It Was a Confusing Experience for Everyone Involved | HEEHOON

Alternative

“I think I’ve found an alternative,” is the first thing Heeseung says when he enters Sunghoon’s apartment.

Sunghoon should by now be used to Heeseung starting conversations with about zero context, it still takes him a minute to respond. First, because he tries to guess what the context is. He gives up on that pretty fast and switches to thinking how to answer.

“Okay,” he walks over to his couch realising he’d been standing still for a little too long. “To what?”

Heeseung sighs like it should be obvious, “to the charm thing.”

“The charm thing, right,” Sunghoon replies. He’d been doing pretty well not thinking about Heeseung’s crush and his weird requests. Well, Heeseung doesn’t seem like he wants him to forget. “You know, I talked with Sunoo about it, he couldn’t think of anything like what you asked for either.” He had also looked at Sunghoon like he was the most exasperating living thing on earth, but Sunghoon still hasn’t figured out why.

“Yeah, well, it doesn’t matter because I thought of something else!” And he looks so excited Sunghoon feels bad for hating it a little bit.

He’ll have to get used to feeling like an awful person. Especially if Heeseung gets together with this witch he seems to like so much. Sunghoon loves Heeseung enough not to do anything against him pursuing this person. But he also loves him enough to feel his heart breaking a little every time Heeseung mentions it. He’s also quite jealous that he doesn’t really want to help.

“What did you come up with now?” He teases to cover for his bitterness. Heeseung, thankfully, doesn’t seem to notice.

“So, still a charm,” he begins explaining. Sunghoon is already dreading whatever he thought of. “But a charm that will make me attractive.”

“We’ve gone over this, you are attractive and I don’t know of any charm that will make it so they’ll find you attractive specifically.” Sunghoon really doesn’t think this is any different to what he had asked for before. It’s the exact same thing, really.

He gives Heeseung the benefit of the doubt, maybe he’s just stupid and doesn’t get what Heeseung wants. Maybe his jealousy is dumbing him down, so he doesn’t get it. Or maybe Heeseung is just repeating himself, he doesn’t really know and won’t know unless he lets Heeseung explain. So, he waits for Heeseung to add on to his request.

“I know, but I meant in general.” Heeseung continues, “you said you could make charms that ‘enhance one’s beauty’ or something like that, so a charm that would simply make everyone find me attractive.”

And Sunghoon has to stop for a second. He’s been having to reconsider his thoughts a lot recently. Because he knows a lot, and he means a lot, of people find Heeseung attractive. He gets asked out every other day; pretty much everyone has tried to flirt with him, Sunghoon included, and failed. So why is Heeseung so insecure about his looks? How beautiful is this witch that Heeseung thinks he doesn’t stand a chance without magical help?

He wants to ask ‘who even is this witch?’ but if Heeseung hasn’t told him yet is because he doesn’t want him to know. And he’s not going to lie, it hurts a little, but he understands. Maybe it’s one of the witches he’s complained about before.

He hopes it’s not Sunoo, because that would make sense but it would be sad for Heeseung. Sunoo is not about to break up with Riki regardless of how attractive Heeseung is. Maybe he should go Sunoo’s route and use a truth potion. Either for Heeseung to confess to his crush or on himself to confess his own crush. He shots down that thought fast, he cannot confess to Heeseung knowing he likes some other witch.

“Do you really want that?” Sunghoon argues while he tries to come up with a reasonable excuse to not make the charm. For his own sanity and not because of his jealousy, he’d died if Heeseung looked even more handsome than he does now.

“I don’t know, really,” Heeseung admits, “but I need to do something to make them notice me.”

“And talking to them is not an option because…?” Sunghoon thinks maybe he can change the topic.

“I told you, I can’t.” Heeseung insists.

“But why?” Sunghoon presses on.

He instantly regrets doing so, Heeseung seems genuinely distressed by it. His whole demeanour changes and he looks defensive and miserable, appearing conflicted by his own inability to just talk to this person.

“Because it’s not- I just can’t, it’s too risky, I want y- them to approach me.” Sunghoon wonders if it’s because he’s never had to ask someone out, the other person always taking the first step.

“Okay, I won’t mention it again,” Sunghoon says as he realises Heeseung is actually affected by this. “But do you really want a charm that will attract literally everyone? If they are a witch, they may even have a protective spell against it.”

“I… hadn’t thought about that,” Heeseung admits with a stiff smile. “And if it attracts everyone, they won’t know it’s for them…”

Heeseung seems to come up with his own reason not to want that charm. Sunghoon internally sighs in relief, but thinks he still needs to add more reasons to deter Heeseung from wanting that charm.

“And those charms are really hard to make, require a lot of power and energy,” Sunghoon continues. “If I’m honest, I don’t know if I’m capable of making one.” Which is the truth, he honestly doubts he can make anything that powerful.

“But you are the best witch I know,” Heeseung pouts.

“Hyung, you know two witches… well, three apparently,” it seems like Heeseung wants to say something, but instead just continues pouting. Heeseung’s pout does things to Sunghoon’s heart so he looks away. “I’m sure we can think of something else that’ll work.” Heeseung chuckles but Sunghoon thinks he still looks sad.

They watch Heeseung’s favourite movie afterwards, paired up with ice crem, to compensate and try to cheer him up a little.