like never before | beomkai

25 | not yet

________________

Kai expected Beomgyu to leave a little after a few more minutes. "Don't you have band practice for your concert?" He just had to ask when the guitarists' infamous Iced Americano had been sitting empty on the table---Beomgyu sits the nearest to the counter.

"We already went over the entire thing earlier. Right now, I'm just making sure you'll be there to see it," Beomgyu sucked in air as if he's scolding, playfully furrowing his eyebrows when Kai made it seem like he wanted him gone.

"Taehyun got us tickets, hyung. Of course I'll be there, Soobin hyung, too," Kai said. He wiped the counter with a damp cloth from Rin's station, then went back to face Beomgyu's unchangeable teasing look. "I don't know about Rin though."

They hear the girl hum. "Nah. I have a date tonight and I'd rather have that than see Beomgyu's face."

Beomgyu, despite wanting to bite a remark back, remains unprovoked. He looks at Kai taking orders from students, unlike the café he used to work at with Soobin, this one had no cash register and relies on a simple handwritten receipt. Kai would stick his tongue out to focus on writing, making sure it was coherent for Rin and Soobin to read once he sticks it to their station, and use a cute lavender colored calculator for taking payment and giving change.

It's a busy job and Beomgyu was thankful he didn't need to do any of that. Although he does think it's heartwarming to see Kai so passionate about work.

"What time is the concert?" Soobin asked from the back, he was cleaning his station after preparing two drinks.

Beomgyu checks his watch. "In two hours."

"Great! We'll be closing up the booth early today."

"You better," Beomgyu will call it sabotage if he won't.

Kai doesn't pay much attention to Beomgyu after that---honestly feeling a little shy after the previous event that took place in the staff room.

He doesn't overthink about the fact that Beomgyu didn't say he liked him back again now that they're in college, but he knew he can't just take another step towards Beomgyu with such uncertainties.

When Beomgyu walked him out the booth after closing, he stuffed his hand in the pockets of his coat. Kai pretends to not notice the fiddling that Beomgyu does by his sleeve and watches Soobin rush to where Yeonjun and Taehyun were waiting---Kai pretends to not notice his friends' attempts to leave him with Beomgyu, too.

He's great at this.

"Is something wrong?" Kai asked when Beomgyu halted his steps. Kai had to fully turn around to see his face. "Hyung?"

Beomgyu refuses to speak.

"The concert starts in less than an hour," Kai tried again. He takes note of the petty frown on Beomgyu's face. "Hm? I need you to use your words with me, Beomgyu hyung."

A second passes. Then two. It keeps counting with the breeze until Beomgyu shakes his head with a defeated chuckle.

"You're mean," He said with a childish tongue sticking out.

Kai knew exactly what he meant by that.

They eventually arrived at the venue, in a smaller version of the amphitheater their university was luxurious to have. Yeonjun sat between Soobin and Taehyun, while Kai took the comfortable place beside his best friend who's surprisingly not giving him any funny looks from the obvious shift in the environment with Beomgyu.

It's fine---great, even. Kai was still wrapping his mind around everything and there was no way he could tell Taehyun something he was still trying to process himself.

"Good luck on the performance, hyung!" Taehyun beamed with the most enthusiastic tone, Yeonjun had to pinch his cheeks.

Something suddenly popped in Kai's mind. "What about you, Tyun? Are you not performing?" He's an official member, isn't he?

"Goodness, no! Not in front of this many people. Not yet!"

Yet. At least he knows he could do something eventually.

Kai caught Beomgyu staring at him in a split second, and he ended up muffling a laugh to the other's poor attempts to avert his gaze. This shy side of Beomgyu was interesting. It made Kai wonder how much teasing would it take to just get him to break.

"Good luck, Beom! Don't be nervous. If you mess up, just know that I won't let that go and remind you every single day of your life-"

"What do you even know about playing the guitar, hyung?" Beomgyu rolled his eyes at Soobin. "I'm not nervous. I can do this with my eyes closed."

He's so full of himself.

Kai liked him anyway.

________________

choi.beomgyu: i lied. i'm actually so nervous i want to cry.

hueningkai: we'll be right here cheering for you.

Kai looks around to check if someone can see his screen. When the coast is clear, he goes back to check the next messages Beomgyu sent him without defeat.

choi.beomgyu: my hands are sweaty. oh, no. what if the guitar ends up slipping?

choi.beomgyu: kai :(

choi.beomgyu: would you allow me to take you out right after this? ;)

hueningkai: you did not just send me a wink face after sending me a sad face.

choi.beomgyu: would you mind? :(

hueningkai: if you'll stop whining and do a great job.

choi.beomgyu: ;)

Kai lets a chuckle escape seamlessly, the silliness getting the best of him as he looks at Taehyun who's also busy fiddling with his phone.

He opened the messaging app again and sent one last thing.

hueningkai: good luck, hyung! i'm cheering you on :D