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blizzardfluffykpop · 1 year ago

Text

Bedroom Talks

Summary: At the end of summer before your junior year of high school. Your friend group reduces from a quartet to a trio. After college, the trio reduces to one and you’re left to face the city alone. On a lunch break you find yourself in a coffee shop, where you run into the first person you ever lost. And from there, your life turns upside down and he helps you through it all. He holds your hand and keeps you safe and makes sure you’re never alone. After all, that’s what best friends do, right?

Long Fic (Oneshot)

Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Slight Angst, Slow burn, Reunited! Childhood Best Friends to Lovers au

TW: In the beginning the reader is in a toxic relationship

Word Count: 40,163

Changkyun (I.M) X Reader

[Features: Best Friends! Hoseok & Hyungwon & the rest of OT7]

[Long A/n: Three things; firstly, Hoseok & Hyungwon are only a year older than Changkyun & the reader- but they went to school at the same time. Secondly, some rules will be explained in the fic but if you don’t know how to play Bullshit card game: The rules are simple. In order you lay the cards in turn face down from Ace to King on top of each other. When you lay a card down you say their ‘value’ whether or not that is the actual card. If you think someone is lying about the card they placed you call bullshit. And make them flip their card, if you were correct they pick up the pile. If you were wrong you take the pile. The goal of the game is to get rid of all of your cards. (It usually takes 3 players but you can play with 2- It’s a really fun game, if you ever get the chance to play, please do) Lastly, this was only supposed to be 3k and here we are- enjoy! Also, I hope you guys enjoyed Overdrive- I know I have!].

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Several years ago, you were a sophomore in high school. Your life was great. You have had three best friends since kindergarten: Changkyun, Hyungwon, and Hoseok. You did everything together, and they were always by your side. You always shared a class with one of them, so you were never alone. The four of you were always together, from doing homework to having dinner at each other's houses. It was the friendship of dreams. Sure, you had made other friends, but none of them compared to them. And you wouldn’t have it any other way.

On the first day of summer, you were all hanging out in Changkyun's treehouse. When you guys finally fell into a comfortable silence, Changkyun cleared his throat. You all looked at him, and he said that he’d be moving away at the end of summer, and he wouldn’t be graduating with you three. You all waited with bated breath, hoping he'd say it was a joke. When it became clear it wasn't. The four of you were trembling with tears as you held each other. When you all stopped crying, you guys made a promise that no matter what happened, you'd stay together even if you were apart. The four of you would do your damnedest to make the most of your last summer together. From days at the beach to camping out, to movie nights, you made it a summer to remember. And when the day came for him to leave, you guys saw him off, and that was the last time you saw him in person.

Entering your junior year without him felt like you were all missing a piece. You’d find yourself looking for him in the halls. And you'd think you'd hear him calling your name. But he never was there, and you cry into your phone as you'd tell him how much you missed him, and he’d exchange the sentiment. The other two missed him just as much. And you three did your best to comfort each other, but it never filled that gap. At least, in your case, it didn’t.

It never clicked why you missed him more than your best friends did until you entered your senior year. You fell for him, but by then, the calls became fewer and fewer until they stopped. Hyungwon, Hoseok, and you graduated together. And you moved on, or at least you thought you did. You three moved into an apartment and went to college together. Something that the four of you had always dreamed of doing. It hurt realizing that what once was a quartet became the three musketeers. And by the time you got used to being three. They were off to pursue a mixture of everything on top of their modeling careers. And you were so proud of them, but you were left alone in the big city. Cities never sleep, and it never seemed daunting until that moment. And for the first time, since you were in kindergarten, you were completely alone, left to fend for yourself. You always had someone to lean on, while yeah, you could call them, it wasn't the same. It wasn't when Changkyun left and wasn't any different when they did.

It wasn’t long before you found yourself in a toxic relationship. You were craving some attention and affection. Neither of which you found through him. But it was better than going to bed at night alone. At least, that’s what you told yourself. You missed your friends immensely, and nothing you did could fill the hole they left. You'd call them all the time, but that wasn't enough. Even surrounded by someone, you felt so alone.

He made you feel like you weren't good enough and that you couldn't do better. In your heart, you knew you could, but hearing it all the time made you believe it. All you wanted was to be held and to be told you were doing your best. But you never received that. All you got was cigarette smoke blown in your face. It was an allusion to the whole ordeal. That this was something you should be running away from. But the fog got harder and harder to cut through until you saw him again, Im Changkyun.

You met him on a day like the rest. You were leaving your job for lunch and stood waiting in line at this little coffee shop. When you heard the person in front of you whisper, “Fuck, where is it…” as they patted their pockets. Without a second thought, you came up and paid for them. You didn’t know you were paying for an old friend until you ordered your drink and looked over at him. “No fucking way,” you whispered, and he gasped as he got a good look at you, “(N/n)?” You couldn’t stop the tears from falling from your eyes as you looked at him for the first time in several years. He roped you up in a hug, and you held him tightly in your arms, and he scooted you both out of the line. You both pull back to grab your coffee, and he finds a booth where you sit across from each other. Through tears, you whisper, “I never thought I’d hear your voice, let alone see you again.”

You look up to see him crying too. You reach over and grab his hand. He whispers, “I can’t believe it’s you… Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be managing Hoho and Wonnie?” You laugh through your tears, “That dream changed years ago, Kyunnie. You know I could never let you guys go.” He shakes his head, “You stayed in the apartment when they left, didn’t you?” You nodded, “It’s what we always talked about. I couldn't leave it.” He nods, “I’m so sorry I had to leave.” You shake your head, “Don’t be. You have no reason to be.” You look at the clock, “I only have forty minutes until I have to head back.” He nods, “That’s about the time I should return too.”

“Are you producing now?” He nods, “Yeah, are you managing finances somewhere?” You grin and nod, and he smiles, “I guess we made it then.” You smile, “I suppose so.” He asks, “So, are you with anyone now?” You make a face as you nod, and he gives you a stern look, “Why did you make that type of face?” You gulp, “Well, um… It’s not a perfect relationship.” He nods and rubs his thumb over the back of your hand. “You can talk to me about it. You know that, right?” You shake your head, “There's not enough time. Let me hear about you.” He nods before telling you how he works in a studio with his close friend. And how he remembered where he left his wallet. It was on his desk, and you laughed as you told him you had done that before. As the last ten minutes approached, you asked, “Do you have a new number?” He nods, and you exchange phones and put in your numbers. He walks out of the shop with you, and you head towards the left, and he goes right. “Text me!” You cheer, and he goes, “I will!”

Like it was old times, you found yourself texting and talking with him all the time. He reminded you what it was like to laugh. You hadn’t laughed in such a long time. It was like a foreign feeling, a feeling that you readily welcomed. One that reminded you that you were so much more than what you had. Your guys' time coincided so well. While you texted Hoseok and Hyungwon every once and a blue moon. You were texting Changkyun all the time. A part of you came back when you found him again. It's when you start to see through the smoke. The smoke that was clouding your vision before is lying beside you.

Changkyun texts you one morning, “Hey, do you wanna hang out?” And you readily agreed, excited to see your best friend again, “Yeah, I can do lunch?” You told your boyfriend where you were going and told him with whom as you got ready for lunch. Even though you explained it well, he kept asking numerous questions. By the fiftieth one, you just wanted to roll your eyes as you put your shoes on.

And when Changkyun rang the doorbell, that’s when he exploded. It wasn’t the first time you argued, but it was the first time you had done so in front of someone you cared about. You texted Changkyun you’d be another few minutes hoping he couldn’t hear what was happening behind the door. “You’re cheating on me, aren’t you!?” He accused you, and you were so confused, does rekindling with old friends equal cheating? And you said, “No.” And he called you all the names in the book. If you had more care in your system and didn’t have somewhere to be. You would be arguing back. He stops, and you tell him, “I’ll see you later.” With that, you open the door. What you didn’t expect to see was Changkyun standing right there. He immediately puts you behind him as your boyfriend exclaims, “Oh! So, this is who you’re with now?!”

With a gruff voice, he said, “I don’t know what you’re fucking problem is. But yelling at your partner before they leave isn’t a way to get them to come back.” You could hear him shout something at you both as Changkyun shuts the door. He asks you to lock it, and when you make it inside the elevator, he asks softly, “You okay?” You nodded, not processing what just happened. You numbly followed after him until he asked, “What do you want for dinner?” You thought for a moment before saying, “Ramen.” He smiles, “Like old times, then?” You nodded and said cheerily, “I know a good place to get some!” He smiled and went, “Lead the way,” and you did.

You took him to your favorite ramen place. It was down the street from where you lived. It opened up after the two moved out. You loved going there whenever you missed your trio of friends. It brought you comfort, but since you always ate alone there. You ended up imagining the three of them with you. Your boyfriend hated ramen, and you suppose that should have been the first red flag.

Millie greeted you two with a smile, “(Y/n), you never bring anyone with you! Who’s this?” You smile, “This is Changkyun, my old friend!” She grins, “Well, Changkyun, you're about to eat the best ramen in town.” He nods, “Cool.” She leads you to your favorite table, the booth in the back. “Do you like anything special in yours?” He tells her, and she nods, “Okay, I’ll get your guys' order ready.” She grabs your drinks and places them in front of you before leaving to the back.

That’s when he asks, “Are you ready to talk about him now?” You gulp and look down at the table, “I never thought I’d talk about this with you or either of them. I was supposed to be rid of this before I saw any of you.” He nods and waits for you to continue, “You know it’s funny... The whole reason I dated him in the first place was for some attention and affection. And I never found either through him. It sucks that I do the chores by myself. I can't even ask for his help. If the sink gets full, he’ll maybe wash the one he needs. If something's broken, he’ll fix it after bitching about it. He’s a glorified bed warmer at this point.” He sighs, “I'm sorry you have had to deal with someone like him. You deserve someone who will be there for you and split everything with you." He pauses as you nod, "You know, for all that hassle, you could have gotten a dog instead.” You laugh and shake your head, “I never thought about it like that.”

Millie brings over your bowls of ramen, “Here you go!” You smile, “Thanks, Millie!” And with that, she leaves, and you both chow down. And he whines, “Oh, how I’ve missed ramen.” You laugh and slurp your noodles before saying, “That’s a conversation I want to have!” He laughs, and you both contentedly eat your noodles. You finish your first bowl, and Kyun asks for another bowl for both of you. You wait for the next one, and he asks, “Do Hyungwon and Hoseok know?” You shake your head, and he sighs. You bow your head in shame, and you feel him lift your chin, “It’s okay. I just wanted to ask.” You look into his eyes, “I didn’t intend for this.” He nods, “I know. We all make mistakes. But it’s okay, 'cause I got your back again, and I’m not letting you fall through the cracks.” He slowly releases your chin from his palm as your next bowl arrives.

You didn’t even realize you had damage from the relationship. The smoke was so thick it took a while to see through. But Changkyun was with you every step of the way. Which made you realize it wasn’t as hard as you made it out to be. You started to piece yourself back together. And before you knew it, you found the part of you that you were missing. But to change and move on and continue catering to the missing piece of you. You had to let go of the guy who no longer served you.

When you realized you were more than what you were when you were with him. One thing led to another, and you were in a screaming match with your boyfriend. Things were ending fast. Your whole world was full of burning flames. You didn’t even notice the fire closing in on you. After all, you were getting rid of the spark. So, you didn't worry about the flames as you watched him pack his last box into his truck. He shouted to you that he had found someone anyways and didn't need you. He called you a few names as he hopped into his car. You rolled your eyes as he burned his tires off and out of the lot.

As you were about to turn in and fix everything disarranged, your landlord came up to you, “Hey, Mrs. Springer.” She sighed, “I know you’ve been a loyal tenant all these years. But considering what just went down, I have to ask you to move out by the end of next week.” You blinked at her, not believing your ears, “Wh-what?” She looks at you with ‘sorrowful eyes’ and says, “I don’t want any more disturbances of peace. And with you still living here, you may take him back. And we don’t need any more trouble like that here.” After everything, you wanted to crawl into your bed and cry in relief.

And now your landlord is adding another grievance onto your soul. “Okay,” is all you say before heading inside your apartment and slamming the door in her face. All the memories you tried to preserve here will be nothing more than memories of better times. You slink back to your room and redo your bed before finally breaking down and sobbing. After everything, that seemed to be your most reasonable decision. When you broke up with your so-called boyfriend, you thought that was the end of the fire. Little did you know that you only put out the spark, not the fire.

The next afternoon, Changkyun told you he had let Hyungwon and Hoseok know about your now ex. It was one thing to have a shitty ex. But you couldn’t bear to tell them you were out of a home too. You decided it was too early for ramen before you bit the bullet and decided to call around for a place to stay. At least for a week until you found something. You worked your way up from acquaintances to Hyungwon and Hoseok. Who are currently in two separate countries. You already knew it was useless to call them, but it was nice to hear their voices anyway. They promised to support you in any way they could, thousands of miles away. And the two of them scolded you for not calling them about your ex. They could have made accommodations for you by now. But on such short notice, they couldn't provide you with a roof over your head.

So, with no options left, you held your finger over the dial button of the man who made you realize you were on fire in the first place. With a weary heart, you clicked it. Not giving yourself any more time to think about it. “Yeah?” He answers, and you sigh, “Um,... Well, you know how I broke up with him?” He hums, and you continue, “Well, um, he’s out of my life as he burned his tires off when my landlord approached me...” You stare at the carpet as you work your way up to say, “She wanted to end any disturbances of the peace. And because I'm associated with him. I uh will be out of a place to live at the end of the week.” You hear him say a soft, ‘oh’. You quickly follow up, “I don’t need a place for long, just enough to get another lease some-.” He cuts you off, “You’re welcome to stay with me as long as you like.” Maybe it was because of the smoke in your eyes, but you started crying as you hiccupped a “Thank you.” And with that, he asked, “Do you want to get ice cream?”

And you agreed he picked you up for ice cream. He held you as you cried into your dessert. Your tears weren't for the jerk you left. They were for losing the apartment you had shared with your friends in college. When your cries became sniffles, he released you and checked that you didn’t need anything else. “You okay, big baby?” You nodded, and you both finished your treats, “You wanna go home?” You nodded to that too, too exhausted to speak. He held you as you walked back to his car. And when he got in the car, you reached for his hand, still wanting comfort. And he smiled and locked your hands together, “I’ll help you pack tomorrow.” You nod, “You don’t need anything before I leave?” You shake your head, ‘no’, “Do you want me to walk you up?” You nodded again, and he smiled, “Okay.”

He walked you up, kissed the top of your head, and let go of your hand, “Have good dreams.” You whisper, “You too.” He nods, “Later, gator.” You muster up a smile, “Bye-bye, butterfly.” You unlock your door and clean up a few things before falling asleep.

