sixteen || memories, love, & unsolved feelings

ʚ♡ɞ

"So you're telling me that Sim Saejun got suspended because he committed violence on school grounds and was degrading other students?" Yeonjun asked in shock, shocked that the school had actually suspended someone.

"Yes," Beomgyu nodded his head as the elder summarized what Taehyun had told him the night before. "There was enough evidence against him, but I wish he was expelled instead."

"Woah, that's a bit far Beomgyu, usually you're not the type to say that stuff."

"He punched Taehyun!" Beomgyu suddenly exclaimed angrily, causing Yeonjun to flinch from the sudden outburst. "How could I not be angry?! He hurt him, so expelling him is what he deserves, how could the school be... be so dumb?!"

Slowly becoming quiet during his little rant, Beomgyu started to realize that the elder next to him hadn't said a single word during it. He anxiously turned his head towards Yeonjun and was met with a shocked expression as the elder stared at him, as if he had said the most brutal stuff ever.

"W-What's with that expression?"

"Did you not just hear yourself now?" Yeonjun questioned him, which made Beomgyu quite confused. "You never express your anger that much! Let alone insult the school, are you sure you're okay?"

Beomgyu kept silent and stared down at the floor, he was starting to worry that maybe he shouldn't had spoken out of turn like that, but it wasn't his fault! He completely blanked out when he said all of that, he really did hope that nobody else heard it.

"I mean nothing wrong with it," Yeonjun tried to reassure the male. "I also agree that the school is fucking dumb for not expelling the dude, who even tries bullying others because they're talking to their crush?"

Beomgyu stayed silent and just nodded, fearing that if he were to speak out more then something he would regret saying would come out.

The two of them walked to their classroom which was nearly full since class was about to start soon, walking over to his desk Beomgyu glanced over at Yeonjun who seemed to be distracted by something, more specifically, someone.

The male slowly looked in the direction of where the elder was staring at, surprised when his eyes landed on the familiar blonde who was talking happily with his friends near the back of the classroom.

He's staring at him? Beomgyu suddenly sparked up, a twisted feeling of happiness formed in his stomach. Does that mean something happened between them?

Now that I think about it... He frowned slightly, looking down at his desk. I've barely kept up with Yeonjun and Soobin, have they been talking? Of course they have! It's been... nearly a month of this constant fake dating thing with Taehyun, so they have to had formed feelings right?

But did Soobin move on that fast? He glanced back at the blonde over his shoulders, his wide smile showcasing his dimples. Even if he did, I should be happy, and hope that Yeonjun and Soobin get together soon...

"What's got you so deep in your headspace?"

Startled by the sudden voice, Beomgyu looked up and saw Taehyun standing in front of him curiously, now realizing that Yeonjun had walked away and went back to his seat.

"It's nothing," Beomgyu sighed softly, knowing that if he thought about it too much then he'd be distracted from what's important. "How's your bruise?"

"It feels better," Taehyun replied shortly, taking his seat as he picked up his backpack and rummaged through it. "My parents were pretty pissed off, but more pissed off that the guy wasn't expelled from the school."

Glad somebody else agrees...

"Your parents sound... chill...? If my mother were to find out I got into a fight she would..." Beomgyu paused himself, his fists clenching tightly as a wave of shivers washes through him. "I... I don't even want to know, I'd ruin her expectations of me being perfect."

"I will never understand your mother and her expectations of having the perfect son," Taehyun scoffed softly, but it wasn't in a rude way at all, it came out as if he were in disbelief that his mother set expectations like that. "Nobody is perfect, not even the most perfect seeming people ever."

Beomgyu sat there in uncomfortable silence, every time someone says something about his mothers expectations for him he couldn't help but feel awkward. He didn't feel like anything was wrong...? Sure, it was frustrating for him to cancel plans and study all day in his room or isolate himself when he wanted to spend time with others, but it was all for a good cause.

Every thing that his mother did for him, wouldn't it be right to just be perfect for her as a thank you...?

Taehyun stared at the male who seemed obviously more down today, taking a few seconds to decide what to say he felt his finger brush against what he had been searching for inside of his backpack.

"Sorry," He apologized softly, pulling out a small bottle of some sort of cream that his mother gave him. "I shouldn't pry on your business."

"It's okay, it's not your fault!" Beomgyu quickly reassured the male, but it felt nice hearing an apology come from someone. "I just feel awkward when a topic like that is brought up, but none of it is your fault, so please don't apologize."

An awkward silence began to form between the two of them, one just wishing that class would start and one just wondering what the hell he should say, a soft deep exhale came from Taehyun as he turned to face Beomgyu, extending the small bottle of cream out.

"Can you help me put this on?" He asked the male, which made Beomgyu quite shocked since he knew Taehyun wasn't the touchy time... except when he hugged him at the nurses office.

