Chapter Text
Beomgyu is leaving them. Yeonjun is certain of it.
Their town wasn’t among the fanciest. If you were to ask second year high school student Choi Yeonjun, it’s a boring place where nothing much happens.
In the north laid the lush green mountains Yeonjun and his friends loved to hike in, and in the south laid a town that perfectly combined rural traditions and the urban life, with traditional Korean homes neatly lined up and a few high-rise buildings just a few streets away.
It was quiet, but also not behind when it comes to technology and infrastructure, the elusive Star Academy being proof of that - an academy where the children of South Korea’s richest families study in prior to entering university. The wealthy liked to live in their area, mostly because it was peaceful and generally one of the safest in the country while also having enough facilities to cater to their needs.
But Yeonjun and his friends weren’t wealthy. Star Academy wasn’t even an option.
Instead, they studied in a public university since middle school. Yangwon University wasn’t private and elusive, and most of the student body lived in the middle class or below. Not much notable people have come from their alma mater, the most notable being town authorities, but it was a nice fun place to study in. The teachers were kind, there wasn’t pressure to always perform your very best, and everyone in the same year level knew each other.
They weren’t anything special, so when the news spread about a high school first year who hailed from Star Academy as a middle schooler finally transferring to Yangwon to spend the most crucial years of his study life, everyone in campus was bewildered. Their year level’s kakaotalk group chat went wild. People were already making bets that the rich new kid would probably be transferring back to the rich school in just a few months, or hell, weeks. Yeonjun could already imagine the group chat of the first years and what they’re talking about.
“Why would you throw away Star Academy to go to Yangwon? Yangwon OF ALL PLACES!”
“If you can afford Star, which school will you choose?”
“Okay don’t get me wrong, I love Yangwon and all, but Star?”
“You betrayed us!”
Yeonjun leans his back to avoid his friend Soobin’s fake hits as he laughs while sitting on the floor of another friend’s bedroom, playing UNO.
Choi Beomgyu quickly became the talk of the campus even before entering the school.
Because after all, who, in their right mind, would choose poor little Yangwon over the bright and beautiful Star Academy?
This Choi Beomgyu guy must be insane.
When Yeonjun first actually saw Choi Beomgyu, it was while hanging out with his friends in the arcade, a whole month into the new school year. Taehyun, his friend among the first years, had informed them that he will be bringing an extra person with him. Nobody anticipated it being the most talked about transferee in the university, who came into their meeting place following Taehyun like a little duckling and their mother.
Beomgyu wasn’t short by any means. He’s a few inches taller than Taehyun, but his slender build that drowned in his blue oversized Versace sweater as he waddled after the other, small hands bouncing behind him made Yeonjun think that he’s just so... tiny.
“Hey guys so...” Taehyun turns to Beomgyu’s general direction and moves his hand in an introductory gesture. “This is Choi Beomgyu, my classmate.”
“I heard you guys frequent this place?” asks the boy that was just introduced, tilting his head to the side with a smile. "I'm quite the arcade game expert."
That was how his friendship with Choi Beomgyu started.
Beomgyu was a chill guy, often the first one to agree to challenge Yeonjun whenever the second year was feeling overconfident. The role would usually fall to Kai, but the new boy is definitely out there to prove something - his superiority in arcade games, of course. He's really good - he and Yeonjun are head to head, and they both refuse to lose to the other.
"Funny how we're neck and neck at this when you were born a whole year ahead of me. That's like, a whole year's worth of arcade game practice, you know? You should be way ahead of me by now." Beomgyu tells him after Yeonjun was unable to beat the other's high score in a game of whack-a-mole. They had the exact same score, in fact.
Yeonjun responded to the teasing with winning all five consecutive games of air hockey against the boy, a smirk in his face.
"Where's all that sass now?"
The younger only chuckled at the sheer display of pettiness.
Beomgyu's closeness with Taehyun was evident, with the new kid unintentionally finding himself near the other boy for most of the time. They walked together and talked a lot. When they had to eat in the burger joint just across the arcade, they sat by each other, laughing and talking and showing each other things from their phones.
That’s not to say that Beomgyu didn’t get along well with the rest of the group. Kai usually became quiet and reserved in the presence of new people, but Beomgyu had included the other in a lot of his shenanigans and it didn't take long for Kai to open up to him and be loud. When Yeonjun and Kai were facing each other in the basketball machine, Beomgyu joined the younger’s side the last minute and did a celebratory high five in front of Yeonjun upon his defeat.
"Hey, you two... That wasn't fair!" Yeonjun had protested, going in between the celebrating pair.
"It's a lifeline. Ever seen 'Who wants to be a millionaire'? It's the 'call a friend' one and it's totally valid," Kai beams, doing another high five with Beomgyu.
"This is basketball, not 'who wants to be a millionaire'!"
When it was time to replace their tickets for some prizes, Beomgyu chose a big gray stuffed bunny as his prize. He handed it to Soobin, who only collected enough to buy a few candies, and with a smile stated that it looked a lot like the elder, who at first tried to refuse the present but eventually gave in, shyly saying his thanks before offering a candy to the younger.
