↬ convenience store.

@⁰² seungyoun c. Opening up the door to the staff area, he pulled the other along and only let go once they were inside. It was a simple lounge area with a couch and a couple of chairs and a table with electric kettle and plastic cups for their use. "Take a seat" He told the other and walked to get the first kit from the drawer where it was always kept for emergency purposes. Taking out the box, he walked back towards the customer and blinked when he introduced himself. It was only polite to answer with his own name and so he did. "I am Taeyang." He made sure to answer politely since the other was still a customer and that was what he had been told to do.

"Do you own cats?" He asked, the scratch marks seemed to have been made by them. Pulling a chair, he took a seat placing the box on the small table beside them and opened up the box and looked for the bottle of disinfectant and cotton swabs. Once he found them, he opened up the bottle and dipped the swabs in and held on the other's hand before slowly applying it on the marks. "It might hurt a little"

@⁰¹ taeyang c. "w-wait --" flustered and a little bewildered by the sudden turn of event, seungyoun doesn't even have time to properly grab the change before slender fingers seize his wrist and tug him along. a couple of coins fall from the gap between his fingers and clatter against the linoleum floor, the noise especially loud given the empty state of the store. words of protest hang on the tip of seungyoun's tongue -- what about the store? what if a customer comes in when you're not there? it's okay i can take care of myself, this is no big deal -- but seeing the resolute expression of the other male, he swallows them dry and chooses to follow obediently behind the....younger? is he younger than him? it sure looks like he could be one or two years below him but seungyoun could never be too sure. he has long since learnt that you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. afterall, here he casts a glance at the figure in front of him, sometimes what you see isn't all there is to it. just like how the clerk's blank, shuttered expressions don't necessarily reflect the warmth and kindness of his heart. "thank you," he says finally, breaching the temporary silence reigning over the two of them. seungyoun can't help but to notice the way the word sounds far better than any polite refusal ever could. "by the way, my name is seungyoun. what's yours? if you don't mind me asking, of course!"

@⁰² seungyoun c. That doesnt look like nothing. Taeyang wanted to comment but didnt. He took the cash before returning the change along with the bill. The customer was way too cheerful about it and it made him wonder if the other was hiding it or truly didnt feel any pain with his sunshine personality. But he found the answer to it soon enough. His brows twitched seeing the other in pain and he could almost feel it having gone through similar situations before and knew it would definitely hurt.

Taeyang's face was still the blank that it always was. His eyes flickered around to check if there were any other customers but it was too early for people to arrive. The store was quite empty. Unable to stop himself, he moved around to stand next to the customer and grabbed his other arm that didnt seem injured and started pulling him along to the staff room. "Lets get you treated." If he had to answer why he was trying to help the customer, he would have to say it was probably the way he looked too much like a puppy who needed help. He was too cheerful and it somehow didnt sit well with him to see someone like that hurt. Not that he would ever say that to the stranger.

@⁰¹ taeyang c. sensing the lingering gaze of the other male, a chuckle sails out of seungyoun's parted lips with an effortless grace. "ah this.." he starts, pulling out a couple of bills from his wallet and gently sliding them across the counter, before soon levelling the other with a small, reassuring grin. "this is nothing! just a small scratch, really." it's not. there are approximately three long gashes running down the length of his arm, fresh beads of blood still oozing out of them in a startling scarlet hue. and just because his face doesn't exactly show it, doesn't mean that they don't sting. because they do. like hell. inside, seungyoun discreetly laments over ungrateful stray cats with their sinfully sharp claws, yet outside he's nothing but all smiles -- swinging his arm with reckless abandon to further prove his point that yes, he's alright and no, of course this is not painful at all.

his grin lasts for all but five seconds, since his deeply rooted clumsiness decides to rear its ugly head at that very moment and causes him to accidentally bumps his injured arm against the edge of the counter. "fU --" biting out a curse, seungyoun doubles over and cradles his arm against his chest gingerly, his entire expression twisting into a pained grimace at the sharp sting traveling up his arm. "haha well," waiting for the pain to subside, a sheepish grin playing in the corner of his mouth as he glances up at the store clerk. "maybe not as alright as i'd like to believe. but i'm sure it's nothing a few dab of antiseptic and ointment can't take care of. ...right?"

