Seunghyun doesn’t let him walk back to the river bank as he carries the boy in his arms.
“You are one crazy boy, Baek Seunghyun,” he mumbled, punching his chest lightly, in which Seunghyun only laughed before they reached Tora.
_______
“Aren’t you both too old to play in the creak during Autumn?,” Yuta hears the croaked old voice as Seunghyun stands in front of the door with a smile on his face. He is still wet all over, yet he gave his dry coat to Yuta as they walk to this random house Yuta doesn't even know who is the owner. Turns out it was someone Seunghyun knew, and he said he might have a room for them and even a sauna for them both to be warm fast. Tora even knows the old man as he jumps around, but Yuta remains sceptical as he looks at the man from behind Seunghyun.
“We happen to fall inside the river, and Yuta san might get a cold if we walk back home in this weather”
“It seems you are very much confident there will be a room for both of you”
“You do, don’t you?”
The old man laughs before he reckons them to come inside, and some people suddenly approach them, giving them towels and kimonos for the night. Yuta receives them, bewildered as he only follows Seunghyun from the back. The boy then slowed down his steps, and he then pulled Yuta by his side with his sleeves. “He used to teach me Judo before, back in middle school. He is retired now, and own a small motel and a sauna for visitors. Business has been slow as for now, so I was sure we had a room”
“Oh, so you are kind to close to everyone in this village, aren’t you?,” Yuta snickers, and Seunghyun chuckles before he pinches those cheeks, making Yuta shriek in pain. The workers glanced at them momentarily before looking back to the front, and Yuta swatted those hands.
“I’m like an errand boy some sort”
“They are probably going to let you marry one of their daughter seeing how kind they are”
“You see the kids at school, you think the girls will like me?,” Seunghyun teases, and Yuta snorts before he walks pass him with a wide smile.
“Then, just stay with me if you don’t have any girls hitting on you!”
____
Yuta glares at Seunghyhun who is making the bed for them. To be precise, adjusting the sleeping mats for them both. He had thought Seunghyun and him would be sharing the sauna together, but the boy says he won’t and just let Yuta use it alone. What is so awkward about seeing both of their naked bodies together? Perhaps he was just indeed excited to see how ripped those chest are, or those abs-
Yuta looks away, snapped from his thoughts as he feels his face red. Good, now he is thinking of a naked Seunghyun beside him in the sauna. By the time he had enough of the warm, he prepared himself for the night and saw Seunghyun is already dried up and clothed, putting two sleeping mats with a wide gap from each other. “Why are you sleeping close to the door?,” Yuta says before he pulls Seunghyun’s one to be close to him. Just a small gap should be enough, what’s with the sudden distance?
“I was being considerate for you if you wanted space,” Seunghyun says, yet he lets Yuta adjust his, and even grin at the act. Yuta scoffed at his words. “I spend enough time in Nasu to not be a spoiled brat, and maybe I was born to be one, but I know how to adapt fast. You didn’t think of that when you pull me in the water with you?”
“I was looking at you as a friend that time”
Yuta tapped his pillow. “Right now?”
He hear Seunghyun slips in his blanket, in which Yuta did the same as they sleep facing each other. The lights are already dimmed, and it feels toasty and cosy inside the blanket for both of them. He can see Seunghyun’s face clearly just like it was back in the water, and there is the smile again, with that warm gaze he always had for Yuta. “Right now, perhaps I should find a kinder word to describe my employer,” Seunghyun says with a hint of a joke that made Yuta jolt up from his blanket and hit the bigger boy with his pillow. If Tora is here, he would have joined the fun, but the bundle of joy had his own place to sleep for the night. Seunghyun said he loved sleeping near the fireplace.
“Employer my foot, get your ass here!,” he yells as Seunghyun rolls to the other side of the mat, laughing as Yuta crawls out from his own, trying to reach for Seunghyun. Their laughs and yells were so loud that it surprised the owner himself, who was reading near the fireplace with Tora on his foot. He shakes his head with a smile as he chuckles.
“Baek Seunghyun really likes that friend right? Have you ever seen him laughing and smiling like that?
_____
When dusk came, and the birds chirped for the sunset, Seunghyun opened his eyes slowly as the sunrays filled the room. He looked down to the bundle of blankets in his arms, a tuft of grey hair peeking out from it, and the boy smiled knowing who it was in his arms. At some point of the night, their sleeping mats had overlapped with each other, and Seunghyun had found Yuta to be in his arms for the rest of the night. The small and delicate body feels warm in his arms, perhaps because he was still sleeping.
Seunghyun found himself leaning down, his nose touching Yuta’s hair as he nuzzled in it gently. The beautiful Autumn has come with Yuta, and he hopes it never goes away.