"Are you sure you didn't want to get a prize for yourself?" Yeonjun asks, counting his own tickets as he walks over to Beomgyu, who was watching the elder show Hueningkai his new friend.
"Nah, I'm good," Beomgyu answers, placing his hands in his pockets. "I think I have the prize I want already."
Yeonjun didn't push for any further explanation.
After eating at the burger joint, the younger pops open a swirly lollipop almost the size of his face, laughing freely and enjoying himself to the fullest.
Beomgyu was easily the type who is able to become friends with anyone. That was pretty obvious at this point.
They didn’t ask him the reason of why he left Star Academy to enroll in their school, out of consideration. They didn’t want to pry too much, especially since there’s the possibility of painful memories being the reason behind the transfer. They had fun with him as if he wasn’t a wonder to everyone in their little group - he’s just another kid, alright. Someone who just wanted to play arcade games during his free time.
Beomgyu hung out with them a lot after, not only during their arcade trips, but also during lunch break and their little after-class adventures. Nobody complained - he was actually quite the cool guy. He liked games and music, sharing a lot of similarities in preferences with Yeonjun, so he blended with them really well.
But there would be those times where they’d be reminded of just how different Beomgyu is from the rest of them.
In the first few days, after hanging out with them, someone would always drive him home in a Hyundai Genesis G90. It looked to be a woman, but they weren’t sure if she was his mother since she didn't bear any similar features at all. They didn’t look alike.
Beomgyu probably sensed the strange atmosphere they had whenever they saw the luxurious car, and eventually stopped being driven home, preferring to commute by taxi in far places, ride a bicycle, or sometimes just walk.
“You know, you don’t have to stop riding your expensive car just for us.” Yeonjun points out one day. Their houses were in the same direction, so they walked alone together a lot after class.
“I didn’t do it for you guys,” Beomgyu says. “I did it for myself. I actually prefer it this way now.”
Yeonjun didn't complain. He liked it this way too. He didn't have to go home alone, and the younger's presence was pleasant to have. They often told each other stories about how their day went during those walks. He was able to learn a lot through those little conversations: how Beomgyu got along well with everyone in his class, how Taehyun was his seatmate and both clicked really well, about the love confession he received from a classmate the other day, and how he ordered a few games and they should definitely play together soon.
“Do your parents allow having friends over?” Yeonjun asks upon the suggestion.
“My parents? They’re not home. I don’t live with my family.”
“Wait… you live alone?”
“Well, technically, no. I have people who take care of me, but none of them related to me by blood or by paper.”
“But why?”
Beomgyu takes a deep breath.
“It’s a long, complicated story.”
Yeonjun doesn’t press for answers, preferring to talk about his mom and his grandmother always fighting about the funniest and weirdest topics.
Beomgyu would also always have homemade lunchboxes brought to school. He didn’t bring them himself because they wanted him to be fed with freshly cooked food. Unlike with the car, he didn’t stop, but instead offered everyone a share of his own meal. Everyone was pretty shy at first - the food seemed to be made with such love and care for him. But Beomgyu kept asking for bites of their own food because ‘I never bought that before so I don’t know what it tastes like’ that eventually, as payment for all the big bites he took from them, they’d ask for a share of his lunch. Yeonjun noticed that as time went by, the contents of the lunch box seemed to increase. He never pointed it out.
The boy was a mystery. They don't know why he transferred aside from "I asked to move schools" which was the boy's default answer to the question. They didn't know exactly how rich he is or what exactly is his situation with his family is that made him live all alone, and Yeonjun found himself interested in learning just about everything regarding the younger male. He doesn’t tell a lot about himself even if he asked, so instead Yeonjun will just be staring at the boy at random times, trying to see his reaction to just about anything. Sometimes they'd meet eyes during those times, and Beomgyu would tilt his head, curious. Yeonjun shakes his head, telling the boy to not mind him.
Beomgyu was in awe at the simplest things about life - thrift stores, pojangmachas, piggy banks. The kind of things the elite don’t have to use. His eyes would widen in delight, like a kid seeing a magic trick for the first time. Yeonjun thought it was an adorable sight. So adorable that he anticipated seeing it, and would often be the one to suggest trying out new things just so that he can see the delighted expression in the younger’s face.
He was the one to suggest to the group to try coming to pet cafes together, visiting the festivals of other schools, going to amusement parks, playing in the fountains of the town park, and many more other activities they never tried before.
All just to see how Beomgyu would react to each and every one of them.
Yeonjun vividly remembers when Beomgyu asked a dog for his name when they went to the pet cafe, later realizing the mistake when Taehyun pointed it out, shyly smiling to himself in embarrassment.
("I want a pet dog," the younger had said on the way home.
"Why won't you get one?" Yeonjun asks.
"I already have a pet at home and it's already quite a handful," he laughs.)
He vividly remembers Beomgyu wanting to buy every snack he saw and enter every booth in the school festivals, jumping in excitement alongside Kai, constantly disappearing from Yeonjun’s sight because he kept running around too much and kept being lost in the crowd.
("Does our school hold festivals too?"
"Yeah, we do. After new years."
"I can't wait! I already have so many booth ideas."
"You guys didn't hold festivals at Star?"
