Chapter Text
Apparently, Yeonjun was not ready to let Beomgyu go. Even when the raven was so certain Yeonjun wanted to leave after their meeting, the blue-haired man refused to let him go.
“Geez, stop being a baby and let me be happy! You know how long it took just for us to reunite?” Yeonjun began, pulling the other closer to him. He kept himself linked to Beomgyu’s arm, grinning. “I’m not letting you go, Gyu.”
“Y-Yeah. I mean, I understand and everything, but still!” Beomgyu whined as Yeonjun ruffled his hair for what felt like the nth time. “I thought you were mad at me and everything!”
“And I thought I told you to stop being so hard on yourself,” the man retorted, sighing a little. “I’m not Soobin or Taehyun or Hueningkai, so just accept that I’m not as mad as them.”
“But…” Beomgyu narrowed his gaze. “Wouldn’t Soobin get mad at you? You’re talking to the guy who had a huge argument with him…”
“I mean, he won’t get mad at me.” Yeonjun chuckled a little, leading Beomgyu down the street. “The most he’ll do is think you’re going to end up hurting me or something. Y’know, protective boyfriend things.”
“Uhuh.” The raven curiously watched Yeonjun as he was dragged to a clothing store. He narrowed his gaze at the unfamiliar store, though it was obvious within seconds that the bluenette was merely touring him around. “Yeah. Sounds like Soobin alright.”
Yeonjun chuckled a little, but led him into the store. It was a rather small store, though it was obvious the bluenette was a regular, the workers who were inside grinning and welcoming him. They were rather curious to find Beomgyu walking inside, though one in particular raised a brow, an expression of pure concern and disgust riding her face.
“Yeonjun-ssi.” The woman walked towards the man, frowning. “Is that who I think it is?”
“Hey, noona.” Yeonjun made a small smile, scratching the back of his head. “Yes, but don’t worry. We’ve made up. He’s harmless, I swear.”
The employee was not convinced. She only furrowed her brows, shooting Beomgyu a glare. “And you’re sure about that? He won’t try to hurt you?”
“Noona, it’s fine. He’s just a little bear.” He pulled Beomgyu closer to him, squeezing his hand. “He knows what he did. He’s trying to make it up to me and the rest.”
“So, he’s not uncomfortable with you anymore?”
Yeonjun sighed a little. He looked at the woman, pleading with his face. “Please, you know Beomgyu’s not homophobic. He’d never be harmful. It was just… bad timing. The whole argument and everything with Soobinnie and the others. Besides, you know how the Internet works. Them and the haters we had.”
I knew I wasn’t homophobic! Er, the other Beomgyu, I mean!
The woman looked hesitant. She glanced at Beomgyu for a moment, then looked back at Yeonjun. She sighed in return, shaking her head. “Alright. As long as you’re safe, Yeonjun-ssi.”
“Of course. Thanks, noona.” He beamed. He tugged at Beomgyu’s hand. “Do you want anything here? There’s a lot of nice clothes here. Probably one of my favorite places to shop, in my opinion.”
“Geez, I feel like I should be buying you something though, hyung.”
“Hmm? Nonsense, you’re a baby to me.” Yeonjun smirked, amused at the man’s expense. “I have to treat you well, my little brother.”
Beomgyu pouted, but decided to give in. He looked at the taller male who was currently looking through some clothes, humming happily to himself. Yeonjun was in a good mood, which was obvious given from how joyful his expressions and movements were.
It made Beomgyu wonder how long it’s been since Yeonjun even saw Beomgyu- well, the Beomgyu that was in this world. He wasn’t sure, though understood it was obvious that the blue-haired man missed him.
Yeonjun grinned as he held up a fluffy coat. He gestured Beomgyu to come over. “I think this would fit you.”
“Mm, maybe.” Beomgyu held his arms out, letting the elder put it on him. He flapped his arms about, grinning innocently at Yeonjun. “Do I look good?”
“You look like a little duckling,” he teased, smirking. “Do you like it? Or do you want something else?”
Beomgyu laughed a little. He nudged the coat out from his body, now holding it in his arms. “It feels nice, hyung. I’ll look around though. Can I buy something for you?”
“Hmm, you’re still on about that?” Yeonjun raised a brow, rather intrigued. “Didn’t think Mr. Mischievous here would be so nice to me~”
“I’m always nice!” he retorted.
“Doubtful.” Though once Yeonjun recognized Beomgyu’s discomfort, he quickly held the man’s head, cradling him. “Anyways, Gyu, go look around. If you want to really buy something for me, don’t worry about the price. Make it as cheap as you want.”
