Chapter Text
The cold wind howls and the trees rustle as dead leaves and dirt crunch with every step from the boy. He shivers, regretting not wearing another layer, as he makes his way through, the light from his torch illuminating his path. He has no destination; he only knows that he’s always wanted to take a late night walk, and what better time to do it than the last night of his holiday and the only night with a full moon? If he’s completely honest, it probably wasn’t the best idea since it’s dark and cold and he could probably get hurt (or worse, die) and no one would even know. But the peace and tranquility of the forest soothes him, and it feels like nature is inviting him to explore their hidden beauty at night.
He takes cautious and slow steps, never stepping outside of his illuminated path, and trying to ignore the fear of being attacked by something. The sound of the wind and rustling trees calm and comfort him in a way. It’s so soft and peaceful that he’ll know exactly when something is wrong.
As he’s walking, he sees a peculiar sight: a clearing, with a large pond, lit up by the moonlight and sparkling with the moon’s reflection. He turns off his torch, as he can clearly see and admire the scenery without it. He’s about to step out into the clearing, to sit by the pond and admire the night sky, when the peaceful silence is disturbed by the flapping of wings.
Before his eyes, a beautiful white crane descends like a dove and lands in the middle of the pond. It stretches its wings, displaying its black feathers on the inside and pure, white feathers along the rest of the expanse. It extends its long, black neck, dipping down to drink the water with its golden beak. It moves so gracefully that the boy is stunned by its beauty and elegance. He’s never witnessed something so captivating before. He wishes that he had a way to capture the moment.
The boy is content in observing the crane, until suddenly, it wraps its wings around itself and it starts to shine, glowing and emitting a dazzling light. The next second, he sees a young boy in place of the crane.
The once-crane boy looks up at the sky, displaying the side of his face as he closes his eyes. The sight is… ethereal (although the boy does not yet know that word, so he can only describe it as magical). He continues to stare, admiring the black-haired boy’s jaw line and round features. He’s so caught up in the sight that he almost misses the moment when their eyes lock and suddenly, his breath is taken away. The black-haired boy’s eyes glitter like stars as he stares in shock. But in a split second, the boy’s face turns into panic and he glows again and flies away quickly as a crane.
‘How weird.’ The boy thinks. ‘A bird that turned into a boy? Or did the boy turn into a bird?’
He notices something sparkling, floating down gradually, until it lands in the middle of the pond. The boy does not hesitate to step into the shallow water and walk towards the object. In the middle of the pond is a single, pristine, white feather. He swears he can see it sparkle, as if enchanted with magic. And perhaps it is magic, for when he picks up the feather, it is not wet or dripping like it should.
The boy decides to keep the feather, as a reminder of the strange encounter. As a young 8-year-old boy, he doesn’t know what to think of it—perhaps it was all like a dream—but alas, he wakes up with the feather on his bedside table and he remembers. It wasn’t a dream. But there’s nothing he can do about it. He’s leaving to return home today, and he doesn’t think he’ll ever see the crane boy again. Maybe it was just a figment of his imagination. And yet, he still thinks about the beautiful crane and the mysterious boy and he hopes that one day, they will meet again.
The boy, now 18 years old, carries his luggage up the flight of stairs that lead to his new shared apartment. He sacrificed having an elevator in favour of picking a cheap apartment that was relatively close to the university, only being a 20-minute walk. Even though he managed to consolidate and only bring the bare minimum, he’s still got another four boxes waiting at the entrance of the building. To be fair, the essentials his mother prepared for him probably take up two boxes.
He unlocks the door, and with a shove, he steps into his new home. It’s not amazing, but Taehyun would describe it as ‘cosy’ and ‘satisfactory’. He just needs to spruce the place up a bit with his personal touch and things from home. His roommate hasn’t moved in yet, although Taehyun supposes he is a few days early. It’s an opportunity for him to familiarise himself with the neighbourhood and the trip to university. He slowly grabs his other boxes, climbing up the stairs to the second level, and unpacks his things. At least he’ll have his own room and privacy. He just hopes he has a nice roommate, too. Someone he can get along with, seeing as he’s coming into university with no prior friends.
