𝙗𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙚𝙮𝙚𝙨 ᵃᵗᵉᵉᶻ

001.

━━
nuts and bolts
━━

his life was defined by the thick bland walls that encased him. an eight by twelve foot piece of glass, his only window to the outside world.

a lonely sigh escaped his lips as he watched his family play outside. his younger brothers happily laughing together, rolling playfully in the lush emerald grass of their large backyard. the warm sun beating its golden yellows rays on their flush little faces, the wind blowing wisps of their caramel hair around as they played.

another sigh.

his father was standing off to the side while he too, watched the boys play. his mother, however, stood close by the glass in which he sat behind, her hand softly placed on the glass in front of his face. a sombre expression pained into her gentle face. a sign of her sympathy for her son although he didn't see it. resentment had blinded him from seeing her pain. envy left its bitter taste on his tongue, jealousy boiling hotly from within him.

he wanted so badly what they had: a chance to live a normal life. they could all frolic our and about in nature, hand in hand, cheek to cheek without a care in the world while he was stuck in a small -but not really- room, constantly worrying about his next asthma attack.

yes, w was a peculiar -and understandably bitter- boy. his life was limited by the walls of his house. the list of normal things he could do much shorter than the list of things he couldn't.

for example, he could do schooling -online only- like everyone else. he could cook in the small kitchenette he had in his living space -after all the ingredients and food were cleaned properly and passed through the airlock seal in his door- like everyone else. he could talk to his friends -either through glass or over video call- just like everyone else.

he was just like everyone else. at least, that was the bitter lie his parents tried to force-feed him ever since he was young.

san was nothing like the other boys his age. He wasn't even different. that word in itself couldn't even describe choi san. no word could. well, unless you counted words like lonely, depressed and morose. oh, and how could anyone forget the most important: sick

yes, choi san was very sick. but a special kind of sick. so in a way, you could call him special. he was a special boy.

the eighteen-year-old had quite a unique illness. one that involved an extremely weak immune system, and an even weaker tolerance to human touch.

yup. just one step outside and his windpipe would contract and swell, forcing his lungs to cry and scream in agony for oxygen. a single touch along his smooth milky skin and a beautiful coral rash will dance along his arms and torso.

these two gracious traits forced the poor boy into an extreme form of isolation. his entire contact with the outside world stripped from him, just like this illness stripped him of his freedom.

san slouched up against the headboard of his bed, eyes staring blankly out the window by the suits entrance. the view of the hallway outside as empty as his will to live. he groaned for the tenth time that hour when he didn't see a head of brown hair bouncing down the hall.

"stupid coconut head-ass, you're late again," he sighs.

he was waiting for the one person that actually showed up to keep him company: his best friend and younger brother Jongho. the boy's brother was the only person in the world who treated him like he was normal. playing games with him and teasing him just as any brother would do. it was something san was truly grateful for, and that is why he's so distraught with the fact that jongho was late.