Pretty Like Poetry | TAEJUN

Yeonjun glanced at Taehyun as he walked into their shared class a few days after the argument. Taehyun was seated near the window, his expression steely, his gaze fixed on the campus grounds beyond the glass. The warmth that had once softened his features when they exchanged glances was gone, replaced by a coldness that left Yeonjun feeling unsettled.

As Yeonjun passed by to reach his seat, Taehyun's eyes flicked to him briefly, a flash of anger sparking in them before he looked away, as if dismissing him entirely. The silence between them was deafening.

Yeonjun's stomach twisted as he sat down, fighting the urge to say something—anything—that might break the tension. But he felt trapped, locked in place by a mix of guilt and frustration. He couldn't shake the feeling that Taehyun's anger went deeper than he'd expected, and as the day dragged on, the weight on his shoulders only grew heavier.

Between classes, Yeonjun spotted Taehyun heading toward him, chatting with a couple of friends. As they neared, Taehyun's gaze landed on Yeonjun for a fleeting second, and a look of barely concealed irritation crossed his face before he turned back to his friends, lips pulling into a tense line.

Yeonjun kept his shoulders squared as he passed, but out of the corner of his eye, he could see Taehyun's rigid posture, his arms crossed tightly as if to shield himself from anything Yeonjun might say. Yeonjun wanted to shout, to explain, to argue, but every time he tried, the words seemed to stick in his throat.

He spent the rest of the day with Taehyun's silent anger echoing in his mind, wondering if this resentment would ever fade.

During their last lesson, their teacher announced a spontaneous group project, and by some stroke of irony, Yeonjun and Taehyun were paired up together. As the group gathered, Taehyun kept his gaze averted, speaking only to the other members. When Yeonjun offered a suggestion, Taehyun cut him off sharply.

"Actually, we should stick to the original plan," he said, his voice steady, but with a sharpness that made Yeonjun flinch.

Yeonjun's jaw tightened, his fists clenching under the desk. He wanted to snap back, to push through Taehyun's walls, but all he saw in Taehyun's expression was simmering resentment. Frustrated, he held his tongue, swallowing the words he wanted to say.

In the back of his mind, he knew he'd messed up, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Taehyun's reaction was harsher than deserved. After all, hadn't Taehyun once kept his own walls up, barely letting Yeonjun in? Why was Yeonjun expected to bare his soul now?

Yeonjun scoffed under his breath, shaking his head, only to catch Taehyun watching him with narrowed eyes, as if he could sense Yeonjun's unspoken frustrations. Taehyun's jaw tensed, and he turned back to the others, ignoring Yeonjun completely.

***

Later that week, Taehyun sat at a table in the library, surrounded by a stack of books, his friends chatting quietly around him. The library was filled with a hushed calm, but Taehyun's irritation simmered just below the surface, his fingers drumming impatiently against his book. When Yeonjun entered, Taehyun felt his presence immediately, like a shadow creeping over his shoulder.

Yeonjun moved toward a bookshelf nearby, seemingly lost in thought, but Taehyun's gaze sharpened, his jaw clenching as their eyes briefly met. Yeonjun furrowed his brows, the faintest look of frustration flashing across his face, before he quickly turned and disappeared into another row of shelves.

Noticing the tension, Hueningkai cleared his throat, looking cautiously at Taehyun. "So... what happened between you and Yeonjun?"

Taehyun's hands clenched around his book, the faint sound of paper crinkling in his grip. "Nothing happened," he replied through clenched teeth, though his tone betrayed his irritation.

Beomgyu raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. "Hm, seems to me like you two had a lover's spat?"

If he had to hear one more person make that joke, Taehyun felt he might snap. Whatever spark people thought they saw between him and Yeonjun felt more like a lit fuse leading to an awaiting piece of dynamite. It left him with a simmering heat, feeling raw and exposed.

"We're not lovers," he muttered, sparing Beomgyu a glance before turning back to his book, though his stiff posture betrayed his frustration.

"Sure Taehyun." Soobin chuckled, putting a hand over his mouth to conceal the noise, trying not to be too loud in the languid environment of the library. "That explains why you two have been ignoring each other since the start of the week—"

Taehyun's nose flared as he finally set his book down, irritation spilling over. "How many times do I have to tell you we're not interested in each other?" His voice rose above a whisper, drawing disapproving glances from nearby students. The weight of his irritation hung heavy in the air, his temper fraying with each comment.

Beomgyu held up his hands, a defensive smile on his face. "Hey, relax. We were just joking."

"Yeah? Then tell me—how's it funny?" Taehyun's voice rose as he stood, slamming his hands onto the table. The sudden noise pulled glances from nearby tables, and the library's usual quiet seemed to press in on them. He could feel the unresolved tension from his argument with Yeonjun creeping into every word, lacing them with an irritation he'd struggled to keep at bay.

He's sick of everyone suggesting there's a spark between him and Yeonjun.

The closest thing they have to a spark is a frayed rope, barely hanging on, leading to a volatile slab of dynamite. It's bound to explode—scattering its bitter shrapnel in every direction, cutting into unsuspecting feet until blood and debris pool on the floor. But Taehyun won't admit it, not even to himself—their spark doesn't even come close to that. The wind would snuff it out before it had a chance to catch, leaving only a smoldering ember in its wake.

The silence that followed only made him angrier. Hueningkai's eyes darted away, Beomgyu's mouth closed as if he'd thought better of responding, and Soobin scratched the back of his neck, uncomfortable.

Taehyun's shoulders slumped as he sank back into his seat, his voice a low murmur, "I just... I feel like I can't talk to you guys without it becoming some kind of joke," he whispered, a raw edge in his tone. "Sometimes I just need someone to listen."

Hueningkai reached over and took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Sorry, Tae. We didn't mean to push you like that. We're listening."

Soobin nodded. "Yeah, we're used to keeping things light, but we get it. We shouldn't have made fun of it."

Taehyun glanced from one friend to the next until he met Beomgyu's gaze. Beomgyu's face softened, and he nodded. "Sorry, Tae. We went too far."

The shame creeping up Taehyun's neck made him shift uncomfortably in his seat, acutely aware of the lingering glances around them. After a heavy breath, he looked back at his friends, the warmth of their apologies easing his embarrassment. "Look, I can't get into everything, but yeah... we argued."

And as he spoke, Taehyun shared pieces of his frustration, carefully keeping the details vague enough to avoid exposing Yeonjun's habit.