Without a second thought, he saved you from the flames. Holding you up as you cried, taking off all the decorations you put in your apartment to make it home. “You still have this photo?” He asks about the one Hoseok’s mom took of the four of you. You’re doing a handstand with both Changkyun and Hyungwon’s help. Hoseok is pointing and laughing at you three. His mom thought it was the funniest thing and printed multiple copies of it. You smile, “I have one more in a photo album.” He nods, “I still have mine. It's on my wall.” You point to the one the day before he left, “You have that one?” He nods, “I didn’t expect you to keep that one out.” You shake your head, “It was the last memory I got to have with you. I had to keep it close.” He nods, “Reasonable.” And carefully you put them into a box.

You sigh as you reach the last one, “You’ve never seen this one.” He tilts his head, and you say, “It’s the day we signed our lease.” All three of you were holding the lease papers with bright smiles. “You guys looked so happy.” You nod, “Yeah. Remember how we always talked about sharing a place together? We were supposed to move into this apartment together...” He nods as he whispers, “I wanted to go to college with you three too.” You tell him, “We never stopped missing you. It was painful to lose connection with you. You were always a part of our conversations. We never let your memory fade.” He looks down at the carpet, “I'd always talk about you guys too. I always find a way to bring you three up, even if it wasn't intentional.” You grab his arm and bring him close, “How can I miss you even though you're right next to me?” He whispers, “I don't know... I still miss you even though you’re right here.” You stand there looking at that last photo for a while. Imagining what it'd be like if it went according to plan until you felt like moving again.

And from there, it got easier, both physically and mentally. Because you had each other again, everything else didn’t have as many memories as those photos had. You put the boxes into the living room until you were ready to put them into your cars. You put away the last box in your car and went to see if you missed anything. After checking all the rooms, you found a mirror under the sink and brought it with you. While you were busy with that, Changkyun got your deposit back, stating that they were evicting you without proper notice. She grumbled as she wrote the check out for you, and with that, he walked back over to your apartment.

You were looking up at the ceiling fixture, trying to take it all in for one last time. In a place that held so many good memories, it also held just as many bad ones. Yet, it's odd to leave it now until you spot Changkyun waving something with glee in his hands. “Look what I got~” He cheered, and you came over and looked, and you gasped at the sight. And you hugged him, “Oh, Kyun, I don’t know what I would have done without you. Thank you.” He grins and holds you, “It’s no problem. Now let’s get you to your new home.” You put the mirror on your passenger seat. And on the way over, you cashed the check, finally cutting another loss out of your life as you did. You split and wired the money between the two models before pocketing your third.

With a box in hand, you both went up to his apartment. He unlocked it, and you followed him in, “I never really got around to decorating the place. But feel free to decorate and make yourself at home. After all, this is your home now too.” He had talked you into staying with him. After showing you the bathroom, he showed you the three bedrooms: one containing his studio setup, his room, and your new room. He let you take in your living quarters and smiled as he left to grab more boxes. You spun around the room, feeling free but also at home. You needed a change of scenery more than you realized. Without a second thought, you threw yourself back onto the bed. And when it squished beneath you instead of squeaked. You felt like a royal with a bed that welcomed you in rather than sprung you away. You giggled to yourself and heard someone else laugh, and you looked up to see him again.

“Is the bed that squishy?” You nod, “Yeah, it’s so soft and welcoming… My last mattress was all springs and no filter.” He nods, “Ahh yeah. When I got this apartment, I made sure to buy squishy beds. Spring beds are not good for my back.” You laugh, “Mine neither.” You get up, follow him downstairs and grab the last few boxes. And put them up in your room. He looks at the clock, “You wanna order out?” You nod and pay for delivery, typing in a different address felt weird. But you shook it off as your stomach grumbled to enter everything faster.

In less than fifteen minutes, it arrives. And Changkyun shows you the dining table, “Man, your apartment has all the amenities, huh?” He laughs, “Why do you say that?” You gesture to the table, “You were in it. We had a small kitchen and no dining room. I haven’t eaten at a table other than at a restaurant in years.” He lets out an ‘oh’ as he nods, “Well, now you can eat here whenever you like.” You nod. It doesn’t even feel real to think that this apartment is now yours too. You have a quiet dinner, both of you thinking, and once you both finish. You get ready to throw it out. Before he shakes his head, “You bought, so I’ll clean up. It’s only fair. We’ll split things as evenly as we can, okay?” Your jaw drops, forgetting that was an option. “But Kyun…” He shrugs, “No buts, don’t make me call Hoho and Won.” And with that, he steps on the lid opener and throws it away, and you don’t complain.

He sits back across from you as you take it in. It's shell-shocking to be an equal to someone else again. You shake your head before he asks, “We never got to do this before, so how would you like to split the chores?” And you both discuss it for a while until it’s time to retire to bed, and you’re both satisfied with what you choose. You both bid each other good night.

It surprised you how, after finding your clothes and getting ready for the night. You settled into bed and fell right to sleep. You woke up feeling well-rested and better than you had in the past year. The sun was glimmering through the curtains, and you felt at ease. You get up and go to the kitchen to make some coffee just to see Changkyun up and already making a pot of it. “You read my mind,” you rasp out, and he laughs, “It’s a good way to start the morning.”

You do the finishing touches to your coffee with things you brought from your old fridge. Changkyun asks, “You still make it the same?” You nod and ask, “Is it still two lumps of sugar in yours?” He nods, “Yeah.” You smile, “Some things never change.” You sit in your now designated chair and fall into a comfortable silence. You take in the birds chirping in the distance and feel at peace. After you finish your mug, you finally go, “Thank you.” He shrugs, “It’s no problem.”

With a stretch, you get up and change for the day in the comfort of your new room. ‘I could get used to this,’ you think as you fix your outfit. You grab your things and head out the door, “I’ll see you later?” He nods, “You got the key, right?” And you pat your keys to notice only your car key on the ring, having returned your old apartment keys yesterday. You shake your head, and he gets up and heads to his keyset, “I meant to give you yours yesterday. But here’s your key! I’ll probably be home around 10 pm? Depending on when it all wraps up.” You nod, “I’ll see you later then.”

Your drive is a bit longer to work but comparing where you live now to where you once lived. It was worth the extra gas mileage. Things are looking up. It seems like the flames are finally at bay, and maybe you'll see beautiful flowers bloom. Your day finishes with ease, and you drive back. You find yourself rushing up the stairs to your apartment. It’s been a long time since you felt excited to return home. You get home around 6 pm, unlock the door and put your shoes away. Make yourself a bowl of ramen and get comfortable on the couch.

After eating and watching an episode or two, you head to your room, change and start decorating your room. Once you finish your second box, the clock strikes eleven-thirty, and Changkyun rolls in, “(N/n), you home?” You poke your head out, “Yeah!” You head out of your room and into the living room to see him placing a bag on the counter. You hear cans settle in the bag as you ask, “What'd you bring home?” He smiles, “Chicken and beer!” You grin, “Hell yeah!” He smiles, and you find the plates and get one for each of you. You set up your dishes and sit down at the table.

“I don’t know if you have ever had this beer, but it’s my favorite, and I hope you like it too.” You smile, “I’ve never, but I’m sure it’s good if you’re recommending it.” He smiles, and you crack it open and try it, “Oh! I wasn’t expecting that!” He grins, “It’s kind of sweet, right?” You nod, “The pear and grape flavors are nice hints in it.” He agrees, and you both eat and drink your meal. You tell him, “This is wonderful.” He shakes his head, ‘Yes’, “It’s my favorite way to end my day.”

You finish your chicken as he does and take the plates and wash your dishes from earlier. Before coming over to see him still sitting there playing on his phone. He smiles when he notices you, and you melt into the chair and trace circles onto the tabletop. The beer starts to hit as you say, “I hope this table becomes a new constant in my life.” He laughs, putting down his phone for the moment, “Why’s that?” You shrug, “I don’t know, it’s just so nice and reminds me of what it’s like to have nice things.” He nods, “I hope it does, too, then.” You pick up your phone, and you both fall into a comfortable silence as you unwind from your days.

“Do you want to see what I’ve done so far to my room?” He nods, “Sure.” He slips his phone into his pocket, and you lead him to the door and open it for him to go in. He takes in all the picture frames you set up and the change of bedding too. “You arranged them very nicely on the wall” You smile, “Thanks.” He laughs at a few photos before he points to a picture of Hyungwon and Hoseok, “Damn, can you really believe they’re models now?” You laugh, “Not at all. I still remember them eating crayons.” He shakes his head and laughs, “I was thinking of the time Hoseok cried to his mom about Hyungwon ‘bullying him’. All because he wasn't giving him pretzels.” You chuckle, “And then you and I stole Hyungwon’s pretzels and ate ‘em! Which in turn made Hyungwon cry to his mom.” He laughs, “Yeah! We were little meanies.” You nod, “But we were the youngest, so it’s only fair.”

He grins and goes, “Aw, look, it’s us!” It was a photo from your freshman year. You were both posing with your backs against each other for the first day of school. You whine, “We were almost late, and the two didn’t let it go all day!” He laughs, “They were just as despicable as we were.” You nod, “That’s what made us the perfect quartet.” He agrees, “Yeah.” He takes in your new bedspread, “That's very pretty.” You thank him and look at the clock, “It’s almost one.” He looks over at it, too, “That it is. Well, we should both go to bed then.” You nod. And he exits your room, and you think of the other half of the quartet as you tuck in for the night.

The rest of the week is so peaceful. It's hard to think that at one time, you used to go to bed not feeling safe or comfortable. And now, you go to bed feeling at ease. It sucks that you went through that. You shake the thought away as you head into the kitchen and make a cup of coffee for both of you. You get ready to pour the coffee into your mugs when Changkyun comes flying in, “I’ll have to take it to go today. Joo needs me soon!” He tells you quickly as he throws on his hoodie. “Oh, okay!” “Sorry to break tradition.” You shrug, “It’s alright. It’s only a week old. Plus, I know that the record is reaching its due date. So let me get the to-go cup.” He nods, and you pull it out and make sure it’s clean before pouring him his cup. He adds his two lumps of sugar and hugs you before bidding you a good day at work. And you wish him luck on the record as he rushes out. You take your coffee into the living room and drink it while watching the news.

For some reason, you don’t want to go to work, almost as if your gut knew something before you did. You shrug it off but drive carefully to work just in case. But that wasn't why you were feeling an ick as you punched in for the day, but you still can't shrug off the feeling. Because in a fire, if you don't watch the flames, they'll burn you when you least expect it. Your boss comes over, and you greet them kindly even though your gut is retching, “Good morning!” They smile before saying, “Good morning, (Y/n). Would you mind seeing me in my office?” You nod and follow them back.

You start praying that your feeling in your gut is because you sense a promotion. “I’m so sorry to inform you of this. I know you just got back on your feet. But you were one of the last ones hired here. And, well, there have been cutbacks, and I’m sorry, but you’re one of the firsts I have to tell this to.” You wish you could curl under their desk, wail, and refuse to leave until they say you can keep your job. But you know in your heart if you do you’d have a police escort out. You nod, “Until when?” They sigh, “The furthest out I can give you is until this next paycheck is out in five days.”

“What?!” They nod, “You couldn’t inform me sooner?! When did you know?” They gulp, “Last week, but you were just moving into that new place, so I didn’t want you fretting over this too.” You do your best to stay calm as you go, “But, this is my job, my livelihood. I can’t just-” They shake their head, “I’m sorry, Mx. (L/n), but there is nothing I can do.” If you didn’t need the money, you would have told them you quit in that instance. You grit your teeth and say, “Okay. I’ll stay until the next check is issued.” They nod, “Thank you for your cooperation. I’m sorry this must come at such a bad time, but I hope you can understand.” You nod and head out of the office, fuming.

In a rage, you clock for your lunch early and rush out to your car to scream. You didn’t realize you were crying until your phone alerts you that you’ve been out in your car for thirty minutes. You wipe your tears of frustration, shake your head, and sigh. With your last thirty, you eat what you can of your lunch. You knew you could find another job. But you didn't want to burden Changkyun with all your problems. With haste, you decide you’ll do whatever you can to keep yourself afloat. So that you could continue to live in that lovely apartment with Kyun, even if it meant risking good rest.

When you came home, you were determined to act like everything was fine, even if it felt like you were being scorched alive. But Changkyun saw right through you. He always has and always will. He sat next to you on the couch and waited until you were ready to open up. Telling him had to be the worst punishment because he understood. You may have known him since you were three. But how could he still accept you after all the problems you’ve brought recently? But Changkyun never saw it that way. He knew that if he were in the same situation, you would do everything to keep him safe. And while that was true, it didn’t make you feel any better.

He opened his arms for you to lay in, and you laid into his chest and sobbed. It broke his heart. He never wanted you to feel this way. If he had the opportunity, he’d trade with you without a second thought. When you stopped crying, you sighed and whispered into his chest, “I promise you won’t have to worry about me. I’ll get a job at the restaurant two buildings down. And I’ll bartend. But don't worry when my last check comes in. I’ll have enough for this month. But I’ll be prepared for the next ones. You don’t have to worry, I promise. I just needed to cry about it.” All he did was hum. And you took that as an ‘okay' since he was probably tired from his production.

What you didn’t know was that he was devising another plan. One that he was sure Jooheon would agree with. Considering they've been wanting to have someone take over the finances. You were the perfect fit for the bill. However, he knew you’d be stubborn. That was his biggest problem to face. But he knew with Hoseok’s and Hyungwon’s help. It’d be easy too. You stayed in his arms until you started feeling sleepy. He whispered, “You tired?” You nodded, and without a second word, he carried you up to the bathroom and brushed his teeth with you.

You didn’t even get a chance to walk tiredly to your room before you were up in his arms again. When he pulls the covers over you, you whisper, “You know I’m grateful to you, right?” He nods, “I’ve known that for a long time.” You smile, “Good.” He kisses your forehead and gets up before walking out of your room. He says, “Whatever you decide to do, I’ll be behind you every step of the way.” You nod, and with that, you fall asleep.

You go to work bummed out the next few days, and on company time, you apply to the bar and restaurant. Sadly, you wanted this last paycheck, so you had to show up. You show up but all the work you do is push your pencil back and forth as you count the ceiling tiles. Even if you were to work your ass off to keep this job, they would still fire you at the end of the week. So, it didn't matter, might as well spend it looking at cat memes. After all, they can't fire you again.

You come home, not wanting to be awake, and shower in the dark. You rinse away your troubles before drying off and changing into pajamas. You drag your feet to the kitchen and look in the fridge, hoping a beer could solve all your problems. Even though you knew it wouldn’t, the thought was comforting. You crack it open, and you don’t notice Changkyun sitting in his chair until you take your first sip. You close the door and look over at the table. Your mind takes a second to register he’s there. “Damn, I hope this isn’t a mirage.”

