Just as Bank stood up from his chair and was about to turn his back, First jumped up in a total panic. The guilt and fear of losing him were so clear on his face that his entire body was trembling.
"No! No, Bank, wait! It's not like that, I swear I didn't mean it like that!" First shouted, his voice cracking with desperation.
In a dramatic rush, his hands grabbed the sleeves of Bank's sweatshirt, trying to keep him from leaving. "Please listen to me, I just chose the wrong words!"
However, this move completely shattered the dam inside Bank, the dam that had been waiting patiently and holding everything in for so long.
Instead of turning around and leaving silently this time, Bank pushed First's hands off him with a sudden fury.
He made such a harsh, sharp movement that the glasses on the table rattled loudly.
Taking a step forward, Bank walked directly into First's space. The proud heartbreak in his eyes turned into a pure, burning anger within seconds.
"Don't tell me no, First! Stop lying to me!" he roared. His voice was powerful, deep, and furious enough to completely drown out the sound of the waves and the howling wind on the beach.
First was forced to take a shocked step back against this destructive energy from Bank, something he had never seen before.
Bank didn't stop, he pointed his finger sharply at First's chest, poking him with every single word as he demanded answers:
"Enough! I am sick of this endless hypocrisy of yours, do you hear me? I am truly sick of it! Aren't you the one who acts so close to me every single moment we are alone, looking into my eyes and melting my heart?
Aren't you the one who makes me feel like the only person in the world when it's just the two of us, yet you feel no shame in labeling me as just a regular 'buddy' the second people look at our faces?!"
Everyone at the table—Wee, Ten, Sun, Moon, Mint, and Bee—had practically forgotten to breathe. Time at the restaurant seemed to freeze at that exact second.
Bank was always the calmest, most logical member of the group, someone who never exposed his emotions and carried every burden silently.
Seeing him demand answers so boldly in front of everyone, without hiding, and putting all his cards on the table with such fury had left everyone completely paralyzed with shock.
Mint brought her hand to her mouth in surprise, while Bee stood frozen in absolute horror at how the gossip fire she started had turned into such a massive explosion.
A single tear finally rolled down Bank's cheek, but it wasn't a sign of weakness; it was a drop of overflowing rage. Clenching his jaw, he continued, staring straight into First's eyes:
"I am not a shield for you to hide behind whenever you are backed into a corner, First. You cannot wipe me out in a split second in front of everyone under the excuse of 'not rushing things' or 'protecting' the relationship. If you are this ashamed of me, of standing side-by-side with me, then don't you dare try to hold my hand ever again!"
First was left completely breathless with every word hitting his chest. Bank's fierce courage and honesty displayed in front of everyone had forced First to face his own coward moves.
No one at the table could utter a single word, silently watching Bank's massive, powerful stand.
~~~
Bank's last words remained hanging in the air under the wooden roof of the restaurant.
The wind on the beach had suddenly started blowing harder, wildly pushing the yellow flames of the candles on the table side to side.
Those yellow, shaky lights clearly showed Bank's tense face, the sharp shake in his jaw, and the furious yet fragile spark in his eyes. The red drink stain that had spilled onto the white tablecloth earlier looked like a seal stamped over all the joy and peace of the table.
Everything in the setting—the waiters who had stopped moving, the muffled sound of the waves hitting the shore, even the dark clouds in the sky—was witnessing this massive reckoning.
First looked as if he were nailed to the spot. His lips opened slightly, but not a single rough sound came out of his throat. He had raised his hands in the air in a panic, his fingers were shaking, but he did not dare to touch Bank.
For the first time, he was seeing such a massive destruction on Bank's usually calm and unshakable face. First's heart began to beat wildly inside his chest; the fear of losing him covered his insides, sliding down his back like a cold sweat.
Bank angrily wiped that single tear from his eye with the back of his hand. He hated this show of weakness. Taking a deep, shaky breath, he puffed out his chest and asked, never breaking eye contact with First:
"Why are you silent, First? You always had a lie to tell, a joke to soften the mood. Why can't you say a single word right now? Because you know it too, don't you? You are truly a coward."
First took a step forward, crushed under the weight of this word. That usual boyish, careless mask on his face was completely shattered. As his eyes filled with tears, his voice turned into a painful whisper:
"I am... I am not a coward, Bank. I swear I wasn't trying to hide you. It's just that what's between us is so new and so beautiful... I was terrified that someone would make it look simple, that they would put pressure on us. I didn't want to rush and ruin everything. I just... wanted to protect you."
