★ | #35 | defending
"i cannot believe you actually just did that."

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ nicole's radio station

last day on earth • beabadoobee
"i guess if it were nicer, we'd be better off innit?"

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THE dinner table was occupied by the light scrape of utensils against glass dishes, a friendly conversation held amongst Heeseung, Haewon and Mrs. Seong, as the older woman caught up within their lives.

What Haewon assumed was going to be awkward and unbearable, so far turned out to be alright as the silence was filled between familiar voices chiming in and out of conversation.

The only person left quiet at the table was Mr. Seong, having not uttered a single word since he first sat down.

The middle-aged male greeted Heeseung quietly and lazily, letting a simple "Good to see you," slip out and giving the teenager a tight lipped smile.

Taking a sip from her glass of water, Haewon's eyes skimmed briefly over the three other people she sat with, silently observing the dynamics between her parents and her best friend, Heeseung.

The girl felt a bit relaxed, albeit the way she noticed her father tuning everybody else out made her a bit bothered, yet relieved in a way as it could've been much worse. And, who knows what that man was to say given he speaks.

When they first sat together at the table, with Haewon to the left of Heeseung, he could tell she was anxious. In any way he could help dissolve those nerves of hers, he wanted to.

So, taking his hand into hers underneath the table, he gave it a gentle squeeze, meeting her gaze momentarily to give her a small yet reassuring smile.

Haewon shot him a look, a brow raised before taking a small breath, attention drawn out to her mother who was just then sitting down at the time.

It wasn't until now, present time, did Mr. Seong speak up after receiving a subtle nudge from his wife, who couldn't help but take note of his silence.

Worried he was coming off as rude to Heeseung — who really didn't mind — she silently urged him to join in on the conversation.

He grumbled under his breath at her touch, thankfully going unheard by anyone other than himself. Mr. Seong let out a heavy sigh, setting his utensils down beside his dish for a moment as he opted to take a sip out of his drink.

Setting it back down on the coaster beside him, he cleared his throat, opening his mouth to begin.

"So," Mr. Seong began, voice cutting through the soft giggles of Heeseung and Haewon as they recalled a funny memory from their childhood, after it was brought up by Mrs. Seong.

The laughter died down after a moment, eyes drawn towards the older man who stared at his daughter with a burning gaze, flickering in-between her and Heeseung before shifting back down to his plate.

"How is school going?" He questioned, taking a bite from his food as he stared boringly at Haewon, who pressed her lips into a thin line.

The girl felt awkward, as she opened her mouth to reply only to be cut off by his voice yet again, making an unnecessary comment.

"Are you failing your classes yet?" Mr. Seong added, raising a brow as his wife sighed and leaned back in her seat, shaking her head softly.

"Hangyeol.." Mrs. Seong whispered out her husband's name, giving him a knowing look as he shook his head wordlessly in response, dismissing her actions.

Haewon sighed, shifting in her chair as she sat up straight, muscles tensed as she fixed her posture. Looking down, she stared at her hands in her lap as she mustered up a response.

"What makes you think I'll fail?" Haewon muttered, finally shifting her gaze up to meet her fathers, who hummed quietly, tilting his head as he pursed his lips.

"Just seems like you." He shrugged, feigning innocence with a vague smile.

"Gee, thanks." The girl huffed out, flashing a forced smile.

"Oh, come on, Haewon. Don't be like that. I meant well." Mr. Seong sighed, clicking his tongue as he brought his glass to his lips yet again.

"I don't ever see you putting in any effort. You've always slacked off. You stay in bed all day doing nothing at all. Can I not worry about my daughter's grades when you act like that?" He continued, curving his lips into a subtle frown.

Heeseung stayed quiet during their dispute, brows furrowed tightly as he listened to the words spewing from Mr. Seong's mouth.

His head turned towards Haewon, eyes skimming over her side profile before flickering down to her lap, where she fiddled silently with the friendship bracelet she had made for herself and for him out of a cheap kit.

"Actually.." Heeseung began, clearing his throat as Haewon snapped her head in his direction, eyes open as he joined the conversation with a soft voice, tone kept light as he tried his best to remain respectful.