He shakes his head and laughs, “Nope, very much real.” You sigh, sit across from him and put your head on the table. And let out a groan before greeting Changkyun. And he asks, “Do you want some pizza?” You nod, and he says, “Good,” and gets up from his seat and brings the box over. “So, how did applying to those jobs feel?” You sigh, “Uh,... nice.” He opens the box and pulls out a slice, “Do you think they would make you happy?” You’re at a loss for words because neither of those jobs would bring you joy. And you don’t have the energy to fabricate such a blatant lie, so you’re stuck to shaking your head no.

You reach for a slice and munch on it, not knowing what to say. It takes everything in you not to break down and cry in front of Kyun again. You drink some of your beer as he asks, “If you had a better option, would you choose it?” You shrug, “I’m not sure, but I guess anything would be better than waiting on customers.” He goes, “I’m going to take that as a yes.” And that’s when he says, “Call off work tomorrow.” You blink at him, and he continues, “You have an interview at my studio.” You gasp, “What?” He smiles, “Well, the studio always needs help. You could sort the finances of the company. I know you were good at that. If not, I have more than enough to support us until you find something more suited to your tastes.” You can’t hold your tears back as you start sobbing. “I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.” He shakes his head at you, “As long as you’re happy, that’s the best repayment.”

You get up from your chair and wrap yourself around him, and he carefully wraps his arms around you. He whispers, “This mirrors the other day.” And through your tears, you say, “Yeah, but this time it’s out of joy.” He holds you close until you’re sniffling. “You, okay?” You shrug, “I guess I’ll find out tomorrow.” He nods, “Let’s finish our pizza, yeah?” You wipe your tears and eat the other three slices. “Also... Hoho and Won called me to tell you to call them more.” You give him a small smile, “I’ll call them tomorrow.” He smiles, “Okay.” The two of you clean up your mess before retiring to bed.

Early in the morning, you called your boss before going back to bed. After an hour, you got up and took a shower. You got dressed as you realized the flames were diminishing. You smiled before heading into the living room to find Changkyun sitting on the couch waiting for you, “You look nice.” You thank him, and he asks, “We got half an hour before your interview with the big bad boss.” You gasp, “He’s mean?” He laughs and shakes his head ‘no’, and you sigh in relief. He asks, “Do you want a tour of the place?” You nod, and he has you follow him out, and he tells you, “It’s just a five-minute walk there.” You say, “I always wondered why you never took your car to work.” He grins, “Best commute ever.”

You smile, “What’s it like to produce music?” He smiles, “I get to express my deepest thoughts. But I also live my biggest dream. It’s more wonderful than I ever imagined.” You grin, “I always hoped you’d make it. I’m glad. Then is the studio you’re working at nice?” He nods, “Of course. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” “Will you ever let me hear your pieces?” He teases, “You sure you haven’t already~” You roll your eyes, “Kyun-” He sighs, “Of course, I will.” You smirk, “Good.”

When you reach the building, the sign above says, ‘Honeycat Records,’ and you tell him, “That is the cutest name ever!” He smiles, “I’m glad you think so!” He opens the door, and you walk in, “Woah.” He holds out his hand for you to grab to show you around. And you link your fingers together as he shows you around the building. From the different practice rooms to the recording studios and even the bathrooms. “Oh, and my favorite place to be is here!” And it’s a little common area filled with vending machines and massive windows to take in the view of the city. “It’s beautiful, Kyun.” He smiles, “I'm glad you think the same. I come up with a lot of my ideas out here.” He looks at the clock, “It looks like it’s time to take you to meet the bosses.” You nod, not quite catching he said ‘bosses’ this time.

Past the common area is a hallway with a door at the end that leads to an office. Instead of Changkyun showing you the door, he walks inside too. You shrug. He probably needs to see his boss for something too. And after peeking out from Changkyun’s back, you find the boss. He gets up from his chair, “Hey, Kyun. And you must be, (Y/n)?” You smile and shake his hand, “That’s me!” He gestures for you to sit down, and that’s when Kyun puts his glasses on. You start to sense something fishy as he sits across from you too.

Jooheon smiles as he asks, “So, Mx. (L/n), what makes you qualified to apply here?” You smile as you tell him about your experiences and what qualifies you to be applying. And he hums, and Changkyun asks, "What type of work environment do you work best in?" You take a moment to think, not only is your best friend interviewing you, but he could also be tricking you. "I prefer calm work environments, but I can work well under pressure if needed."

He takes a moment before nodding and turning to Jooheon, “This may be biased, Joo. But I think we found someone to take over our finances.” And Jooheon looks over at him and smirks, “Really? Because, funnily enough, I was thinking the exact same thing.” It starts to click before your eyes. You had the job before you even walked in. He pulls out your paper, “Well if you look here: at (Y/n)’s resume, you’d see that they used to be an accountant at a firm twenty minutes from here.” Jooheon nods, “Huh, and would you look at that? There’s a lot of experience here. We could use someone like that.”

That’s when they both lock eyes on you, and Kyun asks, “So (Y/n), what do you say? Would you like to work here?” You blink and go, “Yes.” They exchange a look, “Well, looks like we won’t need to discuss further.” No interview could have prepared you for this one. When Joo says, “Welcome to Honeycat Records.” You nod your head and shake both of their hands.

That’s when you three laugh, two from a job well done and you from relief. When the three of you stop laughing, Jooheon goes, “Kyun told me about you a long time ago.” You tilt your head, and he goes, “He talked about Hoseok, Hyungwon, and you all the time when we were teenagers. And when he ran into you while getting coffee. It’s like destiny made sure you guys would always be together.” You grin as he continues, “And then he told me about how you were always good at math and that you went to college for finances… And then that leads to now.”

You nod, “Yeah.” He grins, “It’s sad to lose a job, don’t get me wrong. But it was like a gift for me because finally, a person in finance was looking for work. And someone I could trust already? Kyun told me, and I was already on board.” Changkyun laughs, “We hate doing finances, but it's a necessary evil.” You laugh and ask, “Any particular parts you find difficult?” Jooheon groans, “I had to come in early last week so everyone got their paycheck on time. It was my turn.” You laughed, “Oh, that’s like the easiest part of the job!” They gape at you, and you nod, “It’s making sure everyone has the right amount and that funds are going to the right spots on time that is the hardest part.” They exchange a look, “You mean like bills, right?” You nod, “A bit. Don’t worry. From here on out, I’ll take care of it.” They both sigh in relief, “Cool.”

You tell them, “I want to thank you both. Kyun, thank you for always helping me. I promise to go above and beyond here. And Jooheon, thank you for approving me to work here too.” Jooheon smiles, “It's no problem. We needed an accountant. So you were perfect for the bill.” Changkyun smiles, “So, would you like to see your office?” Jooheon hops up as you nod, and the two of them lead you out. They walk out of the hallway to the common area, and on the left is a door. Jooheon goes, "Right beyond this door is your office.” And Changkyun hands you a new key, “Here’s your key.” You smile as you take it and see it’s not gold or silver. It’s in your favorite color. “You really think of everything, don’t you?” Changkyun smirks, “Always have.”

They wait for you to open the door. And the first thing that catches your eye is a plaque with your name on it. You take it all in before Jooheon goes, “What do you think?” You look at the ceiling and then back towards them, “I couldn’t have dreamed of something better.” You turn around and capture Changkyun in a hug. And you look over his shoulder and ask Jooheon, “Can I hug you?” He grins, “Of course!” Kyun rubs your back before letting you go, and you hug Jooheon. He pats your back, and you release him from the hug. And Jooheon goes, “We'll show you how to access the program and like the passwords and whatnot.” You smile, “Cool.”

They show you the basics and write down the passwords for you. And it’s like your old programming. The only difference is the names, salaries, and colors. But the same process, so that made for an easy transition. You ask a few more questions before going to figure out the programming. They sit back and let you do your thing. If you were to imagine what you would be doing after graduating with your bachelor's. Working at a record label that your best friend owns? That would not have been your first thought. Of course, it made sense because you were about to be their accountant. But it was odd to think that this is where you ended up. You always thought you'd work at a firm or an insurance company. But you couldn't be happier as you maneuvered through the site.

Jooheon interrupts your thoughts with, “Looks like it’s time for lunch!” He says while looking towards his watch, and you ask, “Already?” He nods, “Come on, my treat, you two.” You smile, “Okay.” Things in your life have changed so fast it’s hard to comprehend what it once was. You close the door behind the three of you. And follow them down and out of the complex, where they lead you to a little restaurant next to it. The second you three enter, the host goes, “Jooheon! Changkyun! Welcome back! And who would this be?” You introduce yourself, “Well, welcome to Son’s, (Y/n)!” You thank them as they lead you three to a booth, where you scoot in. Kyun sits next to you as the host hands you a menu.

You look at their menu-less hands and ask, “You guys have been here a few times, huh?” The two laugh, “Yeah.” They point out various things for you to try, “We’ve had pretty much everything on the menu. But we pretty much get the same thing nowadays.” You laugh, and the waiter comes over, “Hey guys! Oh, hello, who is this?” You smile as Changkyun introduces you as his best friend from the old days. You smile at him before looking at the cook, “I’ve heard a bit about you. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Hyunwoo.” You smile, “All good things, I hope? And it’s nice to meet you too, Hyunwoo.” He nods as he asks, “Do you need more time?” You shake your head ‘no’ before telling him your order, and he writes it down. “Are you not gonna ask us~” Joo teases and Hyunwoo blinks at him, causing the two to laugh as Hyunwoo heads back to the kitchen with a shake of his head.

“You may recognize Hyunwoo’s singing voice~” Joo cheers, “Really?” You ask, and he nods, “Kyun said you watched the show a while back. It features his song, Now I Know.” You gasp, “No way.” The two grin, “Yeah, we produced it.” You nod, “Holy shit.” The three of you laugh. “We manage a lot of artists, and even if they only release a song or two, it’s still fun.” You nod, “No wonder you need an accountant.” They agree as you smile. You three talk for a while before Hyunwoo comes back with three plates. And you say, “I loved your OST. You have a beautiful voice.” He blushes as he puts your plate down, “You told them?” They nod, and Jooheon tells him, “We’re very proud of you.” His ears are red as he says, “Thank you.” And you smile, “It’s no problem.” He leaves, and you three eat your lunch.

Hyunwoo calls from the kitchen, “What do you kids want for dessert?” Jooheon goes, “What do you have?” “Cheesecake and Brownies.” You gasp and go, “Both sound good.” And they cheer, “A slice of each for all three of us!” “Okay!” You smile, “This is the best meal ever.” They grin as he comes out of the kitchen and brings the plates. He gestures for Jooheon to move over, “Breaktime.” He takes off his apron and hangs it over the booth end.

“So, are you a new artist under Honeycat?” You shake your head, “No. I’m going to do their finances.” He smiles, “They’ve been looking for someone to take over that job for a little while now.” Jooheon nods, “I’m so glad. I don’t ever have to touch those numbers again.” The three of you laugh, and you go, “I’m excited to touch those numbers.” They grin, and Hyunwoo goes, “That means you're perfect for the job then.” You thank him as you dig into your dessert. “Oh, this is lovely,” you say after trying both. Hyunwoo lets out a ‘thank you' as he eats his dessert away.

Jooheon and Changkyun have no work since they met their deadline. So they decide that the three of you should go home early instead of returning. Once you reach home with a full stomach and two new friends. You change into pajamas, lie on your bed, and call Hyungwon and Hoseok. “You won’t believe my day.” You can almost hear Hyungwon’s smirk, “I bet I can.” Hoseok laughs, “Yeah, Kyunnie told us his plans already.” You roll your eyes, “Can I tell you anyways?” In unison, they say, “Of course.” And you tell them about your wonderful day. And then they tell you about theirs, “Paris is so nice, but nothing can beat Vienna if you ask me.” And Hoseok goes, “I don’t think it can beat Glasgow, but sure.” You laugh at the two, “I don’t think any of that could beat here right now.”

The two snicker, “Yeah, we’ll have to make a quartet reunion soon.” You nod and remember they can’t see it and go, “I miss you guys.” The two agree, and Hyungwon goes, “Well, why don’t we try to make plans for next month? The agency told me I had some time off next month.” Hoseok says, “I should have at least a week off next month. Maybe we can try to make it work?” “You guys finally have a coinciding schedule!?” The two laugh and Hyungwon goes, “Yeah, first time since graduating. Do you think next month will work out for you two?” You smile, “Let me see!”

You hop out of bed, open your door and shout to Kyun, “Hey, do you think you want to see Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum for a week next month?” You hear, “Hey!” On the line, you can’t help but snicker as Kyun shouts back, “Tell them hell yeah!” You smile, “You heard the man. I’m sure Jooheon will agree. Especially if I finish my work for that month early by streamlining it.” You head back into your room and flop onto the bed as Hoseok says, “That sounds lovely, and now I have to go. But I’ll text you three about the days I'm available?” You go, “Sounds good to me!” And Hyungwon agrees, and the two of you say, “Take care, Polar bear.”

And when he hangs up, Hyungwon asks, “So when were you going to tell us about that jerk? If you had told us, we could have taken you in if you were in such a dangerous situation.” You look down at your carpet, “Honestly, I was so in my head about everything, I kind of even forgot I was there.” You can hear Hyungwon grumble, “I should have known.” You shake your head, “You know you wouldn’t have. Hell, Kyun found out by accident.”

He groans, “I know. The only reason I'm happy you stayed there is because you found him again, for us. And I'm glad that he took you in. But we’re seeing each other more often to make up for it. I think I’ve missed your guys' physical contact.” You gasp, “Chae Hyungwon admits he misses the three of us and our physical affection. All on the same day?” You can almost see his eye roll as he goes, “Yes, so, before my manager comes and gets me out of this supply closet. Promise me you’ll tell us when something’s happening in your love life and in general?” You sigh, “I promise. You too.” And he asks, “Pinky swear?” You hold out your pinky and go, “Pinky swear.” And with that, you hear his manager open the door and find him. He says, “See you later, gator.” “Till then, Penguin.”

When the flames clear and the ashes settle down. You begin to see flowers sprouting up around you. Things were working out, and you stopped worrying. You leave your room and meet Changkyun on the couch, “Anything good on?” He nods, “There’s a documentary on wolves. You wanna watch it?” You nod, “Sounds good to me.” You grab your throw blanket from the couch. And wrap yourself in it and lean on the armrest. When the commercial cuts in, he asks, “Were you surprised?” You nod, “Yeah, but it was a pleasant surprise. I’m proud of you, Kyun.” He smiles, and you continue, “I always knew you’d do something cool with your music.” He says a small thank you and asks, “Do you think you’ll like it there too?” You agree, “Yeah, I think I will. Thank you for everything.” He grins and curls into his blanket, and the documentary comes back on.