His roommate comes in the form of a fellow first-year music student named Kai. It’s easy to get along with Kai and they have a chemistry that Taehyun knows will grow their friendship quickly. Kai is everything Taehyun could have asked for: friendly, funny, open, and never judgemental. They even share a few classes, seeing as they both study vocal music.
Although, Taehyun does have to admit he was surprised when he saw the younger boy unpacking his box full of plushies. He’d never even seen a child that was in love with plushies so much that they owned a whole box full, not that he minds.
“We’re gonna become best friends!” Kai exclaimed within an hour of meeting each other.
“Let’s hope neither of us quit our courses.” Taehyun chuckled.
“We can do it, Taehyun-ah! Don’t be such a party pooper!” Kai laughed.
They spent the day unpacking and exploring the neighbourhood, finding where the convenience store was, and where the places to eat were. Taehyun found himself liking his choice of the apartment more and more as he discovered the conveniences of their neighbourhood. Their first dinner was of course, instant ramen, because Kai claimed it was a well-known tradition for eating in a new apartment, nevertheless the night before the university’s open day.
Although classes don’t start for another week, the university is open for orientations, extracurricular clubs, and various other welcoming activities across the campus. Although Taehyun could care less about the pleasantries, his older sister insisted it would be a great opportunity to familiarise himself with the campus.
When it gets to lunch time, Kai immediately takes the chance to bring Taehyun to one of the many cafés on their campus.
“Trust me, you’ll love this one. It’s a bit more hidden, so it doesn’t get packed with lines the whole day, and it’s really nice and cosy! My friends also work there, so we can get discounts or even free food at the end of the day!” Kai beams confidently.
“Sounds like they’re either really generous friends or you’re overconfident.” Taehyun chuckles.
“Wow, only a few days into our friendship and you’re already accusing me?” Kai scoffs jokingly. “They’ll like you for sure.”
The café itself is, as Kai said, in a more secluded area, being located on the side of the campus that doesn’t have many classes. It’s still decent-sized, and Taehyun’s first impression is that it’s ‘humble’. The bell rings as they enter, and the interior is decorated with paintings, photos, and plants. There’s an old record player playing soft R&B music, and there are a few people sitting down and conversing, although it never gets too loud.
“Juni-hyung!” Kai smiles wide as a blond-haired boy shoots his head up and smiles wide.
“Ning! You finally came to visit!”
The boy comes out from behind the counter and hugs Kai tight, ruffling his hair playfully.
“Ah, stop, hyung!” Kai laughs, trying to get out of the boy’s headlock.
“And this is?”
“Taehyun. I’m Kai’s roommate.” Taehyun bows his head politely.
“Oh! Nice to meet you! I’m Yeonjun!” Yeonjun beams, letting go of Kai in favour of shaking Taehyun’s hand. “Thanks for taking care of this one. He’s a bit of a handful sometimes, but I’m sure you can handle him just fine!”
“Hey, I’m not a kid anymore!” Kai blushes.
“Anyway, grab a seat and I’ll get you some menus.” Yeonjun smiles. “Everything’s on the house, just for today!”
“Yay! Thanks, hyung!” Kai pumps a fist in the air as he makes his way to one of the tables by the window.
A few moments later, a black-haired boy approaches their table with two menus. Taehyun looks up, and he’s struck by the boy’s beauty. He has a defined jaw line and such pretty eyes that Taehyun finds himself staring at for probably a few seconds too long.
“Here are your menus. I’ll be back to get your orders.” The boy says, promptly leaving and returning to his place at the coffee machine.
“Wow, this wasn’t on the menu last time...” Kai says, scanning the menu. “What’s wrong?”
“Huh? Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.”
“Clearly.” Kai chuckles. “Are you all right?”
“Y-Yeah. I’m fine.” Taehyun clears his throat and similarly scans the menu.
He ignores the way that his eyes were trained on the black-haired boy, and hopes Kai didn’t notice anything. They order their food and drinks (with Kai going all out and choosing the most expensive item on the menu), and the black-haired boy silently writes the order in his notepad. Taehyun finds him mysterious, now that he thinks about it. The boy doesn’t smile or anything, just quietly does his job with minimal words. Taehyun passes it off as being shy or simply part of his personality.
“It really is a nice café.” Taehyun smiles. “Thanks for bringing me here.”