@⁰³ youngjae s. there's an awkward silence that blankets the two just for a split moment, and in this second does she deliberate over just . . . paying for her banana milk and leaving, but she stills for a response, and it only leaves her even more baffled. they've met before? her confusion is evident over her visage as her eyebrows furrow, head tilting to the side to question his words, surely he must be mistaken? or, the more likely option she knows, is that she just doesn't recognize him. "i'm sorry," she apologizes, shaking her head subtly. "i don't really recall. have we met on campus? i attend saebom, do you too?"

@⁰² seungyoun c. Taeyang really hated taking the cash counter because the manager would always tell him to smile whenever he had to and being someone who hardly ever smiled, he would be lectured every now and then. Unfortunately for them, there werent enough employees and so he had to take up the space every once in a while. Like today for instance. He looked up at the smiling guy and mumbled a good morning back just to be polite. The other seemed to radiate too much sunshine. He didnt necessarily hate it. It was a nice change. As long as he wasnt forced to return the smiles.

It was only when his eyes caught the slight wince that his gaze travelled to the other's arm. It looked painful to him. "Huh.." He blinked at the question, taking a moment to understand what had been asked before he looked at the cash register making sure he had not forgotten to add in any of the items and told the total price to be paid. "Are you alright?" His eyes stayed on the marks on the customer's arm unable to resist himself from asking. "You should probably get it treated if you havent yet."

@⁰¹ taeyang c. "good morning!" seungyoun chirps out to the guy behind the counter, voice brimming with liquid sunshine and an equally, if not even more so, bright grin adorning his face. he remembers his good friends keep grumbling about how it should be a sin to be so perky in the morning, and seungyoun isn't sure whether the convenience store clerk shares the same opinion or not, but he personally thinks that everyone deserves to be greeted with the best smile. and hey, as a random motivational guy in a video sharing platform once said, you never know how a smile might turn somebody's day around.

so here he is, unloading his items onto the counter while whistling a cheerful tune, traces of a smile still glistening behind his eyes despite the persistent throbbing of his right side and the angry glare of the scratch marks lining the inside of his arm. the only time he drops the jolly attitude is when he accidentally brushes his wound against the fabric of his pants trying to reach for his wallet, for a wince immediately contorting his countenance. although to his credit, seungyoun does manage to bite back the hiss that almost escaped and instead replace it with a mild, "how much is everything?" as he peers at the clerk.

@⁰⁴ doyoung k. the hidden agenda behind yeji's rendezvous down to the market was nothing more than how extremely bored she was. recent events concerning her and a certain somebody had left her pretty much alone, sulking in solitude at her /own/ doings. but the sophomore hated consequences, and would jump and trip over hurdles just to find a loophole around it - an escape to the market. granted, she was here to meet with sweet ol' mr. lee, but the latter who stood before her wasn't half as bad. "five hours can go in a blink of an eye with the right person!" folding her legs to sit in a criss crossed position above the counter, she's reaching forward to grab a packet of chips, popping it open only to offer the snack to the (who she assumed to be) elder between the two. "yeji. and if you heard about me, no you didn't. i found out i somehow made the headlines of some school rumor but i promise you i bring no problems unless asked." tucking the packet of chips within the space of her lap, her hand plunges in to pick one of the rather larger sized crisp that was all too big to fit into in one go, but she attempts anyways. "and you?"

