Chapter 114 - Caught in a Crossfire

"You look beautiful," Yeonjun said softly when he reached us, his voice low but clear. The weight of his gaze made the rest of the room fade into the background.

The way he looked at me made me feel like I was the only person here in this room.

I smiled at him, my chest tightening at the rare gentleness in his eyes.

"So do you. You seem to be turning a lot of heads tonight" I complimented him.

I was still jealous of that anonymous girl who was discussing how hot he looked when he was standing at the top of the stairs.

But it was no surprise that he turned head given how beautiful he looked.

His lips twitched into what could’ve been a smirk, but he masked it quickly, his expression slipping back into something unreadable.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” I said quietly, my voice steady despite the storm of emotions swirling in my chest.

There was no way of easing into this conversation so it was better to just rip the bandaid off and hope our conversation goes more smoothly than our last.

His eyes darkened.

“I’ve had a lot on my mind” he shrugged but did not look anywhere else than me.

“Like what?” I pressed, tilting my head. I wasn’t going to let him deflect.

He glanced away for a moment, his jaw tightening before his gaze locked back onto mine.

“You, mostly”

The admission hung between us, electric and heavy.

My heart skipped a beat, but before I could respond, he stepped closer, his voice dropping even lower.

“We need to talk,” he said.

“Alone.”  he emphasized.

I hesitated.

The air around us was thick with unspoken words, and I wasn’t sure I was ready to face them. But the intensity in his eyes was impossible to ignore.

“Okay,” I said softly, nodding.

He opened his mouth to say more, but before he could, a familiar voice interrupted.

“Yuri! You look absolutely stunning tonight,” Soobin said brightly, his presence breaking whatever fragile moment Yeonjun and I were sharing.

I turned to find Soobin walking toward us with his usual easy confidence.

His gaze swept over me appreciatively before landing on Yeonjun, who had gone rigid beside me.

“Thank you, Soobin,” I said, my smile faltering under the weight of Yeonjun’s silent glare.

“You’re welcome,” Soobin said warmly, stepping closer.

He was already wearing his usual charming grin, but there was something sharper beneath it tonight.

He stepped up to us, standing on their other side to me, facing Yeonjun.

“We even match. Don’t you think?” he asked me and pointed to his lapels.

It wasn’t until then that I noticed his dark red on his suite was perfectly complementing the cheongsam dress Saehi had picked for me.

The realization sent a small jolt through me, and I couldn’t help but glance at Yeonjun.

His scowl was subtle but unmistakable.

We were already know thin ice and I didn't want any other misunderstanding between us. Especially when it was just a coincidence.

There was no way Saehi could have imagined that Soobin's blazer would have red embroidery.

This was just a coincidence but the timing of it was really shitty.

“Interesting coincidence,” Yeonjun muttered, his tone clipped.

“Or fate,” Soobin quipped, unfazed by the tension radiating from Yeonjun.

It was as if he was goading him and I sent a sharp glare at Soobin.

He knew the buttons that would push Yeonjun and deliberately do all those things.

“Either way, I’d say we look pretty good together” he bumped his shoulders with mine which on any other way would be a plain friendly thing and platonic thing to do but with his gaze focused on Yeonjun, it was clear, Soobin was deliberately putting on a show for him.

“Soobin,” I started, trying to steer the conversation away from dangerous territory, but he was already grinning at Yeonjun as if daring him to react.

Yeonjun couldn't react. He had to keep his calm tonight. Tonight his father would officially announce the succession of the business that Yeonjun would be leading.

This was his night and he couldn't let a fued with his half brother steal that spotlight or overshadow the event.

“Don’t you think, Yeonjun?” Soobin asked, his voice dripping with feigned innocence.

Yeonjun’s expression darkened further, his jaw tightening as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“What I think doesn’t matter, does it?” Yeonjun’s voice was sharp, his usual calm veneer cracking ever so slightly.

His words held more bitterness than I could swallow, clearly the statement not meant just for this case.

I felt bad for him.

I knew for certain that he did not have any single interest in this business and this was just an added responsibility that he did not want to take but also an added thing to the list  where his opinion did not have a vote in the matter.

Soobin opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, a loud laugh cut through the tension.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Why does it feel like I just walked into a soap opera?” Beomgyu chimed in, draping an arm over Yeonjun’s shoulder as if to diffuse the tension.

“Beomgyu,”  Yeonjun said flatly, shaking off his arm, though the corners of his mouth twitched in amusement.

“Always such impeccable timing.” Soobin mused.

Beomgyu ignored the comment, his sharp eyes darting between Yeonjun, Soobin, and me.

“Why do I feel like I just interrupted a standoff? Yeonjun, you look like you’re two seconds away from biting someone’s head off.” he patted Yeonjun's chest, shaking off the imagined lint in his blazer.

Yeonjun rolled his eyes, his arms still crossed over his chest.

“Don’t you have something better to do, Beomgyu?” he raised an eyebrow in question.

“Oh, absolutely not,” Beomgyu replied cheerfully, leaning in conspiratorially toward Yeonjun.

“Besides, I think everyone’s curious to know why you’re glaring daggers at Soobin. Could it be because he’s her date?” He tilted his head toward me with a sly grin.

His eyes glinted with that knowing twinkle.

Did he know something?