“Oh Taehyunnie, this is only the start of many… many visits. University students can’t go a day without coffee. That’s what Juni-hyung said.” Kai chuckles.
“That can’t be healthy.” Taehyun sighs lightheartedly. “Do you even have the money for it? Coffee is expensive.”
“Tsk, tsk,” Kai waves his finger from side to side. “That’s why we’re coming to this café. Juni-hyung would totally let us off the hook more often than not. Maybe not Soobin-hyung, though...”
“What lies are you spewing to your new roommate?” Yeonjun ruffles Kai’s hair. “You want something, you gotta pay for it, kiddo.”
“Ahh, stop!” Kai complains. “I told you already, I’m not a kid! I’m in university now, you can’t call me that anymore.”
“You’re still a kid in my eyes.” Yeonjun sticks his tongue out.
They continue bickering until someone clears their throat behind Yeonjun.
“Your orders.”
It’s the black-haired boy again, this time with two plates of food. Yeonjun moves aside as the boy silently places the respective dishes in front of the two.
“Oh yeah, this is Beomgyu!” Yeonjun slings an arm around Beomgyu’s neck. “Beomgyu, this is Kai, my childhood friend, and his new roommate, Taehyun.”
“Nice to meet you.” Beomgyu smiles.
But Taehyun doesn’t miss how his eyes crinkle a bit too much and his mouth spreads a little too wide, lips still thinly pursed together. It looks like the same smile he’d force upon all of his customers, regardless of the fact that Yeonjun knows them. It definitely gives Taehyun a great first impression, which is only softened by his undeniably cute dimple. And yet, Taehyun still decides it’s probably just his personality, so he shouldn’t be offended. It’s their first meeting, after all.
“Loosen up a bit, Gyu! Aren’t I always telling you to be more natural?” Yeonjun retorts.
“Yeah, yeah. Get back to work, hyung.” Beomgyu sighs as he returns to his place behind the counter again.
“Once you get to know him, he’s a lot nicer, don’t worry. He’s just like that.” Yeonjun reassures the two. “Well, I’ll leave you two to enjoy your meal.”
Taehyun starts eating his food and he’s pleasantly surprised by how good it is. For a small café, it’s better than he’d expected, and the prices are decent too. As he and Kai eat their food, Taehyun’s eyes can’t help but glance towards Beomgyu. He seems to make that same customer smile to every person that comes up to the counter, only to immediately switch it off as he diligently makes each drink order.
‘Maybe he’s having a bad day.’ Taehyun muses.
He’s not just having a bad day, Taehyun finds out, three visits later.
Beomgyu is as unresponsive and blank as the first day they met. It irks Taehyun that he’s unable to read him—something that Taehyun thought he could pride himself on—and therefore makes little progress in getting to know him better.
Taehyun also meets Soobin, Yeonjun’s other friend and fellow co-worker who is subsequently friends with Kai from the few times Kai visited Yeonjun while he was still in school. There’s a large contrast between Soobin and Beomgyu, as Soobin is genuine and kind from the get-go, without a doubt. His smiles are warm and he always checks to make sure that Taehyun is as comfortable as possible. He’s intentional in their friendship in a way that Beomgyu could never match. Or at least, this is what Taehyun has been able to deduct from their first few meetings together.
“How are you feeling about your classes?” Soobin asks on Friday afternoon, before they officially start.
“I’m excited! We finally get to start our university life!” Kai exclaims with a wide smile.
“Neutral, I guess? I don’t really know what to expect.” Taehyun says.
“Remind me what you’re studying again?” Soobin takes a bite of his sandwich.
“Bachelor of Music, majoring in vocal music and minoring in music composition.” Taehyun replies calmly.
“Music composition? That’s Beomgyu’s major!” Soobin looks up. “Ya! Beomgyu! Taehyun here is gonna minor in music composition.”
Although there are no other people in the café besides the five of them (Yeonjun being in the back), Beomgyu makes no move to join their conversation and simply replies, “Okay” before returning to his mindless cleaning.
“That’s so cool, Taehyunnie! Maybe Beomgyu-ssi can help you out.” Kai suggests. “What do you minor in then?”
“Instrumental music.” Beomgyu says, eyes never leaving the table he’s wiping down.
