"Bin?"
"Yeah?"
"Is something bothering you?... You're kinda quiet today."
Soobin looked down at his food, "I'm just thinking."
"About what?"
Soobin sighed and didn't make eye contact as he replied, "I just umm... I-I never got to come out to my parents."
"You still can if you want to."
"No, I can't."
"Yes, you can... Just because you can't hear them, doesn't mean they can't hear you."
"It's not the same, Jun."
Yeonjun sighed knowing Soobin was right, "If it's bothering you this much, you should talk to them."
"Can't they already see what's going on? You just said they could hear me."
"Maybe... But they probably wanna hear it from you too."
Soobin softly smiled and looked up at Yeonjun, "They really would've loved you, Jun."
Yeonjun smiled back, "Thanks, bin... I can be right next to you when you talk to them if you want."
"Umm... I think I should talk to them myself."
"Yeah, of course... If you need me, just gimme a call, ok?"
"Thank you."
"I got you, bin..." Yeonjun looked over at Taehyun, noticing how Beomgyu wasn't there, "TaeTae, where's Beomgyu?"
"Redoing another reading test... He has a really hard time with that class."
"Why?"
"I don't know... I try to help him, but he never lets me. I think he gets embarrassed."
"Do you want me to talk to him?"
"No, it's ok—"
"Hey." Beomgyu said as he sat down at their table, looking a bit upset.
"Hey, how'd it go?"
Beomgyu sighed and put his head in his hands, "Can we please not talk about it?"
Taehyun pouted, "Did it not go well?"
"I just said I didn't wanna talk about it."
Taehyun sighed, "Beom, if you need help—"
"I get it, Tae! I'm a fucking idiot, ok?! Leave me alone!" Beomgyu said before grabbing his stuff and quickly storming out of the cafeteria before anyone could say anything.
Taehyun was about to run after him, but Yeonjun stopped him, "TaeTae, lemme talk to him, ok?"
"Are you just gonna yell at him because he snapped at me?"
"No... Just lemme try and talk to him."
Taehyun hesitantly sat back down, "I'm coming in two minutes... He probably went to the janitor's closet."
"The one next to the library?"
"Yeah."
"Thanks..." Yeonjun said as he ran out of the cafeteria and went straight to the janitor's closet. Yeonjun slowly turned the knob and peeked his head inside, "Beomgyu?"
Beomgyu looked up, confused why Yeonjun was there, "Yeonjun-hyung?... I-I'm sorry I yelled at Tae—"
"It's ok..." Yeonjun said softly as he came inside, closing the door behind him. He quietly sat down next to Beomgyu, bringing his knees up to his chest like Beomgyu was doing, "He was just trying to help you out."
Beomgyu sighed, "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to yell at him."
"I know you didn't... Wanna tell me why you're so upset?"
Beomgyu sighed again and let his head fall onto his arms, "I'm too embarrassed to tell Tae."
"Tell him what?"
"I-I have dyslexia."
Yeonjun hesitated for a moment, "Beomgyu... You shouldn't be embarrassed by that. You can't control it."
"I'm just fucking stupid and my parents didn't care enough to get me tested and... ugh... It's just saying that I'm dumb—"
Beomgyu cut himself off when he heard the door open. They both snapped their heads towards the door, seeing Taehyun peeking his head inside, "Are you ok, beommie?"
"Tae, I'm really sorry... I didn't mean to yell at you."
"I umm... I'll let you guys talk." Yeonjun awkwardly said as he stood up.
"Thanks, Jun."
Yeonjun smiled as he slid behind Taehyun to walk out the door. Taehyun closed the door behind him and walked over to Beomgyu, taking a seat next to him, "What's going on, gyu?"
Beomgyu sighed and buried his head into his arms, "I-I have d-dyslexia."
"What?... Really?"
"I know I'm stupid, ok? That's why the only thing I can do is fix stupid cars because I don't have to fucking read anything—"
"Beom..." Taehyun said softly as he wrapped an arm around Beomgyu's shoulder, "You're not stupid."
"You don't have to lie to me, Tae... I get terrible grades in all my classes because I can't fucking read. And I don't have help because my parents never fucking got me tested and none of my teachers have noticed and... ughhh... I can't fucking take it anymore..." Beomgyu lifted his head up and took his glasses off, "And these stupid glasses aren't helping me at all."
