▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

Wooyoung has never had such an eventful Saturday. He's never liked a Saturday so much either. Yes, Wooyoung's first love will always be crime fighting, but this...this is shaping up to be a close second.

The weather's so clear right now, the pastel blue sky insanely pretty to look at. The atmosphere's nothing short of serene, with citizens leaving and entering several stores with big smiles on their faces, and the trees are so green, vivid flowers blooming wherever they can. To make things better, San's right there, seated across from him, and while the man keeps avoiding his gaze everytime, Wooyoung doesn't mind as much.

He's content with this.

When San tucks a stray lock of hair behind his ear, Wooyoung wishes it were him that did it instead.

"This is fucking amazing," Jongho says right then, eyes shiny and focused solely on his triple-scooped choco-chip ice cream. He takes a huge spoonful of it, almost moaning in his seat. "Best. Saturday. Ever."

Satisfaction swallows Wooyoung whole. He doesn't know what connection Jongho has with San, but it's obvious they're close. And since they're close, Wooyoung is more than happy to get in Jongho's good graces. "Really? I could get you another."

"Are you fucking serious?" Jongho asks with a large, gummy smile. He's quite a swearer too, and Wooyoung likes that.

"You know what happens when you take too much ice cream," San speaks up for the first time since they sat at one of the tables outside the ice cream shop. His eyes are only on Jongho, once again pretending that Wooyoung doesn't exist. And this time around, it kind of bothers him.

"But hyuuunng," Jongho groans, kicking his feet in a small tantrum. He bats his lashes at San, but the man doesn't budge.

"How often do you get ice cream?" Wooyoung questions, fiddling with his watch and monitoring his tone. He's familiar with Promise shelter to know the kids never really get to splurge like this, but he also doesn't want to come off as too nosy.

A few seconds of Jongho looking unsure pass, but he soon replies. "Last time I had it was about a month ago."

Wooyoung tilts his head with a smile, flashing his credit card. "Then I'll get you another one."

San's suddenly on his feet, snatching their attention. "Bathroom." Even then, he evades Wooyoung's eyes, bolting for the shop.

Jongho's face darkens with worry and a little bit of guilt, which Wooyoung doesn't like at all. He hates it when kids are sad, because he'd been a sad kid too.

"It's fine," Wooyoung blurts, patting Jongho's thigh. He presses a hand to his heart for comfort twice -- The Golden Clover's signature move -- before he realizes what he's actually doing.

Jongho's brows furrow, Wooyoung's heart skips. But then the teenager nods. "I see you're a fan of The Golden Clover as well."

"Hehe, yep." Wooyoung springs out of his seat, hoping his laughter doesn't sound as fake as it is. "I'm gonna head inside for a bit, yeah? Here you go." He places his card in Jongho's hand, the latter's eyes wide like saucers. "I trust that you won't lose it. Please don't lose it."

"But -- "

"I'll be back!" Wooyoung dashes into the shop right then, several eyes on him due to how disheveled he looks since he can't use his speed zia in public. Chill the fuck out, he tells himself over and over, keeping the overthinker side of him at bay. He can't afford chickening out at this moment. He's The Golden Clover for Christ's sake.

Mustering up all his courage, he enters the men's bathroom, almost tripping on nothing because of how much of a nervous fuck he is. It's different when he's in his hero suit and stopping crime in Utopion, because when he's The Golden Clover, he's almost invincible. The world is his for the taking, his zias second to none. But right now, he's Jung Wooyoung, and Jung Wooyoung thinks too much and is too damn anxious for his own good.

Before the mirrors is San, gripping onto the sink, glaring at himself. The man jolts at seeing Wooyoung there, which in turn shocks the hero too. Am I that scary?

Wooyoung coughs, averting his gaze before he can be caught staring. "Hey."

San sniffs, and Wooyoung's heart drops. His mouth falls open, alarm shooting into his veins.

"Fuck, are you crying?"

San turns, looking at him like he's grown another head. "Are you insane?"

Wooyoung's guilt fizzles out, making way for a fiery pit of irritation. "What the hell is up with you? You can't just go around calling people insane."

"I don't give a damn," San replies, flicking up the tap to wash his hands.

