𝕕𝕚𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕘.

Seohyeon tensed at his initial response - the last thing she wanted was someone else angry at her - but relaxed when he placed his hand on her head. “Sorry,” she smiled softly, looking up at him. “I’m just - not very good at this stuff yet.” The two hadn’t known each other very long, but Seohyeon still felt safe around Hyunsik. If someone thought about them separately, they would never believe such different people could be friends, but it somehow worked, for which she was immensely thankful. When she registered his question, Seohyeon looked down at the list in her hand. “Well, I have ‘dishwashing soap’ written down. But what’s the difference between that and normal soap?”

despite the slight hint of irritation in his tone, there’s a fond look on his face, a certain spark of affection that hyunsik hardly ever bothers to show. somewhere along the way, he may or may not have developed a soft spot for the younger girl, yet that’s something he’d rather keep to himself for the time being. “ ‘s fine, don’t worry ‘bout it. ” because maybe, just maybe, this isn’t as bad as he’d like to think, judging by the tiny, little smile he’s been trying so hard to suppress, but to no avail. “ no way. are you seriously asking me that? ” he’s laughing now, downright amused by her obliviousness, grabbing the list from her so he can find the products she needs, not even bothering to answer her question. “ how have you survived this long? ”

he’s lost track of how long he’s been staring at hyunsik. he’s concerned about the bruise on his cheek, it does not look pretty, and he wonders if hyunsik is taking proper care of it. or if he’s gotten it looked at. although they’ve known each other for a while now, hyunsik is probably weirded out by the fact that minki is staring at him, but he knows that he’s going to get called out on it anyway. his lips quirk into a smirk as he’s proven right and he’s reaching out, gently dragging a knuckle down hyunsik’s bruised cheek. it’s a light touch, barely there, but he just wanted to point it out. “please, you’re far from ugly and i happen to like your face. but that bruise on the other hand…” he’s raising an eyebrow, and chucks hyunsik under his chin. “you good?”

the compliment makes him blink lazily, long eyelashes fluttering once, twice, three times, until he finds himself snorting, giving the other a gentle, albeit playful nudge with his elbow. “ this? this is nothing, so don’t you dare get all dramatic and shit now, m’kay? ” and realistically speaking, it’s true that he’s had even worse days in the past, yet that doesn’t really change the fact that it does hurt. in fact, it hurts enough to make him flinch away from his friend’s touch, barely managing to suppress a tiny yelp. “ please, i’m fuckin’ peachy. never felt better. besides, i did win the match, just so you know. ” with a stupidly smug grin that seems out of place on his bruised face, he reaches out to snatch the half empty bottle of beer out of minki’s hand, only handing it back to him once it’s empty and wiping his mouth with the back of his palm. “ thanks. ”

this may or may not be a bad idea, but let’s be real, though. does sik even bother to stop and think whether something is right or wrong before diving head first into anything that ever comes his way? not exactly. besides, if mian wants to learn how to kick someone’s ass, then, hell, who is he to stop her? the least he can do is teach her how do it the right way, which is proving to be a far more difficult task than he’s anticipated — how is he supposed to take her seriously when she looks like she could never hurt a fly? “ no, no, no. you’ll break your thumb if you ever try to punch someone like that. for the gazillionth time, you’re not supposed to tuck your thumb inside your fist. ” there he is, struggling not to laugh, using the back of his hand to hide the smile on his lips, visibly amused. “ fuck, you’re hopeless. ”

Seohyeon stood in the aisle at the store, staring up at the different types of laundry detergent. The other shoppers brushed past her, focused on their own tasks, but she ignored them. Despite having already been standing there for several minutes, her confusion had only grown. “What exactly is the difference between all of these options?” she murmured. “And who on earth needs this many?”

befriending seohyeon has taught hyunsik that if he tries hard enough, he can be much more patient than he gives himself credit for, which is a little bizarre, yet there’s just something about the younger girl that makes him strangely protective, bringing out a softer, sweeter side of his personality that's usually kept hidden behind a thick layer of sarcam and indifference. this time around, the universe seems to be testing him. it’s clear that he’s starting to grow restless, tapping one foot against the floor as he watches her with his arms crossed over his chest. “ shit, just trust me and get this one. ” before she can say anything else, he reaches out to grab the brand he always uses, letting it drop in the shopping cart with a thud and hesitantly resting one hand on top of her head. “ c’mon, what else do you need? ”

ella’s frowning as she watches even more people start to surround the one person with the phone focused fully on him and what he’s doing. she’s curving her fingers just a bit tighter around her to go cup of tea and burrows her face more into the fluffy pink scarf she’s wearing. of course more and more people are going to watch when someone is doing a dare, they have to get their entertainment even if they aren’t paying for nerve. ella on the other hand, is full of disapproval, wishing that this game hadn’t even appeared. she’s watching as the man starts attempting to climb up the side of the building, but her attention is pulled when someone stops next to her. “is the money really worth potentially getting hurt?” she’s asking, focusing her gaze on the person next to her, rather than the man and the crowd that is starting to cheer him on.

people tend to fall prey to the game for many different reasons — more often than not, it’s all about the money. nothing seems too crazy when you have bills to pay and you’re desperate enough to put your well-being on the line, especially not a tiny, supposedly harmless dare. yet money isn’t always everything. some people are curious, bored, sick and tired of their mundane lives and looking for a thrill, while others might even have something to prove. it’s different for everyone. “ hm, who knows? ” it’s a rhetorical question, spoken with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, one hand tucked into the pocket of his jacket, the other cradling his cup of warm coffee, utterly unimpressed by the chaotic scene unfolding before them. when he glances at ella, hyunsik finds himself wondering what exactly they are — friends, or just acquaintances? would she judge him, too, if she ever found out about his involvement with nerve? “ you really hate this game with a burning passion, don’t you? ”

for someone who’s always had such a hard time trusting people, hyunsik surely does seem to be surprisingly fond of minki, but then again, perhaps it’s only natural, since they do have a history together — a rather illegal one, to be fair, yet that’s another story for another time. and just to be fake deep and quote fight club, the two of them happened to meet at a vey strange time in their lives, yet somehow, the younger male has managed to get past the walls he’s built around himself as a defense mechanism. frankly, if anyone else dared to stare at him so blatantly, he’d most likely be pretty damn offended, to say the least, because yes, he’s aware of how ugly the bruise on his cheek looks, and yes, of course it fuckin’ hurts. yet minki’s different, because they’re friends, because his concern seems genuine — and that is oddly comforting. “ it’s rude to stare, y’know? am i really that ugly? ”