Mixed Up | Yeonbin

13. courtyard bench

Soobin was getting pretty good at pretending everything was normal between him and Yeonjun. Maybe it was because finals were creeping up, and honestly, they had bigger things to worry about.

The gang had been hanging out more, but not for parties this time—just study sessions that lasted way too long.

After one of those long sessions, everyone started packing up to head back. Soobin, feeling like he needed some air, decided not to head straight to his room.

"I'm gonna go out for a bit," Soobin said, trying to keep it casual.

Yeonjun looked up, curious. "Where to?" But just as Soobin was about to answer, Yeonjun's phone rang. He checked the screen, and Soobin saw the name—Yuna.

Soobin's mood soured a bit. He hadn't really thought about her much lately, but seeing her name just reminded him of all the stuff he'd been trying to push to the back of his mind.

Yeonjun hesitated before picking up the call, his expression kind of unreadable.

"Give me a sec," Yeonjun said before stepping away to talk.

Soobin just nodded, kind of relieved but also annoyed. He walked off towards the courtyard, this chill spot outside the dorms where people sometimes hung out.

The night air was cool, which felt nice on his skin after being cooped up inside.

He found a bench and sat down, pulling out a cigarette. He lit it, watching the smoke curl up into the night air, trying not to think about Yeonjun and Yuna, but failing miserably.

The familiar burn in his throat felt like a faint distraction, a small escape from the thoughts swirling in his head.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice when someone approached him.

"Didn't know you smoked," came Yeonjun's voice, cutting through the haze.

Soobin nearly jumped out of his skin, snapping his head towards Yeonjun. "Oh—uh, yeah, I don't, really. Just every now and then," he muttered, a bit embarrassed.

He hadn't expected Yeonjun to come after him, especially not when Yuna had called. "I thought you'd go meet up with Yuna."

Yeonjun shook his head, a hint of something unreadable flashing across his face. "Nah, she just wanted to check in," he said, sitting down next to Soobin on the bench.

Yeonjun awkwardly ran a hand through his hair. "She's been... something," he started, sounding like he was trying to explain. "She's great, but sometimes... I don't know, it's difficult. Maybe that's just part of being in a relationship."

Soobin didn't know what to say to that. He just nodded, feeling a weird mix of emotions he couldn't quite pin down.

Yeonjun sighed and shook his head. "But whatever, I don't really wanna talk about that. I'd rather just hang with you—it's been a while since we've had time, just the two of us."

Soobin blinked in surprise, watching as Yeonjun settled beside him. He didn't know what to say, so he just took another drag from his cigarette, exhaling slowly.

He noticed how Yeonjun was trying not to cough from the smoke, trying to act like it didn't bother him. Feeling a bit guilty, Soobin stubbed out his cigarette.

"Sorry," he muttered.

"Nah, it's cool," Yeonjun said, waving it off. "I'm just glad we're hanging out again."

Soobin watched as Yeonjun's usual bright smile softened into something more genuine. "You know, I've missed this," Yeonjun added, glancing at Soobin with a warmth that tugged at his heart. "Just us chilling, no stress, no drama. It feels... right, you know?"

Soobin felt his breath catch in his throat. The way Yeonjun was looking at him—like he was really seeing him, appreciating him—made Soobin's heart skip a beat.

It was different from how Yeonjun looked at anyone else, different from how he looked at Yuna.

Without thinking, Soobin blurted out, "I've missed this too."

Yeonjun's smile grew, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "We should do this more often. Just you and me, like old times."

Soobin couldn't tear his eyes away from Yeonjun. There was something about the way Yeonjun said it, so casual yet sincere, that made Soobin's chest feel heavy with emotions he didn't fully understand.

In that moment, something clicked in Soobin's mind. It wasn't just the words, or the way Yeonjun was looking at him—it was everything.

Soobin realized that he didn't just like Yeonjun as a friend. He liked him—liked him liked him, more than he had ever liked anyone before.

You are screwed, Soobin.