Under the sky in room 553

6

"Hyung! Come sit, quickly." Beomgyu hurriedly patted the space next to him on his bed, tucking his legs and positioning the guitar atop his lap.

Yeonjun calmly closed the bedroom door, a brow raised as he made his way over. Apparently, it was too slow for Beomgyu's liking, because the pat immediately grew more impatient. "What's the rush? It's not like you're going anywhere!"

"Just shut up and come sit, I have something cool to show off." The younger proudly grinned, swiftly producing a guitar pick from his hoodie pocket once Yeonjun was where he wanted him to be. "Well, actually, it's just a new song I discovered. I spent all night learning the melody!"

This earned him an amused chuckle as Yeonjun leaned back, an arm supporting himself when he regarded the boy with a tilted head. "For me? That's adorable."

"Not for you! It's not always about you, God—" Beomgyu let out an exaggerated groan, trying his best to make it convincing when in reality his heart almost jumped at being found out. "Sure, sure. Whatever. Let's hear it, musician."

Beomgyu only shot him a look before clearing his throat, positioning his fingers for the first chord. Silence momentarily enveloped them as he mentally prepared himself. Somehow, this felt more intimate than it should be.

Relax, it's just you playing your best friend a song. It has no deeper meaning beyond that.

Yet, when he was about to sing, he caught Yeonjun staring at him like he saw right through him. Beomgyu felt awfully barren, like his soul was stripped naked. A blush crept up his neck, burning the tip of his ears. He averted his gaze, now intensely staring at his guitar strings, head hung low.

But he sang anyway, because the tension in the silence was beginning to take his mind places he'd rather not be. Not when Yeonjun was in the same room.

Just what was wrong with him?

"Remember the way you made me feel,"

Was it because they were both going through puberty that he was suddenly feeling this way about his best friend? Or had it been there all along, but he was too indifferent and naive to notice?

"Such young love but, something in me knew that it was real,"

Was it because of their changing looks? Or Yeonjun losing his baby fat and hitting his growth spurt?

"Frozen in my head. Pictures I'm living through for now,"

Did he get more handsome? And since when were his features so defined? Had his lips always been this pouty?

"Trying to remember all the good times. Our life was cutting through so loud,"

Then, Beomgyu did something he knew he would regret in hindsight—he looked up. The consequences caught up to him faster than he would have liked, because the look in Yeonjun's eyes that he was met with almost made him short-circuit.

"Memories are playing in my dull mind I, hate this part, paper hearts,"

Had he always stared at him like that? Even when he wasn't looking?

Beomgyu realised a heartbeat later that he'd rather not know the answer to that question.

"And I'll hold a piece of yours,"

The boy looked away, internally reprimanding himself for letting his voice go off-pitch. Even so, a pair of eyes still burned holes through the back of his head.

"Don't think I would just forget about it,"

How come Yeonjun's stare was so intense that he could still feel it even when he wasn't looking? Or was he making it all up in his head?