tough love | svt

episode 08: this is fine really

chan wanted to go home.

he could feel the sweat run from the base of his neck, rolling into his shirt and run down his back (it was a very disgusting feeling), his hands were clammy and his neck started to hurt from staring at his desk for god knows how long.

as you excepted it, chan got seungkwan's numerous messages and bolted to school to just be sure seungkwan wasn't messing with him. unfortunately it was life that was messing with him because chwe hansol was there in the flesh, haven't even moved a bit from his place. after getting enough condolences and back pats by his friends he reluctantly sat down next to hansol once the teacher arrived, physically moving as far as he could.

don't get chan wrong, he knew hansol in and out because of how much he played the game but that was when he was in love with jihoon and wouldn't smash someone's head to the floor just because they breathed in his direction. also chan soon noticed someone has written 'lee chan sucks' on his desk but it was promptly rubbed off (that handwriting looks very familiar to seungkwan's). 

he spun the dinosaur themed pencil in between his fingers ever now and then, not even daring to look besides him while the teacher went on some kind of rant on how kids shouldn't get divorced early in life (no wonder he's in such a failed marriage), he would see samuel occasionally turn back and give him a look to make sure he's alive and seungkwan was side eyeing him the entire time. if only seungkwan was that concerned for him on a regular basis 

'can i have that pencil?'

dino snapped his neck too fast towards the voice (almost breaking his neck) and accidentally making eye contact with hansol. 

'you- you mean me?' asked chan as he pointed at himself rather dumbly. maybe hansol would take pity on his lack of braincells and let him go. let a man on the verge of death dream okay.

'yep' he said giving no further explanation, not even breaking eye contact . was chan about to give up the pencil he got from his birthday last year which he loved using? as a wise man once said "yep". chan ended up pushing his pencil towards him before giving it a sorrowful goodbye, he watched as hansol closely inspected it, even to go as far as to hold it in the light and look intently at it.

chan may have spent numerous hours on his game but he never could understand this enigma of a man.

'say where'd you get this from?' he asked chan, still holding his pencil captive, chan was sure his pencil pissed itself in fear by now. 'oh uh by the station, there's a stationary shop so probably from there' he answered as he almost bit his tongue, he really really wants to go home now.

'hmm i see' he replied after placing back the pencil in chan's table and went off into his own world. chan would have let out the hugest sigh of relief right now if he still wasn't in danger, he kept his poor traumatised pencil back into his pouch and went back into his original position of staring at the desk with the posture of a banana now that he could think properly again.

what was so special about that pencil anyway? chan got it as gift from jihoon because of his childhood obsession with dinosaurs which will never be forgotten and jihoon wanted chan to have matching pencils with him like how any brother wants to annoy their sibling—

oh no.

chan slowly glanced at hansol who scribbled something in his notebook.

hansol had already taken an interest in jihoon

if chan remembers correctly the scene went like 

it was a few days after the convenience store fight, everyone was in the detention room doing their homework reluctantly. hansol was struggling with a sum in math when jihoon noticed him. he pulled up a chair towards his table and said he'd explain it, it was his job to keep these guys in line after all, he should help him otherwise he'd not do math although .hansol watched as jihoon, the same guy who fought ruthlessly against guys who were way bigger than him, patiently and softly explain what he needed to do, he watched him treat him like he was another normal student, he watched him pause at a certain part of the sum, thinking on how to solve it, unconsciously bringing his dinosaur themed pencil to his lips. hansol felt something.

for now, he needed to buy a pencil like that so maybe jihoon would feel more interested in talking to him.

it's all cute and lovely and whatever but that's not the point.

let's come back to chan who was trying not to cry, things were progressing too fast.

the bell rang (the universal saviour to any student). the teacher quickly existed the classroom along with a few other students. hansol got up too and once he was out the door, chan finally let out the loudest sigh he could let out and let his head fall to his table. 

'are you alright chan? did he do anything?' asked samuel as he quickly made his way to chan with seungkwan following suit with a bottle of apple juice he saved for himself but chan does need it more than him right him. a few others came to see chan too, they were all very grateful to him for his brave sacrifice after all. chan quickly gulped his drink and dismissed all his friends worries. while seungkwan quite extensively checked chan for any injuries, a notification lit up chan's phone.

it was soonyoung who added him in a group chat with junhui and minghao, sending a message saying he said good morning to jihoon and jihoon replied back to him. he also adds how it was a big win for us.

it was a win but not a big win.

they needed to step up and fast because, hansol's route maybe cute and shy at first but it turns very obsessive soon. once hansol knows someone treats him well and shows the lightest signs of affection, he goes overboard. he makes sure that he person he loves, loves him and him only. this was not going to turn out well.

chan really needs to formulate a plan but for now, he needs to find a way to pry seungkwan and is grubby hands off him without throwing him to the ground (spoiler alert he didn't, samuel calmed him down).