The Boy Next Door | Taegyu ✔️

37

Memories of the past still haunted Taehyun to this breathing moment, he felt lost in his own world, feeling as if his thoughts were slowly devouring him whole.

"Taehyun?" Spoke a voice, breaking him from his trance. Not knowing he had already reached the library, he looked up to see Beomgyu before running up towards the boy, embracing him tightly.

Beomgyu froze in his spot for a few moments, not knowing what to say as he instinctively begin to pat Taehyun's back. Did something happen? He asked himself. But given the current situation, Beomgyu decided to save his questions for later as he pulled away.

"Let's go," he said before bringing the latter out of the library.

»»—— ♡ ——««

The warm evening rays of the sun, as well as the cold air, met Taehyun's skin as he stepped outside. It felt refreshing being able to step outside which, in a way, seemed to have drowned his wave of emotions. Thinking as if his thoughts and worries were, too, being carried away with the wind.

Along the semi-orange sky and the autumn leaves which fell onto the ground, they slowly made their way back home. The atmosphere between the two felt abnormally quiet as Beomgyu felt the urge to say something. He turned around to see Taehyun, a thoughtful expression painted on his face.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I'd be lying if I said I was," Taehyun admitted through a pained smile. For some odd reason, seeing him with a forced smile rather than him letting it all out seemed to have felt worse as an aching pain started to settle in Beomgyu's heart.

"You don't have to be strong around me. I care about you," Beomgyu said softly. It felt as if he was at loss for words right there and then.

For as long as he could remember, Taehyun had always been the one to be there for him, to care for him, listening to him ramble on and on about his own worries and thoughts. If only he could do the same, he, too, cared for Taehyun. "If there's something that's bothering you, I'll listen," he continued.

Hard was an understatement of trying to phrase everything he wanted to say to Taehyun. There were so many things he wanted to tell the latter at that moment, how he cared so much for him that it hurts to see his usual bright and sunny self feeling down like that, how he wanted to lend if he felt like crying, how everything would be fine because he would make sure of it.

It seemed as if Taehyun could sense the sincerity and the number of things Beomgyu wanted to say right there and then as he said a "thank you," with a grateful smile spreading across his face.

»»—— ♡ ——««

Without even sparing a look at the clock, Beomgyu could tell that it was already very late. Considering how it felt as if hours have passed since he has laid on the bed. His body felt exhausted, but his mind remained wide awake. It seemed as if Taehyun had trouble falling asleep too as he could constantly feel the latter tossing here and there.

"Is something bothering you?" Asked Beomgyu, as he turned to Taehyun.

"Just a lot of thoughts," he hummed in response, his eyes meeting Beomgyu's

"Do you want to talk about it?" He yawned. If Beomgyu had to be honest, he felt so tired to the point he could practically fall asleep right there and then. But it just didn't sit comfortably with him that he would be able to sleep soundly while Taehyun wouldn't.

Taehyun shook his head, noticing Beomgyu's exhaustion. "It's getting late, and you should get some sleep. I promise I'll tell you about it tomorrow," he continued, patting Beomgyu to sleep.

»»—— ♡ ——««

The next day at school during lunch, Taehyun brought Beomgyu towards the school's park as they sat on the benches. It would be better to talk in a place where everyone's out of an earshot, so Taehyun thought this would be the best spot since nobody really comes here often.

"It's about what happened between Yeonjun and I, back in the states—I just thought I'd let you know," he said.

Beomgyu nodded along as he listened to Taehyun talk about the incident between the two. By the time he was done, Beomgyu had his mouth hanging open as he searched his mind for words—

"I never knew that happened," he breathed, feeling slightly stunned.

"Well, now you do."

"But– why is your father so against it?" He asked, "if it's about finance then I don't think that should be a problem,"

"My uncle died at an early age. You know how netizens are, constantly attacking people who put themselves out there. My uncle couldn't handle the criticism well and he took his life on for that," Taehyun sighed. "Ever since then, my father has absolutely loathed anything to do with music. It took a ton of convincing for him to allow me to sign up for music classes, he has always seen me playing music as a mere hobby—not a career path I was serious about,"

Beomgyu didn't say anything. He didn't know any words that could be of comfort towards Taehyun at the moment. He hated these situations of not knowing what to say when Taehyun needed him the most.

"After the incident, he forbid me from attending my music classes, as well as throwing out every instrument which I kept in my room."

"What about the piano in your house?" Beomgyu inquired, strongly remembering the handsome grand piano which was right next to the stairs in the living room.

"It was my uncle's. No matter how much my father hated the sight of me playing music, he just couldn't bring himself to throw away something which had so much value to his late brother. Not like I can play it though—I'd earn a beating," he added quickly.

"Is this why you were so stuck on your career paths?"

Taehyun mumbled an "mhm," in response as they stared blankly at the clear blue sky. He really didn't need any words of comfort, simply letting it all out felt therapeutic, and he felt grateful for having someone like Beomgyu to listen to him.

"Well, I don't have a clue on what I'd like to be too, so let's discover more things and grow together," smiled Beomgyu which seemed to have lightened Taehyun's mood. "Thank you, Beomgyu," he said, ruffling the latter's hair lovingly.