ten || the past that haunts you, the comfort I'll give you

TW: bullying, physical violence, and cheating

7 years ago

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Introducing himself to new people was a challenge for 10-year-old Taehyun. For his whole life, he had stayed alone during school in fear of meeting new people. So when he moved to Seoul with his family he was extremely terrified.

A lonely child, that's what he was. His parents always expected the best of their son, yep...Taehyun had those types of parents in his life. The ones always pushing their child to success no matter what it did to their child.

"I just can't believe it, Taehyun. Seriously, just because some students are saying things about you doesn't mean you should act out! Now, look at us, transferring you to a new school." His mother scoffed in a harsh tone.

Taehyun sat there ashamed, he never meant for it to go that far, but it seemed like being a silent child was a sin to the world.

His parents refused to look at him, more specifically his mother. She was angered so much that they had to move because of how bad the bullying Taehyun got was.

After a few days of adjusting to Seoul he couldn't help but feel scared about going to a new school, he was afraid everything would repeat.

So standing in front of a new classroom during his 5th-grade year with new classmates made him extremely nervous. He was scared everyone would judge him from the start and history would repeat itself.

"Go ahead and introduce yourself." He heard the teacher speak softly.

"H-Hello! I'm Kang Taehyun." Taehyun said trying to sound confident, only for his words to come out as a stutter. His heart sank when he heard a couple of people giggle at him. His mind gets more and more anxious each second.

"Hey hey quiet down!" He heard the teacher scold the giggling students, the classroom instantly quieting down. "You can go sit next to Choi Beomgyu. Okay? Beomgyu raise your hand!"

Taehyun watched a boy with a wide smile raise his hand. One of the boy's tooth was missing but his smile was bright enough to light up a dark room.

Shakily, Taehyun walked over to the little table the boy sat at and hesitantly sat down next to him. "Alright, guys pay attention now." The teacher said.

"Psst psst!"

Taehyun glanced at the boy next to him who just called out for him. Shrugging it off Taehyun stared at the teacher who was explaining things like historic stuff or whatever.

"Hey!" Beomgyu patted Taehyun's shoulder earning a small glare from the younger. "What?" Taehyun whispered trying not to be too loud and interrupt the lesson. He didn't want unnecessary drama again.

"You have big eyes!"

Taehyun stared at Beomgyu a little confused. "I-I'm offended?" He stuttered trying to comprehend why the boy just said that. "No! Don't be offended! Your eyes are pretty!"

"Uh...Thanks?" Taehyun slowly looked away from Beomgyu who kept staring intensely at him. Jesus, I'm done for.

-

The teacher had dismissed the classroom for lunch and Taehyun couldn't help but feel so awkward when he stood there at the entrance of the lunchroom.

He was terrified. He didn't know where to sit and sitting with people he didn't know well enough made it seem so awkward! He could try to talk to them but the fear of being ignored invaded his mind.

"Hey! I like your rilakkuma lunchbox!" He heard a voice behind him, turning around quickly he saw Beomgyu standing there with a wide cheeky smile.

"What are you waiting for? Let's eat!"

"H-Huh?" Taehyun said in confusion before being dragged by Beomgyu toward a table near the wide windows. Sitting down on one of the stools Beomgyu placed down his bear lunchbox and started unpacking.

"So Kang Taehyun! I want to tell you something." Beomgyu said, making Taehyun a little bit nervous. What if he wanted to make Taehyun his little servant for a lifetime with no way out and until the day he dies the last face he'll see will be—

"Best friends! I want to be best friends!"

Taehyun stared at the boy in shock, trying to comprehend what he had heard. "I—I Uh-"

"Please?" Beomgyu said in a softer tone with pleading puppy eyes. Taehyun unknowingly nodded making the other hop up in joy.

"Hey I have an extra tonkatsu sandwich, want one?" Beomgyu asked, Taehyun stared at the packet and instantly nodded. For the rest of the lunch period, the two joked around and laughed loudly just in their own world.

And on that day, was the day the two became the best friends ever.

-

A few months had passed and it was down to the last week of school. Beomgyu and Taehyun had gotten close, like super close! Every day was like a field trip for the two as they discovered something new.

