the sound of keychains, clinking [1.5k]
Apr. 20th, 2025 11:08 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
girlishpopso uh. i burnt myself out with this one and don't really like it anymore (it's... not even been 24hrs @ self????), but also never say never. might come back to this and finish it later, hence why it's not a wip amnesty post... but i just wanna let it go for now.
Jongseong is properly panting, entirely out of breath, feet aching from the chase across cobblestone streets. His lungs burn. Jungwon is right in front of him, Sunoo by his side.
The heavy footfalls of alphas are close still, much too close for comfort. Sunoo says something under his breath, perhaps ‘asshole’.
Something in the air shifts. Pungent and overwhelming, the scent of alpha. Alphas, multiple.
Jungwon skids to a stop, Sunoo barrelling straight into his back. They barely manage to stay on their feet, Sunoo’s hands fisting Jungwon’s hoodie as he attempts to right himself and pull Jungwon back with him until he finds his balance.
The alpha is taller than Jongseong. It isn’t that unusual, quite a few of them are. But he makes Jongseong feel small, and not in that heart-fluttering way he has come to associate with meeting a potential mate. His pulse picks up, racing faster than when he was running at full speed.
The footsteps behind them come close, slowing as they turn the corner. The alphas look at each other, not with recognition but with hardened gazes. Trepidation.
Relief fills Jongseong that they hadn’t been successfully ambushed, his heart surging with hope that perhaps a fight will break out and that they will be able to slip away in the chaos.
A glance over his shoulder, at their pursuers, tells him that much won’t happen. There are just two of them, and in front of them there’s at least three, maybe more. Fuck. One of the original alphas echo his sentiment aloud, frustration heavy in the air as it sinks in and he comes to accept that they’ve driven the three omegas straight into another group of alphas.
They slink away like chastised dogs, metaphorical tails between their legs. That was how little they mattered to these alphas, Jongseong thought to himself. Not worth losing a fight over.
“You okay?” one of the new alphas asks. Jongseong has managed to catch his breath, but he only nods in answer. Doesn’t trust his voice, and much less does he trust the alpha. Any of them. It had been foolish to go out alone so late in a town they were unaccustomed to, he knew that, but it wasn’t after curfew.
Sunoo and Jungwon are still pressed together, one of Sunoo’s hands clasped around Jungwon’s sleeve. None of them have it in them to run again, he can tell. Adrenaline can only take one so far, and he has no idea how they’re supposed to find their way back to the AirBnB right now.
“Just the three of you?” the alpha asks then, his eyes flitting between Jongseong, Jungwon and Sunoo. Three is a good number. Small enough to make it easy to get away when you need to run, but still enough of them to deter stragglers from drunken groups or roaming single alphas. (Never enough for alpha pairs or trios, or worse, the coalitions, alphas looking for trouble and their beta lackeys all too happy to help out in exchange for some run through omega bitches at the end of the night.)
“There’s four of us,” he says next. Grins. It’s a little crooked, and his teeth glint in the light. “Guess a couple of us will have to share.”
Jongseong laughs weakly. Tries to pretend that it’s a joke. Hoping that it’s a joke.
One of the other alphas sniffs the air around them. His eyes are kinder, more puppyish. A fair bit shorter than the other three, but handsome in a way very few people are. Almost enough to make Jongseong’s breath catch in his throat when he looks at him. The second alpha’s smile grows into a grin, stopping just shy of wolfish. “You aren’t from around here, are you?”
His voice is sweet, a little accented. It’s not yet been long enough since they left Seoul for the sea air to cover the traces. Seeing no real problem with saying as much, Jongseong shakes his head.
“We aren’t either. Fishing trip!”
“That sounds fun,” Jungwon says. Jungwon does not think fishing sounds all that fun, Jongseong knows.
Fishing is a better answer than hunting though.
“Look, thank you guys for the help,” Jongseong says, trying to not flinch when the third alpha tuts at him. A flush crawls up his cheeks as heat spreads across them. He ducks his head. He’s not actually apologetic, but being scolded like a child — even if it is by an alpha that at best is his age — makes embarrassment flare up.
