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This had been a bad idea. As soon as Soobin had arrived at the party, he knew he’d be regretting the fact that he’d allowed both Beomgyu and Heuningkai to drag him there in the first place. Soobin had never liked parties, he’d always found them too loud, with too many people all pressed together, too many random strangers offering him drinks that he really didn't want, and of course, the constant pressure to have fun, which in itself made the whole experience less fun. Or at least, that’s how it had always been for Soobin.
Unfortunately, Beomgyu had been taking the opportunity to go to every house party in the nearby vicinity all summer, and Soobin still couldn't quite understand how he’d managed to allow his friend to drag him to yet another one.
He leaned against the wall of the living room, which had the furniture shoved up against the it to make way for a makeshift dance floor, and he watched as amongst the crowd, his two friends, Beomgyu and Hueningkai danced together, Beomgyu’s arms wrapped around Kai’s neck, the latter with his arms wrapped around Beomgyu's waist. Both seemed oblivious to their surroundings, as though they were the only two people in the world, and Soobin allowed himself to smile a little as he watched the multicolored disco lights dance across their smiling faces.
He was glad the pair were happy, but after dancing with them for what had felt like hours, he’d eventually resigned himself to standing back from the dancing crowd in the corner, lightly fanning himself with his hand- it was ridiculously hot in here- not that it made much difference.
Honestly, parties were more their thing, and feeling very much like a third wheel, Soobin brought out his phone from his pocket, scrolling through his messages just for something to do. He should have point blank refused to come, just as Taehyun had.
Suddenly, his phone pinged, and Soobin looked down as he saw a message from Taehyun.
Tyun🐿️🍓: How’s the party going?
Soobin🐰: couldn’t be better, according to Beomkai 🙄
And hit 'send'.
A few seconds later, he received another message:
Tyun 🐿️🍓: Still third wheeling The Beomkai? I pity you. I can come pick you up if you like?
Soobin considered. He glanced up at the still dancing crowd, feeling the floor practically vibrate as a new faster, heavier hip hop song came on, and watched as both Kai and Beomgyu started to dance wildly. Boemgyu was being twirled around by his boyfriend, long hair flying around behind him, while the blond haired boy laughed in delight.
Soobin sighed, turning his back to the crowd. The flashing disco lights were giving him a headache.
Soobin🐰: No, it’s ok. I’ll stay. Thanks again though.
Tyun 🐿️🍓: OK. if you're sure. Make sure you all keep hydrated.
Soobin smiled at this, and just as he was about to put his phone away, he suddenly felt a pair of arms wind themself around his waist, and a chin came to rest against his shoulder.
Kai.
“Do you really want to leave, hyung?” Kai asked, managing to take a glance at the phone screen before Soobin pocketed it.
“No, it’s ok. But Taehyun tells me to remind you to drink plenty of water.” Soobin responded, gently tugging Kai's arms from around his waist, and turning round to see Beomgyu, now winding his way through the crowd with what looked like three cocktails in his hands, all prettily made up with slices of lemon and umbrellas sticking out of them.
“Here! I got us these! Aren’t they pretty? Som boy was in the kitchen just making these for everyone so I thought I’d take some!” Beomgyu beamed, his cheeks flushed.
Kai immediately reached out to take one, sipping from the straw enthusiastically, eyes widening at the taste, which must have been extraordinarily good.
“Here” Beomgyu said, passing one to Soobin, who took it gingerly, skeptically eyeing the concoction. he'd never really liked the taste of alcohol, even mixed in with fruit juice or sweeteners.
“You should be drinking water, not downing every cocktail put in front of you! You’ve already have quite a bit!” Soobin scolded, but only half seriously as Beomgyu rolled his eyes.
“I have been drinking plenty of water thank you very much! Right Kai?” Beomgyu asked, turning to the blond boy who up till this point had simply been sipping from his cocktail, but now he looked round and nodded vigorously, eyes wide, feigning innocence.
“Oh yes! He’s been very responsible!” Kai said emphatically, which caused Soobin to smirk. Kai was such a bad liar.
Beomgyu gave a horrified expression, knowing he was busted, but then he reached forwards and tugged Kai towards him, and Kai immediately went and wrapped his arms around Beomgyu's waist.
