A/n: Hello lovely people. I re-uploaded this chapter because something is up with the scheduled upload in Wattpad because everytime I try it, only half of my chapter is uploaded.ðððð
Maybe I'll just stick to my manual uploads to avoid re-uploading the same chapters.
Anyway, enjoy the full chapter below:
Where have you guys been? Dinner's almost over. You would have missed it" Beomgyu greeted us at the cottage as we entered.
"Yeah, we went out to grab a few snacks" Yeonjun lied casually and Beomgyu nodded and then looked at me.
"So you went to find Yeonjun after our talk?" he asked pointedly and I nodded.
"I even tried your cellphone but it was switched off. Did it die on you?" Beomgyu asked again and I remembered switching it off.
"Oh yeah. Yeah right. The batteries are drained. I need to charge it. I'll just go up to my room and put it on charge and then join you guys for dinner" I say and don't wait for him to say anything further and took off in the direction of my cottage.
"I'll accompany you" Beomgyu said following me.
I felt guilty for eavesdropping on their conversation but it wasn't technically my fault that they happened to be in the way when I was wandering around. It wasn't like I was intentionally looking for them.
At least that is what I told myself so that I didn't feel guilty.
"You know your phone is an ancient piece of brick right? You should get it changed" he suggest, making small talk as we head to my cottage.
"Yeah, I am saving up for it but I don't plan on buying a new phone before I join college so gotta use this phone till then" I laugh awkwardly trying to ease my guilty conscience.
"Yeah. It is such an old model. The system must lag a lot, the battery must die really fast, and the volume for notification is too loud" he waves his hand dismissively. I nod, my hands sweating.
"So, just FYI, I know you overheard our conversation with Jia" he says casually and I stop in my tracks and whip to face him. I am sure the red is creeping up my face at record time.
I guess I was caught. And I felt mortified.
"Wait, I can explain. It's not what you think. I wasn't actually trying to-" he waves a hand and cuts me off.
"I don't care that you listened in our conversation. I don't care whether you told about it to Yeonjun. What I do care about is whether you'll say anything about this to Soobin" his eyes held my stare.
There was a seriousness to his stare that was so unlike Beomgyu. He didn't look hostile but he was far from the happy go lucky wolf cut boy he usually was.
"I would never" I swear and he nods, but there is an uncertainty in his eyes. He looked tense and unsure as to how to handle this situation.
I am sure he wasn't the only one who figured out I was there. Kai and Taehyun must have understood the same. I am sure he volunteered to talk to me before either of them came to threaten me or blackmail me into keeping quiet and calling me out for eaves dropping on them.
As he stood here in front of me, I understood it was hard for him to choose between the safety of his brother and believing me. I didn't want Beomgyu to be in an uncomfortable situation because of me.
"Hey, I swear I am not going to discuss this with Soobin. It is not my place to say anything about this to Soobin. I am sure what you guys did was for him was for his benefit. I am new here and I don't know much about either of your past. But I know this for sure, no matter the differences, you five will always look after each other" I deliberately say five instead of four because I know Beomgyu includes Yeonjun in their group even if Yeonjun denies it.
"And whatever decisions you guys made, it must have been hard for you to do it by going behind Soobin's back but I do believe you have the best intentions when it comes to him. So I can promise you, I will not say anything to Soobin about it" I reassure him.
"Thanks Yuri" he smiles, his shoulders now relaxed and a grateful smile on his lips. I return the smile and pat his shoulder.
Beomgyu's tension visibly eased after my reassurance, but there was still a hint of lingering unease in his eyes. He glanced down, shuffling his feet for a moment, before meeting my gaze again.
"I appreciate that, Yuri. It's just... Soobin's been through a lot, you know? We all have. But him especially" he sighs, his words heavy with many words unsaid.
"I get it. You guys are just trying to protect him" I nodded, understanding the weight of his words.
"Yeah," Beomgyu murmured, his voice a little distant as if he was lost in thought.
"It's not easy. Sometimes it feels like we're all just barely holding it together, and then something like this happens, and..." He trailed off, shaking his head as if to clear away the thoughts.
I waited for him to continue, sensing there was more he wanted to say. After a moment, he took a deep breath and looked at me with a serious expression.
"You know, Soobin isn't just some rich heir who has everything handed to him. He's got so much pressure on him, from his family, from the company, from everyone around him. And Jia... she knew exactly how to manipulate him. She played on his insecurities, his fears, and made him believe things that weren't true. That's why we're so protective of him now."
