Dark to Baby: A Changjin Story

Chapter 30

The next two nights went about the same as the first. Hyunjin had gotten used to climbing up and down the side of his house without too much noise and inner anxiety, and Felix was holding it together from what Hyunjin could tell. There were hints of boredom, he wouldn't shut up when Hyunjin was around, but the overwhelming emotions that could lead to a breakdown did not appear to be present.

Hyunjin wasn't sure what happened when he wasn't there, but he could only imagine the swirling thoughts Felix was forced to stew in during the day. That being said, he tried his best to always steer the conversation to light and happy things. At least for now.

While Felix got over the fear of Hyunjin being found out pretty quickly, Changbin was another story. It took the whole bus ride Tuesday morning to calm him down and reassure him that nothing would happen or nothing major for now.

However, Changbin's worry didn't go away for the next few days and manifested in the form of dwindling verbal communication. Hyunjin thought it was a very passive aggressive way to show his disapproval, but he wasn't one to judge given how he treats Taehyuk. Felix probably told Changbin all about their nights anyway. Plus, he could smell Changbin's underlying gratitude in the way he sat slightly closer than usual and would randomly play with Hyunjin's fingers on the bus.

Hyunjin purposely didn't bring Minsoo into any of their conversations, and the same must have happened when Felix talked to him because it was never addressed. She also failed to make an appearance the next two nights, so Hyunjin really didn't have anything to tell him.

It was now Thursday, and Changbin hadn't said much to Hyunjin all morning. Only a nod of greeting and a command to make Felix do his homework. Hyunjin had agreed immediately, knowing Felix would just complain and get nothing done. That's how it had been every night, and Hyunjin would much rather cuddle than do math. He wasn't gonna tell that to Changbin though.

Changbin had, however, let Hyunjin walk beside him to class though, so that was an improvement.

Hyunjin was now in his designated spot at lunch, right in front of the only couple he knew that sat on top of each other while eating. He dragged a fry through his ketchup and sighed. His eyes flickered up from the potato stick and trailed over the other students in his immediate view. Chan was nowhere to be found. Hyunjin wasn't sure what he was expecting. Since Felix wasn't coming to school, Chan had also abandoned their normal lunch plans. That left him with Jisung and Minho, who were currently feeding each other strawberries and giggling.

Hyunjin lazily watched them and slowly bit down on the overly saturated fry. His hand found his cheek so he was now slouching even more than before. He returned his gaze to his food. There was no point in trying to initiate a conversation. Jisung was too invested in the food, and Minho was too invested in Jisung to care.

"Yo, what's dark boy doing in the cafeteria?" Jisung blurted out from Minho's lap.

Hyunjin jerked around to see Changbin wandering aimlessly in his general direction. For the first time at school, Changbin looked unsure. His eyes flitted around as he hugged himself, a light blue lunchbox hanging from one of his hands. A wide smile made its way onto Hyunjin's face.

"Did he finally make friends?" Minho replied with a little more snark than necessary. Hyunjin sent him a mom look before waving his hand in front of his chest to get Changbin's attention.

Changbin didn't catch on right away, but soon he made eye contact with Hyunjin. After acknowledging each other, Changbin looked at the floor and shuffled quickly to Hyunjin's side. He placed the lunchbox on the table, facing himself, so no one at the table but Hyunjin could see the pink flower pattern on the front. He sat down, hands between his legs and shoulders closer to his ears than normal.