“It’s ok. You can’t help it if you’re too too pure to tell a lie.” Beomgyu beamed, ruffling the younger boy’s hair while Kai blew an air kiss his boyfriend’s way.
And this was exactly why Soobin always felt like a third wheel. They were both so in love that without Taehyun there, Soobin almost felt invisible.
“I’m still here you know!” Soobin said to which the pair both paused what they were doing to give him amused looks.
“We know! Why don’t you come and dance with us again?" Kai asked, but the thought of going back to dance made Soobin feel slightly sick. The music was making his ears ache and his head throb as it was, but no way was he going to tell the pair this. They were both so happy, and who was he to spoil their fun?
“No, no, it’s fine. You two go have fun, and I’ll just watch.” he said, smiling in what he hoped was a reassuring manner.
“Are you sure?” maybe if you drink that, you’ll be more in the mood to party!" Beomgyu said, gesturing to the glass in Soobin's hand, which he’d almost forgotten about.
“I’m sure. You two go have fun.” Soobin said resignedly, and he watched as the pair made their way back into the mix of people, soon to be lost in the crowd, drinks still in hand.
When he was sure the other two had well and truly gone, Soobin turned to what appeared to be a small house plant sitting on an abandoned coffee table, and guiltiy poured the remainder of his still very full glass into the pot, hoping the plant liked alcohol. He then edged his way around the crowd, still reeling in the lights as he eventually made his way towards the kitchen area, where there was a large fish tank sitting to the side of the table, filled with large koi carp, and he he placed the glass on the table next to the tank, before leaning against the counter top.
From where he was, the noise wasn’t so bad. It was still considerably loud, given that the living room an the kitchen were practically conjoined, but there were fewer people, only a handful making their way across the room towards the main party area, and a few couples standing at random intervals, holding hands, making out, and, though Soobin very much hoped he was wrong, a random group of three all slumped against the wall, drinks still in hands, threatening to spill over, and all very much passed out.
He then remembered what Taehyun had said about keeping hydrated, and so he went round the counter top filling his glass with water from the tap and then returning to his spot by the fishtank, now just simply watching the orange and gold creatures and they swam dreamily around the clear water. It was kind of relaxing, Soobin thought to himself as he took a gulp of water and then put the glass on the table top.
The throbbing headache which had been pounding in his skull for the past few hours was slowly fading, and his eyes no longer felt funny from the glare of those bright lights.
He watched, half fascinated, as one particularly massive fish came up close to the tank, tail flicking and mouth gaping open.
It's kind of cute , Soobin thought, and he pressed his face a little closer-
“Ah!” Soobin immediately jumped back, nearly spilling his glass of water onto his shirt as he shook his head, certain that he had been mistaken.
He then, despite his now racing heart, took a small tentative step forwards towards the fish tank, because he had been certain that he’d just seen...but no..it couldn’t be…
But then yes, instead of just seeing fish, he saw a boy. A boy who peered back at him from across the other side of the tank, smiling at him, and Soobin immediately felt his face flush, feeling the flush coming back into his cheeks that was nothing to do with the horrible party heat.
This boy was, for lack of better word, beautiful. It was his face that Soobin had seen first, with a sharp jawline and dark eyes dusted with light eyeshadow, lips plump and glossy red, and hair the colour of coal, half falling deliberately into his face.
From where he was, Soobin couldn’t see what the boy was wearing, but his face alone, now looking curiously back at him, was enough to make his palms sweat, and the throbbing in his head, which Soobin had thought was going away, had now come back in full force.
The boy then gave Soobin a small smile and waved through the sea of fish and seaweed at him, and Soobin weakly waved back, hoping he didn’t look too foolish.
This action, however, made the boy’s face break into an even wider smile, his eyes crinkling at the edges, his mouth turned up so that his cheeks bunched up adorably, and Soobin couldn’t help but smile back, wanting to talk to him, this beautiful stranger, but too scared to even make a sound.
And anyway, it was still so loud, even here. The music had turned up even more and he could still see little flashes of lights, hear people yelling, laughing.
The boy then lifted his hand once more, and pointed to the side, implying that he wanted Soobin to step away from the tank so that they could meet each other properly, and though his pulse was going a million miles a minute, Soobin nodded, and gulped as he followed the boy in the same direction he was going, stepping aside so that the fish tank want blocking either of their views.
