By The Window | YeonBin

nineteen

The soft hum of the morning was a familiar comfort as Yeonjun descended the stairs, his bag slung over one shoulder. The house was unusually quiet, save for the faint clink of dishes coming from the kitchen. He didn't think much of it, assuming his mom had already left for work.

But when he rounded the corner, he stopped short. His mom stood at the counter, carefully wrapping something in foil. She looked up, startled by his sudden appearance.

"Yeonjun," she said, her voice softer than usual. "Good morning."

He blinked, unsure of what to say. It had been a while since they'd even exchanged pleasantries in the morning, much less sat down for breakfast together. "Uh, morning," he muttered, adjusting his bag on his shoulder.

She hesitated for a moment, as if weighing her next words, before holding out the neatly wrapped package. "I made something for you to take to school. You usually skip breakfast... I thought you might like it."

Yeonjun's eyes flicked from the package to his mother's face. There was an awkwardness in her posture, but also a hint of sincerity that caught him off guard. He took the food hesitantly, the foil cool against his fingers. "Thanks," he said quietly.

Her lips quirked into a small, uncertain smile. "It's no problem. I just... I wanted to make sure you're eating."

For a moment, they stood in the awkward silence that had become so familiar. But today, it felt a little different—less like some tension and more like a cautious truce.

Yeonjun left the house with the foil-wrapped package still in his hand, the warmth from the food seeping through. His mom's words lingered in his mind, replaying as he made his way down the familiar streets. She hadn't done something like this in years—maybe ever.

I just wanted to make sure you're eating.

It was a small gesture, but somehow, it weighed heavily on him. He couldn't tell if it made him feel better or worse. Maybe both. For so long, his mom had been a shadow in his life, present but absent at the same time. This sudden shift left him feeling off balance, like he didn't know how to react. Should he be grateful? Suspicious? Hopeful?

As he crossed the street, still lost in thought, he felt the presence of someone catching up beside him. He turned his head just in time to see Soobin jog to his side, a bright grin lighting up his face.

"Morning!" Soobin chirped, slightly out of breath but unfazed. "I was wondering if I'd catch you in time."

Yeonjun blinked, his train of thought coming to an abrupt halt. "O-Oh, hey." Yeonjun just looked at the boy, a little confused why he took this route, because Soobin's house is not until three blocks away.

Soobin who somehow caught on what Yeonjun was thinking just shrugged, walking in step with him. "Figured we could walk together. You don't mind, do you?"

"Uh, no," Yeonjun said, shaking his head. "It's fine."

They walked in comfortable silence for a few moments, the light breeze rustling their hair. But as Soobin chattered about something from class, Yeonjun's mind started to wander again, this time to a very different conversation. Taehyun's voice echoed in his head, teasing and playful.

"I approve if you date him."

The thought hit him like a stray breeze, and he had to stop himself from laughing out loud. He glanced at Soobin, who was completely oblivious to the internal monologue running through Yeonjun's head, happily talking about some project they had to work on.

Dating Soobin? The idea was... ridiculous. Right? Sure, Soobin was a constant presence in his life now, someone who made him feel seen, but it wasn't like that. Was it?

Yeonjun shook his head slightly, brushing the thought away before it could linger too long. He wasn't going to let Taehyun get into his head like that. Not today.

"Everything okay?" Soobin asked, glancing at him curiously.

Yeonjun blinked, realizing he had been quiet for a bit too long. "Yeah, just... thinking about something."

Soobin grinned, nudging him playfully. "Well, don't think too hard. It's too early for that."

Yeonjun chuckled, grateful for the distraction as they continued walking together toward school.

As they walked, Soobin kept stealing glances at Yeonjun from the corner of his eye. The morning light played off Yeonjun's hair, making the warm brown strands glow under the sun, catching the slight breeze.

He always noticed little things like that about Yeonjun—the way his bangs would shift or how his expression changed when he was deep in thought.

Soobin wasn't sure when he'd started paying so much attention, but now, he couldn't help it. At first, it was just curiosity. Yeonjun had always been this quiet, distant figure at school, and Soobin had been drawn to him in a way he couldn't explain. There was something about Yeonjun that made him want to know more—want to get closer.

But now... now it was more than curiosity. It was a quiet concern that tugged at him every time he saw that look in Yeonjun's eyes, the one that made it seem like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Soobin had never expected to care this much. He hadn't planned for it, hadn't even wanted it at first. Yet here he was, wanting nothing more than to make Yeonjun's life a little lighter.

Soobin glanced at Yeonjun again, wondering what he was thinking about now. His expression was unreadable, but there was something softer about it this morning, like the edges of whatever storm he was always caught in had finally started to fray.

He looks more at peace, Soobin thought, smiling to himself. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but he liked to believe that spending time together had something to do with that.

Soobin wasn't paying attention to where they were going, too caught up in his own thoughts, when he realized Yeonjun had turned his head slightly, his eyes narrowing.

"You good?" Yeonjun asked, his voice calm but curious. "You've been staring."

Soobin froze, his heart skipping a beat. "What? I—I wasn't staring," he stammered, immediately feeling his face heat up. "I mean, I was, but not like... like that."

Yeonjun raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by Soobin's flustered state. "Okay... so what was it then?"

"I was just... thinking," Soobin muttered, trying to recover but feeling like he was sinking deeper. His hands fidgeted in his pockets as he quickly glanced away, focusing on anything but Yeonjun's face. "You just looked... different today."

Yeonjun blinked, his expression shifting slightly. "Different how?"

Soobin felt like he was digging himself into a hole he couldn't climb out of. "I don't know. You just seem... better, I guess. Happier."

Yeonjun's face softened, and for a moment, neither of them said anything. Soobin could feel the awkward tension hanging in the air and tried to force a laugh to break it.

"Anyway, don't mind me," Soobin said quickly. "I'm just being weird."

Yeonjun shook his head, his lips quirking into a small smile. "You're always weird," he teased, but there was no bite in his tone. If anything, he seemed amused by Soobin's sudden awkwardness.

As they continued walking, Soobin's heart was still racing from the embarrassment of being caught. He had no idea why he felt so flustered. It wasn't like he hadn't teased Yeonjun before, but this felt different—like he'd accidentally let something slip that he hadn't even figured out himself.

____________

a.n.

Maaannnn. To have someone look at you the way they look at each other!? WHEN?!