You guys talk about next month and what it’ll be like to have the gang back together for a week. “You know, I never meant to lose connection with you guys, right?” You wait for him to continue, “In my senior year, my phone was stolen, and I was devastated. I think I cried the whole night. We never needed to write our phone numbers down. And there wasn’t a possibility I could leave everything and go see you guys to get them...” He doesn’t notice the tears streaking down his face until you're holding him in your arms, “When we lost contact with you, it was like something inside of us died. And there was nothing we could do. The three of us didn’t have enough money to catch a flight. So, we were stuck too. I’m so sorry you went through all that.” He hides his face into your shoulder as he tells you, “It was hell spending my last two high school years with none of you. Yeah. I had Jooheon, but he couldn’t fill the spaces you guys left. But I guess he held me together until I could reunite with one of you.” You run your hands through his hair.

“It was wild to leave what I had known. And then to come here after completing college and start-up in a city that was towns away from my hometown. It was like my heart was being tugged to go back. I didn’t even know if one of you stayed. After all, I thought you’d be managing Wonnie or Hoho by now, not doing this.” You hum, and he continues, “Joo was the one to suggest this city in the first place. But I agreed because it meant I could be closer to where I wanted to be.” You let out a shaky sigh as your tears start to flow, “I’m so glad you came back. Honestly, I was afraid I’d never see you again. I don’t know why I stayed here, but even if it meant pain, I’m glad I stayed. Because it means I got to be with you all over again.”

He sighs, and you lean down and kiss his head, “You’re still using that rose shampoo?” He laughs, “Yeah.” You smile and sniff his head, “It reminds me of home.” He pulls back, and you look him in the eyes, “We have each other now. We don’t have to worry. It’s all going to work out.” He agrees and repeats, “We have each other.”

You release him from your arms, and he lies on his side of the couch again. You both finish watching the documentary on wolves, even though you missed a good portion of it. You and Changkyun yawn at the same time, which makes you both giggle. “Bedtime?” He nods and gets up from the couch, folding his blanket before throwing it over the backrest. You follow suit, and both of you tiredly walk to the bathroom. You brush your teeth together before going your separate ways. You flop down on your bed and fall asleep with ease.

The next day, you call your job and tell them you won’t be coming in anymore and that they can mail you your last check. You felt free as you finished up the call. You sigh and notice the flowers in your heart are small. But they’re growing, and you couldn’t feel more proud.

You walk out of your room to see Changkyun getting up at the same time as you, “Coffee?” He nods tiredly, and together you make a pot. You both make your cups before sitting and taking in the morning light. You rest your head on the table, and he asks, “Has it become your constant?” “Mmhm.” You make it halfway through your mug, “So, what are you doing at work today?” You smile, “Oh, some number calculations to see if everything is running proficiently. What are your plans?” He nods, “Cool. I hope you enjoy it. I'm making guides for a few songs to give to one of our idols.” You tell him, “I have no idea what that is, but neat.” He smiles as he explains, “It’s just a ‘how to sing to this song’ tutorial, and then they can improve or change it.” You nod, “That is nice, then.” He smiles and drinks the last sip of his coffee. He gets up and sees you finished yours too. And puts both cups into the sink, “I’ll meet you back here in thirty to walk over?” You nod, “Yeah, that sounds good.”

You get up from your chair and stretch before looking out the window at the city. Even early in the morning, the hustle and bustle never stops. It's one of your favorite things that life is still moving on, and for once, it’s moving with you. You’re glad your life has changed, but it’s wild to think that over a month ago, you were with someone you didn’t love. In a place that no longer served you, everything was doom and gloom until he showed up again.

And something else showed up too, your old feelings, ones you buried away years ago. After all, they were for someone you weren’t sure you'd see again. And now, you see him all the time. It’s hard to grasp that change. And that’s why it has taken you so long to realize you still like him more than a best friend should. You sigh as you move away from the pane of glass. Maybe you missed him and were trying to catch up on lost time. Yeah, that’s probably it. With a shrug, you head to your room to change into regular clothes and brush your teeth. As you walk back into the living room, you see him playing on his phone. And you smile as he gets up the second he sees you. The two of you put on your shoes before heading out.

You unlock your new office with your key. And settle in and start on your calculations and deductions for the day. It goes smoothly as if you had worked on this same computer for years. There were a few bugs in the system. But you sorted them out by finally updating and restarting the computer. The poor thing probably hadn’t had proper rest since they bought it. You promise it that you'll take care of it. You give it a few minutes of rest before changing the background and color settings. You finally have to where you like it, and you can't help but smile at it.

You do a few more things before you hear a knock on your door. “Yes?” “Can I come in?” You recognize Changkyun’s voice from a mile away. And you go, “Yeah.” He opens the door and groans, “I wanna go home!” You laugh, “Why?” “I’m tired.” “You only woke up three hours ago.” He pouts, and you laugh, “Does someone want lunch?” He keeps his pout on as he nods, and you laugh, “Cute, alright. I brought two packs of ramen with me for lunch.” He finally grins, “I figured you’d want it too.” He nods, and you lock up your office and head down to the breakroom.

Together you both make Ramen, and he goes, “Remember when Hyungwon made us some?” You shake your head, “Oh, please don’t remind me.” He cackles, “It was the worst!” Hoseok, Changkyun, and you vowed to never let him cook for you guys again. It took you until you were a senior in college to try something he made. And it was surprisingly good, you gave him a few more chances before you trusted him to cook for you again. Hoseok lets him but still watches him cook.

"You'd like his cooking now." You say as you split the noodles into two different bowls and pour the broth over them. "Really?" He asks as he turns on the mini tv. And you nod, "He makes good tofu soup." He nods, "Interesting, ramen?" You shake your head, "I would rather not try that adventure again." He laughs, and you both watch the reruns of a cartoon while eating.

You whisper, “This is some good ramen.” He slurps his noodles and says, “Hell yeah, it is.” You grin, and you say, “I want ramen~” “I really want ramen~” “You know what would be good right now?” In unison, you say, “Ramen.” And you two burst out laughing, “Man’s every other word when we wanted food back then was ramen.” He smirks, “Do you know what this ramen would be really good with?” You smirk back, “More ramen?” Which causes you both to giggle even harder. Once your laughter dies down, you both finish up your bowls and clean up.

You part ways you go to your office, and he heads to his studio. And that’s how you spend the rest of your day. Since you started on a Thursday, it meant tomorrow was the weekend, and you were ready to spend it relaxing. You wake up and find a note on the table. “I’ll be back by 6 pm, depending on how long it takes to record today. See you later, gator!” Alas, Changkyun had to work. You smile and whisper, “Bye-bye, butterfly.” You go about your day by doing your chores before curling up and relaxing to one of your favorite shows.

Your month leading up to Hyungwon and Hoseok coming to visit was just like that. Working, hanging out, and relaxing; things that used to be too strenuous to do all on the same day. Now it came with ease, and you couldn’t feel happier. When it was late, and you probably shouldn’t be awake, you’d find Changkyun in his office, and he’d let you listen to some demos. And if you both grew tired of that, you’d call up the other two. Of course, whichever was up in the morning.

And as you laid your head against him and listened to Hoseok talk about the buttercup flowers he saw. You noticed the flowers blooming inside of you. And the butterflies that started to rise in your stomach. But for someone who you thought you had gotten over years ago. A guy who would lock arms with you as you walked to work. That would sit across from you at your dining table. Who laughed at all your silly jokes. The flowers were in bloom before you even knew.

You fell in love with the little moments first, but your brain still second-guessed all your feelings. Because how could you move on so quickly? But to your gut, it made perfect sense. You never loved the last person you were with, but you always loved Kyun. It was just hard for you to see. The smoke had clouded your vision, but now you could see clearly. The only problem was you didn’t know if he felt the same, but you'd settle for being his best friend. Because your inner high schooler only ever wanted Changkyun back. Whether it was romantic or not. And you were still content with that, you supposed. At least in the way that you kept your feelings hidden away in the pages of your journal.

You have three days before Hyungwon and Hoseok show up. During your break, Changkyun comes into your office. “Joo asked me what I was doing here and told me we shouldn't be here but out preparing for our best friends to visit.” You laugh, “You were out bossed?” He rolls his eyes before giving you a nod, and you pack up your pieces of paper and shut down your computer. You grab your things and say, “I’ll drive us.” He nods, and you both head back down and over to your car, “This is a first.” He says as he hops into your car. You both buckle in before you pull out of the lot and drive to the grocery store. Your radio plays oldies as you travel, and you hear him hum to them. It gives you a sense of peace and before long, you find you’re humming along to them too. In the corner of your eye, you notice how effortlessly beautiful he looks as he stares out the window. It almost makes you choke as you take him in as if looking at him for the first time.

The grocery store wasn’t that far away but carrying that many groceries over a mile sounded like torture. When you get inside the store, you ask, “What do you think about a reunion cake?” As you see the sign for the bakery, he grins, “That sounds good.” You both head over and ask him, “What should it say?” He thinks before saying, “Maybe, ‘We’ve missed you’ or ‘Welcome back’ or something along those lines?” You go, “What about both?” He smiles, “That sounds perfect.” You make it over to the bakery and when the baker comes over. You tell them how you’d like the cake decorated: “Welcome back, Hoseok and Hyungwon. We’ve missed you both.” They nod as they write it down. They ask, “When would you like it for?” “Two days from now.” They continue, “What time?” He says a reasonable time for you two to get it before you pick them up. After that, you both walk around buying things like ramen, candles, streamers, and ice cream.

He asks, “Oh, what was that thing we’d always get at Lolo’s before they closed?” You think back before going, “Their breadsticks! It was so cheap but so filling!” He grins, and you search for breadsticks that look like the ones you used to eat. You whine, “I wish they never closed down.” He nods, “That was the second worst winter of our lives.” You groan, “Yeah.” And you finish picking things up in your grocery cart.

“Get on the end!” He cheers, and you rush and get on the front of the cart, and he takes off towards your car and rides it the rest of the way. Your giggle fills the air and don't stop until you both hop off the cart. You unlock the back and put the groceries into the car, and he takes away the cart and puts it into the cart corral. He comes back with a smile on his face as he clicks his seatbelt in, “Can you believe it?” You smile as you realize what he's talking about and shake your head, “No, honestly, it feels like a dream come true. Reuniting with them feels magical.” He grins, “It’s like the sun was on the horizon when we met back up, and now it’s shining upon us since we’re seeing them soon.” You nod, “I’m so glad it is.” Before you can shift it into gear, he puts his hand over yours and squeezes it, “This is real, right?” You smile, “Yeah,” and squeeze his hand back to make sure for yourself. You pull your hand away to shift into gear before holding his hand again. In the corner of your eye, you can see his brilliant smile as he squeezes your hands together. And you can’t help but smile all the way home. You both let go once you park the car in the lot.

You hop out of the car, unload the groceries, and carry them to your shared apartment. You put everything away, leaving out the decorations. He picks up the first bag and looks inside, “Balloons or streamers? What do you want to do first?” You point to the streamers, and he finds a chair to stand on while you find some tape.

After you both finish hanging up the streamers and blowing up the balloons. You turn to look at him after taking in all the decorations you’ve done so far, “It’s so pretty.” He nods, “I think so too.” You look above the tv and go, “Maybe we should make a sign for them? Like we bring it to the airport and hang it up when we get home?” He smiles, “That sounds lovely.” You grin and say, “Let’s do that tomorrow.” He laughs and agrees before asking, “Wanna make stir fry together?” You nod, and you both get up.

He cleans the rice while you start chopping up vegetables. He puts on a pot of water and cooks the rice. While he waits for that, he finds the wok, “Chicken or beef?” You hum, “Beef?” He nods, brings it out, and pulls out another knife and cutting board. You finish up the vegetables and put the rest away. He finishes cutting up the beef and puts it into the wok. He turns the other burner on and cooks them for a minute. And you scrape the first bit of veggies into it and turn off the rice. You put the last bit of veggies in and grab plates for the two of you. He finishes cooking the rest, and after you drain the rice, he mixes them and puts them into your bowls. You hand him his utensils, and you both head over to the table.

You go to eat before realizing what's missing, “Pop?” He nods, and you grab it, and he thanks you as you sit back down across from him. You pop open your can and finally wind down for the day. “What are you most excited about?” He smiles, “Talking to them about old times and catching up and showing them Son’s.” You grin as he gestures for you to answer, “That’s going to be so fun! I can’t wait to take them to the ramen shop. They've never been because it opened after they left. And I want them to experience it too.” He nods, “They’re going to love it.” You smile, and you finish up your meal. He takes your plate, and you get up and help him do the dishes. He asks, “Together again?” You nod, “Naturally.”

You both go to work the next day, only making it an eighth way through before Jooheon comes in and kicks you both out. “What are you doing here!?” He asks as he spots you both in the break room, “Working?” And he pouts, “You should be preparing and getting lots of rest!” And you both laugh as he adds, “You also have to introduce me!” You nod, and Changkyun goes, “Of course.” You pat his head, “We’ll see you later then, Joo?” He nods, “Later. I don’t want to see you two unless there are two more with you.” You both laugh as he pushes you both out the door.

You head home and make signs before relaxing for the rest of the day. You're playing on your phone while Changkyun plays games on the tv. You have your feet kicked up on the ottoman when Changkyun whines. You look up to see him lose in his game. And you do everything to hold back your snicker as you ask, “Oh did you lose, baby?” He nods with a pout, and you go, “It’s okay! You’ll get them next time!” He nods and goes back to his game, more determined to win. And you return to your phone looking through your different social media. You hear him cheer, and you give him a high five. After a while, you give up looking at your phone because Kyun is much more interesting to look at. His concentration, paired with his gaming, was fun to watch. You cheered him on as he played. When the chart comes up that tells the high scores, you both catch he’s in first. You jump up as he does, and you both cheer and smack your hands together.

You sit closer beside him and lay your head on his shoulder. As you both wait for the next round to start, you ask, “Want some victory delivery?” He nods, and you pull your phone back out and look over his shoulders. You scroll through your phone and ask which place he’d like and what he wants as you look through the options. After a bit, you place the order, “About twenty minutes until it gets here.” “Perfect, that means three more rounds!” He cheers, and you curl closer to him as you watch him shoot and hide.

Three rounds pass, and he texts the chat that he’s leaving for the night. And he’ll see them when he sees them, you unfurl and get the delivery. Thanking the person with a few dollars before rushing over to the table and opening it all up. In unison, you both whine, “I’m so hungry!” Which causes you both to laugh before divining it up. You sink into your chair as you both eat your dinners. “Do you think they’ll like having dinners at our table like we do? Well, I mean... how I do?” And he nods, “I like our dinners at our table. And I’m sure they’ll like it. I’m not positive they’ll like it as much, though?” He finishes speaking with a shrug, and you whisper, “Well, as long as we like it, that’s all that matters.” He smiles and agrees, and you two go back to eating in comfortable silence.

