☄️🍸☄️
"Welcome!"
Glassy chandelier glittered in the lights hanging around the grandiose walls of the wide room which was filled with classic music slightly pushed off by loud buzzing.
Any other day half of the large mansion would be empty, only maids doing small things here and there, the family occupying either their rooms or being on expensive vacation outside the country. However today the house was hosting a big gala party which wasn't only important—rather than for fun but also reserved for the well-off families.
Richest people came there to have fun in thousand times higher quality than normal people could only dream of but they also were there for nothing else than business. The bosses and CEOs all over Korea and neighbouring countries talked between each other, acting like they are good old friends and totally not rivals.
Besides the finest wine and delicious food, deals and contracts were served, many involving big money.
The party was very important, yes, yet the boy observing his surroundings felt like running away to McDonald's even with his hair styled perfectly thanks to those tons of hairspray, and in his neat tuxedo worth monthly bill of the rentable dormitory room.
His appearance shone in expense still he wasn't feeling like it at all.
"Yuta, dear! Come here to meet this gentleman!" Just as he was eating another piece of grapefruit, he got interrupted by yet another conversation he was involuntarily pulled into by his too nice mom because, according to his parents, he should get to know his future partners.
It's not like he was dragged there against his will though. Surprisingly, even to himself, he was fine with taking over his parents' business in the future and all responsibility coming with it. He just wasn't into faking joy while talking to people who might stab him in the back one day. And besides, he was more into going to conferences or staying in an office rather than attending these stupid events. They are only for showing off and he wasn't interested.
"Nice to meet you, Yuta." As soon as he was standing on his dad's left side, a man, once again unknown to his senses, gave him a big smile. It appeared mischievously but with a hint of slyness and almost unnoticeable scorn. He wasn't the first and the last tonight anyway. Yuta almost let out a snort.
However, this time he felt something scary reeking from the man's presence and it all instantly clicked when his dad started introducing them further.
"Yuta, this is Mr Jung Minwoo, the CEO of KNB."
The boy met the man's piercing gaze and he plastered a smile. "Nice to meet you too," They shook hands.
Of course, Yuta recognised the man, the head of Korean National Television which was at the same time the most popular broadcasting system in the country. Seeing he was actually a tall, well-built man—not a dwarf with top of his head completely bald and the buttons of his neat shirt almost flying away, made the boy slightly nervous.
But Yuta's dad was one awesome person and after changing a few words and fake compliments, his son was allowed to leave and perhaps talk to the other teenagers in his age. They too came with their families and were currently bored to death in one of the corners while using the free wireless network.
As if, Yuta rolled his eyes. He wasn't in the mood to talk with snotty kids whose biggest problem was that their fifth iPhone X got burnt because they threw it into a microwave. No, Yuta was not going to lose any more brain cells and, instead, his hungry belly pleaded to just leave.
McDonald's, so be it.
–
The wind stroke against the boy's face and Yuta, as soon as he left the palace, realised he didn't bring a jacket. He didn't have any with him that day in the first place as he came there in a big heated limousine where almost-ending January's weather didn't affect his body temperature at all.
Now he was left with a pricey tuxedo with zero protection from the coldness and sharp snowflakes. To make it even worse, his long hair started falling apart into solid strands meaning he now looked like all the leafless trees he passed by.
The mansion was not far behind the city, the only way being a simple road Yuta now walked on. He contemplated about just calling a taxi but then—his phone was comfortably laying on his table at home. It was a rule set by his sometimes too old-school mom because, according to her, events like these are for people to communicate eyes to eyes and any electrical device should be banned. Yuta was sure that those kids wouldn't survive in his house.
After ten minutes or so, the boy noticed a light in the darkness—a small box covered in snow where a small lamp still made its way through the frosty windows. It was a phone box that seemed to be nonfictional, but that wasn't what caught his eyes. He walked towards it and that's when he saw it. The most magnificent view of his relatively short life, the city glowing in the murky dark sky. Yuta gasped at the sight—sure, he did travel a lot but seeing that the real definition of perfection was in front of him the whole time changed his mind.
The lights flickered and created a glowing cloud above the scenery. Yuta couldn't see the end of the city, the buildings fading somewhere too far away for his eyes to distinguish. It took him back to the times of his youth when he and his parents used to go on trips around the city, hiking around the surrounding mountains and biking on the roads meddling through the greenery. The nostalgia feeling was comfortable, to his surprise—they used to be a lot happier family, though that didn't mind they weren't now. If it wasn't for the business and busy work, they probably would keep exploring the area and rule their own life and decisions. No officer, no rich men would change the route of their future.
Yuta sighed but he also decided. He decided there, right on the spot he was standing on and observing the view, that he will make sure to take his little sister on at least a small adventure once in a while. He couldn't let her miss out that funny part of growing up and he definitely couldn't let her become one of those bratty kids. They can become the Lords of their fantasy world on their own, rule the paths and turns through the forests although, as Yuta recalled, the area looked even larger in the daylight and it was easy to get lost there.
