path to dazzling lights // ateez high school au {on hold}

1.12 we'll call it intimacy

Wooyoung, unfortunately, had missed the last bus home. He couldn't be blamed, I mean, it was literally his second day here. Even people who've lived in the same place for their entire life can forget too, so for a person who just knew this place existed two days ago, he was excusable. But, it also meant that he was stuck here, so either 1. He had to hitch a ride from someone, or 2. Walk all the way?

His legs would dieeeeee. Curse that admin building.

Currently, he was stood at the bus stop, gingerly waiting to see if anyone would pass by. Not before long, a person with the exact same uniform as him passed by, on a bicycle. Admittedly, that probably wouldn't have been the best option, but Wooyoung was desperate.

"Hey! Excuse me! You on the bike, would you come over a second?" Instead of cycling over though, the boy just brakes and stepped one leg down. "What do you want?" Wooyoung almost grew deaf from the great volume of the other. Definitely would be an effective addition to the choir.

"If you don't mind, could I hitch a ride?" he screams back. The boy stares at the ground for a minute, thinking, before tilting his head and gesturing Wooyoung over.

"Hey, thanks. I'm really sorry for the bother."

"It's not an issue. Don't think too much about it."

Wooyoung climbs onto the back of the bicycle, behind the other, and balances himself by grabbing onto the metal frame of the vehicle. It wasn't the most comfortable position, and he didn't feel his weight placement was right, y'know being a dancer and all, he knew when he actually felt securely balanced.

The boy starts to cycle, and in that instant, Wooyoung knew that he was indeed unbalanced. The momentum from the bike going forwards caused him to fall backwards. He let out a shriek so high pitched people would have mistaken it for a girl's. However, he didn't even have the chance to hit the ground.

The boy seated in front of him had grabbed his hand before he had even tilted. "Haven't you ridden bicycles before? You do realise that if you don't hold on, you're gonna fall, right? Pabo..."

Wooyoung did not like that, not one bit. "Yah! I'm not a fool. I did hold on, it just.. Wasn't enough."

"Fine, hold onto me then, that better be enough. If you make us both fall off, I swear I'm gonna beat you up."

He let go of Wooyoung's hand, and turned to face the front once again. "Hold on tight this time, I don't want to keep checking behind me just to make sure you haven't fallen off.."

Once his back was turned, however, Wooyoung's face turned the brightest shade of pink. There's just, something intimate about holding onto someone else, and seeing as he'd only just met this guy, it was also kinda awkward.

Nevertheless, he did want to get home, so he had no other choice.

Wooyoung sat back up and wrapped his arms around the other boy's torso. *cue the broken instrument sexy love music*

Upon doing so, however, he could see the other visibly stiffen from the touch. "You, uh, don't really like other people touching you, huh?" "I've never really liked affection all that much," was the others short, concise answer. Somehow, Wooyoung sensed a whole background story behind that but decided to hold his tongue.

The other boy started pedalling once again, but this time, he, as in Wooyoung, managed to stay on. They were already nearing the apartment blocks when they paused for a second. The boy turned around from in front, and asked rather brusquely, "Where do you stay?"

"Oh I'm in block 815, it's just round the corner from here. You can just drop me here if it's more convenient for you. Thanks for the lift-"

"It's alright, it's such a coincidence really. I stay at 817, just across the road. Let me drop you there instead."

"That'd be great! Thank you!"

"No problem." the boy resumed pedalling once again, and although it was going to be a short distance only, he couldn't help himself from asking: "What were you doing at the school until so late? Usually I'm the only one left."

"Um... I wanted to stay in the class on my own for a while, y'know, gather my thoughts and everything. What about you? Why are you late? And why do you say usually you're the only one left?"

"It's... A private thing. I'm sorry, I really can't tell you that. What I can tell you is that I AM usually the last student to leave school. That's why you caught me at this hour. It's surprising. Usually there isn't anyone around."

"Oh, that's weird. Don't you usually see the monitors around? Seonghwa just told me that he was checking the classrooms to make sure everyone left."

"No. I don't see them. You know what, it's really difficult to explain. Maybe I'll tell you some other time."

But both of them knew that he wouldn't ever mention anything, unless anything unfortunate happened.

Since the apartments were only a couple hundred metres away from where they had stopped, the remainder of the ride took less than a minute. Eventually, they stopped right in front of the steps of block 817, where the boys got off and the owner of the bike wheeled it into the rack, locking it with the lock and chain he had in his backpack.

"Okay, that will be 4500 won."

"What?!"

"I'm just kidding."

"Goodness don't scare me like that!"

"Hehe I couldn't help it! You seem so fun to fool."

So he seems stoic, but also has a great sense of humour. Nice.

The boy turned to the steps and had already started up them when Wooyoung called out.

"Hey! Um, sorry. Now that I know you're my neighbour, would you mind if we went to school together? I'm new here and all, and it really would be nice to have someone familiar to travel with."

"You'd better have your own bike then. I'm not carrying you like that everyday."

"Of course!"

"Okay, good night then."

"Wait! I-I still don't know your name. My name's Wooyoung, what's yours?"

"Oh, so you're that guy Yeosang mentioned. I'm Jongho."

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Hi everyone!

This chapter is dedicated to my beloved friend: yunhosanchor_ !!!

Congratulations on 40k reads on As You Whisper! ~celebrate for you-ooh-ooh-ooh, celebrate for you, you, you~

On another note, thanks for all the support I've received on this story! Every single read, vote, comment, it all means so much!

Love all of you to mars and back!
(๑・ω-)～♥”    (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡

~cey xoxo