estrange ✶ huening kai

ten.

the autumn wind rushed by sora as she walked down the street, which prompted her to pull the cloth of her jacket tighter around herself. she strolled along with a purpose, each step she took filled with intention.

not exactly paying attention to her surroundings, but rather the autumn leaves that crunched under her feet, sora didn't hear someone approach her right side.

"where are you going?"

jumping in surprise, she placed a hand over her heart after realizing who it was. sora slapped his shoulder lightly, her words that followed coming out in an exasperated tone, "god, taehyun, don't do that."

"sorry, sorry," he apologized with a chuckle, "but seriously, where are you going?"

"i have to meet someone at the library."

"oh? who is it?"

"choi soobin, our senior."

stopping in his tracks, taehyun could only stare at sora with widened eyes.

"what's wrong?" sora also stopped after realizing taehyun had done so.

"why are you meeting him?"

sora furrowed her eyebrows, "i just have to talk to him about something." she watched as taehyun awkwardly scratched his head, and could easily tell that he was trying to formulate a response, why is he being so.. weird?

"ah, okay.. i'll be accompanying you then!"

"..why would you do that?"

taehyun let out a nervous laugh, his eyes wide as he tried to think of an excuse, "i need to use the bathroom! heh.. at the.. library, specifically." turning his head away, he cringed at the lame excuse he had come up with.

"you need to use the bathroom.." she paused, her facial expression puzzled.

"uh huh."

"at the library..?"

"yep."

sora began to chuckle quietly, before breaking out into full on laughter. taehyun's cheeks burned red as he bashfully laughed along with her. sora continued to laugh, which eased taehyun's nerves a bit. he found that the corners of his mouth tugged upward as he watched the girl in front of him. he hadn't seen her this lively in a while.

cute.

wiping a tear from her eye, sora's laughter finally died down. "taehyun, you're so funny."

scratching his neck, taehyun only smiled and nodded to acknowledge her compliment. i wasn't trying to be.

"but i need to talk to him about something a bit on the personal side, so i'm afraid you'll have to use the bathroom elsewhere."

sighing, taehyun only nodded. as he watched her walk away, he offered a wave when she turned back to look at him once more.

-

"you're here?" soobin asked as he noticed sora approaching his table. she offered him a polite smile as she took the seat opposite of him. pursing his lips, soobin stared at the table in contemplation, trying to think of how he should go about telling yeonjun's story.

sora also stared at the table, too nervous to make accidental eye contact with her senior, while also not wanting to pressure him too much.

"i'm sorry," he began, his gaze still pointed at the wooden surface. hearing those words, sora felt her heart immediately drop. is he not able to tell me? soobin sighed softly, bringing his eyes up to the girl's worried ones. "it's just a bit of a sore subject for me."

sora nodded, beginning to accept the situation's result. "i understand."

"however, i do have this." pulling out a small journal from his bag, soobin placed it on the table. on the cover, in neat handwriting, was a name.

CHOI YEONJUN

"he left it in my locker, the day that he.." soobin trailed off, looking down at his lap. "everything about him is in here. and i think if anybody is deserving of reading it," he paused, sliding the book closer to her, "that it'd be you."

with wide eyes, sora slowly picked it up, "a-are you sure?"

soobin nodded, the small smile on his lips giving her a bit more reassurance, "yes. if he knew that it could help someone, i'm positive he'd do the same."

"thank you, senior," sora bowed deeply, before coming back up again, "thank you so much."

he waved his hands, "just be safe, okay? and know that there's people around you who can help." with that, soobin stood from the table, "i've got to go now, but make sure you remember what i said, alright?"

sora nodded again, watching as he left the library.

looking back down at the book in her hands, she sighed. even though she was now able to get the answers she desired, she knew that they weren't going to be the answers that she wanted.