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[boyfriendnextdoor]

what it says on the tin

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[prophesee]

believe it or not, i haven't made nearly as many of those calls as you might think.

[and then the questions come, and han starts to feel a little overwhelmed. almost panicked.]

i don't know...i break into a sweat and i feel a little sick. the doctor said it was a blood sugar drop or something but

they don't look like a dog's eyes. they're too...knowing. kind of human. he watches me, and yeah, it's mostly at night.

[boyfriendnextdoor]

But you have made them.

[ not that it's very important in the grand scheme of things. he's finally slowly sitting up in his bed, rubbing at his hair. he's going to be exhausted tomorrow, but... if this is a prank it's way elaborate and he's kind of curious. haneul seems distressed about it as well. ]

I'm not a doctor, but if it happens only when you see something, it's not a blood sugar drop.

Maybe you can understand animals better than others. Dogs know more than you think.

[prophesee]

i guess?

[is he in trouble? why does it feel like he's in trouble.]

i don't know. i just want to turn it all off.

so. that's why i'm here.

[well. originally it was a bet with his friends, and they still think that. but as haneul was gathering more intel, learning more and more about minjun...

he kinda got interested.]

[boyfriendnextdoor]

[ he won't be surprised if he finds out about the bet. at least not if it's something he finds out now. but later it might hit different. if there is a later. ]

That's not how it works. If I could turn it off, I would've done so when I was a child.

[ is that a hint to his own abilities? perhaps. it's not like he's ever admitted to anyone he sees stuff. he got used to it over time, researched it and even made friends with some spirits. surprisingly, (or not) they make for better company than the majority of living people. ]

[prophesee]

so what do you suggest i do?

i could buy some black hoodies too. we could hang out, wearing couples hoodies.

[boyfriendnextdoor]

I don't know. Get used to it? Embrace it?

[ eat some ginger for the nausea? honestly, he feels a little bad, because suddenly he's expected to be this kind of expert on it (well, technically he's more knowledgeable than most, but... still). ]

You want to hang out with me? I'm not a cure all for your visions... if that's what you're expecting.

[prophesee]

[embrace it. even the idea of that makes him feel a little sick. how do people get used to things like this?

maybe they don't. maybe minjun never has either.]

i know you're not.

but at least you kinda get it. i can talk to you about it.

i already told you, my friends would either laugh or run away.

[which makes him think that maybe they're not such great friends after all.]

[boyfriendnextdoor]

[ huh. he didn't expect that, and he's maybe rethinking some or all of his preconceptions of the other.

if it's not a prank. if it is... well, he'll cross that bridge then. ]

Doesn't sound like very good friends to me.

[ minjun doesn't really talk to most people because of this exact reaction. people laugh, or look at him weirdly, or they're just simply scared. ]

...sure, we can hang out.

[prophesee]

cool. i'll pick you up for lunch tomorrow. wear black!

[is he kidding with that?]

try to get some sleep if you can.

[boyfriendnextdoor]

...you'll pick me up. Where?

[ lunch? is he joking or something? minjun blinks at the message for a moment, because he expected something like meet at the farthest corner of the library or somewhere literally out of people's way. ]

And I would have gotten sleep if you didn't wake me up.

[prophesee]

[at his apartment, where else? and if minjun isn't there, he'll try the library next.

and haneul really is wearing a black hoodie. it and the black ripped jeans that he pairs it with makes his red hair stand out even more.]

[boyfriendnextdoor]

[ minjun wasn't sure what he was expecting, but when haneul shows up looking like that, he can't help but stare. he's in the library, just putting a book back on its shelf when he catches sight of him. ]

You stand out like a sore thumb.

[ and that's... surprising. because that isn't the kind of positive attention haneul usually must want. ]

[prophesee]

I always do.

[he smiles anyway. maybe he just takes everything in the best possible way, deliberately or otherwise. haneul reaches to slide the book back out again, just enough to check out the title.]

Have you been here since they opened?

[boyfriendnextdoor]

[ the book looks old, and doesn't seem to have an immediate title on the cover. there's filigree looking bindings and patterns on it, however. since when did their school keep stuff like this in the library anyway? ]

I have. Why?

[prophesee]

[haneul wouldn't know - not that he's an idiot. his grades were perfectly fine. but he does all of his research online, he can't remember the last time he picked up an actual book.]

Just a guess. You must be starving. What do you feel like? Sushi? Burgers?

[boyfriendnextdoor]

You look like you haven't seen a book in your life.

[ wouldn't hurt to open one once in a while. the internet doesn't have as much occult info as books. ]

Mm, sushi is fine. [ he just raises an eyebrow ]. We're really doing this? Lunch.

[prophesee]

Never seen a book that was actually written in Latin.

[he figured that much out from the faded golden title - though 'latin' was mostly a lucky guess.]


Don't you eat lunch? [he raises an eyebrow back at him. but there's a smile on his lips as he tries to loop his arm through minjun's.] I want to tell you about the dream I had last night, in case it turns out to be important.

[boyfriendnextdoor]

There's a few around. And you got it right, it's in Latin.

[ the corner of minjun's lips twitch slightly though it never reaches an actual smile. it drops the moment haneul tries to connect their arms, but minjun just resigns himself to it. ]

I eat lunch. I meant this whole... fraternizing with people outside your circle. The mess hall isn't very secluded.

[prophesee]

[he still sees it, and it's close enough. he can already tell that minjun isn't the type to just give smiles away.

his brows jump a little.]

I'm confident enough to make my own choices, including who I hang out with.

[he doesn't care about his friends seeing them together. in fact, it would be a good thing in accordance with their little bet.

which he really doesn't want to think about right now.]

But they don't have good sushi there anyway. I know a better place.

[boyfriendnextdoor]

[ huh. he raises on eyebrow, not hiding how he didn't expect that reply, but also not showing any judgement for it. ]

All right then. What better place?

[prophesee]

Tokyo?

[haneul lets that sink in for a minute before grinning.]

Just kidding. I'm really not that rich. But there's a pretty good conveyer belt place downtown.

[he leads him out, pausing only twice to talk to someone he knows, but he really doesn't let them slow them down. when they reach his car, he slides his arm free to open minjun's door.]

Did you get any sleep?

[boyfriendnextdoor]

Going to Tokyo just for lunch is a neat idea but also harmful for the environment.

[ he follows along easily, though mostly because haneul already has a hold on him and he already agreed. he stays silent when the other is chatting, all the way to the car. ]

Not really. It's not unsusual.

[prophesee]

Maybe not for you.

[minjun's always been this way, hasn't he? or at least for a long time. that's the impression that haneul got earlier. he closes the door before getting in on the driver's side.]

It's only gonna make it worse for me. The visions, the weird shit. I feel like I'm being broken down.

[he blinks a few times at the genuiness of his own words, and how easy they are to admit to him. it makes him hum softly to himself before he pulls out into the traffic.]

[boyfriendnextdoor]

[ he's had it ever since he can remember. the shadow in the corner, the little lady with the missing eye, the man without a head and a hand. he started talking to them once he got over the initial scare. they're... not bad.

the bad ones are what made him start looking into the occult more, so he could create wards and charms to eat least keep the worst of it away.

he turns to watch haneul as he drives. ]

Only if you let them. They hold no power over you, not really.

[prophesee]

Right. No power.

[haneul chews his bottom lip. the words sound good - very inspirational. he just wonders if he'll ever actually believe it.

he drives in silence for the rest of the way, and then hops out to get minjun's door again. he likes being a gentleman, ok. they find a booth inside, and from there are free to choose the color-coded plates that go by their table.]

Do you have a favorite?