There are no friends between men [bl]

Episode 2. Answer me tomorrow

※ Caution before reading ※

This work is a fan-created derivative inspired by the members of (TXT).

It is a BL novel dealing with the relationship between Taehyun × Beomgyu,

and has absolutely nothing to do with real people.

The characters’ personalities and relationship are the author’s invention and may differ from reality.

It may contain uncomfortable or sensitive material, so

if it’s not your thing, please press the back button.

Please do not take this as fact about real people,

and do not connect it to reality!

Here, Taehyun and Beomgyu are the same age!

This episode is mostly from Beomgyu’s point of view, episode 2.

Please read this lightly for fun only🫶

Episode 2. Answer Tomorrow

Beomgyu stared at the message for a long time.

[Taehyun] Do you feel more than friends toward me.

His fingers stopped above the screen.

He felt like he should reply.

Anything.

But no matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t find anything to send.

What are you talking about.

He typed it, then deleted it.

You’re really weird.

Deleted again.

I’ll answer tomorrow.

This time, after agonizing for a while, he still didn’t send it.

Instead, he turned off his phone screen.

And then turned it back on.

It was a pointless action.

He wanted to check whether a new message had come in.

Of course, nothing had arrived.

Beomgyu let out a sigh.

“I must be crazy, seriously.”

The mutter escaped his lips.

Then he heard the sound of a chair scraping from the back of the classroom.

“Choi Beomgyu.”

Beomgyu jerked up in surprise and lifted his head.

One of his friends was looking at him with a puzzled expression.

“Why are you mumbling to yourself?”

“It’s nothing.”

“You’ve been staring at your phone the whole time.”

“Just.”

“Did someone text you?”

“No.”

He answered too quickly.

His friend narrowed his eyes.

“Why are you acting so suspicious?”

“I’m not suspicious.”

“Then show me your phone.”“No.”

“See? That’s suspicious.”

“I’m not showing you.”

Beomgyu wrapped his arms around his phone as if hugging it to his chest.

His friend snorted with a laugh.

“What, so it really was someone?”

“I told you, no.”

“Then who is it?”

“……Just.”

“Who?”

Beomgyu didn’t answer.

More precisely, he couldn’t answer.

Kang Taehyun.

The moment he said that name out loud, his heart, already beating strangely fast, might start racing again.

“Hey.”

His friend nudged Beomgyu’s shoulder.

“Your face is red.”

“It’s not red.”

“It is red.”

“I’m just hot.”

“The air conditioner’s on.”

Beomgyu fell silent.

Right then, the classroom door opened.

Taehyun came in.

Their eyes met.

Only for a brief moment.

And yet even in that instant, Beomgyu felt like his heart dropped with a thud.

Taehyun looked completely normal.

Just like always.

He walked to his seat, set down his soccer ball, and sat down.

Then he took out his book as if nothing had happened.

Only Beomgyu was the odd one.

He kept sneaking looks at Taehyun’s side profile.

‘Is that guy really fine?’

Beomgyu felt inexplicably wronged.

Taehyun was the one who’d said the weird thing first.

Taehyun was the one who’d said they weren’t friends first.

Taehyun was the one who’d told him to answer tomorrow first.

So why was he the only one whose heart was pounding?

Beomgyu slumped onto his desk.

“Ah….”

“What?”

His friend asked from diagonally across.

“I’m sleepy.”

“You barely ate lunch earlier, too.”

“I’m just sleepy.”

Beomgyu closed his eyes.

But there was no way he could sleep.

The same words kept circling in his head.

Do you feel more than friends toward me.

That one question wouldn’t leave his mind.

Even after class started, he couldn’t focus.

He could hear the teacher’s voice, but the content wouldn’t sink in.

When he stared at the blackboard, Taehyun’s back would suddenly come into view.

The hand turning the pages.

The slight frown between his brows when solving problems.

The habit of tapping the desk with the tip of his pen now and then.

Beomgyu knew those things too well.

Because he’d been looking for too long.

Thinking about it, it was strange.

Since when had Taehyun sitting in the seat beside him become something natural?

