The Weight of a Kind Heart

by Ellieophf

Summary:

Seo Juntae committed to supporting his friends. He silently promised to heal their hearts and warm their souls. Because he might be weak, but he wasn't stupid. He noticed the sadness and guilt in Si-eun's eyes. He noticed the anguish and concern in Hu-min's eyes, and of course, Hyun-Tak's frustration and distress. So, in his mind, the thought of helping his friends never left.

Because just as he was hungry for love and security, his friends needed it too. And he would give it to them no matter how much it could cost him.

or

5 times that Seo Juntae's emotional intelligence was needed and shown + 1 time that Seo Juntae needed that emotional intelligence support.

Notes:

I've been so obsessed with Weak Hero for the last two weeks that I couldn't help but get attached to my boys, especially Seo Juntae, who is my weakness.

This story came out of boredom and hyper-obsession with any story related to this character. It's stupid how many times I check the "Seo Juntae | Eugene Gale" tag to see if there's a new story.

I've read most of them, and it's time to contribute to this obsession. My writing isn't perfect since English isn't my first language, but I try.

Enjoy, and if you like it, a comment would be awesome!

Chapter 1: Yeon Si-Eun

Juntae never has issues speaking from his heart. Even though he has lived in a world where violence became his daily routine, he tried his best not to sour his soul. He still has things to enjoy, small or not, and he learns to take advantage of those small things to keep his spirit up. The manga he reads, the snacks he eats after a long class day, and some friends with whom he could talk about the things he likes- only if he has a break from the deliveries early in the morning, and if any other guys don't bother him.

But either way, loneliness is a common factor in his life that is difficult to ignore. His aunt was committed to her veterinarian, so he couldn't blame her for not being able to pay him as much attention. She never failed to put a plate of food on his table or a comfortable room where he could sleep. However, that maternal affection or pleasant conversations between family members never happened in his life. She never realized the bullying he suffered at school. She never saw his bruised face or the bruises on his limbs. She never realized how early he left for school, so he could organize the daily deliveries that would "save" him from a beating in the mornings. At this point, she took it upon herself to keep him alive, but beyond that, she never saw beyond him. She probably doesn't know what he likes, what interests him, or what he wants to do for his future.

But for Juntae, that had never mattered; anyway, throughout his entire life, no one had ever taken an interest in him. Who would at this point?

All that changed the moment Yeon Sieun showed up at Eunjang High School. Quiet but intimidating. When someone messed with him, he stood up for himself and set his limit. And for Seo Juntae, it would be a lie to say that this didn't affect his brain chemistry. Of course, he'd seen students defend themselves and refuse to be bullied. In a school like theirs, this is a common personality trait. However, something in his heart leaped at how quiet his defense was. Like a ninja. Like the action-packed mercenaries in his favorite manga. And those captivating eyes sealed him as someone he aspired to get along with. Someone he hoped to resemble and be enough not to disappoint.

So he did it, clumsily and uniquely, as only he could, and although Sieun was quiet and stubborn at first, Juntae managed to respect his timing and limits without forcing or demanding. Because for him, the mere existence of his friend was worthy of admiration, and if Sieun hadn't beaten him to a pulp, it meant that maybe he didn't want him far away, right?

A very short time later, Park HuMin and Go Hyuntak appeared. Like two action figures. Like stupid boys with unbreakable souls. And Juntae was enthralled by the beauty and spirit of his now "friends." He couldn't believe it. The lonely Juntae now had a group of friends, friends who seemed to care about him, who sought him out to hang out with, to laugh with, to tell him things. And Juntae felt happier than ever, lucky like a manga protagonist, because in what reality would such cool people want to hang out with someone as weak as him? He didn't understand and knew he couldn't physically do much for his friends. That's why he committed to supporting his friends. He silently promised to heal their hearts and warm their souls. Because he might be weak, but he wasn't stupid. He noticed the sadness and guilt in Si-eun's eyes. He noticed the anguish and concern in Hu-min's eyes, and of course, Hyun-Tak's frustration and distress. So, in his mind, the thought of helping his friends never left his mind.

Because just as he was hungry for love and security, his friends needed it too. And he would give it to them no matter how absent he was from her life.

---

1. Sieun

Understanding Yeon Sieun was never an easy task. His quiet personality wasn't helpful, but Juntae couldn't help but feel curious about his silence, his sad and tired gaze, his indifference to everything and everyone.

Except for him, for Juntae.

He has to be honest with himself. Of course, he was incredibly intense at first, but his excitement at seeing Sieun speak more than a few words, directed at him, had thrilled him. It felt like a personal achievement. Like something he had wanted to cherish in his heart for a long time. Because no matter how closed off Sieun seemed to everyone, he cared. He cared with long, meaningful glances that let Juntae know he was there, sometimes he did listen, and maybe he didn't want him to leave his side.

Yeon Sieun was just as starved for company as Juntae.

That's why, when he discovered something deeper about Sieun's best friend, he realized something deeper softened in his heart. Maybe he didn't fully understand his pain, but he was smart enough to let his empathy and love for his friend make it clear that his Sieun wasn't to blame for the events in his life. Someone with such a tired and guilty look couldn't possibly be the mercenary of his stability that his comatose friend seemed to be. Sieun was a victim of the violence and circumstances of his life. And that's when Juntae was able to understand him a little more. Sieun was such a strong soul, who seemed weak on the outside, but on the inside, carried a shell so heavy that it gave him the necessary resilience to be someone to be admired.

Humin, Hyuntak, and he discovered him by "accident"—at least that's what Baku liked to call it—after following Sieun one day after school. They quietly went after him, hoping to discover that perhaps Sieun was a reserved person by nature. Maybe he had a hobby that forced him to avoid all kinds of social interaction.

Everyone was surprised to see him enter a hospital with an uncertain look from a distance, but a sure stride. Hu-min told them that afternoon that everything makes sense now. The other students' stories about Sieun weren't such a lie after all. Sieun's best friend ended up in a coma after a fatal beating, for which he blamed himself and carried the burden with him every day. That explained why a good student could have ended up at such a unique school as Eunjang. That explained the daily visits. That made sense in the sad eyes of his dear friend.

Juntae would never find out, but that call he gave Sieun when he was at the airport that afternoon would change everything. Sieun must have felt the journey of their friendship and the burden of guilt. The sense of belonging and zest for life that had been taken away from him at some point in her life

Sieun treasured little Juntae's words and love. Perhaps he didn't show it with great emotion, but he hoped that with his actions, Juntae would realize that he cared for him, would fight for him, and considered him his friend.

That he was the reason he stayed.

For Sieun, these words didn't change that Suho was still in a coma. But they did warm his heart, lifting a weight he didn't know he was carrying on his shoulders. As cliché as it sounded, they made him understand that these were true friends.

"It's good you decided to stay," Juntae murmured, his cheeks flushed with food. A habit that wouldn't go away, even after Sieun pointed it out. “Honestly, I didn't even know you were going to leave, but whatever stopped you, it's good that it was there.”

Sieun looked up and stared at him. “Yeah…” A barely perceptible smile graced his face, one of those that isn't reflected on his mouth but in his eyes. “I'm glad it was there too.”

And Juntae was surprised; that smile was like a precious stone. Even if he didn't realize he was the reason, he still treasured it in his memories because of his love for his friend.

No one would ever understand how much Sieun's perception of Juntae changed in that moment. Nor how his words changed the fate of that group of friends. Nor did Sieun begin to tell more little stories about Juntae in that text chat with Suho.

Juntae never understood that his words saved a life.

And that's what makes Sieun love him a little more. Juntae doesn't expect anything in return; he loves and cares like crazy.

