secret door
niko and hari my beloved…
also idk shit ab chess, don’t @ me. irdgaf it the moves dont make sense 😭 also, the timeline is set at college where jeno’s wooing donghyuck by playing chess with him. this is set in the future where they’re already married, a good 13 or so years after (UNCS!!).
Donghyuck’s evaluating his choice at choosing to do speed chess with him, with the way he’s shelling out crumpled 100 peso bills every time he loses (he’s losing too often for his liking) and Jeno pulls out crisp ones from his pristine Prada wallet na mukhang hindi sinubok ng panahon. Every minute passes by that the sound of the timer button being pushed down by either of them eats at his sanity, the ticking breathing down his neck.
Jeno’s sweating in between the game, especially when he’s waiting for him to make a move. Donghyuck is distracted by how he lightly pats his face with a neat handkerchief embroidered with his initials– JNL. He’s not really shocked to learn this guy took etiquette classes. He doesn’t even try, he’s just so poised and graceful with whatever he does.
"Init?" He asks, smirking. He moves his rook and pushes the button down.
"It's okay." Jeno assures, already moving his bishop like he expected Donghyuck to move his rook beforehand. "It's tolerable."
Donghyuck is insulted.
Jeno pushes his button on the timer down and gestures to the board for him to continue.
Alam ko. Di mo na kailangang sabihin ako na. Parang gago. He wanted to say it outloud, but he didn't want to be mean. Jeno looks like the type who cries when someone shouts at him. Not that he knows.
Donghyuck decides his next move and presses the timer.
"What?" Tanong niya nang wala itong ginawa. It’s his turn to move and he looked at Donghyuck more than the board. Jeno looks at his wallet hesitantly and then him, again.
"Is a check alright? I'm running out of 100 peso bills."
"Is a check alright?" Ulit niya sa sinabi nito gamit ang mapang-asar na tono. "Get the fuck out of here."
Jeno genuinely looks shocked, scans the room, and then starts to stand up. Donghyuck sighs like he's Atlas and the whole world is on his shoulders, except his burden is just dealing with a pretty boy who's sometimes ditzy.
"I don't mean that literally. Anong natira sa'yo?"
Jeno shows him the inside of his wallet and Donghyuck almost gets blinded by the amount of sky blue bills he has inside. Not to mention the rows of cards in different colors. Ah. He can feel an incoming headache.
"Ah, Jeno." He puts his head in his hands, not knowing what to do with him. "Seriously."
"What, what?" Jeno asks, tone immediately spiking in concern. "What's wrong, Donghyuck?"
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Donghyuck felt like someone injected butterflies in his veins when he heard Jeno say his name softly, almost like he's very careful, melting him into a helpless mess.
"Let's stop." Kinuha niya ang napalanunang pera at siniksik sa sariling wallet. Napaglumaan na at dumaan sa maraming baha.
Jeno looks down on the board. "You're winning, though."
"Yes you're gonna be mated in 3 moves, I don't care, let's stop this." Itinapon niya ang ilang gamit sa bag habang nakaupo lang si Jeno at tinitignan siya gamit ang nagsusumamong mata.
"Did I do something to upset you?" He asks quietly, as if saying it outloud would hypothetically make him angrier.
"No." Alangan namang huthutan niya ito ng isang libo kada laro? May konsensya din naman siya. He feels like a check would be too gaudy and one thousand per game is just greedy. Although he can use it to treat his siblings to a nice dinner or pay their electric bills for the month. But still, he feels like he’s extorting money from a clueless customer in a pyramid scheme if they continue. "Nothing wrong. I just don’t feel like playing anymore."
When Jeno still doesn't answer, Donghyuck looks back. He's looking down on his hands, fidgeting with his blue handkerchief, shoulders slumped. God.
"Gusto mo kumain ng pares?" He asks, and Jeno looks up at the speed of light with a hopeful look on his face.
Tumikhim si Donghyuck para pigilan ang sariling ngumiti. "Libre ko. Marami din napanalunan ko kanina."
"Really? You'll have dinner with me?" Jeno sounds like he can't even believe what he's saying. What is up with this guy reacting to everything Donghyuck does with disbelief?
"Hoy hindi dinner. Pares lang. Diyan lang sa kanto ganon." Kinamot niya ang tenga at lumingon palabas, hindi niya kayang diretsuhin ng tingin si Jeno. Ang lalim kasi nito tumitig. "Ano uupo ka na lang diyan? Ayaw mo?"
"Gusto." Jeno stands up, hauling his stuff up with him. "It's my trea–"
Donghyuck glares at him. Paubaya mo na 'to sa pride ko.
"Can I at least pay for drinks?" Jeno offers, running to catch up with him dahil nauna na siyang maglakad.
"No."
"How about rice? Kahit rice lang?"
"No."
"Bottled water?"
"Hindi nga sabi."
Their voices echo off the deserted hall, the walls bearing witness to how Donghyuck secretly smiles when Jeno tries and tries and tries to at least treat Donghyuck to something and all he gets is a refusal. It's endearing as much as it is scary. He refuses to put a name to what he's feeling because it's unnerving– the way his heart jumps when Jeno calls him, gives him a shy smile, goes completely oblivious at the way he lets himself stare because the other's so busy thinking how to take his queen.
Something palpable thrums in the air and Donghyuck just lets it buzz, taking it all in as much as he can.