The silence around the table was so heavy that nobody even dared to move. Bee, who had been stirring the gossip pot just moments ago, looked practically tiny sitting in her chair. She kept her eyes lowered out of guilt, playing with the fork on her plate.
She never guessed that a simple question asked for her own entertainment would open such a deep wound in her friend's heart. Mint silently held Bee's hand, a look of great regret on her face.
Wee and Ten watched this scene from the other end of the table with immense empathy.
Ten knew very well how crushing it felt to doubt someone's love and belonging; therefore, looking at Bank's straight yet bleeding posture made his own old wounds ache inside.
Wee held Ten's hand even tighter under the table, as if giving him the message, "I am here, I will never leave you like this."
Sun and Moon just stared at each other. Having only recently calmed the storm between themselves, seeing their closest friends in the middle of such a massive ruin broke both of their hearts. Moon could feel Bank's fair anger with his entire soul.
Bank realized he couldn't stand it anymore when he felt those suffocating looks of pity and shock on him from the table. His pride would not allow him to be hurt any further in front of everyone.
Pulling his gaze away from First, he turned to the other friends at the table. He forced a icecold, bitter smile onto his face:
"I am sorry, guys. I ruined everyone's beautiful night and this great vacation day with a stupid topic. I just need to be alone for a bit."
Following these words, Bank quickly grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair. As he took steps backward from the table, First made another move toward him. "Bank, please don't go! Let's talk!" he begged.
However, Bank gave First one last look; a look that held both the remains of a great love and the coldness of an unfixable heartbreak. Bank turned his back and started walking into the darkness of the beach, leaving the dimly lit area of the restaurant.
~~~
While Bank's footsteps sank into the sand, First stood frozen in the middle of the table for a few seconds. From behind, Sun leaned forward slightly and said
"First, go after him. Don't leave him like that, fix the heart you broke with your words using your words again. You made the same mistake you warned me about, you hurt him because you din't wnat him to get hurt."
This warning from Sun instantly put First's frozen fear into action.
Without even looking back, First started running toward the beach. It was hard to run on the sand, his feet sank with every step, but his heart rate had sped up so much that he didn't even feel the physical difficulty.
When he reached the dark, lonely part of the beach where the lights couldn't reach, he saw Bank's dark shape standing right by the water, where the waves hit his feet.
Bank stood with his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes locked onto the pitch black horizon line. The wind blew his hair and clothes harshly.
First slowed his steps and came right behind Bank. He was completely out of breath. "Bank..." he said, his voice almost getting lost in the loud noise of the waves crashing against the shore.
Bank did not turn around. Only his shoulders shook slightly. "I told you not to follow me, First. Why are you here?" he asked, his voice as cold and distant as the wind.
Unable to take it anymore, First jumped forward, wanting to wrap his arms around Bank from behind, but Bank quickly moved aside, not allowing it.
First's hands remained in the air. The desperation on his face was clear, even in the darkness, with his tears shining.
"I am here because I know I hurt you!" First shouted, releasing all his bottled up emotions.
"I was truly just uncomfortable with Bee's teasing attitude. Everyone at the table was looking at us. When we haven't even officially said that word between ourselves yet, saying 'Yes, we are boyfriends' out in the open didn't feel right to me.
I wanted to say it when I was alone with you, giving you a moment you truly deserve. My tone... yes, it was terrible. I spoke too fast and sharp, I know. But I swear my feelings inside weren't like that. I am not ashamed of you, Bank! For the first time in my life, I am taking someone this seriously, that's why I messed it up completely!"
Bank slowly turned around against this confession from First, which was filled with sobs and tore down all his defense walls. The yellow moonlight lit up the deep lines of sadness on Bank's face.
His eyes were still wet, but his anger had been replaced by a massive disappointment. He shook his head slowly side to side.
"You don't understand, do you?" Bank said, his voice coming out so low yet so clear that it pierced First's heart like an arrow.
"The issue isn't just about saying or not saying 'we are boyfriends' over there. The issue is how easily you can sacrifice me in a moment of pressure, First. You threw my feelings away within seconds just to protect your own order, your own comfort. If you had said 'We haven't talked about this yet' or 'This concerns us' at that table, I would have walked with you to the end of the world. But you said 'We are nothing, we are buddies.' And while saying that, you pulled your hand away in such a way... as if touching you was a crime, that's how you made me feel."
With these words from Bank, First understood once again, in the most painful way, that he had made the mistake of his life.
While trying to do the right thing, he had forgotten that words and movements are the sharpest weapons in the world. He took a step toward Bank, and this time Bank did not pull back.
