☁️🌼☁️
With the first green colours covering the city, the events and stress from the past two months seemed to vanish with the new semester arriving like a fresh breeze scattering it all away. Taeil felt himself being less negative and more his old bubbly self, putting on his typical smile more and more. Whether because of his grades that weren't as embarrassing as he thought they would end up to be or simply just because everything around the boy was nice and colourful, like spring. Mainly—his seatmate was there and not ignoring him as he feared.
Taeil sensed Doyoung had a hard time that he didn't tell him about but, nevertheless, he kept optimistic. The mute boy looked much better now when their surroundings glittered with life.
That morning the boy was almost pacing towards the school, grinning at the first sight of his friends that stood by the gates. Doyoung was there too, standing elegantly as always with his tall slim body sticking out even next to Johnny. He was earlier than usual but that didn't make Taeil any less enthusiast. Seeing his seatmate always made him feel happy but with the new semester, things noticeably changed between them.
Ever since the day when Doyoung texted him to hang out instead of Taeil having to gather some courage to ask him first, it felt different. As if they really were becoming best friends at that point—although Taeil wasn't sure about that term yet. They were closer than before, that was for sure.
One rainy afternoon the two randomly found a place to spend time at — a small but cosy café near where Taeil lived that smelled of cinnamon and chocolate. It was one of many unsaid rules between them to go there after drama class every Thursday but later they found themselves visiting the place more often than that. Besides the comfortable and calming atmosphere—perfect for studying in peace or just relaxing, the workers there were also one of the nicest people Taeil has ever met.
It ended up being something like their hideout spot, a tree-house their parents didn't know about—their own little secret. And Taeil loved it.
Bringing himself back to the present, the smaller greeted his friends with flashing smiles but that soon changed to frown when he noticed their faces. Even Doyoung, who until lately looked always expressionless, now appeared to be troubled by something. Taeil instantly wore a worried look, like the mom of the group he was.
"What's up?"
✈✈✈
"Are you sure he doesn't want to be friends with you anymore?" Taeil asked slowly as he sat down next to his friend, putting his arm around his shoulder.
"Well, he kinda made it sound like that..? I don't know, he told me that this morning and didn't give me a chance to ask for the reason." Yuta sighed, his usually big, sparkly eyes now full of sadness. The japanese tried to act as he understood and accepted Sicheng's request to stop hanging out but it was clear that it hurt him—a lot. It stung his heart like a needle, over and over again the more he thought about it.
"It's because of Ten, who else." Johnny groaned. He wasn't particularly angry, rather irritated.
Maybe the boy wasn't part of their clique entirely but in those few weeks they talked to Sicheng, they all saw him as a good friend. Sharing dance classes with the boy on top of that, Yuta obviously grew to like him the most. However, at the end of the day, the boy had a stronger bond with Ten and so whatever the thai boy didn't like about them, he decided to respect it and stick to his side.
Yuta shrugged as Taeil made him put his head on his shoulder, both lost in thoughts. Doyoung sat there the whole time, eating from a small bag of gummy bears he brought for the lunch break. He offered Yuta some which his friend gladly took, with a sad smile playing on his face. At least Doyoung was on their side, despite the already-known fact that there was a big possibility of him being closer to the other boys in the past.
It felt like a tunnel without the usual light at the end as no one had any idea what to do. Friendships begin and end, people come and go; that was normal. But still—Yuta cared for the dancer more than he admitted. All of them found the situation ridiculous yet sad, no one really blaming anyone though the silence was still heavy despite the sky being so clear and warm.
Taeil shook his head politely when Doyoung put the pack in his direction for him to take a few gummy bears as well—ignoring the small pout on the dark-haired boy's lips that his mind was probably just imagining. Instead, he glanced over to Johnny.
"It's weird. I know we're both at fault but...it's my fault for being a dick." Yuta clicked his tongue at Johnny's words while Taeil lifted his brow. "I still don't know the full story."
The group immediately looked around. They were currently sitting on old wooden benches near the school's concerted playground, almost all alone if it wasn't for a few girls doing some k-pop dances on the other side while being extremely loud. Despite that, luckily there was no one around to overhear their conversation so, with a quick clear of the throat, Johnny started explaining.
"Uh, first of all, it was him who made me realise that, frankly, um—well, my hair might be straight but I'm not." Johnny slowly looked up.
"Sis, we been knew." Yuta rolled his eyes just as Taeil smacked his arm.
