Library | Soogyu

Chapter 18

It had been another exhausting day for the friends, dedicated to finalizing the setup of their new home. By the evening, they finally finished arranging everything. They decided to have a homemade dinner, with Taehyun and Bahiyyih taking charge of the cooking, while Beomgyu and Hueningkai handled the dishes.

During dinner, they discussed the division of household chores, ensuring everyone had a fair share of responsibilities. After sorting out the details, they bid each other goodnight and went to their respective rooms. The brother-sister duo took the rooms downstairs, while Beomgyu and Taehyun settled into the rooms upstairs.

After dinner, Beomgyu lay on his bed, holding the note close to his chest. He hadn't opened it yet, wanting to savor the moment for himself. A mix of emotions swirled inside him—fear that his friend might want to end their brief but meaningful connection, and curiosity about what was written inside. The anticipation was almost too much to bear, but for now, he just wanted to hold onto the possibility that their friendship still had a future.

Slowly, with his heart pounding in his throat, Beomgyu unfolded the note, his fingers trembling slightly as he began to read. Each word pulled him deeper into a sea of emotions. The note was brief, composed, but it resonated with a depth that stirred something profound within him. As he reached the end, a mix of relief and sorrow washed over him. It was clear that their friendship held a special place in his friend's heart, just as it did in his own.

But alongside that relief, guilt began to take root. His friend had apologized for breaking the first rule of their friendship—ghosting one another—yet it was Beomgyu who had truly done that by leaving the note abandoned for days. The weight of that realization pressed heavily on his chest, making him feel like he had let his friend down.

Even though his friend didn't express any anger or disappointment in the note, Beomgyu couldn't shake the feeling that it might just be a facade. After all, he had abandoned their connection for days—surely, his friend must be hurt or upset with him. But he couldn't just leave things as they were; he needed to find out for sure. Taking a deep breath, Beomgyu picked up his phone, clutching it tightly in his hand. After a moment of hesitation, he opened the dial pad and began entering the number his friend had left for him, his heart racing with a mix of fear and anticipation.

As he stared at the dial pad, Beomgyu realized he was at a loss for words. How could he introduce himself without revealing too much? He couldn't just type "Hi! I'm Beomgyu"—they had never even exchanged names. What should he say? "A friend from the library"? "A friend who used to write notes to you"? Each option felt awkward and insufficient. He bit his lip, struggling to find the right words. The anonymity that had once been a comfort now felt like a barrier. All he wanted was to reconnect, but how could he do that when he didn't even know how to begin?

After wrestling with his thoughts, Beomgyu decided to keep it simple. He typed a single word: "Hi." It felt both too little and too much at the same time, but it was all he could manage. With a deep breath, he sent the message, immediately locking his phone and tossing it onto the mattress as if it burned his hand. He sank his head into one of the pillows, muffling a frustrated scream. "What do I do?" he groaned into the fabric, feeling the weight of the uncertainty pressing down on him. The silence in his room only amplified his anxiety as he waited for a reply, unsure if one would even come.

And it did come. The familiar chime of a notification echoed through the quiet room, jolting Beomgyu from his restless state. It felt like hours had passed, though it was only minutes. He bolted upright, eyes scanning the disarray of his bed. The phone had slipped beneath the tangled sheets and pillows during his tossing and turning.

—

As Soobin lay in bed, his eyes remained open, staring at the ceiling. The warmth of Yeonjun's embrace should have been comforting, but tonight it did little to soothe the turmoil in his mind. The quiet room was filled only with the soft sounds of Yeonjun's steady breathing, but Soobin's thoughts were loud, echoing his worries about the mysterious friendship that had taken hold of his heart.