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"It's twenty-eight today! Have you got any ideas of what you'll do on Friday?" Yeonjun dropped on the chair in front of Soobin, startling the other person sitting beside him to choke on the water he was drinking.
"What's up with you?" Soobin snarled while patting Taehyun on the back. "Are you okay?" He asked as he watched the other boy cough silently and gasp for air.
"Ye—yeah," Taehyun uttered in between breaths.
"What's happening on the first?" Soobin asked after he'd made sure Taehyun wouldn't need to be rushed to the emergency room, or the clinic, as it was the closest.
He started to flip through the pages of his notebook, though he was not focusing on what was written on it because it would be a lost cost anyway. What with Yeonjun towering over him, bringing the wrath of the oracle of life that Soobin would undoubtedly face in a matter of minutes.
"April fools!" Yeonjun exclaimed and matched it with animated movements, like he had been anticipating this day the whole year.
"It's April? I didn't even notice the days," he murmured after his friend's revelation. "And what about it, though?" he asked, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. What's so special in April?
"Are you serious? You're not gonna do some pranks?" Yeonjun asked as if Soobin was the one being ridiculous in between the two of them.
"What are you? Nine? And besides, I have no other friends aside from the three of you—"
"And Beomgyu." Taehyun cut him early and stitched in. Soobin looked at him and found him already capable of agitating him unnecessarily after almost choking to the other life with his own saliva.
"And Beomgyu." Soobin rolled his eyes. "I can't even barely call him my friend now," he added a bit dejectedly and maybe over dramatically. Beomgyu's been stereotypically and uncharacteristically a jerk, and Soobin couldn't really unveil the place where he was coming from, but it was definitely uncalled for, and Soobin would be grateful if he ever stopped whatever he was doing right now.
"But I've got a perfect idea for you to do!" Yeonjun said, bouncing on his seat like an overexcited child.
"I'm not sure about that," he said warily. Nothing good ever comes with Yeonjun's scheming, and every single person inside their friend group can vouch for him, even Beomgyu. Soobin would very much rather trust a toddler with his life than Yeonjun, truth be told.
"Well, I'm sure about this, so come on!" Yeonjun exaggerated. Soobin couldn't even imagine being this boy's parents when being his friend is already this excruciatingly enervating.
"I haven't tried pranking anyone in my life, so I don't think I can execute your plan perfectly," Soobin said, trying to go around the bend and escape Yeonjun's horrible idea. Which was his second mistake after the first which was entertaining Yeonjun.
"No! That's perfect! You haven't done any thrilling activity in your life, so he will not be suspicious of anything." Yeonjun spoke a little too enthusiastically for his sanity that Soobin felt like he just jumped inside of a trap by purposely dodging it.
Soobin may or may not have been regretting being Yeonjun's friend with the way he thinks doing stupid things is labeled as a 'thrilling activity'. How his mind works would always be a mystery to Soobin and the rest of their friend group.
"He?" he asked, upon hearing the pronoun and realizing. Though maybe he doesn't have to ask who that 'he' might be because it was painted as clear as day on Yeonjun's face.
"Beomgyu." Yeonjun whispered, and Soobin just rolled his eye for the umpteenth time that day.
When he wished for a peaceful life, he didn't mean having Yeonjun plot every single dreadful event that would lead into the grim future of his life. Well, he could only take what's been given to him at hand and make do.
"This better not put me behind bars, Yeonjun," he said with both a warning and defeat at the same time.
"You have zero trust in me, and I'm pretty upset by that." The older one crossed his arms and leaned back on his seat. How dramatic this guy could be, Soobin could only wonder.
"Alright, just go on," he said exasperatedly as he gestured his hand.
"Okay, so Beomgyu has been bullying you out of the blue, right?" Yeonjun asked, and Soobin nodded. Feeling quite exhausted already when it hasn't even started yet. "We all know why, but that's great; keep him bullying you until the first of April," Yeonjun said while chuckling like a lunatic and waving a dismissing hand.
"We all know what? And how am I even supposed to do that?"
