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Growing up, Gyeongbeen has always believed that the world will be kind to him. Every compliment, every gift, everything, he deserves it all. It attaches to him like his shadow, as if it is something so normal he never dares to question it.
The belief was planted into him since he was a little boy—five years old at the youngest.
That night when thunder roared loudly in the sky, Gyeongbeen jolted awake from his nightmare and curled himself under the covers. He gazed around, following the dancing shadows on the wall. As young as he was, the darkness and the noise really frightened him.
Tears began to swell in the corner of his eyes as he shrank himself into his bed. It only took another thunder strike for the little boy to leap from his bed and rush for the door. He swung it open and shuffled out of his own bedroom. His footsteps thumped through the hallways as he ran.
His vision blurred by the tears in his eyes. He tried to wipe it while running, until he reached outside a room. The white door stood before him, looming over his small body. He didn’t bother to knock as another round of thunder roared outside the house. He pushed the door open and stepped inside.
“Papa! Mama!” Gyeongbeen called out for his parents while using the sleeve of his pajamas to wipe the tears off of his face. In the dark, two tall silhouettes emerged lazily from the bed. One of them turned her head towards the boy, but he didn’t flinch.
“What is it, Beennie? Mama is trying to sleep..” His mom spoke in a calm and comforting tone, her voice slightly drowsy.
“I-I had a nightmare.. It was so scary, I was so scared..” Gyeongbeen stammered, his cries were no longer muffled and he burst into tears.
“Oh, you poor little thing.. Come to Papa, it’ll be okay..” His dad beckoned. At that, Gyeongbeen began staggering towards the bed before hopping onto it and sitting between his parents.
As he sniffled, his parents wrapped him tightly in their arms as if he would be taken away had they not. His dad hummed him a lullaby as he gently patted the boy’s head.
“Shh.. It’s okay, Beennie. No one can hurt you.” His mom reassured him.
Gyeongbeen nodded and buried himself in their embrace. The warmth of their presence helped consoling the frightened little boy. Just like that, the roaring thunder didn’t bother him anymore. He would be okay as long as he was in the care of his parents.
When Gyeongbeen was a little older, his parents took him to an amusement park. Just walking with his hand clamped between his dad’s while holding a giant cotton candy in another.
The boy trudged happily along the walkway, sticky sugar smeared across his cheeks as he licked some near his lips off with his tongue.
“Mama, how do I look?” Gyeongbeen turned to his mom, a bright child-like smile on his face.
His mom exchanged gaze with him before pulling out a handkerchief from her pocket. She used one hand to steady the little boy’s face and gently wiped the sugar off. “Ah, Gyeongbeen-ah. Don’t dirty yourself.”
Then his dad placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder and leaned closer. “Honey, look at him. Our son is so pretty, right?” he smiled, gesturing at Gyeongbeen
His mom chuckled at her husband’s sudden approach. She looked at the little boy before him, who was scrunching his nose as she wiped his face, then nodded. “Yes Dear, he really is..”
Gyeongbeen was over the moon when he received all those compliments. From then on, he believed that the world was a spotlight shining on him and was filled with love, the love that he deserves.
That nothing can ever hurt him.
But then,
High school life.
Everything changed. The perfect world image that Gyeongbeen grew up with immediately shattered when he met Nuri. He would tease him all the time, especially when Gyeongbeen acted clumsy. He would often get called ‘Fool’ or ‘Dummy’ by the boy.
He doesn’t know when it started and how, but every time he’s near him, Gyeongbeen’s heart would pound so violently like it would burst out of his chest.
In present days,
Unknowingly, Gyeongbeen finds himself staring at Nuri. The blonde boy glances back at him. The red haired boy immediately snaps out of his thoughts when he hears the other’s voice.
“You’re staring at me, dummy.”
Gyeongbeen blinks and grins sheepishly. “Was I? I didn’t notice.”
“Are you being sarcastic?” Nuri narrows his eyes and tilts his head sideways.