"Ok, babe... Just take a breath..." Beomgyu hesitantly took a breath as he slid his fingers through his hair out of frustration, "I'll ask my parents about getting you tested and then you can get all the help you need. You can get extra time on tests and you can get a tutor to help you. And you can always ask me for help on homework—..." Taehyun stopped himself when he heard Beomgyu sniffle, "Hey... Are you crying?"
"N-No... I-I just g-got something in m-my eye."
"Awwww, beommie... Lemme see."
Beomgyu hesitantly lifted his head up and looked at Taehyun with tears streaming down his cheeks.
Taehyun brought his hands up to cup Beomgyu's face, wiping the tears away with his thumbs, "If I thought you were stupid, I wouldn't be here trying to find ways to help you... Being stupid and having a literal learning disability are not at all the same thing."
"Ummmm... C-Can you come w-with me when I-I get t-tested?"
"Yeah, of course... I'll be right next to you."
"I-I'm sorry I yelled."
"It's ok... I know this is frustrating, babe... You just gotta lemme help you, ok? I'm just trying to help."
"I know... I'm sorry."
"It's ok..." Taehyun gave him a gentle kiss before asking, "You wanna go back out?"
"Can we stay here? Just for a little longer?"
"Of course."
. . . . .
"Soobin-ssi?"
Soobin turned around when he heard Jimin call his name, "Yes, Mr. Park?"
Jimin softly smiled, "I got something in the mail today that I think you're gonna like."
Soobin furrowed his eyebrows at Yeonjun, who had the same confused look on his face. Soobin walked over to his teacher, "What is it?"
"Would you like me to read it to you?" Jimin asked as he grabbed an envelope from his desk, pulling out a letter inside.
"Sure, I guess so."
Jimin smiled as he unfolded the paper and cleared his throat, "Dear Mr Park Jimin... I send you my most sincere congratulations to inform you that your student, Choi Soobin, has been chosen as one of our ten finalists for the annual South Korean Essay Scholarship Award..."
Soobin's jaw dropped, "W-What?..."
Yeonjun gasped and moved closer to him as Jimin smiled and continued, "I invite you and your student, Choi Soobin, to join us at the award ceremony where you can each bring one guest, as well as the parents/guardians of the student."
"O-Oh my god..." Soobin said quietly in shock as he ran his fingers through his hair.
"Oh my gosh, bin!!..." Yeonjun said excitedly as he smiled and jumped up and down, "I told you your essay was incredible!!"
Soobin smiled as he jumped up and down with Yeonjun, "I can't believe this!!"
"Ok, ok... Quiet down..." Jimin laughed out with a wide smile, making his eyes close, "The ceremony is next week and there's a bunch of information in here, so..." Jimin reached behind him and grabbed a piece of paper, "I made a copy of the letter for you."
Soobin grabbed the piece of paper and smiled wide at it, his dimples deep in his cheeks, "Thank you, Mr. Park! I never could've gotten this if you didn't help me with my essay."
"Soobin-ssi, it's your essay... You should be proud of yourself!"
Soobin just smiled as he quickly gave Jimin a huge hug, taking him by surprise, "Thank you so much, Mr. Park."
Jimin lightly returned the hug, "Of course... You don't have to thank me."
. . . . .
Soobin paced back and forth in front of his couch, feeling anxious, "Soobin, calm down." He said to himself as he rubbed the back of his neck.
He quickly sat down, shaking his leg up and down and taking a shaky deep breath, "Mom? Dad?... I know it's been a while, but I wanted to talk to you guys real quick."
Soobin could hear his mother's voice in his head, "What's going on, Soob?"
"I ummm... I-I've been questioning myself for a while and I-I never got the chance to tell you. I-I've never really came out to anyone b-but ummm... I-I think I-I'm... gay."
Soobin squeezed his thighs tight and his breath hitched... He never said that out loud, not even to Yeonjun. And he definitely never expected it to slip out of his lips so easily. He felt the tears coming and bit his bottom lip to stop them from falling.
"I-I ummm... I-I'm in l-love with my b-boyfriend... Y-Yeonjunie... Y-You would've l-loved him. H-He's so kinda a-and gentle a-and he's a r-really good cook..." Soobin laughed to himself a little, feeling the tears fade away as he felt more comfortable talking about Yeonjun, "I-I hope you aren't d-disappointed, b-but I guess you already know a-all of this... I-I ummm... I love you a-and I hope you're having a n-nice day."
