embracing fate // yeonbinkai

16:08

16:08 - "confrontation"

in the afternoon, right after his very last lecture of the day, taehyun and beomgyu managed to "smuggle" him from his department to theirs. he was dragged to the building's break room without a choice, and failed to hide his face in shame when students give them strange stares.

"will you just tell me why you're both so questionable since this morning?" kai finally asked when taehyun slid grape juice to his side; they were sitting on a stone bench.

beomgyu huffed. his chest was raising like his eyebrows when he spoke, "well, why don't you tell us why yeonjun and soobin came knocking at our doors with stinky attitudes," taehyun tapped his shoulder when his voice got too loud.

"they came to my apartment last night and asked me where you live—don't worry, i didn't tell them, but they weren't really happy about the entire ordeal," taehyun sighed. "they found out that i knew about your predicament and it led to an argument... well, it was mostly yeonjun hyung doing all the scolding and arguing while soobin hyung was holding him back, but they were both equally upset."

"they did what?" kai gaped.

"they came to beomgyu hyung's apartment too, and it got messy."

"i didn't think about this happening, i'm sorry-"

beomgyu doesn't let kai continue, "don't apologize! it's not your fault, you idiot," beomgyu sits beside the younger one. "they caught me in a bad mood because i was studying, and they weren't at their best shape either. one thing lead to another, and the next thing i knew, soobin hyung got a little too angry and started yelling back at me."

kai doesn't feel better. "that sounds horrible."

"it's not the first time we fought, hyuka. you know how it goes with me and them, so we'll be fine," beomgyu looks at taehyun to speak for him right after, aware that it's not his place from this point.

"kai, you'll be turning twenty-three in a few months," taehyun began. he took beomgyu's place beside his best friend. "that would make it five years since you got your mark. don't you think they deserve an explanation?"

"i already told them."

"you didn't tell them enough. showing them your mark and running off before they could even react is not the right thing to do; you know that."

you know that. "i keep running away," kai wants to curl up in a tiny space and wish for the world to take him whole. why did things get so complicated? "maybe because i know that not telling them in the first place was stupid."

despite the small space, beomgyu squished himself on the area taehyun wasn't occupying beside kai. "you were eighteen. you know how the song goes: while we're young, dumb, and broke-" taehyun flicked his knee from the other side. "ouch! that wasn't very nice, tyun!"

"you're not helping," taehyun hissed at his soulmate before regaining composure. "what beomgyu hyung meant was... making stupid decisions on your own is easy. i know it's hard, hyuka, but for what it's worth, decide with yeonjun hyung and soobin hyung this time."

kai feels taehyun and beomgyu squeeze his hands to give him comfort. he thinks about the inconvenience he brings them for situations that they weren't even involved in, yet he still runs to them for help.

in a perfect world, maybe they don't need to cry with kai on days when it gets hard, but even if this world wasn't, beomgyu and taehyun surely made the stay worthwhile.

kai finds himself nodding. "it'll get better, right?"

"you'll never know unless you try," taehyun uttered with a tight hug.