Almost blind | Haobin

21| snow bunny |21

"How are you doing?" The words left Hao's lips in a rush, breathless and urgent. He didn't even realize he had reached across the table until his hands found Taerae's, grasping them tightly, as if afraid he'd disappear. Warm. Taerae's hands were warm, solid, real. Something in Hao's chest loosened at the confirmation.

It had been too long.

Too many days of worrying, of wondering if Taerae was eating well, if he was sleeping enough.. Seeing him now-pale but still smiling-sent a wave of relief crashing over him.

"I'm just feeling lonely," Taerae admitted softly, fingers curling around Hao's as though trying to anchor himself. "But it's not as bad as I thought."

Hao exhaled slowly.

God, he hated this. The quiet ache in Taerae's voice, the emptiness in his words. He should be here more. He should be the one keeping Taerae company, not just showing up after days of absence, selfishly seeking reassurance that his friend was still the same.

"That's good," he murmured, squeezing his hands, as if that could somehow take the loneliness away.

It had already been a few weeks since Hao left the mental hospital, leaving Taerae behind in that cold, suffocating place-alone, trapped among indifferent doctors and unsettling patients. The guilt gnawed at him like a parasite burrowing into his chest. He should have done something. He should have fought harder. But what could he have possibly done?

The weight of unspoken words pressed against his lungs as he opened his mouth, ready to take a deep breath and finally say something-anything.

But before he could, Taerae spoke first, slicing through the moment like a knife, stealing the words straight from his tongue: "Stop talking about me. Who is this guy? Huh?"

Taerae's attention snapped away from Hao, his sharp gaze landing on the figure sitting silently beside him. The way his eyes narrowed, scanning, assessing-it was like he was trying to solve a puzzle that had just been dropped in front of him.

Hao gasped, realizing he wasn't here completely alone. He felt like an idiot now that he had forgotten to introduce them. "This is Yujin," he said quickly, nodding toward him.

Yujin, ever composed, merely inclined his head, offering a polite smile. But there was something unreadable in his expression, something that made Hao's stomach flip.

Taerae, however, didn't need more than a second to connect the dots.

His eyes widened in realization, and then-his grip on Hao's hands tightened again, almost crushing this time. "That Yujin?"

Oh no.

Hao felt heat crawl up his neck. He knew exactly what Taerae was thinking.

That one conversation. The one where he had gushed-just a little-about the boy he met at the gallery, about how their conversation had felt so easy, so natural. Taerae had teased him endlessly for it back then. And now, here Yujin was, sitting beside him. Hao sighed. There was no way out of this. This will be embarrassing.

"Yeah," Hao admitted, avoiding Taerae's knowing gaze. Yujin, who had been sitting quietly, could now easily tell that he wasn't the only one who had talked about him to his parents-Hao had mentioned Yujin to Taerae as well.

Taerae's grin stretched across his face like a cat who had just cornered a helpless mouse, eyes gleaming with mischief. He leaned in slightly, voice laced with uncontainable excitement, as if he had just stumbled upon the juiciest piece of gossip in the entire universe.

"No way!" he gasped, his words tumbling out like a waterfall, fueled by pure exhilaration. His eyes darted between them, searching for any sign of confirmation. Then, with a dramatic flick of his hand, he added, "Are you guys close? Like, you know-kissing and blah blah?" His tone was dripping with curiosity, like a child prying open a long-forgotten treasure chest, eager to uncover its deepest secrets.