#youthslost / haneul.

[byanyan]

@youthslost sent 💬 for a starter!ㅤ∘ ˚ ( accepting ) ㅤㅤㅤ— prompt borrowed from this meme

ㅤㅤ" i’m tryin' to fix your hair, so hold still. "ㅤwords somewhat muffled around a couple of bobby pins held between their teeth, byan continues carding their fingers through haneul's hair, pulling back his fringe and playing around with parting it differently. having grown bored of homework with almost impressive, record breaking speed, they're less fixing his hair and more distracting themself from what they're supposed to be doing while han remains as diligent as ever. whether or not they're distracting him as much as they are themself doesn't seem to cross their mind — or, if it does, they don't particularly seem to care.ㅤ" y'know, if y'just styled it a little, you could be such a hit with the ladies. or the dudes. whoever you wanted, really. a tiny bit'a effort, that's literally all it'd take. "

[byanyan]

ㅤslipping a hand into the bag hanging at their side, they trade the pack of smokes for a lighter, only to find themself brought to a halt by haneul's sudden exclamation. blinking, caught off guard by his complete disregard for their question and his seemingly unending excitement as he bounces in an instant from their boots to the sanrio bandage plastered across their knee, byan peers down past the end of their skirt as though to see what the fuss is all about. yeah, their outfit is cute as shit today, but it's not often that anyone other than them gets this excited about it.

ㅤㅤ" yeah... "ㅤhead lifting just in time to have a cinnamoroll keychain thrust into their line of sight, they feel like they're experiencing whiplash. before they even know what's happened, they have a gachapon capsule perched in the palm of their hand and they're staring at the small kuromi inside.

ㅤㅤ" thanks—? "ㅤan expression of gratitude, even a confused one, is a sure sign of just how bewildered they really are. they're pretty sure they were in sixth grade the last time they uttered the word 'thanks' to anyone, and for all of a moment it almost feels like they're back there now, for how bizarrely innocent this exchange is.

ㅤㅤ" man, thought i was the only person who could pull sanrio shit outta my bag at a moment's notice. respect. "ㅤtucking the capsule into their bag with one hand, perfectly content with accepting the gift regardless of whether they'll ever give this kid the time of day again in the future, byan tucks their cigarette between their lips. as they bring the lighter up to it, their eyes are fixed on haneul, looking him over with a little more interest this time around. taking a contemplative drag, they allow the silence to hang between the two of them, only breaking it a moment later with words that rise on a breath of smoke;

ㅤㅤ" 그래서... 시나모롤 좋아해? "

“ wah — i love your boots ! ” haneul's brain completely STEAMROLLS past byan's own question ( and the very obvious social cue ) to instead marvel at his new friend's footwear. he's about to continue rambling about how much he likes the little devil wings on them and how much they suit the whole outfit when his eyes catch the kuromi bandaid on the other's knee and his face lights up impossibly brighter.

“ kuromi !! ” his hands fumble for his backpack until he finds what he's looking for and holds up a keychain proudly. it's cinnamaroll — his personal sanrio favourite. far too much money was spent on gacha for him to obtain it and he was very proud.

actually, that reminds him...

“ oh — i have kuromi one too !! you can have it, we will match !! ” he digs around in his backpack for a moment ( it's the same one he brings everywhere, so of course it has his random gachapon winnings rolling around at the bottom ) before presenting it to byan. like an olive branch for a war haneul didn't realise he was fighting trying to befriend the grumpiest person in the room. “ here, for you !! ”

[hvnbrn]

@youthslost " ugh! " cue the dramatic flop onto silk sheets, where haneul sits, absentmindedly searching for something on google using daes macbook. " and did you even SEE his cute little ears . . . on god haneul, i'm going to lose my mind. " it had only been mere days since the famously bougie annual kim family halloween bash, but daesung had not ( for even a moment ) stopped talking about one junsu ki to his poor uninterested friend. " i hadn't even invited wooju, so why the hell did he show up -- i mean yeah it's an open invite for like . . . the whole school but still -- i thought he was going to come alone! it was going to be my chance to get close to him and it was completely ruined! he didnt even look at me hani! "

the last statement was a slight exaggeration however, as daesung had approached the boy in question, drink in hand and quickly complimented the plastic party city fangs that were slightly too large in junsus mouth; he just wished to scrub the awkward greeting ( all four seconds of it ) out of his memory entirely. he needed their first real conversation to be perfect. " should i throw another party? do you think he would come? do i need to get more alcohol? he smokes doesn't he, or maybe thats his friends . . . i could send him a gift . . . or drugs, does he do drugs? are they just rumours? is that weird. han, i want him to like me. "

[byanyan]

ㅤㅤ" okay, but a selfie with raccoons doesn't necessarily mean he lives with 'em. "ㅤnot to mention it wouldn't be particularly hard to photoshop such a thing, but if han really wants to believe it... they can at least keep that part to themself. it's not like they've seen the pictures, right?