Soobin smiled to himself feeling like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders. He knows it's not the same as his parents actually being there, but he felt a lot better. He pulled out his phone, immediately calling Yeonjun.
hello?
h-hey, jun.
hey, what's up?
i-i did it.
what?
i-i talked to m-my parents.
oh, how'd it go? you ok?
*sniff* i-i've never s-said that out loud before.
i know... baby, i'm so proud of you.
i-i wish *sniff* th-they were h-here.
binnie, i know... i'm so sorry. it's ok... do you want me to come over? i can get ice cream.
y-you don't *sniff* have t-to... i-i just w-wanted to h-hear your voice.
hey, hey... everything's ok, bin... please don't cry... it breaks my heart.
i-i'm s-sorry *sniff*
no, no, no... i'm grabbing my jacket and i'm heading over, ok? just stay on the phone with me and talk... tell me about what happened.
*muffled sobs*
bin?... i'm coming, ok? are you alright?
*sobs* i-i told them i-i'm g-g— *sobs*
i know, baby... i know... i'm right here, ok?
*sobs*
binnie?... hey, everything's ok.
*sobs*
bin?... talk to me... i promise everything's ok.
*sobs*
soobinnie?... hey, i'm gonna come inside... is that ok?
*sniff* y-yeah *sobs*
Yeonjun quickly opened the door with his key, closing the door behind him with his foot and shoving his phone into his pocket before running over to Soobin. He was sobbing hard with the phone still attached to his ear. Yeonjun knelt down in front of him on the couch and instantly hugged him, letting Soobin cry onto his shoulder.
Yeonjun softly whispered, "I'm here, bin... I got you, ok?... ssssshhhhh... Everything's ok, bin."
Soobin continued to sob, not being able to speak at all.
Yeonjun gently brought his hand up, "Lemme take this, ok?" He whispered as he tried to take the phone out of Soobin's hand.
Soobin loosened his grip as he continued to sob onto Yeonjun's shoulder.
Yeonjun closed Soobin's phone and put it on the coffee table before wrapping his arms around Soobin again. Yeonjun gently rubbed his back and stroked his hair as he whispered, "Baby, I got you, ok?... sssssshhhh... I'm really proud of you."
Soobin's sobs turned into sniffles and soft breathing after a few minutes.
"Lemme see, bin..." Yeonjun whispered, causing Soobin to lift his head up and look at Yeonjun with his puffy red eyes. Yeonjun cupped his cheeks and wiped his remaining tears away with his thumb, "What're you feeling, bin?... Talk to me."
Soobin sniffled before quietly saying, "I-I feel f-free."
Yeonjun slightly smiled, "You ok?"
"J-Just kinda o-overwhelmed."
"That's perfectly fine... Give yourself a minute to calm down... Deep breaths."
Soobin took a few slow deep breaths and finally felt himself calming down.
"Do you wanna talk about it?"
"I just told them that I love you and that I'm gay."
Yeonjun's eyes widened since he's never heard Soobin say that. He hesitated for a moment before smiling and replying, "Well, I love you too, bin."
Soobin smiled and hugged his boyfriend, nuzzling his head into the crook of Yeonjun's neck, "Thank you for coming... I'm sorry."
Yeonjun wrapped his arms around Soobin's torso, rubbing his back to make him more comfortable, "Of course, bin... You have nothing to apologize for."
Soobin hugged him tighter, never wanting to let go, "Thank you."
"I got you, ok?... I always got you."
"Jun?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think my parents know when we have sex?" Soobin asked, laughing at the end.
Yeonjun laughed a little, "I honestly don't know... But I hope they know that's our private time."
"Ok, good... I don't need them seeing that."
Yeonjun laughed before asking, "Did they say they like me?"
"They love you, Jun... But not as much as I do."
Yeonjun smiled as he gently pulled away, bringing his hands up to cup Soobin's face before giving him a gentle kiss, "I love you too, bin... I wish I could've met them."
"My mom would love that you're a good cook and my dad would love that you take good care of me... And that you know how to fix random stuff because I don't know how."