How lucky he is to have Juntae in his life

Chapter 2: Go Hyun-Tak

Summary:

Seo Juntae committed to supporting his friends. He silently promised to heal their hearts and warm their souls. Because he might be weak, but he wasn't stupid. He noticed the sadness and guilt in Si-eun's eyes. He noticed the anguish and concern in Hu-min's eyes, and of course, Hyun-Tak's frustration and distress. So, in his mind, the thought of helping his friends never left.

Because just as he was hungry for love and security, his friends needed it too. And he would give it to them no matter how much it could cost him.

or

5 times that Seo Juntae's emotional intelligence was needed and shown + 1 time that Seo Juntae needed that emotional intelligence support.

Notes:

The second chapter that was in my drafts. I'm just enjoying this so much that I want to upload everything!

For Hyuntak, protecting Juntae had become second nature. He was naturally endearing and easy to bond with. Seeing him daily didn't help with the overprotective feeling brewing in him, but he didn't complain. He would never complain about Juntae.

In such a short time, the boy became a constant in his life, and with every moment he spent with him, he wanted to be closer. He was such an intelligent, funny, and brave person that sometimes it hurt him, and the younger man didn't realize it. And that feeling rubbed off on him. He wanted to be the one who made Juntae realize how valuable he was. He wanted to be the one who protected him from all harm, and who, along with his new group of friends, would be the only ones capable of admiring the happiness of the young man who helped him feel more capable than he was.

Then he once was, or rather, more than he was.

He was no longer as strong, nor could he move with the same skill, but his protection toward Juntae and his friends made him forget that. His knee would never be the same again. That scar would never fade, and although for a long time it hurt to accept losing a large part of himself, of what he considered his future, it was good that someone as forgiving as Juntae had helped him see that there was more to him than just that accident and his knee. If someone as calm and intelligent as Juntae trusted him completely, it meant he was doing something good, right?

He wanted to be that strong support for Juntae.

However, it's hard to keep up a facade for so long. It's hard to hide scars and pretend they were never there. Hyuntak simply couldn't be "indestructible" or "invincible." Juntae was the one who lovingly gave him this understanding.

"Tak-ah..." whispered Juntae, his cheeks red with sweat after having "trained" basketball with the older boy. He didn't know if it should be called training when the younger boy kept chasing the ball when it slipped through his hands, but at least they had a good time.

Hyuntak looked at him carefully and nodded in a sign of attention.

“I think you're one of the coolest people I've ever met,” Juntae murmured with a small smile. Those unabashed smiles were a sign of comfort that the younger boy had with him. That smile that never wavered in doubt.

Did Juntae think he was really so amazing?

The oldest stared at him for a few seconds and then lowered his head with a silent laugh that showed resignation. Juntae couldn't have been more wrong.

“I once was, Jun... In the past, I truly was,” he said in a tired voice.

And unlike any response he could have expected—pity, sadness, or simply silence—Juntae laughed. He laughed with a slight smile, as if mocking but confident.

“The truth is, I never knew the Hyuntak of the past, so I'm not interested in knowing how cool he once was,” he whispered in the pleasant silence of the sunset, sitting in the last row of seats of that empty stadium, staring into space. “All I know is that the Hyuntak of the present is an amazing person. Accident or no accident, it's incredible how cool you are… That's enough. You don't have to be more than you already are, Tak-ah,” he said now, looking at him with his doe-like eyes. No hesitation, no lies.

Just love and protection.

Was this how Jun felt whenever he protected him from a physical fight? If so, he could say with enough humility that his chest might have swelled with pride.

“You're the cool one, Jun,” he murmured shyly, looking at his face. He wasn't very good at giving compliments, but when it came to Juntae, he forgot about all kinds of obstacles.

And maybe the younger man was right. It didn't matter if he wasn't like the man from the past or if his body wasn't as agile as it once was. This was the Hyuntak of the present, fighting for his friends, standing strong in the face of any attack, and finding the best group of people to enjoy life with.

With his friends by his side, he felt invincible. They had truly become his support system, and now he understood that he didn't have to navigate the tide of depression alone.

From the comparison of what once was

Best of all, he had Juntae to remind him that he wasn't weak but rather in a new chapter of his life. One where he could be reminded of how precious he was, along with a giant smile and bright eyes that only the younger man could give.

His strength hadn't gone away. His strength changed and grew in a new way.

And in this new chapter of his life, he felt lucky to have Juntae.

Notes:

Hope you liked it!

Chapter 3: Ahn Su-ho

Summary:

Seo Juntae committed to supporting his friends. He silently promised to heal their hearts and warm their souls. Because he might be weak, but he wasn't stupid. He noticed the sadness and guilt in Si-eun's eyes. He noticed the anguish and concern in Hu-min's eyes, and of course, Hyun-Tak's frustration and distress. So, in his mind, the thought of helping his friends never left.

Because just as he was hungry for love and security, his friends needed it too. And he would give it to them no matter how much it could cost him.

or

5 times that Seo Juntae's emotional intelligence was needed and shown + 1 time that Seo Juntae needed that emotional intelligence support.

Notes:

Last chapter I had in my drafts, lol
This one is a little longer. I guess exploring this dynamic was fun. Cuties.

Suho had no regrets about what had happened. Yes, the beating he received hurt. Yes, it hit him right in the pride to be left in such a state.

But having endured until the end to maintain his honor, and more importantly, Sieun's honor, was something he would never regret. He would move heaven and earth if necessary to defend that boy if he could.

However, the bitter memory of Beomseok haunted him from the moment he woke up from his coma.

He remembers feeling his head numb and how all his senses seemed to be activated at 100%. The smell of the hospital, the sound of the machine displaying his vital signs, the taste of his dry mouth, the feeling of tension in his limbs, and finally, the sight of his halmeoni beside him.

He felt confused for a moment, not recognizing where he was. However, memories immediately hit him as he regained more awareness of his surroundings. His halmeoni barely realized he had woken up. She ran out as fast as she could, and in the solitude of the white room, his thoughts turned to Sieun.

"Where was he?" "Did he know he was there?" "Had he ever visited him during his hospital stay?"

More importantly, how much time had passed?

His mind was racing, and with some stubbornness, he had to admit that he was becoming overwhelmed by so much. He had never been one to get uncomfortable, but he was without feeling his limbs and with a panic alien to his nature.

He felt everything became clear once he had the opportunity to meet Sieun again. The boy was there during the last few days of recovery before being discharged, and they had some necessary conversations along the way. He made it clear to Sieun that he shouldn’t feel guilty about what had happened and would never blame him for it, even if he never walked again. Sieun, on the other hand, confessed through silent tears that he had missed him during the process (at least in his way, but Suho already understood a bit of his language) and that although he felt somewhat responsible for what had happened, his new friendships had helped him heal that destructive thought.

New friends.  Yeon Sieun had a group of new people in his life, and Suho honestly didn't know how to feel about that fact.

On one hand, he was glad that the boy hadn't sunk into misery and had incredible people like the ones he was describing with indifference, but a sparkle in his eyes. On the other hand, a feeling of alien disgust settled in his chest. Sieun knew how to set his boundaries and stand up for himself, but after their experience with Beomseok, he felt he should assess how trustworthy these boys were.

When he finally got to meet them, life really made him shut the fuck up.

Park Humin was like an energetic puppy who, although he might seem confidently irritating at first, later showed that his boisterous spirit was fueled by the protective and fatherly responsibility he felt for his friends. Suho even confessed that he somewhat identified with his chaotic and extroverted personality. Connecting with him wasn't difficult.

On the other hand, there was Go Hyuntak. The boy seemed to be a bit defensive all the time, but it was easy to notice how he softened a little when he was with his friends. Athletic, entertaining, and protective. Over time, Suho recognized that defensive spirit that Hyuntak almost always forced himself to possess. He actually understood it and identified with it again. Making friends wasn't that complicated either. They were similar, if he thought about it.

And finally, there was Seo Juntae.

