agora | two fools, one scenario

Awwwwwww, I knew you had a soft spot for me
Save a plate for an old friend, kk?
Also
Send me your address

[ invitation or no, inho's tossing on a clean-smelling—if a little wrinkly—hoodie as we speak, fully intending on inviting himself in. or at least hovering outside joonghyuk's door until he lets him in. ]

I sent it to you earlier.

[ Like when he first asked, no? That could have been days, weeks, or months ago. He isn't going to send it again. Go find it yourself. He's also not going to touch the earlier nonsense. ]

Yeah, yeah, whatever
Be there in
I dunno
Let's just say soon, hah
You sure you don't need me to bring anything

Steamed dumplings.

[ Because since he was born, he has been enamored by steamed dumplings... Especially from that small shop that they used to frequent as children. Joonghyuk's eyes would always sparkle when he even catches a whiff of them. ]

[ joonghyuk's lone text catches inho just as he shuts the door to his apartment unit closed behind him. he pauses a little, squinting at his phone screen, his free hand still slightly curled around the doorknob. then, without as much derision as he'd fully intended, he releases a sound halfway caught between a snort and a laugh. not at the reply itself, but the implication—he knows exactly where to joonghyuk wants his dumplings from. ]

Is it just me... or are you getting predictable?

They're good dumplings.

[ Why is Inho make it a big deal? Joonghyuk by this time is at least done cleaning the bathroom, kitchen, and the living room—perfect for receiving guests... Except for when Mia slides out of her room to whine to him about when the food is ready. She's still in her pajamas, so he's quick to tell her to change her clothes while he juggles the art of multitasking in cooking. Side dishes and meat as the soup simmers? Yes.

Somewhere in between the chopping and stirring, he finds time to add: ]

Do I need to explain to you again?

[ WHY THOSE DUMPLINGS ARE THE BEST DUMPLINGS? ]

Has me saying "no" ever stopped you before

[ truthfully? besides nostalgia, inho doesn't understand the appeal.

even in his youth, he hadn't ever been completely sold. sure, the old badger manning the storefront was always nice and gave them more dumplings than they'd paid for, and probably more than ornery little brats like them deserved... but he was always pretty certain that he could buy frozen dumplings at any old 7-11 and it would taste the same—all for half the price, too!

every time he'd be about to say as much, though, he'd always see joonghyuk make this particularly stupid face, but it'd be enough to stop inho in his track and put his foot in his mouth. just for that moment, anyway. ]

No, but I don't have the time to lecture you.

[ So Inho is off the hook today! Though Joonghyuk is a little torn. Usually, he would take this opportunity to speak well of these childhood dumplings and remind his friend of its goodness, but he can't seem to piece together the words to describe these delicacies. There's even a part of him that questions if they're that good, but why? They're definitely good. He has loved them since he walked. Frowning, he brushes it off and continues setting up the table. The side dishes are lined up for easy access on all sides of the dining table, then the meat sits on the side steaming hot.

Mia hangs around the table, resting her head on it as she asks if that oppa is coming over again. She also adds that Joonghyuk always seems to be in a good mood when Inho is around, which makes his eyebrow twitch. That's... Not true? And as if to defy her, he texts Inho right now to prove it. ]

If you don't get here in time, we're going to eat without you.

[ The soup needs a couple of minutes to cook the last batch of vegetables he tossed in—that's the limit. ]

[ "in time"... what kind of vague ass time constraint... ]

W
What the hell????
I just???
Boarded
The bus??
I haven't even
Picked up
The dumplings yet???
???????????

[ are the slew of messages and excessive question marks enough of a clue that inho is frantic... because he is. joonghyuk didn't even clue him in on when he was supposed to be there?! ]

See you soon.

[ And that's all he'll get from him. Sorry, Inho. As promised, Joonghyuk and Mia will start eating without him so he can, again, prove a point.