And then there they were, facing each other properly for the first time. They had moved to Soobin’s right, which meant that they no longer had the countertop in between them, but Soobin almost wished they did.
The boy was shorter than Soobin, but not by much and he wore black jeans, with a black tank top that would have shown far too much skin for Soobin to reasonably handle had there not been a complicated wire mesh shirt draped over the top too. Black with silver netting, slightly sparkly, like gossamer strands, like moondust spun together into a shirt that ended in flowing sleeves, and Soobin could see that even from here, the outfit seemed to glitter slightly, matching the boy's eyeshadow, giving him a sort of ethereal look, as though he were some sort of angel, that had materialized in front of Soobin’s very eyes.
It was a daring outfit, far more fashion-forward than Soobin would ever have been comfortable wearing himself, but on this boy, it just seemed right, so perfect.
Soobin simply couldn't stop staring, and he only realized what he was doing when the boy suddenly said:
“Like my outfit?” with a small smile, eyes sparkling, and Soobin managed a nod, not trusting himself to say much at all.
At this, the boy seemed pleased, because he gestured lightly to Soobin’s own outfit.
“Yours is much cuter though.” surprising Soobin so much that he wanted to hide his face in his hands, sure that he now resembled something close to a beetroot, but instead he managed to choke out:
“T-thanks.”
God, this boy was flirty, but in a cute way.
In all honesty, Soobin really hadn't thought much about his outfit. He’d simply worn a white T-shirt with a long fuzzy checkered black and white cardigan and jeans, prefering to be comfortable, but he had to admit that the cardigan was the selling point of his entire ensemble. He’d always loved wearing long cardigans, something that Kai had taken advantage of, saying that it made him a “better hugging prop” whatever that meant.
“I’m Choi Yeonjun. Nice to meet you.” the boy said, extending his hand out for Soobin to shake. Soobin tentatively reached out to grasp the other’s hand, but not before noticing Yeonjun's black painted fingernails and delicate silver bracelet hanging off of his wrist with silver stars.
“Choi Soobin” Soobin just about managed, feeling his face burning as the boy smiled back, giving Soobin a little wink as he did so. Ok, so more of an awkward blink, but it was cute.
Was it possible to flirt while just shaking hands?
Soobin wasn't sure, but he knew one thing: this boy was way too confident for his own good, and he seemed to know exactly what effect he was having on Soobin. Strangely enough, though, while one part of his brain was telling him to disappear into the ground, the other part didn't seem to mind.
Their eyes met as they shook hands, and suddenly, Soobin felt a single wave a nausea overcome him, his vision blurring as he watched Yeonjun’s face split into two and blur, the smile that had been on the other boy's face quickly turning to an expression of concern as Soobin felt his legs almost give way, head now feeling like it was being smashed against a wall, and the world was spinning. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the fish tank and then-
“Woah! Are you ok?” came Yeonjun’s voice, but at that moment, Soobin felt too disorientated to reply.
He shut his eyes tightly, feeling himself fall forwards, and then the next thing he knew, he had practically fallen straight into Yeonjun’s arms, holding on tightly as the other boy kept him steady. Soobin blinked rapidly now. Had he just blacked out for a second? He shook his head, which was still throbbing painfully as he attempted to stand up properly.
This seemed to have been a mistake however, because as soon as he managed to righten himself, he was met with the worried gaze of Yeonjun, looking up at him, and Soobin noticed how despite standing upright, he was still gripping onto Yeonjun’s wire mesh shirt tightly. He felt the heat rush up to his face once more.
“I’m ok. I just don’t do well with loud noise. Or crowds.” he explained sheepishly, averting his gaze simply to stop himself spontaneously combusting there and them.
But Yeojun still looked concerned, and the next thing he knew, he was allowing the other boy to gently steer him with one hand, a gently but firm arm wrapped around his waist, over to the kitchen counter once more, where he managed to sit back down on a kitchen stool.
Soobin allowed himself to rest his head onto the table on top of his arms, closing his eyes for a second and feeling the cool tabletop numb his burning forehead.
“Here, take this.”
Soobin lifted his head to see Yeonjun over by the sink, now refilling the glass of water Soobin had had in his hands only a few minutes ago and then push the glass back towards him, and Soobin accepted gratefully.
