"hey.."
"hey jongho! how are you? i miss you." eunsoo immediately answered the boy's call.
"i'm.. okay..ish.. i just wanted to tell you something. i would've saved it to tell you at school, but since i'm taking online classes now, i figured i should just tell you now.."
"that's okay! you sound nervous, are you okay?" "yeah.. this is just.. well, you'll see."
"okay. go ahead, then."
"okay, so.. i know this is weird.. and i know, i almost.. you know.. about a month ago.. so i don't mind what you think about this, i just need to get this off my chest." "..okay.."
"eunsoo, i.." jongho pasued, squeezing a pillow and squinting his eyes.
"i..i like you.." he finally said.
there was a moment of complete silence, and jongho could barely breathe.
"..i-i'm sorry, i-" "don't be sorry. why don't we meet up tomorrow and talk about this? the thing is, i actually realized a while ago that.. i like you too. i just don't want to rush into anything, since you're still recovering."
"oh, r-really? okay.. tomorrow, then.." "i'll text you when we can meet up. let's go to the park near your house, so you don't have to go far."
"okay.. s-sounds good.."
the call ended, and jongho sat there motionlessly, trying to process what he'd just been told. he felt a smile slowly creep onto his face, as all his worries felt washed away.
"alright.." hongjoong sighed and put his hand on his forehead.
"so.. jongho is getting new medications, and he's meeting up with eunsoo tomorrow.. wooyoung is going to the doctor tomorrow, and will be put on medication.. mingi has therapy for his PTSD.. and.. everyone else is doing fine." he explained.
seonghwa nodded and yawned.
"i'm still wondering about something.." "what is it?" seonghwa quickly responded.
"well.. the other night, yunho told me he's gotten closer to.. jun.. j-juny.." "don't say it, i know who you're talking about."
"okay.. yeah, so hum.. and yunho said he wants to invite him over, and we'll meet his moms.. but.. i'm nervous." "it's okay, i get why you feel like that. i'm a little worried, too."
"god, if i recognize him.. i don't even know what i'll do. i guess i'll have to pretend i don't."
"but that's just it, if that boy is really him—which, it could easily be a coincidence that he has the same name and is the same age—then, i wonder how he would've gotten to where he is. if they found him, why wouldn't they tell you? one of his moms must've had involvement with it.. but only if it's really him."
"you're right. but, i mean.. i'd rather know he's safe and healthy, and is being raised in a loving home and is being taken care of.. than if he's.. what i've been scared to think about since that day."
"mhm. but, whatever happens, just know that everything will be okay. even if it isn't him, there's still a chance he is out there, alive and safe."
"that's what i try to tell myself."
yeosang excitedly got into the car. he'd quite recently gotten his driver's license, and was going out to get him and wooyoung lunch.
after a little bit, they made it to a small restaurant, and went inside.
wooyoung was still pretty upset, since he was forced to go out and eat with yeosang, rather than hang out with his friends.
so, out of anger, he told yeosang his order, then walked away and sat at a table, without thinking even once about yeosang's speech issue. the older became filled with worry.
he knew he could do it, but he'd rarely, almost never spoken to people in public.
it was finally his turn, and he took a deep breath.
"hi, what can i get for you today?"
"h-hi.. i would l-l..like th-the nu..number t-two.. w-with a w-w-wat-ter.." he began.
the lady working the register quickly caught onto his problem, and smiled, patiently waiting for him to finish ordering. she wanted to make sure he knew he wasn't causing any problems.
but, there was a man behind the boy, who wasn't as understanding.
in the middle of yeosang ordering, the man sighed loudly, muttering "come on, buddy, spit it out. we don't got all day."
yeosang felt his heart drop to his stomach.
on top of his speech issue, he was also extremely shy, since he wasn't very experienced in social interaction with anyone outside of his family and friends.
so, he became flustered, which made him stutter more, and begin to forget words.
"a-a-and.. a ha-hambu..hamburg-ger w-w.." he tried to say what he wanted to, but the man behind him was scaring him to death, and he didn't want to waste anyone else's time.
"w-w..ith.. f-fries an-and.. a-a.. a spri-i-ite.. p-please.." he finally finished.
"it's about time.." the man muttered.
"i-i-i'm s-sorry.. i d-d..don't talk.. w-well.." he said, turning a bit to signal that he was apologizing to both the lady working the register, and the man behind him.
"you're all good, don't worry about it." the lady said with a smile.
yeosang nodded, then paying for the food, and going to sit down at the table as quickly as possible. he practically slammed the order number down on the table, then hanging his head and using his hair and hands to hide his face.
wooyoung looked up confusedly.
"the hell happened to you?" he asked.
he then watched as yeosang began frantically wiping his eyes, trying his best to calm down and not to cry in public.
but he was embarrassed.
you can't even fucking order properly, your voice just annoys others and makes everything take longer than it should.. you'll never be able to speak like everyone else. you'll always be mute, no matter how much you wish you weren't. he thought.
"come on, tell me. who do i need to beat up? did they make fun of your talking?" wooyoung asked.
"i-it's nothing.. j-j-just leave m-me.. a-alone.."
HOORAY I FINALLY GOT ANOTHER CHAPTER OUT!!
I AM SO SORRY FOR BEING INACTIVE SCHOOL IS KICKING MY ASS AND IM TRYING TO KEEP MY GRADES UP BECAUSE THIS YEAR IS IMPORTANT!!!
BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOU SUPPORT!!!! EVERY SINGLE COMMENT I GET WHERE YALL PRAISE ME/MY WRITING MAKES ME SO HAPPY, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND I LOVE YALL SO MUCH :( <3
