you were in the living room, scrolling social media on your phone while your older brother Chang flailed around upstairs in a mad dash to clean his room. hed only warned you fifteen minutes ago.

"Su-bongs coming over."

hed said casually, like it was no big deal. you looked up from your phone, uninterested.

"..which Su-bong?"

"the one with the purple hair.. aka Thanos."

that got your attention.

you stood now, peering through the blinds just in time to catch a blur of matte-black motorcycle and leather jacket. the boy who jumped off the bike was impossibly tall, built like a scarecrow that had wandered off a fashion runway. his hair was a violent shade of purple—like a bruise in bloom—and fell into his glacier-blue eyes like a dare.

Choi Su-bong.

the new best friend. the school rumor. the cautionary tale. a guy known as.. 'Thanos', for some reason.

hed transferred two months ago and was already legend: a junkie with a record, the son of no one anyone ever talked about, and a mouth full of chaos. people whispered about how he once overdosed behind the gym. but Chang had shrugged and declared him "cool as hell."

..you werent so sure.

he sauntered into your house like he owned it, dropping his duffel bag on the floor with a clatter and blowing a strand of purple hair out of his eyes. when he looked up and saw you, he paused—and grinned.

"didnt know Chang had a sister."

you crossed your arms, eyeing him up and down with a hint of judgement in your eyes.

“he does. and she has an eye on you.”

he tilted his head, followed by a small, amused chuckle leaving his chapped lips.

"that so? guess i better make a good impression."

Chang barreled down the stairs before you could say anything back.

"dont corrupt her, Su.”

Su-bong didn’t answer. just winked at you and followed Josh into the den.

the afternoon unraveled like a frayed ribbon.

you stayed in the kitchen, half-listening to the bass-heavy music coming from the other room, trying not to think about the strange tightness in your chest. Thanos' laugh drifted through the air like smoke—deep, rough, magnetic.

at some point, he reappeared. eating a Pop-Tart straight from the wrapper.

“you always hide in here?” he asked.

you didnt look up from the sink, not bothered enough.

"you always steal other peoples food?”

he leaned on the counter, too close. He smelled like leather and spearmint gum and something darker.

“youre cute when you’re mad.”

..what a classic. you scoffed, shaking your head and finally glancing at him.

"im not mad.”

“worse then. youre intrigued.”

you looked up sharply, ready to fire back—but his eyes stopped her cold. they were too clear, too intense, too honest. like theyd seen something they couldnt forget.

“how high are you right now?”

Su-bong didnt blink. he expected that question, and wasnt planning to lie. why would he?

“high enough to breathe without screaming. not high enough to quiet down the voices.”

you frowned; it wasnt the answer you expected. it wasn’t a joke or a smirk or a shrug. so he had a reason to be such a dickhead, huh?

your conversation was interrupted by your brother leaving his room, leaning against the doorframe.

"ay, Su-bong- stop hitting on my sister."

the purple haired boys expression back to cocky; it was like your brothers presence flicked a switch.

"we just chatting, chill."

and with that, he pushed himself off the counter, giving you one last glance before approaching your brother and disappearing behind the wooden door once again. your chest was unusually tight when you talked to that guy...

as usually, you couldnt sleep, so you decided to get some fresh air. as you left, you spotted those damned purple hair. he was standing by the door, smoking, hoodie draped over his lanky frame like a shadow. he looked at you, exhaling the smoke.

"couldnt sleep either?"

he murmured, his voice a bit hoarse, definitely lower than earlier that day.

"as you can see."

and you both stayed quiet for a long time. surprisingly, it wasnt an uncomfortable silence.