barrier || woosan ✓

0.8

they tried again. it was now a little over a week later since the breakdown and to say san was embarrassed is an understatement.

bit by bit yeosang was teaching him basics and would make mini quizzes about what they had learned that day. anything san would get wrong they would add it to the next lesson.

yeosang would give him speaking tests at the end as well, and said if what they learnt that day came up in conversation yeosang would speak korean to get san to understand a bit.

some would think that isn't helpful, but it was working for san helping him with vocabulary. soon enough yeosang would be speaking in sentences and san would understand more than usual. his mother would watch and be proud. she saw how hard san was working.

the two boys were now out on their way to wooyoungs house. san felt his nerves unsettle. this was the boy who made attempts to at least try to get to know him and all he did was breakdown. with the reassurances from yeosang telling him it would be okay and that the guys understood helped him feel better.

as they walked he mentally prepared sentences. all his mind files were open trying to remember everything yeosang had taught. he didn't want to put yeosangs time to waste.

yeosang knocked on wooyoungs door. san took a deep breath and grabbed onto yeosangs arm for support.

the door opened revealing a smiling wooyoung who immediately grabbed onto san and hugged him.

"you doing alright?" he asked in which san smiled kindly and nodded. "i'm doing okay thank you for asking." he said confidently which made the others run to the door in happiness. san looked around while still being squished in wooyoungs arms.

"wooyoung let him go already." yeosang said pulling at wooyoungs arm revealing the tattoo. yeosang had known about it for a couple months but didn't think about how perfectly it matched sans.

wooyoung had a mini colored sun with a sunflower seed. it was highly unique unlike his which was just a lock. yeosang thought back to every interaction san and wooyoung had. it wasn't a lot, but it all made sense and looking at wooyoung hugging san tightly showed more about the unknown soulmates.

it had been four hours of the boys hanging out. san had felt comfortable and was even starting conversations best to his abilities. hongjoong and yeosang told him even if he thinks it's wrong say it anyways so they could correct him. he had learned a lot about the group of friends and felt so much better about being here than he did last time.

he had received a text from his mom asking where he was. she had wanted him back home so the three could have dinner together.

he told yeosang he had to leave in which yeosang stood up and told the guys he'd be back in a couple minutes. before san had stepped out wooyoung had hugged him and yeosang goodbye... maybe he hugged san a little bit longer than he did yeosang but no one was complaining.

they arrived to their grandmothers house and bid goodbye. san walked in and saw his mom and grandmother sitting at the dining room table. his mother gestured for him to sit down so they could all have a discussion. " so how are you liking everything san?" his grandma had asked. his mother was about to translate till he had answered back.

"it's going okay, yeosang has been teaching me... i don't know how to say the next part but i met some of his friends. they're all understanding of the language barrier. make sure i'm comfortable." he smiled with an emphasis of the last sentence shading his mother who looked at him wide eyed.

over the time while san was going through his breakdown he had thought about how his mother rushed him into the culture. he had never known of anything like this and she was expecting him to adapt way to quickly. he thought about all the times his father would tell her to teach him. she would only shrug it off.

it all made sense to him as to why his father would be frustrated. his father was a korean american who also didn't grow up speaking or understanding the culture. everything was americanized. he wondered if his dad ever had breakdowns, being in an unfamiliar country and feeling overwhelmed to the point you'd feel sick.

he was lucky for yeosang and his friends, who even became friends of his own. he felt grateful he wasn't alone throughout this trip. he was too deep in thought that he didn't notice his mother calling him, wanting to know what had came over him.

he muttered a silent thank you for the food and took the dishes washing them. he went to the room he was staying in, wanting to go back to wooyoungs house to have fun.

i'll be mentioning more details about what happened during the meal + i'll get more into sans father and what happened :)