“Really? What instrument do you play?”
“Mainly guitar.”
“Guitar? We should play together someday!”
“That’d be great! Maybe you could play for the café, set up a mini concert.” Soobin laughs.
As Soobin and Kai converse, Taehyun finds himself captivated by Beomgyu again, cleaning the table next to them. As he’s leaning over, Taehyun notices something he never had the chance to before, from only seeing Beomgyu at a distance.
It’s a long feather (white, with hints of grey) hanging from a simple necklace cord. Taehyun squints his eyes and he swears he sees the feather sparkle in the sunlight. It looks awfully familiar… almost like Taehyun’s feather from years ago, when he was a child. He locks eyes with Beomgyu and the latter furrows his eyes.
“What are you looking at?” He asks firmly.
“Y-Your necklace. It’s really pretty.” Taehyun stutters, feeling slightly intimidated by his first real conversation with the quiet boy. “Where did you get it from?”
“Just found it somewhere.” Beomgyu answers quickly, before moving onto the next table.
Taehyun finds it slightly odd that the boy would answer so vaguely. Surely it wouldn’t hurt to say where exactly he found it? But alas, Beomgyu is a man of few words (quite literally), and he has no obligation to tell Taehyun anything further. Maybe it’s something personal to him, and he doesn’t want to overshare about it.
When Taehyun returns home that day, he puts his belongings down and immediately makes a beeline for the box he’s hidden carefully underneath his bed. He unlocks the small chest with the key stashed away in his wallet.
Inside is the white feather from the lake that one night, still as pristine and sparkling as ten years ago. It’s the same as Beomgyu’s, Taehyun decides. No other feather would sparkle like his, and the shape is identical as well.
Taehyun had decided to keep the feather all these years to remind him of the strange encounter, but after so many years, he has come to accept that the crane is probably long gone and living its own life. But deep down inside, there’s still a sliver of hope. Maybe he’ll meet the boy again one day, as a human or as a beautiful crane. He’s held onto this precious memory, just so that he can see the beautiful crane again, even if it’s only once.
Although he was only eight at the time, Taehyun always remembers the crane boy, and nothing else. He doesn’t remember how he got there, or what happened after the crane flew away, but he remembers its beauty and how ethereal it looked in the moonlight.
Needless to say, he doesn’t remember what the boy looked like—only that he was the prettiest person 8-year-old Taehyun had seen. He only remembers nights as a young boy, trying to remember what he looked like, only for his image of the boy to fade and become distorted over the years.
Perhaps Beomgyu knows something about the crane boy… or could it possibly be…?
The only way to confirm his suspicions is to ask Beomgyu about it again. Although, Taehyun knows it’s a harder task than it seems. Last time, he had seemed quick to change the topic, which only makes Taehyun more curious about the mysterious boy.
And so, the next morning, when the café is quite empty, Taehyun goes alone and orders his usual caramel macchiato from Beomgyu.
“Here’s your change.”
“Where did you really get the feather?” Taehyun blurts in a bout of confidence.
Beomgyu pauses for a second, and Taehyun catches the hesitation in his eyes. Bingo.
“I told you already. I picked it up somewhere.” Beomgyu sighs as he goes to make the drink.
“Surely you know where, then… since you keep it with you every day.” Taehyun keeps his voice firm, confidence unwavering.
“It’s none of your business.”
“Just tell me what you know.”
“I’m not going to tell you when I don’t need to.”
“I’ll tell Yeonjun-hyung and the others about the crane.”
“Tell them. They won’t believe you.” Beomgyu huffs out a quiet laugh.
“Did you just… laugh?” Taehyun gapes, completely ignoring the previously shared conversation.
“What? No.” Beomgyu’s face goes blank again.
“You totally did! So you can show positive expressions!”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Beomgyu pouts. “I smile at everyone all the time.”
“Sure. Your customer smile doesn’t count, Beomgyu-ssi.”
“Whatever. Take your drink and stop talking to me already.” He sighs as he passes Taehyun his take-away coffee.
Taehyun, to Beomgyu’s surprise, complies, taking his drink as he makes his way to his usual seat by the window. He smirks, satisfied that he finally got his first positive reaction from Beomgyu, even if the elder denies it.
