This Friend | Yeonbin

4

Soobin P.O.V

The bell chimes as the door to the diner closes behind us, and I get a waft of gasoline from the gas station. Glorious. Yeonjun stretches, cracking his back into place. I find myself kind of marveling at the way his muscles move under his shirt.

Seriously, damn, boy.

“So where to?” he asks.

“Huh?”

“Where do you wanna go now?”

I frown. “Back to Jimmy’s?”

This was fun, but I feel a creeping dread about it. If Dad noticed I was missing, I don’t know what I’d tell him. I can’t say the truth, which is that I met a random guy in the bathroom and decided to leave with him because I thought he was gorgeous.

There are the rumors about me. I don’t know what Yeonjun’s deal is, and what he likes, but I feel hanging out one-on-one with a boy like him might add some fuel to that particular fire.

I don’t feel bad about being gay, I don’t even really care about it. It’s just what I am; boys have always done it for me. I like deep voices and short haircuts and big arms.

I especially like how boys look when they take off their shirts.

I just don’t want anyone to know yet. I suspect they’ll make a big deal out of it, which I don’t want. It’s none of their business. Me liking guys is my thing. It’s not like anyone’s trying super hard to date me, so for now, it doesn’t even matter.

“You don’t want to hit the beach or something?” he asks. “The water’s nice this time of night.”

“I can’t,” I say. “Dad will freak.”

He nods. “Fair.”

“Won’t your parents? Who are they, by the way?”

“We had a deal. No family talk tonight. Just us, being our own men, remember?”

“Oh, right.”

I get kind of a kick out of him calling me a man.

Still. I want to poke further about who this boy is, but a deal is a deal. We walk in silence, until we reach the back door of the bar.

“That was fun,” he says. “I get told I’m hard to read a lot, so I figured I’d just say it. I had fun.”

I nod. “I had fun, too.”

He tucks his hands into his pockets. “Maybe we could do it again sometime, then? Would you like that?”

I would. Very much. I’m not ready for this to be over. But maybe this should be a one-time thing. A welcome one, but I have a feeling hanging around him is a bad idea for me.

Am I being presumptuous? I don’t think this is a gay thing. It’s probably just a friend thing.

Or maybe not?

“Well, maybe next time you see me in the bathroom, you could ask,” I say.

So now I know flirting isn’t a gift of mine. Great.

He laughs. “I’ll keep an eye out. Well, I’m off. Later.”

“You’re not coming back in?”

“Nah, I’m going to head home.”

“Okay, well, nice meeting you or whatever.”

“It was nice meeting you, too, Soobin. Or whatever.”

Our eye contact lasts a little too long, and then he spins and walks away. I push open the door of the bar. I laugh, at the ridiculousness of this whole thing. I start coming up with a lie I can use if anyone asks where I went.

What can I say? I wanted some air?

I go in and see Taehyun. He’s talking to a family friend of ours, Cassidy (:random name as well:) giving her all his attention.

She’s in a short black dress and heels with red bottoms. Her hand is on his chest, sliding through the gap in the material of his shirt.

Dad is nowhere to be seen, which means he’s probably upstairs. That’s where the serious business is done.

Huh.

I don’t think anyone even noticed I left. That means I got away with it.

(: