The Boy Next Door | Taegyu ✔️

38

Hoping to get some fresh air, Yeonjun headed to the school's park during lunch. Being surrounded by nature felt like a breather from the suffocating classroom environment. He made his way towards one of the benches which faced the school's lake, but once he got there, Beomgyu and Taehyun had already taken his spot.

Bad timing, Yeonjun thought to himself as he walked away.

"You wanted to tell me something?" He heard Beomgyu ask. Yeonjun knew better than to eavesdrop on their conversation, but the curiosity of what Taehyun was about to tell him was daunting.

"Well- yes," spluttered Taehyun. It has been a while since he had heard him sounding so flustered. The urge for wanting to know what they could be referring to got the best of him as Yeonjun silently made his way behind a tree in an attempt to hear their conversation.

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

Yeonjun's heart sank. Like Taehyun, the topic was extremely sensitive and one which he didn't like to hear or talk about. But something within him made his feet rooted to the ground as he stayed put.

A few minutes or so passed by as Yeonjun heard Taehyun talk about his side of the story. Sure, he thought the latter was acting irrational and unreasonable back then. But he never knew why. He never knew the consequences which Taehyun had to go through back then. The subtle feeling of guilt rested on Yeonjun's shoulders as he slowly walked away.

Perhaps I'm the one to blame as well, he couldn't help but think to himself.

»»—— ♡ ——««

Detention today was abnormally quiet. Oftentimes, the two would bicker here and there about the stupidest things—but no. Only silence and the splashes of water filled the empty sports hall as neither of them said a single word throughout the whole of today's detention session.

An hour has passed as both of them were done with their sections of the hall. They went to wash their buckets and mops before picking up their bags and getting ready to leave.

"Wait!" Yeonjun called out just as Taehyun was about to leave.

"What?"

"I just want to talk, about what happened back in the states," he explained, getting straight to the point. Beating around the bush wouldn't do any good.

"I'm busy," replied Taehyun flatly, turning away before being stopped by a hand holding back his.

"FOR GOODNESS SAKE, TERRY. YOU AREN'T A 13-YEAR-OLD ANYMORE.  WILL YOU JUST LISTEN TO WHAT I HAVE TO SAY FOR ONCE?" Yelled Yeonjun, exasperated. Being constantly shut away or ignored made his blood boil. He was part of the whole mess so it would only make sense if he told his side of the story too.

Clearly taken aback by Yeonjun's sudden advance, Taehyun made his way towards the bleachers before placing his bag down. Yeonjun let out a heavy sigh before taking a seat next to Taehyun as well.

"I kind of...accidentally heard your conversation with Beomgyu during lunch," he said. Taehyun didn't know what to say or feel after hearing that, so he remained silent, signalling the latter to go on.

"I didn't know you had to go through all of that, neither did you deserve it. It is my fault to blame, given your current situation. I'm sorry. I was and am a horrible friend." Taehyun sat there, feeling flustered by the sudden apology.

"I know how much music had meant to you. I shouldn't have ditched you like that," he continued. "I know asking for your forgiveness would be too much, but I genuinely hope we'll be able to move on from it," Yeonjun continued, fiddling with his fingers nervously.

A brief moment of silence fell upon the two. "Well, it has been 2 years. I guess since you've apologised we should move on from it," said Taehyun.

Sensing the awkwardness, Taehyun mumbled a quick "see you," before getting up and leaving the sports hall.

The resent which filled his heart lifted slightly as the cool breeze caressed Taehyun's cheek. Making amends with Yeonjun wouldn't turn back time, neither would it change the fact that he was banned from playing music. But for the weirdest of reasons, patching up their friendship, even though it was just a single step, made Taehyun feel a lot lighter—as if a ton of bricks have been lifted off his shoulders as he walked out of the school campus.

[ A/N: I posted late HAJDJSJDJD Also dwdw some real shit is about to come up 😫👍🏻 thank you to everyone who's still reading this fanfic even up until this point of the story :) ily 💖 ]