"No. The closest we have to those are the science fairs, I think? Our guests are usually just sponsors or local authorities."
"That actually sucks."
"I know, right?")
He vividly remembers how Beomgyu tightly hugged the Ryan plushie he won in the amusement park’s claw games, calling it Ddubi.
("You like that thing a lot, huh."
Beomgyu doesn't respond. He simply brought the plushie closer to his chest.
"Kai has a lot of plushies at home. He brought a dolphin that time we had a sleep over in middle school."
"Really? So I guess it's me, Kai, and Soobin now. Plushie team."
"Kids team."
"Yeah, okay, boomer.")
He vividly remembers the way Beomgyu laughed as they ran around the fountain, drenched from head to toe, playing tag. He acted like he was the freest man in the world, waddling his arms behind him like a child much like the first time they met, but with more vigor.
(The younger sneezes, causing the older to scrunch up his face.
"Don't tell me you caught a cold?"
"Oh god, I hope not."
Beomgyu failed to attend classes the next day.)
Every time, Yeonjun’s just so amazed at the different faces of Choi Beomgyu that he witnesses.
“Hey, Yeonjun. Can you answer a question, from one friend to another?”
Soobin asks one day.
The boy decided to hang out in Yeonjun’s house to escape the quarrels of his parents. They don’t happen as much as they used to, but things were still rocky at home. Soobin was the only one in their little group of friends who was in the same year as Yeonjun, so during problems like these, they’d always go running towards the other, not wanting to burden the younger ones.
They were playing Mario Kart, sitting beside each other on the elder’s bedroom floor.
Yeonjun found it strange. The question must be serious, hinted by the phrasing of the words and Soobin’s tone.
“Yeah, sure. What is it, ‘Bin?”
Soobin asked, carefully, as if unsure. “Do you... like Beomgyu?”
“Of course, I do.” Yeonjun chuckles. “He’s our friend.”
“No, I meant... ‘like’ like. Romantically speaking.”
He looked at Soobin, whose eyes only focused at the screen in front of him, shifting in his seat, obviously uncomfortable with how confrontational he himself was being.
Of course, he would be uncomfortable. He was talking simply by the force of assumptions. What if Yeonjun doesn't feel anything like that towards Beomgyu after all? Perhaps things would be strange, with Yeonjun becoming hyperaware of how he acts around their first year friend. But where did the assumptions even come from? There had to be something, right?
“What brought this on?” Yeonjun asked.
“It’s just..." Soobin scratches the back of his ear. "The way you look at him, I guess.” The game has ended, so he brought his console down to his lap. Still not staring at Yeonjun, he rubs the nape of his neck. “I’ve known you for years, Yeonjun. And I never saw you look at someone like that.”
“Look at someone... like what?” Yeonjun asks, leaning in, genuinely curious.
Soobin pauses for a few minutes, trying to figure out the words to describe it.
“You look at him as if he’s the most interesting person you’ve ever seen,” he begins. “You perk up whenever he says something, and then your full attention just goes to him, you know? You’d look at him a lot, like, multiple times, as if you’re searching for something. And then when he’d react happily, it’s like.... you’re satisfied. Even Taehyun has noticed it.”
Yeonjun looks down at his hand, still holding his console, and mutters.
“Oh.”
For a while it was silent. It was tense. No one even made a move to start another game. Yeonjun has fallen into deep thought, his brows furrowing. Soobin just watches as the other boy’s face contorts, trying to figure out what comes to his mind.
Yeonjun had never thought that deeply about romance. He was quite popular and has received a fair share of love confessions, but he himself has been unaware of what love is like. Is what he had with Beomgyu... Love? Were those little glances and little efforts of wanting to see the boy happy be signs of a budding romantic attraction?
And then he realized, he's never gone an extra mile for anyone else - suggesting things to do for the sake of seeing how they would react to them. That was something he's only done for Beomgyu alone.
Yeonjun breaks the silence.
"To be honest, I never thought of it being that way at all.”
That captures Soobin’s attention.
“I did find him very interesting. He was just another kid, but you know, at the same time, he wasn’t.” Yeonjun plays with the edge of his shirt, not looking at the younger boy. “But now that I think of it, maybe I was too interested? Probably even got addicted to learning more about him. Got addicted to finding out about the things that make him happy and curious.”
He looks at the boy beside him at last.
“Does that count as being in love?”
Yeonjun doesn’t really know when his interest in the boy become adoration.
It just happened.
Contrary to what Yeonjun originally thought, love wasn’t the kind of thing where you take one look at someone and then feel all kinds of emotions inside of you. It doesn’t come in one blow, where everything just falls to place once you finally meet them. Love was more subtle, and it gradually came to you, creeping up in your heart, leaving you to just realize for yourself what your feelings have turned into.
The revelation didn’t change anything in their dynamic. Yeonjun simply has become more self-aware, but that didn’t stop him from still hanging out with the likes of Beomgyu, teasing him, challenging him, engaging in random shenanigans with him, and walking home with him.
But the level of satisfaction that Yeonjun felt after every encounter did increase. He was addicted to Beomgyu’s attention, and he didn’t shy away from showing that - always calling out to the younger, subjecting him to his dad jokes, challenging him over the smallest things (who gets to reach the intersection first?), etc. Things have worked well in his favor, as the younger was very generous with the attention he gave the elder.