"I'm pretty sure he'll continue bullying you," Taehyun finally said. What the boy said didn't sound right, but Soobin knew better that it did not mean anything aside from being a simple observation. And why, in the name of Mary, mother of Jesus, would he want Beomgyu to keep bullying him when his wish was the complete opposite?
"Right, and then, the final plan will, obviously, be executed on April first." Yeonjun continued and acted like he laid out a rolled piece of paper on Soobin's desk and pointed at exactly nowhere on the invisible blueprint.
"And that is?" He asked suspiciously. Soobin couldn't come up with what was brewing inside Yeonjun's head, and it was truly disconcerting. He just had indeed dove into a vat of sweet, melted candies and thrown himself into a colony of red-fire ants.
"You have an aunt and uncle living in Carolina, right?" Yeonjun asked with a mischievous grin on his face. From then on, Soobin pieced together everything of what's going to unfold from inside his dear friend's mind.
"Yes." He sighed defeatedly. "And no, no, no we are not doing this—"
"You'll tell that guy that you'll be flying to Carolina by next week and will be staying with your aunt and uncle because your parents said so, and that they want you to study there." Yeonjun finished, moving his eyebrows up and down in search of approval. Did this boy really think it was the smartest prank ever? Soobin would never know how his mind works; really wouldn't even try to discover how he operates.
"No. No." Soobin shook his head but Yeonjun was already nodding exuberantly.
"Yes, yes, yes. That's one thing to put Beomgyu back on track!" Yeonjun argued and Soobin couldn't see reason in his argument, so he continued to shake his head in disapproval. "Oh come on, I think it's splendid!" The older said sulkily and sank back on his chair.
Soobin rolled his eyes and was ready to reason with Yeonjun when Taehyun spoke at the exact right time. Although with the exact wrong thing.
"I think you should give it a shot." The boy said, nodding to Soobin.
"What do you mean give it a shot? That's literally the most terrible—"
"It isn't the most terrible, admit it hyung." Taehyun raised a brow and Soobin is very much surprised by the acknowledgement of the boy to Yeonjun's plan.
"Everything sounds plausible, and I don't think he'll even believe it." He said.
"Oh believe me when I say you don’t know how gullible Beomgyu is because you don't ever know how to take advantage of him." Yeonjun said, his energy starting to fuel back with the help of Taehyun.
"First of all, you're taking advantage of your own friend?" Soobin raised a brow.
"It's just sometimes, I make sure he won't get in trouble with it." Yeonjun shrugged.
"Highly doubt it." Taehyun said and Soobin silently agreed. Now he's wondering what things Yeonjun make Beomgyu do.
"Ugh, just say you'll do it!" Yeonjun continue to egg on him.
"Fine! Fine!" He exasperatedly answered and Yeonjun punched his fist on the air like he just won the lottery.
He actually can't say no to Yeonjun since he's silently agreed to it from the start when he let the boy continue. Yeonjun would only pester him to the point of crying out loud. He knew better than to fight the waves.
"I don't even know how Beomgyu would react, or if he'd even react," he said, trying to plot out possible outcomes from this terrible idea he has signed himself to participate in.
"Oh, just do it and trust me." Yeonjun was surely committed to his own plan, and Soobin was bubbling with both pre-guilt and a tiny bit of nerve-wracking excitement about what he's going to do. Truth be told, he did really want to get back on Beomgyu's fervent oppression.
Oh well, pranking once isn't bad—a little payback for all the sudden bullying Beomgyu did to him.
It was when the teacher arrived that he realized the two didn't answer his question about what they all knew that he don't.
Fast-forward to the day before Friday, and like Taehyun said, Beomgyu continued to bully Soobin with the most miniscule things that were so ridiculous if you'd ponder about for a second, while Soobin continued to act out what Yeonjun told him to do: continue to be a victim.
"Hey beanstalk, wearing glasses today, aren't we? How many fingers do I have?" Beomgyu stood in front of Soobin's desk and raised his hand with three fingers up like a ridiculous child asking another child if fire could burn you.
Really, it's such a lame excuse to banter with him; it's old and doesn't even have a spark to it, but Beomgyu seems to think it's enough to annoy Soobin enough, which he isn't wrong by the way.
