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Enough is enough. Soobin sighed, arms crossed, right foot tapping as he looked at Yeonjun who was sitting across him. He frowned, squinting his eyes, seeking the truth from the man whose lips were pursed and whose toes were curling in his socks. “What are you hiding from me, Yeonjun hyung?”
“Nothing…?”
It’s been going on for almost a week. Yeonjun had been acting weird and Soobin noticed. Soobin knew Yeonjun might think no one would recognize that he was being peculiar, but Soobin had those instincts. And when it came to Yeonjun, Soobin was definitely, absolutely going to utilize his trustworthy intuition.
As always, at first, it started with small acts.
“Are you sick, hyung?” asked Soobin. It was a particularly warm night, and everyone was wearing as little clothes as possible to get off the heat from their bodies. So, it’s a bit strange for Yeonjun to wear a mask. Out of all time, then? Soobin thought his hot breath would warm up Yeonjun’s face, so of course, he had to ask.
“No?” Yeonjun raised his eyebrows, suspiciously. “Why’d you ask?”
Soobin tilted his head and compressed his lips. “I mean it’s pretty hot tonight and we’re not in public.” Hell, they were on Yeonjun’s bed then. “You’re even wearing a sleeveless shirt and your boxers right now,” explained Soobin. “So, why are you wearing your mask?”
Yeonjun chuckled half-heartedly. “I just want to,” he stated. What a lame excuse. Stupid, even. “And because I can not stand the smell of the bathroom coming in here. Those constipated kids need to learn how to clean the toilet too.” He rolled to his side, so he could scroll on his phone without Soobin staring at his face.
“Okay…” To be completely honest, Soobin didn’t buy Yeonjun’s words. But he’d let it go that night. He was too tired to pry open Yeonjun and he doubted Yeonjun wouldn’t get angry at him if he jumped on him that night. Besides, the lack of energy he had because of the constant practice that day and the humidity of that burning night was starting to fog Soobin’s head. So, like any sane person would, Soobin rolled on his side and chose to sleep too. “Good night, hyung.”
Then, there was that one moment with their members which happened the next day.
“Yeonjun hyung, we were planning on going to barbeque tonight,” informed Beomgyu. “Kai said he’d been craving meat and he’s been nagging Taehyun and Soobin the whole day, but my ears are the one threatening to fall off if he mentions ‘yakiniku beef’ and ‘braised pork’ one more time.” He sipped from his bottle and sighed. “You coming?”
The brunet’s shoulders seemed tensed all in a sudden. His expression was quite unreadable since he was wearing a mask, but Soobin was quite sure Yeonjun’s eyes were wide and his mouth was agape. “I, uh,” he hesitated. “I think I’ll skip? ‘M not in the mood to eat meat.”
Yeonjun? Not in the mood to eat meat? That didn’t sit right with Soobin. Yeonjun was anything but a picky eater and he’d probably eat sandals if he didn’t know those were sandals, so his decision perplexed Soobin. It’s such a strange time to be alive and witness Yeonjun say the words that he’s not in the mood to eat something.
“Are you sure, Jun hyungie?” Kai hugged Yeonjun from behind. He probably reeked of sweat, but Yeonjun was too and he’s definitely indifferent about everyone’s odors. “But it wouldn’t be so fun without my big eating partner,” he continued, a sad gaze seeping out from his eyes. Kai was undoubtedly the biggest eater in the team, but Yeonjun came to the close second and it’s pretty obvious they bonded over their love for food. Therefore, the sudden decision for Yeonjun to not come for dinner for good food might take Kai aback too.
When Kai rested his head on Yeonjun’s shoulder, and his arms were grasping Yeonjun’s waist tight, he pouted a little. “I was thinking of going to that one place we used to go during our early debut days, remember? Back then, it was the fanciest thing we could afford.”
Yeonjun held Kai’s hands those were clasped on his stomach. “I know, puppy. Of course, I remember that,” he replied. “But I really don’t feel like eating meat.”
“Well, what do you want to eat, then, hyung?” asked Soobin suddenly. He’d been watching the interaction unfold in front of them, while he was heaving out of breath from the intense practice they just had. “We can compromise and find something in the middle between what you and Kai want.” He smiled fondly.
The eldest shook his head. “No, I’m fine. I’ll just go sleep after this. No need to worry about my dinner.”
“Well, then, I’ll order them for you while we eat out,” insisted Soobin. “The dinners’ on me tonight anyways, so it’s going to be unfair if I didn’t get you anything too.”
