Pretty Like Poetry | TAEJUN

Yeonjun, student: I talked to my parents.

They agreed I could go on the trip.

Taehyun: I'll let Beomgyu know!

Taehyun replied to Yeonjun's message with polite enthusiasm, covering his lack of care. After sending his response, he tossed his phone onto his bed, distracted by the quick pace of his own plans for the evening. Instead of playing in his soccer game as usual, he planned to watch from the stands with Soobin. He grabbed a jacket, layering a coat on top for extra warmth against the chilly sky, and headed out, already running a bit late.

Outside, the darkening clouds cast shadows across the neighborhood, the wind whipping Taehyun's hair across his face. He pulled his coat tighter around him, bracing against the cold and blinking as a few rain droplets stung his cheeks.

Soobin, already bundled in a winter coat despite the late summer season, gave him a look of pure misery. "I hate it when they hold games in this weather," he grumbled, arms wrapped protectively around himself.

The weather seemed to agree, quickly shifting from a drizzle to a steady, icy sprinkle. The rain pelted Taehyun's skin like cold pinpricks, and he struggled to stay warm, knowing he'd normally be running across the field and ignoring the cold in the heat of the game. Sitting still on the sidelines, though, was another story; he found himself shivering and impatiently scanning the field. The game remained in a frustrating deadlock, both teams struggling for a lead, and Taehyun began to regret coming at all.

But his attitude changed as soon as his team began to break the tie.

From the sidelines, he couldn't help but cheer as he saw their morale lift, his voice joining the growing encouragement from the crowd. Moments later, the final whistle blew, and Taehyun's team won three to two. The stands erupted, and Taehyun joined in, clapping and cheering, his discomfort forgotten. The faces around him lit up, rain-slicked but beaming with pride.

Afterward, Taehyun turned down an invitation to celebrate with the team, opting to head home. He was drenched, sore, and out of energy, and the last thing he wanted was to prolong his time in the rain. Once home, he drew a warm bubble bath, the lavender-scented bath salts soothing his muscles. As he lay there, the wind slipping through a crack in the window only made the warmth of the bath even sweeter.

Afterward, he dressed in strawberry-printed pajamas—a gift from Beomgyu on his last birthday—and slipped on a matching headband. His skin had been breaking out recently, so he took the time for a proper skincare routine, smoothing on a mask as he caught up on videos. The combination of fresh sheets and the feeling of a clean face made slipping into bed deeply satisfying.

The next day, just as class was ending, his English teacher called out, "Class! A quick reminder—after school on Thursday, we'll be holding a poetry event for anyone interested. You can listen, read your own work, or buy a poetry book!"

Most of the class tuned her out, but Taehyun's eyes sparkled with interest. He loved poetry, especially for its endless interpretations and layers of feeling.

After English, he went to help the student council cover up some recent vandalism on the school walls. Although he appreciated art in all forms, Taehyun thought the endless graffiti of vulgar doodles was more of a nuisance than any true expression. Armed with a bucket of white paint and a brush, he set to work with the others.

"Sorry I'm late," a familiar voice muttered nearby, and Taehyun glanced over his shoulder to see Yeonjun dropping his bag with a resigned sigh.

The teacher didn't even bother hiding her impatience. "Surprised to see you here, Yeonjun," she said, nodding toward the paint supplies. "Grab a brush and start in here before moving to the corridor walls."

Yeonjun rolled his eyes, looking less than thrilled, but he picked up a brush and wandered over to where Taehyun was working. "I was told to come here for detention...," he mumbled, barely hiding his irritation. The teacher shook her head, turning away with a sigh.

As Yeonjun worked, a nearby student struck up a conversation. "What did you get detention for this time?" they asked, glancing over at Yeonjun, who was halfheartedly covering the same spot of graffiti.

"Fell asleep in class," Yeonjun replied flatly, clearly hoping the conversation would end there. But the student kept talking, and although Yeonjun answered politely enough, his wandering gaze betrayed his boredom.

When the other student finally left to work on the corridor, Yeonjun glanced at Taehyun, offering him a half-smile. Taehyun gave a thin-lipped smile in return, hoping it was enough to keep Yeonjun from striking up a conversation. Unfortunately, the quiet was too much for Yeonjun.

"So, I heard the soccer team won last night," Yeonjun said, sidling up to Taehyun, who had moved to a fresh part of the wall.

"Yeah." Taehyun's answer was clipped, his focus remaining on the paint.

"You play for them, don't you? Pretty sure I heard you joined a while back."

Taehyun sighed. "I do, but I wasn't playing last night," he muttered, disappointment briefly flashing in his eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Yeonjun replied, tracing his brush carefully over the graffiti instead of just covering the entire wall as Taehyun was doing. He moved slowly, preserving paint but also ensuring he didn't over-exert himself—a classic Yeonjun move, Taehyun thought.

"Why?" Taehyun asked, eyebrow raised as he looked over at him.

"Well," Yeonjun replied, scratching the back of his neck, "I assumed you were benched or something."

Taehyun scoffed, offended. "No, I injured my ankle." He went back to painting, his brush moving in quick, efficient strokes.

Yeonjun nodded awkwardly. "Right. That sucks."

"Yeah," Taehyun said, packing up his supplies and moving to work on the corridor walls, leaving Yeonjun behind.