A third voice, a touch deeper, rings out. “Leaving so soon?”
“Well, it’s getting kinda late,” Jungwon says. The alpha coos at him, the furrow between his thick brows immediately erased as he seems to take in the smaller pair. Jongseong is used to alphas reacting like that to his friends. He can’t say he blames them. Sunoo is beyond pretty, and Jungwon is possibly the cutest person Jongseong has ever met.
“We won’t be long,” the second alpha says. “Let’s just sit down for a bit, together. We were lucky to see you guys run by just now, don’t you think?”
“Of course,” Sunoo says. Jongseong holds his breath— if there is one person that knows how to defuse a situation and turn alphas into willing fools, it’s Sunoo. His lips are plump and glossy even in the dim light, and his long lashes flutter as he looks up at the alpha closest to him. “But it’s really late, and we’re just so tired now. Why don’t I give you my number, and we can meet up tomorrow instead?”
The alpha smiles. Smirks. Wide enough to show sharp canines.
“Let’s just exchange names instead,” the first alpha cuts in. “I’m Lee Heeseung.”
The keychains on Sunoo’s backpack jingle, the metal and enamel of charms clinking together as he takes a step back. His hand is still gripping Jungwon’s sleeve, forcing Jungwon to move with him. An amused chuckle follows, an entertained huff from someone else. They won’t make it if they try to run again.
“I’m Jay,” Jongseong says.
“You attend Hanlim Finishing School?” Heeseung asks.
Sunoo nods, a little hesitant. It’s true these alphas aren’t from these parts of the country if they can tell that from the charm on Sunoo’s bag. The school name isn’t even on it, just the emblem and motto.
[...]
“If you’re at Hanlim, what’re you then? 03-liners?”
“I was born in ‘02, actually,” Jongseong says. The words leave his mouth before he thinks them through, forgetting momentarily how little he’s tried to let slip so far. As little identifiable information as possible.
“Same age as Hoonie and me? Huh, wouldn’t have guessed that,” Jake says. It’s nothing Jongseong hasn’t heard before. “You’re so cute.”
Wait— what?
Jake laughs a little, asks, “So, ‘s anyone back home courting you then, Jay-ah?”
Jongseong thinks of the son of his father’s business partner, a good few years older than him and bigger — taller, more muscular — than any of the alphas tonight. He shifts his weight, tries to put a bit more of a distance between himself and Jake, just a few millimetres would do. They’re so close their legs almost touch.
He shakes his head though.
They aren’t actually courting. There has never been such intentions spoken aloud, though he has found letters in his father’s study indicating that the conversation was at least ongoing. It had done little to quell the crush Jongseong already had on Yudai. Now, he’s been in Seoul for the better part of a year and not even received a letter — only mentions in passing in the correspondence with his parents.
“A pretty thing like you?” Sunghoon drawls, his disbelief almost palpable. He has looked up from where he was crowding into Sunoo’s space, meeting Jongseong’s eyes with dark eyes. It makes the more omegan part of Jongseong preen, the part deep inside him he tends to ignore or at least not indulge or please. It’s a dangerous game to indulge in such things. If he hadn’t already known it before, then the classes this past semester had proven it. Hammered the message home: ‘only indulge in your omegan desires with your Alpha, lest you open yourself up to untoward behaviour’.
He can tell what these alphas are playing at. But it would be so rude to just leave, and they’ve already let it be known they think so too.
“I’m not being courted,” Jongseong says. Something a little shameful bubbles up, that feeling of not being good enough. Not pretty enough, too mature looking. Everyone knew that just meant old.
“That’s good,” Jake says, sounding like he genuinely thinks so. “Means I won’t have to make you sad when I rip their throat out.”
Jake shifts in his seat, presses his thigh up against Jongseong’s. It’s skinnier than his, but there’s muscle flexing beneath the denim. A solidity that speaks of power.