"Sure!" Beomgyu beamed happily, "But why not put it on yourself? I thought you didn't like others touching you."

Taehyun stayed silent for a few seconds, almost like he didn't have any explanation why he suddenly asked him to apply the cream for him.

"It's okay, don't worry, I'll do it for you."

Beomgyu took the small bottle from the males hand and took off the cap and squeezed a little bit onto his pointer finger, looking back up at Taehyun he noticed how red the males ears were, maybe it was because of the embarrassment of doing it in class? He wasn't so sure, but he decided hold back his questions for another time.

"I'm sorry, I'll have to touch you for a second," Beomgyu quietly apologized, earning a small hum from Taehyun which seemed like an approving gesture.

Gently grabbing Taehyun's chin with his free hand, he turned the males head so he was properly facing him, now giving both of them the chance to stare into each others eyes properly.

Why does my stomach feel so weird...? Beomgyu began to slowly panic, gently rubbing the cream onto the bruise that was on Taehyun's cheekbone, making sure he didn't press down hard on it. I mean... we are dating—

What am I saying...? Beomgyu started to realize what he was about to say, even though the two of them seemed close he had to remind himself that he barely knew anything about Taehyun, which reminded him that all of this...

All of this was fake, there was no real love or relationship between them.

"Alright," Beomgyu spoke up, making sure he rubbed in all of the cream before pulling away. "I finished, does it feel better?"

"Yeah," Taehyun said softly, only an odd numbing feeling was left instead of a slight throbbing pain. "It feels better."

Beomgyu nodded and handed the male back his bottle of cream, adjusting himself in his seat he let out a small breath he barely knew he was holding in. The past few days he felt like he was getting somewhat closer with Taehyun, even yesterday, when the two of them shared the conversation about protecting each other, it sparked an unknowing feeling explosion of fireworks inside of him.

Maybe he was starting to feel like Taehyun was more than a friend, maybe...

A best friend!

Maybe that's why he's been feeling so weird lately, he's starting to consider Taehyun his best friend and it's making him more happier than he expected!

"So, any update on Mr. "I keep denying my feelings" and Mr. "I'm loved by everyone"?" Taehyun suddenly asked, causing Beomgyu to question what the what he just said.

Taehyun noticed the males confused expression and sighed, "Yeonjun and Soobin." He clarified more correctly, causing the male to say a loud "oh" after realizing.

"I don't know," Beomgyu sighed softly, making sure his tone was quiet so nobody else could hear as more students came into the classroom. "I haven't seen them talk much but Yeonjun hyung did mention to me that they've been walking together to school in the mornings."

"I thought you walked with them?"

"Yeah... well..." Beomgyu paused, the only reason he stopped walking to school with Yeonjun and Soobin is because he had hoped the two would grow closer when they were together, then maybe the chances of them getting together increases. "I just prefer to walk by myself now."

"How do you know they'll get together?" Taehyun asked him, which was the main question that Beomgyu wished to avoid.

He really didn't have an answer for that.

Lately, he's been so obsessed with the possibility that Soobin and Yeonjun will get together, but not the chances.

"I...I know they'll end up together," He said, trying to convince Taehyun and almost himself. "We just have to give it time, Yeonjun is fully convinced that i'm dating you so he has to confess to Soobin soon!"

"Don't you think you're slightly forcing this...?" Taehyun questioned him, a concerned facial expression starting to form. "What if Soobin never ends up liking Yeonjun like that?"

"What do you know?!" Beomgyu snapped, slightly angry that Taehyun said that. "You don't even know them like I do! I know it'll happen, we just have to keep up this act until they're official!"

Taehyun was taken aback by the males sudden reaction, usually he would see Beomgyu either happy out of his mind or as calm as an oceans breeze but right now it was like he had accidentally triggered a hidden spark of anger inside of him when he had said that, it made him feel slightly bad for saying it.

If the male was going to get mad at him like that, then maybe he shouldn't let down his walls.

"I'm sorry," Beomgyu softly spoke out, noticing how Taehyun's expression faltered, even he doesn't know why he snapped that much. "I shouldn't had lashed out on you like that, you were just asking a simple question that would make sense in this case scenario."

Taehyun nodded slightly, accepting the apology right away, even though Beomgyu was slightly rude he knew he was sincere about the apology, so that was enough for him to just forgive him.

"I believe in you," Taehyun said, causing the male to glance at him nervously. "I agreed to help you with this disastrous mission of yours, If I believed that it wouldn't work then I would've never agreed to become your fake boyfriend."

"You really think that they'll become partners when the time comes?" Beomgyu asked him, doubting that their efforts will be worth it.

