Lovesick // TOMORROW X TOGETHER [TaeBin / SooKai]

Chapter 11 - The cool kids have noticed me

It was on a lunch break when Soobin saw Yeonjun sitting alone on the end of a long table in the cafeteria. At the sight of his grieving face, flecked with apathy, Soobin remembered the fight on the schoolyard two days ago. It didn't really change Yeonjun's mood overall, except the more darkened expression on his face that usually only then occurred when Soobin once again interrupted Yeonjun in his silent alone time.

Soobin noticed the right hand resting on top of the cafeteria table right next to Yeonjun's bulging lunch box filled with cutted vegetables and fruits as well as two sandwiches and one chocolate bar. He knew what was in the lunch box as it was the same as every other day and just like today, Soobin didn't miss checking up on Yeonjun. He knew that Yeonjun didn't want that, but who else would take this part other than the one person who experienced the car accident with him?

Soobin stood at the salad counter with his plate in both of his hands, waiting for Taehyun to be finished getting his lunch. From this far away he could already see the cracked open knuckles and the red bruises on Yeonjun's right hand and Soobin could already sense that Yeonjun did not care the slightest bit about that.

"Where do you wanna sit?" Taehyun came up from behind with his plate filled with today's dish, spinach lasagne.

"Next to Yeonjun." Soobin answered without taking his eyes off Yeonjun. Taehyun followed Soobin's gaze and then nodded understandingly.

"Okay."

The more they approached Yeonjun, the clearer Soobin could see the damage that his right hand got left with after the fight with Lee Suho. The abrasion on Soobin's cheek, that grew into a larger blood bruise, was in comparison to that only a small scratch.

Soobin sat opposite Yeonjun and Taehyun sat to his left as they placed their plates on the table. Soobin's gaze was filled with a hopeful gleam. Hopeful that Yeonjun would acknowledge Soobin's attempt to make him feel less alone. That Yeonjun would see that Soobin only wanted to make him feel a little better.

"What do you guys want?" Yeonjun asked harshly and looked up to them without lifting his head up, making his glaring eyes seem filled with more fury.

"Eat." Taehyun said tersely and started eating his lasagne.

"I saw you sitting alone apart from your friends, so I figured we should sit with you." Soobin warbled happily and began poking around in his food.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe I do not want to sit next to anyone? Especially you." Yeonjun grumbled and clenched his broken hand into a fist.

"If you don't want to sit next to us then you can just leave." Taehyun declared at which Soobin looked at him with a startled gaze, telling him with looks to stop talking to him like that. He only made it more difficult for Soobin to accomplish his attempt to get closer to Yeonjun. Let alone that Yeonjun didn't deserve that harshness towards him.

"I sat here first." Yeonjun picked up on the jibe and his hand seemed to get redder from the whole clenching.

Soobin started to panic on the inside, fearing another fight to happen right in front of him in the cafeteria. To prevent his fear from becoming reality, he quickly changed the topic in hopes that Yeonjun would hop onto the train.

"How is your hand?"

"Why do you care?" Yeonjun darted his gaze to Soobin, and the same maddening eyes looked at him as they had just looked at Taehyun. They were terrifying.

"Because I'm worried about you."

"Then get in line behind the others who get on my nerves."

With that, he stood up, grabbed his lunchbox and trotted off, revealing Yeonjun's friends to Soobin's eyes a few tables away from him. Not only were they his friends but also the popular guys from this school. The it boys, the cool ones; the ones that threw parties every weekend, taking turns at which house they threw it next.