His relationship with Juntae was a bit complicated at first. Not because the younger boy wanted it that way; quite the contrary, the boy had been the kindest of them all, buying him snacks, inviting him to read manga he seemed to be a big fan of, or just starting a casual conversation with him when they were alone together. However, in each of those situations, Suho rejected him.

Ahn Suho didn't want the younger boy around. Something about his history and personality made him uncomfortable, made him want to leave him aside. The boy's past, filled with school violence and family neglect, felt uncomfortably familiar.

For Suho, Juntae was Beomseok's memory.

Everyone had noticed the older boy's apparent reluctance toward the boy with glasses, so they told Juntae that to avoid problems, he should try not to interact with him. In his case, like deja vu, Sieun asked him to give the younger boy a chance and not be so closed off.

And the truth is, he ignored him. He didn't want him around or to be close to him.

He didn't want another Beomseok to betray him.

However, all that changed without planning. Suho and the guys had tried to avoid violence for the sake of everyone and his speedy recovery. But it's almost humorous how trouble seems to follow them.

---

On one of those days when everyone was free—he and Humin didn't have to work, Hyuntak didn't have to train, Sieun didn't have to go to the academy, and Juntae didn't have to do homework—they all decided to go and hang out as a group. They would check out a cafe that the loudmouth from Baku had insisted on going to for the past few weeks.

Everything was going well. They walked, joked, and laughed.

Until they realized that six boys were following them, Suho didn't know who the other boys were, but the others seemed to recognize when they got tense.

One moment, they approached them exclaiming, "Unity isn't dead yet." Next, they started throwing savage blows at the five of them. Suho mentally calculated, "One of us has to fight an extra one." He wanted to avoid Sieun being the one fighting two, so he furiously charged at two of the thugs, throwing punches in their direction.

At one point, he looked around to see how the others were doing after he had already destabilized the two guys, and he could see that Baku, Gotak, and Sieun were doing well. Baku had already knocked down one of the thugs, so he was helping Sieun take down the one attacking him.

Turning around, he saw one of the remaining thugs amusedly walking towards Juntae. They seemed pleased to see that the boy with glasses had frozen to one side and wouldn't put much effort into defending himself.

Without thinking much, Suho ran in that direction and knocked down the bully with a single kick.

"Are you stupid, or why don't you move to the side and fight back?!" he yelled in fury and frustration at the boy with glasses. Another boy didn't move to defend himself but instead watched the scene.

"I-I," the younger boy stammered when he suddenly opened his eyes in panic and shoved Su-ho away.

What the fuck?

Stupefied, he quickly got up to see Juntae tackled by one of the bullies he thought he'd already knocked out at the start. The tall boy had tried to jump at him from behind, and Juntae had pushed him out of the way.

Now the bully was on top of Juntae, grabbing his head and smashing it against the pavement. Several times. The little boy didn't seem to do much to defend himself. He didn't have the strength to do so.

Suho's breath caught in his throat, and he quickly moved in to stop the beating. With a single shove and punch, he knocked the bully down and approached Juntae's lifeless body.

The boy was still. Very still and quiet.

He quickly placed the younger boy's head in his lap and looked up for help from the other boys. The three surrounded them in less than two seconds, desperate and panicking for their youngest friend.

That day, Suho had to contemplate the sight of a hospital again, not as a patient, but now as a heartbroken companion. And in his stream of thoughts, he anxiously wondered if his halmeoni and Sieun had felt this scared the whole time he was in the hospital.

He felt tense and guilty. He understood the younger boy was in that position because he had also helped him. The sting of discomfort surged through him when he remembered that he hadn't even treated the boy well enough for him to jump in without hesitation to defend him.

The boy was hospitalized under the medical verdict that he had sustained a mild concussion, and that despite all indications that there was no other severe damage, they wanted to keep him under observation because he had lost consciousness in the process.

The four of them decided to stay the night when the boy's aunt stopped by to permit the boy's hospitalization and left as quickly as she had arrived. She had no intention of checking on her nephew and had no question about how serious the condition had been. Just a paperwork assignment that she almost did with annoyance.

No one doubted it.

They remained in tense silence all night. Hyuntak, with whom he got along excellently, tried to complain in anguish, grabbing him by the neck and asking why he hadn't done anything to prevent this from happening to Juntae. However, Baku and Sieun quickly calmed him down, explaining that they had both been caught by surprise and neither wanted it to end like this.

After a while, the boy apologized to him and lay beside Juntae's bed, not leaving him even a second.

By dawn, around 3 a.m., everyone was asleep. Hyuntak looked uncomfortable in a hunched position, but no one dared to correct it. Baku was in a corner of the small companion sofa, snoring softly, his mouth open and his head completely back. Himself, in the middle, with any sign of sleep on his body. Sieun rested his head on his shoulder, barely moving.

Suho arranged Sieun in a less uncomfortable position and got up from his position between the two sleeping boys. He walked with silent steps and positioned himself at the empty side of Juntae's bed.

He stayed there for a long time, staring at the bandaged face of the boy with glasses, who looked more like he was sleeping than unconscious from an unjust beating. He looked at him carefully, wondering how someone who has been beaten more times than he can remember, and who also has a "family" that doesn't even care about him, could remain so generous.

Why hadn't Juntae become another Beomseok?

He lay like that for a long time, lying on the side of the bed, looking like a security guard protecting the boy. Lost in his thoughts and anguish.

Until he heard groans, faint, dry. Juntae's fingers moved again.

Suho moved closer to the bed and tried to stop the boy from moving further.

"Hey-hey, calm down. Try not to move a lot, you're at the hospital... that idiot messed you up," he said with a hand on the boy's shoulder. Juntae barely blinked and looked around in confusion.

Silence reigned in the room, so the other three boys made no attempt to wake up. The boy with glasses looked closely at the boy awake beside him and murmured in a raspy voice with a small, pained smile, "You say they messed me up, but I'm not the one with a face full of bruises..."

Su-ho looked at him carefully, confused. How could he smile and say that when he was the one lying in a hospital bed?

“I'm not the one hospitalized.”

“Well, at least now you know what it feels like.”

Touche

“You shouldn't have done that, it was stupid… Jumping around like that, taking a beating for me,” he whispered in frustration after remaining silent for a few seconds. The younger boy just looked at him and shrugged indifferently. He looked around with a soft smile when he saw his friends asleep around him, then looked back at Su-ho.

“Seemed like the right thing to do.”

“You could have been paralyzed from those blows to the head. Do you think I don't know that?!” he muttered, almost furious, his voice as low as he could, so as not to wake the others. He really needed to have this conversation with Juntae alone.

However, he didn't seem the least bit remorseful. "Would've been worth it," Juntae whispered, his gaze lowered.

The moment stopped, and an even heavier silence settled between the two.

"Don't say that... N-no, it shouldn't be like that. I was the one who should have taken those blows. I know how to protect myself... You shouldn't even care about me, I spend my time treating you like garbage," Suho responded to the statement, to which Juntae only blinked slowly, full of understanding.

"Just because you want me away doesn't mean I don't care about you," the youngest told him, softly.

And the air felt suspended again. Su-ho didn't respond immediately. A lump settled in his throat under a feeling he couldn't recognize.

Anger? Frustration? Sadness?

Accept that Juntae wasn't like Beomseok?

A flash of loftiness settled in his chest. Accepting that thought meant admitting that he'd been an idiot. That he'd spent his time rejecting someone who wanted to approach him with nobility.

Suho looked down. The situation weighed heavily on him.

"I... was an idiot to you," he mumbled, barely audible.

"No..."

"Yes. I was. I've been treating you like shit because you remind me of someone from my past that I can't help but hate. And yet, you had the nerve to throw yourself into a fight for me? Are you crazy?"

Juntae just smiled, his tired face filled with determination.

