Title: All the people
Characters: Hankyung/Donghae
Rating: G
Wordcount: 1.432
Summary: He's 28 now, but he doesn't have a clue where he's going.
A/N: This story is somehow a continuation of my previous shot, but it can also be read without reading the other. This was originally the kind of plot I had in mind for the birthday fic, but when I reached the ending it has now, I felt that it was better like that, because it was after all a birthday shot and not supposed to be depressing or anything. (Well that kinda didn't work since everyone seemed to cry over it anyway, but yeah..) Anyway, so this is the continuation of that other shot, but also something seperate. I decided I have a liking for Hangeng now and I might just write more of his drabbles from my Suju Fics Challenge, but we'll see about that later. For now, enjoy (?) this piece of work. I'm not quite sure if I like it or not, but it's not bad. :)
Prequel
- - - - -
“How is everyone?” the eldest of the two asks, his voice barely more than a mumble as his eyes skim the dimly lit plants and flowers.
“Fine. They’re fine. We’re all fine. Let’s not talk about us. Today is yours, so talk about you, hyung.” the other answers, casually slipping his hands halfway into the pockets of his jeans. They are walking through the small park that is only a few blocks away from the dumpling store. They’re the only two people out on the streets at this time of day – or night. In the distance the faded sounds of cars are audible, but they are easily ignored. “How are you?”
The question makes Hangeng look up at the other, sending a small smile his way. “You always know, don’t you?” he asks, making the other smile and shrug without saying a word. For a while the silence lasts as Hangeng looks past his friend and the latter calmly waits. Then he sighs and shrugs. “You know how you sometimes just want a break from things?”
It sounds so familiar to him that Donghae can’t help but chuckle as he nods. “Don’t we all?” he then replies, strolling to a bench near the side of the road and sitting down. He lets his head fall backwards, looking up at the sky like that. It doesn’t take long for Hangeng to take the spot next to him, soon leaning back as well so they are both looking at the same stars again. “But it’s what you do with the feeling that makes it bearable or not. Do you really think you will give up?”
There is silence, a silence that says more than any words the elder could have used, and Donghae sighs, turning his face from the stars back to Hangeng. “Of all the people in the company, you were the one to sue them..” he speaks, his voice soft, as if he knows he was prodding at wounds still too fresh to really touch. “I know you thought about it for a long time before deciding, so are you just going to throw that decision away now by doubting it and giving up what you have?”
It looks like Hangeng is going to talk back as he lifts his head as well and looks at his younger friend, but Donghae leaves him no chance to talk. “No, listen to me hyung. You decided this and there may be people against it, but it was your choice. You believed in it when you made it, keep believing in it. Keep believing in yourself. You aren’t one to just do without thinking, so keep going on, it’s worth it. You’re living your dream.”
“I’m living A dream, Hae, many people’s dream, but it’s never really been mine. I never had the passion to become a singer. Not like some of the others who dreamt of it all their lives. I was a dancer and I liked it. I had some future plan that involved opening a dance school, but most of all I expected to get a normal job and earn money to feed my family. Now I do what? Live up to other people’ s expectations? I’m twenty-eight and I don’t even have a girlfriend. I’m at an age where many others would start to get pushed into marriage by their parents, but mine just tell me to live my dream. Everyone tells me to live my dream while I can. What if it’s not my damn dream?”
Hangeng falls silent, his gaze having dropped to the ground in the middle of his rant, his thoughts felt heavy as he spoke them, yet somehow his head seems lighter when he stops talking. He glances up from the corner of his eyes, only to see Donghae smiling up at the night sky again. It seems like there’s nothing that can phase him today, where he would normally be crying after one bad word. When the younger finally turns his head and looks at him, Hangeng swears he sees wisdom beyond age in those eyes.
“You have all the possible means to live your dream, hyung.” Donghae speaks, lifting a hand to put it on the other’s shoulder shortly, before dropping it again. “You have feet to take you to the places you want to be, you have a mouth to tell others what it is you want, you have parents that support what you do and you have money that can help you getting there. The sky is the limit, hyung.”
Again they lapse into a silence, as Hangeng tries to find something to say written on the little path the bench is situated on, and Donghae is peacefully looking up at the sky again. Of course the younger is right, but sometimes Hangeng doesn’t want to hear the right words and just wants someone to agree with him. This is one of those times. For a while all that can be heard is the cars in the distance and the calm breathing of two men sitting on a bench in an empty park.
“See those stars, hyung?” A gentle hand is lifted and a finger points up to the sky, now filled with plenty of stars. “Those three in a row over there.” Hangeng spots the stars Donghae’s talking about and smiles slightly. “We made up some story about them, do you remember?” There’s a kind of childlike innocence in the question and Hangeng recognises the Donghae he knows again; the one who doesn’t see a bad thing in the world.
“Yeah I remember.” he replies, letting the memories of old days trickle into his mind and fill him with a nostalgic feeling. “It was you who made up stories about everything. I just sat there and listened.” he then mumbles, because he doesn’t want to take part of the credit.
“But it was because you listened that I made them up. If I would have sat there alone, I would not have come up with all the things I did.” Donghae contradicts him, only to chuckle moments later and drop a hand on his knee. “You know what? I feel like ice cream. Is there some place around here that sells ice cream?” Hangeng laughs, because he feels like it and there’s no reason to stop it. It’s the first laugh since the start of his birthday and it feels strangely freeing.
Twenty minutes later they’ve walked by every close-by ice cream store Hangeng could come up with, but there’s none still open. When Hangeng tries to offer going home and find some ice cream there, Donghae merely laughs and runs over to the first house where there’s some lights on. He rings the doorbell and comes back a while later with two popsicles and the widest grin as of yet on his face. He stuffs a rocket into Hangeng’s hand, and puts the other one in his own mouth with an expression that speaks of so much delight it’s adorable.
Hangeng wonders where Donghae learned that much Chinese, but decides not to ask as he enjoys his own popsicle. There’s stars shining in Donghae’s eyes and he feels the spark of courage in himself as well as Donghae licks the sticky water from his fingers with a mischievous grin. Before he knows it there’s a line of sticky red liquid on his cheek and Donghae is a few meters away already, laughing heartily at his own prank.
They spend the following hours walking around the city, gossiping about the other members, reminiscing the good old days and for some reason even playing tags at some point.
At four in the morning, Donghae takes a cab back to the airport to catch the first flight back home, but he stuffs a piece of paper in Hangeng’s hands first, claiming it’s a birthday gift. More specifically a ticket to this thing he likes.
When he unfolds the paper at home later that night, he reveals a line of quickly scribbled Korean that says; ‘One ticket to your future (we’ll be there too).’ and a cutely drawn smiley face. He smiles at everything for the rest of the day despite his severe lack of sleep and during the variety show filming that afternoon, he cracks the most jokes among all the guests.
Of all the people that could have visited him on his birthday, he’s glad Donghae was the one to actually buy a ticket and get on a plane, because the stars have never held more meaning than when he is around.
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