Mixed Up | Yeonbin

38. breaking point

Yeonjun was avoiding him. Again.

Soobin noticed it immediately—how Yeonjun suddenly had somewhere else to be whenever they were alone, how he barely made eye contact anymore, how his usual playful teasing had been replaced with stiff, awkward small talk.

It was pissing Soobin off.

For weeks now, they had been dancing around whatever this was. Whatever it had been since that damn night. Yeonjun had trapped him against the door, eyes burning into him like he wanted to devour him whole, but then—nothing. And now? Now he was running.

Soobin had enough.

When Yeonjun tried to slip past him in the dorm hallway, Soobin caught his wrist. "Hey."

Yeonjun stiffened but didn't turn around. "What?"

"You tell me." Soobin's voice was sharper than he intended, but he didn't care. "Are you gonna keep acting weird, or are we actually gonna talk about it?"

Yeonjun let out a humorless laugh. "There's nothing to talk about."

"Oh, bullshit." Soobin yanked him back, forcing Yeonjun to face him. "You've been acting like I have the fucking plague. What's your deal?"

Yeonjun scoffed. "My deal? What about you? You're the one always getting close, acting like—" He cut himself off, shaking his head.

Soobin narrowed his eyes. "Like what?"

"Forget it."

"No. Say it."

Yeonjun gritted his teeth. "You act like you want something from me, but you never say it. You just—you just look at me like that and expect me to—"

"To what?" Soobin stepped closer. Yeonjun stepped back.

"To fucking understand!" Yeonjun snapped. "I don't know what you want from me, Soobin!"

Soobin exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "You seriously don't get it?"

"Get what?" Yeonjun shot back.

"That you get jealous when I talk to other people, don't you?"

Silence.

The hallway suddenly felt too small. Yeonjun's ears were ringing, his throat tight. He wanted to deny it, wanted to laugh it off, but he couldn't. Because it was true.

Soobin saw the moment realization flickered across his face.

"Just admit it," Soobin said, softer this time.

Yeonjun swallowed. His voice barely came out. "So what if I do?"

Soobin's breath hitched. "Then tell me what you really want."

Yeonjun opened his mouth. Closed it.

Soobin waited. Hoped.

But Yeonjun said nothing.

Soobin let out a quiet laugh, but there was no humor in it. Just disappointment. "That's what I thought."

And then he walked away, while Yeonjun let him.