He felt so small suddenly at the memory and then the sight in front of him, so powerless—even if he had uncountable richness, he was still an ant in the big city that could swallow him anytime. It was beautiful and scary at the same time.
But that also meant a warm place might be closer than he would think and so he started walking down the small path between the thick layers of snow.
The fingers on his foot were completely numb, his hands and ears red and Yuta felt like walking ice-cube. But that stopped mattering the moment his eyes caught a familiar looking building—luckily the city had more fast-food services than it's healthy. Yuta being Yuta, he knew about most of them as he lived normally, surviving without expensive restaurants and shops. Eating there alone is boring and with his friends kind of embarrassing. They had much more fun in the fast-foods anyway.
The bell rang the second he pulled the door open and he was greeted with a comfortable wave of warmth hitting his body. There weren't too many people considering the late hour Yuta decided to visit the place. Did he mind though? No, not a little bit.
He walked over the counter, listing his orders to a nice-looking girl in his age, if not younger. The wonder of her being here at this late hour instead of being home studying or sleeping crept up his mind when he was handed his quite big order. He didn't ask though because the situation wasn't unfamiliar — not he but his friends and literally half of his school knew how the student's life felt like so it was nothing new.
The food smelled incredibly good despite it being fast-food. Well, Yuta, after a few pieces of grapefruit, was hungry as hell, and food is still food. He couldn't help himself but dig into the oily fries, crunchy nuggets and hamburger that was bigger than his hand. Even one of his football mates, Lucas would be surprised.
At the mention of football, Yuta's satisfied smile changed into a bittersweet one. He chewed slowly, his eyebrows furrowing. However, he had no right to be salty about it, neither complain. The Japanese knew the time would eventually come and he'd have to choose between his childish dream or promising yet unwanted future. His parents weren't pressing onto him, but they weren't much of a help either. Yuta, just for the sake of them, felt the need to follow his father. And he was suffocating. For now, it was all fine but what once he finishes high school? That's when the heartbreak will occur his feelings.
This night he was overthinking too much.
Suddenly, he was snapped out of his trail of thoughts by someone sitting across him he didn't even notice coming — the bell ringing and the conversation between them and the girl behind the counter happened while he was deep in his thoughts.
"Hey, may I ask—" Yuta quickly swallowed his food, ready to ask the stranger wearing a mask for his name, but the unknown boy already exposed his identity. A puzzled look flashed over the Japanese boy's face.
"Ten?"
After taking his order as well, Ten sat down in front of the Japanese and, for his surprise, they started a conversation. It was mostly about school and their daily life, Yuta asking Ten only questions he already knew the answer to but never touching a topic that could ruin the mood.
However, one thing was still stuck inside his head, screaming to get out and the other boy noticed.
"It's the new year, new me." Ten rolled his eyes as he joked. But it was obvious he was implying to something. "You can ask me anything since I don't think we'll have the chance to talk like this again."
"Why? Don't you want to be friends with us?" Yuta asked, tossing yet another fried potato into his mouth.
"No, it's just—" He chewed on his lip, looking for the right words. Unsuccessfully.
Yuta sighed "Listen, even Sicheng seems to finally open to us."
At that, Ten froze on his place, slowly looking up at the other. That's when the Japanese supposed he has said something he shouldn't have.
"Uh-oh—"He started panicking but Ten stopped him. "No, it's okay." As if nothing has happened, he continued to eat and that scared Yuta even more.
He started slowly "Do you hate us? Me?"
Ten shook his head, still dipping his fries in ketchup. "Don't worry."
"Wait, this isn't about the kiss, is it." Yuta lifted his brows although he felt his hands shaking. And he wasn't the only nervous one. The expression on the boy's face said it all.
Yuta observed every little reaction coming from the boy sitting across the table. He felt sorry that Ten was suffering because of it— suffering all alone, but they couldn't reverse the past, could they? It happened months ago and, in pure honesty, the Japanese still can't recall most of the events from the night. He knew Ten didn't mind and he knew damn well there was something different behind it, something that really tortured the boy's mind and perhaps his heart.
"My God, Ten, you should stop worrying about it. We were drunk, it was a dare and I told you it was nothing, didn't I?"
"Yeah but—" Ten hesitated. "Fuck. That kiss started everything, you know?" He lifted his gaze once again, his eyes full of sadness and fear. Ten wasn't really sure if it was right to blurt out his feelings to Yuta, right there in McDonald's in the middle of the night. He hasn't even told Sicheng.
Yuta obviously—but luckily didn't understand. "What?"
Ten didn't blame him though, it was his business after all and he was actually thankfully for him being oblivious. He sighed as he started packing his things and eat up leftovers.
"Nevermind. It's too late anyway."
He quickly bid his goodbye and left the confused boy sitting there alone, with his mind full of unanswered questions. Yuta's chest felt heavier and heavier.
It wasn't my fault he got bullied, was it?
Lots of love u̥wu̥