Johnny nervously bit his lip. "Anyway, I tried to ignore my feelings for the sake of our friendship. You know, he was a pretty out-going person and all, and again I tried to ignore it. It felt like he was so different when it was just the two of us—which that made me feel special so I didn't care."
Johnny paused for a couple of seconds while all of them were at this point staring at him in worry. "He trusted me as a friend but when he needed me the most, I wasn't there." He felt the familiar pain in his chest, shutting his eyes. It was hard to admit at first but now he felt regretful.
His friends just waited in silence and he tried not to think how badly they must be judging him now.
"I feel like he wanted to tell me his full life story at some point but it was too late. When others started treating him like they do to this day, that jealousy and weeks of bottled up feelings emerged. I don't even remember it all—we just fought pretty bad and broke each other's hearts."
At that, Doyoung's body stiffened and Taeil noticed it from the corner of his eye. It felt painfully similar to the mute, but he quickly tried to shake the thoughts off in order not to raise suspicion.
"So, because of me, he's probably unable to trust anyone ever again and Sicheng being friends with us must've been especially hurting him, a lot."
None of them had any idea how to react nor what to say after he finished. Nature quietly buzzed in the background, mixing with the sounds of the city and the non-stopping Korean pop music. Doyoung already finished his pack of gummy bears, giving the last one to Taeil who gave in and ate it for the sake to make his seatmate happy. Yuta was observing his friend who still seemed to be thinking about the tiny dancer going by the name Ten.
"When did that happen?" Eventually, Yuta spoke up.
"At the end of the last summer, a week before school."
"Woah, that was after we kissed? I thought—"
Johnny snapped his head in his direction. "You two kissed?"
They all stayed quiet for a couple of seconds, Taeil eyeing the japanese who was visibly confused. "Wait, you don't know? It was a dare when we were at a party. Shit, I had no idea you liked him back then but I swear I wouldn't do it now, even it he asked."
The two of them stared at each other for a while, Johnny with unreadable expression and Yuta basically screaming how sorry he is.
Taeil decided to think back. Ten joined their school in March of the last year—too early for him to go through so much. Even he didn't experience what the boy did in years of attending the same school. Ten made friends in the first semester, lost all of them during summer and then entered hell when the second semester started. Taeil didn't have the chance to notice it nor keep up with all the drama that happened there during that time as it was just when Doyoung showed up and, well, Taeil never cared anyway. He was too focused on his studies which were surely more important than some gossips that only people who had nothing to do were interested in. He guessed that after everything perhaps Ten found the only reliable friend in Sicheng. It was understandable.
He was pulled out of his trail of thoughts when something softly tugged his sleeve. His friends were already standing up as the break was soon going to end while Doyoung still held onto his shirt, motioning to him to stand up too. Taeil sent him a small smile, the mute returning it with his warm gaze he usually wore when the two of them hang out alone.
It was one of the few things that changed as the spring came. Taeil smiled more because Doyoung started smiling more.
✈✈✈
The last classes ended with the students emptying the classes and filling the halls instead. Yuta was fast to find and open his locker with two swift moves when someone tapped his shoulder. He turned around confusedly but laughed right after when he found out it was just Doyoung. Yeah, just Doyoung, something that might sound a little bit rude to someone but was almost relieving to say for him. The two finally started to understand each other, mainly Yuta who now treasured his friendship with the mute after a long time of awkwardness and weird tension that happened to appear every time they were left alone. Now, it was gone and Yuta was more than relieved.
"What is it?" He asked curiously once he shut his locker closed.
Doyoung raised his arm, handing him a piece of paper and Yuta tried not to gasp in sudden excitement. He noticed the way Doyoung and Taeil communicated before and he always found it intriguing. As ridiculous and childish as it sounds, he felt like an agent on a mission while taking the small paper from his hands.
His mute friend gave him a slight, almost unnoticeable smile — another thing that was totally new to Yuta — and walked away, leaving him standing alone.
Not waiting any more second, Yuta unwrapped it as he headed outside himself, just in different direction. He didn't know what to expect but the message sure made his eyebrows furrow.
please, don't feel bad because of sicheng. you are a very good friend, the world is just too cruel to us. they all experienced a betrayal before so give them time.
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it's summer now, I know uhhh I literally have zero ideas how to write o-o I'll probably end the johnten drama in the next chapter or smtg because i really wanna finish this :<