❝ you and i, against the world, crowned as kings in our savage kingdom ❞
in which jinyoung is the greatest distraction of the boy he is in love with. where jaebum's existence collides with someone whose impact in his life is terrifying.it's a tale o...
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The bitter chill of winter arrived, all too familiar to Jinyoung. He hated it. Hiding inside his room seemed like the best option for the time being. But he had to go out, he had to go meet Jaebum. Still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Jaebum agreed to hang out with him, Jinyoung started slipping into suitable clothing. Then he found himself trudging through the slippery snow coated sidewalks of Seoul, in nothing more than an overcoat and a navy blue woolen scarf that covered two-thirds of his face, hands deep down into his pockets, feeling rather light despite the brutal winds pressing down on his shoulders.
Jinyoung is almost disappointed when he sees a particular bus stand minus Jaebum, and he walks even slower, hoping to drag out the moment. That bus stand was their decided rendezvous point.
There is something evocative yet surreal about standing alone in the middle of the sidewalk, in the middle of unforgiving weather, Jinyoung thought.
For Jinyoung, the snow made better company than people, silently falling around him in flakes. He feels like he's being embraced, and although his teeth were chattering from the cold, his heart felt warm. That day, he was in his element out here. Suddenly the cold didn't seem to irritate him like usual.
He found some people at a distance, warming themselves around a lit dumpster, sound of fire crackling and filling the quiet space. From time to time, a couple buses wheeze past him, not bothering to make a stop if passengers are not getting off. Cars were running relatively slower than weekdays when the weather was favorable enough. Jinyoung settled on the public seats, rubbing his hands together, regretting his decision of not wearing gloves.
When Jaebum appeared in his familiar pickup truck, announcing its grand arrival with the growl of the old engine, Jinyoung exhaled in relief. The love-struck boy within him rejoiced. Plans were laid out already, not elaborate yet pleasant, in order to erase Jinyoung's tarnished image out of Jaebum's mind.
"Hey," Jinyoung opened his arms and Jaebum stepped into it briefly, leaving a casual pat on his back.
"Hey," Jaebum said, his lips quivering due to cold. Jinyoung was briefly distracted by it but he collected himself to smile sweetly at him.
They have been hugging for a while now. A small embrace of arms touching arms, chests not always meeting and Jinyoung deliberately trying to not act upon his feelings and hence maintaining an acceptable distance. The cloud of awkwardness has parted. Two kinds of reclusive people, starting a journey with friendship, a friendship that began on an unlikely note had eventually started to bloom. At least, Jinyoung felt that. To protect whatever little he got from Jaebum and cherish every moment with him, Jinyoung decided it was wise not to hurry. If beating around the bush was allowing him to stay close to Jaebum then he'd be a fool to lose all that just because he couldn't keep his head in the game.
"Sorry for being late, I had some business to take care of. How long have you been waiting?" Jaebum asked, pulling his jacket tightly around himself.
