Between The Hidden World And Ours... - [YEONGYU FF]

Chapter 9

Feeling his cheeks burn as Yeonjun slid his shorts down, Beomgyu turned away and focused on the water splashing against the rocks, not paying attention to Yeonjun wading into the sea.

Until his hand reached out, and touched his bare shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

Beomgyu quietly gasped, and glanced up at Yeonjun.

"What?"

Yeonjun sat down beside him, their eye contact not breaking.

"For whatever happened in the past to you that makes you react this way... I'm really sorry, Beomgyu. I don't mean it out of pity, I truly mean it."

From the somber yet caring look in Yeonjun's soft eyes, Beomgyu was somehow reassured that this was... truly genuine.

A gulp slid down his throat.

It was at that moment, where he gazed into his eyes, that Beomgyu finally realized that Yeonjun had only been genuine all this time, even always apologizing whenever he threw a tantrum.

And here he was again, comforting him when some may say he doesn't deserve it.

"I... I'm sorry too Yeonjun."

Beomgyu had no idea what overcame him— maybe it was the heat from the unintentional intimacy being naked in the water with someone else gave him— but he lifted his palm up to touch Yeonjun's hand on his shoulder, letting the water run between their fingers.

"For pushing you away, when you only meant well."

Silence filled the air, minus the gentle back and forth sloshing of the ocean waves.

Beomgyu couldn't bring himself to look into Yeonjun's eyes, not after finally confessing to him what happened in the past.

He didn't see the pure mere shock coating Yeonjun's expression, things suddenly making more sense than ever before.

I should've known... I was close to turning out that way too.

"I know exactly how this feels," Yeonjun began.

Beomgyu finally lifted his head, brows furrowed.

"What?"

Yeonjun's gaze shifted back on him, making Beomgyu's skin crawl even though he wasn't touching him anymore. 

"I know how it feels to be singled out for your interests."

Beomgyu's pupils shrank.

"You..."

Yeonjun sighed, nodding his head.

"When people think of scientists, most of them think they'd study things like plants, animals, volcanos, fossils, and so on. So... when a so-called 'black sheep' like me comes in, there's bound to be people who exclude and look down on me."

Beomgyu was at a loss for words.

"At many of our meetings or dinners, I was sometimes even given other meals than everyone else, because people wanted to see the 'difference' between regular scientists, and an outsider. And I was often given weird looks by other people, thinking I'm crazy for researching recent evolutions, and trying to change what has already been set in the history of science."

Yeonjun saw the way Beomgyu's expression dropped even further. He couldn't see into Beomgyu's brain, where the wheels were... they couldn't process it.

Why are people like this? Why do they hate those who are different and beyond what's the norm?

Once more, they fell into quietness.