Tomorrow's Childhood

Tomorrow equals Together

Soobin dropped his backpack by the door, stretching his arms out. It was quiet, just like he was used to. Even his house was a bit livelier than this but this was not his house so he couldn't exactly be thinking about that. He lived here now, not in Seoul. 

"Are you okay?" Yeonjun walked over, holding a water bottle. He was already changed into swim trunks and Soobin remembered; they were supposed to meet at the house after school to have fun in the pool together. He had completely forgotten.

"Yeah" Soobin nodded, avoiding eye contact. It wasn't expressly forbidden to see Taehyun but Soobin knew his cousin and friends wouldn't be happy about it. 

"You saw him?" Beomgyu guessed, walking in. He didn't look angry but Soobin could tell that he was from the slight glint in his eye. 

"Maybe" Soobin shrugged, trying to make himself busy. 

"Why?" Yeonjun wondered. Soobin didn't answer for a minute until Yeonjun grabbed his shirt and made Soobin look at them.

"Look, I know what he did was wrong but he was our best friend! I just wanted to see him again" Soobin tried to explain. 

"He insulted Kai!" Beomgyu argued. Soobin nodded.

"I'm not trying to excuse what he did!" Soobin insisted. Kai walked in, looking at Soobin with tears in his eyes. It was three years but nobody forgot. It wasn't even that big of a deal anymore. Kai had forgiven Taehyun just two weeks after it happened but he could never bring himself to talk to Taehyun again. 

"He let you go!" Yeonjun raised his voice.

"So did you!" Soobin snapped, glaring at Yeonjun. It was quiet, everyone staring at Soobin with shock. 

"You were supposed to be my best friends! You're my cousin, Yeonjun! All of you let me go so don't blame Taehyun for being angry and saying something that he didn't mean" Soobin sighed. Kai stared at him.

"You knew" He stated. Soobin had known, even before Kai told him and Beomgyu, but he had accepted that it was just something they didn't mention. It was okay too. Kai had a place to stay, he practically lived with Yeonjun and Soobin so it didn't matter. 

"We all knew" Beomgyu admitted. Kai turned to him, everything he had known falling apart right in front of him. It shouldn't be a big deal but the fact that they knew and still never defended him really hurt. Soobin shook his head and grabbed his backpack.

"I can't believe you guys really held a grudge for three years. What is wrong with all of you?" Soobin opened the door and walked out, going back to Taehyun's house. 

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"What are you doing here?" Taehyun stared at Soobin, not exactly upset but just confused. He hadn't expected Soobin to come back to his house, especially after the way he left. 

"Can we talk?" Soobin waited. Taehyun nodded and let him in. The house was still empty but it was nicer. Taehyun had moved once his dad came back, they had a nicer house now with more than two rooms. It still wasn't as fancy as some of the other richer neighborhoods but the roof didn't leak anymore and there wasn't a draft in Taehyun's room. Taehyun motioned for Soobin to sit down and got him a juice box.

"Can I have a popsicle?" Soobin smiled a little. Taehyun stared at him and then nodded and grabbed a popsicle, red because it was Soobin's favorite. Soobin took it and relaxed. 

"You remembered" He stated. 

"It wasn't easy to forget" Taehyun admitted. Soobin nodded, saying nothing. That kind of hurt. Of course, Taehyun wouldn't forget but Soobin had wondered, had almost expected him to. 

"I don't blame you" Soobin told him. Taehyun gave him a confused look.

"I mean, I get it. I had to leave and you couldn't stop me. And you were just angry so you said what you did. Kai shouldn't have held a grudge, none of them should have" Soobin explained. Taehyun shrugged, not really agreeing or disagreeing. 

"I understand why they did though" Taehyun responded. Soobin took a bite of the cold treat, staying quiet. Taehyun needed to talk about it and Soobin was going to let him.

"I regretted it everyday. We all knew about Kai's family and his position but I shouldn't have blurted it out like that, or told him that I didn't care. Because I did care, I would have offered my own house up to him if I knew he needed it. But he had Yeonjun" Taehyun rambled. Soobin nodded along, not saying anything. He didn't need to. Two years of friendship didn't just go down the drain because of a few years of not talking. 

"I wish I could take it back, apologize maybe. I wish they didn't hate me" Taehyun sniffled. Soobin put an arm around him and pulled Taehyun close.

"They don't hate you. And if they do, that's on them. We were just kids. You didn't know what you were doing and you didn't realize how it would affect our friendship" Soobin comforted him. Taehyun started crying, he had wanted everyday to hear that it was okay, that his friends weren't mad and they forgave him. He didn't think it would take three years for that to happen. After a while, he didn't think it would happen at all. 

"No one's mad at you" Soobin repeated. Taehyun clung to him, crying out everything he had felt for three years. Soobin let him be, silently hoping that Yeonjun, Beomgyu and Kai would show up and tell Taehyun that it was okay and they weren't mad and they don't hate him. 

The door stayed closed until Taehyun's parents came home and Soobin decided it was time for him to go. Taehyun walked him out, standing on the porch. It wasn't the same porch, Soobin realized that. Taehyun had moved into another house so nothing was the same. 

"Will I see you in school?" Taehyun wondered, sounding like he was seven years old again. Five years....five years since they met. Taehyun wasn't the same little kid that Soobin remembered bullying on his way home from school. How much he regretted those days, Taehyun would never know. He would never know the grief and guilt that Soobin felt knowing how angry and anxious he had made such a sweet child. 

"Yeah. I'm always here. I'm your hyung!" Soobin grinned. Taehyun laugh-cried and wiped his nose on his hand. Soobin cupped the back of his head, pressing their foreheads together.

"Your my little brother Taehyun. Together forever" Soobin held his pinky out. Taehyun hooked his finger around Soobin's pinky.

"Tomorrow equals together" Taehyun whispered. Soobin squeezed his hand and pulled away. He walked down the street and stopped, staring at Yeonjun for a moment. Soobin walked right past him.

"Is he okay?" Yeonjun caught up with him.

"Yes" Soobin nodded. Taehyun was okay, he would be and if he wasn't, Soobin would be there forever. 

"You should talk to him. He regrets what happened" Soobin pointed out. Yeonjun sighed.

"I don't know if I can, Soo" Yeonjun admitted. Soobin glared at him and shook his head. 

"Your so stubborn for no reason, Junnie" Soobin muttered, speeding up so that he left Yeonjun behind in the middle of the road. By the time Yeonjun got home, Soobin was locked up in his room and refused to come out. 

The next day, Soobin sat with Taehyun. After school, Soobin walked with Taehyun to his house and they spent the whole day there, just the two of them. 

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Yeonjun-15. 10th grade. HS
Soobin-14. 9th grade. MS
Beomgyu-13. 8th grade. MS
Taehyun-12. 7th grade. MS
Kai-12. 7th grade. MS