Yeonjun came over and leaned his elbows against the table, face in hands as he gazed at Soobin, those cherry lips twitching into a smile. And there it was again. A swooping sensation in Soobin's stomach that made him feel a bit giddy.
“I’m sorry for nearly collapsing on you. I felt as though I was in a heat wave for a second.” Soobin apologised again. He was actually feeling a bit better already, and he strongly suspected that it was due to Yeonjun.
“Well then, I must have been that heatwave, right?” Yeonjun asked, smirking slightly, and Soobin’s mind went blank, feeling his heart thumping wildly and his face colouring even more. How was he supposed to respond to that?
“I-”
“No, no, don’t worry.” Yeonjun suddenly cut in, almost appearing shy at how forward the comment had been, but then he added, “But don’t apologise for collapsing on me, ok?” he said, before turning round with a knowing look before Soobin could even respond.
This boy really was something.
Soobin sat there, sipping his water as he watched Yeonjun open up the kitchen cupboards, rummaging through them as though he owned the place, taking out multiple items at a time: two dessert spoons, what looked like a tall ice cream glass that was typically served at parlours, a large ice cream scoop, and then rummaging in the freezer off to the side, opening and closing the drawers at random determined to find whatever it was he was looking for.
“Err...should you be doing that?” Soobin managed to ask, confused as Yeonjun paused, looking up at him from the bottom shelf of the freezer with a slightly guilty expression.
“Well, it’s for a good cause, so why not?" he said, waving one hand around and then giving Soobin a mischievous smile and then going back to looking for who knew what else.
The next moment Soobin saw as Yeonjun emerged from the freezer with multiple tubs of icecream, whipped cream, sprinkles and chocolate sauce, and ladled them all onto the table triumphantly.
“I read somewhere that when someone faints, you need to give them sugar or whatever, so how about ice cream?” Yeonjun asked, already opening one tub of chocolate ice cream and aggressively hacking at it with the ice cream scoop, while Soobin, who was feeling considerably better, struggled not to laugh.
Soobin watched quietly as Yeonjun made the dessert, glad that his headache was slowly beginning to ebb away, and he no longer had the urge to collapse in a pathetic heap on the ground. It was easier just to observe, and Yeonjun was, well, entertaining. He was so animated , full of energy, as he bustled around the kitchen like a whirlwind, grabbing this and that to add to his dessert creation, doing everything with a flourish, adding flavor after flavor to his ice cream creation.
Yeonjun was now adding the final touches to his masterpiece, which seemed to include a combination of whipped cream, chocolate sauce and multicolored sprinkles, and then shoving two ice cream spoons into the top.
It seemed they were sharing.
“For you.” Yeonjun said with a flourish, pushing the completed dessert across the table and into Soobin’s hands.
Meanwhile though, Soobin eyes the two spoons skeptically.
“I thought you said it was for me.” Soobin asked, not being able to stop a faint trace of teasing creeping into his voice.
“I did. I said it was for you, but I never said it was just for you.” Yeonjun said smugly.
And then added, “Are you feeling better now? Maybe we could go and it outside, the fresh air will cool you down.” Yeonjun suggested, although it would take more than fresh air to cool down Soobin’s burning cheeks as Yeonjun linked arms with Soobin as they went through the kitchen and living room area, past the dancing crowds, as Soobin clung on tight to the glass of ice cream with his free hand. Despite his racing heart, Soobin made an effort to scan the crowds for Beomgyu and Kai, but he couldn’t see them anywhere, and as they exited the house, he only hoped that both of them were being responsible.and by responsible, he meant preferably not Beomgyu drinking himself into a stupor.
Outside, it was a cool summer’s night, and the stars twinkled in a clear dark sky. The garden out the front was relatively small, but it was surprisingly neat, with a few trees decorated in multicolored fairy lights and a small wooden bench under the largest tree. The lights cast a warm glow across the bench that both he and Yeonjun ended up sitting on.
There was hardly anyone in the garden, only a few couples off in the nearby vicinity, kissing near the hedge, and sitting on the grass little way off. It was so much better than the crowded living room indoors, and the warm summer night’s breeze made the whole setting rather peaceful.