ㅤㅤ" yeah? i think he'd prob'ly like that. "ㅤsmiling a little harder than they want to be over the idea of having haneul meet sol, byan brushes his hair back out into its usual style with a shrug.ㅤ" i'll hafta introduce ya sometime. y'know, i dunno why it didn't occur t' me sooner, 'cause he likes stars too — you guys'll have loads to talk 'bout. "

not expecting that the topic of aliens to be the one haneul is the most serious about, they give a faint start when he suddenly grabs at their arm, eyebrows jumping up their forehead.

ㅤㅤ" wh— wait, wait, wait, now? "ㅤutterly perplexed by the complete shift of the room's energy over one (arguably ridiculous) subject, byan exhales a somewhat bemused laugh.ㅤ" right this second? i got shit t' do, man— "ㅤthey don't.ㅤ" an' isn't the x-files just, like, some old sci-fi show? how's'at s'posed to convince me? i mean, s'not even like i don't believe, i just haven't really thought about it— "

“ oh.... hm. ” he hadn't really even considered the boy would be lying to him, but.... “ no, he even showed me pictures! a selfie with them! ” although those could have been photoshopped somehow... but the thought of being lied to so easily is a little too distressing, so haneul quickly moves on.

“ ah! haneul will be his friend! ” haneul exclaims, nodding to punctuate his point. the young boy could certainly have more friends, and if byan liked him, than sol must be great! he likes the expression on byan's face when they talk about him, like their edges have all softened. it's sweet, and he's definitely not jealous at all.

he gapes at byan's total indifference to the existence of aliens. this simply won't do. “ you GUESS? ” his hands wrap around byan's arm, tugging gently at them. “ byan-ah, this is the most important criteria. if you don't believe aliens..... where is your joy? your wonder? your WHIMSY? ” it is simply inconceivable. and no friend of haneul's will hold such apathetic views of their possible universe-neighbours. “ you are coming to my house, and we are watching the x-files. right now. ”

[byanyan]

ㅤㅤ" he— ...huh? "ㅤthat's a new one. for all the gossip they have heard around school, one of the students living with raccoons has somehow flown under their radar.ㅤ" strange doesn't feel like a strong enough word. y'sure he wasn't just messin' with you? "

haneul is pretty naive. the kind of kid they'd have a lot of fun seeing what sorts of ridiculous things they could make him believe if he hadn't somehow barged in and practically forced friendship upon them.

ㅤㅤ" nah, no friends. he's kind of a nerdy loner. we're workin' on it. "ㅤthough the words could easily come across as an insult, there's an affection in their tone that keeps it from sounding too harsh.ㅤ" could ask him 'bout his coworkers though, might be a cute barista we could set you up with. "ㅤrelaxing again themself now that han is back to his bubbly self, byan doesn't bother to suppress the snicker that rises as he just keeps going, giving them little room to interject.

ㅤㅤ" aliens? "ㅤnot where they expected the list of boyfriend musts to go, but okay. to each their own, or whatever. a somewhat incredulous amusement curling at the corner of their mouth, they shrug.ㅤ" i mean, i guess? never really thought about it that much, been a little too focused on shit on earth. aliens're that important, huh? knew you were into space 'n whatever, but i didn't expect you'd draw the line at whether someone believes in aliens or not. "

“ oh.... yes, you are like a raccoon. ” he nods thoughtfully. that makes much more sense. cute on the outside, but also kind of rabid. that describes his friend well. “ oh ! there is a boy in my biology class that lives with raccoons, did you know ? he is strange. ”

he seemed nice enough, though. he let haneul borrow a pen once, and it didn't take much to make the boy endeared to someone.

haneul relaxes instantly with byan's response. he knew they wouldn't be mean about it, but it's still nice to actually experience. he's not quite used to it yet, the way people here are more open about sexuality. cheeks redden at the mention of helping him get boys. “ ah, byannie didn't tell me they have a boyfriend ! does he have friends ? ” the timid nature from before is gone now that he feels safe, replaced with his usual cheekiness. “ i am not picky ! he just has to be nice, and handsome, hm... rich would be good too, you think so ? and he has to like cats, because of my daughter ! oh — he has to believe in aliens too. very important. byan-ah, do you believe in aliens ? you do, right ? ”

