"Do you have any interests other than stargazing and passing out on rooftops?"
Minjoon asked, tone dry, but edged with genuine curiosity.
Junwoo glanced lazily toward Minjoon, who sat cross-legged on the floor, his laptop open on the low round table. Junwoo sprawled across his couch like he hadn't moved in hours, one arm draped over his stomach, the other hanging loosely with the TV remote dangling between his fingers.
On the television, a narrator calmly explained penguin migration patterns. It was pretty interesting.
"I like making the old lady in our apartment angry when she finds me on the rooftop," Junwoo said before glancing back at the TV.
"That's not a hobby. That's just you being a menace."
Junwoo only grunted a little instead of physically shrugging since he's too lazy to move. He blinked when he saw a penguin slip on the ice and tumble down a small hill—poor penguin.
"You've been like this since highschool," Minjoon continued, exasperated. "You didn't submit your goals and aspirations form in twelfth grade, and you only joined the book club so you have an excuse to sleep in the library. You didn't even bother pretending to read! And nobody scolded you 'cause you're the handsome, popular guy!"
"I did read,"
"You did?"
"Yeah. In my dreams,"
Minjoon shot him a disapproving look. "You got through school with average grades, turned down every single girl in school who liked you, and didn't care about a single thing outside your own little world. Don't you ever want something more than this? To feel any excitement in your life? Creating good memories?"
Junwoo's gaze went back to Minjoon. His expression was unreadable, but he did seem to be thinking about it.
"I'm creating memories by hanging out with you today."
"Not like that, dummy," Minjoon groaned. "I'm bringing this up because the HR manager basically gives you the opportunity that literally everybody desperately wants. LUEN Entertainment is not that big, but it connects to even bigger agencies, and it'll give you even more network and give you more access to do whatever you want if you succeed."
"Aren't you the one who said I don't have any talent?"
"I don't want you to get stressed out being put on the spot like that, so I outright told Sanghyun-ssi that you don't have any. And if it turns out that you did, I can reach out to Sanghyun-ssi again and tell him that you're eligible for an audition," Minjoon sighed.
"What do I gain by auditioning?" Junwoo asked, raising one eyebrow.
"That's the thing, you don't have any reason to do so, or a motive. But with that kind of look—" Minjoon gestured on Junwoo's face with his hand. "—most people would use that,"
"For what?"
Minjoon groaned in frustration.
"This is exactly the problem. You never want to do anything. You live on like nothing matters," his expression softened. "You're twenty, man. You still have time to do something with your life. I'm not saying you have to become an idol, but—something. Anything. At least make a social media account, post your pictures, and interact with people on live streaming platforms. Go out to the park and start a conversation with a random person. Get a damn girlfriend. Stuff like that is enough."
Junwoo went quiet at that.
When he looked at the TV, the documentary ended with little penguins hatched and the families were huddled together.
That looked nice.
"Junwoo?" Minjoon asked, frowning.
Junwoo turned off the TV, then sighed as he looked up at the ceiling.
"Do you feel like I don't want to rely on you, Minjoon?"
Minjoon blinked, cheeks flushed. "Maybe a little,"
"Hm," Junwoo hummed. "It's because I never told anyone about myself before."
Minjoon looked at him, confused. "Never?"
"No. But I'll tell you the reason why I'm like this,"
Junwoo sat up on the couch, looking at Minjoon. He leaned backward, knees tucked under his chest as he wrapped his arms around his legs.
"My mom used to hit me. A lot,"
Minjoon froze.
Junwoo said it so plainly, as if he told someone else's story. "I used to be a bright kid. Believe it or not. Teachers loved me because I always secured the highest rank in our class. I won every competition my Mom signed me up for. Sports, music, art, academic stuff—whatever it was. I worked hard because I thought it would finally make her smile at me and stop hitting me," he paused, jaw tightening slightly. "But no matter what I did, it wasn't enough. She'd hit me even if I won first place in most competitions. She wished I hadn't been born, that I'd never make her happy no matter what I did,"
Minjoon looked speechless.
"After the PE teacher saw my bruises, he immediately informed the principal, and before I knew it, I was sent to a shelter home. I stopped trying for anything after that. There wasn't any point," Junwoo shrugged, his eyes were half-lidded. "The only thing that kept me company during those hard times was when the sun set, and the stars appeared in the sky. They're nice to look at, and it felt peaceful,"
"Junwoo..."
Junwoo shrugged lightly. "So, yeah. That's why I don't really care about anything,"
Minjoon seemed to be deep in thought, which was understandable, since Junwoo just dropped the most depressing secret of his life. The room was quiet for a while until Minjoon looked back at Junwoo with a serious expression.
"Junwoo-ah. You're my best friend, and thank you for trusting me with this. I'm sorry that everything I said made you feel like you had to discuss something you didn't want to. Especially a painful past, but now that I know, I understand."
Junwoo blinked at him.
"But after hearing that, it only encourages me even more to help you find something you're passionate about," Minjoon grinned. "It's time for you to move on and prove to your mom that she's full of crap and that you'll become so big she'll beg for forgiveness."
"Ha?"
Minjoon slapped his laptop shut, his eyes sparkled with determination.
"Now, my friend, let me hear you sing!"