Things just felt awkward when there was no need for it. And both the brothers seemed to radiate a dark energy.
"Yeonjun," Soobin replied, his tone neutral but with a hint of caution.
"What's going on?" Yeonjun asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked between the two of us. Both of us stood up, dusting the sand off ourselves.
"Just talking," I said quickly, feeling a sudden wave of nervousness.
I don't know why I was nervous but given how Yeonjun was throwing daggers with his eyes at Soobin, it was a wonder Soobin wasn't dead yet.
There was an undercurrent of tension between the two boys and I could feel it growing with each passing second.
Even though we three were out in the open, in front of a vast sea, it might have just been a small room with no windows because it felt suffocating.
"Talking?" Yeonjun repeated, his voice tinged with something that almost sounded like jealousy.
Clearly I was mistaken.
He was probably just angry at me talking to Soobin. But... Why?
I think we already went over the conversation that he could not dictate whether I talked to Soobin or not. And I kind of hoped after everything I told him today, it would help him understand Soobin a little more.
His gaze flicked to Soobin for a moment before returning to me.
"It's getting late, Yuri. We should head back" he said with finality.
I blinked, surprised by the sudden shift in his demeanor.
"Uh, yeah, I guess..." I looked questioningly at Soobin and there was a darkness around him that was terrifying. Yeonjun met that darkness with his own.
Before I could finish, Yeonjun reached out and gently but firmly took my hand, pulling me up from the sand.
I glanced back at Soobin, who was watching us with a mixture of that dark stare and something else I couldn't quite place.
"Soobin, we'll see you later," I called out.
Soobin just nodded, his expression unreadable. "Yeah. See you later, Yuri."
I gave Soobin a small, apologetic smile before letting Yeonjun lead me away I didn't even know why Yeonjun was behaving this way. As we walked back toward the cottages, I could feel the tension radiating from Yeonjun.
His grip on my hand was secure, almost possessive, and I couldn't help but wonder what was going on in his mind.
A little part of me wanted to stay with Soobin because Yeonjun didn't have a right to just swoop in whenever he wanted and act like an ass. And he was acting like an ass with a capital 'A' right now.
But the demeanor he had made me bite my statements before they could slip past my lips and follow him.
Maybe a little part of me wanted to follow him.
I somehow think that little part of me somehow always follow him.
"Yeonjun," I began cautiously, "are you okay?"
He didn't answer right away, his jaw clenched as if he was trying to keep his emotions in check.
We kept up our brisk pace till we were far enough from Soobin that he was only a speck in the background.
"Yeonjun, what is going on? You're acting weird" I say and he finally turns to look at me.
Finally, he spoke, his voice low and serious.
"You just disappeared after dinner. I didn't know where you were and when I searched, I found you here with him"
"So? We took a stroll to the beach after dinner. You guys were all talking so I didn't say anything to the group. Did anything happen after I was gone?" I say apologetically even thought I know deep down I don't have anything to be apologetic for.
It's not like Soobin and I were making out. And even if we were, there shouldn't be a problem. At least with Yeonjun. The the rest of school - well that was another discussion.
"I... I just... I didn't like seeing you with him like that" he says and looks away but not fast enough that I don't catch the pink freckling his cheeks.
"What do you mean?" I asked, confused by the sudden change in him. All of this was confusing to me and I wanted a bit of clarity.
Was he worried about my safety?
Why was he searching for me?
Why did he not like seeing me with Soobin?
Was he jealous of Soobin?
Surely that was not right. I was just reading too much into this.
He once again turned to face me, his eyes searching mine. He still kept his hand on mine and the warmth was welcoming. I just didn't know whether it was because of him or the chilly night air.
Somehow I was more aware of our touch than anything around us because I noticed even the slightest change in his grip as he tugged my hand, barely noticeable. I am sure he was also not sure he tugged my hand.
Maybe he wasn't even aware that he was still holding my hand.
As if reading my train of thoughts, he looked down at our entwined fingers but just when I thought he would let go, his grip tightened around me enough to know that it was his conscious decision.
And that alone somehow managed to release a flutter of butterflies in my stomach even when I was trying my best to fight it and stay mad at him for dragging me away in such a conspicuous manner.
He waited a minute, still looking at our hands before he answered.
"Seeing you with Soobin... I don't know, it just didn't sit right with me."
My heart skipped a beat at his words, and I felt a rush of emotions I wasn't sure how to handle.
This feeling was foreign to me and yet familiar because I had felt it so many times around him. But at the same time it confused me more times than an unsolvable crossword puzzle would.
My cheeks were burning due to unsaid reason and I tried to tame my heartbeat. I had to keep a leveled head to have a conversation with him. And for that I needed a stable heartbeat and clear mind.
What was happening?
Surely, Yeonjun was not jealous.
"Yeonjun, why? Soobin and I were just talking" I say cautiously because I don't want to say the wrong words.
We both have a habit of slipping into our usual routine of bickering and childish pettiness and I didn't want that, at least not now.
Although maybe that was better than having a real conversation with him right now about this.
He let out a breath, his expression softening slightly.