The nerve of this guy. Wooyoung's face flushes with red-hot anger. "I was just trying to be nice to Jongho back there. Sorry for caring about him, I guess."

San's jaw clenches, teeth gritted. "You don't know anything."

"Because we just fucking met! But guess what? For some fucked up reason I still wanted to get to know you," Wooyoung admits, shutting the distance between him and San. Up close, they're nearly the same height, and now, San's finally looking at him with those golden eyes. Wooyoung can't breathe. "I -- I still wanted to help."

San's amber eyes narrow, the colour like flames. Wooyoung feels hot. "I never asked for your help."

"Well, too fucking bad," Wooyoung growls lowly, unable to look away from San's face. "You owe me. Again."

San's looking too, expression inscrutable and stoic. Wooyoung would sell his soul to know what he's thinking.

"You don't know me," San says. His face is still hard, still impenetrable, but Wooyoung feels he can get through to him soon enough because San hasn't looked away yet.

"Then..." Wooyoung shifts closer. "Then let me know you."

San reaches out, presumably to push him away even when that's the last thing Wooyoung wants, but his fingers barely graze his arm before a shrill notification bell clashes with the heated atmosphere.

San breaks eye contact as Wooyoung digs through his pockets for his phone. He doesn't know why his hands are shaking.

San exits the bathroom without another word, and Wooyoung deflates.

He has a bunch of messages, all of them from 'Hongjoong'. While The Golden Clover is known and loved all over the city, Wooyoung doesn't have many real life friends.

- JOONGBOT
commercial shoot on in two hours, 5:15 pm.

- JOONGBOT
best to arrive at lair in an hour.

- JOONGBOT
suit restoration also complete.

- JOONGBOT
goodbye.

A bit annoyed his 'moment' with San's been prematurely interrupted, Wooyoung rage-texts the older his reply, the lump in his throat growing larger and larger.

- WOOYOUNG
got too lszy to type this out urself that u haf to snd a bot didnt yu

- WOOYOUNG
nice fukin timing too

The texts enter, and after five seconds Hongjoong himself replies.

- HONGJOONG🐿
are you okay woo?
did something happen?

- WOOYOUNG
no.
im comjn soon anyway
bye

- HONGJOONG🐿
you're not spelling correctly, which means you're mad at something

- HONGJOONG🐿
what is it

- WOOYOUNG
i said its nothing!!!!

Wooyoung switches off his phone, not knowing why he's so emotional all of a sudden. Maybe it's due to San's harsh words that stung more than usual, maybe it's how close he and San had gotten before Hongjoong's bot messages came between that. Maybe it's even due to the evening shoot now scheduled an hour earlier than before, cutting his free time short.

He contemplates just engaging his teleportation slide to pick him up, but then remembers Jongho still has his card. Which would lead to yet another awkward encounter with San. Fuck.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

"...And that's why Twilightvaganza is already the best in the business. It's made from Zium, just like my hero suit!" Wooyoung finishes off his script, his smile tighter than ever. His facial muscles hurt real bad, but the cameras are on, and he can't afford to let his composure slip.

The amusement park is truly a sight to behold tonight with its assortment of food stands, glowing neon arcades, ginormous, complicated rides and heaps of decorations. Any other day Wooyoung would bask in this atmosphere, but he's too tired to enjoy a thing.

Not to mention, San just won't get out of his head.

Wooyoung snaps back to reality to take pictures with the kid actors, even signing their balloons from them. Their excitement is palpable and real, forcing the hero into keeping his jovial mood until they leave.

As soon as they do, Wooyoung stalks off into a corner, unmindful of the phones following him. The extras had been advised not to film, but no one listens whenever he's concerned.

He taps the gadget on his wrist, dipping his head to speak. "The shoot is done."

"You took pictures, right?"

"Of course. Now can I leave?" Wooyoung begs.

"You can."

"No night missions, right?"

"None that I know of."

Wooyoung nods, well aware the bracelet's motion sensors are recording him right this moment. "Okay. Can you like, order some pizza or something?"

Hongjoong doesn't reply immediately, which quickly bothers Wooyoung.

"Hyung?"

