To Put On An Act [bxb]

Chapter 28 - i'll be alive after all

Kaya sat on the floor in front of Youngbin's dirty mirror, tapping her makeup brush against her eyelid, leaving a sparkling blue stain. She opened the eye, turned her head a bit, leaned closer to the mirror and continued the procedure. Blue pigment drizzled off her brush with every dab, landing on her long skirt, or Youngbin's floor.

He watched her, his favourite woollen blanket draped around his shoulders.

"Are you sure you don't wanna come along?" She didn't lift her gaze from the mirror, though disappointment was written all over her face.

"I'm not really a party guy."

"Well, it's not really a party. That'd imply drinking and doing drugs and making out in a stranger's bedroom. And also red plastic cups. Also this thing closes at midnight, so hardly a party. At least not compared to the kind of stuff the, you know, popular kids are calling a party."

Truth was, the annual halloween event organised by the Rosebury Cultural and Artistic Committee had never been particularly exciting. Though they had good food and a relatively well done costume contest, attendance had always been pretty low. Because why would one come to an event called RCAC HALLOWEEN BLAST if one could just get shitfaced drunk in Min's basement?

Well, Youngbin and Kaya usually did attend, at least until the costume contest was over, and then they'd leave and cuddle up and watch trashy ghost hunting shows. Halloween was the event of the year for the two friends, and had been since they first met.

But this year, for the first time ever, it wasn't really all that exciting.

Kaya was going to win the costume contest, probably, because she always won at least something, and this year, Youngbin wouldn't be there to congratulate her. Instead, he'd stay home. And regret everything.

"I feel bad for just leaving you here, though." Kaya sighed, put her brush down to finally look at Youngbin. "Especially in the... Well, the situation you're in."

The situation being the breakup. The breakup that wasn't actually a real breakup, but then ended up feeling kind of a lot like one after the... conversation Youngbin and Alex had the day prior.

Kaya had obviously figured it out. Not all of it, not what actually happened, but the fact that Youngbin and Alex no longer were together, she'd figured it out quickly. And thankfully, she'd decided to not ask any questions, because Youngbin wasn't sure he could make up any answers right now.

"I'll be fine. I'm gonna just binge Ghost Files tonight or something." Youngbin cleared his throat.

"Well, now I feel even worse!" Kaya's frown grew. "I'm going to a stupid costume contest when I could watch Ghost Files with you instead!"

"No, Kaya! Come on, you've been preparing that costume for so long, you should go! Honestly, I'm just sorry I'm... ruining halloween? Like it's kind of the highlight of the year and now I'm just- Not really functioning." Youngbin pulled his blanket closer, avoiding Kaya's expression that grew more worried with every word he spoke. "You deserve to go out and have fun and not worry about me for a second, okay?"

"I'm gonna be worrying about you every second I'm there."
"Well, I'm not allowing you to."

"I'm gonna do it anyways."

"You're not going to, because I'll be mad at you then."

"Then you'll have to be mad at me." Alex would've begged Youngbin to not be mad. But Alex wasn't here. "I don't wanna leave you rotting here."

"Come on, I'm not-" He was rotting, kind of. "-I'm fine on my own. I can have fun all by myself, you know!"

Kaya rolled her eyes, went back to applying her makeup. She was dressing up as a siren this year, had practised the makeup look a dozen times.