Clique (txtXitzy)

23. Day 69

Taehyun closed his locker door and predicted the following seconds. Then he turned around to face his expectations.

"Hi, Somi-noona. What's rollin'?"

"A question," Somi replied comfortably before leaning her back on the locker that was beside his so that they were facing each other.

"About Beomgyu-hyung, and why he's not at school on mid-semester report card collecting day, I guess."

"Precisely."

"He claimed that his birthday present this year should be being left alone so he locked himself inside his room since last night. I know, it's weird and such a non-Beomygu-hyung thing to do but he's just not feeling himself lately."

"If he's an extrovert why would he need to be alone? If anything I think he should prefer to throw himself the biggest party and absorb everybody else's energy to get himself back."

"That's what he'd said a few days ago, meticulously planning how his 21st birthday party should be. But he changed his mind last night and put up a do not disturb sign on his door and locked it."

"Speaking of which, Chaeryeong-ah is here without Ryujin so I wonder what's going on... Anyways, I don't think that's any of my business so where should I leave my gift for Gyu?"

Taehyun reopened his locker and pulled out an XXL trash bag, flapping it a few times. Then he opened it up for Somi and she just dropped in her Louis Vuitton gift bag inside with her fond smile.

...

"Ryu, what are you doing."

"Trying to spend time with you on your birthday."

"Not happening."

Ryujin rubbed her joints on her uniform from the pain of endlessly knocking on his bedroom door.

"It's happening because I'm Ryujin."

"It's not happening because I'm Beomgyu, and I'm older than you by a month."

"Can't you at least be thankful that I'm here, making an effort to wish you a special happy birthday?"

"Leave the present at the door, that's all you can do. Thanks anyway."

Beomgyu pulled his blanket over his head.

Just then, the door clicked open and Ryujin entered his den. She stripped the quilt off of him and tossed the box at him.

"How—"

"It's expensive so don't lose it like you lose to our practice matches," Ryujin mumbled, sitting on the bed, next to Beomgyu.

"It should be expensive, or else it's fake Tiffany & Co," Beomgyu answered, examining the blue box before opening it. "By the way, how did you get inside?"

"Bobby pin," she hummed.

"Ryu..."

"Mmh?"

"What were you thinking when you bought this for me, seriously? These are like... 3 million won."

"I thought: damn this double chain on Beomgyu's collar would look so damn nice."

Beomgyu held the box out in one hand, that was closer to her. Then he waved it in the air while saying: "Ryu, how the hell do I wear this without looking like a woman?"

"Just trust me, it'll look nice on you."

Ryujin took the necklace off of the dummy cushion in the box, and pulled it over his head, brandishing the padlock charm and silver ball pendant on the chain layers, caressing his bare collarbone with her fingers ever so lightly on the way back. "Gyu, you're not gonna wear a shirt or anything?"