“Do you know what went through my mind when I saw you fight?... That you were just as cool as my other friends. Like the action guys in manga.”

Suho raised an eyebrow.

“That's the stupidest thing I've heard today.”

Junate laughed softly. “Probably true. What I mean is, I see you as a friend, and for my friends, I'll do anything.”

Another silence fell over the room. The hospital was quiet, accompanied by the beeping machines and slow breathing. Something settled in Suho's chest.

Maybe Juntae wasn't so bad.

“When you get out of here, you have to train with me,” Suho exclaimed, suddenly serious.

The younger boy looked at him, confused.

“Train?”

“I’m not going to risk you like that again. I need you to be able to throw punches in the air next time,” Suho swallowed. “I don’t want to see you unconscious again and not be able to do anything.”

Juntae looked at him in surprise. Not because of the offer, but because of what it meant. There was no obligation, no pity in his words.

Subtly, Su-ho was accepting him. 

"So... I'm not bothering you anymore?"

Suho sighed, scratching the back of his neck, with feigning annoyance.

"You never bothered me, I just... I didn't know how to handle everything you reminded me of."

Junate looked down again with a tender smile.

"Thanks for letting me know."

"I won't repeat that."

"No need."

And so they spent the night. In a comfortable silence, under a mutual understanding of friendship. They didn't need to go any further to understand that not all was lost.

Since that night in the hospital, something had changed inside Ahn Suho.

Since that conversation, Suho had the foreboding to let go of BeomSeok's ghost.

Because the boy in front of him wasn't that other young man who had betrayed him.

Now he had this innocent boy, full of love and energy. Who displayed more courage than his body could bear.

Suho could finally see the young man with glasses as a good friend. Seo Juntae was different. He was brave. And, against all odds, loyal to the core.

And although he would never admit it out loud, Suho was relieved to have him there.

How lucky he was to have a clumsy Juntae.

Notes:

I'm in the process of finishing the other chapters. In the meantime, let me know what you think!

Chapter 4: Geum Seong-Je

Summary:

Seo Juntae committed to supporting his friends. He silently promised to heal their hearts and warm their souls. Because he might be weak, but he wasn't stupid. He noticed the sadness and guilt in Si-eun's eyes. He noticed the anguish and concern in Hu-min's eyes, and of course, Hyun-Tak's frustration and distress. So, in his mind, the thought of helping his friends never left.

Because just as he was hungry for love and security, his friends needed it too. And he would give it to them no matter how much it could cost him.

or

5 times that Seo Juntae's emotional intelligence was needed and shown + 1 time that Seo Juntae needed that emotional intelligence support.

Notes:

Just as I promised, a new chapter here!
These two are so complicated to write, but I tried my best. If you have any suggestions, let me know in the comments.

I did have fun with this dynamic. I'll see if it inspires me to write a future story. I love them as well!

Thanks to everyone who commented. Y'all are the cutest.

Geum Seongje considered himself a simple, instinctive man.

Perhaps to other people, he was considered a dilemma. Someone unpredictable and not wholly trustworthy. But no one had ever described him as soft.

Seo Juntae had to be the exception. He truly is. 

Seongje often acted on instinct, an impulse of his momentary desires. He never stopped to think about how good or bad his actions would be. All he knew was that he was loyal to what seemed right.

Loyalty.

There was something about that word that haunted his deepest thoughts.

Ever since he had met Na Baekjin, his reality had been altered. Like a magnet, he found himself drawn to the boy's presence, and in a way, even though he didn't entirely like the system run by The Union (he didn't give a damn about it), he had tried to stay on that side out of loyalty to Baekjin.

They weren't friends, they weren't lovers. No feeling could describe what drove him to devote himself to Baek-Jin that way, but he stayed on her side out of respect for him.

Na Baekjin was never interested in him. There was no sign of gratitude—not like he expected it, either-no sign of any respect for him. Nothing. Baekjin couldn't have cared less about his loyalty.

And stubbornly, Seongjen had to admit to himself that, yes, he had been proud of himself. That, in a way, he was a romantic who wished he had built that kind of respectful relationship where they could fight together, protecting each other. Like a good duo of friends. No matter the consequences.

He thinks that's why Yeon Sieun's friends bothered him somehow. All those idiots willing to sacrifice their lives for the well-being of their other friends, getting into fights over each other, and genuinely being loyal to each other.

Loyal.

Seo Juntae was under the spotlight again. That kid who didn't even know how to throw a fist in the air, yet never hesitated to risk everything for his friends.

Seongjen noticed. Juntae's loyalty was the glue of that group, and it bothered him to admit that he was burdened with the desire to experience that.

That may be why he helped the younger one on the first shelf. Most of the time, he acted on impulse. He would do whatever he wanted, whether it was good or bad. But his subconscious got the better of him this time. It screamed at him to help the younger one this time. And without thinking, he did. He didn't regret being a nuisance to Baekjin and the Union then.

The death of the boy with reptilian eyes was like a glass of cold water to the reality he had tried so hard to avoid. Yes, he resented him for his remarkable indifference regardless of their relationship. But that didn't mean the boy deserved that end.

However, he didn't expect to find himself in the same scene a second time: helping Seo Juntae and his idiot friends.

He would like to say it was again the result of his impulses, but that would be useless when he remembered how he had become a little more aware of his actions, doing them with more purpose.

With more hope.

He discovered that perhaps, deep down, there had been a longing in his thoughts.

It wasn't as if he cared for them, nor did he want to rescue the little boy with glasses like a distressed princess. But he understood that his admiration for the boy (which he would never admit out loud) had driven him to act like a hero.

Hero of what?

He didn't even understand himself.

Yet here he was. On the rooftop of that abandoned building, his face and body covered in scratches and bruises that evidenced the violence to which he could become addicted. This time, the beating had been actively entertained.

The Union had become a group in disorder after Baekjin's death. In the active search for the next young leader of the mafia, many of its members had raised an even more persistent spirit of violence than before.

For them, having no leader meant having no limits. Despite a silent agreement to keep Eunjang's students out of conflict, certain boys didn't care about the silence in the streets.

Especially when it came to Sieun's group and his friends. Specifically, the youngest of them all, Seo Juntae.

Seongje didn't consider himself an active member of the Union—and honestly, he didn't know if he ever was—but to kill his boredom, he'd decided to keep those communication tips that certain thugs in the group used to plan their next moves.

He wasn't pleasantly surprised when he read that the next plan was to beat up the little guy with glasses. They thought that with Baekjin gone, there was a scramble for power. The idiots wanted to look tough by attacking Eunjang again, starting with the weakest link.

The impulse pushed him to visit the planned beating spot and defeat the idiots who had already left the younger one lying on the ground, spitting blood in a 4-on-1 confrontation.

The fight didn’t even take that much time or effort. In a matter of minutes, the four thugs were almost unconscious and scared. Without hesitation, they decided to leave the place before a second round.

He didn’t even understand their reasons, but he decided not to think about it too much at the time. He remembers seeing the younger one hunched in a corner, trying to make himself smaller than he already was, looking at him with fear but great confusion.

Yes, he would have been confused too.

That time, he only gave him a nod and a wink before leaving. He didn’t want to interact with the boy before he started questioning his actions. He really wouldn’t know what to say.

He immediately messaged the idiot of Baku, informing him that his little baby had been beaten and needed his support. He didn’t explain anything else—not his defense or reasons—just a warning of sincerity in the face of actions that even he didn’t understand.

That night, he immersed himself in the train of confused thoughts. It wasn’t as if he wanted to join the intellectual Si-eun’s group, but it was clear that with his actions, he wasn’t seeking to ally himself with the Union at all.

He was still that psychopath. He still liked the fight, the adrenaline, the violence, and the fear in his opponents. But honestly, there was also a certain softness in his chest.

Disgusting.