“Wha— No! I was just zoning out.” Gyeongbeen shakes his head before hiding himself with a book.
“Uh huh..” Nuri shoots him a doubtful glance then returns his attention to his notebook.
Behind the pages of his book, Gyeongbeen frowns and looks away from the boy. His cheeks glow vivid red though the other boy doesn’t seem to notice. The red haired boy purses his lips and claps the book shut before sliding it back into his bag.
Nuri gets startled by the noise then shoots him a glare.
Gyeongbeen slings his bag over his shoulder and pushes himself up from the seat with the chair scraping loudly against the floor.
“What’s up with you?” Nuri raises an eyebrow at the boy.
“Uh— Well, I—” Gyeongbeen jerks and almost hits his knee under the table. “Something urgent came up, gotta run! See you later!” He waves at the blonde boy once before rushing out of the classroom.
“Strange.” Nuri mutters as he shakes his head then turns back to his notebook.
In the school’s canteen during recess, Gyeongbeen approaches a group of three boys. He sighs weakly and sits down at the table. The boy groans hopelessly as he rakes his hand through his red hair.
The other boys pause their eating and turn to look at him, amused by his appearance. One of them puts down his utensil and cranes his neck, the color of his tie indicates he is a senior.
“How was class?” He asks, steadying his chin with his fist.
“—With Nuri-hyung?” Another boy—a freshman—added, grinning ear to ear at Gyeongbeen’s reddened face.
Gyeongbeen pauses and slumps on the table with a grunt of despair.
“What’d I say?” The freshman shrugs, dumbfounded.
His friend furrows his eyebrows and nudges him on the shoulder. “Hwang Eunsoo, be quiet.” He rolls his eyes then turns back to Gyeongbeen.
“What? Why? I only asked a question.” Eunsoo crosses his arms and sinks into his seat.
“It’s fine, Hwanhee. He didn’t say anything..” Gyeongbeen brushes it off. “And to answer your question, Jaeyoung-hyung. The class was average.. except I zoned out and ended up staring at him the whole time..” he trails off.
“Who? Nuri?”
“Yeah..” The red haired boy nods slightly.
“You don’t think he knows already?” Eunsoo brings up a possibility, one that makes Gyeongbeen’s heart beat faster.
“Nah, he never notices.” Hwanhee shakes his head, “Strange, you know. He’s like, the only person who doesn’t seem to know a thing.”
Gyeongbeen frowns and lowers his head at that. Jaeyoung shakes his head at the two freshmen. “Give it a rest, boys.”
“Sorry, Gyeonbeen-hyung.” They apologize in unison.
“No no, it’s fine!” Gyeongbeen waves his arms apologetically. “It’s just a bit awkward.”
“You should tell him.” Eunsoo suggests.
Gyeongbeen’s eyes widen as his face shoots up. “H-Huh?”
“You know, confess.”
The boy immediately shakes his head. “No way! What if he doesn’t like me back?” He nibbles on his bottom lip, his fingers curl at the hem of his uniform.
“Hey, don’t stress about it too much. Just do it when you’re ready.” Jaeyoung gives a gentle pat on the boy’s back to reassure him. The senior pushes himself up from the table and picks up his tray. “I’ll see you guys after school.” says him before walking off.
Soon after, the bell rings. The freshmen also pick up their own tray and wave at Gyeongbeen. “See you after school, hyung!” Hwanhee farewells with a smile and drags Eunsoo with him.
“See you..” Gyeongbeen waves back before slumping down on the table.
The bell rings once again, indicating the end of class. Students begin to fill the hallways, leaving the classrooms with fewer people. Gyeongbeen quickly packs his bag and slings it over his shoulder. The boy bends down to tie his shoelaces when he hears a familiar voice.
“Hey, dummy.”
Startled, Gyeongbeen jolts up and hits his head under the table. He hisses in pain as he repeatedly rubs at the spot.
“H-Huh?” He looks up at the voice and finds it was none other than Nuri. The boy instantly freezes. His fingers tremble on their own, his lips part like he is going to speak, but not a single sound comes out.
