UNBLOCKED

bonus! #2 | seungcheol

it was the night of halloween and choi seungcheol had a party to get to. but it was early yet, and he had other plans first. 

"hyung!" a small hand tugged at his own and seungcheol looked down at his little brother.

"yeah, channie?" he asked. 

"mom said you have to hold sammie's hand all the time when we're trick or treating," nine year old chan told him earnestly. 

"i will," seungcheol promised him. "are you gunna wear your mask the whole time?"

"of course, hyung," chan scoffed. "does iron man go walk places with his mask off?"

seungcheol chuckled at him. "of course he doesn't," he agreed. "where's samuel?"

five year old samuel attached himself to seungcheol's other hand and they left the house to go trick or treating together that evening. samuel was seungcheol and chan's half brother, but he felt just as much family as their mother and stepfather did at this point.

"hyung," said chan as he skipped along the sidewalk, "i thought you said you'd wear your football kit for halloween."

seungcheol pursed his lips and gave a sigh. "i know, chan," he said, "but i changed my mind."

"why?" chan persisted. "you're gonna be a big football star, remember? you said so! you said you'd play football and get rich and famous and then we'd get a big house and lots of food-"

"channie, i just changed my mind, okay?" seungcheol cut off his brother's rambling, trying his best not to lash out at him. 

none of this stuff was chan's fault anyway. but seungcheol was on his last nerve with everything that went on at school, and chan's mindless talk was only making things worse.

"football!" samuel yelled brightly, tugging at seungcheol's hand. 

"yeah, sam, football..." seungcheol tried to cheer up, for his brothers' sakes.

they were right, though. football was his life, and his big dream was to get a football scholarship at college and maybe even go on to play for a famous team. his chances seemed slim, however, with the team captain shining so much brighter than him. no one would ever scout him, or notice him among the rest.

that's why it bothered him so much when jaebum announced he was quitting the team earlier that day at school.

"i'm sorry, coach, but i really need to take a break from the team for a while. it's for personal reasons. i'm sorry."

seungcheol hated how easily im jaebum had said those words. he could probably afford to quit the team and still pay his way into a sports college of his choice.

"so why are are you dressing up in your clothes, hyung?" chan asked him.

"because i'm already scary enough," seungcheol told him with a chuckle.

chan giggled, and seungcheol smiled at how cute his brothers were, but he knew what he said was right. everyone hated him at school, and with good reason. he had a horrible temper, and never let anyone close to him.

the people closest to you always get in the way of your dreams.

"hyung!" samuel yelled then, "eat candy!"

"okay," seungcheol laughed, "let's go and get loads of candy!"

by the time they got home, the boys were exhausted and full of candy and chocolate. seungcheol made them brush their teeth and put them to bed. his mom was almost passed out over the ironing in the living room, and his stepdad was out on a late shift.