Beomgyu shook his head. He allowed Yeonjun to spoil him, however, enjoying how the older man was cradling his head. It was as if he was meant to be protected, Yeonjun as his bodyguard and personal protector. It made him feel safe, especially when he could still feel holes being burned in his head from the looks some of the employees and customers were giving him.
Goddamn, how much did I even do to ruin my reputation this much? Do people really believe I’m some horrible person that easily-?
Well, that makes sense though. I did ruin the group- could’ve had a great time performing at Lollapalooza if we didn’t disband. Geez…
Once Yeonjun stopped babying him, the raven decided to look around the store. There were a couple things that he knew Yeonjun would like, though the man wasn’t sure if Yeonjun already bought such clothes. For all Beomgyu knew, Yeonjun could’ve bought the entire store and was simply introducing the man to the place.
Oh well. I just need to find something he really likes. Let’s see…
Beomgyu walked to one of the aisles, humming as he saw a couple of shirts and tank tops. His focus shifted towards a blue shirt, noting the cute little graphics on it. He wondered if it’d fit Yeonjun well, though decided to keep it on him at the moment. If not, then Yeonjun could find something else. He’d see how the man would react, he supposed.
“Why is he in the store?”
“I saw him with Yeonjun-ssi earlier. Did they make up or something?”
Ah, people are still talking about me.
The man wasn’t sure what to do, only pursing his lips. He decided to slowly walk away, even though he could feel the intense stares of those inside.
Maybe it was a mistake to leave, especially when Yeonjun was now currently engaged in a conversation with one of the workers. The raven shifted to another aisle, though he knew, at some point, people would notice and follow him, if not continue to gossip even more.
“I wouldn’t forgive him if I was Yeonjun-ssi.”
“Same. After the stuff he’s done to him and the others… He ruined their careers and just ran off.”
Beomgyu held his breath. He wasn’t sure where to look, what to do. He stared down at one of the shirts on display, yet he couldn’t focus. He could vaguely memorize what was on the shirt, only seeing red with his ears ringing and breath hitched.
“The nerve of him to even show up here! I swear Yeonjun-ssi’s too nice sometimes.”
“I’m surprised as well. The amount of hate he still gets just for dating his boyfriend too… I’d be pissed if the guy who started everything was here with me.”
Yeah, no. It was definitely a mistake to leave Yeonjun. He should’ve known many wouldn’t be so kind and sweet as him. He should’ve known many would’ve judged him, gossip and ponder over him.
He felt like he was frozen in time, just staring, forcing himself to keep calm. He knew he wasn’t like that, wasn’t like what they were saying. He knew that even the other Beomgyu wouldn’t be like that, especially if Yeonjun saw him as a good, sweet person.
It was just… the perception of others on him. He shouldn’t be so affected by it, but he was, standing still. He was completely and utterly silent. He couldn’t even move, didn’t even budge from his spot.
“... Beomgyu!”
“H-Huh?” Beomgyu turned back to find Yeonjun tapping his shoulder. He was startled with a fright, inches away from the older man whose eyes widened at the sudden movement. “W-Were you behind me this whole time?”
“No?” He cocked his head to the side. He lifted up a tote bag, smiling a little. “I just thought you might like this, so I went to look for you. Are you okay though? You were spacing out.”
Beomgyu sucked in his cheeks. He glanced around the room, looking at the few customers who were hurriedly walking past him and Yeonjun now. He bit his lip, then nodded, smiling at Yeonjun. “I’m fine. I was just wondering if you’d like anything here.”
Yeonjun eyed him curiously, but nodded. “I’m fine with anything. Surprise me.”
Beomgyu chuckled a little, though reached for the tote bag Yeonjun held out. It was a simple tote bag, cream in color. There were small flowers and stars inked on the bag, a rather childish sort of look. “Hmm… This looks cute, hyung.”
“Yeah? I think it fits you.” He smirked teasingly. “It’d go well with the coat. You can wear it for both autumn and winter.”
“You’re right.” Beomgyu chuckled, though held out the blue shirt. “I think you’d like this, Junnie.”
“Oh?” Yeonjun took the shirt. He held it out, putting it side-by-side to him. A cheeky grin escaped his lips. “Aah, sure. I’d wear this… Oh! Wait, idea. We should wear what we buy for each other then! Let’s dress each other up.”
The raven couldn’t help but chuckle. “Pssh, isn’t that going to be a lot of money for you?”
