A Wish Upon a Star | Yeonbin ✓

XXXIX

"Hi Soobinnie, What's up?"

Soobin caught up to Yeonjun and they started heading to school together, "Hey, hyung."

Noticing that Soobin's voice had a slight edge to it, Yeonjun asked, "Is anything wrong, Binnie?"

Soobin could feel the older's eye on him but didn't make contact, his mind only thinking about the dream. Had they, perhaps, met before?

When Soobin didn't answer, Yeonjun tried again, concern lacing his voice,"Are you alright? Do you feel sick or something?"

"Oh no hyung, I'm fine," Soobin said, meeting the older's eyes and giving a small smile though it was evident that he wasn't in fact, fine.

"Oh, mmm okay," Yeonjun could tell Soobin didn't mean it but decided not to press on it, giving the younger some space.

The pair walked in silence until Soobin spoke up again, though with hesitance, "Hyung..."

"Yeah?"

"Have we..."

"Have we," Yeonjun encouraged with patience.

"Have we... Have we met before?"

Yeonjun was taken aback by the question, did Soobin remember him?

"Before...? Yeah, we met during the holidays before school started... yeah. On the street," Yeonjun slowly and carefully said, not wanting to bring up more.

"When we went to the park?"

"When we went to the park."

"So we haven't met prior to that?"

"Before that...? When?"

Soobin suddenly stopped in his tracks, Yeonjun stopped too. Soobin hesitated. Yeonjun held his breath, waiting.

"Hyung," Soobin looked straight into Yeonjun's gray pupils.

"Y-Yeah?"

"Were we childhood friends?"

Yeonjun didn't answer, he didn't know what to say. Yeonjun has always thought Soobin had already forgotten, and even if he hadn't, Yeonjun hadn't expected Soobin to be able to recognize him. At least not with his blue hair and now gray eyes, not to mention they'd been mere little kids back then.

"Hyung...? Were we?"

Seeing that the younger was serious, Yeonjun carefully said, "I mean, I don't know, Binnie."

"You don't?" Soobin looked at Yeonjun, his eyes suspicious, almost accusing.

"I-"

Just then Beomgyu came running to the pair, cutting off Yeonjun, "Hey, hyungs!"

"Oh, hi Gyu," Yeonjun said, trying to sound more cheerful than he felt, just relieved that the conversation with Soobin had hopefully ended.

"Hi to you as well, Soobin-hyung!"

"Yeah, hi," Soobin halfheartedly said, wondering if Yeonjun was hiding something.

Beomgyu squeezed himself between the two, arm around each of the elders shoulders as they walked on.

"How was yesterday, hyungs?"

"Yesterday?" Soobin asked.

"Yeah, the double date English project thing."

"Oh, uh it was fine," Soobin said, in an unsure tone.

"Yeah, it went well I guess," Yeonjun added.

"Got the work done?"

"There's some left," Yeonjun replied while Soobin said, "Yoonho said he'd complete it himself."

"Oh, that's a surprise now, he's being nice?" Beomgyu curiously asked, big eyes looking at his two hyungs from left to right.

"He'll do anything if Yeonjun-hyung tells him to," Soobin mocked with a slight bitterness to his voice, and looked away.

Beomgyu laughed, "Hyung, no need to be that upset."

"Yeah, Binnie. He doesn't do stuff I say anyway, just makes me do stuff to make him happy so that he does stuff," Yeonjun whined.

"Yeah and you gladly listen to him, hyung." There was an irritated tone to Soobin's voice which surprised all three boys, even Soobin.

"It's just so that he does the project, Binnie."

"Yeah, hyung. I couldn't have my date night with Tae because of him and I'm not complaining! And Tae is my actual boyfriend!"

"But," Soobin started but suddenly stopping himself mid-sentence.

"But?" Both Beomgyu and Yeonjun curiously peered at him, waiting.

"But..."

"But what, hyung?" Beomgyu pressed.

The rest of the words echoed in his head but Soobin knew he couldn't just say them out loud.

Soobin internally panicked as he realized that the three of them had stopped on the way and that other students heading to school were staring at the three who looked like they'd just suddenly frozen.

"Nothing nothing. We're here let's go, guys," Soobin said with obvious feigned cheer as he gripped Beomgyu's hand of off his shoulder and practically dragged the other two to the school gates.

Yeonjun gazed intently at Soobin's panicked demeanor as he walked along.

Soobin looked down at the floor as he pulled the two along, going over the words in his heart that he couldn't share, "But at least Beomgyu has the reassurance that it is he that Taehyun wants, not anyone else."