"My eyes are fine; I'm not blind nor crossed-eyed; please know the difference." He retorted impassively, like always since the turn of events, or just the turn of Yeonjun's plan, really.
"Okay, nerd." Beomgyu rolled his eyes and sat on the chair in front of him. Soobin paid him no mind and continued reading the book he had in hand. The boy was silent and was only staring at him, which was starting to feel a bit uncomfortable as it felt like there were two burning holes on his face. Soobin shook his head and continued to just focus on what he was reading instead of the menace in front of him. Which is really not working, and he understood nothing from the book despite reading the same sentence for quite a while. The words just refuse to be words.
"Why aren't you paying attention to me?" Beomgyu spoke like a kid getting rid of his toy.
Having Beomgyu around literally just equals to having an attention seeking Maltese.
"Am I supposed to answer that?" He asked back, though without looking up. Eyes are still stuck on the same sentence. He would be reading it, then stop midway because he didn't understand what it meant, and then read it again. Soobin concluded that Beomgyu is the culprit for his sudden low comprehension.
"You're mean." Soobin needn't look up to know that Beomgyu said that with a pout.
"Says the one who's been the actual mean one," Soobin said exactly before the bell rang. He pulled his bag up to his shoulder, closed his book, and exited the classroom to go to his next class.
It was a pain not to counter the boy's arguments as hard because he might stop before they even reach Friday, but then again, his low energy in rebutting might adjourn Beomgyu's agenda, so Soobin was both keeping low on his replies and taking whatever crap Beomgyu had to give while also quarrelling fairly.
It might be a confusing spin of circumstances, but Beomgyu and him have known each other since pre-school. They've known each other better than any other, though lately, Beomgyu has been a douchebag, and Soobin wasn't really coping with it very nicely. It was so sudden, and he knew nothing of the reason behind the sour attitude towards him.
"Here you go." Yeonjun sank to the seat in front of Soobin, right beside Taehyun and Huening Kai. The boy handed him a bag of his favorite chips, though before he even had a grasp of it, another hand snatched it from Yeonjun.
"If it isn't the tastiest chip," the short menace said, sitting beside Soobin. He was disappointed but not surprised. Like, at all. It was the eleventh time this month. And yes, he has been keeping count because what else is there to do with this self-sabotaging friendship on its way to sink below the waters?
He paid no mind and continued to eat instead. Soobin was glad his lunch was spent in silence. Although Beomgyu wouldn't be Beomgyu without pestering others, he kept talking and talking to Taehyun and teasing Huening Kai, who was both innocently talking back, and Yeonjun, who was flaming red in agony, to stop the menace from harassing both his Taehyun and Huening Kai, but mostly Taehyun because, as we've been knew, he likes the boy. It's just that Soobin was exempted from the narrative. It was shocking, but he liked the peace and quiet.
Before lunch came to an end and Beomgyu had finished the chips and Soobin was ready to go, the rascal pulled on his sleeves and slipped a carton of strawberry milk in his hand before walking out of the scene.
That was the most confusing of all in their set up.
Beomgyu would be talking to him like an angry Pomeranian, treat him like he was the most annoying person inside the room, and take his snacks, but would offer him little things, subtle but noticeable. And it was not good for Soobin's heart and mind.
In no time, the first day of April came, the day Soobin was actually dreading every single day since Yeonjun convinced him to do something atrocious last Monday. Though he was already flooded with guilt over what was yet to happen, he dragged himself out of bed and prepared for school.
He accidentally bumped into Beomgyu on his way to school by the second street and started acting different enough, just like someone who does not know how to properly hide a secret murder they've committed last night. It was difficult for Soobin to act out, let alone act in front of his friend, who's been arguing with him about the most mundane things, knowing full well he does not argue back as hard anymore.
"What are you doing?" Beomgyu voiced out halfway through their walk to the school, noticing the glum aura above Soobin's head, both coming from the power of his little acting and the early stress he's feeling.
Soobin shook his head in answer and mentally slapped his face. What in the hell and back was he doing? Is this really how he is now? Really trying to get back out of pettiness and just having a pure feeling of need? He wasn't sure, but he felt Beomgyu starting to notice it by the time they were in their third subject. Though the boy just shrugged it off as they started their class once again, which Soobin should be thankful for because he could actually breathe normally.
