Chapter Four

Seo Changbin

Jisung's lyrics are beautiful.

His brashly written words are like a gentle breeze that sweeps through Changbin's soul, carrying with them stories and implications of his heartache and struggles.

By the lyricism, it's a solemn love song on the surface, but it has the potential to mean so much more than that. And each bar of writing stays truthful to the outline they had come up with in class, even including its own notes on potential arrangement changes and—

It's just perfect.

The notes of the music softly and sweetly call out to him, inviting him to accept and embrace the feelings written on paper. Jisung's lyrics speak the same language Changbin's heart had been whispering for years, even if it's too heavy for him to admit.

With each line, he feels closer and more connected to Jisung's story as it intertwines with his own.

You were my story,
Your voice echoing endlessly,
An image of you bound to my heart,
I'll carefully gather each memory,
And treasure them within my soul...

The words Jisung wrote feel so honest and true, exposing just a few layers vulnerability. He can feel Jisung's pain and joy, his sorrow and his hope, in every line. Every word is a gift, a reminder that he isn't alone. And it's terrifying, to read a work that speaks to him so personally.

It's no wonder Jisung is in an extremely advanced class for his age and grade—he's insanely talented.

But what is Changbin to do now?

He hesitantly peers up at Jisung without raising his chin, only to see the boy playing with his fingers and sucking up what little is left of his coffee, making those loud slurping sounds.

Jisung has already finished reading and marking up Changbin's text in a blue, glitter gel pen. Now, his lyric book lays open on the table, unattended to.

Should Changbin be writing on Jisung's work too? But what should he write? Jisung is leagues better at writing heartfelt lyrics than Changbin will ever be. He's so much more advanced, and Changbin's thoughts would likely disservice him than anything.

Jisung's lyrics are about intense longing, a yearning that manifests itself in a burning sensation, driving someone to the brink of madness. Tipping them over the edge, consuming and controlling his every thought, captivated by the image of what was lost, unable to let go.

Jisung's story reads like a wildfire that threatens to consume him wholly, helpless against his desire to gain back what was lost.

Changbin's lyrics are soft, happy, like the cloudlike feeling of pastel cotton candy resting on one's tongue. His story is banal, repetitive, and has no place being in the same few measures as Jisung's.

"So, what do you think?" Jisung clears his throat, chewing on the tip of his straw. "I–I think your lyrics do a better job at... following the prompt."

Right, the prompt. 'Embellish'. Create a piece that relates to the word 'embellish'. Jisung's lyrics stray away from the prompt completely, as if he didn't consider it when jotting the perfectly strung bars together.

"Um," Changbin croaks, the state of his voice embarrassing him. He finally looks up at Jisung, noticing the tips of his ears at the round of his cheeks have gone red. "I think they're beautiful. But—but yeah, I was wondering what it had t–to do with... y'know... um... 'embellish'."

"I was thinking... um," Jisung laughs nervously. "By collecting all the details and memories one by one, it can make like a...collage of the past. My lyrics can be seen as a metaphor for how we... embellish our memories by adding more details to them to make them more colorful... and meaningful, I guess."

Changbin isn't entirely sure what Jisung means in his rambling, but he nods as if he does. The last thing he needs is to embarrass Jisung, or embarrass himself by not understanding the inner workings of Jisung's mind.

"Oh," Changbin breathes, looking down at his coffee. "I, um, I guess that makes sense." It doesn't, but Jisung doesn't have to know that. "And for the record, I think it's beautiful," Changbin repeats, and he means it this time. "The way you write... it's amazing."

The tips of Jisung's ears flame brighter, and he ducks his head in embarrassment. A small smile graces his lips, and his wide, anime-like eyes meet Changbin's ones (and is Changbin delusional for swearing he sees stars in them?).

"I—your writing is good too," Jisung says. He chews on the plush of his lower lip and returns the notebook back to Changbin's end of the table. "I wrote some notes... if you don't mind."

Changbin takes the notebook and flips through the pages, noting the little marks and tiny stars Jisung had drawn throughout the text, most praising his work.

His eyes wander to the bottom of the page, where Jisung had scribbled a few somewhat critical lines in his signature glitter pen.

Your writing is really good! :) But it doesn't seem like you have that much of a connection to the lyrics. Feels a bit ingenuine.

Changbin sighs, a little dejected.