Since when had they naturally spent every break together?

Since when had he started looking for Taehyun first whenever something happened?

Because they were friends.

Up till now, that one line had been enough.

But now, for some reason, those words felt strangely small.

Beomgyu slowly lowered his head.

‘If we’re not friends, then what are we?’

That was the moment he asked himself that question.

His phone vibrated under the desk.

Beomgyu’s heart sank.

Carefully, he checked the screen.

[Taehyun] Get to class.

Beomgyu was dumbfounded.

He replied right away.

[Beomgyu] You get to class.

Not even a few seconds later, a reply came.

[Taehyun] So you were watching.

Beomgyu pressed his lips together tightly.

[Beomgyu] Watching what

[Taehyun] My side profile.

Beomgyu’s fingers froze.

He reread the screen several times for no reason.

My side profile.

Those two words somehow felt strangely huge.

[Beomgyu] Don’t contact me during class

[Taehyun] I don’t want to

[Beomgyu] If the teacher catches us, it’s because of you

[Taehyun] Then don’t get caught

Beomgyu almost snorted a laugh.

Then he suddenly looked forward.

Taehyun was still looking at the blackboard.

Beomgyu looked back down at his phone.

[Beomgyu] Have you always been this annoying to people?

A little later, a reply came.

[Taehyun] Only to you

Beomgyu went rigid.

This time, he really couldn’t say anything.

That short sentence repeated itself in his head over and over.

Only to you.

Beomgyu shoved his phone deep into the desk.

He didn’t reply anymore.

If he did, things would really get weird.

But his heart was already past weird.

By the time homeroom ended, the sun had already begun to set.

One by one, the students left the classroom.

Beomgyu packed up his bag too.

For once, he wanted to go home early.

He wanted to avoid Taehyun.

More precisely, he was scared of hearing Taehyun say something else to him.

“Choi Beomgyu.”

Of course.

Beomgyu closed his eyes and opened them again.

“What?”

“Come with me.”

“Go on ahead today.”

“Why?”

“I’ve got something to do.”

“What is it?”

“Just do your thing.”

Taehyun looked at Beomgyu for a moment.

“Are you avoiding me?”

“No.”

“Then why won’t you go.”

“I just want to go alone today.”

Taehyun didn’t ask any more.

“Okay.”

Beomgyu slung his bag over his shoulder and left the classroom.

But strangely, he didn’t feel any better.

If anything, it bothered him that there were no footsteps following behind him.

Walking down the hallway, Beomgyu kept wanting to look back.

But he held back.

‘What are you looking back for?’

He muttered to himself and went down the stairs.

It was after he left the school building like that.

His phone vibrated.

[Taehyun] You’re really going alone?

Beomgyu stared at the screen for a moment.

[Beomgyu] Yeah

[Taehyun] Okay

That was it.

Beomgyu felt strangely empty.

‘What the.’

It felt like he’d been the one to run away first.

And yet, he also felt like he’d wanted Taehyun to stop him.

Beomgyu stopped walking.

Then he looked back.

There was no one there.

The school gate was already far behind.

“……He really left.”

Beomgyu muttered under his breath.

That was when it happened.

“What were you hoping for?”

A voice came from behind him.

Beomgyu froze solid.

When he slowly turned around, Taehyun was standing there.

“……Why are you here?”

“I followed you.”

“You said you were going first.”

“You told me to go ahead first.”

“Then you should’ve really gone.”

“I was going to.”

Taehyun stepped closer.

“But you kept looking back.”

Beomgyu’s face stiffened.

“When did I—”

“Three times.”

“……You saw?”

“Yeah.”

Taehyun smiled.

“So I came back.”

Beomgyu was at a loss for words.

Taehyun stood beside him.

“Let’s go home together.”

“……I said I didn’t want to.”

“You don’t want to?”

Beomgyu couldn’t answer.

Taehyun tilted his head slightly.

“Then tell me to go back now.”

Beomgyu opened his mouth.

“Go.”

His voice came out way too small.

Taehyun laughed.

“Didn’t hear you.”

“I said go.”