They both sat in silence for a while, simply gazing up at the stars and sharing ice cream, until Soobin surprised himself but breaking the silence:
“Do you work at an ice cafe, by any chance?” he asked, nodding towards the ice cream. It was good, he had to admit, Yeonjun’s decorative skills clearly evident in the sprinkles and the way he’d swirled the chocolate syrup into the ice cream to make a pretty pattern going through the flavors.
Yeonjun smiled and nodded.
“I've worked part time at a cafe for a while now. I’m always put on icecream duty during the summer, which means I work the front counter as well. My manager says it’s because I have good people skills.” Yeonjun said, and Soobin couldn’t help but smile at that. He could very clearly envision Yeonjun working at a cafe, serving ice cream and talking animatedly to customers, putting them at ease.
“What else do you do?” Soobin asked, not being able to help himself as his eyes trailed over Yeonjun’s unique looking outfit, from the sleeveless top covered in netting, to Yeonjun’s artfully ripped back jeans. No way in hell did Yeonjun just serve ice cream. This boy looked good enough to be a model. He could probably wear anything and make it into a masterpiece.
“I’m working to become a fashion designer. I like clothes, and I like to express myself with what I’m wearing. It’s fun to try new things, and break old standards, go against stereotypes. And I can do that, by designing my own stuff. This..” -and here, Yeonjun pointed at his own top, tugging slightly at the mesh shirt- “..is one of my own designs. I submitted it for one of my college assignments last year and once exams were over, I was free to wear it as my own. Plus the fifteen hundred orders I got along with it. ” Yeonjun said happily as he dipped his spoon into the ice cream, savoring his mouthful, but he spoke about all of this so casually. It was as though it was no big deal at all, as though he came up with this sort of thing every other day.
“What?”
Yeonjun was looking up at him, eyeing his expression, one eyebrow raised, and Soobin blinked rapidly, realizing that he’d been gawking, mouth slightly open, and Soobin quickly shook his head, feeling himself getting flustered once more.
“Nothing, it’s just…well, you’re kind of amazing.” Soobin said, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop them, but he meant it.
“Thanks.” Yeonjun said, smiling shyly and bowing his head in acknowledgement, not quite meeting Soobin’s eyes, and if Soobin hadn't known better, he would have thought that he could see just the slightest flush appear on Yeonjun’s cheeks.
“But I’m not that amazing.” Yeonjun said, finally being able to look back at Soobin once more. “One day, I’d love to work for big brands, if I can. Teen Vogue, Louis Vouitton, Gucci. Seeing my own designs on runways, even just in stores, that really would be amazing…” Yeonjun said, voice trailing off into a final whisper in the gentle night’s breeze, gaze lost in the stars as though he really was dreaming of that day when he could finally say that he’d achieved his life's ambition.
Soobin couldn't even think of having such a dream. The way Yeonjun spoke about it, he could tell that this was it. This was exactly what he wanted to do, one dream that hopefully would turn into a reality someday.
“I think you’ll make it, you’re obviously very talented.” Soobin said, wondering if he was being overly complimentary, but he couldn’t help himself. People like Yeonjun were destined for more than an ordinary life, they were destined to do great things, to be seen in the world. Soobin could tell.
Yeonjun turned back to him, and though they were half shadowed in darkness he could see the other boy’s eyes shining his soft smile at his words.
“Thank you. And you’re obviously too sweet for your own good.” Yeonjun said softly, the stars reflected back at him in those dark eyes, as though this was the reassurance that Yeonjun needed.
And then the moment was broken as Yeonjun suddenly flipped the conversation round:
“And how about you? What do you do? What do you want to be?” Yeonjun asked, waggling his spoon at Soobin.
Soobin suddenly felt awkward. Here he was sitting in front of a person who already knew exactly what they wanted to do with their life, while here, he was not even close to deciding. What he wanted to do or be had always seemed like such an abstract concept, so far into the future, that it honestly felt a bit overwhelming to just decide on one thing.
“To be honest, not much.” he said, shyly rubbing the back of his neck, not daring to meet the other boy’s gaze, choosing to stare down at the grass at his feet instead.
“I can’t believe that.” Yeonjun said, and then Soobin felt a hand gently tug at the arm he’d raised to rub his neck in embarrassment, tugging it back down, making him focus on how Yeonjun’s fingers lightly trailed over the back of his hand, giving a pleasant tickling feeling as he let go.