"Of course I do," Taehyun said, glancing down at his desk as his expression hardened slightly. "And when they do..."

"...We can go back to being strangers."

When Taehyun had said that, something inside of Beomgyu nearly snapped. It wasn't in an angry way though, it almost felt devastating. The way the pink heads tone was so so distant and cold when he said that, a total switch from his calm comforting aura just a few seconds ago, but it really did remind him what the label between the both of them really was.

strangers.

In the end, they're just two strangers playing a fake role to deceive everyone.

ʚ♡ɞ

"What took a bite out of your ass today?"

"H-Huh?" Beomgyu glanced up from his book, looking up to see Yeonjun standing in front of him, holding out a cup of sweet tea. "What do you mean?"

"Beom, you've been pouting all day, even when Mr. Son called on you to answer a question I could hear the pout in your tone." Yeonjun explained, sitting on Taehyun's seat since the male had gotten up and went to the cafeteria with Huening Kai.

"It's nothing," Beomgyu tried to reassure the male, but in all honesty, when Taehyun had mentioned them being strangers again it really did bother him. "I-It's probably stupid."

"Did you and your bozo boyfriend get into an argument?" Yeonjun asked, opening a bag of honey chips that they could share.

"An argument?"

"Yeah," Yeonjun hummed, putting a few chips into his mouth before continuing to speak. "I noticed you guys weren't talking as much today, did he upset you... or did you upset him?"

Neither of that honestly, that's what he wanted to say. Instead, he just kept his silence since there was no real reason why he felt so upset besides him not wanting to become straight up strangers with Taehyun again.

He really had to say that, right when I had hopes we were becoming closer.

"How did you realize you truly liked Soobin?" Beomgyu asked Yeonjun, causing the both of them to freeze up.

He had doubts that Yeonjun would even tell him, after everything that had happened he wouldn't be surprised if he still went on about how he still liked Soobin and that him and Taehyun were fake dating, but after a while he just prayed that the elder was somewhat convinced enough to tell him more about how he started liking Soobin.

Given the time the two of them known each other there had to be a possibility of the elder liking him way longer than him, and even if he did get information, he really wished to use it so he could get the two of them together sooner.

"Uhm..." Yeonjun mumbled softly, a little taken aback by the question, even though he really didn't want to tell Beomgyu... it was right to let the male know now that he knew he doesn't like Soobin at all. "It's all just one sided, I know he'd never like me back."

"But you never stopped liking him, why?"

"He's sweet, too sweet," Yeonjun sighed bitterly, as if he didn't like Soobin's behavior at all. "I wasn't well liked back when I was younger, I'm not surprised that I'm still not liked now... but Soobin..."

"... He was the only person to ever befriend me and stay friends with me, before I met you." Yeonjun spoke softly. "All of the memories we shared, the kind words, his warming gestures, how could I not fall for him? He treated me like a human, not someone who was plain rude and arrogant."

"Is there... a specific memory on when you realized you liked him...?" Beomgyu asked warily, unsure if he should continue asking the elder questions or not, but after seeing Yeonjun nod he was relieved to know it was okay.

"Back in middle school, during our first year of it, there was this formal winter dance that all grades were invited to," Yeonjun explained, easily remembering all the details. "Everyone had their friends to go with, Soobin had always been popular from the start so I knew he would go with his friends and I would be left alone, so I didn't bother try asking him to go with me, I became upset at that thought and distanced myself from him."

"Until the day before, he ran to my house at the ass crack of three am, asking me to go with him to the dance." Yeonjun started to smile, as if reminiscing about the past brought out a deep comforting feeling. "At first, I was stunned and sleepy, who runs to someone's house at three am just to ask them to go to the winter dance with them?"

"But then it finally processed in my mind, Soobin didn't want to go with his friends, he wanted to only go with me. He denied every opportunity and request others asked him just so he could take me to the winter ball, and that moment was when I knew my feelings for him weren't just weird platonic feelings..." Yeonjun mumbled softly.

"That's when I realized that I fell for Choi Soobin, the boy who saved me from a miserable life."

Beomgyu stared at the male in shock after hearing a bit of the backstory behind Yeonjun's love for Soobin, it was something that he hadn't expected at all, he just expected like a small sudden crush but instead it was a whole event that caused it.

"T-That means he has to like you! Why would he go out of his way to ask you to go to the winter ball with him only for him to not—"

"He doesn't like me, Beomgyu, trust me. At first I thought he did too but he... he fell for someone else instead, I was never his type." Yeonjun interrupted the male, mentioning that Soobin had fell for someone else, which made guilt wash down over Beomgyu.

"That means... you liked him for over five years now...?" That was a big gap between how long he liked Soobin for, he remembered falling for him near their second year of high school, which was only one year ago.