@⁰² yeji h. doyoung raises an eyebrow as the young demoiselle suddenly hoists herself up onto the counter, and though he should definitely tell her to get off per store policy, it's late and he can't quite muster up the energy to do so. he /did/ consume three coffees throughout the day but even that didn't give him enough energy for this. she quite reminds him of his sister, playful and daring with her speedy quips and comebacks. gingerly, he picks up the other drink on the counter and lifts it to his lips, the sweet yet frosty taste of the slushee ading his taste buds. "actually, there's five hours left. not really 'a few,'" he responds. but if she wants to waste away her hours of the night with him, then fine. it's not as though many people come through here on a given night; typically he only saw four or five customers a shift. "what's your name, anyways?"

@⁰⁴ doyoung k. the younger lass merely watches ahead in amusement, slurping the icy red slush as she remained silent throughout the latter's own monologue, eyeing the way he shifts through his opinion on what would be deemed as absurdity or not. to yeji, well, she didn't really pay mind to such little details. she craves it? she gets it. it's as simple as that. with the plethora of goods he rang into the cash register, she begins to push each item further away onto the very end of the counter to free up the spot before them. and without as much as a head's up, the female places her drink down to brace both hands against the edge of the table, only to heave her slim body up and onto the surface. "well, there's only a few hours until six. . . i guess i /will/ accompany you." her words, although spoken through a grin, made it seem as if he had begged her for accompaniment. glancing towards the lone drink, its outer side condensing under the warmer atmosphere of the mart, yeji merely nodded towards it. "if you don't take it, i'll drink it... and suffer through a heart attack from high sugar in my blood. so, then it'll be your fault, SO i suggest you do drink it!"

@⁰³ youngjae s. she could feel his gaze over her and there's a part of her wanting to ask why the stare, but instead, her self-consciousness seeps in―did she have something on her face? was she scrubbing too much? she's unsure, but thankfully, she's able to, at least, offer him a small smile as he laughs. "yeah, i'll take one," she nods, dainty palm of hers reaching out to retrieve the beverage. ". . . do we know each other, by chance?" this, she asks with uncertainty, hoping that she isn't just making an absolute fool of herself, but surely, they must've, right? otherwise he wouldn't have been too . . . kind, or maybe her expectations for people are too low.

@⁰² yeji h. admittedly doyoung was always very opposite in his food tastes as well—he's the kind of guy to still indulge in ice cream in the middle of the winter, and still have his piping hot coffee on summer mornings. but a cold slushee in the middle of the night is a bit absurd, no? what was she still doing awake and out here anyways? "but most people don't go looking for ice cream in the middle of the night—actually," he corrects himself. that's a complete lie. he's definitely come across customers searching for the strangest things in wee hours of the night. "you're right, there's weirder things to buy," he says with a small chuckle. ringing up the motley of snacks she's amassed in her arms, he shakes his head. "no, i'm here until six in the morning, unfortunately." at her statement, he an eyebrow. though he wears his infamous customer service smile, demure and polite, doyoung asks, "you're actually sharing that drink with me?" he wasn't allowed to mooch off the store's products but... technically she bought it for him, right?

@⁰³ youngjae s. now, she can't blame her prosopagnosia for her not noticing an entirely other person there with her by the freezers, but she can blame it on the strange familiarity he gives, yet how she can't pinpoint a name to his face . . . nor, does she really /think/ she knows him anyway. and from his questions, it doesn't seem like the two are, at least, acquaintances (which inevitably makes her relieved from not having to bluff). so, she lowers her hand, glancing to the banana milk with an embarrassed simper. "just a drink," she answers, before gesturing to the freezer. "sorry, were you going to get something too, or?"

@⁰³ youngjae s. not that she was looking forward to free midnight snacks from her brother, but that was exactly her intentions as she pushes past the convenience store doors. the bell chimes to signify her arrival and although she's expected to be met with the face of her brother, she's sure that it's a stranger. for reassurance, she pauses in her step, slightly laying scrutiny over the cashier's visage before deciding that her brother would've made /some/ joke about her not recognizing him again. in her defense (at the time), he didn't have piercings last she checked. anyway, after offering the store employee a near death stare, she saunters over to the freezers held in the back, eyes gazing over the variety of drinks. readily, she reaches out for the handle, incredibly set on the banana milk.

