fake boyfriend • taegyu

13. nothing's wrong

early update as an apology <3

the next day at college, taehyun and beomgyu were pretty much back in the usual routine, surrounded by their friends. beomgyu seemed to have bounced back to his usual self, all teasing grins and sarcastic remarks. it was almost as if nothing had happened the night before. almost.

as they all sat together in the campus café, yeonjun couldn't help but notice the subtle, but unmistakable, tension in the air. taehyun was quieter than usual, his responses more measured, while beomgyu's laughter seemed just a bit too forced. 

somehow the others seemed completely oblivious to it, laughing along and talking.

maybe as a psychology major, yeonjun was more prone to picking up subtle changes which went unnoticed by others, but regardless he didn't make an open comment about it.

leaning closer to taehyun, yeonjun whispered, "what's going on with you two? you seem... off today."

taehyun stiffened slightly, glancing quickly at beomgyu, who was in the middle of making some playful jab at kai's expense. "nothing," taehyun whispered back, trying to sound nonchalant. "just... tired, i guess." he wasn't even surprised yeonjun had picked up on it so fast even thought they were pretty much acting how they do everyday.

before yeonjun could press further, beomgyu, who had slyly overheard what he said, suddenly wrapped an arm around taehyun's shoulders. "ah, don't worry, yeonjun hyung," beomgyu said with a grin that was a touch too wide. "taehyun's just not a morning person, right babe?"

taehyun, caught off guard by the sudden affection, gave a small, awkward nod. "uh, yeah," he muttered, feeling a mix of confusion and something else he couldn't quite place.

yeonjun raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying the explanation. "right," he said slowly, eyeing the two of them with suspicion. beomgyu wasn't wrong anyway.

determined to keep up the act, beomgyu leaned closer to taehyun, his tone playful yet somehow sincere. "you know, tae, you should smile more. it suits you," he said, poking taehyun's cheek gently.

taehyun forced a small smile, feeling the weight of beomgyu's arm around him. it felt strange, uncomfortable even, but he couldn't risk their friends seeing through the weird tension they created. "yeah hehe, i'll try," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper.

as the conversation continued around them, beomgyu kept up the act, making little affectionate gestures that felt almost mocking to taehyun. a hand on his arm here, a playful nudge there. each touch seemed to burn, a constant reminder of the confusing emotions swirling beneath the surface.

their friends seemed somewhat convinced, though yeonjun still watched them with a curious look in his eyes. but taehyun couldn't shake the feeling that the whole thing was spiraling out of control. every affectionate gesture felt like a lie, a painful reminder of the kiss they'd shared and the strange, unspoken feelings it had stirred.

he knew it had meant nothing and he was literally the one who had started this whole fake boyfriend ordeal, so he basically had no right to feel the way he was right now. atleast he thought so.

as they left the café, taehyun couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. beomgyu's touch lingered on his skin, a phantom sensation that refused to fade. he knew they had to keep up the act, but it felt like they were both playing a dangerous game. one where the line between real and pretend was becoming increasingly blurred.

beomgyu, sensing taehyun's unease, gave him a reassuring smile as they walked to their next class. "we're doing great," he whispered, just loud enough for taehyun to hear. "they totally bought it."