Together

chapter- 7

Kook was lying on his bed, scrolling through his phone when he heard a soft knock at the door. His fingers paused over the screen, and his heart skipped a beat, realizing who it must be. Tae had probably come to check on him. Kook quickly tried to hide the phone under his blanket, but it was too late. The door creaked open, and Tae stepped into the room.

Tae stood there for a moment, eyes landing on the obvious bulge under the blanket where Kook's phone was hidden. Tae sighed deeply, not in anger, but in a way that told Kook he was already tired of repeating himself. This was not the first time Tae had caught him slacking off on his schoolwork, and both of them knew it wouldn't be the last.

"Kook-ah," Tae said quietly, walking toward the bed. His voice was calm, but Kook could sense the underlying frustration in it.

Kook looked up, trying to appear innocent, but he knew that Tae wasn't here to scold him about using his phone this time. He braced himself for what was coming next.

Tae stopped at the edge of the bed, looking down at Kook. "Take out your assignments," he said simply, his voice steady.

Kook blinked, his stomach tightening. His assignments? He had barely touched them, and they were far from complete. Panic washed over him, and his mind raced for an excuse. "Hyung, I-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Tae cut him off. "I know they're incomplete," he said, his tone a little firmer now, but still calm. "I'm not asking. I'm telling you to finish them now."

Kook's shoulders slumped as he realized there was no way out of this. Tae wasn't going to leave him alone until the work was done. Tae always knew how to break through his procrastination, and this time, it was no different. The fact that Tae had chosen to stay calm instead of getting mad made Kook feel even worse.

Seeing Kook's hesitation, Tae sat down on the chair next to the bed, crossing his arms. "I'm staying here until you finish," Tae added, his eyes locked on Kook's.

Kook swallowed hard, knowing his hyung wasn't kidding. If Tae stayed there, there was no chance for Kook to procrastinate any further. He sighed heavily, dragging himself up from the comfort of the bed and reaching over to his school bag to pull out the dreaded assignments.

The moment he laid out the unfinished work in front of him, Tae relaxed a bit, leaning back in the chair. He didn't say much, but Kook could feel Tae's eyes on him, watching his every move. Knowing his hyung wasn't going to let him escape this time, Kook quietly began writing, his pen moving slowly across the paper.

Tae stayed quiet, only occasionally glancing at his phone, giving Kook the space to work while making sure he stayed focused. Kook knew that his hyung was serious about making him finish the assignments, and with no other choice, he forced himself to concentrate.

The silence in the room was heavy, but not unbearable. Kook could feel the weight of Tae's presence behind him, a constant reminder that he needed to get this done. Every now and then, Kook would sneak a glance at Tae, hoping to see if his hyung was distracted enough for him to take a quick break, but Tae was vigilant.

This was the only way Tae knew how to keep Kook on track-staying close and keeping an eye on him, knowing that Kook had a habit of letting his mind wander. It wasn't the first time they had sat like this, and Kook knew it wouldn't be the last.

---

A couple of days later, the long-awaited event finally arrived-Eunwoo's birthday party. Kook, Soobin, and their friends had been looking forward to it for weeks, and it didn't disappoint. The party was lively, filled with laughter, music, and plenty of delicious food. Kook, being one of Eunwoo's best friends, had helped plan a few surprise moments during the party, and everything went off without a hitch.