Tomorrow's Childhood

Pride before the fall

"Your what!?" Beomgyu glared at Soobin. All five of them were now standing outside, in a mixed up circle/thing/shape. Soobin was in the center with Yeonjun in front of him and slightly to the left and Beomgyu to the right. Kai was right next to Beomgyu and Taehyun was sort of behind Soobin. They kind of made a pentagram or one of those fancy star drawings. 

"I'm sorry! I know I should have told you but I was just trying not to think about it" Soobin admitted. 

"They didn't know?" Yeonjun was shocked. He had thought that would have been one of the first things Soobin did after finding out that he was moving. 

"No" Soobin shook his head. Yeonjun walked away a distance. This was unbelievable. Taehyun glared at the dirt of his yard, watching his tears mix with the brown substance and turn it into mush. Nobody even noticed that he was crying. 

"Dude, you can't leave" Kai shook his head. 

"I'm sorry" Soobin mumbled. Taehyun kept staring at the ground. 

"When are you...?" Yeonjun stopped. He had only just found out and he was kind of mad that Soobin had kept it a secret for this long. Soobin had known for weeks about the possibility of moving and he had gone on every day without saying anything. 

"I don't know" Soobin admitted, the first honest thing he had said all day besides 'I'm sorry'. Yeonjun groaned, rubbing his eyes. 

"You can't just leave! What about us?" Kai wondered. Soobin didn't have an answer to that. Taehyun let out a soft sob and everyone turned to him.

"Aish, Taehyun. Please don't cry" Soobin walked over to him, putting his hands on Taehyun's shoulders. 

"I think you should just leave" Taehyun sniffled. Soobin's hands were gone in an instant, the older boy pulling them back as if he had been burnt. 

"Taehyun..." Yeonjun sighed. 

"No! I'm serious, all of you just...go home!" Taehyun rubbed his tears away.

"I don't-" Kai started but Taehyun really did not want to hear it. 

"I don't care that you don't have a stupid home, Kai! Just go wherever it is you spend all your free time!" Taehyun snapped. Kai stepped back, his eyes getting wider and his mouth staying open for a long time. Kai finally closed his mouth, swallowing his tears and walking away without a word. 

"Dude, not cool" Beomgyu ran to catch up with Kai, wrapping an arm around him as they walked. Yeonjun shook his head and put an arm over Soobin's shoulders, leading his cousin away. For the first time in three years, Taehyun was alone. Again. 

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"Where are your friends, Hyunnie?" His mom asked. Even though it was a little awkward her first finding out about Taehyun's friends, she had been completely supportive and let him do whatever and have them over whenever as long as it was cool with their parents. Though honestly, the boys never checked and just lied that it was okay for them to be there. 

"They're not coming over today" Taehyun answered, doing his homework alone. Again.

"But they-" She was stopped. Taehyun slammed his book shut.

"I said they're not coming over today, okay!? Just leave me alone!" Taehyun grabbed all his books and went to his room, slamming the door.

"Kang Taehyun! You do not talk to me like that!" His mom yelled after him but Taehyun ignored her and flopped down on his bed, shoving his face in his pillow. He wanted his friends back but he was too stubborn to go talk to them. A few hours later, there was a knock on his door but he didn't answer.

"Taehyun-ah, can you open the door?" Taehyun sat up, shocked at the voice. He got up and opened the door, staring at Beomgyu.

"I hate you" Beomgyu stated. 

"Okay" Taehyun shrugged. That hurt but he didn't show it though Beomgyu could tell. 

"I really hate you and I wish I hadn't come over here today but Soobin is leaving and he won't go without saying goodbye to you so suck up your stupid pride and get your ass outside to say bye to Soobin" Beomgyu crossed his arms.

"He's here?" Taehyun guessed.

"Yeah, his parents drove over here because he wouldn't stop screaming unless they did" Beomgyu nodded. Taehyun almost laughed just imagining that. As much as he would love to see his friends, his pride prevented it. 

"I'm sorry Gyu. I can't" Taehyun shook his head. 

"Why not?" Beomgyu asked, anger creeping back into his voice. 

"I have...homework" Taehyun answered. That had to be the lamest lie he had ever come up with. Beomgyu could see that he was lying too but didn't care.

"Fine whatever. I should've known your too much of a bully to actually care about other people" Beomgyu turned and walked off. Taehyun felt like he had been punched in the stomach as he let the door swing closed and went to his window, watching Beomgyu walk back up to Soobin, Yeonjun and Kai and talk quietly for a moment. Soobin nodded, looking in the direction of Taehyun's room before hanging his head and getting in his parents' car and driving off. Yeonjun, Kai and Beomgyu watched him go, waving to themselves. They looked back at the house as if remembering all the times they had there and then walked off, arms linked together. 

The next day, Taehyun took his old route home from school. 

Yeonjun-12. 7th grade
Soobin-11. 6th grade
Beomgyu-10. 5th grade
Taehyun-9. 4th grade
Kai-9. 4th grade