This is all Yeonjun's fault.
"Are you avoiding me?" Beomgyu finally asked once they were on their way to the cafeteria, where their three other friends should be waiting.
"Why would I?" He asked back, not making eye contact.
Beomgyu walked backwards while leaning down to catch Soobin's eyes, which is a very uncomfortable thing to do for sure, and he did not really have to do that, what with the only slight difference in their height.
"Come on, why are you doing that?" Beomgyu prodded through duck lips.
"Doing what? I'm not doing anything," Soobin said with a nonchalant expression as he walked ahead of the boy. He wanted to pat himself on the back for the great acting, but he was actually starting to feel bad.
Beomgyu followed suit and walked beside him, but with his lips jutting out in a pout. Usually the boy would start with his nonsense jests, and Soobin would be on the edge, trying to contain himself from smacking the boy to the other room, but none of that has yet to happen, which made Soobin aware that Beomgyu's indeed conscious of his attitude right now.
"Am I too much? Was I going overboard? If that's the case—"
"No, that's not it," Soobin said seriously. It was too serious that he himself felt the tingles on his nape. A little further into his acting, and he might even believe himself. Which was scary as a thought because he swears he's only mildly mentally unstable.
"Then tell me? I thought there were no secrets—"
"Why don't you tell me?" He asked, putting pressure on one word. He didn't intend to ask that out, but it was one question he's been wanting to grill on Beomgyu, and with all the sudden changes of character towards him, it was confusing and heartbreaking. What would you feel when your best friend suddenly acted indifferent and like you didn't just spend half your life together? Of course, you'd feel terrible. But maybe this act is helping out to resolve something. Or not. Really, it doesn't matter anymore, Soobin's done it, and he's too deep into it.
Still not looking, he continued walking. Beomgyu is still persistently walking beside him, like he always does.
"What's the matter, Binnie?" Soobin felt a shiver down his spine when Beomgyu called him. It wasn't a new nickname for Soobin, but hearing it, especially from the boy of his interest, makes it a little more different. Of course.
"Don't call me that," he said, now really avoiding Beomgyu's gaze even more.
"What's wrong? I'm sorry. I went and decided after one day that I'd just... I don't know, hound you and..."
"I'm going to Carolina."
There it is. And Beomgyu froze.
"Next week," he added, and he stopped on his tracks, now looking directly at Beomgyu's already sunken eyes. Soobin was well aware that they were still in the hallways, probably causing a ruckus that a few students would talk about for a couple of minutes, but he didn't care, like he usually does.
"What—what do you mean? Carolina? Who's Carolina?" Beomgyu stuttered, and it took more than a dime for Soobin to cross his fingers behind him and remind his friend what day it is today, but he held on and instead sadistically watched Beomgyu's face fall.
He was guilty—already guilty since Beomgyu had started to notice and say sorry just earlier—but the deed was done, and it's too far to go back on his words. Though maybe just stopping and confessing about the truth would be the best, the evil Soobin didn't know he actually had prevailed.
"I'm flying to Carolina next week and will continue to study there; I will probably live there for the better," he said, diverting his eyes to somewhere else when he visibly saw the way Beomgyu's speckled brown pupil shook. He didn't know it was physically possible to happen, but he saw it, and he nearly crumbled where he stood.
Maybe this is too much? Yeonjun should be the one to blame; he was the one who taught him this!
"Does it have to do with anything I'm doing? I promise Bin, I won't do it again." The desperation laced in Beomgyu's voice gave Soobin's chest a squeeze. It was cruel to do this, but he was also delighted with how Beomgyu reacted to his news. He does actually still care. The only thing left in question was: why did it all start?
"No. It has nothing to do with you. It's my parents decision and mine," he said, planning to end it there as he couldn't bear to look at his friend's dismal bearing anymore. "Come on now; the others are waiting." He said a little silently and walked ahead.
By the time they arrived, Yeonjun had already taken note of the gloom plastered on Beomgyu's face, and if they weren't on set, he knew the boy would be grinning from ear to ear.
