Yeonjun and his mom help his dad into the house, stealing him with an arm around his back when he almost stumbles back a few steps.
His dad's a lot better now, legs a little weak since he hasn't been walked in a while but besides that he insists he's great.
Yeonjun slides a stray envelope under the doormat when his eyes land on one that looks particularly dreadful, they've been doing their best to avoid receiving one of those. Times caught up with them, it seems.
His parents' don't need that stress added onto everything else they've got going on, he'll deal with it himself later, once his parents are in bed. Which will probably be soon because they got back late and old people tend to go to bed early.
It's been a little over two weeks since Yeonjun packed all his things and moved back in with his parents—he gave up his own apartment while he lived with Beomgyu because it saved him money that he thought would've lasted him a lot longer that it has. Or will, because he knows he's going to use it trying to keep this house.
That envelop can give them a final warning or evict them but he'll still fight for his home, he grew up here and his parents love this place, there's no way he's letting them lose it. He'll tie himself to the house itself if he has to.
He could use the money Beomgyu paid him after he said he didn't want it, but it feels wrong to touch it. Sometimes he just sits there and stares at the amount in his bank, it'd be with astonishment if the guilt of it didn't eat him alive.
He remembers a time when all Beomgyu was to him was a pay cheque. Simpler times.
It was easier then, to sit there and think of all the things he could do with it. Like go on holiday, buy off his house so that his parents didn't have to worry, but a private jet. Granted he didn't know how much he would be getting, but this is too much. He's not ungrateful, Beomgyu's done a lot for him and still paid him despite providing for Yeonjun the entire they lived together.
Yeonjun was basically a squatter, living in Beomgyu's apartment without paying a dime.
If he hadn't fallen for him, he'd look back at the memory fondly, even boast to himself how he'd managed to land that job with a single photo and what he can now see as the most cringe-worthy bio ever.
But Yeonjun did fall for Beomgyu, he doesn't know when the feelings first started to bloom, he just remembers the day he felt like he'd been hit by a freight train of fondness as he watched Beomgyu playing games with him and his
family. He knew then that he liked him, and he knew the feeling definitely wasn't new because of how overwhelming the emotion was.
Beomgyu's hard not to fall for when you get to know him. From a glance, he's pretty, well-poised, and confident. Getting to know him is a whole different experience of luck and one Yeonjun got to witness—and give up.
He sighs, breaking out of his thoughts and finding that he and his mom have led his dad to his parents room. His mother pulls back the bedding so that her husband can slide in and pulls it over him once he's done grumbling in pain.
She nags at him to be careful and fluffs his pillow before shaking her head at him with a sigh and making her way to her side.
Yeonjun waits for them to get comfortable before he says goodnight and switches the light off for them, guessing that's been left for him to do since they're both in bed.
He closes the door to their bedroom that's leads straight out to their kitchen and his eyes land on the fridge. He approaches it, scanning over all the images and drawings stuck to it with a magnet.
The one Beomgyu admired when he first came here is close to the centre, sporting a red magnet on the top right corner and slanted slightly. It's a picture of him with his parents. He's crying, all red faced and snotty, about as happy as most kids around the age of one are. Beomgyu thought the photo was hilarious, Yeonjun thinks it's awful, there's so many nicer photos of baby him and they chose this one.
He pouts and lets himself drift further in the room, barely allowing himself to process anything in sight otherwise he'll see something that reminds him of Beomgyu again.
He makes it successfully to his room before the younger fully floods his head again (instead of staying in the back of his mind, which is the best Yeonjun can hope for lately).
He wards off the thoughts by quickly grabbing his toothbrush from out of his bag and heading to the bathroom, splashing his face with water and then brushing his teeth.
It's all wrong without the younger by his side, at Beomgyu's they had their own en-suite bathrooms yet overtime began preparing for the day ahead, or upcoming sleep, in the main bathroom. Beomgyu was always there next to him, red toothbrush in his hand as he focused on his teeth covered with white paste while Yeonjun focused on him.
Here, he tries to not glance at the empty space around him.
He never used to be lonely, now even when with his two parents, who he loves dearly, he still feels alone.
He asked Beomgyu what the younger expected to happen when the contract ended, and he meant it because a part of him hoped Beomgyu would answer. And if he answered, was Yeonjun in the question? Beomgyu didn't answer him, choosing silence and leaving Yeonjun in the dark.
Though that's not why Yeonjun's suddenly reminded about his question, he's reminded because he thinks if things went on for longer—if his feelings got stronger—he would've been fucked. He wouldn't have the strength to give Beomgyu up because he knows he deserves better even if Beomgyu can't see that, he's be selfish and hold onto him for as long as he could.
He barely did this time round and they still had over a month of their contract back then.
.•° ✿ °•.
Beomgyu stayed at Hueningkai's for a few days before he went back home (his parents' house).
For the first few days, his dad encouraged him to be happy; to look and act positive because apparently that helps, and to focus on work because he shouldn't be like this over one guy.
Eventually he gave up convincing his son to act in a way he clearly had no energy into doing and left him be, which again lasted for a few days.
The door to Beomgyu's work space opens and there stands his dad, scanning over his body with mind concern before he sighs. "The Hwa's are here, son."
Beomgyu huffs. He's done arguing at this point, if he has to get married to someone he has no romantic feelings for then he'll do it, apparently love only hurts anyway.
He runs his hands down his face, skin following the direction of his hands, and then stands to his feet.
