How It's Going

10 YEARS EARLIER

"OI GET THE KID" Kwan was running as fast as his two little feet could carry him. He laughed as he swerved and dodged the moving street vendor's carts as he held on to the huge lollipop candy with his hands. He sure was a runner as four fully grown men had been chasing him over the street. 

Min Kwan at the age of 12 was fast and smart for his own good but was still quite unfortunate and thus, resulting in him as a troublemaker. He panted as he then made a full stop before banking right to hide in an abandoned alleyway. He hid quietly behind the garbage disposal and patiently waited for them to pass by.

"Where did he go?" A man asked angrily. "Split up!"

Just when he could no longer hear any more footsteps he slowly crept out of the alleyway and made a run to the nearby park. His heart was pounding by the thought of the guys catching up to him. He jumped in the small-sized tunnel and crawled further before sighing in relief when he looked at the entrance to see no sign of them.

He smiled and laid down happily. He then looked at the lollipop and his mouth watered at the sight. He wondered when was the last time he had this grand of a lollipop. He hugged it close to his chest and suddenly he remembered his parents and how they used to give him so much of them and he took that for granted. 

Kwan widened his eyes when he looked up and saw a small kid crying to himself. He never really paid much attention to these. Ever since he lost his parents he had always kept to himself. He became the quiet troublesome kid in the orphanage that nobody wanted. And he was okay with that… He just wasn't okay during times when he remembers his parents and their death.

The strange kid continued to cry and it kind of bothered Kwan. He sighed and sat up scratched his head, slightly irritated by the other's cries. He then looked at his worn-out shoes and began to think… 

'How to make him stop crying?' 

He then had remembered his mom hugging him before when he was scared or hurt. A hug. He then looked back and wondered if it was the right thing to do since he was just a stranger anyway. He huffed and decided to get out of the tunnel. When he was about to start crawling away… He then remembered the day he lost his parents.

He remembered the day when police officers didn't get to let him properly say goodbye and instead dragged him from the cemetery and thrown him in the orphanage. No one even bothered talking to him. No one even asked how he was or what had happened. He had no one. A couple of years had passed and no relative claimed him and no longing parents wanted to adopt him. 

He then looked back and wondered if the crying kid was going through the same thing. He sighed and turned around crawling towards the sad child. He breathed in to speak but bit his lips instead since he wasn't really confident in talking to other children since they have always claimed that his voice was quite scary or creepy. 

He sighed and just hugged the little one which he received a hug too. Kwan puffed his cheek and began to hum softly and pat the guy's back until his cries gradually toned down.

"Thank you." The other said as he sniffed his snot back in, tried his best not to get his snot on him.

"Fine…" Kwan's voice rasped out.

'well… you've done it now.' He told himself.

The other giggled at the voice of the person that offered him warmth. "You're funny."

Kwan blushed at the compliment; it was quite obvious as to why since he hasn't had that many compliments in a while now.

"What happened to your face?" Kwan suddenly asked out of concern when he noticed the ugly bluish and purple bruises on his face.

"Big kids…" He pouted and then eyed Kwan's candy. 

Kwan noticed this and since he wasn't that of a mean person he handed him the lollipop candy and smiled. "Take it."

"Huh? But-"

"Just take it." Kwan deadpanned and this slightly scared of the other into taking it.

"I'm Eungoo! Kim Eungoo!" The child beamed with glee as he held the lollipop close to his heart.

"Min Kwan." Kwan answered back as he reached out his hand attempting a handshake however, the next events shocked him the most. Instead of Eungoo shaking his hand, he threw himself on Kwan and hugged him.

'Warm' Kwan realized. He hasn't felt this warmth for a long time. He smiled and hugged Eungoo back. It felt nice… Eungoo's hugs awakened his big brother instincts.

"Ah… Eungoo? When were you born?"

"2001!"

"Okay! So I'm your hyung!" Kwan beamed as he felt happy to know that he was older than the other.

"Kwan-hyung!!!" Eungoo shouted with joy as he was really happy to not only met a new friend but also a new hyung.

Suddenly the two children heard a bunch of laughter that passed by this resulted in Eungoo cowering in fear and his whole body began to shake.

"Eungoo… Are you okay?" Kwan asked as he began to soothe him as he hugged him tightly. He looked at the other end of the tunnel and saw around three kids laughing to themselves on the swing. "They're the big kids that you were talking about earlier right?"

Eungoo could only nod in response and hug Kwan tightly. He was hiding from his bullies, too afraid of them finding him and finishing him off.

Kwan huffed and pulled themselves apart. He cupped Eungoo's cheeks and smiled. "I'll teach those mean big kids a lesson okay?"

"NO" Eungoo whined afraid that Min Kwan would end up getting hurt.

"Don't worry, Eungoo. I'm not going to let them bother you again."

"Promise you'll come back?"

"Always." Kwan winked at Eungoo and got out the tunnel coming face to face with the 'big kids' who were only slightly taller than him.

Eungoo's eyes were awed by Kwan's bravery. He looked down on his left hand and saw the slim ragged metal that he was clutching earlier with thoughts of trying to end things. It was at that moment that, Min Kwan had saved him for the first time and continued to save him for more days to come.

PRESENT TIME

As soon as Kwan got dressed with the clothes that Wonshik left by the foot of the door, he was actually surprised with what the man had offered him to wear. He thought that knowing Wonshik, he would give him something… very inappropriate to wear. Instead, he was given an adorable cat onesie. He blushed and went straight to the man's walk-in-closet to change the outfit but it was locked. He groaned and let himself be and put the hood up.

Just when he was about to leave the room he heard soft music playing. As he walked closer to the sound, he began to smile at the familiar song of "Vanilla Twilight" by Owl City. He gasped when he reached Wonshik's balcony. The entire place was decorated with fairy lights that gave a romantic atmosphere with a white thick duvet laid on the floor with a low round coffee table. There were maroon pillow-cased cushions on the floor and pizza and red wine. And Kwan's favorite sight was Wonshik in bunny onesie.

"You took your precious time and since I don't know how to cook, I ordered pizza." The man smiled as he began to pour wine on the expensive-looking glass.

Kwan's heart was doing backflips but he tried to maintain his composure. "What the fuck is this?" He said.

Wonshik shrugged and pulled out a velvet cake beside him and began to light the candle he stuck on it. "Probably my attempt to say happy birthday… I was at the university to invite you to lunch." He continued as he pulled out a red paper bag.

Red. Kwan widened his eyes. He then began to think of the kinkiest sex toys possible. His face grew hot with the endless possibilities. A flogger, cock ring, paddle, vibra-

"Ya know… The gift can't open itself, right? And I'm pretty sure it's your birthday so you get to blow the candle." He emphasized the blow word. Kwan scoffed and came closer to Wonshik. He sat down and blew on the candle rather too quickly for Wonshik's liking.

Wonshik sighed and placed the paper bag on Kwan's lap. The other looked at it reluctantly and gave up. He then began to open the item bit by bit and pulled out carefully what was stored inside.

There was a lump that was caught in Kwan's throat as he pulled it out completely. A book called "The Five People You Meet In Heaven."

"I didn't know what to get you and just thought that you read… If not, please put it back in my library."

Yes. Kwan thought. He remembered cleaning this book the other day. He noticed it was one of the few books that had only a few dusts, meaning it was frequently used.

Kwan hid his smile behind the book as he shyly eyes Wonshik who was now eating the pizza. His heart was beating with the song of Beyonce singing All Night Long… 

And all night long, he finally enjoyed his birthday that year with peace and something making his heart beat louder compared to anything that ever existed…

Min Kwan was falling for Jeon Wonshik…