"What do you mean you want to play a prank on Taehyun?" A male asked Beomgyu. Beomgyu looked at him and smiled widely, the missing tooth he had was now fully grown giving the male a lovely smile.

"I think it'll be fun! You know how Taehyun and I always play pranks on each other." Beomgyu explained to Yeonjun. The two had met each other when Beomgyu had to go to a substitute class and learn things with them when he missed the bus with his original class. He was pretty heartbroken but meeting Yeonjun was the best day ever!

"B-But don't you think paint is a little too far?"

"Nope!"

So there they were, hiding in the dark classroom as two buckets of paint hung above the door. "They're coming!" A classmate said seeing Taehyun and Mrs. Yun walk towards the classroom.

The small click of the door opened as a student instantly turned the light on.

"AHH!"

The high pitch scream from Taehyun echoed out in the classroom as two buckets of paint tipped over and splattered the boy all over.

Taehyun slowly heard the sounds of loud laughter around him. Looking up he met eye contact with Beomgyu who was laughing along with them. And that's when he felt his heart shatter.

"What the- Taehyun! Which one of you did this?!" Mrs. Yun yelled at everyone instantly making them silent. Beomgyu stared at Taehyun as the sudden realization hit him.

Taehyun was crying.

"I-I did!" Beomgyu quickly said after seeing the younger cry, Mrs. Yun gave Beomgyu a stern look and told him to go down to the office. Holding onto Taehyun's shoulder she tried comforting the male.

But Taehyun couldn't stop. The betrayal and pain were stabbed and marked into his heart. He thought that he had made a real friend but after hearing those ghostly laughs he couldn't handle it anymore.

It felt like his old school.

And ever since then, Beomgyu never saw Taehyun for the rest of the week.

-

TW: abuse

"You embarrassment!"

Taehyun covered his ears as his mother shouted at him, when he arrived home with dry paint on his face and head, his mother was furious. She had been yelling at the boy for hours on end about how he was ruining the family's reputation.

"I-It wasn't my—"

SLAP!

Taehyun's eyes widened as he felt the sharp pain blooming on his cheek. Looking up at his mother who had furious angry eyes. Tears slowly brimmed in his eyes as he tried to back away from the woman who was going mad.

Suddenly, Taehyun's father burst through the door, and that's when Taehyun's bit of innocence broke.

The screaming, the crying, the confessions. It all invaded Taehyun's mind. He was heartbroken that Beomgyu had done this to him, realizing that it was Beomgyu's fault that his mother was angry he couldn't help but feel...angry.

Thinking about the male made anger rise in Taehyun so much.

"You can't keep ruining this family!"

"I don't care about this family! I've been cheating on you for years wishing for a better life but no! We had to have a son that's a total embarrassment!"

Taehyun's heart shattered, even more, he couldn't help but blankly stare in fear as his mother went near him. Grabbing the young boy's hair she threw him to the ground and started punching him. "You! I hate you! I hate you so much!"

It was too overwhelming for Taehyun, he felt his consciousness slowly fade away as the last thing he heard was a scream from his father.

-

"Is he awake?"

"I'm not sure, Soobin."

Taehyun's eyes fluttered open as the bright lights made him squint in pain. Rubbing his eyes, he slowly sat up and winced in pain from how bad his chest and arms hurt.

Slowly looking up his doe eyes met contact with a male who looked at him with a saddened expression. Next to him was a boy who stared at him in curiosity.

"H-Hello." Taehyun stuttered and tried to bow for respect, but the pain in his chest prevented him. "Take it easy. I'm Choi Hyunbin. This is my son, Choi Soobin." The man explained.

Taehyun nodded and realized where he was, he was currently in a hospital bed. Freaking out silently he started calling out for his dad desperately only to be embraced in a tight hug by Hyunbin.

"I'm- your mothers... another one." He said trying to explain. Luckily, Taehyun was smart despite being a ten-year-old. He immediately understood as his shoulders slouched slightly. "Your mother...She'll be gone for a while. But promise me when I say that you'll be safe with us okay?"

Taehyun looked up at the man and slowly nodded. "W-Wheres my real father?" He asked. Hyunbin looked at him with saddened eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry."

Taehyun couldn't help but feel broken inside. His father had left him. The only family member who truly loved him despite being a symbol of bad luck.

