After Midnight [Yeonbin]

12.✨️𝐷𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚✨️

Saturday arrived, and Soobin could barely contain his excitement. Yeonjun had texted him the night before, confirming their plans to hang out, and it felt like a milestone. They had spent time together at school, and had those intense conversations about their dreams, but this was different. It was just the two of them, outside of their usual routine, with no distractions.

Soobin had spent more time than he wanted to admit choosing what to wear. It wasn’t like he was trying to impress Yeonjun, well, maybe a little, but he wanted to feel comfortable and confident. After finally settling on a casual hoodie and jeans, he grabbed his phone and headed out to meet Yeonjun.

They had agreed to meet at a park near Yeonjun’s house. It was a popular spot, with wide-open spaces, trees lining the pathways, and a small café where they could grab a drink. When Soobin arrived, Yeonjun was already there, sitting on a bench with his phone in his hand, looking relaxed but serious as usual.

“Hey,” Soobin called out as he approached.

Yeonjun looked up, and a smile flickered across his face. “Hey, Soobin.”

The casual greeting, coupled with the warmth in Yeonjun’s eyes, set Soobin’s nerves at ease. They had shared so many intense moments lately, but this was the first time they were just hanging out like normal friends or something more.

“You’ve been here long?” Soobin asked, sitting down next to Yeonjun.

“Nah, just a few minutes,” Yeonjun replied, putting his phone away. “I’m usually early.”

Soobin nodded, trying to hide the flutter of excitement in his chest. There was a comfort in Yeonjun’s presence that he couldn’t quite explain, even though they were still figuring things out between them.

“So, what do you feel like doing?” Soobin asked, glancing around the park. “We could walk around, grab something from the café?”

Yeonjun leaned back on the bench, his eyes drifting to the sky. “Let’s walk for a bit.”

They started walking along the winding paths of the park, the late morning sun casting a gentle warmth over everything. The conversation flowed easily, much like it had during their walks home from school, but there was something different about today. Soobin could sense it, an underlying tension, not the bad kind, but the kind that comes when something important is about to happen.

After a while, they found themselves at a quieter part of the park, near a small pond with benches scattered around. The water reflected the sky above, and it was a peaceful, almost serene spot.

“This place is nice,” Soobin said, taking in the view.

Yeonjun nodded, but his focus wasn’t on the pond. He seemed lost in thought, his expression unreadable. Soobin watched him, unsure of what was going through his mind, but sensing that this moment was important to Yeonjun.

“Soobin,” Yeonjun said after a moment of silence, his voice low but steady. “I’ve been thinking a lot about… us.”

Soobin’s heart skipped a beat. He hadn’t expected Yeonjun to bring it up so directly, but here it was, the moment he had been waiting for. “Yeah?”

Yeonjun turned to look at him, his gaze intense but not unkind. “I know we’ve been getting closer, and I don’t want to ignore what’s been happening between us. I don’t know if it’s because of the dreams, or if it’s just us, but… I feel something. And I think you do too.”

Soobin swallowed hard, his heart pounding in his chest. He had been waiting for Yeonjun to open up like this, but now that it was happening, he didn’t know what to say. Of course, he felt something—he had felt it for a long time. But hearing Yeonjun admit it out loud was both thrilling and terrifying.

“I do,” Soobin said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. “I feel it too.”

Yeonjun’s eyes softened, and for the first time, Soobin saw a vulnerability in him that had been hidden beneath his usual calm exterior. “I’m not good at this kind of thing. I don’t usually let people in like this. But with you… it’s different. You make me want to try.”

Soobin’s chest tightened at the admission. Hearing Yeonjun open up like this felt like a huge step forward, and it made Soobin realize just how much Yeonjun had been holding back. The distance Yeonjun had kept from others wasn’t because he didn’t care, it was because he was afraid of getting too close.

“I’m glad you’re trying,” Soobin said, his voice filled with warmth. “I want to be close to you, Yeonjun. Not just because of the dreams, but because of who you are. The real you.”

Yeonjun looked at him, a flicker of something like relief in his eyes. “You’ve been seeing the real me all along. I just haven’t shown it to anyone else.”

The weight of Yeonjun’s words hung in the air between them, thick with emotion. Soobin’s heart swelled with affection for the boy standing in front of him. He wanted nothing more than to reassure Yeonjun that whatever happened, they would figure it out together.

Before he could say anything else, Yeonjun took a step closer to him. There was a nervousness in his movements, as if he wasn’t sure if this was the right time or place, but Soobin could feel the shift in the air. His heart raced as Yeonjun reached out, his hand brushing against Soobin’s.

It was a small gesture, but it was enough to send a jolt of electricity through Soobin’s entire body. He looked up at Yeonjun, his breath catching in his throat as their eyes met.

“Is this okay?” Yeonjun asked, his voice barely above a whisper, his fingers gently intertwining with Soobin’s.

Soobin’s heart was pounding so loudly he was sure Yeonjun could hear it. But instead of feeling anxious or scared, all he felt was a sense of calm. Like this was exactly where he was supposed to be.

“It’s more than okay,” Soobin whispered back, his fingers squeezing Yeonjun’s hand.

For a moment, they just stood there, holding hands in the quiet corner of the park, the world around them fading into the background. Soobin couldn’t believe this was happening - Yeonjun, the boy he had dreamt about for so long, was standing here, holding his hand, and it felt more real than anything else.

Yeonjun smiled, a small, genuine smile that made Soobin’s heart flutter. “I don’t know where this is going, but… I want to see where it leads.”

Soobin nodded, his own smile breaking across his face. “Me too.”

And in that moment, under the warm glow of the late morning sun, Soobin knew that whatever happened next, they would figure it out together.