“I— Nuri!”
The blonde boy narrows his eyes at Gyeongbeen. “Why so surprised?” He crosses his arms.
At that moment, Gyeongbeen’s words form a lump in his throat. It feels like he was suffocating as he struggles to form any sentence. He glances around the room to see that it is completely empty with no one else but him and the boy he likes.
“You left this in class earlier.” Nuri pulls out a power bank from his purse and hands it to the boy. Gyeongbeen flicks his eyes up and down between the boy and the device.
“Take it.” Nuri insists, handing the device more forward. The red haired boy nods and slowly, he reaches his trembling hand for the power bank while Nuri taps his shoe impatiently.
Seeing how hesitant Gyeongbeen is, Nuri groans and grabs his hand before shoving the power bank into it. It is a small gesture, but it is one of the ones that make Gyeongbeen’s heart flutter. The boy doesn’t get to say his thank you when Nuri spins around on his heel and strides out the door.
“See you tomorrow, idiot.” Nuri pauses by the doorframe and looks back over his shoulder. He then shrugs and disappears from the red haired boy's sight.
After a beat, Gyeongbeen is finally able to let out a sound. “Thank you!” He yells at the opened classroom door after Nuri is already gone.
“I froze.” Gyeongbeen sighs. “He was right in front of me and I froze, speechless even.”
“He totally has feelings for you, hyung.” says Eunsoo, trudging alongside Jaeyoung, Gyeongbeen and Hwanhee. The teasing only makes Gyeongbeen’s face more red as he trudges down the walkway.
“Cut it out, Eunsoo.” Jaeyoung clicks his tongue. Eunsoo quickly retreats under the senior’s intense gaze.
“Maybe he was just being nice?” Hwanhee purses his lips before Eunsoo shoots at him with a disapproving glare.
The other junior gestures at the boy in love with his eyes and mouths. ‘Can you not?’
Hwanhee throws his arms up, dumbfounded. “What? It’s a possibility.” he shrugs hopelessly.
“Let’s find out then!” Eunsoo suddenly pauses mid tracks, causing Gyeongbeen to bump into him and almost tip over had he not been caught by Jaeyoung.
“How?” Hwanhee retorts. Then he turns around when the other junior points his finger past him. Before them is a café with an LED sign that reads ‘Open + Fortune Reading Service’
The three boys turn their attention to Gyeongbeen, who doesn’t look very amused. “What do you think, Beennie? Should we give it a try?” Jaeyoung nudges his head towards the sign.
Gyeongbeen exchanges his gaze with the rest of the group and purses his lips. He shrugs with his shoulders and tilts his head towards the café. “I don’t really believe in this kind of stuff, why not?”
“Woohoo!” Eunsoo exclaims before hopping towards the door and swinging it open with glee.
Before he knows it, Gyeongbeen is already sitting at a table, surrounded by his friends. In front of him sits the fortune teller. She lets him pick three tarot cards out of her deck and spread them across the table.
“Flip the cards, hyung.” Eunso encourages him. The junior seems to be the most excited person there, even more than Gyeongbeen himself.
Gyeongbeen inhales nervously and swallows a lump in his throat. Slowly, he flips the cards before him one after another. When all cards are flipped, everyone cranes their neck at the fortune teller. She looks at the results and replies simply. “He will confess next week.”
After hearing the read, it’s like a ton of weight has been lifted from Gyeongbeen’s chest. He is over the moon. Going against his own words about not believing in such things, the boy doesn’t hesitate to pull out his phone and begins texting his crush.
Park Nuri~~ :
: What is it, weirdo?
: Why are you suddenly texting me at this hour?
Can you change my contact name? :
Please? :
: What? Why?
Just do it :
: …
: Whatever, idiot. What do you want me to change it to?
A heart. :
He doesn’t wait another second for Nuri’s response before turning off his phone, a subtle smile worn on his face as he turns to celebrate with the rest of his friends. “H-He’s confessing next week!”
