↱ECHO↲ ⇾seongjoong⇽

第四

After the initial shock, everything sort of blurred together and conversation with Seonghwa had been difficult and abrasive but Hongjoong couldn't get the word "Seongie" to leave his brain, not while her face was being worn by another, and by the end of the night, against all rational thought, Hongjoong had completed a ridiculous dare in order to secure Seonghwa as his patient— he had covered himself in cheap, gas station tattoos and had barged into the elder's home in the middle of the night to announce his victory.

Perhaps he was a little warm from the wine he had managed to sip, or perhaps after all these years he had finally stayed true to the perception others held of him— he was nothing more than an impulsive, quirky dumbass.

A dumbass who had walked at least twenty square blocks just to find enough tattoos just to cover most of his torso, arms, and neck.

And Seonghwa had stared down at Hongjoong covered in these obnoxious faux tattoos and scoffed before rolling back into his bedroom.

Wooyoung was obviously confused about the whole situation but elated that at least someone would be able to watch after his friend.

Hongjoong signed the contract right then, and now the day has come to finally move in with his patient.

"What's that cage for?" Wooyoung asks, eyeing the object in the back of Hongjoong's car.

Wooyoung is helping him unload, both of their arms already full of boxes and clothes on hangers.

Blushing, Hongjoong swallows down his anxiety.

"Um, I forgot to mention that my best friend and roommate has a dog, and just like you, he is going to be out of town so..." he explains, inclining his head towards the cage.

"This is Joy, but she's trained, I swear. She's a great dog and she's basically my child so—"

"I don't know about this," Wooyoung interjects, leaning forward to peer inside the cage.

"Animals can be dirty and.... Oh my god!" the man gasps, his eyes wide and mouth agape.

"She's so cute! She looks like a little stuffed toy."

Hongjoong smiles as he pulls a duffle bag over his shoulder and adjusts his hold on a box.

Joy has a certain effect on people and judging by the way Wooyoung is cooing, the dog isn't going anywhere.

It doesn't take long for them to get Hongjoong unpacked and situated; he brought enough necessities for a couple of months and it's not like he needed furniture or anything.

For now, Joy is snoozing in her large crate, napping lazily on her plush bed while her owner finishes filling the drawers with clothes.

Satisfied, Wooyoung offers to give Hongjoong a proper tour and to let the nurse shadow him while he helps Seonghwa throughout the day.

"Hyung is really a lot more independent than you may think," Wooyoung explains while leading Hongjoong around the first floor.

There's the main room, of course, the kitchen, dining room, foyer, and one bathroom, as well as a sitting room attached to a balcony overlooking the city.