“Yah, you know I’m making more than you now, right? I’m basically HYBE’s golden boy.” Yeonjun smirked, wiggling his eyebrows. Confidence was brimming all over his face. “Besides, this can just be for fun! If you like what I give you, I’ll buy them. If you get me an outfit, I’ll happily let you buy it for me. Sounds good?”
Beomgyu narrowed his gaze at the other. Honestly, he’d rather not have Yeonjun spend so much on him, but with how happy and sweet the man looked, he honestly couldn’t deny him from having fun. He smiled a little, nodding.
“Oh, definitely. Sounds like a deal, hyung.”
This way, he can hopefully ignore the looks people were still throwing his way.
Once Yeonjun and Beomgyu had changed into their respective clothing, it was quite obvious that Yeonjun styled Beomgyu well. Always having a keen eye for fashion, Beomgyu honestly wasn’t surprised that he loved what he was currently wearing.
It was surprising, however, when Yeonjun stated that he liked his own outfit that Beomgyu gave him. The raven wasn’t exactly the most confident when it came to designing, but it looked like his keen eye for art was enough to take him somewhere . Yeonjun was particularly happy with the clothes chosen, so he gave Beomgyu the go to order them.
The cashier was quite uncomfortable with Beomgyu, though he couldn’t blame her given the amount of attention he has received thus far. He only had her introversion to thank, for he’d definitely not want to get into a conversation with her when she already had her own perceptions of how he was like.
Once Beomgyu got his bag full of clothes for Yeonjun, he waited patiently as Yeonjun smiled brightly at the cashier. In an instant, she was talkative, now making Beomgyu uncertain as to whether she was extroverted or not. She happily engaged in small talk with the man who paid with his card, then waved him goodbye as he walked towards Beomgyu, handing his bag out.
They exchanged, and soon they were out of the door.
“How was it?” Yeonjun asked, linking arms with the other. He had a happy step in his walk, grinning at the other. “Did you like it?”
“Yeah, I liked it.” Beomgyu smiled. “They had nice clothes there!”
“Exactly!” Yeonjun was grinning from ear to ear now, laughing. “Now then, are you hungry or anything? We only drank coffee at the cafe, so I want to take you out. What are you in the mood for?”
“For food? Hyung, that’s so much money-”
“Shush, I’m richer than you now.” Yeonjun elbowed the man lightly, though it still caused Beomgyu to yelp. “Do you want something in particular? Pho? BBQ? Hamburgers?”
“Umm… Hamburgers?”
“Are you just saying that because it’s cheaper?”
“Maybe. No- Ow, yeah, you got me!”
Yeonjun laughed a little, almost a second away from elbowing Beomgyu again. “C’mon, I know you must be hungry for something . Do you really just want burgers, or do you want something else? Like… Hm, I don’t know, steak or something?”
“Oh.” Beomgyu gulped. He felt like he was going to drool at the thought of it. “Steak does sound good right now…”
Yeonjun grinned. It was obvious he knew what Beomgyu felt. “Exactly. I guess we’re going to have steak then!”
Without anything else to say, Yeonjun instantly led them towards a steakhouse. It was a couple minutes away, but it was enough for Beomgyu to still feel people staring at them, mostly aimed at Beomgyu. If anything, it felt like Yeonjun was a daily sight for people, as if his celebrity status wasn’t enough for them.
Which is kinda strange, no cap.
Or, maybe Beomgyu was overthinking it. Maybe it was a good thing. Maybe Yeonjun had gotten close to everyone near HYBE, which would make sense. The bluenette was quite charismatic, and he was a romantic and the perfect friend to anyone. It’d make sense if people were used to Yeonjun, even if the barrier between a normal human being and an idol would scare plenty.
Or, maybe it was due to Beomgyu’s own presence that many chose to ignore Yeonjun? He honestly wouldn’t disregard it as an option. It was most likely the case anyways, and the raven wasn’t sure if Yeonjun was even aware of the looks people were throwing their way.
Yeonjun patted the back of Beomgyu’s head, leading him into the restaurant.
Inside the restaurant, Yeonjun waved over at the employees who were nearby, welcoming them in. It wasn’t too busy, the raven noted, so it was easy for the waiters to simply tell them to find a spot. With that, Yeonjun nodded. He led Beomgyu to a seat, smiling as he spoke fondly over the many different dishes on the menu. Most of them, of course, including steak.
“Hey, Yeonjun-hyung!”
Yeonjun grinned widely as he waved at the waiter. “Hey there! How’s work?”