@⁰⁴ doyoung k. throughout her entire life, yeji's food palette never has been something anyone could predict. not even herself. just an hour ago, she had craved the warmth of hot chocolate, before it switched to wanting soju - and then ultimately deciding on a good ol' slushee from her favorite mart. after collecting what seemed to be a good amount, the packages and crinkles practically spilling out of her sweater pockets and arms (one would think she was shoplifting) the sophomore trudged back to the counter to drown the entire surface with the snacks. "a slushee is perfect on all occasions! no one questions a person who buys ice cream in winter, so why not slushee right?" her nonsensical reasoning was confidently stated with a wagging finger before her eyes skim down to glance at the flavor picked. "cherry?! huh . . . i would've thought you were a blue mountain dew type of guy . . .well-" with a nonchalant shrug, she's sliding the other cup towards the latter before picking up her own drink to bump the two together with a tiny 'cheers,' followed by a large and admittedly loud slurp. "that's for you, by the way. you're the friend. are you closing up soon, friend?"

@⁰¹ yibo w. Taeyang nodded again. For a moment he felt like he was giving the other false hopes of his return because in that moment, he didnt feel like returning back at all. But maybe when the pain was dull enough, he would be able to think clearly and maybe then he would feel like returning. It wasnt something he thought was worth mentioning. Atleast one of them should be happy. He didnt want to bring down anyone with his sadness. That was not fair.

He gave a light wave to Yibo before walking away. He hoped the talk had atleast help the other. A part of him simply wanted to make a run and pretend none of that happened but he knew this was needed for him to move on from everything. He couldnt be the only one who stood in the same time, living in the past. He had to move forward and talking things out was a step.

@⁰² yeji h. to be fair, doyoung did well in recognizing and remembering the faces of the customers who frequented the store during his late-night shifts. there were fair amounts of drunken college students (those usually came on weekend nights, and doyoung didn't know whether to envy or pity them), the gamers who stayed up all night, and those who came in looking for coffee while pulling allnight study sessions. but this girl... he's yet to meet. her energy at this hour causes him to an eyebrow, though he nods reluctantly and begins to make his way to the slushee machine. "you want a large or a medium?" he asks. when she gives her answer he fills up her cup of choice with his favorite flavor—obviously the best one, in his humble opinion—cherry. "isn't it a bit cold for a slushee?" he asks, eyebrows furrowed as she stuffs her choices from the aisles into her sweater.

@⁰¹ taeyang c. "I should be the one telling you that," Yibo said, giving the man standing in front of him a once over, seeing that he indeed lost some weight from the last time he had seen him. What strange things can a body do when going through processes such as depression, heartbreak and mental pain. It was fascinating to say the least, however, Yibo couldn't see the functional and practical side of it. No matter how much anyone wanted to lose weight, this was not the way. He knew that wasn't Taeyang's case nor intention, however it struck him to see him so thin in the span of time that was not quite long enough for someone to naturally lose weight. "Take care of yourself, yeah? If you need anything, you have my number. And you're welcome back at any time. I will even let you wake me up if you decide to come back at an ungodly hour. I'm talking two-three in the morning," Yibo said with a little more ease, trying to give his roommate a thing to smile about. Which would possibly go by in vain, but a man could try. He picked up his skateboard before standing up from the bench. "Don't break your word," Yibo half-smiled at Taeyang with a point of his finger, referring to him returning once he decided it was time. Aware that it might take some time, Yibo still felt hopeful.

@⁰¹ yibo w. Taeyang gave a nod. He was a little relieved that the talk hadnt been the kind he had imagined in his head. He had been mostly afraid that he was going to break down but maybe he was stronger than thought or maybe he was just not strong enough to show his pain. "I will" He confirmed. He looked up at the sky that was slowly turning dark. The talk had left him somewhat drained and he knew the moment he reached the room, he would curl up in the bed and try to forget everything. Despite everything, he still wasnt sure how long he needed.

