Love UnHeard || SeongJoong [Ateez]

[Part Z] 7. Wellcome in.

February 28 2021

When I tell you convincing Hongjoong of going to his hometown took me two weeks I'm not lying, but yesterday we finally did.
I didn't want to make him feel bad or obligate him to go but he avoided the topic with such a skill that I didn't know when to bring it up.

That aside, somehow we got even closer. We hugged more often, he stayed on my place three times after that (I remember every single one as is it was a movie I watched eight times). He claimed he felt alone and spent a lot of time with our friends after classes, almost as if he didn't want to be left alone.

But I could perfectly imagine why. I had to remember it to myself from time to time, his father died out of nowhere. I would be terrified to be left alone with my thoughts too.

Eventually, he told the rest of our friends; starting with Jongho, then Yeosang, Yunho, Mingi, Wooyoung and lastly San.
He told them and then acted as if he never did, he just wanted to have fun with us. He didn't want to remember it. His smile didn't feel forced tho, unlike when he first told me, he looked genuinely happy with his friends.

He also spent time on the skate park when none of us could meet with him, I know it from his Instagram stories.

After days of trying to schedule a day and talk to him about it, he came one day and said: "Saturday 27, we are going to my hometown..."
Luckily I had no plans???? Well, I would've cancelled them anyways so.

We took the train to go to Anyang, the way there was filled with snowed trees and a foggy most. The snow was starting to melt nos that de were entering March.

We stood up grabbed at a bar on the train because all the seats were filled. I tell you, an hour and a half ride standing up is no fun, I only had the views to make the time last fast and it wasn't working.

Hongjoong spent all the ride a little spaced out listening to music.
H

e seemed completely out of it and his eyes looked tired, I was afraid he didn't sleep last night. He suddenly laid his weight on me, I looked at him and his eyes were closed. It's this side I could only see when we are alone, he lets himself whine and be tired.

We both packed our bag-packs with pyjamas as we planned on staying for the night. Finally, we arrived at our stop.

He looked around as he got down the train and I could only analyse him. He wore a striped black and white shirt with an oversized red t-shirt on top of it, paired with his iconic black cargo pants with chains (which I honestly love how they look on him).

I simply wore a light blue shirt, a black jacket and black jeans. As I looked down at his feet I realized something and tapped his shoulder, he took off his earphones and looked at me.

[We are wearing the same boots, ] I smiled and he looked back and forth to our feet.

"Oh shit its true! Pfft, Soulmate energy." He said with a cocky smile. Finally, he smiled, I could only smile back filled with happiness upon seeing his own.

He stepped on my boots and run to the exit of the station (in the cutest way possible). I caught up with him in no time, giving him a playful kick on the leg too.

We walked our way to his house, it was almost launch time and we agreed with his mom to eat there. He pointed at places and told me how he used to go there with his friends or his brother. The place was not much different from Seoul, just with way fewer sky creepers and more local shops.

We also passed by a park filled with skaters, Hongjoong left my side and run towards some people there. I was confused by his actions as he then turned all the way back to me, grabbed my hand and led me towards a group of people.

Some people waved at us as we got closer and Hongjoong practically threw himself on some boys wrapping his arms around them and ruffling their hair. <<Oh, his friends...>> I got nervous. No lie.

They were saying something, but I wasn't able to read it because of all the movement. It looked as if Hongjoong took notice of this and placed his friends-both boys still wrapped around his arms, crunching down-.

"These are- Wait," He said as he finally let them breathe and used his hands to spell me their names.
[Y a n g Y a n g, ] He did pointing do the one on his left [and this one is Y e o n j u n, ] He then looked back and signalled to a boy some feet away. [That one's M a r k.]

His friends smiled at me and nodded. Both looked friendly.

"This is the friend you always talk about?" I read the one called YangYang say. To which Hongjoong placed his index on his lips and shushed him.

<<Wait, he talks about me?>> I thought with probably rosy cheeks. In my mind, I imagined him with a big smile saying my name and honestly, I like him even more now because of that.

We didn't have much time to spend with his friends but they somehow made the time to make me try to do an Ollie, spoiler: I fell.

Finally, we made it to his house, it was in a neighbourhood with old houses nobody seemed to want to buy, half of them empty and the other half may be filled with families who didn't have enough to afford a house on the centre.

This felt as if I was living Hongjoong's life as if we were travelling back I time for him to explain how his childhood went. It felt bizarre and comfortable at the same time.

We stood in front of an old wood door, it had some scratched at the bottom, maybe from cats. The boy beside me didn't move so I looked at him tilting my head, <<Are you going to press the doorbell?>> I didn't even have to ask the question, we understood each other with little words.

[I'm scared, I don't want to...] His eyes reminded me of a lost puppy.

[Hey, it's okay, it's just your mom and your brother, ]

[I know, that's why...] His hands went down sadly. "It's only just two of them," He said this time.

I hugged him immediately right after seeing his puffy cheeks rise when he tried to hold his tears back. When I first met him I thought he was the type to never cry, and he was, but he also had a strong hurting heart.

I squished him for reassurance, we parted away slowly. I don't know why my mind thought it was the perfect moment to caress his cheek and then pinch it, but it made him smile so POINTS FOR THAT I GUESS?

He looked at the doorbell and rang it without hesitating, we stood there for a couple of seconds more until, no long after, a woman with short-to-the-shoulder black hair opened. Behind her was a talker man with a not very friendly face, but somehow it reminded me of Hongjoong's.

"Welcome back, son." She smiled, the saddest smile I've ever seen.

"Come in, son." She said, but this time she looked at me.

She called me son.