Beomgyu snorted. He pointed at Soobin. “What he’s trying to say is ‘I lost to Kai at League’ last night after telling me that he could do better because he’s a pro player who’s been playing longer than the newbie, but he lost anyways so he had to pay up his sins of bragging though straight up lying through his teeth,” he said, wriggling his eyebrows.
Yeonjun and Kai laughed, loud. While Kai burst and crouched lower, releasing his hold on Yeonjun, Yeonjun only huffed a little. Perhaps, Yeonjun didn’t find it that funny because he didn’t play the game, so he might not understand how pride wrecking that was to Soobin, but his chuckle was so small that Soobin felt Yeonjun was acting uptight. It’s weird.
The leader grinned wide, evil. “One more word and we’re flipping you on the grill tonight,” he threatened Beomgyu as he stood up from the floor. “Well,” he said as he looked at Yeonjun, “just tell me if you want anything tonight.” He tried not to furrow his eyebrows at how peculiar Yeonjun was acting.
“Noted, Binnie.”
Yeonjun didn’t say a word to Soobin that night.
Soobin trusted Taehyun a lot. Because Taehyun was quite matured and logical, at times he’d be someone very reliable to Soobin and he’s forever glad for that. So, that time Taehyun initiated a talk about Yeonjun with him only added to the list of Soobin’s suspicions.
It was the morning after they had that barbeque dinner. Beomgyu and Kai were dead asleep because they drank irresponsibly, though it’s justified since the two had no schedules for the day. Yeonjun, on the other hand, was already at the hairdresser to style his hair before the impending comeback the next week. So, Soobin and Taehyun were the only ones left awake that morning, before the two had their hairdresser appointments as well.
“So, what’s up with Yeonjun hyung?” Taehyun asked, unprompted. Initially, he was cutting some vegetables and chicken to fry with their leftover rice. However, he paused abruptly as soon as Soobin sat on the kitchen island, with droopy eyes and a glass of untouched cold milk in front of him. He turned to look at Soobin. “He’s been acting odd, don’t you think?”
Of course, Soobin thought of the same thing. It’s what had been occupying Soobin’s head for those past days. He just couldn’t figure out how to make Yeonjun confess to him on why he’s acting so. Soobin sighed. “I guess?” He rested his chin on his arms. “What makes you think he’s being all weird?”
Taehyun scoffed and went back to his chore. “Well, he seemed a little distant for these two days, but I guess he’s just tired,” he answered as he prepared the pan and turned on the stove. “I mean it makes sense if he doesn’t want to talk too much about it, but he seriously barely talks.” He poured some oil on the pan and waited as the heat took over, while he turned to Soobin. “And he’s always wearing masks! Usually, he’d wear those cute star shapes and holographic acne patches if it got bad with his pimple condition, but he never wore masks like those indoors!” He sighed as he turned to sauté the garlic and kimchi.
That’s exactly what had been bothering Soobin’s mind too.
“And have you noticed he hasn’t been eating these days? He’s not even on a weight loss diet, for god’s sake,” complained Taehyun. He put in the vegetables and the chicken into the pan, before getting the sauces out of the cabinet. Yet all his movements seemed hasty, like he was so inherently frustrated as he complained about Yeonjun.
And Taehyun wasn’t lying. Soobin did notice Yeonjun’s lunch meals were always left untouched. He also noticed that the man only exclusively eats smoothies for breakfast and ice cream for dinner. Yeonjun was big on crunchy snacks, but somehow, he had been avoiding those for a couple days, and even refused Kai’s offers on their chips.
“The only proper meal I saw him eating for these three days is the congee I caught him eating at four this morning before he went to the hairdresser,” continued Taehyun. He poured the sauces into the pan after he threw in the rice. When he stirred the pan, he sighed again. “I’m just afraid that he’s not getting enough nutrients to support his body, hyung. Last thing that we need is Yeonjun hyung being sick during the comeback.” He shrugged. “If it’s delayed, then it is what is, but if we have to go on with the comeback without Yeonjun hyung, I’m out.”
Soobin agreed. He knew how much Yeonjun meant to their group dynamics, and it’s not just because Taehyun thought of Yeonjun so highly and while that’s true and that Taehyun really had a soft spot for his hyung, Yeonjun was just that crucial, irreplaceable. One member out was enough to throw off their entire harmony, and it’d be really difficult for them to perform with the absence of one member. Additionally, if Soobin was the backbone that carried the group, Yeonjun was pretty much the heart of the group, and it’d be such a big deal for the members if Yeonjun had to be missing during their upcoming comeback. He knew he couldn’t have that.