“No, really, I’m not even sure what I want to be. I like photography, especially using old polaroid cameras, and I can play the recorder...kind of. And I can dance. I can do a pretty good cover of OH MY GIRL’s Dolphin. But I mean, it’s not like I dance professionally, I just like to copy kpop music videos for the fun of it, I don’t mind what style or genre. That’s how I learnt how to b-boy.`` Soobin finished, blurting out that last part in a rush and then internally cringing.
“That doesn’t sound like ‘not much’ at all! And you can b-boy? Really? You must show me that sometime!” Yeonjun said eagerly, and though Soobin could hear a playful note of teasing in his voice, Yeonjun’s expression was one of genuine interest, which made him feel pleased, a warm glow spreading through his chest.
“Ok, maybe.” Soobin answered awkwardly, although he’d rather have jumped off a cliff than show Yeonjun his b-boying skills. “ Oh, and my friend Hueningkai has been teaching me how to play piano.” Soobin added, now watching in amusement as Yeonjun’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Really? So you play two instruments, you can take photographs, and you can dance? I don’t understand why you’re being so modest then!” Yeonjun said, playfully whacking Soobin in the arm, making him let out a yelp of laughter and surprise, but he was quick to regain his balance and shoved Yeonjun right back, maybe a little too enthusiastically, causing the other boy to almost fall off the bench.
“Woah! Sorry.” he apologised, instinctively grabbing onto Yeonjun’s sleeve and tugging him back upright, while still laughing, although Yeonjun suddenly twisted his arm out of Soobin’s grip.
“Yah! Your fingers are all sticky!” he complained, and the next thing he knew, Yeonjun was dipping his fingers into the slightly melted ice cream they were sharing, and was coming at his face with sticky strawberry ice cream fingers.
“No! Not my face!” Soobin yelped, bringing his hands up to shield his face, as Yeonjun giggled, prizing Soobin’s hands away and wiped one sticky finger down Soobin’s cheek as he squirmed, attempting to push Yeonjun off, although he was giggling all the same.
“You’re such a child! How old are you again?” Soobin asked, finally succeeding in batting Yeopnjun’s hands away while the other boy pouted.
“Twenty four.”
“Then you’re my hyung! I can’t believe that, not when you’re the one attacking me with ice cream! ” Soobin teased.
“Age is just a number.” Yeonjun said, matter of factly, pointing his finger at Soobin in such a serious manner that Soobin struggled not to burst out laughing. It was as though Soobin had insisted that he were ancient or something.
It went on like that for quite some time, as the two of them sat outside in front of the house, talking together into the now slightly cool night air. After a while, it began to get colder, and Soobin was quick to take off his long cardigan and offer it to Yeonjun, who politely declined at first, but then they came to a compromise, purely because Soobin kept on insisting, so that both of them ended up sharing the cardigan between them. All things considered, it was rather cozy.
Huddled together with Soobin’s cardigan wrapped around their shoulders, it was pleasant to simply gaze up at the stars, and Soobin became aware of the fact that Yeonjun had shifted closer to him, snuggled tightly against this side. He was also very conscious of the fact that. For some reason, this caused some sohis stomach to sort of do that weird flip flop again, that happy excitement and nervousness coming back to him once more. And so Soobin, who had no idea where this new found bravery had come from (possibly Yeonjun’s confidence had rubbed off on him even in the short span of time they’d known each other), wrapped an arm around Yeonjun’s waist, simply content in each other’s company.
Soobin had no idea of how long they sat there for, but it must have been awhile, because suddenly, he was hearing the very drunken yelling of Beomgyu, and it shocked him out of his little bubble of happiness. He jolted around to see Beomgyu, being supported by a very awkward and apologetic look Kai, coming down the front steps of the house, waving his hand frantically Soobin’s way, while Beomgyu continued to yell whatever nonsense he wanted Soobin’s way.
“Yah! Soobin-ah! We’re all ready to leave! Hurry up, Kai promised me a plushie kingdom, and I need to greet my royal subjects!” Beomgyu yelled happily, slurring his words, while Kai shook his head, smiling down at his very intoxicated, yet still extremely cute, boyfriend.
