By The Window | YeonBin

eighteen

Yeonjun stretched his legs as he leaned against the railing by the Han River, the warm breeze ruffling his hair. The air was thick with the scent of summer—a mix of river water and freshly blooming flowers.

In his hand, an ice cream cone dripped slowly, forgotten for a moment as he looked out over the water, a sense of peace washing over him.

Next to him, Taehyun took a long, satisfied lick of his own ice cream, eyes scanning the riverbanks. "I can't remember the last time you asked to hang out," he started, breaking the silence.

"Yeah... sorry about that." Yeonjun looked down, still feeling the guilt after distancing himself from his best friend.

"Hey— no— that's not what I meant, Yeonjun." Taehyun was a bit panicked when he saw his friend dropped his head. "Anyways, I'm sure we're not here to only see couples around the park and judge them for their PDAs right?"

Yeonjun laughed softly, shrugging. "I don't know. I guess I just needed to get out for a bit. Clear my head." He took a bite of his ice cream and sighed. "It's been... a lot."

Taehyun nodded, not pressing further yet. They walked in comfortable silence for a while, the sound of the river and the occasional jogger filling the quiet. It wasn't until they'd settled onto a bench that Yeonjun started to talk, telling Taehyun about everything that had went down.

Taehyun listened carefully, nodding along as Yeonjun recounted the past couple of weeks. From the situation at home, his brief interaction with the new crowd that made Taehyun slapped Yeonjun's head a couple of times, cursing him for not being able to see that it was a bad idea, to standing up to his father, and even the quiet nights where he found some comfort in Soobin's presence. Yeonjun talked, and Taehyun listened, like he always did.

It wasn't until the third or fourth time Soobin's name slipped into the conversation that Taehyun's lips quirked into a small grin. "Soobin, huh?" he said, raising an eyebrow teasingly. "You've been talking about him a lot lately."

Yeonjun paused mid-lick, looking a little caught off guard. "What?" he asked, blinking. "No, I haven't."

Taehyun laughed, shaking his head. "Yes, you have. I think you've mentioned him more in the last five minutes than anyone else. What, did he save you from a burning building or something?"

Yeonjun felt his ears heat up, and he quickly tried to backtrack. "It's not like that. I mean, we've been... talking more, I guess. That's all."

"Uh-huh." Taehyun's smile was sly, clearly enjoying himself. "He's a good guy, you know. Loud sometimes, yeah, and he looks like a delinquent half the time—" He broke off, laughing when Yeonjun shot him a look. "But seriously, he cares. I can tell he's been looking out for you."

Yeonjun hesitated, thinking about what Taehyun had said. He had noticed the way Soobin always seemed to be there lately, offering support even when Yeonjun didn't ask for it— not that he ever seek for any.

And, if he was being honest with himself, it had felt nice. He didn't really know what to make of that yet.

"I guess..." Yeonjun started slowly, "he's not so bad."

"Not so bad?" Taehyun snorted, nudging Yeonjun with his elbow. "That's an understatement. You're practically glowing whenever you talk about him."

Yeonjun opened his mouth to argue but was cut off by Taehyun's teasing grin. "Hey, I'm just saying," Taehyun added, feigning innocence. "I approve if you date him."

Yeonjun's face flushed a deep red as he sputtered, "What— no, that's not— what are you even talking about?"

Taehyun just laughed harder, the sound light and carefree. "Relax, Yeonjun. I'm just messing with you." He stood up, stretching his arms above his head before giving Yeonjun a pointed look. "But seriously, if you like him, don't overthink it. Soobin's a good guy."

Yeonjun couldn't help but roll his eyes, but a small smile tugged at his lips despite himself. He wasn't sure what he felt about Soobin yet, but Taehyun's words stuck with him, echoing in the back of his mind as they continued their walk along the river.

____________

a.n.

I live in a tropical country, it has been hella hot these days— there is this strawberry yogurt soft serve they used to sell in one of the convenience store near my apartment. But, it's a seasonal flavor?! Like wdym?! Anyway, miss that flavor, hope it makes a  comeback 😔🤚