First cupped Bank's face with his trembling hands. He wiped the wetness on his cheeks with his fingertips.
"I am sorry..." First whispered, resting his forehead against Bank's. Their warm breaths mixed together in the windy air.
"Please don't end us. I… love you so much, Bank. More than anything in this world. Give me a chance to make it up to you. I promise I will never leave your heart behind again."
Bank closed his eyes as he breathed in First's familiar, warm scent. His heart was still very broken, the pain of that moment at the table remained in his chest, but First's pure, truthful helplessness was slowly melting the hard ice inside him.
He took a deep sigh, slowly raising his hands to hold First's wrists. The love of the young couple on this dark beach was trying to stand tall among the waves, like a small boat trying to heal its wounds after a massive storm.
Bank swallowed hard; that tight lump in his throat made it difficult for words to come out, hurting him. He slowly pulled his eyes away from First's tear filled, begging face and turned them toward the dark horizon line.
The anger inside him was still hot like a burning coal, but the massive exhaustion wrapping around his soul had taken all the strength from his legs.
"You have tired me out so much now, First..." Bank said. His voice sounded rough against the night wind, barely above a whisper and deeply exhausted.
As his gaze drifted into the empty space, he took a deep sigh. "Tell me, what should I do now?"
He was still hurt; the pain of being sacrificed so easily at the table sat in his chest like a heavy stone, but he couldn't stay cold against First's desperate struggle.
Throwing all his strong, unshakable posture aside, he took a step forward. He slowly wrapped his arms around First's neck and let his body rest against his chest. When he placed his chin on First's shoulder, his eyes were still open.
Over First's shoulder, he began to watch the dark strip of the beach, the waves crashing loudly and foaming against the shore, and the yellow lights of the restaurant flickering far away under the weeping willows.
Nature was moving in its own rhythm, but for Bank, time had stopped right now inside these arms.
First felt like his heart would break through his chest at Bank's sudden hug. Without wasting a single second, he wrapped his arms tightly around Bank's thin waist, pressing him so close to himself that it was impossible for even the wind to pass between them.
He slowly raised his right hand and buried it into Bank's soft hair, which was messy from the wind.
While caressing the strands of his hair with his fingertips, he buried his face into the curve of Bank's neck.
He breathed in deeply, as if his lungs would burst, that familiar, unique scent of skin mixed with sea salt. As his lips brushed the fabric on Bank's shoulder, he whispered the words torn from his heart:
"For now, the only thing you need to do is rest in my arms, let me make peace with your scent that I missed. Let the sea show its fierce waves for a bit, not you."
First's naive and love filled words slowly scattered the tight feeling in Bank's chest. Closing his eyes, Bank brought his face even closer to First's neck.
First's fingers moving through his hair felt as if they were fixing every single broken piece in his heart one by one. Even though the cold breeze of the night tried to chill their skin, the warmth between them was powerful enough to heat the entire beach.
First continued to breathe in Bank's scent and softly caress his hair. He had just come back from the edge of losing him moments ago, and this fear was the biggest lesson First had ever learned in his life.
He understood that hiding his emotions and acting out of fear of what people thought actually caused the most harm to the ones he loved.
"I promise," First muttered, a determination mixed with the shake in his voice. "I will never let go of your hand again. In front of everyone, no matter where we are, I won't hesitate to shout how valuable you are to me. Just... give me time to make you forgive me."
Bank squeezed his hands on First's back a bit tighter. "Forgiving you has never been hard, First," he said honestly, lifting his chin from his shoulder to look into his eyes.
The fierce waves in his eyes were gone, replaced by a calm sea. "The hard part was being sure of your feelings. But now... I just want to stay here, with you."
After minutes of that silent and healing embrace on the beach, the two held hands and started walking toward the restaurant. Their steps this time were not rushed, but deeply determined and calm.
When they returned under the dim yellow lights of the restaurant, the eyes of the six friends at the table turned to them instantly.
Not a single sound could be heard at the table. Bee quickly stood up, her eyes filled with tears, wanting to fix her mistake.
"Bank... I am truly so sorry. I just wanted to make a joke, I never thought it would cause something like this" she said, her voice dropping low with regret.
Bank looked at Bee with a genuine, warm smile this time and lightly waved his hand.
"It's okay Bee, it's passed and gone. But don't try to put a label between us again, this guy is still acting like a chiled as you can see." he said, smiling as he looked at First out of the corner of his eye.
First proudly placed Bank's hand on top of the table, locking his fingers with Bank's in a way that everyone could see.
