Mixed Up | Yeonbin

33. oblivious

Ever since his salon appointment, Yeonjun couldn't stop overanalyzing everything Soobin did. Hyunjin's words replayed in his head on a loop, and now, every time Soobin interacted with someone, especially Hueningkai, Yeonjun found himself suspiciously watching.

Hueningkai and Soobin talked a lot these days. Maybe more than usual? Or was Yeonjun just noticing now because he was obsessively looking for signs?

He'd convinced himself of one thing—Soobin liked Kai. It made sense.

They were close, always sharing inside jokes, and Soobin always laughed extra hard at whatever Kai said. Plus, Kai had that cute, innocent thing going on. It just fit.

And while Yeonjun was busy playing detective, he barely noticed how Soobin was acting towards him, even before he knew about the crush thing.

Every morning, like clockwork, Soobin would hand him an iced Americano—his favorite. He'd even gotten Yeonjun his own tumbler a few weeks ago, something he used every single day. But that was just Soobin being a good friend, right? Nothing more.

Yeonjun, preoccupied, didn't even see how Soobin's eyes lit up the moment he walked into the room with his freshly dyed orange hair. The rest of the group definitely did though.

"Yo, new hair?" Taehyun smirked from across the couch, leaning over to get a closer look. "You look like... a whole ass fox, dude."

"I mean, he always did," Beomgyu added, eyeing him playfully. "But now it's, like, confirmed."

"Stop it," Yeonjun rolled his eyes, as bold as he is, he is still not completely used to the attention yet. He absentmindedly ran his hand through his newly dyed strands, wondering if it really did make him look that different.

Soobin, who had been quietly sipping his drink, was the last to speak up. When Yeonjun finally glanced over, he caught the way Soobin's gaze lingered on him, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Honestly," Soobin mumbled, almost shyly, "I think it suits you. A lot."

Yeonjun didn't know why, but something in Soobin's tone made his heart skip. And for a second, his brain short-circuited.

"Umm— uhh?" Yeonjun blinked, momentarily forgetting how to react. Soobin had complimented him plenty of times before, but for some reason, this felt... different. He quickly shook the feeling off.

You're overthinking again, he told himself. "Thanks, I guess," Yeonjun said, scratching the back of his neck.

And while the group went back to chatting, Yeonjun's eyes drifted over to Soobin. He watched the way Soobin interacted with the others, laughing, his usual soft-spoken demeanor shining through.

But it was Hueningkai he seemed closest to. Always sitting together, chatting away like they had their own secret language.

It has to be Kai, Yeonjun thought, biting his lip. There's no way it's anyone else.

But what Yeonjun didn't realize was how Soobin looked at him when he wasn't paying attention, how the quiet glances lingered just a second too long.

As they sat in the lounge, the conversation somehow shifted to hair dye disasters. Beomgyu was mid-story about the time he accidentally bleached his eyebrows off (something no one would let him live down), and Yeonjun found himself half-listening, his mind still buzzing with theories.

He wasn't even fully focused until Taehyun, leaning over, nudged him.

"Dude, why are you staring at Soobin like that?"

Yeonjun blinked, snapping back to reality, cheeks burning. "Huh? I wasn't—what? No, I wasn't."

"You kinda were," Hueningkai added, his wide eyes blinking at Yeonjun innocently.

"No, no, I wasn't," Yeonjun stammered, trying to brush it off. But the heat in his cheeks betrayed him.

Beomgyu, ever the instigator, raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Okay, whatever you say, Fox Boy."

Yeonjun glared at him, more flustered than he wanted to admit. He felt a sharp kick under the table and knew exactly who it was.

"Cut it out, Gyu."

Beomgyu just grinned, knowing he'd gotten under Yeonjun's skin.

As the group continued their teasing, Soobin shot Yeonjun a glance, his expression a mix of amusement and curiosity. It was subtle, but Yeonjun caught it. And for some reason, that tiny moment made his heart race all over again.

Shut up, heart, not the time!

_______________

a.n.

Oblivious fox boy 💀

Sorry for slow updates y'all... the new sem has been tough 🙃