Chapter Text
Taehyun looks at his arm as dark, black, flowers of all different sizes bloom slowly. They appear in streaks, the crudely beautiful, inky petals bending over each other, competing for space. He covers them quickly with his sleeve as Yeonjun approaches him.
“Ready?” Yeonjun asks, looping his arm over Taehyun’s shoulders.
“Yeah, of course.” They head to the dining hall as they always do after their last classes. “How was your day?”
“It was alright.”
“Did anything exciting happen??” Taehyun asks.
“Uhh,” Yeonjun thinks for a second before his face brightens “I finally talked to Soobin!” Yeonjun says excitedly. He skips a little and Taehyun grins as an open smile appears slowly on the older’s face.
“The dude you called cute from that one class? What was it…-”
“Sociology.” Yeonjun fills in for him.
“Sociology.” Taehyun repeats. “You really like him, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I have been swooning over him for months now..” Yeonjun says seriously.
“Took you long enough to muster up the courage to start a conversation though.” Taehyun pokes Yeonjun in the side. “You should ask for his number tomorrow.”
“Hell no! That’s too fast. You’re too rash, Tyun.”
Taehyun pulls at his sleeves consciously as they walk to the hall. “If you like him, you should at least ask him to get a coffee with you though.”
Yeonjun’s eyes twinkle as he thinks about the prospect. “Maybe.”
~~
Beomgyu leans over his sink, tears streaming down his face as he rinses out his arm. He winces as the water enters the open wounds.
“Why don’t you do better? You’re a disappointment to this family. Be more like your brother.”
It’s okay. He tells himself. It’s okay.
“Maybe you’d be more popular if you lost a little more weight. Pig.”
He watches passively as the red stained water runs down the drain. He turns and grabs a towel out of the cabinet behind him. He dabs lightly at the cuts and then disinfects them with alcohol. Beomgyu wraps a white bandage around it once he realizes that the bleeding won’t stop.
He sighs as he reaches for his phone.
Kai: Do you want to go with me and Soobin hyung to dinner?
Soobin: Kai said he wants to go to the korean barbeque place, lmk if you want to come with.
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Beomgyu grabs a black hoodie from his closet and slips it on before texting his friends.
Beom: sure. where do you want to meet?
Kai: Omg! Hi, we’ll come to pick you up if that’s okay.
After reading the text, he crashes on his small couch to wait. A few minutes later, he gets a call from Kai.
“Hey. We’re outside in Soobin hyung’s car. Come quick!”
Beomgyu grabs his wallet and headphones before stepping out and closing the door behind him.
“BEOMGYU!!!” Kai screams out the open window, his blond hair flying in the wind. Beomgyu can’t help smiling a little as he sees his cheerful friend so excited to see him.
He climbs into the backseat, wincing as he uses his arm to put on his seatbelt.
“Hey Beom.” Soobin says from the driver's seat, giving him an endearing look.
“Hey hyung.” Beomgyu immediately feels better in the presence of his friends, the comforting and stable Soobin paired with the loud and almost obnoxiously cheerful Kai.
“Guess what!!” Kai exclaims excitedly.
“What?”
“Soobin hyung finally talked to his crushhh!!”
“What??” Beomgyu looks wide eyed at the older. “Really??”
Soobin’s cheeks become visibly redder and he nods subtly. “Actually, he came to talk to me first.”
Beomgyu laughs lightly. “Of course.”
“I told him to ask Yeonjun out for a coffee and then ask for his number.” Kai says. “He didn’t exactly agree but I think he’d do it if you told him to.” The younger turned to him to receive his response.
“You should do that. Just go for it. What’s the worst that can happen?”
~~
Soobin looks at himself in the bathroom mirror before his class with Yeonjun. He takes a deep breath and fixes his shirt and adjusts his hair.
“You got this.” he tells himself.
He grabs his backpack and heads nonchalantly into the classroom. He spots Yeonjun scrolling on his phone in the corner of the classroom like usual and heads towards him.
Casually, he drops his backpack next to him and sits down at the seat across from the older.
“Hey Yeonjun.”
Yeonjun’s head whips up and his cheeks warm as he looks at Soobin. “Oh. uh- hey” Yeonjun mentally slaps himself at the lame response. Remembering what Taehyun advised him yesterday, he attempts to ask. “Hey uh, would you-”
At the same time, Soobin starts asking. “Do you-”
They both stop and look at each other before bursting into laughter.
“Aw man, that’s so awkward!” Yeonjun exclaims as he recovers enough to speak, holding his stomach, his face red from laughing.
Soobin becomes shy again as he attempts to ask again. “Would you like to go get a coffee with me sometime?”