“Pretty well.” The waiter grinned, genuine happiness on his face. “I saw Sakura-noona and Chaewon-noona a few hours ago. Told me to tell you to collab with them on TikTok later or something.”
“Oh, yeah, they texted me about it.” Yeonjun nodded. “I’ll text them again about it. Thanks.”
“Yup!” The man then glanced over at Beomgyu. He cocked his head to the side, curiosity written all over his face. “Hmm? Aren’t you Beomgyu-ssi?”
The raven instantly felt embarrassed. “Oh, um, yeah.”
“Oh, cool! I’m just a part-timer here, but for ‘ol trend’s sake, just call me Mr. Kim.” The waiter clapped his hands together. “Yeonjun-hyung and the others liked calling me that… just because I looked older than they thought.”
A sigh of relief escaped Beomgyu.
Well, at least that’s one person who isn’t going to kill me today. Why is this kid less judgmental than everyone else?
“Anyways, do you guys have something you want to drink?”
Yeonjun raised a hand. “Oh, I’ll just get some water.”
“Great!” The man looked over at Beomgyu. “And you?”
“Um, water’s fine with me.” Beomgyu chuckled a little. “Thanks.”
The waiter chuckled in return, now walking away to grab their drinks. This left Beomgyu alone with Yeonjun, the bluenette now humming to himself as the raven watched him, observed him from where he sat.
It felt surreal, in a way, reuniting with Yeonjun. He knew it wasn’t him , but it still felt impossible after everything he’s seen and heard. He wasn’t even expecting Yeonjun to forgive him, to allow him to speak to him.
Kindness at its peak, he supposed.
Either way, Beomgyu decided to take notice of those who were inside the steakhouse, customers and employees in general. There weren’t many customers due to lunch having passed, though employees were waiting, if not at least tending to the few customers inside. He heard couples chattering, then friends, then families with their grandparents and relatives and kids.
He could make out everything they were saying as their voices echoed throughout the steakhouse. Even his own voice could probably be echoed, though he refrained from speaking for now.
He didn’t necessarily want to catch anyone’s attention, especially if they might look at him weirdly.
Once their drinks were passed, orders were taken, and a side dish of bread was given. Yeonjun immediately grabbed a slice of sourdough and hummed as he bit into it, Beomgyu himself taking a roll of bread and spreading butter on the top.
There was a ring. A familiar tune.
Ah, that’s Crown.
Yeonjun quickly picked it up, putting the phone to his ear. “Hello? … Oh, hey! What’s up? Did you miss me already?”
Within an instant, Beomgyu could tell that Yeonjun was speaking to Soobin. The fondness in Yeonjun’s face, how the blue-haired man’s features were lit up. The way Yeonjun was so sweet, so doting while on the phone—it made Beomgyu ache to know how much he had apparently hurt Soobin.
“Hmm? Of course, babe.” The bluenette chuckled a little. “I’ll buy you some. You’re so cute, wanting to eat with me~”
Beomgyu chuckled a little. It’s not like he had any say. If Soobin didn’t want to talk to him, that was that.
Still, he couldn’t help but wonder what Soobin was saying, how the man acted. He couldn’t help but long to hear Soobin, to see him again.
“Mhm, yeah, I’ll come at night.” Yeonjun chuckled. “I’m just eating at the steakhouse right now. There’s nothing in my schedule for today, so I can come, don’t worry.”
With that, the phone call ended after a couple minutes. Specifically, the moment when the orders were ready, Mr. Kim handing them their food. Yeonjun quickly hung up after making a couple kissing noises to Soobin, then grinned as he tucked the phone away.
“Sorry, sorry.” The bluenette grinned amusingly at Beomgyu. “That was my boyfriend~”
“Hyung, it’s obvious that it was Soobin-hyung.” Beomgyu rolled his eyes, chuckling a little. “I’m surprised though! You chose food over Soobinnie?”
“You’re making me sound like a bad boyfriend.” Yeonjun chuckled in return, though rubbed his hands together as he looked down at his food. “I’m buying him something later, so I’m definitely the pinnacle definition of a boyfriend.”
“Just because you’re buying him food?”
Yeonjun laughed, now staring at the steak with sparkling eyes. His hands were hovered over the dish, fork and knife in each one. “Of course! No one can resist food, Beommie.”
Beomgyu supposed Yeonjun was correct. Either way, it was time for them to enjoy their meal.
As expected (or maybe Beomgyu was hungry), he devoured the food. It was delicious, the man having finished his food earlier before Yeonjun who was happily indulging in his food, listening to Beomgyu as he decided to speak, breaking the air. The duo confided in each other, trying to catch up.
