"Hey, Skeleton. You look like shit."
Hyungwon stared across the glass at Jooheon. "You..."
Jooheon sighed before leaning on the counter. "No, I'm not your mom. Get over it already."
Hyungwon coughed, too surprised to reply at first, before mumbling, "Why are you here?"
"Ouch," Jooheon said, clutching at his chest before rolling his eyes. "So listen, I get a call from Dr. Irving saying that you aren't doing well and that I need to come in and talk to you." Jooheon studied Hyungwon closely. "You really do look like shit, by the way."
"Thanks," Hyungwon mumbled, and he wanted to look down, but he couldn't look away from Jooheon. "How is...your mom doing?"
Jooheon looked surprised that Hyungwon had brought her up at all. "She's doing all right. She's better off without my dad, even if she doesn't see that yet." He leaned forward, resting his elbow on his knee. "I think she's worrying too much about me, though. Wondering if I can make good enough grades after being out of school for so long, wondering how long I'll stay good for, wondering what's going to happen if I can't pass a college entrance exam..." Jooheon blew out a long breath. "Maybe I should've just stayed here. It's this nice little bubble, you know. You forget what's going on outside. You forget that time doesn't wait for you, just keeps on plowing along."
Hyungwon stayed quiet. He was content in the bubble. He didn't want to leave.
Jooheon seemed to sense that from the other end of the phone and he sighed. "I didn't mean that you should- shit, see, this is why I told them it would be a bad idea," he said, rubbing at his temple. "Why did they think that I would be able to help? I haven't been helpful to anyone since...ever, really. I just cause problems." He exhaled, baring his teeth at the glass. "Look, I'm screwing this up, but whatever. I know you think that you just want to stay here forever and ignore the outside world, but you can't do that, okay? And I know I can't say anything about your family because I don't know shit about them, but...you can't expect everyone that's left in M-wing to stick around just for you. They've got families too, lives outside of here that they want to get back to. Changkyun's got his mom, Shownu's got his parents, Wonho's got...somebody, I don't really know who. But they can't stay forever just because you don't want to leave. Eventually, they're going to go, and you're going to be all alone. Is that what you want, Hyungwon?"
Hyungwon bit his lip, hard. He didn't bother replying because it was clear to both of them how he felt about being alone.
"You realize that it's selfish to ask that of them, right?" Jooheon restated, and Hyungwon finally broke eye contact, looking down, feeling heat flood to his face. He was ashamed, ashamed of how he felt like they owed it to him to stay, ashamed of how they all looked at him like they didn't think they could leave him alone, ashamed how they all treated him more delicately than the others because he was weak and couldn't manage himself.
"I just want..." Hyungwon began, but he didn't know how to finish his sentence. What was it that he wanted? Acceptance? Familial love? All of the things he couldn't get from his parents?
"You want someone to believe in you," Jooheon said, and Hyungwon's heart ached because something about Jooheon's direct but soft words reminded him of Kihyun. "That's what you told Changkyun that one time, right? That everyone wants someone to believe in them. That wasn't about Changkyun though, was it?"
Hyungwon felt himself shrinking into the chair, his spine raking against the metal. "I don't...I..."
"So you think that Changkyun deserves that, that he deserves someone to believe him even if he's spouting off nonsense all day, but you don't believe that you deserve that too?"
Hyungwon shifted, drawing his legs to his chest and trying to ignore the racing of his heart. "I don't like all these questions. You're starting to sound like Dr. Irving."
"You don't like them because they hit too close to home," Jooheon said, glaring at Hyungwon as though daring him to actually answer anything that he'd asked. "And I'm not your fucking psychologist, Hyungwon. I'm your friend. I'm a heavily-medicated mess, I generally dislike everyone I meet, and I hate listening to people jabber on about their problems. And yet I'm here, aren't I? Maybe you wanted a different friend, but too bad, I'm the one who showed up to a mental institution to yell at you and tell you to stop spiraling into whatever dark place everyone's trying to drag you out of. Hey. Are you listening to me?"
Hyungwon looked up, having tucked his face down into his knees. "I..."
"Eat. You look like you're starving yourself. I mean, you were pretty bloody thin when you came in, but you're almost nothing now. You gotta take care of yourself, man. And then you stick it to Dr. Irving and everyone by passing those stupid evaluations, and then when you get out, we can hang out in the real world," Jooheon said, his expression aggressive, but his words growing uncertain and slightly awkward as he hit unplanned territory and expressed concern he didn't want to show. "Next time we meet, maybe we won't have a sheet of glass between us. And these damn telephones. I hate how my voice sounds on telephones."
Hyungwon laughed, a breathy, unsupported sound. "Would you really still be my friend if I get out?"
Jooheon snorted. "When, not if, you idiot. And it's not like I have a lot of options friend-wise. I'm the one getting the better end of this deal. I'm trying to swindle you out of here, bro. Cheat you into friendship."
Hyungwon smiled, a nervous, apprehensive smile. "When you were here, you said, you said that we weren't friends."
Jooheon flushed slightly and looked away. "Just- why'd you have to bring that up? Ugh. Just- forget about that, okay?"
"So we're friends?"
Jooheon glared at Hyungwon. "I drove all the way out here back to a place I hate just to spend thirty minutes staring at your ugly face. What does that tell you?"
"I want to hear you say it. You said it once. Just say it again," Hyungwon insisted.
Jooheon rolled his eyes. "Annoying little brat. Just remember what I said, take care of yourself. If you don't, I'll be back here in two weeks to yell at you again."
"Okay, friend. I'll see you in two weeks."
Jooheon glared at him. "I mean it, Skeleton."
"Okay, friend."
Jooheon huffed, pinching his nose. "Fine, friend." He quickly hung up the phone and turned so Hyungwon wouldn't see his embarrassed expression and waved over his shoulder before exiting the room.
Hyungwon watched him leave, a smile on his lips, one that nobody had to tell him to form.
