The soft glow of the TV flickered slightly across the dimly lit room. Jinwoo was still playing his game as usual, the quiet clicks of the controller breaking the silence around them. Daewon sat on the couch, his body sinking into the cushions. Exhausted from the day, he was finally settling in, but for once, it wasn't overwhelming at all.
Jinwoo glanced at him for a brief second then glued his eyes to the screen again. "You just gonna sit there all night?"
Daewon sighed, not showing any particular bit of emotion. "Maybe, I guess."
Jinwoo smirked, shaking his head while his eyes were still focused on the game. The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable. It was strange how things felt different now, how it felt less tense and distant.
Daewon let his gaze scan the room. It was the same as always, neat, familiar and irreplaceable . But something inside him felt like it had shifted, even if just a little.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and checked the screen lazily.
Seojun: You home?
Daewon hesitated before replying.
Daewon: Yeah.
A moment later, another message came through.
Seojun: Good. Get some rest.
Daewon stared at the message for a second before locking his phone and setting it aside sighing.
"Who was that?" Jinwoo asked without looking away from his game.
"No one."
Jinwoo snorted. "Sure."
Daewon rolled his eyes but didn't bother explaining, instead, a yawn escaped him, and Jinwoo took notice in an instant. "You should go to bed."
Daewon stretched. "Yeah, yeah."
He then pushed himself up from the couch, his muscles aching slightly but not as bad as before. As he headed toward his room, Jinwoo's voice stopped him.
"…Hey, hyung."
Daewon turned back. "What's up?"
Jinwoo hesitated for a second before speaking, "Goodnight."
Daewon blinked. Jinwoo never said goodnight first.
"…Yeah. You too. Don't stay on the game for too long now."
Jinwoo gave a small nod before turning back to his game.
Daewon watched him for a moment longer, then headed to his room.
His bed felt welcoming as he collapsed onto it. He let out a long breath, staring up at the ceiling. His body was tired, but his mind was still running. Hyeri's words from earlier echoed in his head.
"You looked like you needed a distraction."
He scoffed to himself. She was annoyingly perceptive, and it wasn't entirely a bad thing. He liked that she tried to help him and that she cared unlike his other classmates.
Then there was Jinwoo, his sudden concern, the way he was actually paying attention these days. Daewon wasn't sure how to feel about it. It was nice, in a way, but it as also an unfamiliar feeling for him.
He exhaled and finally shut his eyes.
For the first time in a while, he slept easily.
The next morning, Daewon woke up to the sound of his alarm buzzing. He groaned, blindly reaching over to shut it off. His body felt stiff, but at least he had actually slept.
Pushing himself up, he rubbed his face and glanced at the time. He had just enough time to get ready without rushing.
As he stretched his body a sudden knock appeared at his door.
"Hyung, you up?"
Daewon sighed. "Yeah. Just woke up"
"Good. Hurry up. I'm walking with you again."
Daewon frowned. "Who said I wanted that in the first place?"
Jinwoo snorted. "Well too bad, like it or not, we are walking together."
Daewon shook his head, but there was a small smile tugging at his lips. Maybe, just maybe, things weren't as bad as they used to be.
Daewon sighed, dragging himself out of bed. His muscles still ached, but it was nowhere near as bad as before. He grabbed his uniform from the chair, throwing it on before heading to the bathroom.
By the time he made it downstairs, Jinwoo was already at the table, eating breakfast. Their mother was at the stove, her back turned as she cooked. Their father was nowhere in sight. He was probably already at work like usual.
"Sit," Kaejin said without turning around. "You need to eat properly before heading out."
Daewon pulled out a chair and sat across from Jinwoo, who was casually chewing on a piece of toast. His younger brother raised an eyebrow. "You look like you died and came back."
Daewon rolled his eyes. "Again with your jokes, thanks I guess."
Jinwoo smirked, but Kaejin threw him a look. "Enough teasing." She placed a plate of food in front of Daewon, the smell of eggs and rice filling the air.
Daewon stared at it for a moment before picking up his chopsticks. He wasn't really hungry, but he knew better than to skip a meal with his mother watching.
Jinwoo finished eating first, standing up and grabbing his bag. "I'll wait outside, need some fresh air anyways" he said, heading for the door.
Daewon ate a few more bites before setting his chopsticks down. "I'm going too now."
Kaejin turned, eyeing him carefully. "Are you feeling better?"
"I'm fine, mom. Don't worry."
She didn't look convinced but didn't push. Instead, she sighed. "Be careful at school now."
Daewon nodded before heading out the door. "Bye, mom. Love you."
Outside, Jinwoo was leaning against the wall, scrolling through his phone. When he saw Daewon, he shoved it in his pocket.
"Took you long enough. I thought you fell asleep for a second."
"You didn't have to wait, dummy" Daewon muttered as they started walking.
Jinwoo shrugged. "Maybe I wanted to."
Daewon side-eyed him. "You're acting weird."
"I'm always weird."
"True."
They walked in silence for a while. The morning air was crisp, and the streets were filled with other students heading to school.
Jinwoo suddenly asked, "Are you going to deal with Joon today?"
Daewon stiffened slightly. "Why you asking?"
"No reason, just wondering."
Daewon exhaled sharply. "I don't know yet."
Jinwoo hummed. "I think you should."
Daewon scoffed. "Since when do you give advice?"
"Since my idiot brother got into a fight and came home half-dead."
Daewon shot him a look. Jinwoo just smirked. "I'll figure it out," Daewon muttered.
Jinwoo didn't say anything else, but Daewon could tell he wasn't done with the topic.
When they arrived at school, Jinwoo waved him off before heading to his own class. Daewon walked through the halls, his mind already filling with thoughts.
He didn't even get the chance to sit down before someone sat onto the seat next to him.
"Morning" Hyeri said, resting her chin on her palm.
Daewon raised an eyebrow. "You're surprisingly early."
"Thought I'd surprise you."
"Well congratulations then. I'm surprised."
She grinned. "See? My plan worked."
Daewon shook his head. "You're annoying."
"Thank you."
Before he could say anything else, someone else approached their desk. The familiar silhouette brung shivers to Daewon as soon as he saw it, but he played it cool.
The atmosphere shifted instantly. The noise of the classroom seemed to fade as the two locked eyes.
The person hesitated before speaking. "Can we talk?"
Daewon studied him for a moment. His first instinct was to refuse, but Jinwoo's words echoed in his head.
"I think you should."
Hyeri glanced between them but didn't say anything.
Daewon sighed. "…Fine."
The person nodded, then gestured toward the door.
Daewon stood up and followed, bracing himself for whatever was coming next.