"I know. I just... I don't know okay. I went out to find you. And I couldn't. So I just wandered around. And when I saw you with him, I just felt like..." he trails off, still not looking at me but at our hands. His fingers flexes, tightening and loosening the grip on mine.
His words hung in the air between us, creating a thick tension that I could almost feel pressing against my skin.
The soft sound of the waves crashing against the shore seemed to fade into the background as my focus zeroed in on Yeonjun. He stood there, tall and imposing, but there was something almost vulnerable about the way he avoided my gaze, his eyes fixed on our intertwined hands.
The moonlight caught the sharp angles of his jawline, highlighting the tension in his clenched jaw. His hair, slightly tousled from the breeze, framed his face in a way that made him look both handsome and troubled.
His brows were furrowed, and I could see the inner conflict playing out behind those dark, intense eyes. It did nothing to sooth my hyper beating heart. It was a wonder he didn't hear my heartbeat.
My gaze drifted to his lips, which were pressed into a thin line, as if he was holding back something he wasn't ready to say.
My heart raced, each beat reverberating through my entire body. I wanted to understand what was going through his mind, but the way he held back made it difficult to grasp.
"Like what, Yeonjun?" I pressed gently, hoping to coax the truth out of him.
My voice was steady, but inside, I was anything but. I could feel a strange mix of anticipation and anxiety swirling in my chest, like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, waiting to see if I would fall or fly.
He finally looked up at me, and when our eyes met, it was like the world around us faded into nothingness. His gaze was intense, filled with something I couldn't quite decipher but felt deep in my bones.
The distance between us suddenly felt both too much and too little. I could see the faint shadow on his chin, and the way his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.
His fingers tightened around mine once more, and his grip was firm, almost as if he was afraid I might slip away if he let go.
His thumb brushed against the back of my hand in a motion so gentle it sent a shiver down my spine. I wondered if he could feel the way my pulse quickened beneath his touch.
"I just..." He hesitated, his voice barely more than a whisper, filled with uncertainty.
"I felt like I was losing you, Yuri."
His words caught me off guard, sending a shock of emotion through me.
The vulnerability in his voice, the raw honesty of his confession, made my breath catch in my throat. I could see the conflict in his eyes, the struggle between wanting to tell me the truth and the fear of what that truth might mean.
"Losing me?" I echoed, my own voice trembling slightly.
This confused me even more but rather than cower away from this conversation, I wanted to continue.
The distance between us felt too great, even though we were standing so close. I wanted to step closer, to bridge that gap, but something held me backâmaybe it was the fear of what might happen if I did.
"Yes," he said, his voice growing firmer as if he'd finally found the courage to say what had been weighing on him.
"I know things are complicated and I am not the best person you have ever met but... I didn't like seeing you with him, smiling and bumping shoulders. I didn't want you to be so close to him. I wanted -"
He stopped himself, biting down on his lower lip as if trying to keep the words from slipping out. His eyes searched mine, looking for something, anything, that might give him a reason to continue or a reason to stop.
The vulnerability in his expression made my heart ache. There was a softness in his eyes now, a hint of something more than the usual intensity that I'd grown accustomed to. Something that made my breath hitch.
I found myself stepping closer to him, closing the small distance between us until I was just a breath away. My free hand reached up on its own, brushing against his cheek in a gentle, hesitant caress.
His skin was warm under my fingertips, and I could feel the tension in his jaw slowly ease at my touch.
He leaned into my touch, his eyes closing for a brief moment as if savoring the contact. When he opened them again, the intensity had returned, but this time it was differentâsofter, more open. His hand, still holding mine, pulled me closer until our bodies were almost touching.
The closeness made my head spin and yet kept me grounded enough that I was not falling to my knees.
It was as if everything around us didn't matter at all. We were the only two people standing and the only two people who mattered.
"Yuri," he murmured, his voice rough with emotion. It was my turn to bite my lips, anticipation eating me raw.
"I want to-" he couldn't complete his sentence.
"Yeonjun! There you are, I was looking all over for you!" we both turn to see Hyejin approach her. Her eyes narrow in my direction and I jump back, away from Yeonjun, our fingers lingering only a few seconds before they separate.
And just like that, whatever illusion I was trying to bring myself to believe was broken by the shards of reality.
The reality of Hyejin.
The reality of who she was to him and his family.
The reality of what the future was already set to be for them.
I felt stupid of whatever emotions I was foolish enough to make my self believe in.
"Yuri-" he reached out for my hand, as if that was the only thing that would anchor him.
But our bubble of reckless feelings was burst into foam of nothingness.
"I should go, this... this was a mistake" I said and I swear the look of hurt that masked his entire face wrenched something deep in my heart.
But I didn't stick around to console him. I don't stick around to understand him.
I turn around and run.
I run as fast as I can away from him, with mixed feelings stitched into my heart.
AN: Aright. This was... something. This chapter was intense and I am glad I didn't club it together with the previous chapter. How many of you hate Hyejin right now?
As promised, new chapter uploaded on schedule/before time? idk. I hope you like this chapter and let me know what do you think. I love reading your comments and theories.
I am so excited for the next chapters! I just want to upload all of them at once just to see all your reactions but I am not going to do that. I will however upload the next two chapters in this week itself.