What definitely changed was their little group arrangement. Beomgyu and Taehyun were default partners at everything they did before, and always had to sit by each other. But as Taehyun scoots over to sit in between Soobin and Kai the other day when they ate at a sandwich place, Yeonjun finds himself being the one to sit beside Beomgyu.
Yeonjun eyes Taehyun menacingly, and the younger only gives him a smile.
“So, what sandwich will you guys get? I’m thinking of getting the deluxe club,” Soobin asks, flipping through the menu in his hands. Yeonjun gets the other menu book that rested on the table, flipping it open.
Beomgyu leans beside him to look at the contents of the menu too, but perhaps he leaned in too close, his head lying on Yeonjun’s shoulder that the elder could already smell the expensive floral scented shampoo of the boy. The scent made the elder think of a poppy field under the fine blue sky.
“I think I’ll have the deluxe club too,” Beomgyu exclaims, quickly sitting upright upon speaking, much to Yeonjun’s disappointment.
Yeonjun reaches his hand out to ruffle the boy’s hair as he calls out his own order. He doesn’t miss the way Kai smirks at their general direction, but he dismisses it.
After ordering, Soobin had excused himself to the comfort room, Kai following shortly after. After a few minutes, Taehyun excuses himself too, phone blasting Over and Over again.
“Let me take this one call real quick.”
And that was the story of how Yeonjun and Beomgyu found themselves alone together in the table, sitting side by side. The elder has no idea if the whole thing was coincidental or if it was planned (he wouldn’t put it past his friends to tease him over his crush on the younger). And if it were the case and the whole thing is indeed a setup, he doesn’t know what the guys were thinking would come out from this. He’s used to being alone with Beomgyu, especially since they walk home together, only separating when they reach an intersection.
Beomgyu was looking at the place, taking in the interior. The sandwich place had a very homely feel to it, with its wooden walls decorated with various impressionist paintings of still life and landscapes, rustic oak tables and chairs, and succulents in gold painted square vases by the window. The table had a mini flower arrangement of poppies and gerbera daisies as its centerpiece.
Eventually, Beomgyu yawns.
“Tired?” Yeonjun asks.
Beomgyu nods his head. “I stayed up all night playing Outcast. Horror games are just better being played overnight in a dark room, you know?”
Yeonjun’s ears perk up at the mention of the game. “You have Outcast?”
“Yeah. I actually only got it yesterday. Played it immediately.”
“I’ve been meaning to get it too but my finances have been tight lately.”
Beomgyu chuckles, and the older boy swears he can hear an angel sing in the background. “Of course, your finances would be tight, after that haul you did when we went to the shopping district the other day?”
Yeonjun laughs. “I don’t regret buying them. I look fashionable.”
“I guess?” The younger says, not agreeing, not disagreeing. His eyes widen and he pats the older boy’s arm. “Hey, do you want to try playing Outcast together? It has a two-player option. Since tomorrow’s a Sunday anyway, maybe we can play at my house later.”
Yeonjun’s heart skips a beat.
That offer came out of nowhere. The group hasn’t even come to Beomgyu’s house, yet here was Yeonjun, being offered to visit, and perhaps even stay overnight to play a horror game.
“Sure thing. I’d have to get home first to get some stuff if I’m staying the night at your place later though.”
Yeonjun agreed, totally not because he wanted alone time with Beomgyu, where he would definitely have the younger boy’s attention, not having to fight for it (Yeonjun loves his friends, but they just hog way too much of Beomgyu’s attention). He simply agreed because he wanted to try playing Outcast, a game he’s been interested in since it’s been announced.
But who is he kidding, right?
“Hey if we’re going to be playing overnight, I think you should take a nap first. You didn’t sleep last night. Your sleep schedule’s going to get messed up,” Yeonjun suggested, patting the shoulder of the younger boy.
As if on cue, Beomgyu yawns again. He tries to speak as his mouth stretches, slurring his words a little. “Yeah, thanks. Think I’ll do just that.”
The younger rests his head on the table. To aid him to sleep, Yeonjun brings a hand to touch Beomgyu’s head, stroking his hair in the gentlest way he could manage.
When Taehyun returned shortly after, he gave Yeonjun a look, eyes firmly looking at him as he grins widely that the corners of his lips almost reach his ears, which was shared by Soobin and Kai who came a little later.
It took around 7 minutes before their order came around. It was too quick to feel fully rested, but to Yeonjun’s surprise, it was enough time for a quick nap for Beomgyu. The elder shook the younger boy’s shoulder when the first order came, and like the love-struck puppy he is, watched the boy wake up groggily and stretch his arms.
After the hearty meal, the group decided to go on their separate ways.
“I’d have to go meet up with Junho in the library for our Philosophy project,” Taehyun says.
Soobin perks up at the mention of the location, and raises his hand excitedly. “I’m actually thinking of going to the library too! I’ll go with you.” The elder looks over his shoulders to face Hueningkai, who has his hands in his pockets. “Are you coming, Ningning?”
“Nah.” The youngest shakes his head. “I’m meeting up with my sisters at the mall so that we can go home together.”
