deluge. // seungjin

sixteen

[time skip to next friday bc yeehaw]

"jisung! where did i put my phone?" hyunjin was running around the apartment like a mad man. his hair was everywhere, his shirt halfway buttoned, one sock slipping off. "i need to make sure he hasn't texted yet!"

"on the couch." jisung said calmly. he was texting minho — he has been for the past week — about some very important topics: are cucumbers a fruit or vegetable. hyunjin thanked him and grabbed it before running off into his room. "what time do you have to be there?"

"1!"

"dude, it's literally only 11:45, you have plenty of time." hyunjin popped his head out of his bedroom with confused eyes.

"what?! i thought it was 12:45!"

"you're an idiot." jisung laughed as hyunjin plopped himself down beside him. "anyways, why are you all dressed up? it's only a housewarming party."

"am i too dressed up? i thought this is what people usually where." hyunjin looked down at his half-put-together outfit. a white button up with black slacks and dress shoes, not to forgot the tie that was loose around his neck.

"you're way too dressed up. right now you look like you just finished doing some naughty business and that's a big no-no. plus, it's just seungmin, he'll like you even if you come in a clown costume."

"he's afraid of clowns." hyunjin muttered under his breath as he took off his tie. "can you help me figure out what to wear? i have no idea."

jisung spring to his feet and marched into hyunjin's room. i'll take that as a yes. hyunjin followed right behind him. pulling out a few clothes and tossing them onto the bed, jisung proudly looked down at his masterpiece.

"it looks great. now change into it." jisung walked out of the room and closed the door behind him to let hyunjin change.

hyunjin sighed and reluctantly tried on the outfit.

-

"see, you look great!" jisung shouted as his best friend walked out. "it'll be great for a housewarming party."

"you think so?"

"i know so." hyunjin sighed; he had to trust his best friend at his point. he glanced at the clock on the call and noticed it was already 12.

"i have to do my hair!" hyunjin tan to the bathroom and jisung laughed at him. "what's so funny?!"

"you ran weird then." hyunjin flipped him off as he got his straightener and everything ready.

"what should i do with my hair?!"

"do the thing where it goes woosh but also zoom but also shows your forehead a bit." unsurprising to him, hyunjin understood that and started working on his hairstyle according to jisung's very... descriptive description.

-

knock knock knock.

hyunjin waited anxiously outside of seungmin's apartment door. he had his present in a box just big enough to hold. he looked down once more at his outfit. too late to change now. his head snapped up as he heard locks unlocking from the other side before he was greeted with a beaming face.

"hyunjinnie!" seungmin practically leaped into hyunjin's arms. hyunjin stumbled back, almost dropping his present as he hugged him back. "you're here!"

"i am!" seungmin let go and hurried inside.

"come in, let me show you around." hyunjin came in and noticed that no one else was here. am i early?

"where is everyone?"

"oh, they couldn't make it. felix and changbin had class, but they'll come by later this evening!" seungmin was skipping around the apartment as he gave hyunjin a tour. it was very minimally decorated, the only things on the walls little collages seungmin made at felix's house specifically for this move. "and that's it!"

hyunjin clapped and seungmin took a small bow. they sat down on the couch and faced each other.

"what's that?" seungmin pointed at the box hyunjin had been carrying around the whole time.

"oh, this?" hyunjin places it between them. "it's a housewarming gift."

"for me?"

"no, for casper." seungmin looked confused. "of course for you, silly! you can open it if you want."

seungmin smiled and ran to grab scissors and ran to sit down.

"don't run with scissors, you'll hurt someone."

"a note for next time." as seungmin started cutting the tape hyunjin got more nervous. please like it, seungmin.

the flaps opened up, revealing the present inside.

"oh my gosh." seungmin grabbed the plushie and slowly lifted it up.

"i-is it okay?" hyunjin asked, anxiety rising though his body.

"it's more than okay, it's perfect!" seungmin hugged the stuffed llama and hyunjin sighed in relief.

"i'm glad." hyunjin smiled as seungmin went to put it on his bed. it sat in front of all the other stuffed animals and random plushies.

"now i'll always have something to remember you by," he said as he walked back, "you'll always be a part of this apartment."

hyunjin chuckled and he felt his cheeks warm up and heart race.

"you know what's weird?" seungmin day back down and faced hyunjin.

"what?"

"that we're sitting here together in my new apartment. my apartment. isn't that crazy? and it's all because i ran that one day and you just happened to be working too. imagine what would have happened if you hadn't stopped me from or if i just ignored you."

"i would have chased after you if you did." seungmin smiled and leaned back to look at the ceiling. "i wouldn't just have let you run, you would've gotten sick."

"is that the only reason you stopped me?"

"...no."

"why else?" hyunjin thought back to that day.

"you looked sad."

"i did?" seungmin also recalled the day. he was running in anger; that was the only thing he remembered feeling. sure he felt a little sad but it didn't feel like it was enough to be showing, was it? he just wanted to make it to felix's place — to anywhere, really.

"yeah. i don't know, maybe i was just seeing things, but you looked sad. scared, too."

"really? i didn't realize i was." he was. he was terrified. what would happen if he had stayed? what if they found him? what if he never made it to felix's apartment? what if he didn't have the will to continue on? so many what if's with not enough clarity to make it.

"mhm. i just really wanted to help you then. and i did! and look where we are now," hyunjin rested his hand in seungmin's shoulder and motioned to the living room with his free one, "in your apartment. yours!"

seungmin giggled and nodded. good job, seungmin. you did well.

-

1107 w.
11/24/19
unedited