Mint took a relieved breath seeing the two reconciled, grabbing Bee by the arm to make her sit back down. While Wee and Ten secretly celebrated by tapping each other's legs under the table, Sun and Moon raised their glasses into the air.
"In that case" Sun said, smiling cheerfully as he saw the tense atmosphere at the table completely vanish. "To this wonderful night, to our friendship, and to all the beautiful feelings that aren't rushed!"
As everyone happily clinked their glasses, the yellow lights at the table were no longer illuminating a heartbreak, but the unbreakable bonds of the young group.
The sea on the beach continued to hit with its fierce waves, but the storm at the table had left its place to a peaceful harbor.
~~~
It was the last day of the vacation. A sweet excitement filled the large gathering area of the resort, which was surrounded by palm trees and featured a beautiful sea view.
All the university students participating in the tournament were sitting on colorful camp chairs, whispering excitedly on the green grass. The air smelled of fresh coffee, beachy sunscreen, and a light morning breeze.
Our group was lined up side by side in the middle rows. First and Bank sat next to each other with the peace of completely melting the ice between them after yesterday's big fight. First held Bank's hand confidently for everyone to see, he no longer had any fear or desire to hide.
Mint and Bee had woken up cheerfully, as if wanting to make everyone forget their thoughtless behavior from yesterday, and they kept offering biscuits to Wee and Ten. Sun and Moon leaned back, holding hands while waiting for the tournament results.
Everything was too normal, too peaceful. Wee wrapped his arm around Ten's shoulder, leaning into his ear and whispering,
"See? Everything worked out in the end. If we win the tournament too, this vacation will end perfectly."
Ten looked at Wee with a sweet smile, nodding his head while trying to push down a strange anxiety inside him.
The strict but fair professor, who had been managing the whole process since the start of the tournament, stepped up to the podium at the front of the area.
The professor placed his glasses on his nose and lightly tapped the thick white envelope in his hand against the microphone.
All the noise in the area ended as if cut by a knife. Hundreds of students held their breath, waiting for the winning group to come out of the professor's mouth.
Professor cleared his throat and leaned toward the microphone. "Yes, dear young people" he said, his voice echoing across the entire area.
"We have reached the end of this challenging tournament, the projects, and the teamwork that lasted for days. As the jury, we have made our decision. I am announcing the group that came first this year and won the grand prize..."
The professor slowly began to tear open the envelope in his hand. As the sound of the paper tearing spread from the speakers across the whole area, the excitement hit its peak.
First squeezed Bank's hand tighter. Wee was so sure they would win that a proud smile appeared on his face. Ten played with his fingers, trying to calm his wildly beating heart.
The professor pulled the paper out of the envelope, opening his lips to pronounce the name of the winning group. However, that word could never leave the professor's mouth.
At that exact millisecond, the phones inside the pockets of hundreds of students in the gathering area, the professor, and our group began to shake wildly with a loud noise. Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt.
The sound of notifications coming one after another filled the silent area instantly. At first, nobody understood what was happening, thinking it was just a regular school announcement.
However, the moment everyone slid their screens open, a deadly, deafening silence covered the area.
The incoming notification was a video link uploaded to the school's shared forum website.
When students clicked on the video, the image that appeared on the screen was the inside of room number 104, where Wee and Ten were staying.
The camera angle was extremely clear and high. In the video, the most private, most hidden moments that took place in that room not much ago.
Wee wrapping his arms around Ten as he fixed his wounds, the clearest images of that passionate and secret love between them were turning like a live record.
The eyes of hundreds of students in the area opened wide in shock. Everyone began to look at a phone, and then at Wee and Ten sitting in the middle row. Whispers, murmurs, and screams of shock rose over the grass instantly.
While Mint and Bee covered their mouths with their hands, First and Bank stood up angrily. Sun and Moon tried to step in front of Wee to protect him, not knowing what to do.
The moment Ten saw the image on the screen, he felt his world collapse on him. All the blood left his face, and his lips turned completely white. With everyone's eyes locked on him, he practically sank into his chair.
Wee clenched his fists, the pure anger and helplessness in his eyes enough to make his whole body shake. Their secret, their most private moments had been tossed in front of the whole school like trash.
While that massive chaos, murmur and shockwave continued in the area, the phones sitting in Wee and Ten's hands shook once more, this time in a way that was private only to the two of them.
The screen lit up. In the message coming from an unknown number, right below that terrible video image on the screen, this ice cold, mocking sentence was written:
unknown:
"You shouldn't have messed with me :)"
End of Chapter 17.