âYou sure, you donât want anything? Weâll not be allowed to get out after this till the next morningâ Soobin was paying for the ice cream at the counter and I was behind him.
I made no attempt to carry out a conversation with him. The walk from the cottage to the convenience store was only two minutes so the silence didnât stretch for long.
It seemed like the owner here at the store knew Soobin as they exchanged pleasantries. He saved me from conversing with Soobin and I am thankful for that.
But it seemed that he visited here often. Maybe only he or maybe all five of them visited here.
It was a strong possibility. Maybe it was one of their vacation homes.
I wanted to ask Soobin or at least attempt to make conversation with him but then after the stunt he pulled, I was kinda mad at him.
We silently walk out of the store and start strolling through the beach.
âThis way is the back entrance and quicker as well. Come this wayâ he holds my hand and pulls me along with him.
At first I try to argue with him but I am soon enraptured by the clear night sky with the twinkling stars and crescent moon.
The dark velvet sky looks so foreign to me. It is a rarity to see stars among the glares of the city lights.
And it looks so beautiful reflected on the gentle waves of the sea.
The light sand is such a contrast to the dark blue of the water and you cannot pinpoint in your line of sight where the water ends and where the sky begins.
The chattering of the beach has died down as there is no one else here and the sounds of the waves crashing against the sand is much more clear.
I would fall asleep to this sound if I stayed here longer. It was so soothing that I feel myself relax and forget whatever was troubling my mind.
âIt is beautiful, isn't it?â Soobin's voice breaks me out of my trance.
âYes, it really isâ I say. I realize that we have both stopped in our track and start to walk again but Soobin pulls me back.
âOh come on, what's the rush? Let's sit here for a while. I have missed the seaâ he plops himself down, very ungracefully and in a very unlike Soobin manner.
âCome on, five minutes I promise, then we'll go backâ he smiles up at me, his dimples on display and his eyes are mimicking the moon, half crescents.
âFive minutesâ I say when I realize there isn't a chance of him getting up now and sit down beside him.
âDo I make you uncomfortable, Yuri?â Soobin asks out of the blue just as I sit next to him.
âWhat? What - why would you say that?â I stuttered, caught off guard.
âI doâ he answers his question and hums, pressing his lips together, the dents on his cheeks more evident as he looks ahead.
His hair is ruffled due to the wind and the open linen shirt he wears over his t-shirt is flailing in the wind.
He makes no attempt to correct his outfit or his hair.
He looks so much different. He does not look like the Soobin I see in school. How does this short have the audacity to flail this way when all his clothes are always so prim and proper?
âYou're staring at meâ he says and then looks at me with a smile on his face.
âOh sorry. No I-â I look away from him. I can't tell him I was judging him on his outfit - not that it was bad or anything but it was so unlike Soobin.
"You look very different today" I say but don't look at him.
âWhy are you angry at me?â He asks.
âWhy did you make a show out of asking me to accompany you to get icecream?â I counter.
âFair enough. I knew I would get under Yeonjun's skin if you went with meâ he shrugs unapologetically.
âFirst of all, I think you have it wrong. What happens with me does not affect Yeonjun. And secondly, even if it was the case, isn't it a little cruel to use someone as your pawn?â I put him on the spot.
"I would lie if I said my ulterior motives was not to hang out with you" he smiles at me but I keep staring at him.
"Why do you always think you have to manipulate your way into getting what you want? You could just ask me" I am tired of Soobin always trying to find loopholes.
"Yeah, I could have. But heading on straight is hard, especially when all you've seen growing up is manipulation. After a while you start to believe that is just how it is and everyone in the world does their job the same way" he sighs.
A beat of silence passes between us and I try not to sympathize with him.
"Do you want a beer? I got a couple of cans from the store" he pulls out two cans of beer from the plastic bag and hands me one after opening the tab.
"I don't drink" I try to push itaway but he pushes it back.
"At least pretend to and keep me company" he smiles but there is a melancholy to his tone.
"What's going on with you? You've been acting erratic tonight" I say but he does not react.
âI love this place. The sky is the most beautiful night. You can see the stars clearlyâ he says and lies down on the sand. I think my surprise and horror is displayed on my face unabashedly because he chuckles.
âWhy do you look so surprised? Does this not fit your persona of Choi Soobin?â He tilts his head to the side and looks at me.
âAre you a mind reader?â I retort and he chuckles again. He sighs and sits up again, shaking his head to dust the sand and I flinch even though a few specs of sand can hardly do any damage to me.
âI don't have to be a mind reader to understand you. You wear your expressions on your face. You'll be a terrible actressâ he jokes.
âGood thing I don't aspire to be oneâ I shrug.
âWhat do you aspire to be then?â He asks, curiosity lines his voice but where I felt so comfortable confiding in Yeonjun, it seems like the cat has got my tongue now because no words come out.
âIt must be good to have aspirations. You have the freedom of choosing what you want to be. I envy youâ he sighs and I scoff.
I can't believe how ignorant he sounds right now.
âIsn't it the other way around? Rich kids have choices, Soobin. Kids like me don't"
He chuckles at my statement and cups my cheek in his hand.
"Yuri, you have more freedom than you can ever imagine. People like me don't. I don't" he shrugs.
"I grew up looking up to my father. And he looked up to his father and so on. I was always told stories of sacrifices my grandparents and their parents made to get us where we are"
"When that lecture stops, another begins - training of how to live in a fish bowl. The bigger the name, the smaller the fish bowl. Everything is monitored. No room for error. All eyes on you" he laughs bitterly.
"So then you start accepting that as your reality and behave in the manner that makes you perfect. You behave in a way fit for the successor of a big company, a legacy. All for what? Because suddenly you're not even 16 and you hear that there is another boy - a boy who could take away everything you have ever known to be your reality" he huffs and his grip on the can increase.
I stare at him because I don't know what to say to him. After his words, it was hard not to sympathize with him.
âI am not the villain,â he says after a beat of silence.
I give him a perplexed look but do not comment so he smiles, this time his dimples are absent and the smiles do not meet his eyes.
âI know in your rendition of Choi Soobin, I am the bad guy. I am the evil spoiled brat who does whatever he wants and does not stop to see who he hurts to get his way. I am the villain who hurts others, reigns over others because I think I am better than them. But I am not the villain" he speaks with raw emotions playing on his face.
"Soobin that is not the-"
"Don't deny it. We both know that that's what you think but I want to tell you I am not like that. I know I have done things that would say otherwise about my image but give me the benefit of the doubt" he whispers and looks ahead.
"I am not the villain people make me out to be. Come on, my five minutes are up. Let's go inside. They must be waiting for us"
A/N: updateeee!!!!! Trust me when I say this chapter was going to be very different in my initial draft but then I started writing and the words came organically to me and this turned into this.
Thought I am very happy with this chapter and it kind of gives you a glimpse of Soobin's mind.
Let me know what you think of this chapter.
And The Atypical Family ended! I am so sad but happy with the ending.
Also, watch Hierarchy. It is basically a darker version of Royals, lol. But I honestly imagined a place like the school in that show as the backdrop for this story when I first started. Now you have a visual reference as well.