“Oh, okay.” Soobin nods in affirmation, then turned towards Yeonjun and Beomgyu’s direction.
“We’ll head home,” Beomgyu answered before Yeonjun could even say a word. The younger boy then wraps an arm around the older boy’s shoulder, then uses his free arm to point towards himself. “We’re planning on playing Outcast together.”
Yeonjun would be lying if he said that gesture didn’t cause his heart to race.
Before the group of friends bid each other goodbye, Taehyun gave Yeonjun a tight squeeze on his shoulder. It’s been a ritual for a while now, whenever Yeonjun and Beomgyu would have to walk home together, the boy would always greet him last and squeeze his shoulder. It became Taehyun’s brand of telling him ‘take care of my friend’, which Yeonjun only smiles to as a response.
“So...” Beomgyu turns to him after waving farewell. “Your place first?”
“Yup.” Yeonjun nods and begins walking. “You’ve never been to my house, right?”
“No." The younger answers. "I’ve never been in ANYONE’S house.” He adds.
“Really?” The elder exclaims. “We should definitely do a group sleepover one of these days. Preferably in Taehyun’s house. He has like a 55-inch tv in his bedroom, perfect for movie nights."
“What movie did you watch together when you last did a sleepover?”
“Harry Potter. We binge watched half of all the movies in one day, then the other half the next day. It was summer vacation then, okay? We had a lot of free time.”
Beomgyu laughed, and it made Yeonjun grin widely too.
The pair walked together animatedly, with Yeonjun recalling all the things they did the last time the group did a sleep over, and Beomgyu enthusiastically asking questions and offering suggestions for another sleepover in the works.
They eventually reached the intersection where they would go separate ways.
Yeonjun’s hand reaches for Beomgyu’s as he leads the way to his own house, not running out of energy as he discusses sleepovers with grandiose gestures in his other hand.
Finally, he halts in front of a small bungalow home, exaggeratedly introducing it to the other. “Welcome to my house!” Yeonjun exclaims. “It’s nothing much, but it’s a nice place.”
The home was guarded by a gate made of thick slabs of dark oak wood. Yeonjun opens it. Clothes have been hung in the yard to dry. The house itself was white and plain with black accents, decorated with clay pots of different herbal plants. A bicycle rests on a corner, presumably Yeonjun's. A concrete staircase stands on the left side, leading to a dark wooden door. A gray cat sits on the space in front of the door by the end of the stairs.
"My grandmother lives in the first floor," Yeonjun tells his guest. "We live on the second floor. So, if we have guests over, to not disturb granny, we enter through the second-floor entrance."
Beomgyu grins, seemingly interested. "That's actually pretty neat."
The two boys climb up the stairs. It wasn't so high, but it gives you a good view of the general area. Beomgyu sees an old man resting on a hammock in the neighboring house, a cap covering his face and a book resting on his stomach.
Beomgyu turns. On the house across the street, he sees a toddler playing with a puppy Shiba on the yard. A teenager sits on the bench situated beside the door, peeling oranges as she watches the child and the puppy.
"I like it here." Beomgyu says. “It’s so nice and… not complicated.”
"ha?" Yeonjun asks, still fumbling with the keys. The younger doesn't respond.
When the door opens, Yeonjun says a grandiose "Ta-dah! Welcome to my house" as he opens the lights by the door.
The house was warmly lit, and the illumination allowed Beomgyu to see the small brown couch that only elevates your butt about five inches from the floor. Across it was a small coffee table littered with newspapers and fashion magazines. A few more steps and there would be a standing flat tv on top of a light wooden tv stand containing about 50 CDs. On the wall behind the couch, a scroll displaying dogs playing billiards is placed, and on its left is a small window with an orange curtain. On the wall beside the curtain was another staircase, but made of wood. A wall protrudes beside it, with a door in its center. It's the room beside the narrow entryway. In the right of the couch was a dinner table fit for four people surrounded by the kitchen counter.
It's not so spacious, but it's a home with a lot of personality in it. Beomgyu could clearly see the signs of Yeonjun in the various hip-hop CDs taking half the space in the tv stands and movie CDs on the other, the hip-hop magazines on the coffee table, and the stacks of shoe boxes neatly lined up by the couch. He can see the signs of his parents in the newspapers, the dirty coffee mugs with quotes on them by the counter, the picture frames and fake succulents on the shelf under the orange curtained window.
"You can sit here for a bit and wait." Yeonjun tells his guest, pointing at the couch. "My bedroom's in the attic."
"Attic?" Beomgyu perks up. "Can I see?"
So, the two climb another flight of stairs, this time the wooden one. It was steeper than the one outside, but it was fine.
Yeonjun's room was small and a bit messy, but Beomgyu liked every inch of it, from the faded blue walls littered with posters of various musicians the younger himself is a fan of, the collection of shades hanging on the shelf behind the bed (just a simple mattress covered in white, a thick messy dark gray blanket over it). More CDs were placed in the tv stand in this room, which was way bigger than the one in the living room. It holds not only hip-hop CDs, but some rock, pop, and r&b ones as well. The movies this time were also a lot more diverse in genres. A cabinet was opened on the very corner of the room, a mirror on one door and a space filled with printed photographs on the other. Beomgyu recognizes himself and their little group in some of them, but some were old, photographs of toddler Yeonjun playing by the pool, Taehyun and Kai posing with him and Soobin during their middle school graduation, and grade schooler Yeonjun holding a puppy. The ceiling of the room was slanted, forming a pyramid shape. The two would have to crouch down to view what's beyond the window.
