By The Window | YeonBin

four

Yeonjun walked into class with heavy footsteps. His hair was hidden beneath the hood of his jacket, music blasting through his earbuds in a vain attempt to keep himself awake.

"Shit—did a truck hit you last night?" Taehyun couldn't help but stare as Yeonjun slumped into his seat.

Yeonjun, hearing Taehyun faintly through the music, shot him a tired glare. "Couldn't sleep."

Taehyun's concern deepened. "Are they... fighting again?" His voice dropped to a whisper as he mentioned the last part.

Yeonjun took one of his earbuds out, glancing over at Taehyun. He shook his head lightly. "Surprisingly, no." He sank further into his chair, letting the weight of exhaustion pulling him down.

"Then? Anything you'd wanna tell me?" Taehyun leaned in, his worry for his best friend evident in his eyes.

Yeonjun's gaze flicked to the other side of the classroom.

He's not here yet.

He furrowed his brow, turning his focus back to his hands. "It's nothing," he mumbled, his tone distant.

Taehyun knew better than to pry when Yeonjun wasn't ready to talk. He simply patted Yeonjun's shoulder. "You can tell me anytime you're ready, alright?"

Yeonjun looked at Taehyun, trying to muster a smile. It was faint, barely there, but it was an attempt.

"Just... promise me you won't bottle it up." Taehyun's voice was gentle but firm as he stared at Yeonjun intently.

Yeonjun nodded, appreciating Taehyun's concern, but before he could say anything more, the teacher walked in, and the class settled into its usual rhythm. However, Yeonjun's thoughts were elsewhere.

As the morning passed, Yeonjun found himself glancing at the door every time it opened. But each time, it was never Soobin.

The first time, he shrugged it off. Maybe Soobin was just late. But as the hours ticked by, and the seat next to the window remained empty, Yeonjun grew uneasy.

By lunch, he was staring at the empty chair, the absence of Soobin gnawing at him in a way he himself didn't quite understand.

"He's probably fine," he muttered to himself, trying to shake off the worry that had settled in his chest.

But the rest of the day dragged on, and still, Soobin never showed up.

Yeonjun's mind raced with possibilities. Had Soobin gotten tired of him after last night? Was he avoiding him now? Or... was something else wrong?

The day dragged on, and by the time Yeonjun got home, he was even more exhausted. His parents were arguing again, their voices echoing through the walls. He tried to drown out the noise with his music, but it did little to no help, maybe because it's also emphasized by his mind overthinking about the other boy.

Night fell, and just like what he has been doing for these past few days, Yeonjun found himself staring at his window, waiting. The familiar knock he had grown accustomed to over the past few nights didn't come.

Minutes passed, then an hour.

What's going on?

He couldn't help but feel uneasy. He doesn't even know why. Soobin is not even his friend.... yet.

The longer the silence stretched, the more worried Yeonjun became.

Yeonjun sighed as he stood near his window. He was about to close his curtains when something caught his eye—a faint figure in the backyard.

Soobin.

But something was off. He wasn't at the window; he was standing in the backyard, barely visible in the dim light. And... was he on crutches?

Yeonjun's heart skipped a beat. He felt a wave of worry crash over him, but he quickly pushed it down, not wanting to show how much he cared.

Why didn't he say anything— wait. Am I dumb? Who am I for him to report to?

Without making a sound, Yeonjun grabbed his hoodie and quietly opened his bedroom door. His parents were still yelling at each other, too distracted to notice him as he slipped down the stairs and out the back door.

When he reached Soobin, he could see the strain on his face. The usual bright, mischievous glint in Soobin's eyes was gone, replaced by a tiredness that matched Yeonjun's own.

"What happened?" Yeonjun asked, his voice low as he tried to keep the concern out of it.

Soobin tried to smile as wide as he usually does. "Just a little accident after practice. Nothing serious."

Yeonjun didn't believe him, but he didn't press. Instead, he just nodded. "Let's get out of here." He grabbed Soobin's arm gently, guiding him to walk out of his backyard.

Soobin looked surprised but didn't argue. Yeonjun led the way, making sure to keep to the shadows as they left his house, avoiding any attention. The two of them walked slowly, the only sound the quiet crunch of gravel under their feet.

As they wandered through the neighborhood, the tension between them started to ease. The cool night air, the quiet streets—it all felt strangely comforting. They ended up at a small park, where an old set of swings stood quietly in the moonlight.

Yeonjun motioned for Soobin to sit, and they both took seats on the swings, the rusty chains creaking slightly with their weight.

"So, um..." Soobin began, looking down at his bandaged leg. "Thanks again for the bread. It made my day, honestly."

Yeonjun shrugged again, kicking the dirt with the tip of his shoe. "It's nothing."

They sat in silence for a while, just gently swaying back and forth. The night was calm, and for a moment, it felt like all the chaos and noise of their lives had been left behind. It was just them, sitting together in the quiet of the night.

Soobin stole a glance at the other boy, deciding on whether to ask Yeonjun out of curiosity or just to mind his own business.

But, the silence has Soobin in a chokehold, so he decided to speak anyway. "So... is it always like that...? at your house?" Soobin asked carefully, his tone soft, as if he was afraid of pushing too far.

Yeonjun stiffened slightly, his grip tightening on the chains of the swing. He didn't answer right away, his gaze fixed on the ground.

After a long pause, he finally spoke. "Yeah. Pretty much."

Soobin nodded, not saying anything more. He could sense that Yeonjun didn't want to talk about it, so he didn't push.

Instead, they just sat there, side by side on the swings, both lost in their own thoughts. The night stretched on around them, the stars twinkling faintly overhead as Yeonjun stole glances at the cheerful boy who's trying his best to get close to him.

Should I...?

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a.n.

If you haven't clocked on, it's gonna be a slowburn guys 😔🙏 I love to torture myself, and you(?) lmaaoo. As much as I want to just make them kiss and make Yeonjun happy, but hey, where's the challenge in that 🤡