textbooks - jeongcheol

five

jeonghan grumbled under his breath, eyes fixed on seungcheol, "you mind passing me the salt, chan?" chan could sense the tension building between them, and chan, ever perceptive, cautiously handed it over.

seungcheol, sporting a grin that irked jeonghan even more, casually asked, "seokmin, could you hand me over the rice?" there was an undeniable confidence about seungcheol that didn't sit well with jeonghan. it only fueled his irritation, especially considering seungcheol's audacity in pursuing jisoo.

"on it, hyung!" seokmin cheerfully responded, presenting him with the plate of rice.

the group of boys occupied a table outside, a decision their parents probably made to encourage conversation. yet, the atmosphere was far from casual as the undercurrents of unease and competition lingered among them.

hey, chan, what grade are you in?" seokmin inquired, attempting to sustain the conversation. chan, the youngest among them, awkwardly responded, "sophomore year." seokmin couldn't help but offer a small, friendly smile.

"you're so tiny," seokmin teased, earning an eye roll from chan. unfazed, chan retorted, "i may be tiny, but i could probably take you on if you ever fought me." seokmin, momentarily surprised, let out a nervous laugh and waved his hands, declining the challenge.

"i'm not the fighting type." the statement hung in the air, breaking the tension with a touch of humor. the two of them chuckled, the brief exchange lightening the atmosphere as they continued talking.

however, seungcheol and jeonghan on the other hand... were not doing so well. they both refused to eat their food and instead kept steady glares on each other until seungcheol smirked, "whatcha staring at yoon?"

"nothing special." jeonghan quickly shot back causing seokmin to choke on his water, he was not expecting jeonghan to say that.

"if its nothing special why're you looking at me like you want me so bad?" seungcheol whispered leaning in closer as he smiled before he leaned back into his chair. jeonghan gave him a disgusted look as he took a bite of his food, was this seriously the guy jisoo wanted to be with?

seokmin, desperately trying to diffuse the escalating tension, interjected with a forced chuckle. "come on, guys, let's not ruin dinner. we're all here to enjoy a meal together, right?" his attempts at peacemaking fell on deaf ears as jeonghan and seungcheol continued their silent battle.

seungcheol, now thoroughly amused by the discomfort he was causing.

"yoon, you're always so uptight. loosen up a bit. life's too short to hold grudges."

jeonghan shot him a withering look. "easy for you to say, when you're the one causing all the problems."

seungcheol grinned, unfazed. "i'm not the one making it a problem. you're the one who can't handle a little banter."

as their verbal duel persisted, chan and seokmin exchanged glances, unsure of how to navigate this unexpected family drama. the tension hung thick in the air, overshadowing the aroma of the food that had turned cold in the midst of the discord.

"um.. well, you know mrs yoon is a really good cook! i should totally come over more." seokmin tried changing the conversation again but this time chan placed his hands together, begging. "hyung just please shh."

jeonghan, silently seething, decided to focus on his meal, determined not to let seungcheol's provocations get to him.

"anyway, you guys wanna hear about what i did in school today?" chan brought up, he was mainly looking at seokmin because it was obvious seungcheol and jeonghan were not into the conversation.