Eighth Wonder ➤ Beomkai

VI.

Soobin started rejecting Beomgyu's gifts. Even the ice cream tubs that Soobin always loves to have, he said no and at that point it means rejection. When Yeonjun saw what happened, he started going back to his usual self again, even Kai have to point out, "I thought you were gonna be busy with dance club?" but Yeonjun shyly shakes his head and sing songs with a wide smile plastered on his face.

Kai looks up to Beomgyu's reaction and weirdly enough, he didn't look heartbroken at all. Beomgyu still eats with them at the cafeteria like nothing happened. The usual seat of him at the table where he's always beside Soobin has now changed to being beside him.

And to add more things in the mix, while Soobin and Yeonjun were talking (topic being Yeonjun) Beomgyu butted in, "You know I used to have a crush on Yeonjun because he was so cool before." Kai stopped scooping up his ice cream from the tub. Frozen.

"What do you mean because I was cool before?" Yeonjun feigned being offended, "I'm still cool and cooler than Soobin!" Soobin instantly smacks Yeonjun's arm making the other laugh loudly unbothered. Kai shakes his head and continues to eat the ice cream that they're all now sharing, he noticed that Soobin gave him a look too.

Beomgyu chuckles beside him, "But I've moved on had a crush on Soobin but of course! I've moved on too" said Beomgyu despite that he was just rejected minutes ago.

"You still don't like any either of us, do you?" Soobin asked Beomgyu dead on the spot.

either of us?

Beomgyu sighs before responding, "No."

Kai didn't realize that he stopped eating and was staring blankly. He flinched when he heard Beomgyu saying no, somehow he felt himself going close to Taehyun who's been there all this time reading a book.

He doesn't know what's wrong with him to be so upset about Beomgyu having a liking towards Yeonjun before and sure, it kind of feels like a heavyweight has been lifted off his shoulder when Beomgyu accepted Soobin's rejection. But Kai couldn't help but keep wondering.

When the three of them went back to their own class. Taehyun was about to go back to the corner again but Beomgyu went to stop and held his wrist, Kai looks at it. "Taehyun why don't you sit with us again? Let's study together." Taehyun smiles at Beomgyu shaking his head then goes back to his seat in the corner.

Beomgyu sat down helpless and pouting. Kai silently sits down, sighing. There's a space between them that's been like it since earlier and Beomgyu still hasn't given up asking Taehyun to sit between them. "Can you drag Taehyun again to sit with us? Please?" Beomgyu held his hand just like how he held Taehyun's.

Kai looked at Beomgyu, some of his bangs hurt his eyes but feel like the contact is itchy. Like something he wants to push or break away and maybe it's been building up since Beomgyu kept talking about his likings for Soobin and Yeonjun. "Why do you even need Taehyun when I am here?" Kai asked Beomgyu staring at him in the eyes.

All of a sudden, there's this electricity in his veins that's about to pop. Kai snaps, "Are you just using me to get close to my friends?" he asked again, this time Beomgyu's hand lets his go away, "Why do I always have to watch you fall for everyone but m-"

"I wasn't trying to flirt with all of your friends Kai," Beomgyu answered, his voice stern with a hint of pain, and Kai regretted what he said instantly, "Sorry, then" Beomgyu gave a sad look before looking away from him.

When Kai looked down on his table he felt his hands were shaking. He started to realize the whispers around them rising, just like the day Kai made someone go away.

His Friday was lonely. Taehyun is still busy with the upcoming ranking quiz exam. Yeonjun and Soobin went out somewhere without inviting him and Beomgyu didn't appear at the school after that day. Kai was glad that he didn't though because rumors about Beomgyu have been going around.

There were rumors of him dating Soobin but got rejected, Beomgyu and Yeonjun too but Beomgyu getting friendzone and a whole enemies-to-lovers-to-strangers kind of thing about Taehyun. Somehow he heard none about himself. It's like everyone is avoiding the two of them too and Kai doesn't know what to feel about that.

Thankfully he has a band night tonight. He could get off his mind about Beomgyu and the whole school shit, just like the old times where he stays awake at night playing to sleep the whole day next. He played drums and guitar the whole afternoon before their performance tonight.

Their vocalist came up to him, "Hey are we playing Eighth Wonder later?"

Kai almost forgot about Eighth Wonder, leaving a bitter taste to him. "No, I think we can play another song instead," he answered.

"Oh?" Their vocalist looks at him surprised, "You use to love the song so much you could play it all by yourself."

Kai scoffs, looking away, "Let's just cover Who do you love by Black Skirts."

The vocalists laugh, "Kai are you in love?"

"Huh?" Kai looks at their vocalist who smiles goofily at him. Their vocalist is an easy-going guy, voice smooth like a smoothie, and could probably read everyone like an open book.

"When you asked us to play Eighth Wonder, we never saw you being so intrigued and interested, you are like on a mission to complete the song and once you've learned it, you play it like your own." The vocalist smiles, "But now you didn't even talk about it once or listened to it."

It's true that Kai has stopped listening to the song. He does see it when he scrolls pasts over his 'most played tracks' and tries to avoid but after what happened with Beomgyu he feels like could never listen to the song again after all the song was from Beomgyu.

"Don't worry, I like singing Who do you love. It just really asks real questions, you know?" the vocalists added. "Also, how's Taehyun? I haven't heard from him in a while."

"He's fine. Just busy studying, I can't get him out of his strict self." Kai sighs, "I've been distracted by my own too."

The vocalist patted his shoulder, "Don't worry as soon as we figured the shit out dude we would play songs without caring to the world anymore."

It's the first time that Kai plays the drum so slowly, so sad and paced. It wasn't the usual hype and fast and beating, this time it's like quietly listening. Kai listens to the words that their vocalist sing and couldn't help but remember Beomgyu.

He feels like he wanted to stop moving his hands. He feels like wanting to stop the song.

Since when did Beomgyu invade and revolve around his world now?

Maybe this will be the highlight of his high school life but it isn't the coming of age thing he wanted. Instead, it's where he found someone who appeared in his life like a note with a rock pinning it down, with a quote from a mystery that no one seems to would care about.

If Beomgyu occupies all of the things he loves and cares might as well he could be the Choi Beomgyu that all of his music would be about.