He slowly rose to his feet and turned to look at Yibo. "Its getting late. Make sure to eat. There is a restaurant a block away. You can either eat there or ask them to pack it for you." Knowing his roommate's lack of culinary skills, it was much better option. It did make him wonder what he was eating every day but he didnt question.

@⁰¹ taeyang c. "I'll complain," Yibo fired back with a hint of a smile. "But you'll survive. You'd miss it otherwise," he joked, despite the seriousness of the issue that prompted this talk. Yibo felt less worried, but it didn't lessen the stiffness in his limbs that was caused by the whole mess. He didn't know what it was to be heartbroken, not in the romantic way. When he lost a competition, when he came in second by just one number on the evaluation list, he did feel heartbroken, but that couldn't be compared. And he did everything not to be that shallow. This was serious and just imagining being in Taeyang's position urged him to want to cry and never leave the comfort of his bed. "Cool. Then I'll expect you to return when you're well?" Yibo asked to confirm, ready to give the other some space, since that's what he was asking for from the beginning. Surely, it would be too late, since Yibo insisted on having this talk, to clear the air and set the record straight, but he was in no position to force Taeyang out of his comfort zone. If he needed time, he could take all the time he needed. Yibo only needed to make sure he was well and alright. The rest would develop by time and progress, he assumed.

@⁰¹ yibo w. If he was anyone else, he would have laughed because he found the whole situation funny. He hoped for everyone's sake that this pain would leave him and he could move on. He hated feeling his stomach twist in that uncomfortable way, his heart clench painfully whenever he thought of the two of them together. They were happy together and he hated that he found it hard to be happy for them. Because he really did want to be happy. He hated it even more that the connections he had made with them had become sour all because his feelings got messed up. He wished this was like one of those books he read so that he could simply flip the page and be done with it. And he hated that the two were getting into this guilt trip that they shouldnt be in.

He was glad in these moments that his face didnt let anyone see the chaotic mess he was internally and he was glad in that moment that he could mask it away. "I will come back. Don't complain later about all the mess when i do. You chose it." He said trying to sound playful but he wasnt that good with expressing with his tone unless he was singing which wasnt happening in that moment.

@⁰¹ taeyang c. "Fine, as long as you'll come back, then it's fine," Yibo nodded, taking the comment of being weird seriously, since he, indeed, felt a little strange saying all of that. In all honesty, there wasn't much he could say. He couldn't and didn't expect to be the friend of choice to talk to about his struggles, after all, he was partially to blame for the situation, but at the same time, he had the gnawing feeling that no matter how secluded and distant from the world, or at least the two of them, it wasn't the best idea to smother his depression. "Like I said, I don't want another roommate. I want us to be cool if that's an option," Yibo insisted again, looking over his shoulder at Taeyang. He would have chocked at being called 'perfect for each other' in the context of him and Zhan and he did internally squealed at that, but that wasn't appropriate whatsoever in this situation. "I guess we're all just stubborn jackasses," that thought had caused him to twist his lips into a fond grimace that could be called a half smile. "You better come back then after you feel better," Yibo finally sighed, content to know that the other was, despite how broken he was, mostly fine.

@⁰¹ yibo w. "You are certainly weird" Taeyang couldnt help comment. "I never said i hated you. Annoyed. Yes. But hate is too strong of a word to use. If i hated you, i would have switched room. You seem to assume the worst of everything." He let out a sigh and rubbed his nape. He must have slept wrong. "I was just giving you the option to take on another roommate if you wanted. I never said i wouldnt return." Taeyang planned to go back, if only to complete his studies. "The two of you are exactly the same when it comes to this. Makes you perfect for each other. " His words held no malice, it was simply a statement. "Dont get so worked up. I dont hate you. I dont hate him. I hate the pain yes. I understand it wasnt in your control and you didnt chose to hurt me intentionally. So dont feel like it was your fault." His nose crinkled realising he was saying too many words than he ever did before.