They both stopped conversing for a while. Taehyun stirred the fried rice, while Soobin sat in silence.
“Okay.” Soobin had enough. He had to talk to Yeonjun. “I’ll talk to him,” he decided. “Tonight.”
Apparently, Soobin didn’t decide wise enough. When he came back to the dorms, Yeonjun was already dead asleep in his bed, too exhausted to the core. So, Soobin just let him be and rolled to hug Yeonjun from behind as they slept. He promised to talk the next day.
However, their next day’s schedule was packed. Somehow, it also led to Yeonjun’s weirdness seeping in their ‘public’ appearance.
It’s the pre-comeback Weverse live. Everyone was seated on the table in their respective seats, with Yeonjun on one corner and Soobin on the other. Taehyun and Kai were hiding their hair colors under their beanies. Beomgyu was yapping in the middle as per usual.
Nevertheless, Yeonjun seemed weird. He was wearing his baggiest hoodie and paired it with sweatpants and some stretched out tank underneath his hoodie. His new hair color was tucked underneath the beanie, but some stubborn strays were disarrayed behind him. He looked a bit disheveled and far from the ‘always ready to strut the runway’ Choi Yeonjun.
Not only Yeonjun was wearing a mask, he also was constantly sighing. His under eyebags were clear, although layered under his concealer. He looked like he had been sleepless and like he hadn’t been eating anything at all. It was just such a concerning state for him and Soobin couldn’t help but stare, both in real life and through the monitor from the tablet screen he was holding.
The eldest didn’t speak much in that Live, relying on Kai to nudge him or for Beomgyu to get on his nerves first. He didn’t respond much and his reactions were often drier than usual. And the entire time, Taehyun was kneeing Soobin to do something about Yeonjun, but Soobin was just clueless on what to do.
Then, that comment rolled in. Soobin didn’t hesitate as he was sick of having to face Yeonjun acting weird. So, he just read it out loud. “Ah, Yeonjun, why are you covering your face?”
“Yeah, Yeonjun hyung, why are you wearing a mask?” Taehyun chimed in.
“Ah, it’s kind of dusty in here and I’m not that well so it might trigger an allergic reaction,” answered Yeonjun. However, the ‘reason’ he gave the fans as he looked at the camera wasn’t convincing at all. It sounded robotic, like he was tiptoeing to cover up something.
Hell, that response even sounded like a prepared script to Soobin. He furrowed his eyebrows. If he was a fan, he wouldn’t even think that excuse was valid. However, he was a member and he knew exactly that excuse wasn’t valid, because Yeonjun was allergic to pollen but not allergic to dust. And it’s a summer indoor, so pollen would never be something that could concern them. But the members didn’t know Yeonjun’s medical history like Soobin did, so they all just kind of nodded in sync and smiled.
“Don’t worry, MOA! I’m totally okay, though~” Yeonjun gave his widest grin to make sure the camera caught his cheeks rising and his eyes crinkling from the smile. He even gave his thumbs up to reassure the fans that he was, in fact, alright, and just protecting himself from possible allergic reactions.
When the Live ended, Yeonjun became a bit somber again. He immediately left before Soobin could confront him of his flimsy lie he made up on the Live. He asked the managers if he could be dropped to their dorms first before their next schedule, because he had left something in his room. When the protocol team agreed and Yeonjun was gone with the wind, Soobin had no more time to talk to Yeonjun.
They spent the rest of the day practicing again. They even squeezed a couple hours to do fitting for the stages in the upcoming week. So, by the end of the day, they were all too tired to speak. Soobin lost his chance again as he slept with Yeonjun in his arms, unable to say anything else.
But that Live was Soobin’s last straw. He couldn’t have it anymore. With Yeonjun sat across of him in the living room, unmasked and alone, he spoke.
Everyone in the dorms were gone. It was their last actual break day before the grueling weeks of album promotion and their supposedly resuming of tour by the end of the month. So, when the moment was presented, the younger members decided to relive their earlier days and went to the arcade to spend their time that afternoon.
Only Soobin and Yeonjun stayed back. At first, it was Yeonjun who turn down the offer to go out the night. He said something along the lines of wanting to binge watch the drama he hadn’t been able to finish for some time. But then Soobin also thought of the possibility that he wouldn’t have much more time to sort things out with Yeonjun. So, at the last minute before everyone went out, Soobin decided to stay in too.
“Okay, then, if you’re not hiding anything.” Soobin ordered some fried chicken. They were Yeonjun’s favorites. And he ordered a bucket of ten drumsticks drenched in Yeonjun’s favorite sauce. So, Soobin only pushed the bucket nearer to Yeonjun. “Eat up, then, hyung.”