"Haewon has been doing really well in school. Her grades are great." He pointed out in a mumble, giving the male a small, forced smile.

"I'm sorry, but I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to my daughter. Thank you." Mr. Seong affirmed sternly, now staring at Heeseung, who took a deep breath.

"It just seemed like a bold statement to me." The boy continued, shrugging nonchalantly as he dismissed the firm hint he was given by Mr. Seong himself to stop talking, and to stay out of it.

But, of course, he wasn't going to sit idly aside as he listened to someone he cared for dearly be spoken to or about in a negative manner.

"A bold statement how? I'm simply just looking out for my daughter." Mr. Seong huffed, furrowing his brows.

"Looking out for her by degrading her isn't very helpful, sir." Heeseung reasoned, as his expression remained at ease.

"Degrading?" The older man repeated, scoffing as he shook his head. "You're insulting me." He said, jaw clenched as he stared angrily at the boy.

"Hangyeol, please, relax. Not now." Mrs. Seong muttered, her hand hesitantly reaching out to rest on her husband's shoulder, giving in a light squeeze.

"I'm not degrading her. Haewon, tell your friend here." Mr. Seong said, a stern tone etched into his voice as Haewon raised her brows as she was put on the spot.

Her gaze shifted to meet her father's gaze, lips parting as she opened her mouth to speak, only to pause when she turned her head after feeling a soft tap on her leg underneath the table.

Heeseung raised his glass to his lips, raising a singular brow as he hid his mouth from her parents.

"Don't defend him." Heeseung muttered just loud enough for her to barely catch, before taking a sip from his drink.

Haewon hummed quietly, letting out a deep sigh as she prepared herself to disagree with her father, potentially starting something up which wasn't her goal tonight.

"You're never home, so I have to agree with him that it was quite a bold statement for someone to say knowing you don't even see me ever. How do you know I don't put in any work? Maybe I just prefer working in the comfort of my own room." Haewon finally mustered out, shaking her head softly.

"It did feel a little bit degrading for you to say something like that knowing you're never around to even know what I do anymore." The girl added on.

Mrs. Seong shot her a disapproving look, silently warning her to stop talking as she gestured subtly to her father with a buck of her head.

Haewon pressed her lips into a thin line, shoving her mouth full of food as she bit her tongue, her hair falling in front of her face.

Mr. Seong cleared his throat, wiping off his mouth with a napkin as her brows furrowed sternly, bottom lip caught between his teeth as he sucked in a sharp breath.

The man clenched his jaw, opening his mouth to speak amidst the soft scraping sound of utensils against plates.

"And I think it's selfish of you to talk to me with so much disrespect knowing I work to provide for this family." Mr. Seong said, earning a heavy sigh from his wife, who rubbed her temples.

"All while you slack around and do nothing. Have you no care for your future? Or you expect to just live here for the rest of your life, leaching off of me until I die? Typical, Haewon. Typical." He continued, anger clearly snuck into his voice.

Heeseung furrowed his brows slightly, a tinge of annoyance flooding him as he stared down at his food, biting his tongue as he resisted the temptations to voice out his train of thought.

"Alright, that's enough." Mrs. Seong chimed in quietly, shaking her head as she reached over and placed her hand lightly over her husband's.

Mr. Seong lifted his hand, brushing her off as he scoffed and leaned back into his seat, arms folded over his chest as he eyed his daughter.

"No, we're doing this. I'm tired of the constant whining coming from her. Haewon, you need to grow up and actually work. You're growing up to be useless." Her father scolded, as Haewon huffed, rolling her eyes.

"Is that really what you think of me?" The teenage girl scoffed, threading her fingers through her hair, hands growing restless as she settled them back into her lap, fiddling with her fingers.

"I'm not perfect, but I try. I really do. Can you acknowledge that?" Haewon expressed, hints of hurt spread across her features, hidden in her brown eyes.

Heeseung could tell, with a doe-eyed gaze boring into her side profile as her words filled his ears, a frown etched onto his face and tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Not hard enough — clearly." Mr. Seong shot back quickly, as his wife let out a soft breath, sounding out his name in frustration as she shook her head.