“Nope.”

“Why?”

Taehyun looked at Beomgyu for a moment.

Then, as if it were completely obvious, he said,

“Because I want to go with you.”

Beomgyu stopped walking.

Taehyun walked a few more steps, then stopped.

“Aren’t you coming?”

Instead of answering, Beomgyu walked to Taehyun’s side.

An awkward silence settled between them.

But strangely, it wasn’t uncomfortable.

After walking for a while, Beomgyu spoke first.

“Taehyun.”

“Yeah.”

“Yesterday… no, today.”

“Yeah.”

“Was that serious?”

Taehyun’s pace slowed.

“What was.”

“That we’re not friends.”

Taehyun looked at Beomgyu.

“Yeah.”

There was no hesitation this time.

Beomgyu looked down at the ground for no reason.

“Then… since when?”

“Since when what?”

“Since when were we not friends.”

Taehyun didn’t answer for a while.

Then he said quietly,

“If I said it right now, I thought you’d run away.”

“I’m not running.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

Beomgyu looked at Taehyun in disbelief.

“Why again tomorrow?”

Taehyun smiled.

“Because you need time to think today.”

“Think about what.”

“What I am to you.”

Beomgyu bit his lip.

“……I thought about it.”

Taehyun’s expression changed a little.

“Oh?”

“Yeah.”

“So?”

Beomgyu didn’t answer.

Because even he didn’t know the answer yet.

Taehyun didn’t rush him; he waited.

That somehow made it harder.

After a long while, Beomgyu finally said,

“I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

Taehyun smiled.

“Okay.”

“But.”

“Hm?”

“You be honest tomorrow too.”

“About what?”

Beomgyu looked straight at Taehyun.

“Why you’re doing this to me.”

Taehyun was silent for a moment.

And this time, he didn’t look away.

“Okay.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

Taehyun gave a very small laugh.

“Tomorrow, I’ll tell you everything.”

Even after going home that day, Beomgyu couldn’t fall asleep easily.

Lying in bed and staring at the ceiling, he checked his phone.

There were no new messages.

Even so, Beomgyu couldn’t put his phone down.

He recalled what had happened that day, one by one.

Taehyun saying they weren’t friends.

His hand brushing dust off his collar.

Only to you.

And the voice saying he wanted to go home together.

Beomgyu pulled the blanket over his head.

“……Seriously, what is it?”

But no matter how he thought about it, there was only one answer.

Taehyun was special.

So special for so long that he hadn’t even realized he was special.

Beomgyu slowly closed his eyes.

And it felt like he’d know tomorrow.

What kind of person he was to Taehyun.

And what kind of feelings Taehyun had been looking at him with.

The next morning.

When Beomgyu opened the classroom door, Taehyun was already there.

Taehyun was seated at his desk; when he spotted Beomgyu, he looked up.

Their eyes met.

“You’re here.”

“Yeah.”

Beomgyu set his bag down at his seat.

His heart was beating faster than yesterday.

Taehyun asked,

“Did you think about it?”

Beomgyu was silent for a moment before nodding.

“Yeah.”

“Can you answer?”

Beomgyu looked at Taehyun.

Then he said very quietly,

“Yeah.”

For the first time, Taehyun’s expression stiffened ever so slightly.

“Then.”

Taking a breath, Beomgyu opened his mouth.

“I’ll tell you after school today.”

“Why not now?”

“……Because I want to hear what you have to say too.”

“What I have to say?”

“Yeah.”

Beomgyu looked away.

“I don’t want to be the only one answering.”

Taehyun looked at Beomgyu for a while.

Then he smiled slowly.

“Okay.”

“And.”

“Yeah?”

Beomgyu added carefully,

“I won’t run away today.”

Taehyun’s smile deepened a little.

“Promise?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I’ll make a promise too.”

“What?”

Taehyun looked at Beomgyu.

“Today, I’ll tell you everything you want to hear.”

In that moment, Beomgyu knew.

That after school today,

the relationship they had both been brushing past so casually until yesterday

would change so much it could never go back to what it was before.

}]}**FINAL**{

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