Eunsoo grabs the boy by his shoulders and starts shaking him violently. “I told you! I told you he has feelings for you!”
“Alright— I know! I know! I believe you, just stop doing that.” Gyeongbeen pulls away from the junior’s grip, dizzy by all the shaking. After a moment of celebration, the group pays the fortune teller her well-deserved money before leaving the café.
A few days pass by like lies. Over time, Gyeongbeen has become very cautious about his appearance. He stands in front of a mirror, checking and adjusting even the slightest string on his clothes. After the tarot was read that day, he had to look perfect for this specific week. His hair must shine, his clothes must be ironed, his shoelaces must be even, and so on.
He smiles confidently at himself. He knows that compliments come easy, at least for him. He knows he is pretty, the perfect charm that no one can resist. He knows he is one of a kind, there is no one else that is like him. He checks himself in the mirror again, making sure it is absolutely flawless. Once satisfied, the boy finally grabs his bag and slings it over his shoulder.
“Beennie! You’re going to be late for school!” His mom yells from downstairs, reminding him to quickly go to school.
Gyeongbeen whips his head towards the door and shouts back. “I’m coming!”
The boy then quickly puts on his socks and shoes before opening the door. He inhales deeply to prepare himself for the day—the day Nuri is possibly going to confess—or so he thought.
The school gates loom familiarly ahead of Gyeongbeen as he walks. His heart thumps excitedly at every step he takes. Without knowing, he is giggling by himself in front of the school.
“What’s up with you?” Nuri suddenly appears next to him. He raises an eyebrow at the boy, his bag slung over his shoulder.
“Hah— N-Nuri! You’re early today.” Gyeongbeen turns to the blonde boy.
“I’m not early, you’re late.” Nuri scoffs. Then he animates toward the time displaying on the school’s clock.
“Wha— Oh!” The red haired boy looks in the direction of the clock and realisation hits. “I didn’t notice.”
Nuri’s face morphs into a grimace, then he clicks his tongue. “.. You’re going to miss homeroom,” says him before entering the school, leaving Gyeongbeen a few heart beats behind.
“H-Hey, wait for me!” Gyeongbeen yells before catching up with the boy. As they walk to their class, the red haired boy tries to subtle his nervousness. Their shoulders brush against each other occasionally as they walk.
“You seem excited. Something happened?” Nuri points out the boy’s unusual energetic behavior.
“I— Well, I went to the fortune teller last week.” Gyeongbeen begins, “She told me something great will happen this week and I can’t wait.”
“And you believed that stuff?” Nuri snorts—not to ridicule, but disbelieve.
Gyeongbeen shakes his head and chuckles sheepishly. “Not usually, but it was just so convincing.”
“Convincing or did you only believe what you wanted to?” Nuri raises his eyebrow.
Gyeongbeen opens his mouth to argue but subsequently presses it shut when they both reach the outside of their classroom. Nuri grabs the door handle and slides it open. He holds it a little longer after entering for Gyeongbeen to slip through. Then he slides the door back in its place before separating himself from Gyeongbeen before the boy can thank him.
The class goes by especially slowly today for Gyeongbeen, the teacher continues to teach but every word is slurred out as the boy fails to focus on the lesson. He is being extra attentive towards Nuri today, patiently waiting for the predicted confession. He doesn’t know when, but by the end of the class, he has already fallen asleep.
His eyes flutter open by the time everyone has already left. Everyone but Nuri. The boy sits next to him with a pen in his hand. Gyeongbeen can only make it that he is scribbling on his notebook. When his brain begins to process things, his face glows noticeably red.
‘This is it.. the prediction, the confession.. it’s happening.’ He tells himself as he reads the scene.
As if sensing he is being watched, Nuri whips his head in Gyeongbeen’s direction. The boy barely has any time to hide himself when he gets caught. “You’re staring at me again, you’re always doing that.”
“I just woke up.” Gyeongbeen retorts, sitting upright.
