Mixed Up | Yeonbin

22. cracked

Soobin hadn't shown up again.

It was weird—like, at first, maybe no one thought much of it. He was busy, sure. But now it felt intentional. Everyone else noticed it too, especially Yeonjun, even if he wasn't saying anything.

They were all gathered at their usual spot, crammed into the booth at the campus café. Beomgyu, Hueningkai, and Taehyun were chatting about some dumb video Taehyun had shown them, but Yeonjun was out of it. His leg bounced under the table, fingers tapping against his knee as his mind drifted back to that damn club—Soobin and Hyunjin, close as hell.

And Yuna...

Yeonjun's eyes flicked to her. She was beside him, practically glued to his side, arm draped over his, and talking about something he couldn't care less about. All he could think of was the way she kissed him in the club, just as he caught her watching Soobin.

The kiss was so off, so... planned.

"Bro, you okay? You're vibing like you're at a funeral," Beomgyu piped up, his face half-mocking but curious. He popped a fry into his mouth, chewing noisily.

Yeonjun blinked, pulling himself back to the present. "Huh? Yeah, I'm good." The lie slipped out so easily, but no one was buying it.

Taehyun, ever the observant one, raised a brow. "You don't seem 'good.' You've been snapping at people all day."

"Yeah, like that poor barista earlier. What did she ever do to you, man?" Hueningkai added with a grin, though his tone was softer, more concerned.

Yeonjun scowled. "I just... I don't know. She was slow as hell."

Beomgyu snorted, kicking Yeonjun under the table. "Dude, she was literally there for 20 seconds. Chill. You're acting like you're on edge or something."

Yeonjun rolled his eyes, sinking back into the booth. "I'm just tired, okay? Drop it."

The table went quiet for a moment, awkwardly so. Everyone shared looks, unsure whether to push him further. But then, because Beomgyu didn't have an off switch, he spoke up again. "You're not, like... fighting with Yuna or something, are you?"

At this, Yuna, who had been scrolling on her phone, looked up, eyebrows slightly furrowed. "No? Why would we be fighting?" She nudged Yeonjun, giving him a soft smile, but he couldn't even force one back.

"Yeah," Yeonjun muttered, "no fighting."

But the vibe was off—anyone could see that.

"Uh-huh," Beomgyu teased, shooting a look at Taehyun. "Sure. Totally believable."

Yuna tried to laugh, though it came out strained. "He's just stressed with school, right, Junnie?" Her voice was sugary, fingers tracing lazy circles on his arm. Yeonjun hated how forced it felt.

"Yeah. School," Yeonjun muttered, though even as he said it, his mind was on something else. He wasn't paying attention to what Yuna was saying, not when her phone had buzzed earlier and she'd quickly turned it over. Not when his brain kept screaming at him that something didn't add up with her story.

Hueningkai interrupted the awkward silence, leaning over with a mischievous grin. "Y'all acting like an old married couple. It's weird, man. Maybe you need a break or a wild night out to loosen up."

"I'll drink to that," Beomgyu said, raising an imaginary glass before laughing at his own joke.

But Yeonjun wasn't in the mood. "Whatever."

He stared out the window of the café instead, his eyes catching on the courtyard outside. His stomach twisted when he saw Soobin—he was sitting on a bench, a cigarette between his fingers. That was his third or fourth one today.

What was he doing out there for so long?

The table kept talking around him, but all Yeonjun could focus on was Soobin now and the questions swirling in his head. Did Soobin really tell the truth about Yuna?

"Earth to Yeonjun," Taehyun's voice cut through, snapping him back to the moment. "You're really zoning out today."

Yeonjun just shrugged. "Yeah, sorry. Got a lot going on."

Beomgyu, always one to press further, leaned in, his voice dropping as he joked, "Or maybe you've got something on your mind... or someone."

That earned him a glare from Yeonjun, but Beomgyu only smirked in response. "You know, you're being real quiet about Soobin lately. You two good?"

Yuna stiffened next to him, her eyes flicking quickly between Yeonjun and Beomgyu.

Yeonjun opened his mouth to say something—anything—but the words caught in his throat.

Fuck... I miss him.

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a.n.

Yeonjun's a bitch:( sorry Jun 😭