He’s at least confirmed that Beomgyu knows something about the crane boy, but Taehyun knows better than to force it out of the boy, especially when they’ve only really had two proper conversations. If he can even call them that.
Taehyun smiles to himself, thinking of the beautiful crane, and how he might finally get to meet the boy again. After all these years, holding onto the memory and the feather will have been worth it.
Choi Beomgyu becomes a mystery that Taehyun is determined to solve. Now that he knows Beomgyu is related to the crane for certain, it only fuels his curiosity even more.
Choi Beomgyu may be an enigma to him, but Taehyun is prepared to figure him out.
By the third week of classes, Taehyun has settled into university and fallen into routine. He’s never had too many troubles with self-discipline and staying on top of his work, after all. And since he’s studying music, he’s actually motivated to learn something he enjoys, unlike high school. Kai shares the same sentiments, still positive as always and eager to learn.
One afternoon when he visits the café, he notices Beomgyu sitting at a table in the corner with his laptop open, an indicator that he’s on his break and not working behind the counter as usual.
“It’s rare to see you on break.” Taehyun smiles as he walks over.
Beomgyu looks up with his blank stare and he forces a smile as he locks eyes with Taehyun.
“There aren’t many customers today.” He says before going back to typing away at his laptop.
“Are you working on an assignment?” Taehyun asks, peering over.
“And what if I am?” Beomgyu scoffs.
“Calm down, I was just wondering.” Taehyun smiles warmly, already accustomed to Beomgyu’s attitude.
“What do you want from me? I’ve already told you to mind your own business, and yet you still persist. I’m not telling you anything.” Beomgyu runs a hand through his hair, furrowing his brow.
“I want to be your friend. Is there something wrong with that?” Taehyun sits down across from him, inviting himself into Beomgyu’s space.
“Yes, there is.” Beomgyu glares back at him. “You’re annoying me. I know you just want to know about the feather, and that’s it.”
“Sure, I’m curious about that, but I do genuinely want to become your friend, Beomgyu-ssi. You’re interesting.” Taehyun chuckles.
“Well you can quit it. I’m not becoming friends with you, or anyone for that matter.” Beomgyu sighs.
“Let’s be acquaintances, then. Not friends, but not strangers.” Taehyun suggests.
“You’re awfully stubborn. What do you even want to do with this information about the crane? Hunt it down?”
“Relax. I just want to see it again. And perhaps get to know the mysterious boy. Don’t you think it’s amazing?” Taehyun asks, eyes lighting up. “Not even to research it or anything… just to discover... such a wonderful being.”
Beomgyu pauses, struck by Taehyun’s words as the thoughts run through his mind at a million miles.
“I think it’s a stupid endeavour, and that you should stop trying.” Beomgyu shuts his laptop and promptly gets up. “Can’t you just be satisfied that you saw it once in your life?”
“If anyone would be satisfied with seeing it once, I think they’d be the stupid ones. Beauty like theirs… it’d be a shame to never see them again.”
The look in Taehyun’s eyes is one full of determination, and it’s foreign to Beomgyu.
“Suit yourself.” Beomgyu sighs, going to the back of the café and later returning to the counter once more.
“Wait, could I have my usual? I promise I came here to study.” Taehyun calls out.
“Of course, Taehyun-ssi.” Beomgyu forces his smile again before preparing Taehyun’s drink.
“Just call me Taehyun. Adding the honorific sounds weird.”
“Okay.” Beomgyu nods. “Call me Beomgyu, then. It’s weird if it’s just you being polite to me.”
“Not hyung?” Taehyun teases.
“We’re not friends, remember?”
“Not yet.” Taehyun winks.
Beomgyu lets out another quiet laugh.
For the moment, Taehyun is satisfied with their ‘acquaintances, not friends’ status. He understands it’s a slow process in getting to know Beomgyu, but he’s confident that the elder boy will open up eventually.
He sees Beomgyu almost every day, whether it’s during his Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday shift, or in passing, since they both belong to the music department. Taehyun shares two classes with Kai (Introduction to Vocal Music, and Music Theory 140), and so Tuesdays are usually the day when all five of them hang out at lunch.
“Beomgyu, there are literally no customers. Chill and take a break, would you?” Yeonjun sighs, dragging Beomgyu over to their table in the corner.