His hand looks large, fingers knobby. Wide palms. Jungwon’s already compared hand sizes with him, and was currently halfway through doing the same with Heeseung. Jungwon wasn’t stupid, no matter what his little face and big eyes had alphas believe.
Jongseong is properly panting, entirely out of breath, feet aching from the chase across cobblestone streets. His lungs burn. Jungwon is right in front of him, Sunoo by his side.
The heavy footfalls of alphas are close still, much too close for comfort. Sunoo says something under his breath, perhaps ‘asshole’.
Something in the air shifts. Pungent and overwhelming, the scent of alpha. Alphas, multiple.
Jungwon skids to a stop, Sunoo barrelling straight into his back. They barely manage to stay on their feet, Sunoo’s hands fisting Jungwon’s hoodie as he attempts to right himself and pull Jungwon back with him until he finds his balance.
The alpha is taller than Jongseong. It isn’t that unusual, quite a few of them are. But he makes Jongseong feel small, and not in that heart-fluttering way he has come to associate with meeting a potential mate. His pulse picks up, racing faster than when he was running at full speed.
The footsteps behind them come close, slowing as they turn the corner. The alphas look at each other, not with recognition but with hardened gazes. Trepidation.
Relief fills Jongseong that they hadn’t been successfully ambushed, his heart surging with hope that perhaps a fight will break out and that they will be able to slip away in the chaos.
A glance over his shoulder, at their pursuers, tells him that much won’t happen. There are just two of them, and in front of them there’s at least three, maybe more. Fuck. One of the original alphas echo his sentiment aloud, frustration heavy in the air as it sinks in and he comes to accept that they’ve driven the three omegas straight into another group of alphas.
They slink away like chastised dogs, metaphorical tails between their legs. That was how little they mattered to these alphas, Jongseong thought to himself. Not worth losing a fight over.
“You okay?” one of the new alphas asks. Jongseong has managed to catch his breath, but he only nods in answer. Doesn’t trust his voice, and much less does he trust the alpha. Any of them. It had been foolish to go out alone so late in a town they were unaccustomed to, he knew that, but it wasn’t after curfew.
Sunoo and Jungwon are still pressed together, one of Sunoo’s hands clasped around Jungwon’s sleeve. None of them have it in them to run again, he can tell. Adrenaline can only take one so far, and he has no idea how they’re supposed to find their way back to the AirBnB right now.
“Just the three of you?” the alpha asks then, his eyes flitting between Jongseong, Jungwon and Sunoo. Three is a good number. Small enough to make it easy to get away when you need to run, but still enough of them to deter stragglers from drunken groups or roaming single alphas. (Never enough for alpha pairs or trios, or worse, the coalitions, alphas looking for trouble and their beta lackeys all too happy to help out in exchange for some run through omega bitches at the end of the night.)
“There’s four of us,” he says next. Grins. It’s a little crooked, and his teeth glint in the light. “Guess a couple of us will have to share.”
Jongseong laughs weakly. Tries to pretend that it’s a joke. Hoping that it’s a joke.
One of the other alphas sniffs the air around them. His eyes are kinder, more puppyish. A fair bit shorter than the other three, but handsome in a way very few people are. Almost enough to make Jongseong’s breath catch in his throat when he looks at him. The second alpha’s smile grows into a grin, stopping just shy of wolfish. “You aren’t from around here, are you?”
His voice is sweet, a little accented. It’s not yet been long enough since they left Seoul for the sea air to cover the traces. Seeing no real problem with saying as much, Jongseong shakes his head.
“We aren’t either. Fishing trip!”
“That sounds fun,” Jungwon says. Jungwon does not think fishing sounds all that fun, Jongseong knows.
Fishing is a better answer than hunting though.
“Look, thank you guys for the help,” Jongseong says, trying to not flinch when the third alpha tuts at him. A flush crawls up his cheeks as heat spreads across them. He ducks his head. He’s not actually apologetic, but being scolded like a child — even if it is by an alpha that at best is his age — makes embarrassment flare up.
A third voice, a touch deeper, rings out. “Leaving so soon?”