"What happened to you, Beomgyu?" Taehyun asked, and Huening Kai beside him just followed the other with an eye and a small snigger on his face having been let on with the plan.
The boy in question shrugged, "nothing."
"I bet you already know," Yeonjun said, sighing effectively. Soobin had almost hit the back of Yeonjun's head when he added insult to the injury. Beomgyu only looked at Yeonjun before shrugging once again and leaving his seat to go to the counter and get his food.
"Wait, hyung!" Huening Kai flew out of his seat and followed the others. Soobin could only follow them with his eyes.
When Beomgyu was out of sight, he only remembered to breathe.
"This is ridiculously stressful for me," he said, massaging his temples.
"But did you see the look on his face?" Yeonjun burst out laughing, his voice cracking in the elation he was feeling. "It was so down!"
"This is so cruel. You are so cruel for making me do this," Soobin said, although he knew he was also to blame. God, how old is he, and what did he just do?
"I agree with Soobin; this is cruel for Beomgyu, though it was nice to see that he actually feels something other than being a menace and a happy-go-lucky guy." Taehyun agreed like he isn't one who goaded Soobin to go on with it.
Soobin was weirded out when Taehyun composed himself a second later. He was even weirded out by the way Taehyun was looking at him in desperation, like he was looking for help silently.
"Actually, I also have something to tell you," Taehyun said, still looking at Soobin, and it was ridiculous how he already got what the gaze meant. "I don't think Beomgyu would appreciate this news right about now so I'll only tell the both of you."
He's once again in for another trouble. Great.
"What's it?" Soobin asked purposefully before looking at Yeonjun, who had paid less care to their environment and was fishing his sandwich out of his bag.
"Uh, this might be sudden, but..." Taehyun paused. He played with his fingers, and what he did was convincing enough that Yeonjun forced himself to look at the younger and watch him fidget in subconscious alertness.
"What is it?" It was Yeonjun's turn to ask, his attention now all pointed to the younger.
"I was supposed to tell this a week ago to all of you, but I got nervous, and I guess this is the time. We don't need to tell Huening Kai, since he was the first one to know." Taehyun was slightly bouncing on his seat, chuckling nervously, like he was excited to be telling a secret. Soobin has to give him credit. "I'm currently being courted!"
When Taehyun dropped the bomb, even Soobin was shocked. Yeonjun froze the way Beomgyu did in the hallways earlier, though he tried to keep his cool and cough the pain away. Yeonjun's feelings for Taehyun weren't a mystery for Soobin or Taehyun himself, so seeing the other lose his composure over the faux confession is expected and laughable. But of course, Soobin wouldn't sabotage his friend's plan. If this is the only way Yeonjun would confess, he'd take it.
It was also payback for provoking Beomgyu even more.
"Taehyun, don't tell me it was the senior we bumped into a bit earlier in the first semester? The one who helped you study?" Soobin decided to add fuel to the fire, since Yeonjun did the same. It was even dumb if Yeonjun would buy the fake fact that Hanbin, the senior he was talking about, taught Taehyun some things about school when the boy himself was a walking encyclopedia. Hanbin was just a senior and a member of the school's publication who helped them how to get into the organization since there are vacant positions from other seniors graduating that needed to be filled.
"Uh, yeah," Taehyun answered shyly, even clasping his hands together. It was just an act, but the way Taehyun behaved was bona fide; it was scary.
"Who is that senior you two are talking about?" Yeonjun asked, clearing up his throat in the process. Soobin barely kept himself from laughing.
"What was his name again?" Soobin asked Taehyun, and the boy was surprisingly still going strong.
"Hanbin hyung," he answered, and Yeonjun nodded, though he looked like he was about to dash out of the cafeteria and sulk over the school's fountain, or rather run away and tear the world apart exactly the way his heart is probably being torn apart.
"You better show him to me!" Yeonjun loudly said, and Taehyun chuckled at his antics.
