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Beomgyu turned sixteen that summer.

It was a fine morning of February, 2022; sunny and clear, cool and warm to bones. Yet there he was, practically rotting inside the house- with his eyes scrutinised and patience kept at the bay.

His long raven hair tied behind and some strands falling messily over his creased forehead. The boy drew himself into the kitchen once again to flip off the omelet sizzling on the pan. His father was rampaging in the dining room; hands busily tucking his tie under the coat and gaze fixed on the phone put horizontally on the table.

"Beomgyu, how much time does it take to make a single breakfast?"

The boy looked up at the source of his father's annoyed voice, but didn't say anything. He put a piece of bread inside his mouth and continued cooking.

"What a son I have raised! Always late! Was I ever late to feed you?" Jaehyun was muttering while typing on his phone busily. "Can't do a single thing right?"

Yeah, can't. Not for you, at least.

Under his father's hot look, Beomgyu exited the kitchen and put down the plate nonchalantly, as if those words hadn't even reached his ears. But oh, deep inside, that hurt, no matter how many times they have made his ears bleed. Beomgyu then walked toward his room, ignoring his father's angry remarks.

"Hey! Where's your plate, silly boy? Won't you have breakfast?"

"I already had it." Beomgyu threw the notebooks into his school bag while chewing the bread from earlier. He went from one corner to another, bringing out and snatching the things he needed. Though he had school everyday, still he would always need to pack everything again and again. Why? Because he was Choi Beomgyu.

He heard the door closing. Tumbling backward, Beomgyu peeked outside the room to see it was hanging ajar, meaning his father had already left. An uncomfortable sigh escaped his lips as the boy bounced back into his room, mind drifting off to several thoughts at once.

Beomgyu thought his father would move on, but certainly that did not happen. It felt like the old Jaehyun could never be bought back again. And that man was always degrading himself, but never left Beomgyu alone from getting accused for it.

His father lost his wife, but what about Beomgyu? Didn't he lose his mother? Wasn't his pain any pain at all?

He was also suffering, maybe more than anyone could imagine. But Beomgyu held himself together because he still had a reason, so sparkling and alive in this world. For that, he wasn't fallen apart, even when tempted to do so.

To live, and not to exist, you need a solid cause. And Beomgyu was glad that he was able to keep it, even when the world seemed to dark in normal days. 

*

"Yeonjun Hyung!" a beat, then again. "Hyung!"

The door was opened almost immediately. Sunjae, with his bird nest hair and a kitchen apron wrapped around his waist, greeted the boy with a sleepy smile.

"Beomgyu- yah! Come in! And can you wake up that late riser son of mine? He's still french kissing his pillows on the bed."

"Eww." Beomgyu made a disgusted face as he leaped inside, before diving straight over the dining table and grabbing a large sandwitch. "Let me devour this first, uncle Sun."

"Take one more, Beomgyu."

"I'm full!"

Yeonjun's father was always like that. Sometimes Beomgyu could not help himself from imagining how it could have been if his father also took care of him like uncle Sunjae. Would Beomgyu still have pale cheels and brazen eyes like he had then? Or would he have gone to school like every other kids with a good meal box, a smooch on the forehead and little goodbyes?

Well, it didn't matter anymore. He was happy that at least he was taken care by others, although they weren't his father. Actually, there was no point in yearning after all those years. Things had changed.

Smiling with mouthful of cheese, Beomgyu sprinted upstairs, excitedly skipping several steps at once. He flung himself to the left and landed a swift kick on the closed door, his heart drumming loudly inside his chest.

"Wake up, stupid! Come on, open the door!"

After two more kicks, the door flew open, revealing the most awaited person of Beomgyu's life.

"Stop screaming!" Yeonjun shouted in deep, groggy voice. One of his eyelids were still shut tightly and other was fighting for life to open. Cheeks furnished finely, rosy lips puffed and locks of black hair pointing upward on his head.

Ignoring how deep the older's voice actually was, Beomgyu shook his head and replied sassily, "Your fabulous best friend came to wake you up, Hyung."

Yeonjun gave him a hot look through his equally hot eyes, scratching his stomach underneath the pale blue shirt he wore. "Don't get me started again in this fine morning!"

"Because I'm pretty!"

Yeonjun stared at him. Through his nose crunched and eyes judging, he looked disgustingly disgusted.

What's with that look?

You can at least pretend to be happy after seeing me!

"Fine." Beomgyu ignored his slightly heavy heart and instead slipped under Yeonjun's arms, knocking few things out of his way as he slopped down on the bed. "Get ready, today's annual sport's day, remember?"