However, there is a silver lining—the burner is still keeping the soup warm for whenever Inho arrives. Whatever leftover meat is poured into the soup so that the sweet and salty marinade can add another level of depth to its flavor. The side dishes are still out, too. ]

[ soon is debatable.

it takes inho ten minutes to get to that stupid dumpling place, twenty minutes to successfully fend off the store owner's small talk, and then five minutes to finally arrive at the bus stop. probably would have taken him, what, two minutes to scale up the stairs to joongyhyuk and mia's floor, but since he decides to take his sweet ass time, it takes him seven instead.

by the time he leans against the door frame and pounds a fist against their door, forty-two minutes have passed. ]

Open up. I brought your shit.

Edited 2020-02-08 06:52 (UTC)

[ Instead of Mia opening the door, Joonghyuk does and opens it wide for Inho to come in already. Once he's in, he closes the door right behind him before leading him into the kitchen where the aroma still wafts. It's a cozy thanks to all the cooking earlier, not at all suffocating even if this is an apartment. The side dishes are still on the table, if not portioned properly now for one person's meal. There may be a bit more since Inho is a growing ~prodigy~. ]

You can serve yourself. Soup's on the stove and—[ He points over to the rice cooker on the countertop. ] Rice's cooked already.

[ When Mia hears her brother's voice, she bolts him to investigate Inho. Of course, she's ready to tattle—"you know oppa was waiting for you the whole time?" Instantly, he shoots her a leer and she ignores him entirely. Let her continue with a coo, "it's almost like he was looking forward to you coming." ]

[ as if mia's teasing were some kind of magical, mood-lifting spell, all of inho's ire swiftly dissolves into unabashed amusement, the corners of his mouth stretching into an annoying grin. it'd be right to assume that he pointedly ignores joonghyuk's quiet instruction in favor of soaking in his deepening scowl, the slightest furrow of his brow. no matter how long they've known each other now, these tiny tells in his expression never get old. ]

Ahhh! I knew there was a reason why I liked you, kid. C'mere, c'mere.

[ not waiting to be met halfway, he steps through the threshold of the door, planting his free hand atop the younger girl's head, whether she wants him to or not, and tousles her hair. then, to joonghyuk, he extends the plastic bag of of dumplings with a light shake. ] That right, hyung? You were... looking forward to seeing me?

[ Sometimes, Inho and Mia don't get along at all. It's only when Joonghyuk has gained his sister's ire do they suddenly scheme like this. To think that he can't even trust his own flesh and blood? Mia complains when he ruffles her hair, telling him that this doesn't mean they're on good terms or anything! Also that this is why he doesn't have a girlfriend—Inho just has no charm and doesn't know how to handle women.

Joonghyuk has no reason to try to save him from Mia's onslaught after his treatment. Suffer. He's just going to exchange Inho's sweater for those dumplings, thank you very much. ]

For the dumplings.

[ Watch him as he fishes one out and starts eating it. He loves these dumplings! Even though when he takes a bite, there's something off about them that he can't quite pinpoint. They're good? However, there's a part of him that is disappointed if not offended. Maybe it's because of his mood, so he's going to sulkily chomp through.

He is glad to see his friend again, though. That's why despite both Yoos being drama queens in their own way, the atmosphere is good. ]

[ as soon as mia gets caught up in slinging out her usual trash talking, everything she says goes through one ear and out the other. inho gets enough of that shit from inha, anyway, so none of it is anything he hasn't heard before. instead, he redirects his attention toward joonghyuk who... suddenly... looks sullen as hell.. not saying anything immediately, he unlaces his boots, kicks them off somewhere to the side, and then politely goes: ] What's wrong with your face.

[ he nudges past mia, arms akimbo, making sure that he's near enough to joonghyuk take up all of his focus. one corner of his mouth hooks up into a uneven smirk. ]

Jealous that I didn't pat your head too?

[ Mia huffs before returning to her room, only ever leaving to greet Inho like the good girl she is(n't). The call-out to his expression causes him to snap out of his trance, eyes now pinned on Inho with intense focus. While his friend smirks, Joonghyuk gravely frowns, filled with many regrets like not ordering his sister to stay in her room. Not like she would listen, but it would have been worth trying if he put his foot down.