“Yeah, I know. You snored and it was annoying.” says Nuri as he closes his notebook and slides it back into his bag.
“I-I didn’t snore!”
“Sure, you did. You went—” Nuri claps his hands together and animates sleeping motion with his head leaning on the back of his hand, then he mimics Gyeongbeen’s snore. That makes the boy’s eyebrows slant downwards, slightly embarrassed.
Nuri then zips his bag and slings it over his shoulder as he pushes himself up from the seat. Gyeongbeen widens his eyes and flinches as he watches the boy heading for the door.
“Y-You’re going already?” He blurts out without realising.
Nuri pauses and glances over his shoulder. “I’m going for lunch.”
Gyeongbeen’s chest heaves before he continues. “There’s nothing else you wanted to say?”
The blonde boy’s face morphs into a scowl then a chuckle escapes from him. “What did you want me to say?”
The red haired boy pauses. He sinks back into his seat and darts his eyes around the room as if searching for a hint to give to the boy. He weakly sighs and shakes his head. “N-Nevermind, enjoy your lunch.”
Nuri purses his lips and nods once before slipping through the door, leaving Gyeongbeen alone in the silence of the empty classroom.
“So today isn’t the day..” mutters Gyeongbeen. His voice echoes against the wall and rings back in his ears. He exhales sharply before grabbing his own bag and heading out for lunch.
The week drags on. From Monday, to Tuesday, then Wednesday. Everything feels normal. Too normal. Nuri is still teasing him, calling him various unmalicious insults. Day by day, Gyeongbeen’s certainty begins to waver.
During lunch, his friends noticed the changes in his behaviour. He has become quieter, looks more anxious and is always darting his eyes around the busy canteen.
“Are you okay? you’re barely eating,” Jaeyoung points out after munching on his apple.
“Yeah..” mumbles Gyeongbeen, his eyes fixating on the mashed potato on his tray as he pokes it with his spoon.
“So how are things going with him?” Eunsoo cranes his neck with a knowing smirk on his face. He wiggles his eyebrows and gestures towards the blonde boy at the other end of the canteen.
Gyeongbeen knows immediately what he means—the confession. The boy clutches his spoon tighter in his hand and lets out a disappointed sigh. Then he shakes his head weakly. “Nothing yet. He’s still the same as ever, still teasing me, throwing insults. Everything just seems.. normal.”
“It’s already Wednesday, I don’t know how long I have to keep waiting.” He adds, burying his face in his hands hopelessly.
“Nothing? Like at all?”
Gyeongbeen doesn’t say anything, just shaking his head as a confirmation.
“Oh.” Eunsoo says flatly. The junior then lowers his gaze, his excitement dies down quietly.
“Don’t stress it too much, Gyeongbeen-ah. There’s still tomorrow and the day after until the week is over.” Jaeyoung reassures him.
“Yeah, hyung! The fortune didn’t specify when, right?” Hwanhee chimes in.
Gyeongbeen exhales sharply and nods. “Yeah, maybe.” He reluctantly agrees, his certainty continuously fading.
The atmosphere at the table becomes heavier after that. Losing his appetite, Gyeongbeen pushes himself up from the table with his tray and glances at the group with an uncomfortable frown. “I-I’ll see you all after school.” He mutters and separates himself from the table.
They all wave at him silently as he walks away before returning to their meal.
“He needs to know that there are plenty of fish in the sea and he doesn’t need to wait for one person.” Hwanhee says loosely without looking from his tray.
“You know how he is, he’s already come this far. It’ll only break him if we bring it up” Jaeyoung sighs, sipping on his soup.
“What if we set them both up?” Eunsoo suggests but is quickly turned down by the other two’s stares of disapproval. “Okay, forget it.” He shrinks himself into the seat and starts playing with his macaroni cheese.
At home, Gyeongbeen lays lazily on his bed while scrolling through his phone aimlessly. His eyelids begin to lower when his phone buzzes. His eyes shoot open almost immediately. He checks the contact name and sure enough, ‘Park Nuri’.
