Payback AU: What If

Act 5 - MENDING

"See you tomorrow then," Jay waved his hand playfully at a tutting Yoohan, who had been rejecting the idea of getting a ride home in Jay's car, but as usual, still being pulled helplessly by the guy with ever-present overabundant energy.

As the stupidly handsome car and its equally handsome driver got further away from sight, Yoohan narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He didn't really have enough leeway to think about it before, but he realized it now that Jay had been acting really...nice? to him. It was weird how the high schooler asked for a fight five minutes after they met the first time, but acted all chummy the next time they met. It honestly scared Yoohan. Jay was still scary, with how cold his eyes and how cruel his smile could be sometimes. But he also treated Yoohan nicely, and gave him a (weird) job, with real money—and for Yoohan, it was even scarier.

Yoohan put his hand inside his pocket, feeling the envelope containing today's payment. It also felt weird. The job didn't feel like a job. All he did was watched a movie—although, in the end, Jay made him write an essay about the movie on the spot. Yoohan thought Jay was half-kidding with the "job" thing, but he really paid Yoohan properly. And it was ... a lot—for Yoohan, at least. Granted, it was an advance payment for a full month, but it was still a lot. It wasn't something someone like him could acquire doing the usual, normal part-time job.

Not to mention, he got food and drink, got driven home, and got offered a free tutoring session. What kind of work environment and benefit is this?

After being made to spit about all his punishment at school, Jay suddenly told Yoohan to come to his house tomorrow. "To aid you in your revenge," he said, playfully, one-sidedly, like always. And with money in his hand, Yoohan found it hard for him to say no.

Damn it, the power of money is truly absolute!

Yoohan found it baffling that he felt simultaneously annoyed and grateful at the same time. And he felt suspicious because everything Jay did was somehow very beneficial for Yoohan. But why would this high schooler that stared at him as if Yoohan was a prey on day one suddenly acted like a caring big brother? Is it a scheme of some sort? Does he want to lower Yoohan's guard and then attacked him later? It was always the scariest when he had no idea what the other party's goal was.

Ugh. Yoohan groaned at his own thought. He wouldn't put it past Jay to do something like that. Jay seemed like he had a few loose screws anyway.

But—Yoohan bit his lip—it'd be disappointing if those gentle affections that Jay showed him sometimes were fake.

Yoohan slapped his cheeks. "What the hell?" he muttered in denial. It was just because no one had ever shown him that kind of gesture before, Yoohan reasoned. He had never been looked at like how Yoon Jay gazed at him, or being patted and caressed like that—like he mattered, like he was deserving of affection instead of mockery.

The pale grey eyes with bluish glow appeared in his mind and Yoohan cursed at how it made his heart jolt.

He would probably stay on the road cursing all night if not for his ears suddenly picking a sound of ruckus nearby.

It was coming from the direction of his semi-basement house.

The sound of someone shouting could be heard even before Yoohan managed to enter the gate. What greeted him later was the familiar scene of a rather chubby middle-aged woman screaming and sputtering at his mother who had her hands folded politely in front and head bowing profusely in an apologetic manner.

"How many times has it been, huh? Do you think you're the only one who needed money, Mrs. Lee?!" The woman was red with anger, and Yoohan's mother could only mutter sorry, sorry, meekly. "If you know you lack money, then you should work another job to earn it!"