He didn’t owe those kids anything. Eunjang’s crew wasn’t his business. Wasn’t then, still isn’t. But the second he saw him curled up against the rooftop wall—face bleeding, arms limp like he didn’t even bother to guard himself—something inside him clicked. Annoyance, maybe. Or anger. Or something dangerously close to care.

---

He saw the boy again a few days later. He didn’t even intend to run into him again. His pack of cigarettes had run out earlier than expected, so he had to visit the convenience store unexpectedly. The last thing he expected was to see him there. Standing in front of the flavored milk shelf, with a face of indecision and furrowed eyebrows as if making that decision physically pained him.

Ugh. Cute.

He moved quickly to his designated aisle and, with a pack of his favorite cigarettes in his pocket, headed to the cash register without looking around.

There, finishing up his strawberry milk and two cups of instant ramen, was the boy he’d been avoiding seeing. Unluckily for him, the boy turned in his direction just as he tried to escape from that store.

Who would have thought? Geum Seong-Je is trying to hide from someone. How ironic.

The boy froze for a few seconds, his eyes wide in surprise.

 Before Seongje could form any other thought, Juntae unexpectedly approached him.

“Uh-hi,” he murmured as soon as he got closer. He hesitated. It looked like it took everything in him to step closer. He almost tripped on the curb.

He, however, decided to remain silent, staring at the younger boy.

“I-I wanted to say thank you. Properly, for... well, for the other day.”

The younger boy toyed with the bag in his hands, avoiding his gaze at all costs. Unsure if Seong-Je was going to ignore him or hit him.

“Of course, because in your position, you couldn’t move your mouth much that day, right?” the other replied flatly.

“Y-yeah, I know, I know,” he quickly responded awkwardly, moving his hands nervously. “I wanted to say something, but I was kind of—uh—bleeding. A lot. And in shock. A bit.”

One of his eyebrows lifted. “Are you still bleeding?”

The little boy blinked and gave a crooked laugh. “Only internally.”

The corners of Seongje's lips lifted. Slightly.

Of course, Juntae was nervous. Terrified.

But still, there he was in front of him.

Talking to him.

He hated that the kid could make him feel so much with so little.

---

He doesn't know how, but they ended up back on that abandoned terrace, sitting beside each other, with a safe space separating them.

"You still follow me around after I hit you and your friends?" he murmured, trying to scare the younger boy. "You're either dumb or persistent."

"I guess I'm... just persistent," he replied, ignoring his first comment. He turned to look at him, expressionless. "You saved me again...why?"

Silence. Then, a shrug.

"Spur of the moment," he whispered, staring straight ahead with a frown. "Don't think about it too much."

But of course, Juntae kept thinking about it. He didn't know if it was a gift or a curse, but he always tried to read through people.

"You really don't like the Union, do you?" Juntae said. "You fight like you don't care, but... you've already saved me twice."

Seungje didn't respond immediately. He didn't understand clearly, but he wouldn't admit that to the younger man either. The youngest, who despite having dared to be alone with him, was still a nervous wreck. He could see it in how his fingers clenched his pants' fabric.

"I just... want to understand," Juntae muttered before the other could speak. "What you did. What are you doing”

Seongje looked him straight in the eyes, his expression unreadable.

"Understand what? Why did I want to smash all those idiots in the face?" he snorted with sarcasm. "I'm not that complicated."

Juntae didn't flinch. He didn't tremble or back down. Annoyed, he admitted that the determination on the boy with glasses' face gave him a certain tenderness.

"It's not just that," his voice trembled, but he continued. "You didn't have to do it. You had nothing to do with it, and yet you did it. I can't stop thinking about it."

Seungje's eyes filled with darkness, as if he wanted to pierce the younger boy with a word. Juntae swallowed hard.

"And what do you want? An explanation? A hug? A friendship, maybe?" he said disdainfully, as if the idea made him want to vomit.

"No," Juntae replied, lowering his gaze for a second. "I just wanted to thank you. Honestly."

His voice was barely audible. From the trembling in his body, Seung-je thought the boy would cry, but she only saw him swallow and take a deep breath before looking at his face again.

"And I also wanted to say that… that if you ever—" he broke off, clenching his jaw nervously before continuing. "If you ever need anything. Anything. You don't have to be alone."

Silence fell like a heavy blanket between them. Seungje felt there was nothing more to say at such words. He looked down at his own hands. Covered in calluses and scars. Some new, some old. But all present as a reminder of what he used to do. Then he looked at the younger man's hands. Small, clean, and soft to the eye.

They couldn't have been more different. In strength. In personality. In worlds.

Yet there was the boy, offering his loyalty if he ever needed it.

He was a fool.

"Are you hungry?"

Juntae blinked in confusion. “Huh?”

“You have two bowls of ramen,” he said. “Unless you’re planning on eating both.”

The boy smiled slowly. “I always buy two. Just in case.”

“In case of what?”

“Just in case someone gets hungry, too.”

Stupid. Innocent. Cute.

How he hated how soft the kid was.

However, deep down in his thoughts, he had to admit how good it felt. He felt like he wasn’t being watched as a weapon. He was just… seen.

He lit one of his cigarettes. “You boil. I’ll stay here smoking.”

It wasn’t friendship or whatever. Not yet.

But it was something.

And that was enough.

It was good that Juntae was there for him.

Notes:

Before leaving.
@Untamed_Darkness, you give some inspiration for writing about these two. You low-key knew that you were cooking when you wrote about them. Iove you!

If you like this pair, please read their amazing stories—the best of the best. :,)

Chapter 5: Park Hu-min

Summary:

Seo Juntae committed to supporting his friends. He silently promised to heal their hearts and warm their souls. Because he might be weak, but he wasn't stupid. He noticed the sadness and guilt in Si-eun's eyes. He noticed the anguish and concern in Hu-min's eyes, and of course, Hyun-Tak's frustration and distress. So, in his mind, the thought of helping his friends never left.

Because just as he was hungry for love and security, his friends needed it too. And he would give it to them no matter how much it could cost him.

or

5 times that Seo Juntae's emotional intelligence was needed and shown + 1 time that Seo Juntae needed that emotional intelligence support.

Notes:

Hi people! I'm sorry this chapter took some time. I was in finals all this week and then went for a bit of vacation, but I'm back!
This chapter is a little longer. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks to everyone who commented and, in general, liked the story. y'all are so cute ^^

Baku didn't understand. He doesn't remember when everything changed, when the situation worsened to the point where violence had to become a constant.

He's supposed to be a leader, someone who sets an example for his community. Although Eunjang was never known for being a peaceful community or a role model, he constantly sought to remove that hostile environment from his life.

He had had enough with the one at home.

When he met Baekjin, something was stirring in his heart. The marked difference in strength in their mistreatment seemed unfair, and that round-cheeked boy displayed a vulnerability that screamed for help from the rooftops. Becoming close was an acquisition he would never regret, no matter how much harm the slant-eyed man caused in his final moments.

Baekjin is and was someone important in his life.

Whatever their relationship, it was impossible to deny the way his presence stirred his brain. Resentment was obvious in their final moments together, but Baku understood that he, and only he, could see the anguish and despair hidden behind those eyes he adored.

They were each other's refuge for so long. Before Hyuntak came into his life, for Baku, Baekjin was his refuge during the days when his father became more violent than usual. For Baekjin, Baku was the only person in whom he found true refuge.

In a world where they were devastated by society, they became each other's comfort.

When Hyuntak came into Baku's life, things began to change a little. Perhaps it was the possessiveness of feeling he had to share the only person who truly cared for him, but Baekjin didn't like that. Those two boys connected so well in such a short time that he felt like a nobody.

His own insecurities and fears kept him from the person he loved the most.

And Baku did nothing to change it. Perhaps that's why his guilt weighs on his shoulders from the moment the situation turned violent.