Soobin, on the other side, was proud of his best friend for taking it nicely rather than losing it all and snapping. Although Yeonjun's nice and as happy-go-lucky as Beomgyu, he has that tendency to lose his shit sometimes, and he was glad he did not fall for it. Though there's a very slim chance that he'd do that to Taehyun, or any of his friends, really. Soobin might be insulting Yeonjun all the time, verbally and even inside his head, but he knew his friend, and he's not terrible. Just a little bit, maybe.
Beomgyu and a still-grinning Huening Kai came back to their table, and it was Soobin and Taehyun's turn to leave. Yeonjun always brings lunch anyway; he does not need to come with them.
"What happened here?" Huening Kai's face fell when he saw the way Yeonjun was having a staring contest with his sandwich. Taehyun only winked at him and took Soobin by the arm.
"That was incredible, Taehyun." Soobin giggled. "I can't believe I let you do that."
"I didn't really think it was going to work, but it actually did." The other chuckled, and the two of them continued on their way. "He's a little slow." Taehyun added and Soobin choked on his own saliva at the sudden rib.
"You like that guy."
"I do and it's high time he fixes his act." Taehyun said and Soobin laughed at it because it was so true.
Back at the seat, where the other two were left, a storm formed above their heads, and obvious sadness dawned on their faces.
While Huening Kai was dreadfully thinking over the reasons why he was friends with these people.
To Soobin's delight, Beomgyu started to treat him fairly nicely. The boy sat beside him through every class, and he accommodated him through the rest of the day without so much as a word. Yeonjun, on the other hand, kept his distance from Taehyun, Taehyun who was properly enjoying what he had done to the other. It was a sight to see, but Soobin was already feeling the weirdness in his guts, and Huening Kai, who was the incarnation of his devil, was whispering to him, exactly like the devil was convincing him to just go on with it. He had to shove the boy away before he even lost his sanity.
Dismissal came, and Beomgyu offered to walk him home, which he reluctantly accepted, still in his acting mode.
Yeonjun, Huening Kai, and Taehyun walked together as well after Taehyun confirmed that Hanbin, the senior suitor of his, wasn't going to make it. Which may have caused Yeonjun to throw a little tantrum, complaining how irresponsible Hanbin was and letting the one he's supposed to be courting walk home alone when in fact, he would not let that happen if it were him.
Back to Beomgyu's case, he was silent throughout the walk, which was very unusual. He looks like he was he was thinking of something to say but doesn't know how to start. He occasionally opens his mouth but closes it again, hesitating to say whatever he has in mind. The cycle repeats until they've arrived in front of Soobin's house.
"My house is here; you should go home too," Soobin announced as he stopped in front of their gate.
"Can we go out tomorrow?" Beomgyu blurted, leaving Soobin with surprised eyes.
Beomgyu didn't take back his words, he stared back defiantly.
"Uh, sure?" He answered half-heartedly. He was confused by the sudden request, but then he remembered what he did.
"And then the next day?" Beomgyu was looking at him, defiance gone but now with utter hope in his eyes that Soobin would agree, and he felt his heart break in an instant. He was really doing this to someone this pure? Okay, maybe not pure, totally not pure, but someone this lovely? He felt the guilt bubbling up his chest and made no effort to shove it down.
"Sure," he answered, and when he was about to confess about the prank, Beomgyu had exclaimed 'great!' and then jumped out of Soobin's reach.
He was left standing there, under the partial glow of the street lamp, with mosquitos and crickets accompanying him, contemplating his life decisions, wondering if he was supposed to take them this far, and shocked that he wasn't able to tell the truth.
The next day dawned, and he was nervous. He briefly told his parents about the crap that he's done and that Beomgyu would be coming over to pick him up since his parents are going to be at home because it's the weekdays. He thought that he might as well tell them so his plan of confessing it after the day wouldn't be bombed.
To Soobin's dismay, his parents might've played too much into the role when he didn't even tell them to do anything at all. His mother particularly, was very much successful in putting a dimmer cloud about Beomgyu's head, like what he did wasn't enough.
"It was too sudden, but we thought of sending him to his aunt this last minute since there was a good offer waiting for him there. I hope you can still keep in touch with our son even if he's on the other side of the world and miles away from you," Soobin's mother said with an upset tone. It was rather convincing, and Beomgyu's smile was proven to be fake and masked. Soobin gathered that he might've gotten it from her. They are pure evil at this point.