The face comment is fine. He is well aware that he scowls and frowns way too much and that's enough to pick a fight, but the second accusation... Has he let anyone pat his head before? Maybe when he was a kid? ]

No. [ A pause. ] Don't even try.

[ Not like he would bite, so it's an empty threat. ]

[ what kind of weak reaction is that?

sensing zero challenge from, not just the sheer deadpan of joonghyuk's words, but the unflinching quality of his stare, inho scoffs. changes the trajectory of the hand he's got hovering in the hair, midway from the crown of joonghyuk's head, so that he flicks his friend's forehead instead. then, swiftly retracting his arm, inho leans away to avoid any knee-jerk retaliations and all but dashes into the kitchen, the pink of his tongue peeking out from between his teeth, just like the child he is. ]

Wasn't gonna.

[ He does flinch when he gets a flick to his forehead, going so far as to keep his eyes closed with a deeply furrowed brow... Quietly, he parses this crime done to him while he chews. There's no knee-jerk reaction, not even a glare coming to fruition yet when his eyes open and stay pinned on his friend.

Joonghyuk seems uncharacteristically sluggish because the leer comes full force in the next couple of seconds. He reaches out to Inho with his free hand, forming a threatening fist on the way—then gently knocks on his head. Bite on your tongue, idiot. A huff escapes between his bites as he mumbles: ]

Go eat before the side dishes go stale.

[ where joonghyuk's reaction is delayed, inho's happens in an instant, a hand slapping against the back of his head in feigned pain. ]

Ow, ow, ow! Assault! Battery!

[ it's all performative, of course. because as soon as he tosses his scruffy sweater over the back of the nearest chair he can find, inho drops the act, preoccupying himself with his favorite pastime of all: digging through joonghyuk's fridge. the side dishes aren't going to go stale if they wait outside for a few more minutes, right? ]

Hey, [ his call comes from over his shoulder. ] where'd you put the beer?

[ Joonghyuk huffs when his hand is slapped away, finding better comfort and company in another bun as he takes a seat at the dining table instead of the couch. The mention for beer gains another leer, but it relents with the drop of his shoulders. There's no exasperated sigh; it's just easily conveyed in his expression. ]

Freezer.

[ Because beer is best when it's icy cold, right? When Inho opens the freezer compartment of his fridge, there is definitely one single can for him. Joonghyuk isn't much of a drinker, especially at this time of day, so... Yeah, that's for Inho alone. ]

Turn off the stove when you've had enough.

[ He'll stuff the whole pot into his fridge later. ]

I'm looking, but I don't see—ahah! There it is!

[ once he's set his sights on the cass light, the cap's twisted right off and flicked onto the dining table's surface in less than a second. inho's the exact type of irresponsible college student to day drink, but not like, on his own or anything. a meal with a friend always tastes ten times better with a cold beer in hand—and leave it to joonghyuk to know precisely which one he likes.

he turns, kicking the fridge door closed with a foot, and is just about to throw his head back, take a swig. but he stops himself at the last moment and slightly tilts the mouth of the beer in joonghyuk's direction instead, with all the air of someone bullshitting a toast. ]

Thanks. [ for the meal, for tolerating his presence... the works. ] I'll poke through your cabinets in a sec.

[ because the only thing inho does well, besides piano, is running on his own time, keeping to his own pace. ]

Do you plan on doing that thing where you disappear into your room without saying a word? Or are you gonna stick around and keep an old pal company?

[ ... Inho. Joonghyuk gives another disapproving look when he watches the cap land onto the dining table. His eyes narrow onto the cap before he looks back to his friend—does he really hide in his room so often? It never occurred to him, so he scowls at the accusation. Maybe it's because Inho follows him or he always expects him to. ]

I already finished cleaning my room.

[ Which means he'll be sticking around the kitchen even though he's done with dumplings for lunch. The bag stays on the table, neatly rolled at the top to a close. If it seems like he handles a paper bag filled with dumplings better than he does people, eyes do not deceive. Of course, he cares for his friends in his own way... Like: ]

Something on your mind?

two fools, one scenario

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