Chapter Text
The invite came out of nowhere.
“Hey… you free tomorrow?”
Sieun didn’t look up right away. He was hunched over his desk, pen tapping idly against his practice worksheet, brows furrowed.
Finally, he glanced up, dark eyes steady. “Tomorrow?”
“Yeah.” Suho tried to sound casual, leaning back in his chair as if he hadn’t spent the whole day psyching himself up for this. “There’s a place I want to go to. At the beach. Thought you might wanna come take a break from studying.”
There was a pause. Suho could hear his own heartbeat in the silence, loud and stupid. He rubbed the back of his neck, already regretting it. “Forget it, if you don’t want to. It’s kinda far anyway.”
But Sieun didn’t dismiss him. He just studied Suho for a moment, then lowered his gaze again. “What time?”
It was such a simple response, quiet, almost reluctant, but Suho lit up inside like a kid who’d just gotten away with something. His chest buzzed, his grin threatening to break loose.
Sieun had actually said yes.
“I’ll see you at eight.”
The next day, Suho arrived earlier than he meant to.
He stood by the bus terminal, one hand shoved in his pockets, the other pretending to scroll through his phone. His leg bounced with restless energy, and every few seconds his eyes flicked toward the direction Sieun would come from.
It was ridiculous. He had told himself a hundred times not to overthink it. It wasn’t a date. It was just a trip. Just two best friends hanging out at the beach. But knowing that didn’t stop his pulse from quickening every time he imagined Sieun actually showing up.
What if he didn’t? What if he changed his mind?
Suho dragged a hand down his face. Calm down. He said yes. He’ll come.
And then, as if summoned, Sieun appeared.
He was dressed simply, gray jacket over a plain t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers that looked worn at the edges. He carried a backpack, posture slightly hunched like always, as though he wanted to fold himself small enough to disappear.
But Suho couldn’t help but look. His eyes caught on the way Sieun’s hair shifted in the breeze, the faint shadows under his eyes, the way he paused for a second, looking around, before he spotted Suho.
“Hey,” Suho said quickly, too loudly. He shoved his phone away and tried for a grin. “You made it.”
Sieun gave a short nod. “Of course. I said I will.”
“Right, yeah. Punctual as always.” Suho scratched his cheek, suddenly aware of how casual he sounded compared to the storm rattling in his chest. “C’mon. Bus should be here soon.”
They stood side by side at the stop. The silence stretched again, not exactly uncomfortable but heavy in its own way. Suho kept trying to think of something clever, something easy, but Sieun was hard to read. He always was - quiet, watchful, like he only spoke when words were absolutely necessary.
Finally, Suho blurted, “You brought stuff, right? Towel, change of clothes, that kind of thing?”
Sieun adjusted the strap of his backpack. “Yeah.”
“That’s good. Would’ve been a pain if you didn’t.”
“Why would I come here if I wasn’t ready?” Sieun asked, glancing at him with the faintest hint of a smile.
Suho laughed, scratching the back of his neck. “Fair point. Just making conversation, you know.”
The bus pulled up with a hiss, saving him from further embarrassment. They climbed aboard, sliding into a pair of seats near the back.
As the bus started pulling away, Suho found himself hyperaware of how close they were sitting. The space wasn’t tight, but every movement, Sieun shifting slightly, resting his arm against the window, was magnified in Suho’s mind.
Soon, the busy streets gave way to stretches of green, then glimpses of the coast as they drew closer. Suho tried to act normal, but his thoughts refused to cooperate. He kept sneaking glances at Sieun, catching the way his gaze stayed fixed out the window, the faint reflection of his profile in the glass.
He wanted to ask what Sieun was thinking.
But the words are stuck in his throat.
Finally, he settled for: “You go to the beach often?”
Sieun didn’t turn his head. “Not really.”
“No family trips or anything?”
“Not since I was little.”
Something about the quiet way he said it made Suho’s chest tighten. He wanted to push, to ask more, but he knew better. Instead, he leaned back against the seat with a lopsided grin. “Then today’s your lucky day. You get the best guide to come with you.”
That finally earned him a reaction, a glint of amusement in Sieun’s eyes as he glanced over. It was gone just as quickly, but Suho caught it.
And somehow, that tiny shift was enough to make the long bus ride feel like it had been worth it.