@⁰¹ taeyang c. "Are you hard of hearing, dude? Pull your dirty socks out of your ears, I don't like to repeat myself. I've just said that I don't want another roommate. I don't care how messy you are, you're quiet and actually understanding. And honestly, who else would willingly cook for someone else after they blew up on them for leaving their clutter all around?" Yibo wasn't even joking at that point. That was a serious matter and Yibo didn't know how to make it any clearer. "I mean, yeah, it'll be weird, but it's so empty. And you know best that I can't handle just anyone," Yibo's lips stretched into a gloomy half-smile. "I can't force you. I can't really do anything. But I'd like for us to be cool. I know you probably hate me even more than you have before, but..." Yibo sighed heavily. "I'm not asking you to not hate me, I don't even know what I'm asking of you. Probably for you to come back, but that's uh not solely the purpose of this uh terrible talk. I'm the last person you want to talk to about this, right? Well, I still thought," Yibo was getting tangled up in his own thoughts, in his own stream of consciousness that was slowly starting to desipate into incomprehension. He wanted to say so much, but he also wanted to get through to the other. Help him through the thing he himself caused.

@⁰¹ yibo w. "I know" He mumbled just enough for Yibo to hear. Taeyang knew neither of them intended to hurt him. He had never made his feelings known to either of them so it made sense they wouldnt know. He shrugged and shifted his gaze from the cloud to somewhere in front of him, looking but not at the same time. "At a friend's place"
He had wanted to run far away, somewhere no one would reach him. He couldnt do it though. When he decided to come to Saebom, he had convinced his parents he was making the right choice and wouldnt regret his decision later. No matter how much he was regretting at that point, he couldnt bring himself to tell his parents and break their belief in him just because he couldnt handle a heartbreak. It would take but he believed that the pain would lessen someday, that it would be bearable and that one day he could look at them and only feel the dull ache which could be ignored. "Hmm. Yea." He gave a small nod to Yibo. "I should be the one saying that to you. You can find a new roommate if you want. Probably someone who isnt as messy as me. Maybe it will lessen your stress. Dont let yourself feel guilty. Whatever happened is all on me. Just be happy with Zhan and that will be enough. Don't think about me. I will keep my distance from him."

@⁰¹ taeyang c. "Still, it wasn't the intention," Yibo mumbled, hands clasping slightly tighter in their hold, his knuckles turning white under the pressure. "Where have you been staying?" Yibo asked, slightly turning his head but not really looking at the other. The spill of Taeyang's true feelings about the situation weighed heavily on his conscience and even heavier in his stomach. It sounded so weird coming from him, hearing all those things spoken out loud sounded almost ridiculous, unbelievable, but they were true. And however happy Yibo wanted to feel about that, right now, he felt terrible. He was losing a roommate, someone he almost considered friend, someone who reminded him so much of himself in the strangest ways that it was impossible to comprehend. "Just know that you're welcome back at the dorm anytime. If you decide to change roommates or something, go ahead, I guess. But don't disappear like this again."

@⁰¹ yibo w. His lips twitched a little finding it oddly amusing to hear his roommate preferring him over others. He couldnt tell if Yibo was saying that simply out of guilt or if he really meant it. And at this point, he didnt want to hope for the better. The disappointed would weigh him down and add to his already pathetic feelings.

"There is nothing you could have done. It would have hurt all three of us if you had backed out because of how i felt for him. You made the right choice by staying with him." It pained him to say those words but it was the truth. If he couldn't be with the one he liked, perhaps loved, it didnt mean the other didnt deserve to be happy. "You two like each other and what i feel shouldnt come in between whatever you two have." There were times he wished he hadnt been the one hurt so bad. But he would hate himself for thinking that way. He was human afteral. He had his own selfish moments. "I just dont know if things would remain the same. Right now its too much to think." He looked up at the sky, the small puffs of clouds simply floating by without a care. He envied them in that moment and it made him feel even more pathetic.