"Wooyoung," Hongjoong sounds incredibly frustrated.

"Hmm?"

"Headquarters just alerted me of an intruder. The location sphere's picking up on a type of metal that's...headed your way."

Wooyoung's eyes dart upwards, something large and heavy aiming for him. A bus.

Loud screams pierce the atmosphere just as Wooyoung leaps into the air, catching the vehicle with his bare hands. The weight of it almost sends him crashing into the ground, but he swiftly withstands the pressure, stopping it from harming the people below.

"Oh my fucking god," Wooyoung whispers, because what the actual fuck. He zigzags over rooftops, muscles aching beneath his suit as he searches for the safest place to land the old bus. This is the heaviest thing Wooyoung has had to carry in the air so far, so he's more than relieved when a landfill appears to drop the heap of metal upon.

Wooyoung starts flying back to the amusement park, hoping no one has been hurt when something rough knocks into him. He tumbles through the air, stopping himself before he slams into a rollercoaster and puts a dent in his suit again.

Vision momentarily blurred and mind spinning, Wooyoung narrowly misses the scraps of metal aimed at him. He dodges them in the nick of time, diving to grab them before they fall and kill anyone. There are so many eyes, so many cameras, and Wooyoung just wants them to fucking get the hell out --

A boulder crashes into him, catching him off-guard. He smashes into the ground but he's up in an instant, sirens and helicopters whirring up ahead. How the hell do they always get here in minutes --

Wooyoung's train of thought is sliced through when a hooded figure in one of the further buildings captures his attention. His pulse races, because he's seen this before. He knows this guy.

A newfound strength coursing through him, Wooyoung ignores the Hero.Sphere helicopters and sprints straight ahead into a building, gaining on the silhouette in seconds.

"You again!" Wooyoung shouts. An office desk -- of all things -- rams into his abdomen. It doesn't hurt, but it does slow him down. Fuck!

He zooms past pillars and numerous rooms, crashing through wood when the man opens his palm and throws a door his way.

Wooyoung jumps just as the guy's about to evade him again, activating his Zia-Accelerator despite his pride. As soon as he hits the floor, the ground cracks like glass, ripping apart.

The hooded man falls over, his left leg taking most of the fall. Wooyoung almost feels bad, even when he knows he should have no sympathy for someone who's repeatedly tried to kill him.

"So, we meet again." Wooyoung is beside the guy before long. He kneels next to him, ears picking up on the helicopters spinning above.

The strong tang of blood invades his nostrils, and before Wooyoung knows what he's doing, he's lifting up the man's pant leg.

Deep red drips down the man's shin, sending Wooyoung's thoughts into overdrive.

"You tried to hurt me, but now you're the one who's more hurt," Wooyoung says, his mind racing. His fingers tremble as he gently touches the skin. "I can help. You just have to let me know who you are."

The man's jaw sets in both pain and fury, limping himself to his feet in a matter of seconds. Wooyoung hurriedly stands as well, stuck in place.

Capture him, idiot! He's gonna get away again! His mind roars, loud and urgent, and he moves, landing in front of the masked man. "I'm not letting you leave until...until you let me help you."

The helicopters draw closer. "Any moment from now, this place will be surrounded," Wooyoung continues. "So let me help. You're injured, so you won't make it far."

"I'm not going with you," the man speaks, low and quiet. His left leg is still bleeding and...why does Wooyoung feel bad?

Wooyoung feels about his suit's ribs, clicking on an opening. Something small and rectangular shoots out, falling into his palm.

The man is as frozen as a statue when Wooyoung holds his hand and drops it in.

"A teleportation slide. Press on it and it'll take you wherever you need to go," Wooyoung explains. "I'll catch you when you're stronger. Healthier."

The villain's lips part, sharply inhaling when voices near the establishment. Wooyoung takes a couple steps back as the man engages the teleportation slide and a thin white light surrounds him like a cloak. He vanishes immediately.

Wooyoung, heartbeat ricocheting like crazy within his chest, speeds out the building to do some damage control.

Hongjoong is gonna be so mad.

▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎

a/n: wooyoung is whipped fr fr
thoughts on this chap?

also mingi??!! he looks so good oml
ctto