Chapter Text
The Union lost. Lost to Eunjang High. Na Baekjin lost to Park Humin, also known as Baku, Eunjangs top dog. Seongje was nowhere to be found, the other Union members slowly walking away from the fight scene. Na Baekjin, while still laying on the cold ground, blinked away some tears that started to make their ways down his face. He was hurt everywhere. Physically and mentally too, Humins rejection hurt him the most. Remembering the past Baekjin still feels like those days were yesterday. Right shoulder and leg are both broken by Baku and his new minion Sieun.
Baekjin felt like the time around him slowed down and he was laying here for hours now. His limbs slowly turned numb because of the cold ground and the rain, which started raining just after Baekjin lost. He didn’t know how long he was laying on the cold and muddy ground before he started hearing footsteps slowly coming toward him. Baekjin didn’t know if he should be happy or scared that someone was here, possibly looking for him. He knew that if that person wanted to end his life now he couldn’t do anything about it to stop it. Even breathing hurts and Baekjin knows that there’s no way he will move any part of his body in the near future.
Deep down Na Baekjin still hoped that the stranger would help him, but sadly he learned it in the hard way that you can only trust in yourself. Finally the footsteps stopped and Baekjin could feel someone staring at him. He forced his eyes open, the view was a little blurry from the unshed tears but he could still make out the person in front of him. His heart started to beat faster but it wasn’t of fear, it was something else, something unusual. It was a warm feeling, he almost didn’t recognise it because he hadn't felt like this in ages at the sight of another person. Baekjin opens his mouth slightly while trying to say something to the other.
" Seongje… " it came out as a whisper so he’s not sure if the other boy heard him, but it doesn’t matter anyway his eyes already told what he wanted to say. The other boy adjusts his glasses and smirks down at Baekjin’s form while pulling out a cigarette.
" The great Na Baekjin has finally fallen from the throne. Man, I wish I was here to see the fight. " Seongje let out a small giggle and waited for Baekjin to get up.
Slowly Seongje came to the realization that there’s no way Na Baekjin would be able to walk in his state. He cursed something about always getting the hard work, then he walked closer to the other boy on the ground bent down to gently pick him up.
Na Baekjin coulda swear he was in hell, as Seongje lifted him up, pain flared up in his entire body. He clenched his teeth to not make a noise, don’t get him wrong Baekjin was glad that Seongje was here and carrying him away, but it still hurts like hell to move even a little bit. Baekjin’s vision started to go black, it’s better this way, he thought. At least he won’t feel the pain anymore.
When Na Baekjin woke up, he found himself in his bed covered in three layers of blankets and his shoulder and leg were in bandages. He doesn’t really remember anything other than pain and that someone was there. When he tries to sit up he’s met with a painful headache. Baekjin only has medicine in his apartment’s kitchen so he has to get up to take some. He sighs heavily and slowly moves to sit up. Baekjin immediately regretted the action when pain shot through his left shoulder. He hissed at the sudden pain.
Slowly Baekjin managed to get out of his bed and made his way to the kitchen while leaning against a wall so he wouldn't fall over. He goes to the kitchen cabinet and takes out the ibuprofen and pour a glass of water then he takes one pill, hoping the headache will go away.
Baekjin didn’t know how much time had passed since the fight with Eunjang, so the next thing he did was search for his phone to check the date and time. When he finds the phone it takes him at least a minute to accept the fact that he slept for three days without waking up. It actually makes him question who helped him after the fight. It didn’t take long to get his answer because he heard footsteps outside his apartment. Then he hears the door opening and in front of him is standing the one and only Geum Seongje with two grocery bags in his arm.
He looks at Baekjin and without a word he goes to the kitchen and puts the bags on the counter.
"I see you’re awake, I brought some food." Seongje says while placing two kinds of instant ramen on the counter.
"Hot chicken or spicy seafood?"
"Why are you here?" Baekjin asks instead of answering the other boy’s question.
" Ah, is that how you treat a guest who even brought you food?" Seongje said while laughing a bit. Baekjin didn’t know what to say to the other boy, he didn’t ask him to be here, to bring him food. It makes some kind of warmth flown through his chest. He looks up at Seongje again, he’s still staring at him waiting for him to choose one. Baekjin shouldn’t answer him, this is exactly what Seongje wants, but he haven’t eaten in three days and he’s so hungry. He decides to give in.
" Chicken." only one word, but it’s still enough for Seongje to smirk at him.
Baekjin doesn’t move from where he’s standing, only watching blankly as Seongje boils some water for their food. When their noodles are ready Seongje takes them to the dinner table and looks at the other boy, waiting for him to come sit down.
"Are you gonna stand there or sit down and eat with me? If you don’t want your food I will gladly eat it."
Baekjin slowly walks over to the table and sits down. He takes a look at his food then looks up at Seongje, who’s happily eating his seafood flavored noodles, and stares at him with a little confused expression.
"Why?"
Seongje looks up at him with a questioning look on his face.
"What?"
"Why are you doing this? Bringing me food, acting like you care."
Seongje was a little taken aback at that sentence. He let out a hurtful laugh and looked at Baekjin straight in the eyes.
"You could at least thank me for bringing you here and not letting you die in the rain. But if you want to rot alone here in depression I’m not stopping you."
Seongje could have overreacted but Baekjin genuinely didn’t know why he’s here. After that they ate in silence. When Seongje finished with his noodles he stood up and walked to the couch to collect his coat and left Baekjin’s apartment without saying a word to the other boy.
When Seongje left, Baekjin couldn’t take his eyes off the empty bowl in front of him. It was him. It was Seongje who walked up to him on that day and took him back to his apartment. Baekjin felt his heart will rip out of his chest. He managed to chase away another person from his life. Someone who knows him the best, who always does what he’s asked. Who always asked how he was.
Baekjin sighed heavily and continued eating in silence. When he was finished he took both bowls to the sink. He was tired after walking even a little. His leg was hurting so much that Baekjin felt like he might collapse in the kitchen. He decided to rest on his couch, it was closer and there was a blanket.
A blanket which probably Seongje put there.
Baekjin started to feel guilty, he didn’t mean to hurt Seongje now. While he slowly walked toward the couch Baekjin had an idea. He has Seongje’s number so he could call him and apologise. Maybe he should wait a little while, he basically just told Seongje to fuck off a minute ago.
That night Baekjin woke up startled from a nightmare. He looked around the room fast, taking in his surroundings while trying to calm his racing heart. Baekjin doesn’t usually have dreams, especially not nightmares, and especially not about his former right hand man Geum Seongje. They weren’t friends so it was very unusual for Baekjin to have this intense reaction over something that happened to Seongje in a dream.
With a heavy sigh Baekjin slowly gets up from his bed being careful not to put a lot of weight on his bad leg and shoulder. He walked slowly toward the kitchen to get some water. While he was walking he took a look at the clock on the wall to see what time he managed to wake up. It was 03:00, still dawn.
The fresh water proved to be a salvation for his dry throat. He then went to the fridge looking for something small to eat, he was sorry to see that there was almost nothing in the fridge except yogurt. Baekjin knew that he needed to go grocery shopping soon but he was sure couldn’t take the walk there. His leg, possibly broken, needed at least a week rest before he would be able to walk longer distances.
Maybe he could ask Seongje to pick up some food next time he decided to come here and annoy him for hours.