welcome home, yoonbum [k.s. au]

chapter one

One...two...three...his breath hitches, but he continues to count in his head...five...six...his face relaxes along with his arms. The clenched hand on his shirt releases him and his body falls to the ground, limp. Seven...eight...nine...he opens his eyes at the grim sky. His breathing and vision have returned to normal. Once the laughing faded, he took a deep breath in and focused on the sky.

"Ten." He breathed out and remained on the ground. His method of counting to ten always worked, it helped him remain calm and deal with the pain inflicted on him. He sat up and winced when he felt a pain on his side. His hand quickly grasped his rib as he tried to stop the wounded area from aching. He thought his body would someday get used to the pain, but yet, here he was stumbling back toward the orphanage with one hand on his backpack and the other on his side. When he arrived at the steps of Seungbae's Home for Orphans (which was next door to the school) he fumbled to get his key into the door. His fingers were numb and scarred from his peers.

The door flung open and a tall, broad man with rectangular glasses appeared in the doorway. Seungbae.

"Yoon Bum! I was just about to leave and go look for you–," Seungbae realized Yoon Bum's state and quickly caught him from swaying over.

"What happened? Were those kids...?" Yoon Bum tried to nod, but felt too ashamed for burdening this man so much. Seungbae rubbed his eyes with his free hand and helped Yoon Bum inside.

"It doesn't matter, let's get you cleaned up first." He sat Yoon Bum on the kitchen counter and grabbed the first aid kit from the cabinet. He sighed and started to clean his wounds. Yoon Bum flinched slightly from his gentle touch, causing Seungbae to freeze. Yoon Bum stared at the ground, unable to look the man in the face. He didn't deserve this man's support, everyday he would come home with a bruise or a scratch that would cause Seungbae to baby him. Although Yoon Bum was still only twelve, he didn't like to depend on others. Not only did he feel like a burden to everyone, but he just couldn't trust anyone either. Except Seungbae.

Seungbae always kept trying to help Yoon Bum with whatever he needed, whether it was a homework problem or a wound. Yoon Bum appreciated it, but felt like he was drawing too much attention to himself.

A small group of giggling girls ran passed the kitchen door which caught Yoon Bum's attention. He watched them play tag through the hallways, saddened by the fact that he'll never experience such a childish and friendly game. Yoon Bum didn't have any friends. If anything, Seungbae would be considered the closest thing Yoon Bum had as a friend, but it was unlikely that Seungbae would play tag with him. He bit his lip and clenched the counter's edge. Seungbae looked up from Bum's knee and noticed him watching the girls. He smirked and continued to wrap up his knee.

"See something you like?" He teased. Bum flinched and quickly looked away from the girls and stared widely at Seungbae.

"H-huh?" His voice was hoarse and weak. It hurt his throat just to say that. Seungbae chuckled lightly and stood up straight.

"You were watching the girls play. Do you like someone? Or do you want to join them?" Yoon Bum froze from being caught staring. His face felt hot and his hands started to get moist. He tried to find the words to respond, but was left frozen to the counter.

"H-huh?! N-no–,"
"Yoon Bum," Bum's head jerked toward the floor and he sat in silence. His breathing was quickening, one, two... Seungbae kneeled down in front of Bum so that he could see his face. He put his rough hands on Bum's scarred hands and smiled at him softly.

"It's okay to want something, Bum. You should try interacting with others while you're here. Who knows, you could find a friend." Bum felt himself blushing from Seungbae's supporting words. Maybe he's right, Bum thought as he released the counter from his suffocating grasp. Seungbae patted Bum's hand and stood up.

"I have to go now, please try to make friends, okay?" Bum smiled at the ground.

"Okay." Seungbae stepped back so Bum could hop down from the counter and scurry off toward his room. Seungbae smiled while furrowing his eyebrows as he watched Bum run off.

      Yoon Bum climbed into his bed after changing his clothes and brushing his teeth. He pulled the covers over his small body and peered over at the other beds in the room. He shared a room with three other boys who usually never spoke to him and weren't in the room yet. The occasional "goodnight" was exchanged whenever the lights were turned off, but that was about it. Yoon Bum watched the doorway for the other boys to arrive. Maybe he could try becoming acquainted with them? Would it be too late for that?

     The bustling of the three boys from the hallway interrupted Bum's worried thoughts. They entered the room silently and climbed into their beds, without a word to Bum. He fingered his covers and tried to smile.

        "H-hey guys, h-how was your day?" They all froze by the sudden question. They stared, looked at each other, and then back at him. He started to feel hot. Why are they not responding? Bum thought as his confidence started to wither away. One boy gave him a fake, small smile and replied with a, "Good," and continued to climb into bed. The other boys replied and hopped into bed, too. Bum smiled and nodded.

       "G-goodnight."

* * * * * *

     The next morning, Bum woke up to the alarm that rung in every room (except for the nursery). He jumped out of bed and brushed his teeth and hurried downstairs to tell Seungbae about his accomplishment and possibly for some advice. He veered through the hallways and found Seungbae's office. Surprisingly, his door was closed which was rare since he always told the orphans that his door was open 24/7. Yoon Bum twisted the knob slowly and opened the door a crack to peer inside. Seungbae was at his desk, smiling at someone in front of him.

       "Well, I'm sure you'll find someone here you'll like. You appear to be the perfect father for anyone. Is there a specific age you prefer?" Bum watched Seungbae examine the files on his desk. Bum couldn't see who he was talking to. The only thing he could see was the back of the person's head and shoulders. 

       "Heh, not really. Just no babies, please." The person's voice was smooth and compelling. Bum's body shivered a little when he heard it. It intimidated him.

       "Yes, of course. Thoughts on gender?" Seungbae scribbled something on his desk and peered up at the mysterious man. Bum leaned in closer so he could hear every word.

      "I'm thinking a–," the man started to say, but Bum lost his balance and fell forward causing the door to swing open and his body to hit the floor. Seungbae stood up abruptly while the man turned his head to see what caused the noise.

       "Yoon Bum?" Seungbae rushed over to help Bum. The man stood from his seat and walked over to them. He kneeled down in front of Bum. Bum could now see his face, his soft smile. His dark eyes and curly blonde hair made him appear charming and clean. He reached his hand out and smiled at Bum.

       "Hi, Yoon Bum, I'm Oh Sangwoo."