"Soobin stayed over the other day." Yeonjun says when Beomgyu sees the stuffed rabbit he gave the elder, lying on the floor beside the closet. "Forgot to give it back to him. Do you know he hugs that thing to sleep?"
Beomgyu chuckles.
If Yeonjun is to be honest, he's been nervous throughout the whole thing. He can see the way Beomgyu studies each and every detail of their home. Yeonjun was never one to have moments where he lacks confidence, but something about having Beomgyu over makes him a lot more self-conscious than necessary, as if it's the first time he's truly opening up to the other.
"I'm going to change. So, if you could kindly turn around, Beomgyu..."
But of course, Yeonjun's not just going to stand there, everything exposed to the younger.
Yeonjun wonders if, by inviting him over for the night, Beomgyu is opening up to him. He wonders if Taehyun has ever been there. He wonders why the answer to that even matters to him.
When Yeonjun finished changing and had collected all of his necessities in a bag, the two head down, only to see a female figure lying down the couch, watching television.
"Mom," the elder calls out, and the woman, eyes endearingly similar to that of the boy, looks at their direction. "I'll be staying over at a friend's house tonight."
"A friend? Which friend?" The woman asks. Her medium length brunette hair was tied up in a high pony tail, strands sticking out of place all over. She had a white button shirt on top with matching high waist black slacks, an ID lace still on her neck. Her bare feet rests on top of the coffee table, a mug filled with coffee on the left. The mug was quoted 'make this day better than yesterday'.
Beomgyu steps out from behind the elder and bows. "Good afternoon, ma'am."
The woman perks up, seemingly delighted.
"Oh my... What a pretty boy!"
Beomgyu smiles, not knowing what to say besides a whisper of thank you.
"Junnie, is this that Beomgyu kid you love talking about?"
Upon his small crush being slightly exposed, Yeonjun reddens, furrowing his brows at his mother while nudging Beomgyu to walk to the door. Beomgyu bows to the woman once again upon being instructed.
Yeonjun's mother laughs at her flustered son, who only frowns at her in mock distaste. "You're so cute, Junnie," she says, wiping a tear on the corner of her eye. "Go on, have fun you two."
"Thank you!" Beomgyu responds upon receiving the woman's permission for the sleepover. Yeonjun's mother only waves her hand to bid goodbye.
The two leave the premises, and as they walk down the concrete stairs, Beomgyu comments.
"Your mom looks just like you."
"Yeah?" Yeonjun chuckles. "Everyone who sees the both of us together keep saying that. I don't even know if I have features that look like my dad's."
"Speaking of... What happened to your dad?" Beomgyu panics. "Oh wait! You don't have to answer it if you don't want to."
Yeonjun low key already expected the question coming his way. The parental figure hasn't been present in any of the photographs in his home - just like how he had been throughout Yeonjun's whole life.
"He refused to take responsibility when mom got pregnant with me and ran off."
The two keep walking, and Yeonjun's hold on the strap of his black sports bag tightens.
"Well, that's my grandmother's version, which I think is a pretty good summary. My mom's version is a tad more complicated. She said they fell in love but since he's from one of those noble families related to the royal family, they couldn't get together. They wanted to marry him off to someone of the same class. Typical rich people stuff, I think."
Yeonjun feels Beomgyu's piercing gaze on him.
"He's not like from the actual royal family though. He's not related to the king. His family line descended from one of the king's most trusted advisors. So, I don't have royal blood, which is what people usually assume whenever they hear the story."
"You are very prince-like," Beomgyu comments, nodding to himself. They reach the familiar intersection. "I'm not surprised people think like that."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Yeonjun looks away, hiding the way his face has reddened.
"Have you got any updates on his current whereabouts?" Beomgyu continues with the conversation, ignoring how Yeonjun has become a flustered mess.
Yeonjun calms down. The scenery changes from small homes lined up together, to lines of trees and intricately designed lamp posts.
"He's married now. Seems to be pretty happy with his life. Still serving the royal family. I'm personally not bothered by it."
The pink skies and the dark green leaves of the trees created a picturesque scenery in front of them. From a far, Yeonjun could already see the bush-like six-meter walls guarding one of the richest places in town. The guardhouse was well-lit, and through the huge window, the pair could already see the two guards playing a board game.
"Is your mom still in love with him?" Beomgyu asks.
"I don't think so. She looks like she's over it. She just doesn't want to marry anyone. Purely by choice. I'm not looking for a father figure anytime soon either."
They reach the guardhouse. Recognition flashes in the faces of the two guards, pausing their game of chess temporarily.
"Bringing a friend over, Mr. Choi?" One of them asks.
"Yeah! He's sleeping over," Beomgyu responds, voice cheerful.
Making their way to the gates, key in hand, the guard walks over to the gate to unlock it.
