embracing fate // yeonbinkai

15:34

15:34 - "both ways"

"where are you going?"

the wind kisses kai's cheeks, and tugs his blond locks without struggle. he was still getting used to following taehyun around, a busy body. one second they're in a warm place in the post office, then the next they're rushing in the fresh air of march.

taehyun halts in his tracks before turning his heel. "nobody asked you to follow me."

"can i come with you?" kai pulled a smile, earnestly waiting for an approval. between the two of them, taehyun was always the one acting like an older brother despite the almost nonexistent age difference.

"if you won't ask where i'm going every five seconds, you can."

"well, in my defense, you won't tell me anything."

"we just got the mail from your father; it's full of your papers. i picked you up from the train station and sent your stuff in your new apartment. where do you think we're heading next?" taehyun already started walking before he could finish asking. he didn't even need an answer when a gigantic screen came to view.

kai's jaw fell upon realizing what taehyun meant. "university?" he uttered under his breath. he stared at the letters flashing on the screen—'graduates' and 'achievers' appearing all over. the pictures of students in their toga had kai paste everything together. "is that soobin hyung and yeonjun hyung?"

taehyun, for the second time that day, turned to look at kai who's mesmerized at the sight of two familiar people. "yeah. they're free from this hell," taehyun was pertaining to the university. "soobin hyung's valedictorian. isn't that amazing? he used to cry about how he wants to drop out in high school, but now look at him making a speech in college."

"why did you take me here?"

"enrolling you."

an unimpressed scoff was earned from kai. "not funny, tyun. you know how the soulmate pull works."

taehyun shrugged nonchalantly. "it goes both ways—ah, and if i remember correctly, you're the one who wants to come with me."

screw taehyun for making a point. kai only dropped his eyes and hoped for a miracle. the last thing he wanted was to waste all the efforts he made to avoid the people who've been the cause of his misery, only to fall into fate's game all over again.

"i'm not going in there," kai sighed when taehyun started walking.

"come on, hyuka. it's been years! at least see them and not just disappear without saying goodbye like last time."

"and risk bonding? you know i can't do that-"

"they were devastated when you left," taehyun cut him off. his face was as stern as it can be, and it sucked all the words out of kai's system. "they were your friends before the whole soulmate thing. did you forget?"

he didn't. of course kai remembers. he's sure everything was etched in every side of his mind, including the day he found out soobin and yeonjun were his soulmates, and the day he left to escape—they haunted him every night. no amount of reassurance that he's doing something right would help.

he missed yeonjun and soobin more than anything, so much that he would only want to run in their arms when he sees them, and he can't risk that.

"they've been looking for you. don't be selfish, kai," taehyun said.

kai looks at the screen, now flashing soobin's speech and special mentions. the happiness in soobin's eyes when yeonjun cheered was beautiful.

kai wanted nothing but to protect that.