More so, Beomgyu decided to let Yeonjun do all the talking. The raven knew Yeonjun was curious in his life, but he honestly wasn’t sure what was appropriate to say. The most that he could and believed was that he had been stuck in Daegu, at home to sulk and stick to his family.
Completely different from Yeonjun who detailed so much about his life. He heard how Yeonjun and Soobin rented out an apartment, wanting to live a rather comfortable life in a studio. Apparently, Soobin was still helping out when it came to music, having given Yeonjun ideas for songs and production. From what Yeonjun said, Soobin had even decided to take up more than a couple of instruments to play, especially when he was handed a guitar as a present from Hueningkai.
Then, Yeonjun continued to ramble on about his own life, saying how his parents and relatives were completely supportive of his decisions in life. No matter what happened, they supported him, and Yeonjun’s gleam in his eyes never faltered as he spoke fondly of his mother and father. He even managed to keep in contact with some of the TXT stylists and management staff, saying that Jisoo-nim in particular was in Yeonjun’s team of personnel.
“-and I guess it’s cool, though sometimes I wish we could do To Do again and everything. It’s much more fun to be with you guys than to be alone.” Yeonjun grinned, chomping down on his last piece of meat. “But anyways! It’s pretty fun.”
Beomgyu laughed a little. “Yeah, you’re right.”
Yeonjun nodded, though raised his hand up, calling Mr. Kim over. He quickly pointed over at the menu. “I’ll get this to go, thanks. Oh, and give me the check.”
Mr. Kim threw the man a thumbs up, then briskly left.
Yeonjun hummed to himself, though kept his gaze on Beomgyu. He eyed him curiously, looking at him with amusing eyes. “Anywhere you want to go after this? Your parents aren’t expecting you at a specific time, right?”
“Oh, no, I just told them I’ll go out.” Beomgyu grinned a little, scratching the back of his head. “I don’t know where we’d go next though.”
“Hmm, you can think about it.” Yeonjun stood up from his seat. “I need to go to the restroom. I’ll be back though. Get an idea when you get it though!”
Once the blue-haired man left, Beomgyu automatically felt uncomfortable now. It was as if people were now beginning to stare at him again, judging him. With the comfort of his hyung gone, he was alone, a deer in headlights. He looked down at his thighs, holding his breath.
Right, let’s just, uh, think about where we should go next. What would I even be in the mood for?
He thought about Seoul, then about his own hobbies, then Yeonjun’s own. He wasn’t sure if Yeonjun would want to do something exciting or if he’d prefer to lay back. He wasn’t sure how much energy Yeonjun had, though Beomgyu was honestly leaning towards a place that wasn’t so packed and full of eyes that were staring at him, looking at him, glaring at him.
Oh, some pairs of eyes were now way too close to him. Beomgyu slowly looked up, finding a couple of guys staring down at him. They looked a little older than Beomgyu, though surely not too old. Maybe around Yeonjun’s age, or close there.
“You there.” A judgmental, fierce look was thrown straight at the raven. “You’re Choi Beomgyu, right?”
Ah shit. This isn’t going to go well.
Beomgyu forced a polite smile, nodding a little. “Yes. Can I help you?”
“I can’t believe it,” one of the guys from the back spoke, frowning. He was shaking his head. “To think he’d show himself up in Seoul, talking to someone like Yeonjun…”
“Yeah, right.” The man from the front continued to stare at Beomgyu, glaring daggers down at him. “Why are you with Yeonjun? Why are you even showing yourself up here when you’re insane?”
“What?” The raven wasn’t sure what to say. He knew his stomach was churning, his throat running dry. “I’m sorry?”
“You think you can worm your way into Yeonjun’s life? You’re taking advantage of him!” he cried out, anger and disgust apparent on his face. “You’re going to hurt him again. What? Do you just want to ruin his career again?”
“What? No, of course I don’t!” Beomgyu wasn’t sure what to do. His heart was beating quickly. Blood was rushing to his head. “W-Why would you think that?”
The man scowled. “Isn’t it obvious? You’re the one who caused your own group to disband and everything. Now you’re here acting like you own these streets by acting all buddy-buddy with Yeonjun?”
“I-I’m not acting!” he cried out, frowning. “We made up! W-Why is it any of your business anyways? Leave me and Yeonjun-hyung alone!”
“You’re taking advantage of his kindness, obviously.” One of the individuals in the group hissed. “You should’ve let him go. Just leave him alone. We’re not going to let you hurt him.”
