Joong carefully guided Dunk outside the building, Dunk leaned on him slightly, blinking his eyes repeatedly as they adjusted from the earlier irritation. they entered, Pond spotted them from across the hallway.
Pond:
Hey, what happened to Dunk?
Joong, still visibly concerned, replied,
Joong:
Soup got into his eyes during the event. Itâs still bothering him.
Before Pond could respond, Dunk quickly added with a reassuring smile
Dunk:
Donât worry, Iâm fine now
Joong, however, shook his head, his tone firm.
Joong:
No, youâre not. Your eyes were hurting. Letâs go get them checked properly
Phuwin, who had been standing nearby, teased lightly,
Phuwin:
Aww, so sweet, Joong. Overprotective much?
Joong shot him an annoyed glare.
Joong:
Itâs not funny, Phuwin. Dunkâs eyes were literally burning. This isnât a joke.
Dunk placed a gentle hand on Joongâs arm.
Dunk:
Joong, itâs okay, na. It doesnât hurt that much anymore.
Before Joong could respond, a familiar, mocking voice cut through the hallway.
Jim:
Oh ho, look at this. What an attention seeker we have here.
Joongâs entire body tensed
Joong:
Jim, not now!
Jim, stepped closer, smirking.
Jim:
Or what, Joong? What are you going to do? Protect your little boyfriend?
Pond stepped in between them
Pond:
Joong, let him go. Heâs just trying to provoke you.
Joong, clenching his fists, turned back to Dunk.
Joong:
Dunk, letâs go. You donât need to hear this nonsense.
But Jim wasnât done. He sneered, his voice dripping with malice.
Jim:
Yes, yes, go run along with your sugar daddy, Dunk. Enjoy being his little charity project
That was the final straw. Joongâs hand shot forward, his fist ready to connect with Jimâs smirking face, but Dunk grabbed his arm at the last second, stopping him.
Dunk:
Joong, please
Dunk said softly, his eyes pleading with him.
Joong looked at Dunk, his anger melting away at the sight of Dunkâs worried face. He nodded, taking a deep breath to calm himself.
Joong:
Alright. Letâs go
Joong ignored him, his focus entirely on Dunk. Without another glance at Jim, he wrapped an arm around Dunk and led him out of the hallway.
Pond shook his head at Jim
Pond:
You really donât know when to stop, do you?
Phuwin added, crossing his arms,
Phuwin:
One day, Jim, youâre going to push the wrong button.
But Jim just smirked
Joong helped Dunk to the apartment, guiding him gently to the couch.
Joong:
Dunk, you need to rest. Iâll order something for us to eat, okay?
Dunk nodded, leaning back into the couch.
Joong:
And one more thing-donât use your phone for now. Your eyes need a break.
Dunk pouted slightly, his lips curving into a small frown.
Dunk:
But, Joong-
Joong:
No buts. Okay?
He took Dunkâs phone from the table, raising an eyebrow.
Dunk sighed dramatically but nodded.
Satisfied, Joong left to place the food order. Dunk got up and wandered into his room, plopping onto the bed and grabbing his oversized teddy bear. Hugging it tightly, he let the exhaustion of the day wash over him and quickly fell asleep.
About an hour later, Joong came into the room
Joong:
Dunk-
He stopped mid-sentence, his gaze falling on Dunk, who was curled up on the bed, clutching the teddy bear. His breathing was steady, and his hair fell messily over his forehead. The sight tugged at Joongâs heart, and he felt a wave of satisfaction he couldnât quite explain.
Joong walked over quietly and sat on the edge of the bed. He gently brushed a few strands of Dunkâs hair away from his face, his fingers light against Dunkâs skin.
Joong:
Dunk, wake up and eat
Dunk stirred, mumbling groggily.
Dunk:
Mmm⦠no, Joong. Iâm sleepy
Joong:
But you havenât eaten anything. Come on, just a little
Dunk buried his face deeper into the bear.
Dunk:
Still⦠naa⦠let me sleep
Joong sighed, trying to hold back a smile.
Joong:
Okay, fine. You can sleep after you eat. Just a little, hmm?
Dunk peeked one eye open, still half-asleep.
Dunk:
Iâm not getting up. Feed me here
Joong couldnât say no to him.
Joong:
Alright, stay here. Iâll bring the food
A few minutes later, Joong returned with a tray of food. Dunk was sitting up now but still looked half-asleep, leaning lazily against the pillows.
Joong:
Dunk, sit straight. Come on
Dunk groaned but adjusted himself slightly.
Joong:
Open your mouth
Dunk obeyed, and Joong started feeding him carefully, one spoonful at a time. As Dunk chewed, his face lit up with thought.
Dunk:
Joong, does Jim always talk like that about us?
Joong:
Donât let it bother you.
Dunk:
But why canât he be our friend?
Joong softened at Dunkâs innocence
Joong:
Because only good people deserve to be friends with you. Jim isnât one of those people. Thatâs why
Dunk seemed to consider this, his fingers fiddling with the edge of the blanket.
Dunk:
Joong, youâve worked with him before, right?
Joong hesitated.
Joong:
I have. Once.
Dunkâs eyes brightened slightly.
Dunk:
Can I see? I want to see you.
Joong frowned slightly.
Joong:
Dunk, I donât like that series. It wasnât a good experience because of him
Dunk pouted
Dunk:
But I just want to see you, Joong. Please?
Joong sighed and gave in, pulling out his phone. He searched for the series on YouTube, but as he scrolled through, he noticed several clips of intimate scenes from the show.
Joong:
No, Dunk. Never mind.
He was about to close the app, but Dunk quickly snatched the phone from him.
Dunk:
Let me see!
He clicked on one of the clips before Joong could stop him.
The screen lit up with a particularly heated scene. Dunkâs eyes were glued to it, watching intently without blinking. Joong reached out to grab the phone back, but his gaze flickered to Dunkâs pendant. It was glowing-a dark, black hue that caught his attention and froze him in place.
Dunk suddenly handed the phone back, breaking Joongâs trance.
Dunk:
Feed me, Joong.
Joong blinked, still fixated on the earlier glow of the pendant.
Joong:
Yeah⦠okay.
He set the phone aside and resumed feeding Dunk, but his mind kept wandering back to the strange glow.
Joong:
(Whatâs going on with that pendant?)