Jisung isn't wrong, hell, he's heard the same feedback from their professor many times. But it's a habit he can't write himself out of.

His writing follows the prompt to the 'T', in flowery language that lacks any real depth under the sole reasoning that it sounds pretty and looks perfect.

Where Jisung's lyrics speak to Changbin's soul with relatable language and vulnerable implications, Changbin's are good, but lack that same effect.

Where Jisung's lyrics take risks and go off the rails, Changbin's lyrics are safe. And he likes it that way. Safe lyrics rarely get scrutiny, and he doesn't have to explain much intent behind them. Things are easier this way.

"I...," Jisung starts, noticing the awkward shift in atmosphere. "I'm sorry... the critique was completely unwarranted and—"

"Jisung," Changbin interrupts with a laugh and... genuine smile. "It's okay, I really appreciate it. Thank you."

The two spend the better half of the afternoon workshopping Changbin's lyrics, ordering an ungodly amount of overpriced coffee and snacks, and blowing up Yeonjun's phone with their ideas.

Jisung peels apart Changbin's layers and condenses them into his lyrics, not interrogatively, but by subtly pulling information from Changbin until he's spilling out details about his uneventful life that a stranger definitely should not know about.

And by the time they've left the cafe, Changbin feels accomplished with the work he's gotten done, but also like a peeled banana—ripe and stripped of its skin left to boil under the sun's unruly heat.

When Changbin returns to his dorm, he texts Jisung.

Today, 2:57 PM

Changbin
Hi Jisung🙂
Just wanted to thank you for everything.
You are so talented!!
And I love what we came up with today!

Typing...

Five minutes pass, and that god-forsaken typing icon is still bubbling on Changbin's screen. He shouldn't have texted, he shouldn't have assumed that their coffee run would make them friends of some sort.

Today, 2:57 PM

Changbin
Hi Jisung🙂
Just wanted to thank you for everything.
You are so talented!!
And
I love what we came up with today!

Typing...

Changbin
Sorry, wrong person...|
Sorry, wr|
So|

Changbin leaves that message unsent. It wouldn't make much sense, anyway.

But it's uncomfortable to sit there and watch Jisung type, so he takes a photo of his tweaked lyrics and sends them to Jisung.

Not that he needs Jisung's approval or anything. Or that he's potentially searching for Jisung's compliments and feedback. That would be outrageous.

At the same time Changbin's message goes through, Jisung's sends. And although you'd think he was writing an essay, Jisung's message isn't even one word.

'k' it reads, followed by 'it's cool' in true 'Han Jisung texting' fashion.

Today, 3:02 PM

Changbin
Hi Jisung🙂
Just wanted to thank you for everything.
You are so talented!!
And
I love what we came up with today!

Han Jisung
k
it's cool

Changbin
Great🙂
Thank you for um being patient
With me
I'm not really a talker if you haven't noticed🥲

Han Jisung
it's cool
i'm not either

Changbin
I didn't mind working with you Jisung🙂
And...thanks for the coffee
I uhh promise to pay you back😓

Han Jisung
it's fine
you don't have to

Changbin
No...no matter what I still owe you one😤
But I really have to go now
Or else I'll be quite late for work😅

Han Jisung
okay bye

Unsurprisingly, Minho shows up at Changbin's mid-afternoon shift at Seoul University of the Arts' library.

Loud as ever.

"Tell. Me. Everything," Minho demands, slamming down a book (one he will not read) to be checked out. Changbin knows better. 'Love's Unexpected Surprise'? Sounds like a novel that Lee Minho would never pick up unless he were held at gunpoint.

Changbin loves Minho, but any more of his dramatic, lovey-dovey-crushey attitude because of Jisung and Changbin won't refrain from shoving an 'unexpected surprise' up his ass.

(Lovingly, of course.)

"There's nothing to talk about," Changbin responds, visibly unamused. "We worked on a project and got coffee. That's. It."

And Jisung is really cute and I get why you like him so much, but since you're my best friend and I kinda' like you, I can't say that—

Minho groans, pushing up the dorky clear frames that rest on his nose bridge. They remind Changbin of Harry Potter. In an endearing way.

"Changbin," Minho whines childishly, jutting his lower lip out into a small pout and folding his arms. "I'd tell you if I hung out with someone you were into. I'd spill all the details."