He throws away the containers, mirroring the first night you were here. You smile as he sits back down before it hits you, “Uh, how are we all sleeping?” He blinks and goes, “I didn’t exactly think about that?” You groan, “You know they’ll make us sleep on the floor, right? Because they’re like princes now...” He laughs, “I don’t think they’re like that-” You raise your eyebrow at him, “Well, maybe Hyungwon.” And you both laugh at that before he goes, “You could always sleep in my room?” You give him a look and whine, “And let the prince charmings have my room?” He laughs, and before you can say anything else his phone rings.

He opens the video call and positions it so you’re both in the camera's view. Hyungwon greets you both when the phones ring and Hoseok joins in on the call. Hyungwon says, “I was just calling to say I’m on my way, but it seems like it's a reunion already.” And the three of you laugh, and Hoseok says, “Same here. What time do you land, Wonnie?” “About 9 am, you?” You pull out your phone and write that down as Hoseok answers, “9:15.” Changkyun goes, “About the same time, which means we all got an early morning.” The rest of you nod, “I’m going to nap the whole ride. We’ll see you guys soon!” “Later, gator!” “Bye-bye, butterfly!” “Till then, Penguin!” “Take care, Polar bear!” The four of you cheer your sendoffs before hanging up. “I guess that means we should head to bed now?” He nods, and you both head to the bathroom and brush your teeth together before heading to your rooms. You bid each other a good night, and with butterflies in your stomach, you do your best to rest.

Before your alarm can even wake you up, you’re awake. You get up, knock on Kyun's door and scuff your feet until you reach the coffee pot. You put it on and grab two travel mugs, and that’s when you hear him scuffle along and drag himself into the kitchen. You whisper to him, “Next time, I hope they pick a later flight.” Not wanting to talk any louder in the morning light. He nods as you both make your cups. After you take your first sip, you look down at your pajamas and ask, “Do you think we should dress nicer?” He shakes his head, “Considering they’ll be in comfy clothes from a long flight? No.” You nod, “Cool.” You head back to your room and put on some socks and a hoodie before coming back down. He pulls on his socks and shoes by the door, and you put on your shoes. He hands you your mug as he picks up his keys. He leads you both downstairs, and you pull your hood over your head, not wanting to see the fluorescent lights so early. It's two hours before your usual time to get up and all you want to do is sleep. Even if it was to see your other two best friends that you both haven't seen in forever.

You get into his car and instantly melt into the seat. If it wasn’t for you sipping on your coffee, you’d be back to sleep. His radio kicks on at a louder volume than either of you were ready for, causing you both to gasp as he turns it down, “Sorry!” You laugh, “It’s alright.” And with that, he drives you both to pick up the cake. Once back, you put it away in the fridge and rush back down. Changkyun drives you to the airport and you finish your coffees on the way.

He parks close to Hyungwon's gate, so you guys can drive quickly to Hoseok's gate. You check the time and say, “It’s 8:45, about fifteen before we see Wonnie.” Thankfully, you both had already placed the signs in his car. You grab the first sign as you get out and head toward the entrance where Hyungwon’s flight is landing. You see others waiting for their friends and family and see some signs too. Your energy finally comes up as you wait, and you turn to him, and he grins just as wide. And you both excitedly shake each other before catching your cool again.

You both start seeing everyone begin to brim with happiness. And that’s when Kyun points to the flight landing, and you grab his hand in excitement and squeeze it. He squeezes yours right back before you both let go so you can hold the sign up. “Welcome back, Penguin! It’s so (n)ice to see you!!” It was short, simple, and a little funny. You both drew little snowflakes and penguins on it. And that’s when you see your best friend after two years. He’s dragging his suitcase along behind him. He has his coat draped over his arm and headphones around his neck. He looks into the crowd before you both wave at him, and he sees the sign and stops to laugh. And both of you grin, “It worked!” You whisper, and he smiles as you both meet in the middle and wrap your arms around him. “It’s so good to see you again!” You cheer, and Changkyun cries, “I’ve missed you!” And he holds you both as he says, “I’m so glad to see you both! I’ve missed you guys so much!” You grin, and you take his suitcase as Changkyun takes his coat. You both gesture for him to follow you so you can pick up Hoseok.

Changkyun drives you three over after getting Hyungwon’s stuff in the back. It’s five minutes until Hoseok arrives when you get past the entrance. The three of you excitedly wait for your last friend, and you three catch the flight landing. And the three of you hold the sign this time. It’s like Hyungwon’s sign, but just as genuine, “Welcome back, Polar Bear! We’re beary excited to see you!” It has little polar bears and snowflake drawings on it too. You see a few people meet up with their families when Hyungwon catches a glimpse of him over the crowd. And he gestures for you guys to look around the family in front of you. That’s when you see Hoseok. He has a backpack strapped over his shoulders and a suitcase that follows him. His cap covers his eyes, almost making him unrecognizable. You three move over to be in his line of vision. And he sees the three of you, and you meet in the middle. He drops the handle and scoops each of you into a hug before pulling you three into a group hug, “Oh, how I’ve missed you three!” You laugh into his chest, “We’ve missed you too!” Hyungwon and Changkyun iterate something similar before separating from the hug. When Hoseok says, “The sign was so cute!” He sniffles before pulling you guys into another tight hug. You can’t help but sniffle too, and before you know it, you four are a pile of mush and tears.

It takes the four of you a few minutes to recoup and wipe your eyes. Like before, you grab Hoseok’s suitcase, and Changkyun makes him take his backpack off as he takes it from him. You put his stuff next to Hyungwon’s things in the trunk. You all settle into the car and stare at each other, which causes laughter to erupt from you guys. Hoseok mutters, “It’s wild to see the whole gang back together.” And you all agree, and Changkyun goes, “I wasn't sure I’d see any of you again, and now? Here we are.” You nod, “I’m glad.” The other two agree, and Hyungwon whispers, “It only took. What? Seven years? But we’re back. How does that old saying go?” You smile and begin, “If you love someone, let them go,” Changkyun continues, “If they come back, it was meant to be,” Hoseok finishes, “If they never do, it never was.” Hyungwon nods, “That couldn’t be a truer statement to our friendship.” You all agree and sit there and bask in each other's presence.

It takes a bit before Changkyun starts the car and drives the four of you back to the apartment. While you were excited to see each other, you were too tired to talk about everything. The four of you decided to rest and catch up after your naps. He parks, and you all get out and head back to the tailgate, and without another word, you’re all wrapped up in another hug. It felt so right to be together again like all the pieces of the puzzle were finally together. You stay like that for a couple of minutes before separating. Hoseok opens the tailgate, and you each grab something to take to the apartment.

Hyungwon asks, “What does it look like?” And in unison, Changkyun and you say, “Home.” Which causes you four to laugh, and they follow you up. “It’s rather spacious and nice here.” Hoseok says as soon as he enters, and Hyungwon looks up and asks, “You did this for us?” You both nod, “We wanted you guys to feel welcomed.” The two grin and say, “We do.” You show them around while Changkyun hangs up the signs over the tv. He joins you three as you show off his office. “So, which room are we sleeping in?” Hyungwon asks, and you turn to Changkyun, not knowing what to say. He asks, “How do you want to?” They shrug, and Hoseok says, “Well, why don't we do it the way we had when we were younger?” He nods, “Yeah, we could do that. Which room looks nicer to you two?” They share a glance, “(Y/n)’s.” You groan, “I knew you two were going to say that!” The three laugh and Changkyun asks, “Alright, we’ll nap and get lunch together?” Hyungwon nods with a stretch, “Couldn’t ask for more.”

You bid your room goodbye for the week. Mentally telling it how much you’ll miss your luscious blankets and pillows. When you reach Changkyun’s room, he asks, “Are you still okay sharing a bed with me? I could always sleep on the couch if you feel more comfortable. I know we haven’t slept together in quite a few years, so…” You think for a moment and think back to all the times you’d sleep over. And how you'd whisper secrets as Hyungwon and Hoseok were fast asleep on the air mattress below. Neither of you would get much sleep, but it was worth it. Those conversations were something you’d look forward to when you were younger. You nod, “Yeah, I’m fine with it. It’ll be like old times.” He grins, “Okay.”

He rolls into bed first and lays closest to the wall. You join him and notice how much room you both have. While yes, you had a queen in your room, you didn’t share, so you never paid attention to it before. You ask, “Remember how we used to share your twin-sized mattress?” He laughs, “You’d always kick me in your sleep!” You laugh, “Yeah, but you’d also push me to the side until you had as much room as possible!” He shakes his head, “It was only fair!” You roll your eyes, “Sure, whatever you say.” You both laugh before falling into a comfortable silence. You close your eyes, grab your new pillow and snuggle into it. “See you in a bit.” He hums, and you fall back to sleep.

You wake up before Changkyun, and a minute later, you shake him a little to wake him up. He blinks up at you, “Already?” You nod, and he groans, “I hope those two are ready to wake up.” You agree, “Me too.” Feeling refreshed after your nap, you get out of bed, head over to their door and wait for him to join you.

You knock on your door and don’t hear anything. You groan, “Which one do you wanna wake?” “Hoseok.” “If you become his teddy bear, I will laugh.” He laughs, “You act as if Hyungwon won’t do the same.” You nod, “I know.” You slowly open the door and walk in.

You walk to Hyungwon’s side while he walks over to Hoseok’s, “Hey, it’s time to wake up.” You whisper and shake Hyungwon’s shoulder, who groans, “Five more minutes.” You roll your eyes, “Of course.” You sigh, knowing if you don't let him, you’d get pouty Hyungwon. So, you sit back in your chair to hear Hoseok groan and make grabby hands at Changkyun. He does his best to avoid them before Hoseok reaches up and brings him in, which makes you laugh. You patiently wait the five minutes before returning to irritate Hyungwon awake. “Come on! You said five minutes!” He groans again, and you hear Changkyun rustling, trying to shimmy out of Hoseok's hold. You hold back your snickers as you shake Hyungwon some more. He grumbles, “Fine, you win.” And you cheer before noticing his eyes are closed and watch as he nestles back into his pillow.

You groan, “But you promised!” He opens one eye and says, “No, I did not. I just said five more minutes.” You gape at him as Changkyun finally wiggles out of Hoseok’s hold. You exchange a look with him, realizing what you have to do. You both grab the edge of the blanket and rip it from them before they can take hold of it. Hoseok whines and Changkyun goes, “Come on! I promise lunch will be good if you get up!” Hyungwon shakes his head and shoves his face deeper into his pillow, and Hoseok opens his eyes, “What kind?” “Ramen~” And with that, he’s up and out of bed.

He gives you two a smirk before pushing Hyungwon off the bed. “Let’s get Ramen!” Hyungwon shakes his head and glares, “It’s always for Ramen and never for nap time.” The three of you laugh before you lend your hand to help him up. “If I have bruises by the end of the week, I am totally telling my manager who gave them to me.” Hoseok mimics him before exiting the room with his suitcase to change. You look at Hyungwon and say, “Out of my room!” Hyungwon gives you a look, “This is my room now.” You glare, “It was mine first.” “And?” “Changkyun said I could have it.” He raises a brow, “And it’s Mine and Hoseok’s until the end of the week.” You whine, and both of you turn to Changkyun, and he holds his hands up. “Uh, well, I’ll be getting dressed in my room.” You whine, “Fine. I’ll grab my clothes and leave.” He smirks and pats your head, “I win.” You mutter as you grab your clothes, “This was my room… I’ll miss you, baby.” And he laughs as he waits for you to leave. When you leave the room, Hoseok’s ready to go, so you change in the bathroom. “This feels demeaning, that damn man.”

You finish and join Hoseok on the couch, “How did you deal with him alone?” Which causes Hoseok to laugh, “We had very different schedules. I would see him like twice a week for breakfast.” You nod, “Fair enough. How often have you seen each other since you moved out of our old apartment?” “Once every three months. The first few months, we lived together until our managers started booking us in different countries.” You nod, “That sucks. We’ve lived in separation for so long.” He nods and pats your leg, “But we’re together again, and that’s what counts.” You smile, “Yeah.” “Let’s make the most of it.” “Okay.” With that, Changkyun comes in, Hyungwon follows, and you go, “You’re going to love the ramen shop. They opened up shortly after you guys moved out.” They nod, and you drive them over to the restaurant, talking about a bit of everything.

You come in, and Millie goes, “Two more? You’re making friends like a bandit now!” You laugh, “They’re old friends, so not really.” She shrugs, “Good enough for me.” She shows you to the booth. And once you settle in, with you across from Hyungwon and next to Changkyun. Hoseok says, “I like the ambiance here.” Hyungwon hums in agreement, “I’m glad.” Millie asks them what they like in their noodles before ordering all four of your bowls from the kitchen. Changkyun says, “I can’t believe she remembered my order so fast.” You nod, “She’s the best.” He grins, and you four spend time catching up on each other’s lives.

How Hyungwon’s next stop from here is Marseille, and Hoseok’s next stop is Berlin. Changkyun tells them about the artists he’s working with, Minhyuk and Kihyun. And the two gasps, “Oh my god, you work with them?” He nods happily, and Hoseok cheers, “We’re close with those two!” You gasp, you haven't heard those names in a while, “You’re close?!” They smile, and Hoseok says, “Oh gosh, it’s a small world." Hyungwon continues, "Next, you’re gonna tell us you've worked with Shownu.” Changkyun smirks, “Yes, we have. We go to his restaurant every week.” The two gasp, “No way…”

You laugh, “How did you meet those guys?” Hyungwon smiles, “Hyunwoo was visiting Madrid at the same time as us. Shortly after making that OST, we had to talk to him about it.” Hoseok nods, “And Minhyuk and Kihyun perform at our shows every once and a while.” They ask if you met them before, “I only met them once and in passing.” They nod before realizing, “Didn’t you used to like-” You glare, “We do not talk about that.” Changkyun raises an eyebrow, and you try to shut them up as the bowls of ramen come back.

You shake your head and go, “Don’t.” Hyungwon smirks, “Is it because of some old feelings coming up that you don’t want us to tell?” You gasp and think, ‘How the fuck did he figure that out,’ and he continues to smirk, “Well, you see…” He pauses to eat some of his noodles, “In college, this one here used to be a big fan of theirs.” You glare and kick him under the table, which causes him to groan. And Hoseok continues after finishing his bowl, “Yeah, they used to talk about how-” “I hate you.” “-much they looked up to them and how attractive they were.” Changkyun nods, “And you never said anything?” You quickly shove some noodles into your mouth to avoid talking about it. “I um- I kind of forgot? It hasn't really been relevant to my life? Other than listening to their music... And well, when we saw them last week... I didn’t want them to feel uncomfortable, and I uh…” Hyungwon continues for you as if he knew what you’d say, “I uh didn’t want you to know.” You glare and mutter ‘motherfucker’ under your breath as you eat your noodles. “And why’s that?” You look at him, “Because after I found out they worked underneath you. And since I had liked them prior, I thought it would make me lose my job.” He shrugs, “How would that make you lose your job?” “Isn’t it like a power thing? Like I work there?” And he shakes his head, “I was a fan of their music before they joined our label, too.” You gasp, “No way.” He nods, “Yeah. But probably not the same way you had liked them though.” You blush and finish your bowl. Hoseok already calling for another round.

