Dear Sputnik

XXVI

- TAEHYUN -

It started off slow, like anything else. Taehyun and Beomgyu's relationship evolved ever since their first kiss. It had been two days since then and they spent every single second that they could with each other. His father's trial was halted in order to accommodate for the holiday season. Luckily, Taehyun would be able to set aside his dread for his eventual testimony on the stand. Beomgyu had been an amazing distraction for everything going on in his personal life. Actually, Beomgyu had made him feel like he was in a different universe. He felt so much happier and it truly did show. His grandfather had questioned how one could look so happy when his father was on criminal trial when Taehyun had gotten home yesterday evening after spending the entire day with Beomgyu.

Walking back through the door to his apartment had made those fuzzy feelings disappear when he seen his family members hunched over the dining room table where papers had been strewn everywhere. How his mood could do a full 180 was a mystery to him. Taehyun was sick of this trial, sick of seeing the affect it had it on his mother and father, and beyond tired of the constant paperwork. Other than that, he had grown accustomed to the likeliness of being unable to get his old life back. It had eaten him alive for the longest time with doubt, but now, his mind was finally at peace. Now, he wondered what his life would be like after the trial was finished.

Last night after he had disappeared from his family and into the solitude that his room provided, he called Beomgyu to make sure he made it home safely. They stayed on the phone with each other for hours until Taehyun couldn't possibly keep his eyes open any longer. The two of them had one of their deepest conversations last night. Beomgyu shared stories about growing up and explained how he use to have a pet parrot. Taehyun could hardly even imagine Beomgyu with a parrot; it seemed like an odd choice of pet for him. Then, he told Taehyun about growing up with Yeonjun and how his parent's fights got worse by the day.

On the flip side, Taehyun was the most honest to him he had ever been with someone in his life, besides his sister. He told Beomgyu about his family's wealth and their traditions. Despite how difficult it was to talk about, he even discussed portions of the gay conversion therapy camp that his father sent him to where he met Yeonjun at. Beomgyu didn't press him on the details of the camp, which Taehyun was thankful for.

Still, despite how much he shared with Beomgyu, he missed one very large secret that he was hiding. Taehyun didn't tell Beomgyu about the conversation he had with his father. How could he? It was getting harder for him to lie to Beomgyu about why he couldn't go to his house. Beomgyu had been lying to them and telling them that he was hanging out with Yeonjun, but how long could that last? One slip up and Beomgyu would tell his father that he was actually with him and his father would tell him to the truth before Taehyun would be able to. Taehyun was playing with fire and he knew that he should've told Beomgyu, but he didn't want to ruin their relationship. He was scared of Beomgyu's reaction, truthfully, but he was more afraid of losing him.

Taehyun questioned why everything had to be so difficult. Hadn't he suffered enough? He considered the fact that it was karma for growing up in such a privileged household. What else could it have been?

Taehyun's phone buzzed in his pocket, interrupting his thoughts. He grabbed it from his pocket and brightened the screen to see a notification from Beomgyu. The two of them had made plans today. They were meeting Huening Kai, Yeonjun, and Soobin at a winter festival in downtown Seoul. Yeonjun had offered to drive, but instead, they decided to opt for public transportation. Taehyun didn't mind, that would leave more time to spend with Beomgyu. The others weren't leaving until later.