Yeonjun smiled, "Well, I'm glad that they would've liked me."
"Jun, you're perfect, who wouldn't?"
"You're too cute..." Yeonjun looked up to the ceiling, saying, "Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Choi... I love Soobinnie a lot."
Soobin smiled and buried his head into Yeonjun's chest, causing Yeonjun to wrap his arms around Soobin.
"You ok?... I got you, baby."
Soobin nodded against Yeonjun's chest.
Yeonjun pulled away and gave Soobin a kiss before standing up and reaching out his hand, "Did you have anything to eat?"
Soobin shook his head, "Not yet."
"Wanna go to the diner?... We can get your rosemary plant on the way back."
Soobin smiled wide as he stood up and placed his hand in Yeonjun's, "Really?!"
"Yeah, of course."
"You're the best!"
"You deserve it... I'm so proud of you, bin."
. . . . .
"Which one do you want, babe?"
Soobin didn't know what to say as he looked at all the little plants displayed. His smile grew wider every second, "There's too many to choose from."
Yeonjun smiled at Soobin, "You wanted rosemary, right?... I think they're over here." Yeonjun said as he pointed to the rosemary plants.
Soobin walked over to him and leaned forward to get a closer look at the plants, "Annyeong..." Soobin said cutely as he touched the leaves on the plant, "How are you?"
"Ummm... I don't think they can talk." Yeonjun whispered.
"ssssshhhh... Be nice to the little baby plants. They're just kids."
Yeonjun lifted his hands up in surrender, "Sorry."
Soobin put his ear towards the plants, like they were talking to him, "They forgive you."
Yeonjun smiled wide, "You're so cute."
"You always say that."
"It's true..." Yeonjun said and smiled as Soobin focused on the plants, "Which one do you want, bin?"
"All of them."
Yeonjun chuckled a little, "You can get more than one if you want."
Soobin turned his head around and smiled, "Really? Can I?!"
"Of course... You don't have to get just rosemary."
Soobin quickly gave Yeonjun a hug and said, "I love you." before turning back around and trying to find which plant he wanted.
. . . . .
"You like them, binnie?"
Soobin smiled as he watered his plants, "I love them."
"What're their names?"
"The rosemary plant is Rosemary... obviously... But I don't know about the parsley... Maybe Swallowtail? I don't know."
"Swallowtail? Where'd you come up with that?"
"That's the butterfly that parsley worms turn into."
Yeonjun furrowed his eyebrows, "Parsley worms?"
"They're caterpillars that eat parsley. They turn into black swallowtail butterflies... They're so pretty."
"Why'd you call them worms?"
Soobin furrowed his eyebrows as he moved away from his plants since he finished watering them, "Because that's what they are."
"I thought you said they were caterpillars, though."
Soobin softly smiled and moved closer to Yeonjun, giving him a kiss on the cheek, "You're so cute, babe."
"Wait... Can you please explain? I'm confused"
"They don't live in the ground like earth worms. They're more like caterpillars, but they're just called parsley worms... You've probably seen them before. They're bright green with black stripes and yellow spots to blend in with the plant. They're actually super cool because if they feel threatened, they have two bright orange horns that come out of their head."
Yeonjun's eyes widened, "Caterpillars have horns?!"
Soobin laughed lightly, "Not all of them."
"Wait... Are you serious?"
"Yes, of course I am... You know I never joke about plants."
"But this is a caterpillar... I don't buy it."
"Look it up... I bet you can easily find a video of it."
Yeonjun quickly took out his phone, finding a video of it a few minutes later, "Oh my god, that's awesome!"
"I wasn't kidding when I said they have horns, Jun... You're so cute."
"You're cuter."
Soobin blushed as he smiled, "Stob it."
(A/N: yes... they are real... and yes... they actually have horns. this is a picture of a parsley worm that i took. it was on my stepmom's parsley plant and it was eating almost an entire branch of her plant haha. my dad and i wanted to see its horns, so we rubbed its back with a stick so it would show them... i promise we didn't hurt it at all and it went right back to eating parsley after we took the video... and yes... that is me saying "woah that's so cool" in the background hahah)
(A/N: aren't they cool? sorry i'm being dorky.... lol hope you're enjoying the book. thank you so much for reading it!! merci beacoup!! 감사합니다!!)