“So, who was your favorite?” Changkyun asks, “Uh, I was supposed to choose between them?” He nods, “Usually.” You shake your head, “I liked them both equally.” He gasps, “No way.” You gulp and grab your drink from the table and sip on it. Nothing is getting you out of these conversations, “That’s cute.” He says, and Hoseok giggles, “Right!?” As the two of them talk for a second, Hyungwon mouths, “Am I right?” You look over at Kyun before giving him a slight nod. He smirks and mouths, “Wicked.” You shake your head at him before Changkyun turns to you, “You want to get their signature sometime? I’m sure they would love to hear you were a fan too.” You blush, “Maybe?” He smiles, “I’ll take that as a yes.”

The second bowl of noodles and you dive in, excited to be out of the conversation as Changkyun says, “Oh, Joo probably wants to meet you both tomorrow.” Hyungwon tilts his head and continues, “I became friends with him when I moved away. And we started Honeycat Records together. I'd always talk to him about you three, and since he’s already met (N/n), it’s your guys' turn.” They smile, “Sure!” You guys eat in peace from there until you receive another bowl. And you ask, “Can I get some more crackers?” Millie nods, “Yeah, sure!” She brings them over, and you pour them over your noodles. Hoseok says, “Like mom made!” You nod, “Your mom always makes the best ramen. How is she?” He grins, “You remember how she always wanted to own a ramen shop?” You nod, “With my first big paycheck, I got her a place to make it happen.” Changkyun asks, “Is she happy?” He grins, “Yeah, she loves it! She calls me all the time and tells me about her customers. It makes me so happy to hear her joy. Someday we have to visit. Maybe next time we hang out?” You grin, “I’d love that.” The other two agree, and you finish your bowl.

After the fourth round, Hyungwon and you are full. Changkyun got through a fifth bowl before he tapped out. And Hoseok happily finishes a seventh bowl. Millie goes, “A man after my heart.” He smiles, “You guys make amazing ramen!” And she grins, “I’ll be sure to tell the chef!” He nods, and after sitting there and emptying your glasses. You go to leave and before you can stick your card in, Hyungwon has already tapped his card to the reader. “You devil, you’re our guest!” He shrugs, “Yeah, and I make more.” You gasp, “Changkyun pays me very well. Well, I mean, in a way, I pay myself, but I digress.” The three laugh, and he goes, “You do my taxes. You know I make more.” You exit the restaurant and grumble, “Yeah, and?” Changkyun gasps, “You do taxes too?” You nod and offer, “If you want me to do the label's I could?” He nods, “You do everything in finances, huh?” You smile, “I like numbers.” He grins before giving you puppy dog eyes, “Would you do mine?” You sigh before nodding. He cheers, and the two high-five him. And the three cheer, “We love a money-wise best friend!” You shake your head at them as you get in your car and head back home.

Once you get out, Changkyun asks, “What do you guys say to cake and ice cream?” You speak for the trees as you say, “Oh fuck yeah!” The four of you rush up to the apartment, and you fix up the cake with candles which he lights. You turn off the lights, and the four of you gather in front of it and take photos of the cake. Together, you blow out the candles after making your wishes. Hyungwon cuts it up, Changkyun serves it, and Hoseok and you serve the ice cream. With your dessert in one hand and a drink in another, you gesture for them to follow you two to the table. You sit in your seats, Hoseok sits beside you, and you dig into your desert. You pick up your can and go, “This is the life.” And the four of you clink your cans together as Hoseok says, “To many more days like these.” And in no time, you guys finish your dessert and clean up after yourselves.

Hoseok runs to his room and returns with a deck of cards, “What do you guys say to a few rounds of Bullshit?” You all nod in agreement. He shuffles the deck, “These cards aren’t marked, are they?” You ask with pointed eyes towards Hyungwon, “What?” The three of you glance at him, and you say, “We played so much with your deck that the eights ended up being an easy tell.” He puts his hands up, “Not my deck.” And Hoseok adds, “I bought this deck in Madrid.” You nod and see the letters ‘Madrid’ on the back of the cards. “Fair enough.” He splits it between the four of you. “Who’s first?” Changkyun quickly places his card down, “Ace,” and Hyungwon smirks, “Two,” and it goes on. Surprisingly, you have a four and eight. But you also have all four jacks, so when Hoseok goes, “Jack.” You smirk at him, “Bullshit,” before he smirks back and flips over his card, revealing a joker. Your jaw drops as you exclaim, “You didn’t tell me we were playing with jokers!” And Hyungwon gasps, “That means Changkyun has the other one.” He smirks, “Yeah.” You sigh as you pick up the deck, “Motherfucker.” The rest laugh as you angrily put the eleven cards in your hand.

You put down the queen you now had in your deck. And find out Hyungwon and Changkyun lied too, and you glare at them. When Hyungwon lays down the Ace, Hoseok calls bullshit. He grumbles and flips over the card, revealing a ten, “It has a one in it…” You laugh a little, but not hard cause he only had to collect three cards to your eleven. It goes well after that, the four of you staring at each other to see if you had the same tells. Changkyun had changed a bit with a smirk every time he bullshitted. It isn't until he’s down to his last card that the three of you gang up on him as he smirks. The three of you chime, “Bullshit.” It isn’t until he has the final laugh as he flips his card over. Revealing the joker, making you all gasp, “You didn’t use it until the end?” He nods, sticking his tongue out as puts an “L” over his forehead, “Losersss!” You all groan as you split the deck into threes and battle it out.

Hyungwon calls your bullshit out, and before you can take the pile, Changkyun joins in again and takes your loss. “Thanks, Kyunnie~” He smiles, “No problem, (N/n)~” The other two roll their eyes, “You lying, little brats.” He whines as he realizes every turn you’ve been lying your ass off, not having any of the cards for the pile. You were hoping for the deck he picked up to save your consciousness a bit. But then again, it also helped you not collect more cards.

You move through the game, and when you put down your last card. Changkyun quickly lays down a card so no one can call you out on your bullshit. Even though he knows you're lying through your teeth as you say, “Queen.” “King!” Hoseok gasps at him and throws his cards down, “You two are in it together, aren’t you!?” You smirk, “In it to win it, loser~ Second is the best.” Hyungwon groans, “Yeah, first is the worst.” You give Changkyun a smirky smile, and without a second thought, you blow him a kiss. He smiles and catches it, and puts it on his cheek. Hyungwon grumbles, “Sickening, really.” The three of them battle it out, and you ask if they want another round of beer, to which they all agree.

You get them each a new can. And when it’s time for Changkyun to pick up his lies. He makes ‘pleading eyes’ at you, and you snatch up the cards. Hyungwon gasps, “You two are the biggest cheats.” You smirk, “You’re mad 'cause you didn’t think of it first, aren’t you, Wonnie?” He glares, “Yes.” With Hoseok’s help, he wins the next round, pulling the same move that Changkyun pulled for you. “Thanks, Hoho~” He pouts, “No kiss for me?” Hyungwon rolls his eyes and blows him a kiss, “Better?” “Way.”

You played a few more rounds. Changing the order and going counterclockwise meant saving Changkyun’s ass. You'd call him out on his bullshit when the risks and rewards were low. But that didn't spare you from the other two. They both became ruthless. Hoseok comes in first, fair and square, and Changkyun, with your help, comes in second. The two of them let you battle it out, calling bullshit every other move until you both call for a truce. Hyungwon lets out a yawn which causes the three of you to yawn too. “Well, I don’t know about you kids, but it’s time for my beauty rest.” You sigh as the other two get up, “Yeah, like you need it." He shrugs, "I may not need it, but I like to have it." You yawn again, "I have no comeback for that." He laughs as he stretches, "You're just jealous cause you don't get to sleep on your mattress." You squint, "My bed loves me most. You keep talking. I'm putting peas under it, princess." He laughs, "You're not supposed to tell your evil plans before you execute them." You mimic him and follow him down the hall.

You grab your clothes from your room before leaving him to it. As Hoseok exits, he gives you a cheeky smile, "You might not wanna go in there~" You groan, "Did you use the spray?" He nods, "Yeah, but give it some time to air out." You sigh, "I remember why I don't miss living with you two." He pouts, "But I thought you loved us." You squint, and he laughs, "I'm just kidding." Before running off, with a shake of your head into the bathroom to find he really was joking. You sigh and change into comfy clothes, and brush your teeth. As you do, you realize you'll be sleeping next to Kyun again.

While earlier it was just a little nap, who knows what your sleepy self would do? Will you wake up tangled in Kyun's arms? No, he’s your friend, that wouldn't be possible. You shake your head at that thought. And with a sigh, you enter his room to find him already on his side of the bed. You climb in next to him, and he throws the blanket over the two of you.

When you’ve settled into your pillow, he says, “I’ve missed hanging out with them.” You agree, “Me too. What was the best part of today?” He thinks for a minute, “Um well,... Probably picking them up.” You raise a brow, “Why?” He smiles, “For lots of reasons, but as that one song says, ‘Reunited and it feels so good.’” You giggle, “Yeah, it did feel like that.” He asks, “What about you?” You smile, “Eating ramen with them.” He nods, “Speaking of, do you still like Min and Ki?” You shake your head, “No, it was college me's fantasy, but I still like their music and whatnot.” He nods, “Oh, cool. Their music is pretty good if I do say so myself.” You say, “Why do you ask?” You see his cheeks turn a bit red, “No reason… I was just... wondering.” You nod, “Don’t worry, that crush came and went.” He smiles, “Cool.” You reach and turn off the bedside lamp, “Goodnight, Kyun.” “Goodnight, (N/n).”

The sunlight filters in through the curtains in his room and wakes you up. It was just as you thought. It wasn't possible. You woke up on your side of the bed and him on his. You get up first and make coffee for the three of them, deciding that'd be an easier way to wake them. With the smell of coffee permeating everyone’s room, Changkyun wakes up first. He groggily goes, “Good morning.” And you greet him back as you pour coffee into four mugs. Hoseok comes in as you put your coffee together. Hyungwon follows shortly after tiredly wiping his eyes. The three finish their coffees their way and join you at the kitchen table. It’s too early to talk other than a simple greeting. Once you all have finished your coffee, Changkyun says, “Do you guys want to get a real breakfast?” You all nod eagerly, “Cool.” You get up from your spots and put your mugs in the sink. You grab your clothes from your room, not without muttering a few complaints. Which Hyungwon laughs at after Hoseok changes in the bathroom, you change too.

Once you’re all in the car, Hoseok asks Hyungwon, “Remember when we used to drive them everywhere? How the times have changed.” You smirk, “Yeah, now we get to take care of our elders~” Hoseok gasps, “You wound me!” The four of you laugh and talk about various things as Changkyun continues to drive. Curiosity gets the best of you as you ask, “Where are you taking us?” He smiles, “Joo’s dad owns this pancake house. It's kind of far from where we live, but I think the three of you will like it.” You all agree that it sounds good, and before long, he turns and pulls in. “Alright, we’re here!” He cheers, and you all get out, and he gets a pager. “He doesn’t work here anymore. But he does own it.” He tells you three, and you all nod. And wait for your number to ring.

When it does, the host leads you to a table and hands everyone a menu. You groan, “It all looks so good.” Hoseok goes, “Oh, I know what I want!” And he excitedly tells you three. Changkyun tells you what he’s getting, followed by Hyungwon. You take a few minutes to decide, and before the waiter comes over, you figure it out and tell the other three. They write down your orders, and they bring out your drinks first. Hyungwon asks, “So are we going to meet Jooheon today?” And you both nod, “What’s he like?” And Changkyun explains him best, and you add in your two cents. Hoseok cheers, “He seems lovely. No wonder you're friends with him!” You smile. And the waiter brings your food out, and you dig in. Hyungwon says between bites, “Yeah, I see why you recommended this. Not because Jooheon’s dad owns it. But because the food comes out quick, and it’s also delicious.” He nods, “It’s all his own recipes.” Hoseok says, “His dad and my mom have to become friends. Imagine the creations those two could make!” You grin and tell him, “That would be heavenly.” You finish your plates and order some muffins. Hyungwon gasps, “These are mammoth-sized!” You quickly butter it and try it, “Oh, and they taste as good as they look. My god.” You guys eat happily, and you slide your card over to Changkyun. And he quickly splits it between you two before either of them can pay.

With a stomach full of a hearty breakfast, you head over to the studio. “You’re going to love it!” You cheer. Kyun tells them about restoring the building to what it was like now. Hyungwon goes, “Damn, that's amazing, Kyun.” He smiles, “Thanks.” They nod, and Hoseok says, “I’m sure we will. After all, if Kyun made it what it is today. It's sure to blow our minds.” You nod, and Changkyun thanks them again. He parks on the side of the street, and you all get out.

You head in, and together you show them everything. When you reach the common area, you get excited, “Okay, Kyun’s room is nice, but I’d like to believe mine is cuter!” Kyun laughs as you excitedly show them the key and placard he made for you. “Oh! And look! I took a picture from home and put it here!” They all gather behind you, and Changkyun says, “I didn’t know you had this back here.” You smile, “Yeah.” Hoseok laughs, “That’s the treehouse! Oh, how I miss that place!” Hyungwon grins, “Was this the day where we staking out the best candy houses and ended up falling asleep up there?” You nod, “Yeah, and Kyun’s dad came out later that night and carried us all in.” Changkyun smiles, “Yeah, and by the time the four of us were back in. We were wide awake. And so we all made cookies together. With my parent's help, of course.” You laugh, “It was so much fun! I had just gotten my camera and was documenting everything.” Hoseok laughs, “You couldn’t stop taking photos. I’m sure our parents were grateful they had you.” You laugh, “I think we were what? Nine in this?” They nod, and you grin, “That’s why my studio is cooler. I have a cute photo of us in mine.” Changkyun rolls his eyes, “I have one taped to my computer.” Hyungwon shakes his head, “But this one is nicely framed.” You smirk, “Exactly!”

You lock up your office, and he knocks on Jooheon’s door. “Joo, you in here?” You hear a rustle behind the door, and out comes Jooheon. You all scoot back, and he looks over you two, “Are these the last of the famous quartet?” You both nod and move over to the common area. You go to introduce them when Jooheon gasps, “Wait, your Hyungwon and Hoseok-! Are thee Hoseok and Hyungwon!?” You both laugh, “The ones and only.” He gasps, “When Minhyuk and Kihyun started out here, I booked them for your events a few times!” They grin, and Hoseok goes, “Yeah! You have! We’re actually friends with them!” That makes Kyun look at you, and you shake your head, and Jooheon goes, “I’m Jooheon. Sometimes they call me Honey or Joo. But feel free to call me whatever. It’s nice to meet such dear friends and lovely models.” Hyungwon says, “It’s nice to meet you too! We’ve heard lots about you.” You grin, and Joo goes, “All good things?” They nod, and he sighs in relief. Changkyun rolls his eyes, “Why would I ever say anything bad about you?” He pouts, “I don’t know, I worry.” You shake your head, “You’re too sweet.”