The boy shifts onto his stomach and rests his chin on his pillow. His fingers tap the DM open. Nuri’s contact is pinned on the app.
: Hey, you up?
Yeah, why? :
: Did you do the social homework?
Are you asking for a copy? :
: Well
: Not a copy, an example
Whatever :
[Gyeongbeen has sent you a photo] :
There :
: Thanks, weirdo
That’s it. No confession, nothing. Gyeongbeen sighs and types something into the phone.
Can I ask you something? :
: What is it?
The boy purses his lips whilst his fingers tap on the keys on the screen, slowly but steady.
‘Don’t you love me?’
His thumb hovers above the ‘Send’ button before eventually moving to the backspace key and deleting the message he typed, then he retypes something else.
… Nevermind :
See you tomorrow :
: Okay, good night
After the last message, Gyeongbeen turns off his phone and puts it aside. He shifts again in his bed, now facing the ceiling. “Why don’t you know? Please like me too.” He mutters to himself.
Thursday passes, nothing happens.
Friday approaches quietly,
Too quietly. It makes Gyeongbeen nervous. He wakes up early as always, standing and checking himself in the mirror, fixing his hair, straightening his uniform like he usually does. “Today’s the day.” He tells himself. How can it not? It’s the last day of the week. If the confession is not today, then when?
At school, he watches Nuri’s every move, scrutinizing his every action. He acts normal, unlike someone who’s about to confess at all. Just Nuri being himself. It only makes Gyeongbeen more desperate.
In class, the boy doesn’t listen to his teacher anymore. He keeps staring at Nuri to the point that even he is aware of this. By the end of the day, the sky has been painted an old rose color. Gyeongbeen is left alone in the classroom with Nuri again.
The chatter that filled the room has by now faded away, leaving nothing but the buzz of the classroom’s fan. Usually Gyeongbeen would just wait until Nuri leaves before leaving himself, but it’s already the last day of the week and he is practically dying to hear the confession.
He pushes himself up from the chair to approach his crush, but as he lifts his face up, the blonde boy is already standing before him. Gyeongbeen’s heart almost leaps from his chest as his cheeks warm. “Park Nuri—” he exclaims.
“Do you want to walk home with me?” Nuri begins his conversation with a simple question.
Gyeongbeen blinks and cranes his neck. Did he hear that correctly? Nuri, his crush, asking to walk home with him? Really? The red haired boy snaps out of his thoughts and looks at the boy before him. “W-What did you say?”
“I said, do you want to walk home with me?” He repeats himself.
Gyeongbeen sucks in a breath before holding his hand up. “Sorry, give me a minute.” says Gyeongbeen and pulls out his buzzing phone. Nuri crosses his arms and waits as he watches the red haired boy nervously tapping on his screen.
Lee Hwanhee
: Gyeongbeen-hyung, where are you?
: We’re waiting by the gate
Guys, guess what :
Lee Jaeyoung
: What is it, Beennie?
Nuri is asking me to walk home with him :
Hwang Eunsoo
: JDSJGJDUHHDJJHS
: YOU HAVE TO GO, HYUNG
: DON’T MISS OUT ON THIS
: JUST GO PLS PLS
ALRIGHT ALRIGHT CALM DOWN :
Smacking his lips, Gyeongbeen turns off his phone and looks up to find Nuri still waiting for his answer impatiently. He grins sheepishly and rubs the back of his neck. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“So?”
“I— Sure, I can walk home with you.” He replies.
Nuri nods after his replies and slings his bag over his shoulder. “Great, turn off the fan and hurry after me.” He instructs before slipping through the door into the hallway. Gyeongbeen stutters at the sudden instruction, but complies anyway and quickly follows him outside.
As they walk through the park, the breeze brushes against the skin of their cheeks. Leaves crunch under their feet as they step along the pavement. The sunlight glows down on them and paints their faces with orange radiance. Neither of them dares to start a conversation until they pass a playground.