The moment Baekjin became the leader of The Union, the sting of anguish burned deep within Baku. He didn't recognize the boy he used to hide from the world with. He didn't want to acknowledge that they weren't the same as before and that it was too late to try to change his mind.

He said nothing and let it be.

Then Baekjin began to get violent with him. Those techniques taught with love to defend the vulnerability of his beloved were now being used against him. The confusion grew deeper in his consciousness. Frustration danced in his mind like a reminder that they were clearly not the same as before.

But Baku…said nothing and let it be.

He tried to talk to him repeatedly. To convince him, at least, to give in, to leave that world that seemed to be darkening his soul as the months passed. Baku clung to the hope that he would have that boy who clung to him with admiration again. That Baekjin would come to his senses and show that gentleness that only he knew in the dark of night.

However, the Hyuntak incident shattered any semblance of hope. Whatever line might have been crossed in their relationship was overtaken by the violence Baekjin now seemed determined to maintain.

Baku felt the guilt weigh even more heavily on his shoulders.

It wasn't just the anguish of watching the boy he once loved the most become his enemy and a worse version of himself, but he felt that because of him, the dreams and future of his best friend and brother had been shattered under his own command.

Baku felt mortified as if his own leg had been the one that had pushed Hyuntak's knee toward the fate of perdition. He had been the executioner of all the efforts the boy had made all those years in competitions and training to improve his skills. He had taken away all his brother's desire for success, and he couldn't forgive himself.

But the other young man did. Hyuntak insisted on Baku for months to make him understand that he didn't blame him for anything, that he didn't hate him, and that he didn't regret being his best friend.

And Baku never felt less deserving of anyone's loyalty. But if the other refused to leave him after numerous attempts, he turned that frustration into what he knew best: protection.

That feeling was taken away from him by the person who was supposed to have given it to him, his father. That man who made his life even more complicated. After losing his mother at such a young age, the little boy hoped that he and his father would become inseparable to lessen the loneliness that the woman's departure had left in their lives.

But it never happened, and after accepting it through long sleepless nights, he never would.

However, that didn't mean he wasn't capable of protecting others. He became Eunjang's leader because, in a strange way, that place had become his refuge when his home was no longer his. He protected his best friend from anyone who intended to harm him, knowing that the other young man felt and did the same.

Although Baekjin was no longer the same man as the one he loved, deep down, he knew that the young man's protectiveness remained within him, just like when they were children, just like when it was just each other.

His hope was shattered, but he kept the memory of that child in his mind when he saw the hateful Baekjin of today.

Then came Yeon Sieun and Seo Juntae. They were both similar but completely different children, whom he couldn't help but take under his wing with the same protection of a concerned father.

Sieun's calculating personality had once made him tense. Those analytical eyes, which looked at him with disdain, reminded him of the coldness of the serpentine-eyed boy. But the sadness and fear in those eyes reminded him that, as such, Sieun wasn't his enemy and that the boy seemed to care. He did care.

As if it were his job, Baku felt obligated to relieve some of Sieun's guilt. Their similarities were eerie; he wanted to prevent someone like Sieun from feeling as deplorable as he did.

However, he had forgotten that doing so would only make the burdens he himself carried heavier. Fool him.

On the other hand, there was little Juntae. Oh, his beloved Jun.

A personality unlike any of them three. Innocent, loyal, and brave. He wore orbs filled with purity and brilliance that made you believe he still had faith in those around him. The boy seemed to believe so much in Baku's strength that, painfully, his nobility made him travel back in time with the boy with the round cheeks, who firmly believed Baku was his hero.

Juntae had tried to help him that day at the motorcycle shop. Unafraid of the beating. Unaware that he couldn't even throw a fist in the air. He was 100% loyal to the same Baku who had studied at the same school for years, and could never help him stop being the delivery boy.

That's why he made a commitment. He swore silently to protect his three boys and not push them to find their worst selves. To not be as miserable as he was.

He didn't want them to become the next Baekjin.

The fight between schools happened. The four of them had been exhausted by the battle. Two of them were out in the field with him, one inside helping make the plan come to fruition. His attempts to ensure his school would end up far from La Union bore fruit. His entire being was filled with a happiness he didn't feel deserving of, but which he dedicated himself to maintaining for a few brief moments.

If he felt a tinge of disappointment for not having done much for Baekjin in the process, he didn't tell anyone.

He enjoyed those days of euphoria at school, where everyone seemed to bond and form bonds of friendship. He took advantage of those peaceful days by spending time with his kids, silently rewarding them for having endured so much by his side.

After all this, he still felt it was his fault that Eunjang was involved in this conflict.

After everything went wrong, he had a chance for everything to be okay for a few brief moments. But it seemed life hadn't given him enough before dealing him one final blow:

Baekjin's death.

The news had arrived like a whisper. As if those voices in the hallways feared uttering the worst, and perpetuating reality was an act of violence against his conscience. Baku froze that day. For hours, in a void of unspoken words. Unable to understand again when everything had changed?

And when he finally understood, when the weight fell suddenly like an unstoppable avalanche, his first thought was:

"I no longer have anyone to ask for forgiveness."

That night at the funeral home, he cried like what he felt was the cry of a devastated child. His face was soaked with tears, and his broken heart was in his hand. Feeling all the guilt of unspoken words, unrepaired feelings, and guilt. He cried until his eyes dried, accompanied by his three friends, who wept silently in an act of empathy despite the harm Baekjin had caused.

After that day, the crying never happened again. The nights grew longer. The days are slower. For weeks, he wandered the school halls like a ghost, soulless, purposeless, yet with a fake smile and an attitude that screamed, "I'm fine, there's nothing to worry about."

There wasn't a night he didn't go to bed thinking about him, nor a morning he didn't wish it was all a dream. He didn't know if it was hate he felt for him. He didn't know if it was love. He only knew that, at the end of it all, Baekjin was gone, and he still loved him like one loves a part of oneself that was torn away.

And his friends began to notice. Not knowing what to do or what to say. They were terrified to know that inside Baku, everything was hidden like a spiral that only he knew. The guilt seemed to eat away at him each day, and no one could help.

They were distraught but wanted to respect their friend's grief so that he would take his time and space, even if it weren't typical of his nature.

The boys had tried to talk to him on occasion. However, every attempt had failed after a rejection that was so gentle and overacted that it made them angry. They always received the same response: a soft but broken smile and the repeated phrase "I'm fine." They didn't know what to do, and their resources were dwindling.

However, Juntae didn't give up, and one afternoon, he approached him.

---

He found him on the rooftop where they sometimes spent time, laughing, joking, forgetting about the world. Now? The older boy was alone. His gaze was distant, beneath a very unnatural silence for his colorful personality.

Baku didn't realize he was there. So deep in his thoughts that even Juntae felt a headache imagining what could be happening inside his thoughts. His anguish hurt him. The inappropriateness broke him of his gaze.

He approached slowly, with hesitant steps. The older boy turned around at the sound of a dry leaf that the boy with glasses accidentally stepped on, and as if it were a mask, as soon as he saw the younger boy, a tense smile appeared on his face.

"Juntae-ya! Are you here for some advice from your old friend?" he exclaimed in a forced, happy tone. Juntae noticed but decided to ignore it for now.

He didn't respond immediately. He just watched him. He looked at him as if searching for something behind that smile, as if he needed reassurance that Baku was still there, buried beneath that poorly rehearsed performance. He took a couple more steps and sat beside him without asking permission, as he used to do, as if he could force him to return to the past, where everything was less painful.

"Baku-hyung," the boy murmured, almost in a whisper.

The oldest turned his face with the same fake smile. "What's up, kiddo?"

Juntae frowned. He hated how his friend kept trying to hide what he felt and trying to appear like the school clown when he was clearly falling apart in front of everyone.