“Fine, but if there’s a customer, I’m taking it.” Beomgyu crosses his arms and pouts.
“Beomgyu-hyung, you’re really dedicated to your work, aren’t you?” Kai chuckles.
“Don’t call me hyung, you brat.”
“Ugh, you’re just like Juni-hyung! I’m not a brat.” Kai complains. “Taehyunnie, tell them how mature I am at home!”
“Sure, if by which you mean forgetting to do the chores, or leaving your clothes on the floor, or-”
“OKAY! That’s enough spreading false rumours, thank you.” Kai clasps a hand over Taehyun’s mouth. “I’m still not a kid, though.”
“Don’t worry about it, Kai. Yeonjun-hyung just can’t believe you’re growing up so fast.” Soobin laughs, causing Yeonjun to blush and hit him.
Beomgyu’s reluctance to join their conversation and his offer to serve any customers tells Taehyun a few things about him. He stays quiet for most of the conversation, much like his usual personality, only speaking up when he needs to. He looks down nervously, biting his lip and checking almost every second whether someone is outside the café, despite them having a bell set up. He probably doesn’t do well in conversations, whether because he’s shy or something else, and searches for any opportunity to escape or do something else. Although, Taehyun is less inclined to think he’s shy, since the elder usually has no trouble talking with Taehyun or with anyone else for that matter. He’s probably just a bit awkward, unable to continue the conversation.
Taehyun tries his best to include Beomgyu in the conversation, occasionally asking him questions or for his opinion, but as usual, he receives blunt answers of few words. The other weird thing about Beomgyu is that he hardly shows any expressions. Sometimes Yeonjun will crack a joke, or Kai will do something funny, but Beomgyu remains stone-faced. Either that, or his reactions are delayed, and he puts on his fake smiles and laughs that Taehyun can already tell aren’t genuine. Perhaps he’s just hard to please?
Eventually, Yeonjun gets called by the manager to check something in the back, making him leave the table temporarily. As soon as he’s disappeared and is out of earshot, the conversation goes in a different direction that Taehyun does not expect.
“So Kai, when are you finally going to confess?” Soobin asks, leaning in close and smiling smugly.
“W-What do you mean?” Kai stutters, almost choking on his drink.
“To Yeonjun-hyung! Oh by the way, Taehyunnie, Kai has been pining for Yeonjun-hyung for years now.” Soobin rolls his eyes.
“Wasn’t that obvious enough already?” Taehyun chuckles.
“Wait, really?!” Kai exclaims in shock.
“Wow, you’ve only known each other for weeks and he’s already got you figured out, Kai.”
“I mean, you’re not exactly secretive about it. You always smile wide when you’re messaging him, and don’t think I don’t see you making those eyes at him wherever you go.” Taehyun says bluntly.
Kai blushes, clearly embarrassed at how he isn’t hiding his crush as well as he thought.
“Hyung doesn’t like me back, though. I don’t want to ruin everything.” Kai bites his lip nervously.
“You never know until you confess! Right, Beomgyu?” Soobin turns to Beomgyu, who is clearly disengaged and looks up from his phone with a blank look.
“Sure. I wouldn’t know.” Beomgyu admits honestly.
“But don’t you think Yeonjun-hyung likes Kai back? The signs are clear. He looks at Kai with the same eyes, and Kai is always his favourite.” Taehyun suggests.
“I don’t know, okay? I’m out of here, I need to sort the cupboard.” Beomgyu scoffs as he leaves the table.
“What’s his problem?” Taehyun whispers, still not quite understanding Beomgyu’s attitude.
“He’s always like that whenever we talk about romance.” Soobin sighs. “Don’t mind him, he just hates talking about it for some reason.”
“Beomgyu-hyung seems like the type to be popular, though.” Kai chuckles.
“Yeah, sometimes he gets the girls who shamelessly flirt with him, but as always, he just bluntly continues with his job.” Soobin says. “That’s another thing! Yeonjun-hyung turns down every single person who tries to flirt with him, no matter what gender.”
“That doesn’t mean anything! He could just be uninterested in love at the moment.” Kai pouts.
“Or he could be interested in you.” Taehyun supplies.
