You Should Leave, Baby → ZUWOON

chapter two

monday.

Seokwoo wakes up early the next morning, sweating from the heat in the room, which seems to only sweep his side; as Juho is fast asleep wearing a puffy white hoodie, wrapped up tightly under his blankets. Seokwoo pulls his own blankets back and peels off his shirt, grimacing when he drops it to the floor. Outside, the sun hasn't yet risen and darkness still floods the room, swallowing up the entire space. It leaves Seokwoo feeling awkward and uncomfortable, as if he was just another object being consumed by the dark.

He watches the wall, shadows almost swimming along it; so dark that they dip and twirl within each other. He sighs, settling back down underneath the blankets. From somewhere at the other end of the room, Juho breathes quietly, soft snores cutting through the darkness to remind Seokwoo that he's not alone. And, though he's intimidated and frankly terrified of the boy, he's grateful for his unknowing company.

He mulls over Juho's hatred towards himself in the lull of time he finds himself in. Had he done something in the few hours they'd known each other to upset him? No, he's sure of it. Juho had been shooting him looks since he'd first stepped into the door.

Though, this situation is far better than the one awaiting him online (which he plans to avoid until he gets home), so he decides he can put up with Juho's attitude. He doubts this decision will last in effect until the end of the week, though, knowing that at one point he'll finally snap. But it was worth a shot. Kill them with kindness, right?

There's a soft knocking from the other side of the room, and Seokwoo turns over to watch the other slip out of bed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He tries to sink lower under the blankets, pretending to be asleep so Juho won't start in on him so early in the morning.

"Fuck," the older murmurs, leaning forward on his knees as he perches on the edge of his bed, hands still clasped over his eyes. Seokwoo can't tell if his mind is playing tricks on him when he thinks he sees the other's shoulders jump.

Seokwoo's about to come out from hiding when Juho stands abruptly, leaving the room in a hurry. Seokwoo watches him leave, sitting up after the door slams behind himself.

The sun slowly begins to come up outside, illuminating the wilderness around the cabin with a faint glow. Seokwoo yawns, swinging his legs over the bed before standing up. He moves to his phone, which is charging next to the door, and picks it up off the floor. He purses his lips while he checks the time, humming quietly under his breath. 6:23AM.

Juho comes back a moment later, nearly nailing Seokwoo with the door when he throws it open. "Oh, hey, sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Seokwoo mumbles, setting his phone back down before moving to choose a change of clothes from the shelves next to his bed. "Did you sleep well?"

"Uh," Juho clears his throat, voice coming out rough and seemingly deeper than it already was, "I guess so."

Seokwoo nods, picking up a pair of shorts in the darkness. He only realizes it's not a shirt when the article doesn't fit over his head properly. Juho flicks the light on as Seokwoo's struggling to pull it off of his head, failing with the first few attempts.

Neither of them say anything when they make eye contact, Seokwoo's flushed complexion flooding with heat from the embarrassment. Juho turns away, dragging his bottom lip between his teeth. He breaks the awkward silence. "I think those are shorts."

The brunette winces, squeezing his eyes shut. "Noted."

A few moments later, a finally dressed Seokwoo and an eternally pissed off Juho make their way to the kitchen, meeting most of the group there.