[byanyan]

ㅤㅤ" squirrel, "ㅤthey repeat, mimicking his accent with a chuckle that almost sounds fond.ㅤ" y'think? i've always felt like i give off more of a raccoon sorta vibe. "

ㅤalthough they don't miss the way haneul tenses, byan doesn't think much of it at first, instead continuing to part locks of his hair in smooth, relaxed motions. only when he speaks up again, his voice suddenly timid and quiet, do they clue in to what's just happened. while they've certainly assumed that han isn't straight, they haven't necessarily considered the fact that it's not something he's comfortable with — intentionally open and even quite loud about their own queerness as they are, they sometimes forget that there are others out there still struggling to come to grips with their sexuality. ...that some of them still have a hard time admitting it out loud. they remember what that's like, and a pang of regret twists in their chest for causing him that panic.

ㅤㅤ" dudes, huh? "ㅤit's casual — acknowledging, but not putting too much attention on it, rather playing it off as the simple fact that it should be.ㅤ" yeah, you could have the boys all over you, easy. could even help you out, 'f you wanted — give ya some tips, get your style freshened up... i'm great at bringin' the guys in, y'know. i have a boyfriend, you can ask 'im if y'don't believe me. he knows better'n anyone how good i am at it. "

“ byan-ah.... you are like a squirrel. ” easily distracted is what he means to say, but he himself is too distracted by the fingers in his hair to think of the right words to say. there is something comforting about this, as if he's being cared for — even if byan is only doing it to avoid their homework. a win is a win. however, his shoulders tense at the mention of being a hit with anyone he wanted. had byan not known? of course, haneul had never actually said anything to them regarding his sexuality, but... well, he sort of figured it was an unspoken thing between them. a little if you know you know: queer kid edition type of thing. but the thought of actually having to say it left him paralyzed. obviously byan wasn't going to judge him, but... haneul had never actually said it out loud.

so it is with great courage that he speaks again, however small and shaky his voice is. “ ah...... dudes, please. ”

[byanyan]

ㅤpack of cigarettes clutched in one hand, the only thing they really have on them to put in their mouth at lunchtime, they're just getting outside when they find themself confronted by an impossibly bubbly stranger. halting in their tracks as he bounces up in front of them, byan blinks, confused, and glances over their shoulder as though in search of the person he must be talking to, because it surely can't be them. ...except, there's no one there. and the guy is staring straight at them, beaming away.

this is weird. new kids usually avoid them, put off by the unfriendly aura they exude. ...and maybe also the numerous rumours that tend to float around with their name attached. they prefer it that way though, not interested in the slightest in helping someone navigate their way around the school.

ㅤㅤ" ...hey. "ㅤtaken aback as they are, the response is quite mild, all things considered. eyebrows furrowing, they look the kid over. he's vaguely familiar, they definitely saw him in at least one of their classes earlier, but that's all they've got on him. well, that and what they can gather from his name and accent, anyway. maybe there's less of a mystery here than they initially thought.

ㅤㅤ" sure. haneul. cool. "ㅤthe response is brusque, disinterested, as byan begins pulling free a cigarette despite not being inside a designated smoking area. they don't bother to inquire into their suspicion as to why he's approached them, of all people. that would make them seem too interested, after all, and they don't care if he's actually come here from korea, or if he's come to them specifically in hopes of finding someone among all the ignorant dipshits who might actually understand him a little better. they don't care. they have no reason to. all they want is a smoke between stupid fucking classes that they already don't want to be here for.ㅤ" did you, like, need something, or...? "

@byanyan liked for a starter from haneul.

being at a new school is scary enough. add in being new to the country and you've got a recipe for maximum hanxiety. fingers play with the hem of his shirt as roll call begins, all his attention focused on waiting for his turn.

“ um...... yong...... yongwan buy-un? ” “ ....... was that meant to be my name? it's yeonghwan byun. ”

the stranger launches into a rant and mocks the teacher's horrendous mispronunciation and while haneul agrees (he's had his name butchered in every class so far) all he really hears is another korean name. it's silly of course to assume the two of them will automatically be best friends just because they're both korean, but in a room full of people who make him repeat himself 5 times and then give up trying to understand him, this kid might be his best shot.

he waits until lunch time before he seeks them out again, happily bounding up to them outside with a big smile and wave.

“ hi, i'm haneul! nice to meet you! i'm new! please take good care of me! ”