By The Window | YeonBin

thirty

As they stepped out of Yeonjun's house and into the cool night air, Soobin let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

"Damn, your mom is really on to us," he said, half-joking, a grin spreading across his face.

Yeonjun chuckled, shaking his head as they walked side by side down the quiet street. "Yeah, I don't know she's like that. It's kind of scary how much she can pick up on."

Soobin nudged Yeonjun playfully with his elbow. "Well, at least she's cool with it. I thought she was going to grill me."

Yeonjun smiled at that, feeling a bit lighter after the dinner with his mom. The fact that she had welcomed Soobin so warmly, even teasing them, was something that had put him at ease.

After a few minutes, they reached a nearby park, the one they had visited before, where they'd once sat on the swings together. But this time, Yeonjun led Soobin past the swings, toward a secluded bench near the edge of the park.

The bench faced a low-fence that overlooked the cityscape, the lights twinkling like stars in the distance.

They sat down, the soft rustle of leaves filling the silence between them. Soobin stretched out, glancing at Yeonjun, and noticed that his usual calm demeanor had shifted. Yeonjun's posture was slightly tense, his gaze fixed on the city below.

Sensing the change, Soobin furrowed his brows in concern. "Yeonjun, what's up? You seem... off."

Yeonjun didn't respond right away. He was staring out at the city, the lights blurring in his vision as his thoughts spiraled. The words he needed to say felt heavy, but he knew he had to get them out before his courage faltered. He turned to Soobin, meeting his eyes, and saw only care and concern reflected back at him.

Taking a deep breath, Yeonjun finally spoke, his voice steady but quiet. "I wanted to talk to you about something..."

"Okay, I'm listening."

Yeonjun gulped before starting. "It's hard for me to trust people," he said, trying his best not to be shaky.

"Even with Taehyun, it took years for me to open up to him. Back then... whenever I tried to open up to someone—especially my parents—it just made things worse. I'd get shut down, ignored, like my feelings didn't matter."

Soobin listened intently, his heart aching at the thought of Yeonjun having to carry so much pain for so long. But he stayed silent, sensing that Yeonjun needed to get everything out.

"But with you," Yeonjun continued, his eyes never leaving Soobin's, "it's different. I feel... safe with you. Comfortable. Like I can just say anything, feel anything."

Soobin wanted to say something, anything to reassure him, but before he could open his mouth, Yeonjun shook his head, a small, anxious smile playing on his lips. "Hold on, let me finish—before I lose the nerve." He let out a nervous laugh.

Soobin nodded, his chest tightening as he watched Yeonjun reach into the pocket of his hoodie. He pulled out a tiny pouch, his hands trembling slightly as he held it out to Soobin.

Soobin took the pouch, brows etched to each other. He opened the string that kept it closed and tilted the contents into his palm.

A small, silver ring slipped out, glinting faintly in the dim light. It was simple but beautiful, a crescent moon etched delicately into the metal.

Yeonjun, now visibly flustered, began to ramble, his words tumbling over each other. "I-It's not a proposal—or anything like that. I just saw it, and it reminded me of you. I thought you might like it, but I'm probably just being weird, and—"