"Yeah, but I don't care who he dates, as long as he's happy." Yeonjun hummed softly like it didn't bother him, but Beomgyu could see a flash of sadness in the males eyes.

There has to be a chance that Soobin likes him, maybe we just have to push him to realize it... Beomgyu furrowed his eyebrows, contemplating what the best idea. But wouldn't that make Yeonjun feel like a rebound, does he know Soobin confessed to me? Is he even over me, it seems like he is.

"Why is it every time I come back to my seat, you're over here plaguing it with your diseases." Taehyun grumbled irritatedly, startling both Yeonjun and Beomgyu since he came out of no where again.

"Why do you always sneak up on us?! You're so creepy!" Yeonjun groaned loudly, glancing to the side and seeing Huening Kai staring at them awkwardly.

"Hello, Hyuka." Beomgyu greeted the younger happily, which made the male flush pink slightly from happiness and embarrassment.

"H-Hi, Choi Beomgyu-ssi, Hello Choi Yeonjun-ssi." Huening Kai greeted them respectfully, causing the two of them to cringe slightly by how respectful he was.

"What's with the sudden respect, aren't we friends now? You can call us 'hyung' now if you want. You don't have to be so respectful." Beomgyu chuckled softly, making Huening Kai nod instantly.

"Alright, can you two go away? I'm trying to get back into my seat before Mr. Son yells at us." Taehyun rolled his eyes, causing Yeonjun to scoff and shrug.

Yeonjun got up from the males seat and glanced over at Beomgyu with a look that screamed 'don't tell anybody what I said', it made the male nod his head as Yeonjun walked away with Huening Kai back over to their seats.

"How come you didn't get lunch today?" Taehyun asked the elder, noticing the still full cup of sweet tea. "I didn't see you get a snack at the snack bar either."

"I-I was caught up in an important conversation with Yeonjun, something that'll help us get them together sooner." Beomgyu answered honestly, the slow feeling of dread coming back to him when he talked to Taehyun, was it because of the strangers thing earlier?

"Hmm, alright." Taehyun hummed softly, glancing down at his hands before speaking up again. "Hey about earlier,"

"I..." He breathed softly. "I'm sorry for being rude, your sudden reaction made me a bit paranoid and it made my walls come up again, I didn't mean it when I said we should stay strangers."

"S-So that means you don't want to stay strangers? Even after we end everything once Yeonjun and Soobin get together?"

"I think..." Taehyun mumbled softly, turning to face him so he could give him the bag of strawberry chocolate pretzels he got for him at the snack bar. "I enjoy being your friend, Choi Beomgyu."

Beomgyu stared at the male in a dazed, in that moment it was like his perspective and emotions shifted dramatically. Instead of that weird pulsating pain he felt in his stomach, he started to feel euphoric and happiness.

A fuzzy sensation of butterflies began to swarm around his stomach when he glanced down at the bag he was being offered, hesitantly accepting it he couldn't help but smile slightly knowing Taehyun cared for him and enjoyed being around him.

"Hey..." Taehyun softly spoke up, avoiding eye contact with Beomgyu once they finally settled down into their seats. "Can I ask a question...?"

"Huh? Of course, what is it?"

The male was hesitant with his words, as if he didn't want to say anything at all, but Beomgyu could tell what he wanted to ask was itching at him.

"On Saturday, there's this event happening downtown, like an art showcase... I was wondering if you wanted to go with me?"

Beomgyu was stunned.

This was the first time Taehyun had asked him to hang out, especially without the others. He felt overwhelmed with emotions but he was mostly confused on why he wanted him to go with him?

"What about Huening Kai?" Beomgyu asked to make sure that the male was coming or not. "Is he not going?"

"He's going to visit his mom in Busan with his sisters, so he can't come with me, this is an event I was really looking forward to but I'm not comfortable going alone, so if it's alright with you...?"

"Of course I'll go!" Beomgyu said a little too quickly, clearing his throat he nodded and smiled widely. "I'd love to go, I love art!"

"You really suck at it though," Taehyun snickered, making Beomgyu slap his arm
lightly in a teasing way, but he just couldn't hold back his slight smile. "You can come over to my house before we can go."

Beomgyu nodded his head and turned to look away so the male wouldn't see how much he was smiling right now, he felt beyond excited knowing that he could hang out with Taehyun.

...If his mother let him..

Hopefully she will, I just have to study extra hard! Then she'll consider it! Beomgyu smiled softly, knowing if he studied hard his mother would be proud of him.

Glancing over at Taehyun he couldn't help but feel so excited, but also strange.

What are these strange feelings I feel around him...? Beomgyu thought curiously, thinking about how fuzzy the male made him feel. I'm not sure but...

All I know, is that I feel so much more happier around him.

ʚ♡ɞ