“Sorry! Don’t listen to him! Take your time. We’ll be heading over to the car, meet us in about five minutes?” Kai asked. He was struggling to get Beomgyu to move at all, the older boy was so wobbly on his feet, and Soobin gave him a thumbs up. Knowing the pair, they wouldn’t even make it down the driveway in five minutes, not at this rate.
At least it gave him more time to say goodbye to Yeonjun. .
Soobin turned round to a now very amused Yeonjun, who was smirking over his shoulder at his two friends.
“So that’s why you came to the party? Because of those two?” he asked, raising one eyebrow, and Soobin nodded, rolling his eyes at the thought of helping Kai take care of Beomgyu. It wouldn’t be an easy task.
“So…I guess I’ll have to say goodbye now.” Yeonjun said, a bittersweet smile on his face as he handed back Soobin’s his cardigan, and Soobin stood up, putting hsic ardigain back on as Yeonjun stood too.
Soobin didn’t want to say goodbye. Not yet.
He felt a sharp pang now in his chest as he looked down at Yeonjun, wondering why he was so sad when Yeonjun was still practically a stranger, except that this had been the best party he’d been to all summer. Yeonjun had turned a potentially dreadful evening into something that Soobin had actually enjoyed, and he didn’t want to leave.
“I guess so.” Soobin said, now swinging his arms awkwardly at his sides, feeling a bit stupid, as though some sort of spell had sudenyl been broken, but Yeonjun gave him a smile as he asked, almost tentatively now, as though worried about the possible answer Soobin might give him:
“Can I, I mean...will I see you again?” he asked softly, and Soobin felt his face flush, glad he was in semi-darkness now as Yeonjun’s dark eyes gazed up at him.
“Y-yes. Of course you’ll see me again! I was just worried you wouldn’t want to see me…” he trailed off, now feeling embarrassed. Yeonjun was so sweet, so funny and charming and beautiful, he could get anyone. But it seemed that he wanted Soobin, and this very idea alone made Soobin feel giddy.
“Of course I’d want to see you again! You must show me your kpop dance covers, especially OH MY GIRL’s Dolphin. And the photographs you take. And all those instruments that you play. Promise? Promise I can see you again?” Yeonjun asked, making Soobin giggle a bit, and he nodded.
“Yes! I promise!”
“And you’ve got to let me take you out on a real date next time, anywhere you like. I want you to be happy. Would you let me do that?”
“Yes. I’d love that! But you've already made me happy.” Soobin answered, gazing back into Yeonjun’s, feeling as though his head was spinning, but in a good way this time, almost as though he were on some sort of funfair ride that he never wanted to get off.
“The let me continue to make you happy.'' Yeonjun replied, and now the other boy stepped closer, so that they were only centimeters apart, and Soobin felt Yeonjun lightly take both of his hands. Soobin couldn’t help but let his breath hitch as Yeonjun smiled up at him, their noses so close to touching.
Then suddenly, Yeonjun had stood on tiptoe, and then his lips met Soobin’s. And Soobin, in his surprise, froze for a second, brain trying to process what was happening, but then a warm glow of happiness took over as he leaned down and kissed Yeonjun back, tasting the sweetness of the ice cream they had both shared; and he was melting, melting like ice cream in a kiss that tasted of the sweetest of summers. He could now feel Yeonjun wrap his arms around his neck, and Soobin himself hung on tight to Yeonjun’s waist as they kissed each other goodbye under the stars.
It only lasted seconds, but when they finally broke apart, slightly out of breath and gazing at each other as though trying to igraine the other’s face in their memories, they still held onto each other, desperate not to let go. Yeonjun’s cheeks were flushed now, and his lips were slightly swollen from the kiss, eyes sparkling, and Soobin himself could feel his own cheeks flushing a beetroot red.
Soobin became aware of what he was doing, holding onto Yeonjun’s waist, and he shyly let go, feeling the other step back a little. Soobin wasn’t entirely sure how to proceed from here.
And then the other boy lifted up his right arm slightly, the one with the bracelet on it, and he took it off his wrist, the silver stars on the chain twinkling in the palm of his hand.
“Here. I want you to have this.” he said, offering out his bracelet to Soobin, who shook his head, waving his hands to refuse. Why was Yeonjun offering him such a precious and expensive looking piece of jewelry? Surely he didn’t expect Soobin to accept? It was far too much.