Are you kidding me? This fucking sucks!
Beomgyu shook his head. Heat continued to rise to his head. He felt dizzy, lightheaded. “I won’t hurt him! Just leave me alone. I’m not going to hurt him, I promise.”
“Really? How can we trust you when you’re such a fucking rat?”
“I’m not a rat! What the fuck are you talking about?!”
“Are you serious? What gives you the right to be mad?!”
Beomgyu’s eyes widened. The last thing he saw was a fist being raised, and then the next, nothing. His eyes were shut, and it was dead silent.
A second passed. Slowly, he opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was Yeonjun who was on the ground. The blue-haired man was clearly in pain, wincing. His hand was cupping his cheek, eyes the slightest bit watery.
“H-Hyung!”
Beomgyu rushed down to Yeonjun’s side. He grabbed his shoulders. He couldn’t breathe, only focused on the blue-haired man who was in pain, groaning. “Are you okay? Are you hurt- of course you’re hurt, but holy shit, are you okay?!”
“B-Beomgyu, it’s fine.” Yeonjun forced a laugh, shaking his head.
Beomgyu’s lips quivered. Eyes watery, he shot a glare up at the group, the leader stumbling back. “W-What’s wrong with you guys?! You hurt him!”
“What are you talking about?! That was meant for you!” the man cried out, stuttering. “I-I didn’t- You’re the one who was supposed to get hit! Y-Yeonjun-ssi, why did you protect him?”
“Guys, geez…” Yeonjun rubbed his cheek, forcing a small smile. He forced himself to his feet, looking at the group. “There’s no need to hurt him. I’m fine .”
“Y-You- You can’t trust him so easily though! What if he’s just trying to use you?”
“What would he even use me for?” The blue-haired man laughed a little, shaking his head. “Guys, please. I chose to forgive him. It’s my decision.”
“How are you so sure of that though?” one of them asked, shock on their face. “He could literally backstab you!”
“You don’t know him at all.” Yeonjun narrowed his gaze. The smile on his face dropped. He was staring intensely at the group now, pursing his lips. “I’m the one who chose to forgive Beomgyu. I know him more than you guys, so please stop acting like you’re doing this to protect me. He’s fine! I’m fine with him! He’s not homophobic!”
“H-He’s not?”
“Of course he isn’t! Even if he was , people can change, can’t they? It might be hard to believe, but people can change! Geez.” Yeonjun grabbed Beomgyu’s hand, holding him, squeezing him tightly. He turned around, looking at the man. “Are you okay?”
“Y-Yeah…” Beomgyu wasn’t even sure what to do. He only looked over at Yeonjun, then at the group that slowly dispersed. There was a long sigh that escaped him, and he forced himself to look back at the older man. He reached for his cheek, frowning a little when Yeonjun flinched. “Do… You should get that treated. Jesus, hyung, I’m sorry. I-”
“No! No, it’s fine. Really.” Yeonjun forced a smile, shaking his head. “I took the blow for you. I can’t let you get hurt, so it’s fine.”
“But Yeonjun…” Beomgyu held his breath. “It was meant for me.”
“Shut up, Gyu.” The bluenette quickly dropped the topic, now raising his hand as Mr. Kim hesitantly passed them the bill, also handing them a takeout box of food. Yeonjun pulled out his card and grinned, watching as the waiter left again. “Thanks.”
Beomgyu sighed softly. He honestly believed that Yeonjun should’ve let it go—would’ve made it easier on everyone anyways. If anything, it would make sense for him to get hurt, not Yeonjun who was definitely going to end up in a rumor for the bruise… if someone hadn’t already recorded the altercation.
Once the bill had been paid and Yeonjun had the takeout box in his hands, he led Beomgyu out the door. Swiftly, the raven ignored everything. The stares, the murmurs—everything. He focused solely on his breath, unaware of where Yeonjun was dragging him to.
It was the park, Yeonjun sighing as he sat down, slumping against the back of the chair. “Ugh, I think I need to take some pain meds later.”
Beomgyu pursed his lips. Sitting next to the man, staring down at his shoes, he couldn’t help but frown. “Sorry about that.”
Yeonjun sighed. He looked at the raven and frowned, waving his hand dismissively. “Yeesh, you apologize a lot nowadays. What was this? Your fifth or so apology? It’s fine. I did this to myself. I’m used to it.”
“Used to defending me…?”
“Um, something like that.” He cheekily laughed. “Didn’t really end up getting hurt until now though.”
