The Choi Brothers

🍵Chapter 3🍵

As the group of seniors sat around a cluttered table in the bustling university cafeteria, their voices rose above the din of conversation and clattering dishes. They were engrossed in their own world, discussing matters that seemed paramount to their existence at that moment.

Amidst the cacophony, a passing conversation caught their attention, causing one of the seniors to pause mid-sentence, his expression hardening. "Today I'm meeting him," a voice drifted by, laden with disdain. "I can't wait to bang him on the desk."

His companion's response was a chorus of enthusiastic agreement. "Oh, broooo, that's so freaking coooool! I bet that Fag Choi missed you, Dongsik!"

A heavy silence settled over the seniors' table as one of them excused himself, his jaw clenched with barely contained anger. The remaining five exchanged knowing glances, their expressions a mix of concern and resolve. Without a word, they rose as one, their chairs scraping against the linoleum floor as they moved with purpose.

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"Taehyun-ah!"

Two boys turned at the sound of the girlish voice, their attention immediately captured.

"Hey, Lia," the boy with fiery red hair greeted her with a casual wave.

"Hi, Soobin Oppa," Lia chirped, her eyes bright as she greeted the taller boy with reverence.

"Hi there, Lia," Soobin replied warmly, his smile genuine as he returned her greeting. Lia's cheeks tinged with a faint pink blush at the sight of his smile, causing Taehyun to take notice, a mischievous glint in his eye as he began to concoct a plan.

"So... wassup? What's with those books? Look heavy, not gonna lie," Taehyun remarked, steering the conversation toward Lia's burden.

Lia shrugged, trying to downplay the weight of the stack in her arms. "Oh, it's nothing... I was just going to submit these senior's summer assignment copies and saw both of you."

"Ah, I see," Taehyun nodded knowingly, "Well, then why don't you let Soobin hyung help you? We were just about to grab lunch anyway... you can assist Lia, right?" Taehyun suggested with a mischievous glint in his eye, causing Lia to internally leap with joy but externally tryng to maintain her composure, her heart skipping a beat as she glanced between the two boys.

"I could've helped, but you know Beomgyu well, right, Hyung?" Taehyun added, shaking his head as if it were a lost cause.

Soobin chuckled, "Indeed, I know him all too well. Don't worry, I'll lend a hand. You carry on, Taehyun-ah."

"Let's go, Lia," Soobin said, gently taking half of the assignment copies from her.

As Lia exchanged a smile with Taehyun, who winked at her knowingly, she couldn't help but feel grateful, silently thanking him in her mind for orchestrating this small but meaningful gesture.

There was a palpable silence between them, one that settled comfortably around Soobin but felt suffocating for Lia.

'Is Soobin Oppa getting bored with me?' 'Or is he not interested in talking to me?" 'Am I that boring?' Lia's thoughts raced, filling the silence with her internal turmoil.

Soobin's chuckle broke the quietness, causing Lia to startle slightly. "Nope, you're not boring at all, Lia."

"Huh?" Lia blinked, caught off guard by his response.

"You were thinking if I'm thinking that you're boring, right?" Soobin's playful grin softened the tension, his words hitting closer to the mark than Lia was comfortable admitting.