"I'll get the doctor okay? Soobin stays here."

Taehyun watched the man get up and walk away, leaving the two boys staring at each other awkwardly. "You're so cute! I always wanted a little brother!" Soobin said and jumped up with a huge bunny smile.

"We came from the same mother! Well...I haven't met her since she had me two years before you so-"

Taehyun just silently nodded, he felt a bit safer near the bunny-looking child. "I promise I'll protect you!" Soobin smiled.

ever since that day, taehyun officially became a part of the Choi family.

-

Ever since school started for Taehyun he swore to himself to never speak to Beomgyu again. He refused to even look at the male.

With every attempt, Beomgyu tried they were all shut down as Taehyun would yell at the elder or ignore him. Of course, Beomgyu being older than Taehyun by a year was automatically put in the 7th-grade classes so he was thankful for not being able to see the male at all. He was also thankful for meeting Huening Kai in his science class.

He had found a friend despite being in a world of darkness.

but when that day came, when his patience ran out, was the day the first ever punch from Taehyun met Beomgyu's face.

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"A-And here we are now. Me still hating you with all my heart." Taehyun said with a small breath. After exposing his whole story to the elder he couldn't help but feel nervous and anxious.

It was the first time he told someone instead of Soobin about this.

He had told Beomgyu the real reason why he couldn't stand the elder.

"Taehyun..." Beomgyu said with a shaky breath. The elder quickly walked toward Taehyun and stood in front of him. To Taehyun's shock, he didn't expect the elder to drop down on his knees and bow down.

"I'm so sorry Taehyun! I know it's too late to apologize for everything but I'm sorry." Beomgyu said as his voice went hoarse. He couldn't help but feel so so guilty after being the main reason why Taehyun's life went into shambles.

Taehyun's heart sank as he watched the older breakdown, giving a full bow of respect. "Get up." He said with a shaky voice, the ravenette complied and stood up, his cheeks wet from the tears he couldn't stop.

"I-I just— I'm so angry Beomgyu! You made it happen again!"

"That's why I want to fix it Taehyun! I spent days telling every single person who had the photo of you in paint to delete every post or photo they had. I spent days trying to recollect myself and show you how much I've changed!"

"Taehyun please," The elder said and slowly grabbed Taehyun's hands. The younger looked down with a shaky breath feeling the walls he built up come down one by one. "I promise, I promise I'll make you happier! The past that haunts you I'll replace it. I'll make sure that I can do everything in my bone to make you happy again."

"So please don't leave me, again."

That's when Taehyun broke down, tears started streaming down his face as the soft sounds of hiccups echoed out through his voice. Beomgyu pulled Taehyun in and hugged him tightly, his chin resting on the younger's head as Taehyun buried his face in the elder's chest.

"I-I'm scared! I don't know what I'll do if you break my trust again! I spent years picking up those pieces and building up a wall to protect myself. I always thought if I showed people how much I hate you they'd leave me alone- You'd leave me alone! But you keep coming back!"

Taehyun rambled as his tears got heavier, he didn't care if the elder was soaking wet and cold right now. The embrace Beomgyu had while holding him in his arms made his heart mayhem. It was comforting, way too comforting.

"Taehyun," Beomgyu spoke softly rubbing circles on the younger back to calm him down. "I promise on every star that I will never break your heart or trust again. So please, let me rebuild that bridge between us. Please, will you forgive me?"

Beomgyu knew that when he met Taehyun in 5th grade that's when his heart did things he never knew it could. Of course, being so young he never could distinguish between love or platonic feelings. But after years and years of him bothering and pestering Taehyun, he knew that the love he had for the younger couldn't be replaced.

He listened closely as Taehyun sniffled softly and thought about it. He heard the genuine tone that Beomgyu had and it made his heart clench even more. So with a shaky breath, he looked up at the elder.

With just three words, Beomgyu's world immediately brightened.

"I forgive you."

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a/n : the back story for Taehyun and Beomgyu...I'm not super proud of :,)! it was rushed, a lot so when I get the chance I will absolutely edit this, but for now i apologize for the sudden angst even I refuse to look at this chapter until I edit it again LMAO but thank you for reading!! <3

Thank you for reading! <3