“You don’t have to defend me though.”
“Geez, you’re weird.” Yeonjun raised a brow, now curious. He kept a hand to his cheek, however, rubbing it lightly. “It’s fine. Whatever attention I get doesn’t matter to me. I’m more concerned about that group getting fired from their jobs or something because one of them accidentally hit me.”
Beomgyu couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You’re worried for them?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” He sighed. “It’s not like I wish ill upon anyone. They didn’t want to hurt me anyways.”
Beomgyu frowned. He wasn’t exactly sure what to say to that. He only eyed the man, worried that Yeonjun would hurt himself further if he looked away. He didn’t know why, but he couldn’t help but worry.
And it sounded like someone else was worried, footsteps becoming louder as a voice cried out from afar.
“Yeonjun!”
Beomgyu found himself freezing up in place. That voice was so eerily familiar. A sweet and smooth sounding voice, it made his heart clench. He nervously sucked in his inner cheeks, pursing his lips.
That’s definitely…
“S-Soobin?” Yeonjun stuttered, eyes widening. He looked ahead as Soobin was rushing over to him, reading glasses and tote bag on his casual outfit. The bluenette would’ve gawked at the sight of his boyfriend if he didn’t wince from the pain on his cheek. “Ow, shit.”
“Yeonjun, what happened? I heard from Mr. Kim and everything. Is everything alright? Is-”
Soobin’s eyes landed on Beomgyu. Instantly, his voice died down. He froze, standing only a couple steps away.
Beomgyu held his breath. He could feel it. The intense stare, the judgmental look. More importantly, however, he felt how utterly concerned Soobin was, noticing how Soobin’s face dropped into one out of pure anger.
“W-What are you doing here?” he asked, undeniably cold. He was glaring daggers down at Beomgyu, lips trembling. “Why are you with Yeonjun-hyung?”
The bluenette instantly shook his head. “Hey, Soobinnie, it’s okay! He’s with me.”
“H-He- What?” Soobin’s expression contorted into shock. Then, hurt. He looked at Yeonjun for a moment, then bit his lip. He frowned as he looked back at Beomgyu. “A-Are you the reason why Yeonjun’s hurt?”
Beomgyu couldn’t help but gasp. “What?”
“Soobin, it’s okay.” Yeonjun reached for Soobin’s hand, squeezing it. “I did it to myself. It’s fine.”
“N-No, it’s not!” Soobin narrowed his gaze. He glared angrily at Beomgyu, pointing at him. “Why are you even here?! You’re supposed to be back in Daegu!”
It sounded so accusatory, so harsh. Beomgyu couldn’t help but flinch a little. While he knew he quarreled with the man from time to time, it was so obvious that Soobin saw him as a threat, someone to eliminate. It was obvious from the way Soobin spoke, the anger and hurt in his voice booming.
“You’re the reason why Yeonjun’s hurt, huh?” Soobin scoffed, tears in his eyes. “Why are you even here? I know you’re going to just hurt everyone again. Why now?”
“S-Soobin!” Yeonjun tugged at the man’s hand, trying to pull him back. “Relax, he’s harmless! He apologized!”
Soobin’s eyes widened. He looked at his boyfriend, shock all over his face. “T-There’s no way he did. He probably did that just to take advantage of you. Look at you!” His eyes continued to tear up, a drop trickling down his cheek. “Why would you let yourself get hurt? T-They- What Mr. Kim said-! T-They had a right to get mad at him.”
“No, they don’t.” Yeonjun sighed. He stared intensely at Soobin, frowning. “Beomgyu won’t hurt us, I promise. He’s trying to make amends.”
“Psh, amends.” Soobin couldn’t help but laugh. He shook his head, looking tiredly at the raven. “Why would he want to do that? He obviously has something up his sleeve. He’s going to hurt you, hyung.”
Yeonjun narrowed his gaze. It was obvious that he disagreed, lips pursed. He silently looked over at Beomgyu, as if expecting him to speak.
But what could I even say? What did I do to make Soobin that pissed at me? He’s obviously scared I’m going to hurt Yeonjun too.
Beomgyu bit his lip. He knew it was intimidating, seeing Soobin act like he was antagonistic, a force to be avoided. He couldn’t blame him, really. He only forced himself to calm down, looking at him.
“I’m really sorry. I-”
“Of course you want to say that.” Soobin glared, gripping tightly onto his tote bag. “Why are you trying to mess with our lives? It’s already over. You already broke the group up.”
Yeonjun’s eyes widened. “Soobin!”
