Letters to Love

{11}

Soobin takes a sip from his coffee, eyes glued to his laptop screen as he proceeds to open the Discord application. Since today was a weekend and he didn't have a lot of homework to accomplish, he decided to have a video call with his high school friends, just as what they have planned. They've been talking about video calling each other for months but they've never got the chance to do so due to their busy schedules. Since today was their only 'free' day, they decided to schedule it on this day. 

He takes a look at the panel on his left to see if his friend was online. There, he sees the profile of the user 'Waengderland' with that small green circle at the bottom right of his profile picture. Immediately, he clicks on it and calls him. It's been a while since they've last seen each other. The last time that they've talked in person was during the summer when he, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Kai—whom he just recently became friends with—decided to hang out. It's been months since their last chat so for this, Soobin has to make the most out of it before returning to his academics and stressing about projects and stuff.

It didn't take too long before Beomgyu answered the call. Immediately, the video call window opens and there, he sees his best friend lying flat on his belly. Next to him was his other best friend, Taehyun, and beside him was his new boyfriend, Kai, all having similar positions. A euphoric smile formed on Soobin's face, happy to see his friends after so long. It just feels so great to see them again like sweet relief washing over him.

"Hi, guys!" Soobin greets first as he puts his other earphone on.

"Soobin-ah! We missed you!" Beomgyu pouts, and so did Taehyun. "School suddenly became boring without you."

This made the other's eyebrow raise. "Huh, why?" The culinary major asks, the ends of his lips curling upwards a bit, "is it because you have no playmate?"

His statement only made Beomgyu frown even more. "What else can I do? Taehyun and Kai have been dating ever since the third month of school while here I am, still single as a pringle." Beomgyu sets his arms on top of his mattress, rests his head on top of it, sulking.

"And a third wheeler!" Kai adds, creating laughter within the group and only bullying Beomgyu even more, he who indignantly glared at the younger with darting eyes.

"Sorry that I couldn't go there, I don't have the time you know. Though I wish that I had." Soobin apologizes. Upon hearing this, his friends immediately—and quite obviously—shook their heads at him.

"It's fine Soobin hyung, don't worry about it, we understand. You don't need to apologize to us." Taehyun replied, "besides, our school is far from your campus so what else can we do?"

"That's true," Though he hated to admit it, the other agrees, involuntarily nodding his head. Sometimes, Soobin would wish that their schools were near each other so that they can walk home together from school every day, just like in high school, just like when his best friends were still there with him. Of course, now, their paths have diverged and, most probably, his best friends might enter different universities after they graduate senior high school so there's nothing that they can do about it. He wished that there was, but at the same time, he knew that there wasn't. They just had to deal with it.

"Soobin hyung," Kai decided to speak up, "how's college by the way?"

Soobin's brows flickered upwards upon hearing this question. "How's college?" He repeated the question in a much higher tone, wanting to know if he had heard correctly.

"Oh yeah!" Beomgyu's eyes lit up. After glancing at Kai, he immediately turned his attention to the screen, to Soobin. "How's college life Soobin? Are you doing well?"

Soobin nodded. "It's fine and I'm doing well," is what he replied. A common reply that holds multiple definitions but when he said it in a calm voice, that's when they could tell that he was doing well.