He disengaged from his reverie and put a stop to what was going to happen next by standing up and putting his wallet inside his pocket, signifying that he was ready to go.
His parents are too playful for his own good. His mother, especially.
"I think we should go," he asserted when he saw his mother's lips start to part in preparation for another go.
Soobin pulled on Beomgyu to stand up and leave their house before everything got even worse. The boy was evidently upset when they got out and was heading for the bus stop, but Soobin didn't try to mention it because it was so obvious why and it would be dumb to do so.
"Where are we going?" He then asked instead, to cut the silence between them.
Beomgyu looked up at him; he was blinking slowly like he just broke through a barrier that's keeping him inside his head from the outside world before saying, "amusement park."
And in just a blink of colorful lights, the day ended with the two of them walking from the entrance of the subdivision through the fairly empty streets with the guidance of the mellow lamp posts.
Beomgyu was extremely, if you will put it into a word, sweet. The boy was careful and attentive throughout the whole day. He would ask Soobin what he'd like, what he wanted, and where he wanted to go next, which was very flustering considering he has never been put under such attention before, not this kind of attention, at least.
They spent the whole day in the amusement park entertaining themselves with the numerous rides and food the place offered like there was nothing going on behind the backgrounds. Though Soobin was emotionally constipated the whole time, he just wished he could've spent it freely without any worries, but the answer is no, not today, obviously.
Beomgyu's picture of care was painfully hurting Soobin physically. He didn't know he had this effect on the boy, because for sure, he will have that reaction as well, maybe even worse since he's fully aware of what he feels towards the short menace. Soobin thought he'd be nonchalant and would only care less but he did not. Turns out he does not know his friend very well.
Soobin knew it was today that he'd tell Beomgyu the truth. He knew it. So how did he end up walking up to his bedroom, still unable to confess? He wanted to violently pull on his hair when he sat on his bed and realized what stupidity he had just done.
When Beomgyu stood before him at their gate, he smiled at him, and he fell into a daze of recollecting what happened that day and how the other looked definitely pretty even in the dim. Beomgyu said something before walking off, and that's only when Soobin realized what had happened.
He let himself be drunk with Beomgyu's gaze.
The next day, Soobin woke up dreadfully and forced himself to face the day. He practiced his confession in front of the mirror a few times before getting ready to face the rather pained Beomgyu by the afternoon.
He promised that there's no way he'd not tell Beomgyu the bull that was going on. No way.
Their journey for the day started at a restaurant near the school, a place where they'd frequented with their other friends back when they were in junior high. Soobin had fun picking his favorite stuff, though the sad look Beomgyu was giving him occasionally didn't go unnoticed, same goes with the churning of his stomach.
The next bit was window shopping on the busy streets of the city. Beomgyu bought clothes for himself and one for Soobin, while he bought a matching winter scarf for the two of them in hopes of lifting up Beomgyu's spirit since he hadn't felt it when they met earlier.
We've been knew, Soobin lacks the ability to read the atmosphere because it simply did the complete opposite and only gave the saddest of smile on the boy's face, even he was dispirited by it.
By the time it was near sunset, Beomgyu had booked a cab, and they ended up walking by the seashore. Soobin loved the sea, but not swimming in it. He also loves watching the sun set, Beomgyu not so much but still appreciates it anyway. The combination was just perfect, and he had Beomgyu sitting next to him as they listened to the waves mixed with the faint noises of cars passing by and people's hushed conversations in the distance.
They were silent for a moment, only basking in the glory of the golden sun before a strong wind that harried Soobin's hair brought his mind back. He looked to his side only to find Beomgyu already looking back at him, his eyes glistening and tears were already forming by the window of his eyes.
"Hey." Soobin panicked and caressed the other's cheeks instinctively. "Why are you—?" Soobin failed to put a word after his question, only looking at the pained expression of his beloved.
Beomgyu wiped his eyes, though the tears came crashing through right after he did.