Yeonjun turned around with his hands on his hips. "I know! No need to remind me! If only I could leave this devastating football team when I still had time-"

"Oh Hyung, you got me, Soobin and Hyunsoo! We are the best players in the school, and this vicinity itself!"

"Only if you could kick even one goal yesterday in practice!

"It's not my fault that the goalpost seemed to be at left side when I kicked the ball at right side!"

Beomgyu didn't get any answer though. Yeonjun had already locked himself inside the washroom.

Having nothing to do at hand, Beomgyu instead looked around. There was a white table at the east corner of the room, full of books and diaries Yeonjun had left opened last night. A mirror was right beside, with circular shaped lights like those tiktoker models used. At the very back, there was a wardrobe and a huge bookshelf. Several pots of plants were hung from the window rest, and the curtains of pale yellow were pushed aside to let the light come inside.

There was one more thing beside all of these. A huge portrait.

Beomgyu got up, brushing off the crumbs on his hands as he stood in front of the wall. It was a sunflower garden. In the midst of yellows, two girls barely above sixteen, were headlocking each other while laughing at the camera. One had two messy pigtails and eyes so beautifully crafted, flashing vibrantly in a hue of dark sapphire. Other girl, slightly taller, had intense foxy eyes and a rather sharp facelines, but oddly heart warming. 

Sol and Yuri were ever young as anyone remembered.

This portrait always made Beomgyu smile. There was something very artistic and tragic in the flash of polaroid, time froze itself to let the two best friends capture a beautiful moment of their lives. It was truly a gift, indeed.

The bathroom door was opened.

"Beomgyu, do you still wanna stay behind or not?" Yeonjun spoke in a hurried tone as he put some spare shirts inside his bag. "Actually, you know what? I prefer it if you stay behind. I can call Taehyun as a backup striker-"

"Nah, I will go!" Beomgyu looked back from the portrait slowly, a smile blooming on his lips as he ushered the older boy. "We will win today for sure!"

*

"We lost." 

Three boys were walking toward the school gate, well not walking- actually staggering tiredly- Soobin in front was swaying from side to side and occasionally hitting his head with the walls. Yeonjun was still mud covered, too aghast to say anything. Beomgyu was lagging behind them with his and Yeonjun's rucksacks held under his arms.

"It wasn't my fault." he muttered with his wide eyes full of shock. "It was Hyunsoo who was at the goal post and he decided to dive for the left when the ball came from right!"

Yeonjun only gazed at god knows where with a blank stare. Damn, Beomgyu pursed his lips, knowing all too well he had fucked up, he looks so pissed.

"I tried, okay?" he tried to nudge the older boy, sliding next to him and trying to cheer up. "If it wasn't for Hyunsoo-"

"We lost!" Yeonjun barked loudly all of a sudden, making Beomgyu flinch on his toes. Soobin accidentally hit his head with the wall again.

"And it wasn't my fault!"

"Beomgyu!" Yeonjun sprang around swiftly, catching Beomgyu off guard. Soobin turned around to watch what was happening. "You told me that we were going to win today!"

"Yeonjun Hyung!" Beomgyu barked back with equal rage, his pupils were diluted like a deer caught in headlight. "And I said the truth, yeah! Don't you dare blaming me!"

"Choi Beomgyu!"

"Choi Yeonjun!"

"Shut up!"

"You shut up!"

"You-" Yeonjun dived on the younger boy, grasping his collar to push him against the wall. "Listen-"

Beomgyu tackled him around his waist, making the boy spin around and instead crash his back against the wall. "Not my fault that you kicked that football on the right!"

"Yaaah! I thought you were guarding the ball from corner!" Yeonjun pushed himself forward, making the younger one stumble back and that was his chance to pin him down on the ground, his round eyes were full of menace as he started shaking Beomgyu like a flapping bird. "And talk with me with respect!"

Beomgyu, with his iconic good- for- nothing smile, grinned up at Yeonjun, "Respect whom? Your grandpa?"

"Don't you dare bringing my grandfather into this!"

"Get off me!"

Soobin finally chimmed into the conversation, looking done with their shits. "Guys, stop strangling each other's necks, it doesn't change the fact that we have lost! The seniors gonna mock us tomor-"

But his words were muffled by a loud shriek that escaped Yeonjun's mouth as he was spun around with a kick; Beomgyu was again on top of the food chain.

"Don't blame me, Hyung!"

"It was your fault!"

"Nnnngh-"

"Get off me-"

"Fuck, stop spraining my ankle-"

"You're smashing my wrist right there!"

Staring at the two fight like rats squirming for cheese, a cheap electric bulb lit inside Soobin's head. He smiled evilly at the idea.