Heeseung paused, silence filling the dining room momentarily before he released a breath he didn't even know he was holding.

His voice was soft, yet carrying a sense of anger and frustration in it as his words pierced through the quiet tension.

"That's wrong." He let out, nibbling down on his bottom lip as Mr. Seong raised his brows, a sharp gaze drifting off to skim lazily over the boy.

"Pardon?"

"That's wrong." Heeseung repeated, only this time firmer, carrying on as his tense shoulders relaxed, growing more confidence in his words.

"How can you say that to your own daughter?" The boy scoffed, a look of disgust and resentment settled across his face.

"Say what? The truth? I'm sorry for not babying her." Mr. Seong huffed out, laced with pure sarcasm.

"You kids need to wake up from these delusions where you think the world revolves around you. I'm sick of it." The older man continued on.

"It's not the truth, and you know it. It's blatantly rude and uncalled for. Do you know how hard Haewon works? How deserving she is of praise that you can't provide her because what? I don't even know. But it's sickening." Heeseung asserted, his gaze harsh.

At a loss for words, Mr. Seong's face heated up in anger, stumbling over his words as he scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to my daughter."

"Really?" Heeseung said, a hum sounding past his pursed lips. "Because I was talking to you, sir."

Haewon bit down on her bottom lip, concealing a smile as she quickly shoved her mouth full of food, staring down at her lap to avoid unwanted eye contact with either of her parents.

"This is ridiculous."

"I completely agree." The younger boy uttered, nodding his head eagerly for once in agreement with the older man.

"Perhaps instead of constantly degrading her, try encouraging her instead. Say she is struggling with something. You're not helping at all by adding a weight of negativity on her mind." Heeseung reasoned, tapping his index finger against his temple.

"Encourage her? Hell, like I haven't tried." Mr. Seong huffed, shaking his head as he let out a dry laugh. "Fine, Haewon, go get a job. Get off your ass for once and contribute to this family."

"She has a job. You didn't know that?" Heeseung chuckled, tilting his head off to the side as he raised a brow.

"All I'm saying is maybe be kinder to her for once. Perhaps you'll see changes for the better. Complaining and yelling for no reason will get you nowhere." He added, shrugging lightly.

"Are you telling me how to parent, Lee Heeseung?" Mr. Seong questioned, eyes open wide.

"I shouldn't have to." The boy replied quickly.

Haewon raised her brows in surprise, eyes quickly darting to her father as she scanned over his expression. Recognizing his usual angry look, the girl stood abruptly from her seat, the legs of the chair screeching against the floor.

"Heeseung, could I talk to you? Outside? Alone?" She asked, giving him a knowing look as she beckoned her head towards the front door.

Heeseung paused, before he nodded his head in response, standing to his feet. His eyes flickered over her parents, left quietly at the table.

He bowed respectfully towards her mother, giving a genuine smile. "Thank you for having me, Mrs. Seong. The food was lovely." He complimented.

The woman muttered out a quiet reply, as his gaze shifted momentarily over Mr. Seong, who stared quietly back at him.

Heeseung could only give him a forced tight lipped smile before Haewon tugged at his hand, pulling him along with her outside the house.

As the front door was shut securely after them, breathing in the fresh spring evening air, Haewon dropped his hand in an instant, head turning to look at him in a matter of seconds as her brows raised in surprise.

"I cannot believe you actually just did that." Haewon blurted out, folding her arms across her chest as she made her way further down the porch, sitting on the front steps.

Heeseung followed her movements with his eyes, tilting his head slightly as he let a sheepish grin spread across his face.

With a sigh, he joined her moments later, sitting down on the porch next to her as he hummed and propped himself back up on his hands, which were behind him.

"Sorry. I went a bit overboard, did I?" Heeseung breathed out with a soft laugh, as the girl paused, narrowing her eyes in thought before she shook her head in response.

"Nah. He deserved it. I wouldn't say you went overboard, but I definitely don't think he'll ever allow you over again under his eye." The girl muttered, a soft smile curved at the corners of her pink lips.