“Well, it’s getting kinda late,” Jungwon says. The alpha coos at him, the furrow between his thick brows immediately erased as he seems to take in the smaller pair. Jongseong is used to alphas reacting like that to his friends. He can’t say he blames them. Sunoo is beyond pretty, and Jungwon is possibly the cutest person Jongseong has ever met.
“We won’t be long,” the second alpha says. “Let’s just sit down for a bit, together. We were lucky to see you guys run by just now, don’t you think?”
“Of course,” Sunoo says. Jongseong holds his breath— if there is one person that knows how to defuse a situation and turn alphas into willing fools, it’s Sunoo. His lips are plump and glossy even in the dim light, and his long lashes flutter as he looks up at the alpha closest to him. “But it’s really late, and we’re just so tired now. Why don’t I give you my number, and we can meet up tomorrow instead?”
The alpha smiles. Smirks. Wide enough to show sharp canines.
“Let’s just exchange names instead,” the first alpha cuts in. “I’m Lee Heeseung.”
The keychains on Sunoo’s backpack jingle, the metal and enamel of charms clinking together as he takes a step back. His hand is still gripping Jungwon’s sleeve, forcing Jungwon to move with him. An amused chuckle follows, an entertained huff from someone else. They won’t make it if they try to run again.
“I’m Jay,” Jongseong says.
“You attend Hanlim Finishing School?” Heeseung asks.
Sunoo nods, a little hesitant. It’s true these alphas aren’t from these parts of the country if they can tell that from the charm on Sunoo’s bag. The school name isn’t even on it, just the emblem and motto.
[...]
“If you’re at Hanlim, what’re you then? 03-liners?”
“I was born in ‘02, actually,” Jongseong says. The words leave his mouth before he thinks them through, forgetting momentarily how little he’s tried to let slip so far. As little identifiable information as possible.
“Same age as Hoonie and me? Huh, wouldn’t have guessed that,” Jake says. It’s nothing Jongseong hasn’t heard before. “You’re so cute.”
Wait— what?
Jake laughs a little, asks, “So, ‘s anyone back home courting you then, Jay-ah?”
Jongseong thinks of the son of his father’s business partner, a good few years older than him and bigger — taller, more muscular — than any of the alphas tonight. He shifts his weight, tries to put a bit more of a distance between himself and Jake, just a few millimetres would do. They’re so close their legs almost touch.
He shakes his head though.
They aren’t actually courting. There has never been such intentions spoken aloud, though he has found letters in his father’s study indicating that the conversation was at least ongoing. It had done little to quell the crush Jongseong already had on Yudai. Now, he’s been in Seoul for the better part of a year and not even received a letter — only mentions in passing in the correspondence with his parents.
“A pretty thing like you?” Sunghoon drawls, his disbelief almost palpable. He has looked up from where he was crowding into Sunoo’s space, meeting Jongseong’s eyes with dark eyes. It makes the more omegan part of Jongseong preen, the part deep inside him he tends to ignore or at least not indulge or please. It’s a dangerous game to indulge in such things. If he hadn’t already known it before, then the classes this past semester had proven it. Hammered the message home: ‘only indulge in your omegan desires with your Alpha, lest you open yourself up to untoward behaviour’.
He can tell what these alphas are playing at. But it would be so rude to just leave, and they’ve already let it be known they think so too.
“I’m not being courted,” Jongseong says. Something a little shameful bubbles up, that feeling of not being good enough. Not pretty enough, too mature looking. Everyone knew that just meant old.
“That’s good,” Jake says, sounding like he genuinely thinks so. “Means I won’t have to make you sad when I rip their throat out.”
Jake shifts in his seat, presses his thigh up against Jongseong’s. It’s skinnier than his, but there’s muscle flexing beneath the denim. A solidity that speaks of power.
His hand looks large, fingers knobby. Wide palms. Jungwon’s already compared hand sizes with him, and was currently halfway through doing the same with Heeseung. Jungwon wasn’t stupid, no matter what his little face and big eyes had alphas believe.
