our delicate string | ???

14: clarity.

"no, i wasn't actually." he cleared his throat and faced her. "we came back early."

"oh my gosh, you have to tell me everything you did while you were there."

"we shopped like, a lot. we ate a lot of good food, played arcade games and what not. the ideal New Year's Eve." he chuckled lightly.

"that's so much better than mine, i need to tell you how i spent New Year's Eve." she scoffed. "my stupid ex had the audacity to come over because he made up some stupid confession about how much he missed me since his girlfriend that he cheated on me with broke up with him. i kicked him out immediately because there's no way i'm going to let him ruin my recital, which by the way, was my best one yet." she smiled.

"that's why he was there." he muttered to himself, quiet enough so that Aera couldn't hear.

"what was that?"

"oh, i just said congratulations and that he sucks." he smiled. "i had a feeling that you still had a place in your heart for him."

"wow, the sickness must have caught up to your stomach because your gut feeling is completely incorrect." she joked. "i have another boy on my mind these days." she looked at him smiling, as a faint blush appeared on the both of their faces.

maybe they don't need to say the words. maybe it's already communicated that they love each other. but that's not how this works.

Beomgyu coughed lightly. "i need to go home and rest since i'm not feeling well and i don't want to get you sick."

"i'll walk with you."

"no, you're not getting sick before your birthday."

"i dont care." she skipped alongside the path they were walking.

she took one of his earbuds and placed it in her ear, as the two calmly listened to music on the way home.

"oh and," she turned around to make eye contact with the guy behind her, shuffling in her pocket for a piece of paper. "maybe we should check this out,

together."

[ ⭐️ ]

it was the next day and Beomgyu was finally feeling better. his coughing had become much less frequent and his headache had disappeared.

BEOMGYU
hey, guys
can we go suit shopping?

YEONJUN
huh?

TAEHYUN
Gyu, what are you talking about?

BEOMGYU
your dude is going
to his first ever winter formal

SOOBIN
OH MY GOD

HUENINGKAI
FINALLY,
AFTER YEARS OF CONVINCING YOU
YOU'RE ACTUALLY COMING TO
A DANCE

YEONJUN
oh we are SO taking you
suit shopping

we'll be there in 5

[ ⭐️ ]

"Beomgyu, that's literally the tackiest suit i have ever seen." Yeonjun joked, covering his eyes as Beomgyu held up a possible suit option. "my eyes are sore from how colorful it is."

"stick to one color." Soobin said as he held up a couple of colors. "your complexion would compliment a grey, dark brown or a simple black suit."

"do you think that she'll think it's too boring?" he said, biting the inside of his mouth in nervousness.

"no way, plus you'll style your hair and look super cool." Taehyun said as he looked through another rack of suits.

"i think i'll go with an off white suit." Hueningkai said, holding it up to his figure. "what colors are you guys going to go for."

"i'm going for the light brown." Yeonjun answered, holding it in his arm.

Beomgyu pondered before holding his black suit in his arm and going to the fitting room.

[ ⭐️ ]

"we're going to look the coolest out of everybody there." they joked, walking out of the store with their shopping bags. they placed the bags in the trunk before hopping inside of the car.

before Taehyun hopped in, Beomgyu called his attention.

"hey, Taehyun. could i ask you for one more favor?"