“I don’t want to talk to you,” he continued, focusing completely on Beomgyu. It didn’t even matter if Yeonjun was trying to pull him back or get his attention—Beomgyu was all Soobin cared about. “I don’t know what you’re planning by trying to hang out with my boyfriend and act all buddy-buddy with him, but you should stop. Please don’t try to ruin our relationship.”
“What?” The bluenette gasped. “Hey, Soobin!”
“He’s not trustworthy!” Soobin called out, tears now streaming down his face. “You’re hurt because of him and everything. Y-You’re way too kind, hyung. Please, he’ll just use you.”
The bluenette couldn’t help but avert his gaze, frowning. “Soobin…”
Beomgyu wasn’t sure what to do. The pain was apparent in Soobin’s voice—it looked like even Yeonjun began to reconsider everything concerning the raven. He wasn’t sure what was even appropriate, just holding his breath, letting his heart beat erratically.
I don’t even know what the other Beomgyu did.
He pursed his lips. He hung his head low.
“Gosh.” Soobin quickly rubbed his eyes, blinking away tears. He reached for Yeonjun’s own hand now, squeezing it. He rubbed his knuckles, looking his boyfriend in the eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m just worried.”
Yeonjun was silent. A moment passed between the two—an awkward, but less intense situation lingering in the air.
“… Beomgyu.” Soobin slowly looked back at the raven now, narrowing his gaze. The anger was still present on his face, but it was tranquil, dormant. “Please don’t rekindle things between us all. I really don’t want you to hurt Yeonjun-hyung even more than you already have.”
“I…” Beomgyu couldn’t help but hang his head low, exhaustion over his body. “I’m sorry.”
“Binnie.” Yeonjun tugged at the man’s hand. He cautiously looked at him, sighing a little. “I don’t blame Beomgyu for this. I chose to get hit.”
Soobin’s expression faltered. “Hyung, I don’t want you to get hurt. Beomgyu could… He could hurt you if you keep hanging out with him.”
“It was only this time.”
“And?” He gulped. “How many more times will you hang out with him? Geez, you- We already get shitted on, and now you’re going to get people judging you for talking with him…”
“Can’t we just-” Yeonjun held his breath. “Can’t you just let me try? Beomgyu could’ve changed.”
“Hyung, that’s…” Soobin sighed. He slowly looked over at Beomgyu. Suspicion was drawn all over his face. “You really think so?”
Yeonjun nodded silently.
While Beomgyu felt relieved to hear such words, he knew Soobin felt otherwise. He could tell from how the taller man was shocked, eyes slightly wide when he saw Yeonjun nod. He knew gears were turning in Soobin’s head, and he knew the man was going to say something when he looked back at Beomgyu, frowning.
“Alright…” he began, “However, I really hope he won’t hurt you, hyung.”
“He won’t.” Yeonjun nodded. “It’ll be fine. Just- Look, we’re all cool, yeah?”
Beomgyu quickly nodded his head. “Yeah, of course! I-I really don’t want to hurt any of you guys. I promise. I’m really sorry, Yeonjun-hyung, Soobin-hyung.”
Soobin sighed, deciding best to ignore the man. He rubbed his eyes a second time, looking over at Yeonjun. “Let’s… Can we go home? I got off work early because I heard about what happened. Sorry.”
“Oh.” Yeonjun averted his gaze. He touched his cheek, wincing a little. “Yeah…” He looked back at Beomgyu. “Um, sorry. I think I might go with Soobin. Can you go home by yourself, or do you need something?”
Beomgyu’s eyes widened. He looked at Yeonjun for a second, then at Soobin. He knew the taller man was waiting for his response, judging him. The raven held his breath, then smiled a little.
“Yeah, it’s fine. I think my parents are expecting me to be back soon anyways. I’ll, um, text you?”
Yeonjun made a small smile, nodding slowly. “Yeah. Just text me. Let’s hang out again sometime, okay?”
Beomgyu nodded in response. “Of course.”
Soobin said nothing, only holding onto Yeonjun. He just motioned for Yeonjun for them to leave, Beomgyu only watching in silence as they began to walk away, leaving him alone.
Damn.
Beomgyu wasn’t even sure what to say. He looked at the clothes Yeonjun bought for him, all inside the bag. He then looked over where Yeonjun used to be, then at Soobin and Yeonjun who were already down the street, disappearing from sight.
I guess Soobin really is mad at me. Damn.
He scratched the back of his head. He wasn’t sure what to even make with this information, only feeling an itch in his heart.
It ached.