“No no, I can’t take that!” Soobin said, slightly panicked now.
“I want you to have it.” Yeonjun insisted. “To remind you of our promise. And to remind you of me.” he added, and so now Soobin allowed Yeonjun to take his hand, and place the delicate bracelet around his own wrist, where it glittered and twinkled, the silver stars shimmering even in the darkness.
“Thank you. But I could never forget you, Yeonjun.” Soobin replied softly, as now he hooked his right pinky finger with Yeonjun’s own, and he felt his heart fluttering wildly with happiness as, to seal their promise, Yeonjun took their intertwined fingers and kissed them lightly, before letting go.
“Good, because I could never forget you.” Yeonjun said softly, and then Soobin heard another loud yell, irritating him as he turned his head round once more:
“Yah! What?” he asked as he saw Kai rush back up the driveway, this time alone, and carrying what appeared to be a tiny earring in his hand, although it was difficult to see from this distance.
“Beomgyu hyung dropped this so I left him in the car to go look for it. Thankfully I found it ok. Also, are you coming, it’s been ten minutes now!” Kai said, waving the dangling earring about as though to emphasize his point.
“I thought you told me to take my time?” Soobin called, half annoyed, half amused, but he couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for Kai. It must be hard work taking care of a drunk Beomgyu, especially when his boyfriend became too intoxicated to form coherent sentences.
“ Well, it seems like your friend has left already, so you may as well come to the car now.” Kai replied, as he came over to Soobin.
Soobin frowned, confused, and he turned round expecting to see Yeonjun right there beside him, where he had been only a few seconds earlier, but when he turned round, there was no one there. Soobin didn’t understand. He scanned the dark lawn frantically, turning a full three sixty degrees all the way round, eyes straining in the dark, but to no avail. Yeonjun was nowhere to be found, and the front garden looked deserted.
He felt himself start to panic, pulse drumming in his ears. Where had he gone? How could he just leave? Surely there had been a mistake?
“Hyung? What’s the matter?” Kai asked, now standing right besides Soobin, in the exact spot that Yeonjun had been in, but Soobin shook his head, now more confused than ever.
“He was right here! You saw him! Where did he go? How could he just leave me?” Soobin asked, a little desperately.
Kai patted him on the shoulder comfortingly, but he’d already reached for Soobin’s sleeve, gently tugging him back out towards the driveway to his car.
“Come on. Maybe he had something important to do suddenly and had to leave. I’m sure he had a good reason. But you both looked like you were really having fun.” Kai said, as Soobin, in defeat, allowed the younger boy to lead him towards the car.
Despite this, Soobin still felt so confused, and honestly, a little hurt. After all of that, how could Yeonjun just disappear? Had it all been a dream? But he nodded at Kai’s reassuring words. Maybe he had a point.
As they finally got to the car, Soobin noticed how Beomgyu was practically sprawled out on the back seat, very much unconscious, and as he and Kai got into the front seats, he grabbed his keys and turned on the ignition. Another perk of not enjoying parties: you were less likely to get wasted, and thus, were able to drive.
***
As they drove home through the dark, Soobin caught a glimpse of the bracelet, still on his right wrist, glittering with silver stars as they passed a streetlamp. Yeonjun couldn’t have just left. He must've had a good reason. But now, in the car with a snoring Beomgyu and a half awake Kai, Soobin was starting to think that it had all been a dream. Either way, one thing was certain: he’d never forget Choi Yeonjun. A person that remarkable, who shone so brightly in this world, could never be easily forgotten.
They rounded the corner towards their shared apartment, and Soobin parked the car in their usual spot. Behind them, Soobin heard Beomgyu mumble something incomprehensible in his sleep. The flashing street lights that illuminate the parking lot shone down through the car window, giving some reprieve from the darkness, and Kai peered over at Soobin, a slightly amused expression on his face.
“What?” Soobin asked, confused.
“Hyung...is that ice cream on your face?” Kai asked disbelievingly. .
“Oh, umm, I guess so.” Soobin said, hastily wiping at his face sheepishly, having completely forgotten about the ice cream until this point.
They then got out of the car, and both he and Kai hauled an unconscious Beomgyu out of the back seat, but all the while, Soobin decided not to elaborate.
Some things were best left to speculation.