Somehow the Hwa family haven't been thrown off by the publicity and drama surrounding Beomgyu recently. Something about bad publicity being good publicity, according to his dad. Which makes sense because when Beomgyu did some digging, he found out that the scandal resulted in an increase of sales when Beomgyu's new idea was out—the same one Yeonjun helped him come up with.
The thought of the boy, no matter how brief, brings all that misery back and he's close to slumping back down in his chair and saying he'll see to them later, but he's politer than that and doesn't want to get in trouble.
So he braces himself with a big inhale of air and follows after his dad when his elder is sure he's walking with him.
"You know I love you, your mother and your brother very much..." his dad says, attention trained to the area in front of him as he walks. "I wouldn't be who I am with your mother, she's the reason I've grown as much as I have and made all the improvements I have to make it this far."
Beomgyu's barely listening, he's hasn't listen to his father properly in a while now, eyeing the floor as he hums, uninterested.
"You find that one person who makes you realise who you are, and you find that when they do, they'll hold a piece of you forever... Sometimes it takes a bit of getting to know that person before you realise this, love is rarely a first-sight thing."
His dad laughs and then says, reminiscent, "I think it was for us, but it took me a lot longer to realise because she was so temperamental."
The rest of the walk is silent and Beomgyu almost collides with his dad before he comes to a stop, finding the Hwa family, his mother and his brother waiting for them.
Aisha waves at him shyly, her hand staying at her side as she does. Yeonjun was right when he said she was pretty but that doesn't mean she's Beomgyu's type.
Beomgyu's type is a certain boy who he was forced to let go.
He's had a few encounters with Aisha since Yeonjun left. Tried to force himself to love her, it worked to no avail. It's not the same and it never will be. That something he has with Yeonjun is missing and it's the very thing he needs to feel.
He remembers Yeonjun saying that even if the main characters in the movie they watched didn't end up together, he had to think that at least they were happy, but he's not happy. He's miserable.
It's honestly pathetic how much he's been moping but he's stuck back inside a room with four walls and no annoying fake-boyfriend to come cheer him up in whatever way he decides to pester him.
He has Kai, he promised him he'd make more time for him and he kept it, but he's pretty sure even Kai can see that there's a part of Beomgyu he can't solve either. Aware that his Hyung probably goes home to clutch onto the pillow he'll be crying into.
This can't be the end when he's not happy, not when a part of himself is so empty.
Beomgyu's dad (Byungho) looks over his shoulder at his son before welcoming the family with a polite bow and a handshake. It's a short greeting for each, polite smiles and quiet words exchanged like they're both faced with royalty.
Awkward, not at all how Beomgyu felt when he met Yeonjun's warm parents and their happy smiles.
Byungho turns to his son. "Someone who does all that your mother does for me, that's who you need in your life..." His dad pauses, taking in a long breath. It works in dragging out the tension too. "They're the person you should marry."
His dad faces the Hwa family, eyes sweeping over each of the three individuals with an even stare. "Which is why I can't go through with this agreement."
"What?" Beomgyu's eyes widen and his dad, again, glances at him. This time smiling softly.
Aisha's dad opens his mouth, expression sour, but all it takes is the sign of his dad's hand for him to fall silent, stepping back. "I'd like to discuss this with you in private, and apologise for anytime wasted... but first I'd like to talk to my son," Byungho dismisses himself and gestures for Beomgyu to walk ahead.
Shocked and confused, Beomgyu hesitates, staring at the Hwa family before he exits the room.
His dad closes the door once they've left the room and folds his arms over his chest when he stares silently at his son, the silence lingering like a buzzing electric current.
"At first, I thought Yeonjun was a waste of space... I didn't think he was good enough for my son, or my family, but–" he pauses with a sigh." Seeing you back here... like this." He gestures at Beomgyu with a hopeless sigh.
Admittedly, Beomgyu had let go of himself after his contract with Yeonjun ended prematurely. The relationship wasn't real, but he'd grown to love Yeonjun and so the pain was. Heartbreak was worse than he could've previously imagined, and as it's the first time in his life where he's felt like this, he hasn't handled it well.
He brushes a hand through his matted hair, insecurity washing over him at the comment, which he knows his dad didn't intend to do.
"The most important thing about my relationship with your mother, is that we love each other." His dad pauses a few beats. "I overlooked that when I was arranging your marriage because I thought you could grow to love Aisha. I never realised how important love was because your mother and I had it easy, we were both wealthy and educated so the relationship was never questioned."
His dad looks around them before meeting Beomgyu's eyes and shrugging, one of his hands casually tucked in the pocket of his jeans. "So, if you want to love him, then love him, just don't regret it."
"It doesn't matter what I choose now, dad. I doubt he'd even look at me."
"If you never try, you'll never know."
Beomgyu sighs, a part of him doesn't want to know. The part that fears a new rejection and a fresh wave of pain.
"I'm scared," he admits through a ragged breath and his pained eyes meet his father's clear ones.
His dad shrugs, not unsympathetically but to brush his fear off in a way Beomgyu might understand. His eyes move to the left as he speaks, "the best state to do anything in is when fear. Feeling that rush of adrenaline and our mind screaming at us to stop and still doing it proves how brave we are."
"I don't want to hurt more than it already does..." he mumbles lower than a whisper and eyes the floor.
He knows Yeonjun, he's stubborn and almost immovable when he sets a decision, especially when he thinks he's doing what's right.
"You have your family and friends if he does reject you, but you won't need us because you'll have him." Beomgyu has to fight back tears from his dad's sudden undying support.
He wishes it came earlier but he's happy to take it now since it may never have came at all in another life time, and he's going to use the support to motive him into getting Yeonjun back.
✿ End of Part 36 ✿