"Can you stop acting, please...just for a while."

The silence fell heavily. Baku's smile fell slightly, but he clenched his jaw to maintain the grimace.

"Acting?" He asked with a chuckle that trembled in his throat. “What are you talking about, Juntae?”

Juntae looked at him with eyes full of sincerity. “You don’t have to tell me you’re okay, hyung. I don’t want you to be okay. I want you to be you.”

Baku swallowed, his smile now completely gone. The breeze ruffled both of their hair. Something creaked inside his chest, like a crack opening. He smoothed Juntae’s hair with a soft smile and gazed toward the city. A city that seemed so alive and so oblivious to his pain.

“I don’t even know who I am right now, Jun.”

Silence sat between them. Juntae let it be before talking again.

“And it’s okay if you don’t. You can find out, but… please don’t do it alone,” the younger said softly, full of affection but completely firm in their intention, without evading. Always giving without expecting anything in return.

Baku let out a dry laugh. “I… feel like I killed him.”

Juntae froze. He knew he wasn't speaking literally, but that statement reflected the pain the older man was sharing.

"I should've tried harder. I knew him better than anyone. I should've known... something. Done something... I don't care how often you tell me it wasn't my fault. I feel it. I feel it in my bones. And there isn't a day I don't wake up wanting to change everything," he said with a heavy lump in his throat, almost desperate to let out everything he'd been hiding all those weeks.

"Hyung..."

"I loved him!" he suddenly exclaimed, his voice cracking. And that confession exploded in his face like a reality he'd avoided for so long. A confession that seemed more for himself than for the child listening to him.

Juntae didn't flinch. He just gave him a loving look and sighed deeply before answering.

"Do you want me to be honest with you?" he asked rhetorically, not expecting the older man to respond.

“I believe you weren’t the one who put him in the path of that leader. You weren’t the one who made him stay in that world. He chose that, even though I know part of him was still your friend… maybe even loved you in a way he couldn’t say. But that doesn’t make you responsible for how it ended.”

Baku, trembling, looked down and, for the first time in weeks, allowed himself to let a tear fall. Just one. But it was enough. After a couple of seconds, he looked back at the boy with glasses with an attentive gaze.

“Sometimes… loving someone means standing against them when they’re hurting others. And that’s the hardest kind of love there is. You did what you had to do, not because you hated him, but because you cared. I see that,” Juntae murmured, finishing what he was thinking with a glassy look, feeling his friend’s pain in his chest.

Baku closed his eyes tightly, as if he needed to stop the world from digesting those words. It was as if that sensitive nerve had been touched in the most human way possible. His chest tightened a little more, and his throat closed. This time, not with pain, but with tenderness toward the boy in front of him. Toward the thought of his other friends.

"Thank you... Thank you for saying exactly what I needed to hear," he whispered, tears running down his cheeks. He let the stored pain out of that vault, which he recognized as his heart, giving a little bit of his feelings to his youngest friend.

"There's nothing to be thankful for, hyung... I'm doing this because I love you," Juntae said, his voice as low as if it were a secret. It was simple. It was honest. And at that moment, for Baku, it was the purest act of love anyone had shown him in weeks, along with concern for his other boys.

The older boy looked at him, still with tears in his eyes. And for the first time, he let his façade fall completely. There were no fake laughs, no false smiles. Just Baku. Sad. Broken. Human.

Juntae nodded slowly. He didn't say anything else. He moved a little closer until their shoulders touched, and stayed there with him. Nothing more was needed. No advice. No solutions.

Just being.

Baku cried a lot more that day, with Juntae stuck to him like an anchor. Maybe he was. He didn't know.

The only thing he understood that day was that he wasn't alone. He never had been.

That he still had something to protect.

He still had time to change.

And if he couldn't save Baekjin, he wouldn't fail them.

Not Juntae. Not Sieun. Not Hyuntak.

Not his family.

How lucky he was to have Juntae in his life.

Notes:

I've been considering editing the first two chapters of this story. They are short compared with the next three. I accidentally ended up making them more of a character analysis around Juntae and the first two lack that. I don't know; I'll think about it!

I enjoy writing this chapter so much. Baku is my second favorite character, and his backstory with Baekjin was one of my favorite things this second season.

I have so many ideas for future stories. Hopefully, now that I'm free, I can write more. I've been so down for Juntae x Seongjen that I have many ideas. I fear I'm feral for them :D

Whatever, let me know what you think about the chapter! Any mistake, I do apologize. English is not my first language

Chapter 6: +1. Seo Jun-Tae

Summary:

Seo Juntae committed to supporting his friends. He silently promised to heal their hearts and warm their souls. Because he might be weak, but he wasn't stupid. He noticed the sadness and guilt in Si-eun's eyes. He noticed the anguish and concern in Hu-min's eyes, and of course, Hyun-Tak's frustration and distress. So, in his mind, the thought of helping his friends never left.

Because just as he was hungry for love and security, his friends needed it too. And he would give it to them no matter how much it could cost him.

or

5 times that Seo Juntae's emotional intelligence was needed and shown + 1 time that Seo Juntae needed that emotional intelligence support.

Notes:

Final chapter guysss! This was so fun to do. Enjoy it!

For someone as intelligent and brilliant as Juntae, it was easy to forget that carrying so much light doesn't come without burning.

It started subtly. So subtly that even he didn't notice.

In that way, actions don't speak loudly unless you look closely. Juntae doesn't know when it started again—or if it ever stopped—but something inside him felt rotten. Like a knot in his stomach that won't unravel. Like a pressure in his chest that won't fade.

He felt empty.

Empty and forgotten.

Of course, he'd gotten used to being invisible. Before his friends came into his life, his presence was based on not being noticed. On not being taken into account. On not existing.

But this was different. He was going unnoticed by the people he loved, who he at least thought cared about him.

The worst part? He knew it wasn't their fault. He'd gotten very good at pushing away his feelings and masking his thoughts.

The night of his birthday had passed like any other day. No texts. No surprises at home. Breakfast. A letter. Nothing. The only thing that accompanied him that day was the silence of the house and the emptiness in his chest.

Juntae told himself it didn't matter. That birthday sucked, and it was childish to feel sad. He felt as if he were throwing a tantrum to be noticed as if he were being incompetent for asking for her attention.

His aunt.

Something inside his chest ached as he recognized that bittersweet feeling that had been with him since he was ten. Small, still, and desperate.

Fighting for some attention that never came to him.

---

It was Sieun who noticed him first.

He didn't ask. It clearly wasn't his way of doing things. But he did observe. He watched closely as Juntae smiled and laughed the same. He made sure the group chat never died for more than an hour. He still handed out snacks like a vending machine with too much heart.

But he noticed the absence. He saw the hint of anguish in his eyes. Incredibly familiar. Painfully forgotten.

Sieun found him one of those afternoons. He was sitting alone in one of the school's hidden stairwells, trying to make himself smaller than he was with his knees pulled up to his chest and his gaze lowered.

He sat next to him, back straight, staring straight ahead with an unreadable expression. Anyone watching would say it was an awkward moment. Between the two of them, they already knew that Sieun's silence wasn't empty—it held seriousness. Asking wordlessly, "Are you okay?"

Juntae continued staring at his shoelaces as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. He wrinkled a piece of his sleeve and said, almost jokingly, “She forgot again.”

He didn't specify who. There was no need to.

Sieun didn't react with surprise or pity. He just turned his head slightly in his direction, acknowledging the moment and holding it steady.

“She didn't say anything,” Juntae added. “Not even when she got home. No jokes. No wishes. Not even a word. Just…silence.”

The words came out with weight. They were spoken delicately as if they were a wound that was still raw.

“I didn't think it would hurt,” he whispered. “Not after all this time. In which I've lived under her indifference. Under the habit of being forgotten.”