The sincerity in Beomgyu's voice tugged at my heartstrings. It was clear that he cared deeply for Soobin, and the rest of their group, too.
"I can see that you all care about him a lot. It must be tough, balancing everything" I genuinely felt bad for all of them.
Even Taehyun.
It was sad to see them face so much adversity at such a young age.
Growing up near poor, we were always made to believe that money was the solution to all our problems. If we had money, we wouldn't have to deal with all the shit that was thrown at us but seeing them, children of the most powerful and wealthiest family in this country, it really helped change my perspective.
"It is. But we do what we have to. And sometimes, that means making hard decisions, even if Soobin doesn't know about them. It's not ideal, but..." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Anyway, I'm just glad you understand. We've had enough drama lately."
"Yeah, I think we could all use a little less drama"Â I chuckled softly.
He grinned at that, the tension finally lifting completely as he gave me a playful nudge.
"You're alright, Yuri. I wasn't sure about you at first, but you're proving me wrong" he smiled at me and put his arms around my shoulders.
"Is that so? What did you think of me before?" I teased back, raising an eyebrow.
He pretended to think about it for a moment, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"I don't know... I guess I thought you were just another dork who drooled over library books and didn't have a life. But you're different. You're real. And I like that." he chuckles and I throw his arms off me.
"Thanks, Beomgyu, that means a lot" I say sarcastically and he laughs.
"Come on, let's get your phone charging and head to dinner before Taehyun starts interrogating me for being late"Â He smiled, and for a brief moment, the usual carefree Beomgyu was back.
"Good idea," I agreed, and we walked the rest of the way to my cottage together, the earlier tension between us replaced by a newfound sense of camaraderie.
Once inside, I quickly plugged in my phone and grabbed a jacket, just in case it got chilly later. Beomgyu waited patiently by the door, leaning against the frame as he watched me with a thoughtful expression.
As we left my cottage and made our way back to the main house, Beomgyu broke the comfortable silence between us.
"You know, if you ever need anythingâor if you're ever in over your head with all this crazinessâwe've got your back. You're part of this group now, whether you like it or not" I knew he meant the words. Beomgyu might be all fun and games but when it came to his friends and family, he didn't take his words lightly.
I smiled at his words, feeling a sense of belonging that I hadn't realized I'd been missing. After all that happened last night and all the unsure feelings that surrounded my head, this was just what I wanted to hear.
"Thanks, Beomgyu. I'll keep that in mind" Now it was my turn to put my arms around his shoulder.
When we arrived at the dining area, the others were already seated, enjoying their meals. Taehyun glanced up as we entered, his eyes narrowing slightly as he took in the sight of us together.
"You two took your sweet time," he remarked, though there was no real bite to his words.
"Just making sure Yuri didn't collapse on the way back," Beomgyu quipped, giving me a wink as he slid into his seat.
I rolled my eyes and took the empty seat next to Yeonjun, who was already busy eating. He gave me a sideways glance, his usual smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.
"Nice of you to join us." he quipped and a small part of me, a very small green and ugly part of me thrived ont he fact that Heyjin was nowhere to be seen, near or around him.
"I had to make sure Beomgyu didn't get lost on the way back"Â I playfully nudged him with my elbow.
"Sure, sure. You seemed to be in a much better mood considering you almost passed out from running an hour ago" Yeonjun replied, his smirk widening as he returned his attention to his food.
I mentally flipped him the bird but didn't retort.
As we all settled into the rhythm of dinner, the atmosphere lightened considerably. The earlier tension seemed to have dissipated, replaced by a sense of ease and familiarity. Even Taehyun, who usually kept a watchful eye on everyone, seemed more relaxed.
But as the conversation flowed around the table, I couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of unease.
There was still so much left unresolvedâJia, Soobin, the complicated web of emotions and secrets that bound everyone together. And despite Beomgyu's reassurances, I knew that things were far from over.
For now, though, I pushed those thoughts aside, focusing on the present moment and the people around me. Whatever challenges lay ahead, I knew I wasn't facing them alone.
A/N: A very wholesome chapter with no cliffhangers. What do you think of this chapter?
I missed my Saturday update cause life happened. But I am back and hopefully I'll stick to my schedule this week.
I was so bummed to see that Wattys 2024 was not accepting fanfiction as one of their categories. I wanted to enter Royals. But it's okay. I just happy to see new readers joining our family of Royals every week. And I love reading all your comments.
Also, just curious, are any of you in the wattpad's creator program or do you know the details regarding it?