“Ahh, both of you shut up!” Kai whines. “Stop giving me false hope.”
Soobin and Taehyun share a sigh, clearly knowing both sides of the mutual pining but understanding that it’s not their place to intervene. Taehyun imagines that Soobin has been suffering for longer though, having known Yeonjun for the past three years and seeing Kai occasionally whenever he would visit. In time, he supposes they’ll work themselves out.
Yeonjun returns to the table and doesn’t ask why Beomgyu has left the conversation, which Taehyun takes as an indicator that he understands Beomgyu at a deeper level than Taehyun initially thought. He asks them what he missed out on, and Soobin replies with “Nothing much” while Kai blushes shyly.
Taehyun finds himself even more confused, or perhaps curious about Beomgyu’s attitude and character. He starts to wonder whether he can become friends with Beomgyu, but makes the resolution to persist at it. He feels the guilt rest in a part of his heart at the thought of becoming friends with Beomgyu to learn more about the crane, but tries to convince himself that there are other, better reasons. He wants to understand this boy, even if he doesn’t know why.
Perhaps there is something he sees within this lonely and distant boy, and he simply wants to see Beomgyu smile genuinely.
Although it isn’t guaranteed that Taehyun will see Beomgyu every day, he still messages the boy daily, attempting to build their friendship bit by bit. And although Beomgyu replies with one-word answers or short phrases, he still replies nevertheless. Even when Taehyun isn’t messaging him, he’s sometimes hanging out with Soobin and Yeonjun, or somewhat present in their group chat. Either way, Taehyun doesn’t go a day without talking to him (whether it’s recommending him a song or asking about what he’s doing), which is why he finds Beomgyu’s ‘off days’ weird.
The first time he learnt of Beomgyu’s ‘off days’ was when he didn’t show up to the café on a Wednesday for his usual shift. He asked Yeonjun where the usually quiet yet devoted-to-his-job boy was, and Yeonjun replied that it was his ‘off day’. These were the one day of each month where Beomgyu would go visit his parents in Daegu, and where he apparently couldn’t use his phone, because he wanted to “spend his precious time with his parents” instead. Or so Beomgyu had explained to Yeonjun, who explained it to Taehyun.
While Taehyun appreciated Beomgyu’s sincerity in spending time with his parents, he couldn’t understand why the elder didn’t use his phone. Surely he had enough free time without being by his parents’ side to use his phone, even just to check social media or message the group chat. It wasn’t like Daegu was in the middle of nowhere either, so having no reception wouldn’t work as an excuse.
Don’t get him wrong, it’s not like Taehyun was bothered by the fact that he didn’t get to message Beomgyu (he understands his boundaries as an acquaintance), he just found it weird. He also heard from Yeonjun that these ‘off days’ are usually quite random, as his parents can be quite demanding. Even if he has a class, every few months or so, he has to skip them in order to see his parents. Yeonjun and Soobin, similarly to Taehyun, don’t understand why he can’t just visit them one weekend per month, but Beomgyu simply shrugs and doesn’t explain further. With time, Yeonjun and Soobin simply accepted it.
“It’s just a weird Beomgyu and his family thing. Don’t think too hard about it.” Yeonjun shrugged. “Unless… you have a crush on Beomgyu?”
“I knew it!” Kai cried out.
“I don’t! Stop making assumptions.” Taehyun scoffed. “I just find it weird, that’s all.”
“Sure, Taehyunnie.” Kai smiled smugly. “I see the way you look at him.”
“Like you’re one to talk.” Taehyun laughed. “Don’t make me tell him.”
That shut Kai up.
He asked Beomgyu about it the next day, and he simply told him it was “none of his business”. When he tried again, Beomgyu got annoyed and didn’t talk to Taehyun for a day.
The next time it happened was a Friday, when Beomgyu usually had classes, and the third time was on a Saturday, which made more sense than the weekdays, Taehyun supposed.
The other weird thing was that Beomgyu always somehow knew a week in advance when he would be going. They’d suggested a movie night for Friday, and Beomgyu magically said, “I’m heading to Daegu that Friday.” so that they could postpone it to the next week. But why would his parents be so specific to set the date on a weekday, no less?
It was all a mystery to Taehyun, and it only made his curiosity about Beomgyu grow even more.