"Have fun!" The guard says, bidding the two friends goodbye as they walk inside.
It's Yeonjun's first time in one of the richest places in their town. Homes were very far apart from each other, all surrounded with yards as big as about three homes from his street. Each house has their own personality - modern minimalist, usually with monotone colors and composed of cubes. There also houses that try to be as intricate as possible with all the details in them, and some being so extravagant and weird (Yeonjun eyes the over-the-top dog statue in front of a palace-style home while actual dog walks around the yard).
As they walk, Yeonjun makes guesses to himself about which house would be Beomgyu's using the information he knows about the younger. Beomgyu seems to not be the most over-the-top child, preferring to keep things simple.
"My house is that one. Choi 934."
Yeonjun looks at the direction the boy was pointing at. The home wasn't exactly simple, but it wasn't too extravagant either - no statues of pets in sight. The home was guarded by a gray bricked barrier with a dark wooden gate, the letters 'Choi 934' engraved in a faux gold plate.
Beomgyu rings the doorbell beside it -the most inexpensive looking part of the house.
"I'm home. I have a friend over," the boy says into the microphone part of the doorbell. It took a few minutes before the gate opens, and what welcomes them is the sight of the woman who used to bring Beomgyu home.
Yeonjun bowed, saying his greetings. The woman bowed back at him before proceeding to close the door.
"That's Heejin, my caretaker," Beomgyu tells him as they walk towards the huge wooden double doors. The path was made of brick pavement, and on the left side was a fountain of a mermaid pouring water, the most generic fountain statue he's seen in the place so far. On the right side of the path was a rattan hammock attached to an old tree.
Bushes of poppy flowers surround the home, a two-floor mansion painted in cream with polished wooden accents. The main door was made of dark wood, the same material as the gate.
To say Yeonjun was overwhelmed is an understatement. He almost drops his bag down the pavement as he stares at the place in awe.
"Are you coming in or not?" Beomgyu asks, already inside the door. Yeonjun scrambles to catch up to him.
The inside was just as spectacular, and it reminded Yeonjun of palaces in the movies. A huge red carpeted staircase welcomes him, and his eyes trail up to see a huge window, about ten feet. There weren't seats upon entrance, but he can see intricately designed wooden couches in the room on the left. The room on the right seemed to be a library, judging from the lines of shelves filled with books he could see from afar.
Beomgyu was mad rich, alright.
"You can look around as much as you want. I'll change into more comfortable clothes in a sec," the boy said as he climbs up the stairs and disappears from Yeonjun's sight.
Yeonjun remains standing, still taking in the view of the place. He knew Beomgyu was well-off, but he did not expect the boy to basically be living inside a palace. He expected a minimalist modern home with two floors and maybe a pool, not a mansion that made the blue house seem like it's the same house but on steroids.
"Your name is Yeonjun, isn't it?"
The boy jolts and turns his head around, seeing Heejin closing the door. She didn't look like a caretaker with her attire - an oversized shirt and jogging pants, her long hair tied up in a low ponytail. Her features seemed a lot younger now compared to when she used to take Beomgyu home. She looked a lot more like Beomgyu's sister (despite the lack of similarities) than someone paid to care for him.
"Yes. Beomgyu told me you're his caretaker?"
"Yeah," she nods. "I wanted to thank you for taking care of him. He's been very happy in Yangwon and always told me stories about you and your friends."
"N-no problem." Yeonjun looks down shyly.
"I'll take your bag upstairs. Beomgyu trusts you, so I'll put my faith in that." Heejin's glare was piercing, and Yeonjun shivered. "Do look around."
Heejin left him to go upstairs. Yeonjun decided to check out the library. The room was huge, with about five wooden shelves about seven feet in height filled to the brim with books. The walls were covered in books as well, and by the end of the room, a window takes all of the upper half of a wall, overlooking the yard. A maroon leather chair is placed in front of it, with piles of books on the floor beside it. A bird cage stands on a corner, empty, with its door opened.
He traces his fingers on the spines of the books in the shelves. A lot of the books were about South Korean laws, political ideologies, philosophy, and history. Yeonjun wonders if these are books that Beomgyu usually reads. He knows about the boy's exceptionally good grades and how he seemed to excel in everything, and he wonders if the library played a huge part in that.
He stumbles upon the shelf labelled 'miscellaneous', spotting the familiar spines of the Harry Potter series. Yeonjun decides to go near and check at the different kinds of books the younger personally enjoys - a lot of young adult fiction, usually fantasy ones, as well as mangas and Japanese light novels.
Yeonjun smiles.
"Yeonjun?"
He looks up, seeing the younger standing by the door, donning a white oversized sweater that drowned his small body and a pair of dark gray sweatpants, fuzzy cat indoor shoes separating his bare foot from the polished wooden floors.
Beomgyu looks adorable, and Yeonjun could feel the rush of dopamine at the sight, creating the desire to just pull the younger into a tight hug.
But he doesn't do that. Instead, he fakes a cough.
"Nice slippers you got there," he teases.
"You like 'em?" Beomgyu beams, tone hinting that he did in fact understand the sarcasm in Yeonjun's statement. "Don't worry. You got yourself a pair too."