"I was just teasing you last Thursday. If I had known that you were going to leave much earlier, I could've treated you better. Not that I won't, even if there's no reason; it's just that I don't know what I was feeling or how to hold on to what I feel or how to understand and make sense of it really; I don't know how to express it, and I thought annoying you would make it go away, or at least help me be less afraid of it."
Soobin's eyes shot wide at the unexpected confession. It was supposed to be him confessing, not the other way around.
"Oh god," he murmured upon the realization.
There was a lot going on inside his head, but he shoved them aside for later to think about; it was not the time for it when he had a much more baffling situation at hand. He did not need the barrage of his own emotion to come crashing down, it's for later, so don't panic now, he told himself.
He took Beomgyu's tear-stained cheeks in his palm and wiped the falling beads with his thumb. "Listen to me, and please don't be mad at what I'm going to say." He started and swallowed. It's now or never. It's better to say this now than to go home with a broken heart. "Let's say I was dared to do this," he simply said, and Beomgyu broke into even more tears. Of course he would, if it were Soobin in Beomgyu's place, he would have maybe punched himself in the face or something. But Beomgyu isn't anywhere near violent.
The boy had finally lost his last composure and breathed out a sigh of relief, if that was indeed relief, while weeping as silently as he could.
"I'm so sorry," he said, moving closer to Beomgyu, who was sobbing relentlessly. He took the boy into his embrace when he didn't show signs of stopping any time soon. "Please don't cry; if I had known you would react like this, I wouldn't have done it. Yeonjun was just so exasperating and talked me into doing this. I'm so sorry, Beomgyu," he said, rubbing the boy's back in a hopefully comforting circle.
"What do you mean you don't know I'd re—react like this? Of course I—I would! And most of all why—why would you do tha—that?" He stuttered as he sobbed shakily in between his words.
"I'm so sorry." He apologized continuously as he stroked the back of the other's head, hoping that it was soothing enough to stop him from crying.
They stayed silent for a moment before Beomgyu pulled himself back together and moved away from Soobin's arms. He was breathing more evenly, and Soobin was just watching him pull himself together.
"I won't leave you," he said out of the blue when he saw how Beomgyu's head was hanging low and he was biting his bottom lip while trying to dry his cheeks.
Beomgyu looked at him with swollen eyes but with a small smile etched on his face.
"I won't promise, but I can at least tell you I won't leave you, not purposefully," he affirmed as he shook his head to support his statement.
"It was cruel of you to do that, really. I—I felt like my heart was shattered to a million pieces, and I was left there, already trying to build it up by myself."
"I'm really sorry, Beom."
"And you even bought us a matching scarf; I barely held back my tears at the shop." The boy lamented and held the scarf to his face.
Soobin moved closer and snuggled up Beomgyu's left arm.
"Why would you do that to me, seriously? You eve got your parents to act out." Beomgyu shook his head.
"I'm sorry and no, I didn't tell my mother to add salt in the wound, it was all her." Soobin looked up at the boy earnestly. "My heart was breaking as well, watching you all upset the past few days. All the time I was thinking of confessing everything, both of what I was hiding."
"Everything, both of what you're hiding? What does that even mean?" Beomgyu looked up at him with shining, curious eyes.
Soobin looked back at the sea and inhaled the ocean air, trying not to get lost in the galaxy emblazoned in Beomgyu's expressive gaze.
"Whatever it might mean." He shrugged as he answered.
"Hey, answer me seriously." Beomgyu prodded.
"Yeah, I feel the same." He said, voice a little too silent. He looked back at Beomgyu exactly at the moment the sun had completely settled underneath the horizon and the shore was devoured by a shining darkness.
Along the stars appearing in the night sky and the wind blowing from the west were two souls closer to each other, two ends of red strings were tied, and two hearts were beating in sync. With just those words, Soobin knew Beomgyu understood what he meant. Although it was not enough of a confession, Soobin hoped it was enough for now because he didn't want to scare the other with how much love he has to give.
"Maybe we should eat?" He then suggested. The wind was still blowing ever so softly, and the lamp post behind the bench they were sitting on flickered to life.
"Yeah." Beomgyu agreed with a smile so contagious.
"And maybe we should beat up Yeonjun tomorrow."