warm touch. ✧ luwoo [nct]

✧ 23 ✧

im back with the gay + lil plot twists ;)

word count: 958

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Jungwoo got out his phone as he waited for Donghyuck and Lucas to enter the gym. He checked a couple of his social media accounts. Back when the photos of him and Lucas were released, he turned all his social media accounts private in fear of the bullying transferring to online, but once he was placed in hospital and had to go through recovery for his leg, he'd only been receiving sympathy. Of course there were a few homophobes that still glared at him but he tried his best to block it all out. It was even better that Mark and Taeyong seemed to leave him alone, and now he had Kun and Doyoung back as his friends. He was enjoying it quite a lot, but he was still concerned the rats would come back once his leg was healed and bite his ass. Yet again, he now had more than one person to watch his back.

At that moment, as Jungwoo saw Mark walking up to him, all Jungwoo had with him was his phone and the hope his friends would come soon. He straightened his back but when right back to hiding his face in his phone, praying Mark was just taking an odd detour to get to the benches he usually sat on. With swift motions (of his thumb), Jungwoo opened up his Instagram. He quickly went to his messages and made a new group chat containing Donghyuck, Lucas, Kun, and Doyoung. He could see Mark chewing his lip as he approached, only a few feet away, so all Jungwoo could type was 'SOS' and hit send. He knew it was dramatic.

"Jungwoo."

The younger male's voice was deeper and more serious than usual, causing a shiver to run down Jungwoo's spine. The latter hesitantly, unwillingly looked up. He expected Mark to look angry or uncomfortable, but he just seemed blank.

"Um, yes, Mark?" Jungwoo questioned, glancing at his injured leg, almost as if he was hinting at Mark that he could get into big trouble by hurting him and to get him to back away.

Mark didn't seem to care. He just turned around and placed his hands flat on the stack of matts. His feet left the ground as he pushed himself up so he sat next to the male. He didn't look at him, he blankly stared at a couple of girls across the room, the only other people there, who moved to behind the bleachers while getting their phones out, probably hiding from Jungwoo and him to talk gossip. Mark took a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair then dropping his hand into his lap again. "How did you know you were gay?" He asked, his expression not changing. He turned towards Jungwoo. "How did you.. Cope with it?"

Jungwoo's lips parted, but nothing came out. Mark just looked so defeated and blank, but he was so clueless as to why. "G-Gay? I'm not-.. Who am I kidding? Everyone knows." He sighed, looking down at his lap. "Um.. May I know why you're asking?" Jungwoo prayed he'd get an answer, but out of the corner of his eye he only saw Mark shrug.

He nodded slowly. "Well.." He started, but didn't know how to exactly finish it. "I think- I think I kind of always knew.. But I didn't really accept it for ages. The first time I really thought about my sexuality was in primary school when, um, Taeyong shoved glitter in my face and down my shirt while calling me that awful word-"

"Faggot?"

"Yes.. That.." Jungwoo scrunched up his nose. He really hated that word. "B-But then I researched more into it and realized how much our world hated homosexuals.. Especially Korea.. So I didn't accept I was gay, I kept forcing myself to think about girls and in middle school my old friends forced me into relationships.. But I accepted because I was still telling myself I wasn't gay. My first kiss was with a girl.. I didn't like it at all.. A-And then on the last holidays before high school started, I went to a party. I met a guy and he was so handsome. We talked more over the phone the next week and we met up again.. And I kissed him." The male pulled his sleeves past his hands, gently fiddling with his sleeves. "That's how I knew I was gay and accepted it.. But I still kept it hidden, I didn't want to go through hell. But that didn't work out and now I have an aching leg because of it."

Jungwoo looked over at Mark. The whole school seemed to be quiet, other than the few girls hiding and whispering about whatever new gossip there was. The latter male looked over, his pupils were shaking and he was gripping to his pants as if there was some strong wind trying to blow him far away from that place. Without any words, Mark looked straight ahead then jumped off of the matts. His feet took him straight to the door, past Donghyuck and Lucas who happened to enter at the wrong moment and saw the distress in his eyes.

The beat of Jungwoo's pulse seemed to quicken. He wanted to see what was wrong, be the curious cat he is, but for one, he couldn't walk, and two, Donghyuck rushed over to him once he saw the gym almost empty.

"What did he do?" The youngest asked as Lucas came over too.

"Nothing."

"No, what did he do?" He asked again.

"Literally, nothing."

Jungwoo glanced down at Donghyuck, but his eyes were stuck on the gym door, watching as he saw more students poor into the gym, along with their teacher.