Yeonjun gulped nervously. There were bits of drool on the corner of his lips as he looked at the bunch of fried chicken. His stomach growled too at some point. He bit his lips a bit, unsure if he should move. Though then he had been basking in the scent of the food for a while and it’s luring him in.
The younger dived in first. He didn’t bother with gloves since his nails were cut short anyways and he could just wash his hands to clean the excess sauces off. When he bit into the delicate chicken, he grinned as he didn’t take his eyes off Yeonjun, slurping the juices and seasonings, driving Yeonjun mad with the noises of the crunch. He hummed.
The elder gave up. He picked a particularly small one and angled it on his mouth. Then, the first bite happened and Yeonjun almost shrieked instantly. He reluctantly chewed on the chicken as he put down the one on his hand and he swallowed it right away.
Soobin was a bit taken aback. He didn’t panic though but he did widen his eyes and tilted his head. “You have a cavity, don’t you?” He judged. Or, perhaps, Soobin was just being his regular observant-analytical self who happened to be able to put the pieces of his information and suspicions together, and he had an inkling of why Yeonjun was acting all strange–and why there's blood on the sink every time Yeonjun left the bathroom after brushing his teeth for the past few days. “Your tooth has been aching that’s why you haven’t been eating and talking much, and that’s also why you’ve been wearing masks too indoors.” He pointed everything out as he let down the chicken on his plate.
Yeonjun sighed and pouted a little. “Yes,” he answered weakly as he nodded. He didn’t even have the power to look at Soobin in the eyes, so he just looked down.
“Then, why didn’t you tell me anything? You’ve been making us worried sick with your sudden behavior change, you know,” lectured Soobin. Then, suddenly he felt guilty when tears started collecting on the corner of Yeonjun’s eyes. “Shit. Sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to raise my voice at you.” He immediately went to wash his hands and hastily went to comfort Yeonjun.
For a while, Yeonjun stifled his sobs on Soobin’s chest. He leaned his head comfortably, letting Soobin hug him and gently patted his back. He listened to how Soobin was mumbling ‘it’s okay’s and ‘I’m here’s, slowly stopping the sobs from breaking out of his throat. He looked up. “Sorry,” he apologized, finally. “I just didn’t want to worry everyone. But it’s kind of embarrassing, so I wore masks.” He timidly explained, unable to move his jaw too much. He figured he didn’t need to explain why he's not eating and talking much too, as Soobin was already examining his puffy cheeks.
“Have you taken any medicines?” asked Soobin, still concerned. He ruffled Yeonjun’s hair gently, while he gazed at his boyfriend tenderly.
“Some ibuprofen. It lessens the pain and the inflammation, I suppose,” explained Yeonjun. “But it hasn’t really worked in a while and I’m only left more fatigued with stomach aches.” He gulped.
Soobin pressed a soft kiss on Yeonjun’s forehead. “That’s because NSAIDs may affect your blood pressure and therefore fatigue,” he replied simply. “Also, it induces gastritis, that’s why you’ve been having stomach aches.” He cupped Yeonjun’s face and kissed the tip of his nose. He knew that Yeonjun had that tendency to hide his pains and avoid making a fuss about it, so perhaps he might’ve thought it’s the best idea to just conceal it away. However, that’s not the case. Soobin knew Yeonjun would be unable to sing well if he had that cavity. “Let’s just go to the dentist and get proper care for you, okay, baby? You know that your situation will worsen if you ignore it, right?”
Yeonjun nodded slightly.
“Okay, then let’s go to the dentist, alright?” Soobin smiled. He held Yeonjun’s hand as they both stood up. When he noticed the little shift in Yeonjun’s eyes, he huffed a little. “Don’t worry, I’ll be with you all the time so you don’t have to be afraid.”
“Feeling better already, chubs?” asked Soobin as he held Yeonjun’s hand while they walked out of the dentist’s office. His heart felt full when he saw Yeonjun back to his giddy little self. “It wasn’t so bad now, wasn’t it?”
Yeonjun shook his head. “It’s okay, chubs,” he replied. “Thank you for accompanying me here, Binnie. Sorry for burdening you with going to the dentist on our break day instead of making you rest at home.”
Soobin snorted. He let Yeonjun rest his head on his shoulder while they sat and waited for the medications for post-treatment care. “Nonsense,” he replied. “I can rest anywhere, Junnie. As long as I’m with you, love, and I can see that happy smile on your face, anywhere and anytime could be heaven to me.”