The tall boy opened his bag and bought out a marker. Unnoticed by the other two, he started drawing a circle around them, separating from the passing stduents who looked at Soobin's work curiously. After being finished, Soobin got up and dusted off his hands, then announced proudly.

"Dear ladies and gentlemen- oh sorry, there's no ladies in this all boy's school, anyways- you all not- so- gentle gentlemen! Today we have an exciting fighting match between this two inhuman beasts! Who wants to see?"

Soobin had turned their fight into a contest.

"I wanna see!" one boy from the gathered crowd shot his hand up. "I wanna know why these two best friends for life are trying to kill each other!"

"One thousand won for each, please!" Soobin grinned like a cute bunny, his dimples were full on display as he held his hands forward, cutely jumping on his feet from excitement. "Cash payment!"

"That's so much!"

"Well, I let you watch two handsome men together at once, fair enough, right?"

There was a roar of approval.

Behind him, Beomgyu was shaking Yeonjun by his shoulders, making the elder's eyes roll backward and forward repeatedly. "Not my fault that we lost-"

Soon, Soobin's hands were full of cash money. He cried with fake tears sprawling from his eyes, stuffed the money inside his pockets and began his commentary.

"So, we have Beomgyu kicking Yeonjun on his butt- oh, the elder one has fought back with a hit on the head! Oh my- our silly Beomgyu looks so enraged- yeah, the boy goes for the butt again!"

"Stop slapping my ass, you idiot!" Yeonjun shrieked as he tried to shake Beomgyu off his waist. "Fight like a brave man!"

"I- am- brave!"

"Look, look!" Soobin was back at forecasting, the crowd cheering around him. "Now it's a wrestling match! Yeonjun has flipped down Beomgyu and caught the wrists! Oh! Beomgyu fights back! He's trying to shove Yeonjun off!"

"Give up!" Yeonjun, with all strength he could muster, was holding Beomgyu down by his wrists, one of his legs were hooked around the younger's waist to stop him from moving. "Beomgyu, give up!"

Beomgyu seemed tired- but oh- he was infamous for his persisting mind. His whole face was red from sweat, but he still managed to utter, "Y-you- give up-"

In a span of micro millisecond, with Yeonjun's eyes wide apart in shock, the older boy was pushed away by a dodge, and before he could react Beomgyu was already pinning him down by his back. His right hand was twisted backward by the younger boy as he sat above him, and pulled it with so much strength that Yeonjun shouted in pain, "Fuck! My hand-"

"Give up, Yeonjun Hyung!"

Yeonjun could imagine that good- for- nothing smile on Beomgyu's lips as he kept twisting his hand from behind. So evil.

"Ugh!"

"Give up!"

With his face literally smashing the ground, Yeonjun let out an incoherent yell, "I give up!"

"And we have a winner!" Soobin cheered as the crowd burst into fit of laughter. "Beomgyu has won the match!"

Beomgyu sighed heavily and let go of Yeonjun's hand, which flopped down lifelessly on the floor as he got off. He looked down at the tired boy, who was panting for his life.

What was the need for all of this?

"I wouldn't have done anything if you didn't continue to blame me!" Beomgyu flipped his hair in a dramatic way. "And once again, it's proven that I'm stronger than you!"

Yeonjun shot him a venomous glare from lying on the ground.

"Hehe. Get up now, Hyung." Beomgyu offered his hand at the older male, grinning. "Cheer up, it was just a match!"

Sighing, Yeonjun took Beomgyu's hands. Their fingers intertwined around each other. Ignoring the funny feeling that enveloped his chest as Beomgyu pulled the male upto his feet and handed him his school bag.

"Wait, Soobin." Yeonjun called out. Soobin stopped walking and turned around slowly, smiling cutely with his protrudent eyes. 

"Yes?"

Yeonjun said nothing and just held his palm at the boy.

"Money. Give me my money."

"What money?" Soobin spoke in a sweet, sweet tone, completely oblivious of what the older boy was talking about.

"That money in your pockets. Give me my share." Yeonjun spoke in a demanding tone, ushering the boy. "Come on, spill it."

Soobin looked alarmed. "That's my money-"

"- made by us."

"Beomgyu!" Soobin turned to the younger boy, his eyes full of plea all of a sudden. He whined and moaned, hands swinging crazily like a ballon. "Tell him that it's my money, I earned it from hard work-"

Beomgyu silenced him by bringing his own hands forward.

"Fine." Soobin put his hands inside pocket, he seemed to be bursting into tears any moment. "Take it all! My precious money! You robbers!"

Beomgyu and Yeonjun grinned at each other in victory. 

a / n : why's there so less reads :( i can at least expect 10+, right?