The five of you go over and sit down. Jooheon is next to Changkyun, who's next to you. A table away, on the opposite couch, are Hoseok and Hyungwon, “Do you guys do anything other than modeling?” Hoseok grins, “When I have the time, I draw.” And Hyungwon goes, “I like to take photos, rarely, but sometimes if the scenery is right, I do. And also for my social media.” He nods, and the two of you watch as they converse, and you grin. It’s so wonderful seeing your best friends like your other friends. You both join the conversation as they talk about their childhoods. Jooheon talks about his first phone and goes, “Do you think kids these days even know about slider phones?” You laugh, “Probably, only if it’s a hand-me-down. Hell, I didn’t even have one. I only had a flip phone. The cool kids had the sliders.” Hyungwon smirks, “I was a cool kid.” You shake your head at him.

And that’s when Jooheon mentions, “Oh, Min and Ki are coming in today.” That causes the two across to eye you. And while the other two can’t see it, you flip them off, which makes them cackle. Changkyun furrows his brows at him, “I thought they weren’t supposed to be in for another two weeks?” Jooheon goes, “There’s a drama that requested their vocals, and so we should be seeing them any time soon. But don’t worry. They already know you’re not in for work.” Changkyun looks at you before he says anything, “That’s not a first but man... I wish the producers would alert us in advance.” Jooheon laughs and shrugs, “You know how they are.” And he nods.

Speak of the devil, and the devil will appear. You hear their footsteps coming up the stairs. And you want to disappear. You hear one of them call, “Joo, you in here?” Jooheon goes, “Yeah, I'm in the common area! Come on in!” They agree, and you look at the two across from you in horror. They smirk at you, and all you want to do is curl up and hide. And turn invisible until you feel Changkyun’s thumb rubbing circles into the palm of your hand. You don’t know when he grabbed your hand, but it eased your nerves.

Jooheon gets up and gives them both a hug which they return. That’s when they see the rest of you. And Minhyuk says, “Joo mentioned something about you meeting your friends this week. But you didn’t tell us you were friends with these two!?” Minhyuk instantly hugs Hoseok, and you think, 'Okay, I can slip out of here while they're distracted... I can make a break for it.' Watching as the four exchange greetings, Jooheon says, “It’s a small world, isn’t it?” You laugh, “Wait till you find out they know Hyunwoo.” He gasps, “No way.” You nod. That’s when all the attention is on you, and you realize you fucked up. You catch Hyungwon’s dastardly smirk before you catch what he says, “I think you would love to meet our best friend, (Y/n). They used to be a big fan of yours.”

The two gasp and Minhyuk goes, “Really? We met you before. Why didn't you say anything?” You gulp and watch as they circle the couch in front of you. They sit down beside your two best friends. You feel Changkyun’s hand squeeze yours, and you squeeze it back for reassurance. And you say, “I didn’t want you two to feel uncomfortable.” Kihyun shrugs, “Kyun was a fan of ours. It didn’t bother us none.” You shake your head, “I uh but-.” Hoseok goes, “They used to like you~” If you could kill those two, you would… Which causes the two to smirk, “Really?” And Kihyun smirks, “Which one of us did you like more?” Trying to start a little competition, you look at your shoes wishing the ground would swallow you up whole now. “I liked both of you equally. I’d carry around your unit pcs.” Minhyuk gasps, “I didn’t expect that.” You nod, “Yeah. I was a big fan, and both of you were super cool. You guys are like the only idol group I ever followed.”

Hyungwon goes, “Remember how we said we watched you perform when we were in college?” The two nod, “It was because of them.” Minhyuk looks at you, and you smile, “Your music was inspiring, and I was very thankful for it. So, I tried to see every show I could back then.” They thank you, and Kihyun asks, “Do you still like our music?” You nod, “I think it’s even greater now. And knowing you have these two in your corner. It made you guys gain incredible fame.” They grin, and Kihyun says, “Well, our new album won’t be coming out for a while… But would you like our last release signed?” Jooheon gets up as you gasp and clench Changkyun’s hand. “Um yeah… If that’s okay?” And after a moment, Jooheon returns with a white album and hands it to them. “Always prepared.” The three of you thank him.

“You never signed anything for us.” Hoseok whines and Minhyuk gives him a look, “You said you didn’t want one.” Hoseok shrugs, “You have me there.” As Kihyun grabs a sharpie from the jar on the table, you go, “Don’t let them fool you. They were both excited when they saw you two perform at their runaway. And they even filmed it for me.” You smile over at your friends, and they grin back. Minhyuk smiles, “I’m glad you guys enjoyed our performance. Even if you won’t admit it.” Hyungwon shrugs as Kihyun finishes writing his message after signing the cover. He hands it over to Minhyuk.

Kihyun asks, “Do you have a favorite song we’ve performed?” You nod, “I really liked your recent solo Youth and Minhyuk’s Ongshimi.” And Minhyuk looks up, “You know Honey made that song for me?” Jooheon grins, “It’s one of my favorites too.” You look over at Jooheon and high-five him for good taste. “I remember reading that Joohoney was the producer. It wasn’t until I was doing the payroll that I realized Jooheon and him were the same person.” That causes the six of them to laugh, and you smile, and Minhyuk finishes signing it. He lets it sit for a moment so it doesn’t smear before they both hand it over to you.

And without a second thought, you immediately hold it close, “I’m going to cherish this forever.” Kihyun nods, “I had a feeling.” Minhyuk smiles, “Well, there’s more where that came from.” Kihyun smiles, “And considering you are friends with all these guys, I bet we’ll be friends too.” You blush and feel your Changkyun squeeze your hand. “I’m honored just to be your guy’s acquaintance.” You smile and look down at Kyun’s and your hands.

That’s when Jooheon goes, “I’d hate to interrupt, but if we don’t get into the studio now. Minhyuk will miss his cologne photoshoot.” Minhyuk groans, “I forgot about that.” And the other six of you whine to Jooheon, “I’m sorry, I really want to talk to you all too. But we have work today, and you guys don’t.” You all pout at him, and he musters the cutest pout right back. You all gasp at him, and Hoseok says, “You didn’t tell me he was a master at being cute.” You shake your head, “I didn’t know!” Changkyun apologizes, “I forgot.” Which causes Jooheon to pout more and speak in the cutest voice, “How could you forget how cute I am?” Which causes Kyun to pinch his bridge with his free hand. You all laugh, and the three get up, and Kihyun says, “It’s nice to meet a loyal fan.” You hold out your free hand, and they both shake it. If you were unhygienic, you’d never wash your hand again. You thank them for everything. And your best friends tell them it was good to see them again before they’re off to the studio.

The three of them shoot a look at you as you hold your album tightly. And Changkyun speaks up, “So are you going to read the messages they wrote, or?” You nod. And feel him let go of your hand, and you immediately miss the contact. “I know we talked about it before, but honestly... I never expected to meet them more than in passing. I was planning to lock my studio or make a run for the door whenever they came in for recordings and whatnot.” The three laugh and shake their heads at you.

You sigh, “This is surreal.” You trace around their signatures before flipping through to find Kihyun’s first. “To (Y/n), one of our first fans! Thank you for your continued support. We appreciate it! We hope we can continue to inspire you. And please support our next album too! I hope our friendship blossoms like our friendship with your best friends. Anyway, until then, please take care, and know you’re doing well, even now.” You resist the tears that spring up. And the three coo at the message, and Hoseok goes, “Oh, that was so cute.” You nod, and Hyungwon goes, “I hope they become your friends too.” You gulp, “I could have never imagined this was a possibility when we were in college.” They sympathize with you, and you continue looking through the album. Admiring each photo as you decide to display this next to your photo frames.

You finally make it to the page Minhyuk signed and see his message, “To (Y/n); thank you for supporting us all these years. It’s nice to have loyal fans. We appreciate it. I’m sure Kihyun has already said it, but maybe someday we can be friends too. Anyway, we’ll do our best to continue to inspire you! So, I hope you enjoy our next album too! Until then, fighting!” You wish to cry as you read it aloud, and they coo at this message too. You flip through the rest of the pages before finding the photocards in the back. You grin at all three, two solo and one unit. And you can’t help but hold the unit card to your chest. “This is so cute.” You say before showing them all three. Changkyun tells you they’re cute. And you take time to look at the CD’s art too.

You close the album after keeping the unit card out. It’s unreal to believe you just met your idols. You pull out your wallet, and the three of them look at you questionably. And you pull out your driver's license and pull out a picture of the three of them lying on top of each other. And bring out an old Minhyuk and Kihyun pc. Hoseok asks, “I thought you said you didn’t like them like that anymore?” You sigh, “Um, I don’t, but... I used to look at their photocard and think, if they could make it and be okay. Then so could I.” And Changkyun smiles, “Oh, that’s so cute.” You blush, “I guess.” And you put the newest pc in front of the old one before putting the rest back in order into your wallet.

You hold the album close to you, and Hyungwon asks, “Are you okay?” And you shake your head, “I can’t believe you guys told them all that.” And Kyun goes, “I didn’t.” You roll your eyes, “Yeah, but those two devils told my secrets. I was going to take those to my grave.” Hyungwon smirks, “Yeah, but it helped you get a personally signed album~” You glare, “I thought about murdering you both.” Hoseok shrugs, “Fair enough.” You shake your head at them, “But seriously, thank you. It's all thanks to you three. I lived college me's dream." You sigh, "I can’t believe I met and talked to them.” They grin, and Changkyun nudges you, “And they want to be your friend too! That means someday we can all go to lunch together.” You put your head on the table, “Too soon. That’s too wild for me to process.” The three of them pat your head, and when you get up, Hyungwon asks, “Anyone else hungry for dinner?”

You nod, “That sounds lovely right about now.” You hold the album tightly to your chest, and the three of you walk down the stairs when a door to a studio opens. And you hear three, Bye-byes, and you all cheer your goodbyes. And your heart nearly beats out of your chest. The four of you make it into the car as you strap yourself in. Changkyun asks, “Where to?” And Hoho goes, “Do they still have that steakhouse on 57th Street?” You shrug, “I don’t know. I haven’t been there since you two moved out.” Won says, “We can always try.” Kyun nods, “If not, there is always the franchise one.” You all agree and head over to 57th Street, which to your surprise, is still open. “I wonder if it’s just as good now.” Changkyun says, “I would have no idea.” You all look at him, “You’ve never been?” He shakes his head no, “Well, you’ll enjoy it.” He smiles, “Okay.” You carefully hide your album under the seat before joining the other three waiting to be seated.

After about twenty minutes, you're seated at a table. You take time to look over the menus, and Changkyun asks questions about each. And Hyungwon tells him the best options and Hoseok mouths, “I saw your hands earlier.” You look at him in shock, “Is Hyungwon correct?” You tilt your head, “that you still like him?” You spare a glance, “How do you figure that?” Instead of continuing your silent conversation, he laughs. Which causes the other two to look over, and you blush a deep red but cover it up with a shrug. They go back to conversing about the cuts of steaks. And he mouths, “You made sure he knew you only loved Min and Ki in the past~.” You shake your head and mouth back, “It’s the truth.” He smirks, “Ah, but not denying you reassured him.” He continues as you glare, “The way you two played last night. I think he feels the same.” You roll your eyes, “That’s just how friends play.” He looks at Hyungwon, “Really? Because did you see me saving his ass?” You roll your eyes, “Whatever.” He shrugs, and you do too, and that’s when Changkyun tells you he’s going to get the New York strip steak.

After the waiter takes your drink order, you guys fall back into a regular conversation. You say, “It hasn’t changed much since we first started coming here.” And the two across from you agree, and Hoseok goes, “I just hope they didn’t change their seasoning recipe.” You nod, “Oh, Kyun, wait till you try their seasoning. It’s delicious!” He grins, “I can’t wait.” Your drinks arrive, and you order your food. Once the waiter leaves, Hyungwon cheers, “To a great meal!” And you all clink your glasses before taking a sip. You ask, “So what did you think of Joo?” Hoseok grins, “He seems friendly. He’s cute and also a great conversationalist.” And Hyungwon continues, “He is also very professional. But he knows how to separate those things. I admire that.” Changkyun smiles, “What did you think of our building?” Hoseok smiles, “It’s so nice. You guys really take care of it.” And Hyungwon says, “It seems very comfortable too. Especially the common area. I like that it looks over the city.” You both grin, and Won tells you, “My favorite office was yours.” You smile, and Hoho tells Kyun that he likes his studio best. “Always evenly split.”

And that’s as far you guys into your conversation before your food comes out. You wait for the steak sauce, and you guys eat your meal peacefully, and Hoseok says, “It’s just as delicious as I remember.” The two of you agree, and Changkyun goes, “This is really good.” You three nod, and you continue eating, and the waiter comes back to check on you. And without anyone noticing, Hoseok passed along his card to pay for the meal. When the waiter comes back after five minutes with it, that’s when you all notice. You gasp, “You little-” He smirks, “I’m quick.” Which makes the rest of you grumble. And to settle it, Hyungwon goes, “How about next time we split it between us?” You all agree and finish up your food.

You make it to the car, pull your album back out, and lay it on your lap before asking, “You know what sounds good right now?” And Changkyun goes, “Cake and ice cream?” You nod, “You read my mind.” And the other two agree as he drives you all back after cake and ice cream on full stomachs. The four of you retire to bed early. Of course, after putting your album on display in your room. You join him in bed, and he asks, “Was it fun?” You stretch as you ask him, “What?” He smiles, “Meeting your idols?” You shrug, “Kind of, but more terrifying than fun. I’m glad you held my hand back there.” He nods, “That makes sense. I could tell you were about to jump out of your skin, so I wanted to comfort you.” You laugh as you shake your head, “Thank you.” You nestle into your pillow and ask, “Have you ever met any idols that left you stunned like that?” He shrugs, “I don’t think any idol has ever left me stunned.” You let out an “Oh.” He smiles, “But there have been people that have stunned me.” You ask, “Really? Like whom?” He smiles, “Joo, he stuns me with his cute acts. Won stuns me with his effortlessness. Hoho with his genuineness. And you stun me a lot too.” You nod with a yawn, and he tells you, “Go to bed. We can talk about this some other day.” You give him a tired smile and turn off the light. And once your head hits the pillow, you’re out like the light. He stays up for a few making sure you're asleep before he says, “You’ve stunned me in ways I couldn’t describe until I was older. And now, you still do, in every way possible.”