“Oh my god, yes! I would love to.” Yeonjun says. “Could I get your number?” His face turns tomato red as he realizes that he did exactly what he called Taehyun ‘rash’ for. “I mean, if you don’t mind..” Yeonjun rapidly tries to recover.
“Of course.” Soobin holds out his hand for Yeonjun’s phone.
Grateful, Yeonjun opens his phone to the contacts page and hands it to Soobin.
Soobin types in his number and sets his own contact name to “Soobinie :)” and hands it back.
Yeonjun laughs as he sees what Soobin had put as the contact name. “Okay, Soobinie.”
The younger blushes at the nickname. “Send me a text so I know your number too.”
“Okay.” Yeonjun sends a text quickly right before the professor walks into the classroom.
xxx-xxx-xxxx: hey hey, it’s Yeonjunnie :)
~~
Beomgyu: hey Kai, can you please come over. I’m having another attack. Please.
~~
“Hyung? Hyung!” Kai opens Beomgyu’s dorm door and frantically searches for him. “Hyung!” He looks through the bathroom and living room before moving to the bedroom. He finds Beomgyu crying softly with his knees to his chest on the floor. “Oh my god hyung, what happened?” Kai rushes to his side and embraces him.
“My dad- my dad called.”
“Did you pick up?” Kai asks cautiously. The topic of Beomgyu’s parents has always been delicate.
“N-No. I did- didn’t” Beomgyu hiccups through his sentences.
“Good. You did good, hyung. I’m proud of you.”
“They left- they left a voicemail.” Beomgyu gestures to his phone lying next to him. “They said- they said they loved me. How could- how could they say that?”
“You’re okay.” Kai rubs Gyu’s back and wipes his tears with his hand. “Do you want tissues? I’ll bring tissues.” He gets up quickly and grabs the box of tissues from Beomgyu’s nightstand. “Do you want to blow your nose?” he asks as the older sniffles.
“Thank- Thank you, Kai.”
“Anytime.” he smiles reassuringly and hands the older tissues.
“Were you do- doing something? I’m so-sorry.” he sniffles through the words.
“No I wasn’t. I was coming to see you anyway. No need to be sorry.” The younger lifts Beomgyu up and brings him to the couch. “Do you want something to eat? Should I order?”
“Get anything you-you want, Kai. I’ll pay.”
“Anything you’re craving?” Kai asks.
Beomgyu shakes his head. “No.”
Kai just orders some fried chicken and texts Soobin.
Kai: Can you come to Beomgyu’s? I think he could use your support.
Soobin: Ofc.
~~
Soobin: Hey Yeonjunnie. I’m really sorry to cancel on our coffee date. My friend needs me. Can we pretty please reschedule??
Yeonjunnie: sure.
~~
“Is he okay?” Soobin bursts into the small apartment, worry written all over his face.
“Yeah he is now.” Kai meets him at the door. He tiptoes to whisper in Soobin’s ear. “His parents said they loved him. In a voicemail.”
Soobin’s nose crinkles. “What do they want.”
“Probably money or assets if I’m being honest. I didn’t want to say anything to hyung.”
“Those manipulative-”
Kai shushes him. “Beom is right in the next room eating yangnyum chicken while watching a drama. Be quiet.”
“Do you think he’s going to be alright?” Soobin asks.
“Probably, yeah. I’m glad he asked for help.”
“Me too.” With that, Soobin walks into the living room and greets Beomgyu. “Hey Beom!”
Beomgyu gives him a light smile. “Hey hyung. Nice to see you.”
“You okay?”
He nods. “Yeah, I’m okay now. Have some chicken.” Beomgyu holds up a chicken leg and offers it to Soobin.
Soobin takes the leg and bites into it. “Thanks. What are you watching?”
“Crash Landing on You.”
“Oh I’ve heard it was good.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty good.” they watch the show together for a while before Beomgyu talks again. “The main female lead has a fucked up family like me.”
“Does she?”
“Her parents don’t care about her. Her mom literally abandoned her at a beach as a child. When she was stranded in North Korea, her brother tried to have her assassinated.”
“Wow. Really?”
“Yeah, but it’s a drama.” he sighs. “Not real.”
“But she also finds love, right? A person she loves and that loves her? I’m assuming since it’s a drama.”
“Yeah but like I said, it’s a drama.” Beomgyu looks at Soobin. “Things like that don’t happen in real life.”
“Haven’t you seen the news?” Soobin asks. “People all over the world are finding their soulmate!”
“I haven’t had a single flower bloom on me yet, Soobin.” Beomgyu says dejectedly.
“Maybe they’re careful or they’re in places that you can’t see.”
“Doubt it. How could anyone truly love me?”