YUKHEI

yukhei's world ends the same day it began. 

january twenty-fifth is a cold day, one where all of the students walk to school in pajamas and blankets and heavy winter coats. it's snowing, but not too hard, so of course the superintendent decides to continue with school.

everything is normal until third period. his friends hassle him for turning a year older, and kun smacks him upside the head when he jokes that he's another year closer to death. ten gives him a hug and ruffles his hair, then sends him on his way to fourth period, where he meets jungwoo in the locker room.

and then it all comes crashing down. 

jungwoo, the amazing friend he is, clears everyone out of the locker room so that yukhei can change for gym class in privacy. it's their normal routine, and everyone has learned to respect it over time. and everything is fine, yukhei says, staring in the mirror like he always does. no one's ever going to come in.

but the door swings open, and jungwoo darts inside the room after a student who's rushed inside to retrieve a bag. this would normally be fine, as it happens on occasion, but this time, yukhei's shirt is off, revealing the soulmark on his shoulder, winding down across his torso, wrapping around his stomach. the jasmine vines are beautiful, yes, but they make him different. 

"get out," jungwoo says to the student, his voice firm and commanding. "close the door on your way out."

the boy complies, scurrying out of the room and slamming the locker room door shut.

yukhei  scrambles to find his shirt, not even checking to see if it's on right before pulling it over his head. upon pulling it down, he discovers that it's backwards and inside out, but at least he has something covering the vines now. he turns his back to jungwoo.

"jungwoo," yukhei begins, "please get out."

"is that your soulmark?"

yukhei bites the inside of his cheek. "yeah."

"yukhei, look at me."

yukhei turns to face jungwoo shakily, expecting a hug or something small to show that jungwoo accepts him and his insecurities.

he doesn't expect to see jungwoo removing his shirt, too, revealing the exact same vines that wind around yukhei's own torso. the jasmine vines.

this isn't right. this can't be happening.

but it is, yukhei's mind supplies. so live with it.

"xuxi?" jungwoo asks quietly.

"i..." yukhei trails off, his jaw hanging open. "i can't... i'm not... i'm straight!"

"hey," jungwoo says, taking a step forward. "it's--"

"no! it's not okay! this is some mistake or something, i can't... i'm not--" he covers his mouth with his hand, feeling a hot tear spill down over his cheek. "i like girls," he resolves, softer this time.

"clearly, you like boys, t--"

"don't even!" yukhei shouts, his voice cracking. he pulls the shirt off of his body. "there has to be some difference, right?! maybe the flowers are different. maybe the vines don't fall the same."

jungwoo moves to step forward, putting his hand on the shoulder with the vine on it. "yukhei, this is real. this is happening, okay? we're soulmates."

"i'm not gay!" yukhei shouts, ripping his shoulder away from jungwoo's hand. "i can't... i'm really... jungwoo, i'm sorry."

and with that, yukhei, ever the coward, pushes past jungwoo, running out of the locker room, out of the gym, out of the school. and if people stare at his soulmark, then so be it, but right now, he has to get away from jungwoo.

he doesn't even know where he's going. 

he just has to get away.

  ― 

xodaniel