That doesn't really work if you're the one I'm into, Changbin doesn't say aloud. For the sake of his sanity.

Instead, he says (or, rather, exasperatedly sighs), "Hyung, we're working on a group project together. I don't know what you want from me. Don't you have a class with him? Talk to him yourself."

Changbin doesn't mean to sound so snappy, or maybe he does.

Maybe his cutthroat words will slice Minho's tongue open so he can't ramble on about Jisung and his wild, marmalade hair, leaving him only able to cough up chunks of thick, crimson blood.

Changbin doesn't really want Minho to talk to Jisung himself, or maybe he does. Maybe then, Minho will stop pestering him about Jisung.

It takes approximately two seconds for Changbin to conclude that he doesn't want Minho to talk to Jisung. If things go well, that could make the two more than they already are, and Changbin isn't sure if he's ready to hand his best friend over to the likes of underclassman Han Jisung.

"Sorry," Minho stiffens, sinking his teeth into his bottom lip. "You're right," he smiles, but it's one that's lifeless behind his eyes and strained at his gums. "And I'm bothering you. I should go."

And Changbin doesn't fight for Minho to stay, even if his heart stops beating as he watches Minho go. Why should he? Why should he put up a fight? Minho's right, he was bothering him, so Minho did the right thing by leaving. It's what he's good at, anyway.

It shouldn't feel like a piece of Changbin is leaving with him.

Changbin's phone buzzes as he's rearranging books in alphabetical and genre order. He's expecting it to be an emotion-flooded paragraph from Minho, but it's Jisung.

Today, 4:32 PM

Han Jisung
oh btw
your lyrics look really good :)
see, you just needed a little push

Changbin
Oh thank you🙂
I couldn't have done it without you haha
Read 4:35 PM

Seungmin is a new friend of Changbin's.

They met through Seungmin's best friend, Jeongin, who had insisted on becoming Changbin's friend the first time Minho ditched him in the courtyard.

Today, 4:52 PM

Kim Seungmin☺️
soooo what's up?
talk to dr kim🥼🩺👂🏻🩻

Changbin
It's the worst
Minho slightly got on my nerves today
and I had a nasty attitude toward him🥲🥲
I feel really shitty

Kim Seungmin☺️
i see, i see👓📑🩻
what did minho do that bothered you?

Changbin
Ugh
He's always talking about Jisung
Because he has this MAJOR crush on him
It's embarrassing
But also it hurts because I really like Minho.
Sort of.
I guess.

Kim Seungmin☺️
i see, i see➗✖️➖➖🧐➕✖️✖️🟰➖
does minho know that jisung's straight?🤔🩺🥼

Changbin
No. I didn't even know😀
It would crush him if he knew
He really likes Jisung🥲🥲
It won't fix anything

Kim Seungmin☺️
i beg to differ🤓🧐
you gotta bear the bad news
he'll stop talking about jisung in an instant⚡️⚡️

Changbin
Right...I'm still not sure how this fixes anything

Kim Seungmin☺️
it's simple
he'll feel insecure because he's not a girl with huge tits
and then 😜😜 he'll move onto you😏

Changbin
I'm not sure that's how it works
I don't want him to be sad😞
It's better if he doesn't know

Kim Seungmin☺️
it's not😐
jisung is a terrible annoying piece of shit🔥💯💯
according to my hypothesis 🧪🥼
minho deserves better

Changbin
i don't understand why you hate him so much
He's sort of sweet

Kim Seungmin☺️
and 'sort of' straight😐
it's better to tell minho now than have him ask jisung out and it's a disaster💥💥👎🏻
plus, didn't he leave you on read?

Seungmin has a point. Changbin can only imagine Minho's distress when finding out the inevitable—that Jisung is yet again, one of those straight guys he can't help but fall for.

And he knows what he needs to do.

Changbin
...You're running away from this conversation🤔
But I should go
Ttyl💗

Minho💍💗💕
Ttyl💕
Love you!😚😚

Changbin
There's something you should know...|

author's note:

hi, thanks for reading chapter
FOUR of DAYBREAK!🌈🌟

i find minho's characterization in this fic
slightly annoying, but i thought the minbin
crumbs in the past 2 chapters were
pretty cute🥲🥲

as always, let me know your thoughts! any new
predictions, ships, (or you can just vent)...

drink water and get some rest!
see you next chapter😁