Doodlebug | Beomjun, yeongyu |

Chapter no. 14

Now, here they were, in the dimly lit haven of the kitchen alcove, Yeonjun's raw vulnerability finally shattering the dam of Beomgyu's self-doubt.

"Why?" Beomgyu asked again, his voice barely a whisper. This time, the question wasn't just about wanting an explanation, it was a plea for reassurance.

Yeonjun sighed, a weary smile gracing his lips. "Because you, Beomgyu," he started, his voice soft but firm, "are the light in this darkness. You always have been."

Beomgyu blinked, confused. Light? Him?

"You see," Yeonjun continued, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes, "everyone else finds your clumsiness annoying. But me? I find it oddly... sexy."

Beomgyu's jaw dropped, his mind short-circuiting. Sexy? Yeonjun thought his clumsiness was sexy?

"There," Yeonjun chuckled, reaching out to ruffle Beomgyu's hair again. "Does that answer your question?"

Beomgyu watched, mesmerized, as Yeonjun expertly maneuvered the frying pan, a newfound appreciation blooming in his chest. Here was Yeonjun, the stoic and reserved one, taking care of him, a domesticity Beomgyu never thought he'd witness.

"You know," Beomgyu ventured, hesitant but emboldened by Yeonjun's earlier confession, "I thought you were just putting up with me."

Yeonjun paused, mid-turn, a look of surprise flickering across his face. "Putting up with you?" he echoed, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Beomgyu muttered, feeling his cheeks heat up again. "Like we were in that zico thing together"

Yeonjun set the pan down with a soft thud and met Beomgyu's gaze head-on. The intensity in his eyes momentarily robbed Beomgyu of breath.

"Beomgyu," Yeonjun began, his voice low and serious, "we are always going to be together," he finished, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

"hmm?"

"Yeah," Yeonjun confirmed, taking a step closer. "So don't trust anyone but me"

Beomgyu nodded.

***

The tension in the classroom was as thick as the pre-calculus equations scrawled across the board. Everyone was hunched over their desks, scribbling furiously as the clock ticked down to the next round of exams. Beomgyu, seated next to Taehyun, felt a growing sense of unease that had nothing to do with the geometry problems before him. He nervously unfolded a small, crimson-blue piece of paper tucked into his textbook. It was blank, except for a single, bold letter "A" scrawled in the center, and a crudely drawn joker card with a manic grin printed below.

His heart pounded a frantic rhythm against his ribs. This was the note system Kai had warned them about– a cryptic message system to alert them if a student was in danger. "A" meant a student whose name started with "A." Panic clawed at Beomgyu's throat. Who could it be? His gaze darted around the classroom, searching for a sign of distress.

Across the room, Yeonjun's brow furrowed as he caught sight of Beomgyu clutching the crumpled paper, his face pale with terror. Even from a distance, Yeonjun sensed something was terribly wrong.

Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream pierced the tense silence. Everyone froze, heads snapping towards the source of the sound – the large open window at the back of the classroom. In a horrifying ballet of terror, a figure seen tumbled through the window, landing with a sickening thud on the pavement below.

Pandemonium erupted. Students shrieked, chairs clattered to the floor as everyone scrambled to the window, a morbid curiosity battling with sheer terror. Beomgyu felt the air leave his lungs. His vision tunneled, the classroom blurring into a kaleidoscope of frantic movement. He stumbled back from the throng, gasping for breath.