Sieun blinked slowly.

“But it hurts. And I feel stupid for hoping for anything. I thought maybe this year would be different. I thought she'd see me. But she didn't. And at this point, I wonder if she doesn't because there's nothing to see.”

His voice trembled. And he hated himself for it.

Sieun let the silence settle again—not distantly but deliberately, gently. It was quiet and firm when he spoke, with a certainty summed up in a few words.

“You're not invisible. Not to us.”

Juntae broke down at that very moment. Not loudly. Just a silent collapse that forced him to cover his face with his hands and burst into tears. His shoulders trembled like paper.

He wasn't crying because Sieun had comforted him. He cried because he'd noticed.

Sieun saw it and stayed.

That meant the world to him.

---

The next day, Hyuntak wordlessly left a small box on his desk. It was careless and messy, but it was placed with almost tender care, waiting for him.

He got no explanation. Nor any context.

Inside the box was a basketball keychain, a note with crooked handwriting, and a musty pencil: “You’re my favorite teammate. And I see you.”

No name. No punctuation. But immense affection.

Juntae gently pressed his fingers over the note as if he wanted to engrave each word on his fingertips. He blinked slowly before feeling his eyes fill with tears. Then he squeezed the keychain in his hand.

There was something about Hyuntak’s silent care that warmed his heart. He wasn’t the best at basketball, yet the oldest declared him his favorite teammate. He hadn't asked for this; he didn't need gifts, but the other boy was giving him a piece of his trust—with a message underneath: I trust you. I value you.

Juntae couldn't help but feel the warmth in his heart. And maybe even in his cheeks.

Later, as they were leaving school, Juntae felt Hyuntak wrap his long arm around his shoulders, pulling him to his side, and murmur in that tender voice he seemed to reserve just for him, "Next time you disappear, I'll find you. No matter where you are."

Not as a threat. More like a promise.

And Juntae knew it would be fulfilled for sure.

Hyuntak's face held nothing but firmness and honesty as if each word were a silent, unheard sentence of protection.

They walked like that the whole way, the expression of those words etched into his skin.

Juntae felt seen.

---

Baku appeared at his doorstep the following afternoon.

No one asked him anything. He didn't say a word. He stood before him with a gentle smile and a bag from the nearest 7/11.

"Let's go," he enthusiastically announced, “I brought sugar and processed carbs. You have no right to feel sad with corn syrup in your veins."

"I'm surprised you know what processed carbs are."

"Shut up."

So Baku dragged him through the streets, hugging him at his side, without asking how he was or if he wanted to go. He didn't ask anything, knowing that, probably like him, Juntae would lie. So he talked between silly jokes and comments that made no sense, but that got more than a few fleeting laughs out of Juntae.

They ended up eating the usual ice cream on a bench in an abandoned park. Baku offered him his own without saying anything.

Juntae accepted silently.

At that point, Baku handed him an earbud plugged into a playlist that always consisted of a mess of rhythms and genres.

“Don’t say anything. Just listen,” he said with a bright smile.

Juntae just watched him, his eyes twinkling.

At some point, the loud music stopped. A soft, instrumental melody with no lyrics began to play.

Juntae said nothing. Baku glanced at him.

“Need a song with no words.” He explained, “You’ve had enough of those this week.”

At that moment, something warm moved inside his chest.

He didn’t cry, didn’t make any dramatic moves. He didn’t feel he had to do much. The only thing he was sure of was that he felt understood. After so much noise, his friend knew when to be quiet. When to speak. When to be present.

That same night, he received a message from Baku:

"You don't have to be 'okay' to be loved, Juntae-ya."

---

Three days passed before Suho said anything.

Not because he didn't care, but because saying something made him feel vulnerable. Still, he did it—in his own way.

It was after school. Juntae was standing before the vending machine, feigning indecision over a drink he didn't want or feel like drinking.

Suho approached silently. He leaned beside him, hands in his jacket pockets.

"I used to think birthdays were a waste of time and money," he said flatly, "You know like everyone pretends to care about you for 24 hours and then forgets."

Juntae looked at him, confused. Blinking expectantly.

"But someone once told me... It's not about the day. It's about knowing someone's glad you're alive. That they noticed."

He paused. He looked Juntae straight in the face with an unreadable expression.

“I noticed.”

Silence

And then he added, looking away, feigning disinterest, “And… I’m glad you’re alive.”

Juntae bit his lower lip and nodded gently.

Suho nudged him lightly with his elbow. “Don’t get sentimental. If I see you crying, I’ll take back my words.”

“Too late,” he murmured, his voice trembling, his eyes wet.

Suho gave him the tiniest smile.

---

That same afternoon, Seongje found him on the terrace.

The same terrace as always.

He didn't ask for permission. He never did. He just appeared at his side with a cigarette in his mouth and a sharp look in his eyes.

"You look like shit," he said.

"Thanks."

"Seriously. What? Are ghosts haunting your dreams?"

Juntae snorted, "Something like that."

"Your aunt again?"

"She forgot my birthday."

Seongje blinked carefully. Then he exhaled cigarette smoke.

"She forgot you," he corrected. "The birthday is just an excuse."

"Excuse for what?" Juntae asked almost in a whisper.

"For yourself. You hate that it still hurts."

Damn. That hit a nerve. Yet Juntae couldn't help but blink in surprise at the precision of his words. The older man always seemed to know where to cut. Only this time, not cruelly, just precisely.

“I thought this year was going to be different.”

“Because you thought you'd changed enough for her to change too,” Seongje said, “But that's not how broken people work, ducky.”

Juntae looked down, exasperated by the truth behind his words. Flustered by the nickname the older had used for him since they ate ramen together on the same terrace they were now standing on.

Then, Juntae felt something cold being placed in his hands. He looked closely at the strawberry milk in front of him—the one Seongje had placed there, the same brand he had bought.

“Do you always carry these in your pockets?” he muttered mockingly.

Seongje snorted, “Just in case someone gets hungry.”

“Someone?”

“You, ducky.”

Juntae’s heart leaped modestly. There was no gentleness or tact in how Seongje spoke—but there was something taciturn hiding behind the sarcasm in his voice. Something not spoken freely, but which Juntae understood.

“You’re so strange,” Juntae said shyly.

“Better than being forgotten.”

Juntae let out a chuckle—a real one.

Seongje turned to look at him as if trying to determine how real his laughter was. They stood side by side, facing each other again and looking at the city lights.

“You’ll be fine,” Seongje said, taking a last drag on his now tiny cigarette.

Juntae nodded gently. Then he looked at him closely when he realized he would say something else.

“I don’t say things I don’t mean,” he added, already throwing away the butt of his finished cigarette and turning to look at him closely.

And Juntae believed him; this time, he truly did.

He believed in the boy with sharp eyes but gentle actions standing before him.

He believed in Suho’s foolish confession. He believed in Baku’s loving chaos. He believed in Hyuntak’s silent protection. He believed in the way Sieun stayed.

He believed in the love of his friends that he was seen.

And for the first time, he let them hold him.

They had shown him what he had always given them.

Because the weight of a kind heart is unheard of.

But when he realized who he gave part of that heart to, all the pain disappeared.

It was worth it.

How lucky Juntae was to have them in his life.

Notes:

I can't believe I finished this. I mainly started for fun and because I had half of it done after an insomnia night, lol. However, I have to admit that I'm just obsessed right now, and I feel the necessity of writing about the boys now.

Please check out all the fantastic work done in the fandom. Y'all are so talented.

I hope you enjoyed this. I try my best with my language and writing skills. Let me know what you think.

I have some other stuff in mind 'cause I'm currently super down with Seongtae. Nobody is taking me down from here.

Whatever, love y'all

Notes:

I'm going to upload what I have in my drafts so far. I'll write the other half as soon as I can. Whatever, hope you enjoyed!