"Oh, yeah. There's no way." Heeseung chimed in with a laugh, raising one of his hands to brush through his hair — tousled in the light breeze carrying through the evening.

Silence wrapped between them, nothing but the soft rustle of leaves on the trees swaying in the wind filling the air. Partnered with the call of cicadas hidden amongst all the nature surrounding them.

"Thank you." She said, head turning as her gaze fixed on his side profile, before he turned as well, his eyes meeting hers. "For defending me, I mean." She continued, clearing her throat as she turned away.

Heeseung hummed in response, shuffling closer to her on the stone porch, giving her a soft nudge as he huffed. "That's something you don't even have to acknowledge." He replied, as she raised a brow.

"I couldn't sit there and pretend like what he was saying was okay just because I'm meant to respect him." He continued on, his tone both soft yet filled with hints of lingering annoyance.

Haewon pressed her lips into a thin line, nodding in understanding as a hum sounded past her lips in agreement. "Fair enough." She let out, releasing a heavy sigh.

Heeseung smiled subtly her way, eyes lingering over her features a little too long before he finally peered away, staring down at his lap.

Despite knowing the amount of drama they had caused amongst the Seong family, anger purely produced from none other than Mr. Seong himself, it was oddly tranquil.

They found solace in the quiet noises that nature let out, finding each other's presence comforting like none other.

"You know," Haewon began, clearing her throat as her words came out in a playful tone, a smile tugging lightly at the corners of her lips. "Your plan worked."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah." Haewon said, nodding her head with a cheeky smile. "In my eyes, at least." She added on, correcting herself as she shrugged lazily.

"Technically, my parents didn't argue with each other. You just argued with my dad. So, I guess you can say that it worked out? Depending on how you want to view it." Haewon explained, putting her thoughts into words as Heeseung smiled, listening intently.

Heeseung chuckled, doe eyes brightening as he nodded his head eagerly. "You're so right. The plan technically worked."

"It came with some consequences, and I'm most likely going to be scolded later on but I say it was pretty worth it. He was at a loss for words towards the end there, and it was satisfying." Haewon giggled, eyes fixed on her knees, which were pulled up on the step below her.

Heeseung hummed, biting back a smile as his eyes skimmed over her soft features, seemingly taking in every detail of her as if he's never seen her before.

The small freckles dusted across her nose that had accumulated over time when she'd be out in the sun for too long without care. Or, the pretty smile settled onto her pink lips — a signature look for when she was happy, or even content.

For the first time without realization, the heart filled with love and care that belonged to Lee Heeseung skipped a beat, a soft pink hue on his cheeks easily masked by the lighting outside.

"Definitely worth it." He repeated, as she huffed out a soft laugh, adjusting her position on the front porch step as she leaned her head against his shoulder comfortably.

"No, but seriously, you might actually not be allowed over for a while." Haewon perked up, lifting her head once again to catch a glimpse of him.

The boy rolled his eyes playfully, nodding his head in understanding as he snaked his hand up, using it to gently guide her head back to his shoulder.

"I know, I know."

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★﹐authors corner ．﹗﹑ 3.1k words.
wowie a longer chapter finally !! i think ?? it's what i consider to be long at the very least idk

longER than other chapters i have written for this fic so far 😋🤞

anyway guys i woke up from the dead again and actually managed to write after i don't even know long tbh ? but point is, i'm back !! temporarily maybe, i'm not sure

i have been so busy with soccer training guys i am absolutely cooked. my body is so sore and i am exhausted from waking up super early every morning just to go on runs and complete stuff 😭

but luckily it's officially my rest day now that it's hit midnight so i'll rest easy tonight knowing i can peacefully lay around all day without feeling guilty 🙏

also oh my gosh the romance untold concept trailer???! guys i died omg. they all ate so hard like the acting HELLO?

had me feeling like i was watching an actual kdrama bc i kid you not, it fr had me at the edge of my seat 🙏

somebody get these men in a drama asap fr

okkokok time to call it a night in terms of writing. i love you all very much and i missed you !!!

thank