Missing your presence | Yeongyu | Beomjun |

8 | True feelings |

Beomgyu's eyes widened in shock, and Yeonjun felt like the ground had been pulled out from under him. The words hit him like a punch to the gut, all the tension he'd been trying to suppress coming roaring back in full force.

Heeseung wasn't over it. He wasn't over Yeonjun. And now, he wasn't even trying to hide it anymore.

"Yeonjun," Beomgyu called out, his voice shaky as he turned toward him. "Can we—can we go?"

Yeonjun didn't need to be told twice. He stepped forward, slipping his arm around Beomgyu's waist, guiding him away from Heeseung without another word. His heart was pounding in his ears, and his mind raced with a hundred different thoughts, but none of them were coherent. All he knew was that he needed to get Beomgyu away from this situation as quickly as possible.

They walked in silence for several minutes, the distance between them and Heeseung growing with each step. But the further they got from the school, the more the tension seemed to ease.

"I didn't know he still felt that way," Beomgyu finally muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. He looked shaken, his hands trembling slightly.

Yeonjun stopped walking and turned to face him, gently cupping his cheek. "It's not your fault," he said softly. "Heeseung's dealing with his own stuff. But I'm here, okay? You and I—we're stronger than this."

Beomgyu looked up at him, his eyes glassy with unshed tears. "I just... I don't want to hurt anyone. But I love you, Yeonjun. Only you."

Yeonjun felt his heart swell at the words, a small smile tugging at his lips. He leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to Beomgyu's forehead. "I know. And I love you too. We'll figure this out. Together."

They stayed like that for a moment, wrapped in each other's arms as the world moved on around them. But even as they held each other close, Yeonjun couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't over.

Heeseung wasn't done yet.

And neither was the storm that was slowly brewing on the horizon.

---

The weekend had passed uneventfully, but despite Beomgyu's reassurances, Yeonjun couldn't shake the lingering discomfort from their encounter with Heeseung. It gnawed at him in quiet moments, resurfacing every time his mind wandered back to that conversation Beomgyu had with Heeseung alone.

It wasn't until the following week, on a rainy Tuesday afternoon, that Yeonjun's suspicions were confirmed.

The day had been a typical school day. Classes, lunch with their usual group of friends, and small moments between him and Beomgyu that kept their bond feeling solid. However, as they headed toward the school gates to leave, Yeonjun noticed Heeseung standing nearby, his gaze locked on them.

Beomgyu noticed too and immediately tensed, his steps faltering. "Let's just go the other way," Beomgyu muttered.

Yeonjun nodded in agreement, but before they could turn around, Heeseung called out, "Wait! Beomgyu! Can we talk?"

Beomgyu sighed, glancing at Yeonjun, but Yeonjun caught something in Heeseung's expression—something that made his heart sink. He gently squeezed Beomgyu's hand, whispering, "Go ahead. I'll wait here."

Beomgyu reluctantly walked over to where Heeseung stood, the tension between them obvious. Yeonjun stood back, watching, his chest tight with apprehension. He could see Heeseung talking to Beomgyu, his expression unusually serious.

Minutes passed, and Beomgyu eventually came back, a frown tugging at his lips. He didn't say anything at first, but Yeonjun could sense his frustration.

"What did he say?" Yeonjun asked, his voice low.

Beomgyu exhaled sharply. "He apologized again... but this time, he admitted something."

Yeonjun's stomach twisted as he waited for Beomgyu to continue.

"He said that when he confessed to me back then," Beomgyu began, "it wasn't because he had genuine feelings for me. He only did it because... because he thought it would bring him closer to you. He figured if I fell for him, you'd come running back to him, jealous or something. It was all part of some stupid plan."

Yeonjun's eyes widened in disbelief. "So... he never liked you?"

Beomgyu shook his head, looking both hurt and relieved. "No. It was all fake. He was just using me to try to get to you."

The realization hit Yeonjun like a ton of bricks. Heeseung's every action—every lingering glance, every time he asked Beomgyu for help or tried to be near him—it had all been a ploy. He wasn't interested in Beomgyu at all. He had been playing a game, trying to manipulate the situation to rekindle whatever feelings he thought Yeonjun might still have for him.

"That's... disgusting," Yeonjun muttered, anger simmering beneath his skin. "I can't believe he would do that."

"I know," Beomgyu said softly, his voice tinged with sadness. "I feel so stupid for not seeing it sooner."

Yeonjun immediately pulled him into a hug. "No. Don't ever feel stupid. You didn't do anything wrong."

Beomgyu hugged him back tightly, burying his face in Yeonjun's shoulder. "I just feel bad that I trusted him enough to let him get that close. I should've seen through him."

Yeonjun gently stroked Beomgyu's hair, holding him close. "We both trusted him at some point. But now we know who he really is, and we don't have to let him mess with us anymore."

They stood there for a long moment, holding each other as the rain began to drizzle down around them. Yeonjun felt a renewed sense of protectiveness over Beomgyu. He wasn't going to let anyone—especially not someone like Heeseung—come between them again.

As they finally pulled apart, Yeonjun glanced back toward where Heeseung had been standing, but he was already gone. For a moment, Yeonjun felt a mix of relief and pity. Heeseung's actions had been driven by desperation and a need for something he could no longer have. But that didn't excuse the hurt he'd caused.

"We'll be okay," Yeonjun said firmly, looking into Beomgyu's eyes. "No more games. Just us."

Beomgyu smiled, his eyes softening as he nodded. "Just us."

And with that, they turned and walked away from the school, leaving Heeseung—and his hidden motives—behind.

---

Author's note

I hope you guys can understand this more clearly 🫶🏻

Thank you all for reading 🫶🏻🫶🏻