This Friend | Yeonbin

61

Soobin P.O.V

I need to tell Taehyun first.

Well, I don’t need to.

But I think it’s the best strategy. If telling Dad about who I really am, and what I really want out of my life, is an epically bad idea, then he’ll be able to tell me.

I could just walk into his room and do it.

Rip the Band-Aid and all that.

But it’s Taehyun. And as much as we don’t see eye to eye on stuff, I love him. I don’t want that to change. If Dad pushes me away, I think I could deal. But if Taehyun starts to hate me, that would completely and utterly crush me.

I guess that’s the risk I need to take.

It’s been only a day since I met up with Yeonjun, but this is the first time ever where who I am is working. As terrifying as it is to show Taehyun and Dad who I really am.

I can finish school and then apply for film school in California.

Then I’ll be gone for good.

Until then, though, I want Dad to know I’m stepping away from the family business.

I can’t stop them. Yeonjun was right about that. I can ask Dad to try to make peace with them, but that’s all I can do.

I try to muster up the courage to go to Taehyun room. I’m shaking, it’s that bad. I tell myself that he already knows.

He must. Everyone else just thinks I’m bad at the family business, but Taehyun knows me.

I check the time on my phone. It’s ten to eight.

I’ll do it at eight.

I have ten minutes.

I close my eyes, just thinking. This isn’t something I can ever take back. Once this is out, this will always be out.

Eight minutes left.

Now six. Now two.

Now one.

It’s time.

I sit up. Maybe I don’t need to do this right now. Maybe I could just wait. Maybe

I stand up and leave my room. I made a deal with myself, and my deals mean something.

Taehyun door is open.

He’s seated at his computer, playing Dota.

“Hey,” I say.

He keeps playing. “What’s up? I’m mid-game, dude, make it quick.”

I can’t do this here, when he’s so distracted.

“I was wondering if you wanted to get burgers?”

“Yeah, order them.”

“No, I mean, do you want to go out and get them?”

“Oh. Um, sure. Just give me ten minutes to destroy these clowns.”

“Sure.”

The next ten minutes pass so slowly.

Finally, he rounds the corner and steps into my room.

“Your car or mine?”

“I mean, yours, obviously.”

I do like my car, but there’s a reason he upgraded.

“Shake Shack?” he asks.

“Yes.”