@⁰¹ taeyang c. "I guess. But you could've at least left a note. You're obsessed with those sticky note anyways," Yibo fought the urge to roll his eyes at the memory of the scattered sticky notes reminding him specifically to take out the trash, to close the window, to not forget to lock the door and many others. "I never said that," Yibo's shoulders loosened a little and his hands, instead of grasping the edge of the bench, clasped together in the space between his parted legs as he leaned his elbows against his knees. "I suppose it takes time. I'm not here to beg you to come back or something. That's on you. Just know that I'm glad to have you as my roommate and I seriously don't want some douchebag to replace you there," that sounded rude and most definitely not completely appropriate if this conversation was supposed to hold the merit of persuading the other to move back into the dorm. But as much as Yibo felt sorry, guilty, bad and everything in between, he couldn't communicate to save his own life. "I mean, at any point, whenever you feel like... uh... like you can look me in the eyes or something less bullty or I don't know, then just come back. I can't imagine how uh how it is for you, but I didn't mean for this to happen. If I had known..." Yibo trailed off, biting into his lip once again. What would he have done if he knew about the other's feelings for his now boyfriend? He would probably feel the same way as Taeyang felt right now. And that was nothing he wanted to go through. ", dude, I don't know what would I have done," Yibo said, hands unclasping and raking through his hair in frustration at just the mere thought of the role-reversal. However, he had no idea to begin with. And if the things were to happen as they have, but with the difference of them being in each other's shoes, Yibo would possibly be silently envying the other, nurturing an enormous crush without there ever being a chance for him to take action. He wouldn't, not if he knew Taeyang had feelings for the third party. And they would probably be in the same spot for a while as Taeyang had been until now. Just the simple fantasy of that pierced Yibo's chest in the most painful way an imaginary spear could hurt him.

@⁰¹ yibo w. Taeyang was honestly very surprised by Yibo's words. He did not miss the way he chose to replace 'we' which made him feel a little uncomfortable but he pushed it aside for the moment to listen to rest of what he had to say. He had not been expecting to hear the other had been worried about him. Perhaps it was the arguments that they always had whenever they were around that made him think the other would be glad by his absence.

"I am not going to do anything to myself just because i got my heart broken." He said turning his head to look at Yibo. It was the truth. It did hurt him, it still did but he knew he had people who would be hurt if anything were to happen to him. "I just couldn't stay after everything. Looking at you and him would have been painful. Honestly it still is. Its not that i do not want you two to be happy, whether you believe it or not. But i couldnt stay and watch you two together. It wasnt fair to me."

@⁰¹ taeyang c. Yibo followed Taeyang in a slow pace on his skateboard, kicking off the ground very lightly to have just enough to push the board to move forward. Making it to the spot where Taeyang wanted them to be, Yibo once again got off the board and just stood there for a moment. When his roommate sat down, Yibo sighed and went to the other side of the same bench, sitting down, the skateboard functioning as a dynamic pedestal under both of his feet. Unconsciously, Yibo's fingers gripped the very edge of the bench by either side of his thighs, shoulders raised up in stiffly and the only relief came from moving the board from side to side in small rocking motions by his feet. "You know what I want to talk about," Yibo proclaimed. Neither of them was dense, they both knew why they were there and why neither of them wanted to be there to begin with. "You can't just vanish on people, you know?" Yibo started, eyes going from the skateboard to look down the alley on one side, the one away from Taeyang's direction. He sniffed dryly as an uneasy tick, scrunching his nose up for a moment. "We... I was worried," he opted to choose the easier route, not reveling in the thought of adding more insult to the injury. "It's your life, I get it, but that's... just don't. You just up and left without a word. What was I supposed to think? Do? I thought something happened to you, or you did something... uh... bad," Yibo went on, speaking more than he possibly ever would to the other. He turned his head around to glance at Taeyang apprehensively, teeth worried between his lips in a tight bite.