Did Saehi tell him our secret?

Or was Yeonjun and I do obvious?

I felt heat rise to my cheeks, and I quickly glanced at Yeonjun, whose expression hardened further.

“You’re imagining things,” Yeonjun said curtly, his voice betraying no emotion.

“Sure, sure,” Beomgyu teased, clearly enjoying himself.

“But you’re glaring at him like he stole your puppy. Or, I don’t know... something more important.” He smirked, his gaze flickering to me briefly.

“Drop it, Beomgyu,” Yeonjun warned, his voice low.

Before Beomgyu could push further, Saehi stepped in, her tone light but firm.

“Beomgyu, why don’t you focus on something other than stirring up drama for once?”

“Oh, come on,” Beomgyu said, turning his attention to her with an exaggerated pout.

“I’m just stating the obvious. Right, Saehi? You can't miss this tension right?" He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

Clearly with Soobin and Yeonjun's focus solely on Beomgyu, their focus and glare on each other is gone.

I don't know if Beomgyu shifts the focus onto him knowingly to help our or is he really that oblivious.

She raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

“The only thing obvious here is your inability to read the room.” she scoffed.

Beomgyu grinned, clearly unfazed.

“That’s not what you said earlier. I seem to recall you mentioning how much you enjoy my company to San"

“I never said that,” Saehi shot back, though there was a hint of a smile on her lips and embarrassment on her cheeks.

“Well, maybe you should.” Beomgyu leaned in slightly, his tone teasing.

“I’d hate for you to regret missing the opportunity.” he winks at her.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Saehi said, rolling her eyes, though the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed her.

Watching their banter gave me a brief reprieve from the tension between Yeonjun and Soobin, but it was short-lived.

I glanced at Yeonjun, who was still glaring at Soobin, his hands clenched at his sides.

The way his jaw tightened every time Soobin looked at me made my heart ache. This wasn’t how I wanted the night to go.

“Yeonjun—” I started, but before I could finish, Soobin turned to me with a bright smile.

“Yuri, you really did I mention you look amazing tonight,” Soobin said again, his voice warm and genuine.

"Yes, youdid Soobin. Thankyou. You look very handsome as well" I said back.

“I think half the people here are already jealous I’m your date.” his dimples showing on both sides of his cheeks and I would have found it endearing was it not creating more doubts between Yeonjun and I.

I forced a smile, my eyes flickering to Yeonjun, who looked ready to explode.

“Thank you, Soobin.”  I did not want to create a scene in front of everyone, especially when it was a big night for him.

“We even match, like complementing each other” Soobin continued, gesturing to his suit.

“I mean, even if it was a coincidence, come on, don’t we look perfect together?” he takes me hand in his and readies me for a photographer who I didn't even notice was there.

And just like that he takes a picture of us, hand in hand, smiling.

Although I probably look more like bambi caught in headlights.

I did not want to be part of the tabloids after tonight, especially being  in the arms of one of the Royals. Let alone a Choi.

Yeonjun’s scowl deepened, and I could feel the storm brewing just beneath the surface.

“Perfect?” Yeonjun repeated, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“That’s a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?” he asks flatly, betraying any emotions that might be brewing under his cold surface.

Yeonjun is quick to pull me away from Soobin just enough so that his hands rest against my back and positions me smoothly to stand with him for a photo.

The photographer doesn't hesitate as he clicks a few pictures of just the two of together before moving onto others.

So long for for not being in the arms of a Choi for a photograph.

I did not want to be caught in the crossfire between the two brothers.

And I definitely did not want to be another topic of discussion.

Soobin’s smile didn’t falter through the entirety of it.

He played it off naturally, like he was used to Yeonjun's antics.

“Jealousy doesn’t suit you, Yeonjun” he quips.

“Neither does arrogance,” Yeonjun shot back, his tone icy.

Before I could intervene, Beomgyu let out a loud sigh.

“All right, children, let’s not make a scene in the middle of the party. Save the fireworks for later.”

I shot Beomgyu a grateful look, but it was short-lived as my focus shifted back to Yeonjun.

I didn’t want him to spend the entire evening brooding because of Soobin.

“Yeonjun,” I said softly, stepping closer to him. “Can we talk now? Just the two of us?”

His eyes softened slightly at my words, and for a moment, I thought he would say yes.

We just needed a couple of minutes alone, away from all of this mayhem and everything would be alright.

But before he could respond, the sound of a microphone crackling to life drew everyone’s attention to the front of the room.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” a deep, commanding voice boomed through the speakers.

I turned to see Soobin and Yeonjun’s father standing under the grand chandelier, his imposing presence silencing the room.

“If I could have your attention, please,” he continued, his voice steady and confident. “Tonight is a very special evening for our family, and I’m thrilled to share some exciting news with all of you.”

My stomach twisted in anticipation.

Our conversation would have to wait.

I glanced at Yeonjun, who was now staring intently at his father, his expression unreadable.

Beside him, Soobin looked equally focused, though there was a flicker of unease in his eyes.

Whatever announcement was about to be made, I had a feeling it would change everything.

A/N: Update!!!! Finally here. How are you people?

I am on vacation - basically I came back to my parents place for 2 weeks and I was enjoying my time here, so a little late update.

But let me know what you think. How was this chapter?