And that was how Yeonjun found himself wearing pink fuzzy rabbit slippers. As much as hated to admit it, they were comfortable as hell and he contemplated on buying a pair for himself.
“You know I can just give them to you, right?” Beomgyu tells him, to which Yeonjun shakes his head.
“I’ll pay you for them,” the elder answers.
Yeonjun expected a room that matched the atmosphere of the whole home – expensive, and elegant. But as he sets foot on the wooden floorboards of Beomgyu’s bedroom, he’s greeted by a simplistic and aesthetically pleasing room with white walls that have fairy lights and polaroid photos attached to them. The room was neat, probably because Heejin does the cleaning whenever the boy leaves, but he could see the little traces of Beomgyu’s life here.
A book about Korean law lies face down on the desk. Ddubi lies on the bed, the white blankets covering part of its body. Dirty clothes laid in a basket by the door, and the cd case of Outcast was outside of the cd shelves, resting on top of the tv stand.
All night, Yeonjun has learned so many things about Beomgyu – the many ways his face would contort when reacting to various scenes in the game, his favorite movies, the way he looks absolutely captivating with messy hair and comfortable clothes, the way his screams were funny but also endearing, the way he devoured Heejin’s cooking during dinner time and how much he adored her, calling her ‘nuna’ at times. He learned about Beomgyu’s pet parrot Toto, and learned about how Heejin had always been in Beomgyu’s life caring for him since he was an infant.
It was three am, and the two were watching the Thai horror movie Shutter, sitting on the floor with their backs on the bed, Beomgyu’s head lying on Yeonjun’s shoulder. The two were tired, no longer making commentary about the things that unfold in the movie. Beomgyu has yawned about seven times just the past fifteen minutes.
Yeonjun was so sure that the boy was about to fall asleep soon that he didn’t anticipate it when the boy spoke, voice so soft and small.
“Thanks for staying over.”
“Why are you thanking me?” Yeonjun chuckles. “You were the one who invited me.”
“It’s lonely here.”
The elder quiets down, looking at the features of the boy resting beside him. Beomgyu’s eyes do not leave the tv screen even if it didn’t seem like he was watching at all – a jump scare had just appeared and he didn’t even flinch.
“I always lived with Heejin since I could remember. I only met my family about twice a year, so I wasn’t even that close to them.”
“I love Heejin, but I always thought that the house was too empty. My life was empty. It made me incredibly lonely. It made me yearn for something more… company, I guess?”
Yeonjun listens, placing a hand and rubbing Beomgyu’s shoulder. The younger continues.
“That loneliness made me rebel a lot back in middle school. I was friends with a lot of people, but still, they all felt so distant and so suffocating to be around with. It come to a point where I no longer want to wake up and welcome a new day because I dreaded living the kind of life I had. So, I always skipped classes in favor of running off to arcades.”
“One time, I happened to see a group of students wearing Yangwon uniforms hanging out in the arcade, having fun and laughing together, and I thought to myself, ‘I want that’.”
“So, I went home and told Heejin about it… about how I felt. And that’s why on the first year of high school, I switched schools.”
For a while there was silence.
“I wanted to thank you for giving me the company I have yearned for.”
Beomgyu yawns again, readjusting his head on Yeonjun’s shoulder. The elder could see the way the boy’s lids were becoming too heavy to keep his eyes open.
“Right now, I’m really happy. Thanks.”
The younger’s eyes have closed now. The light of the tv screen reflects well on his features, and Yeonjun’s eyes traces the little curves – his long pretty eyelashes that rest on top of his cheek, his cute and perfectly angled nose, and his pink pouty lips that glisten thanks to the combination of lip balm and a bit of saliva.
And that’s when Yeonjun realizes it. This isn't just a crush. He’s deeply and crazily in love with Choi Beomgyu and he’s dumb for not having figured it out sooner.
“Can I hug you?” the elder asks, feeling a surge of bravery.
Beomgyu grunts the response, too tired to even talk.
At three in the morning, a horror film playing in the television in front of him, Yeonjun hugs the small sleepy figure of Choi Beomgyu, whose head rests on his neck. Despite how tired he is, Beomgyu returns the hug and raises his arms to wrap around Yeonjun's torso.
Something changed between the two of them that night.
It was noon of the next day, they woke up lying next to each other on the floor beside the bed. Yeonjun's back was sore, and his arm felt cramped with the weight on it, but upon seeing Beomgyu's head resting on his arm, Yeonjun felt a surge of adoration inside of him – a warm and fuzzy feeling. They couldn't even look at each other in the eye, but they didn't move from the position either, enjoying the skinship.
"Good morning... Gyu."
Yeonjun's voice was quiet when he spoke.
"So I didn't get to try sleeping in your bed after all."
At that statement, Beomgyu lets out the prettiest laugh. His hair is messy, and there were little creases on the side of his cheek from sleeping on his side, and the elder found them so adorable that he’d want to trace those little lines with his fingers – but of course, he didn’t. That would be weird.
"Maybe next time you can," the younger speaks, voice still hoarse from just having woken up.
Yeonjun couldn't have woken up any more perfect than this.
Choi Beomgyu was the boy he fell in love with.