“Hey,” Nuri begins.
Gyeongbeen’s face shoots up at the sudden call from his crush. “Y-Yes?”
“You’re quiet today, something happened?” Nuri tilts his head slightly, his eyebrow raises curiously whilst he points out the red haired boy’s unusual behaviour.
“Sorry, I’ve been a little out of it this week..”
“Yeah, I can tell. What’s up with that?”
Gyeongbeen doesn’t answer right away. His walking pace noticeably slows down while he is thinking, leaving him a couple beats behind Nuri. He inhales a deep breath and hesitates before speaking anyway.
“Do you ever..” he pauses. “..believe in fortune telling?”
“No,” Nuri replies flatly. “Why?”
“Nothing, I just—”
“Ah, I remembered,” The blonde boy snaps his fingers at the realisation. “You told me earlier this week, something about the fortune teller.” He continues, slowing his pace down to match the red haired boy’s, so they’d walk side by side again.
Gyeongbeen nods and hums. “Yeah, she said something great would happen this week. It’s already the end of the week and I still haven’t seen it happening.”
Nuri snorts. “These kinds of stuff are always either just lucky guesses or huge scams.”
Gyeongbeen sighs and lowers his head after hearing that. The rest of their journey remains silent since. His gaze sweeps along nature as if they were on a hike.
Not long after, they reach a crosswalk. The light is red, but Gyeongbeen is too drowned out by his thoughts to notice. That’s when Nuri throws an arm in front of him to stop the boy from walking straight into traffic.
“Okay, that’s it. What is wrong with you?” asks Nuri as he spins the red haired boy around.
“I— Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts, I—”
“You almost got hit by a car, Gyeongbeen.”
Gyeongbeen’s eyes widen while his heart flutters. This is the first time in a while since they had become friends that Nuri calls him by his name. Usually, it’d just be insults like ‘Dummy’, ‘Fool’, or ‘Idiot’ He is on the verge of tearing up as he stares into Nuri’s worried gaze.
“I-I know, I didn’t mean to. I just— The fortune teller—”
Nuri inhales sharply. “If the fortune teller is getting you this worked up, why did you even listen to her in the first place?”
“I— B-Because..”
Gyeongbeen’s breath catches.
He listened because he was being hopeful,
Hopeful that it might come true,
That Nuri might confess.
He wants to say it, but the words turn into a lump inside his throat that refuse to come out at all cost.
“Nothing, just forget about it..” He brushes it off before turning to the opposite side of the road. The red light’s timer is currently counting down from three.
Nuri inhales and lets go of the boy before crossing the road once the light turns green. They walk side by side across the road. By now, the sky has dimmed from rose to twilight. The street lights flicker on above them, highlighting them even more.
“I know we’re not that close, but if something is bothering you, you can always talk to me.” Nuri reassures him.
Gyeongbeen scratches his head and nods. “I know..”
“And one more thing,”
Gyeongbeen lifts up his face. “Yeah?”
“Actually, I’ll text you later. I’m off from here.” Nuri murmurs, inserting his hands into his pockets as the air begins to cool for the night.
“O-Oh, okay. Get home safely.” Gyeongbeen waves at the blonde boy and watches as he spins around on his heels and walks away.
Mid tracks, Nuri pauses and turns his head to the red haired boy standing on the pavement. “You too, idiot.” says him. His face morphs into a small smile before his feet start moving again. “See you Monday.”
When his crush disappears into the corner of the street, Gyeongbeen lets out a long, exhausted but relieved sigh. The week is now over, and the confession never came, neither did the rejection. However, after opening up with the boy earlier. Gyeongbeen feels he no longer awaits the confession. He feels heard, seen, noticed, by the one person he’s been desperate for this entire week.
He looks up at the starry night sky and lets out a chuckle. “Yeah, Monday..” he murmurs, to no one specifically. After a beat, his phone vibrates in his pocket, but he ignores it. A smile tugs at the corner of his lips and he walks home.