You’re shaken awake by Changkyun when you open your eyes. He says, “Hey, sleepyhead.” You smile, “Hi, Kyun.” He smiles, “Sorry I didn’t wake you up until after the three of us had coffee, but you seemed too peaceful to wake up.” You shrug, “It’s okay, thank you, I needed the extra rest. Plus, you guys need your separate time to catch up too.” He nods, “Hoseok wants to have a movie marathon. Are you up for it?” You give him a smile and nod, and he hands you a mug of coffee. “I made this a moment ago and figured you’d want some before you got up. You can join us when you’re ready.” You smile and thank him. And with that, he leaves you alone in his room. You take it all in, from the smell of his comforter to the photos on the wall. His closet is a mess, but you smile as you sip your coffee and wonder what it'd be like to sleep with him in here all the time. You think about waking up to him kissing your forehead and waking up curled in his arms. And before you know it, you’ve finished your cup of coffee.

You get up and shower before joining them in a new pair of PJs, “You missed the first Spiderverse movie.” You shrug, “That’s alright. I've seen it before.” And they all pout, “Without us?” You roll your eyes, “Uh, was I not supposed to watch my favorite superhero when he comes out with a new movie?” Hoseok nods, “Valid points, but without us?” You shake your head at them before settling between Hoseok and Hyungwon. Changkyun hands you a bowl of popcorn, and Hyungwon picks the second movie. “The Notebook?” He nods, “It’s my favorite.” You three groan, “We know.” He grins, “You guys like it too.” The three of you nod, “Yeah.” And you all get comfortable watching the movie. It’s so beautiful and perfect until it isn’t, and you’re all crying and handing each other tissues. Changkyun whines, “Hyungwon, how do you convince us to watch this every time?!” When the ending credits finally come on, you’re all sniffling and wiping your eyes.

Hoseok, the worst of you all, you all hold him and wait until he’s recovered. Before you ask, “Are we all good?” You hear hums of agreement, and Changkyun grabs the remote and picks Ice Age. “Something nice for all of us to reminisce on.” The three of you laugh and agree that's exactly what you need after that movie. You stretch out and put the empty bowl of popcorn on the coffee table. The three of you kick back, relax, and speak the lines as you remember them. You go first with, “A dandelion? Must be the last of the season!” And Hoseok goes, “Carl,” And Hyungwon chimes in, “Frank, calm down.” And Hoseok says, “He’s ruined our salad.” And you do your best to reiterate the pinecone speech, which causes them to burst out laughing.

Changkyun narrating all of Diego’s lines had to be the highlight of the movie. “Do we have to get a newsflash every time your body does something?” "Sid!?" When it ends, the two of you decide to tease him, and you say, “The big bad tigey-wigey knows all the lines?” Hyungwon goes, “Oh, poor tigey-wigey.” And he rolls his eyes, “You guys are just jealous that I know more lines!” You shake your head, “Am not.” Hoseok shakes his head and says, “I’m going to pee. You three sort yourselves out.” You laugh, and Changkyun goes, “This tigey-wigey bites- and remember, Jumbo won’t always be there to protect you.” You squint, “Is that a threat, Diego?” He smirks, and before you can even register it. He’s pulled you towards him, acting like he’s going to bite your neck, “A promise.” And you whine out to Hyungwon, “A tiger, help! Help! He’s got me.” And Hyungwon bursts out into laughter, which causes you both to laugh. “Hoseok, you missed it!” That’s when you hear him from the hall, “No, I didn’t! I got it all on film.” You both gasp as he smirks, “I really had to pee, but I knew I couldn’t miss this.” You all laugh, and Hyungwon goes, “Send me!” “Already done!”

You hear a ping, and he smirks, not checking his notifications, “You guys will see it someday~.” You both groan as Changkyun releases you. You sit up but don’t move from your spot next to him. After Hoseok returns from the restroom Hyungwon refills his popcorn bowl. You choose Men In Black, which leaves you all giggling and watching in suspense as if seeing it for the first time. Changkyun goes, “Oh, you know what would be good after this?” And the three of you say in unison, “Rush Hour.” He nods, “Exactly.”

And seamlessly, you transition to that movie. You lay your head on Changkyun’s shoulder and are surprised to find how comfortable they are. And you sigh, without a second thought, you snuggle in. You hear him whisper, “Comfortable?” And you nod and watch as Carter meets up for a deal on some C4. The movie ends before you know it, and that’s when you all notice how dark it is in the living room. Hyungwon and Changkyun both turn on the lamps beside them. And you get out of your comfortable position, and Hoseok says, “What do guys say to pizza and wings?” You all agree and pool your cash to pay together for once.

Hyungwon chooses the next movie before joining in and filling up his plate as he grabs his last slice of pizza. He asks, “Do you remember when we stayed up all night playing video games on Changkyun’s new console?” Changkyun laughs, “We ordered so much pizza that night.” You groan, “I never thought I could get tired of pizza until then.” Hoseok whines, “I couldn’t eat pepperoni pizza for months.” You all laugh, and Hyungwon says as he had back then, “Let’s never do that again.” And you all agreed as if it were sophomores in high school again.

You guys arrange so both you and Hoseok get an armrest with Changkyun and Hyungwon between you both. Hyungwon asks, “Toy Story?” And Hoseok nods as he starts the movie. You ask, “It’s a good movie. But it has its sad parts. Do you guys want to cry or something today?” You see Hyungwon shrug over Changkyun’s shoulders, “Not really, I just like these movies.” Hoseok nods, “They’re classics.” “Exactly.”

At the mention of pizza planet, you all hold up your pizzas, which makes the four of you cackle. Hyungwon repeats the little alien toys' lines, “A stranger! From the outside!” You all ‘ooohhh’ and Hoseok does his best impression of Buzz until you all start chanting, “The Claw!” As the claw reaches down and grabs the aliens.

Hoseok picks out the next movie after you all clean up. You see the preview of Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. You grin, “Now, this is right up my alley.” Hoseok smirks, huffs on his hand, and rubs his hand on his chest as if he was polishing off his idea. You shake your head at him before settling into the seats you had before, with you next to Changkyun. You’re halfway through the movie when Hyungwon stretches over the three of you. “Oh yeah, this is way more comfortable.” The three of you shake your head at him, “Really?” He shrugs, “You guys are just as comfortable as I remember.” You roll your eyes, “You’re only saying that, so we’ll let you lay on us.” He shrugs again, “Maybe.” You let out a collective sigh before going along with it.

It takes a while before you decide to get comfy too. And lay your head against Kyun’s shoulders. And you agree with Won’s earlier sentiment that this is way more comfortable. You catch Hoseok scooting the ottoman closer to kick his feet onto it before settling back. After a while, you feel Changkyun’s head on yours. You smile and reiterate his earlier question, “Comfortable?” And he hums in agreement. Hoho hands him the remote as the movie comes to an end. He chooses “Black Panther” before handing the remote over to you, which you lay beside your lap.

You hear Hyungwon yawn, and you all look over at him. And he shrugs before turning back to watch the movie as he says, “I’ve always loved this movie.” You all agree, and it’s not long before you notice Hyungwon sleeping peacefully on top of the three of you. He seems too content, and you watch as signs of sleep start to hit Hoseok, but he fights it until the end of Black Panther. You decide on Tinker Bell, click it on, and watch the beginning with earnest.

After the beginning, Changkyun gestures for you to look over. And you watch as Hoseok’s head falls forward before he regains consciousness. Just for sleep to win him over, and he falls asleep. You both snicker, “Those two could never make it the whole night.” He laughs, “What do you say we put those two to bed after this?” You nod, “Sounds like a plan.” You both watch as Tinker Bell falls in love with her gift. You whisper, “Oh, it’s my favorite part.” He smiles, “Tink going to the mainland?” You nod, and you both watch and hum along to the song that plays as the fairies travel to the mainland. And you grin as Tinker Bell delivers the tiny dancer to Wendy.

Once the ending credits come up, you lift Hyungwon’s legs so you can get up. “Do you think we’ll have to lug him?” With a sigh, you both nod. He carefully grabs him off of Hoseok, and you carry his legs. Thankfully, their room (your room) was the closest to the living room. You both let out a sigh of relief when you get to drop him on the bed. Hyungwon mumbles, “Your delivery service was a four out of ten.” You glare before turning to Changkyun, “Next time, I’m dropping him.” The two of you laugh as Hyungwon flips you off and snuggles into his pillows. You both come back to see Hoseok starting to blink awake. You both help him up and lead the tired man to his bed, “You okay, buddy?” He nods and thanks you both before curling under the blanket.

You both come in and plop down next to each other on the couch, “What sounds good?” He shrugs, grabs the remote, scrolls through, and points out, “Howl’s Moving Castle?” You nod, and he clicks it on. And you turn off the lamp closest to you, and he does the same. You grab your blanket, and he pulls his quilt over him. When you look over at Kyun, you let out a yawn which causes him to yawn. And you both snuggle into your blankets, slowly snuggling into your sides of the couch. You make it halfway through another movie before you start drifting off. You wake up and catch a few glimpses of A Knight’s Tale every time. You try to stay awake each time your eyes open because it’s one of your favorites. But the sandman succeeds again as you fall into a deep rest.

Surprisingly, you wake up with your head on a pillow and find yourself in Kyun’s room. You blink over and catch the time on the clock, three am. You turn over and notice Kyun’s eyes are open. “Hi,” He smiles, “Hi.” You ask, “Did you carry me in here?” He nods and whispers, “I couldn’t believe you fell asleep through A Knight’s Tale.” You softly groan, “I know. I missed the part where he’s taught to dance and then dances at the ball.” He laughs, “We can always watch it again.” You pout, “Not the same.” He raises his eyebrow, “How? You’d still be watching it with me.” You whisper, “I wanted to watch it with you tonight.” He does his best to hold in his laugh as he runs his hands through your hair, “It’s okay. There’s always next time.” You nod, a little defeated, “Okay.” He rolls his eyes, “It’s okay, big baby.” And you still pout a bit, and he barely whispers, “Your lips look kissable.” You think you mishear him. You have to have misheard him. After all, it's three am. He couldn't have said what you thought he did. As you blink at him, he gulps, “Can you believe how dismissible Won was of us?” That makes more sense to your tired mind, “Yeah, he’s a meanie.” He laughs, “At least Hoho accepted our help.” You nod, “Yeah, he’s a sweetie.” You settle more into your pillow and try to stay awake again as you look over Kyun’s features. You fail again, and Changkyun lets out a sigh of relief and mentally pats himself on the back, “Good save. Good save.”

It’s eight in the morning when you wake up again. You’re facing away from Changkyun. You sit up, look over and see how peaceful he looks sleeping. Your heart flutters for a few moments before you get up and watch as Changkyun reaches out as if he was looking for you. You let out an “Ooh,” before placing your pillow in his searching arms. He instantly nuzzles into the pillow and goes back to sleep. Your heart can’t take the cuteness. You shake your head and walk to the kitchen to see Hoseok drinking a glass of orange juice. You whisper, “You’re up early.” He startles a bit, which makes you snicker, and he rolls his eyes, “I should have known it was you and not a ghost.” You laugh even harder as you pour a glass of orange juice for yourself.

You sit beside him and ask, “Do you like this table?” He nods, “It’s nice.” You grin after you drink some of your juice, “Cool.” He asks, “Do you and Kyunnie always sit in the same spots?” You nod, “It’s kind of our tradition. This table became a constant before I knew it.” He smiles, “That’s sweet.” You’re surprised when you hear someone start to slink in. Both of you turn to see Hyungwon, “You guys have chocolate syrup?” You nod, “Pantry, 2nd shelf.” He grabs a glass, the bottle of syrup, and the milk. “What are you two talking about?” You tap your finger on the table and say, “This table.” He smiles and looks back, “Well, it is a very nice table, mahogany, right?” You nod as he turns to stir his drink together. He joins you in his seat, “Kyunnie was saying how you hoped we’d like the table.” You laugh, “Yeah, it’s my favorite place.” He nods, “Make sense.”

The three of you relax in the peaceful morning. It felt right being with the two again. You break the silence, “It’s weird to be with you two at a breakfast table in the morning and not doing homework.” The two laugh and Won goes, “I was thinking the same thing.” Hoho says, “I was thinking about how no one is rushing around as they eat breakfast.” The three of you laugh, and you go, “But it feels right.” They nod, and Hoho smiles, “It’s nice to be with you guys and not working on a silly project.” You both smile, and Hoseok reaches his hands out to the both of you, and you both hold them. Hyungwon tells you both with a smile, “I’m glad we’re together again. And I’m glad we have Kyun now too.” You smile, “All the wrongs are now right.” He grins, and you hear Changkyun come into the kitchen. It now feels complete, as if you discovered the missing puzzle piece. And put it in the empty space.

When he sits down with his apple juice, he raises an eyebrow. And Hyungwon and you both reach out for his hands after puts his glass down. You say, “You’re our missing last piece.” He gives you three a faint smile as he links your hands. Hoseok adds, “Yeah, I think college would have been better with you.” And Hyungwon says, “We’ve missed you.” Changkyun’s tears fall as he says, “I’ve missed you guys so much. I know we’ve held and talked to each other about it. But I feel so much better with you guys at my side.” You nod and use the sleeve on your shoulder to wipe your tears. You look up and whisper, “I can’t believe you two will leave in three days.” Which causes the rest of them to groan, “It’s unfair.” Hoseok whispers, “We have each other now, and that’s what matters.” Changkyun nods, "I’m never letting go.” You all echo his sentiment and stay like that for a while.

It’s real. You’re back together again. Maybe not for as long as you’d like, but after a long separation, it means more than words could express. And at that moment, you four agree to see each other at least once every month. Even if it was only for an hour: that would be enough. When you guys finally recoup and let go of each other’s hands. You drink your refreshments in peace.

Hyungwon looks at the weather, “Do you guys want to go bowling later?” Changkyun nods, “Yeah! We haven’t done that in forever.” You and Hoseok agree too. Which causes you to ask, “Who wants ramen for breakfast?” The three of them cheer, “Me!” The four of you laugh as everyone helps out. Changkyun and Hyungwon set the table, and Hoseok and you make a big pot of ramen.

Once the two of you finish up the ramen, Hoseok sets the pot on the trivet, and you all serve yourselves. Hyungwon says, “Your mom still makes the best ramen, but your guys' is a close second.” Changkyun hums in agreement, and you both thank them. And you tell them, “Can’t outdo the queen.” And Hoseok nods as he eats his food. You grab some more, and Changkyun asks, “Are there any shops you want to go to?” After Hoseok finishes his next bite, he says, “You know that record store across from the coffee shop you two met again at?” You shake your head, “I’ve never been.” And the other two agree, and he tsks, “And you people say you like music.” You all roll your eyes at that as you scrape your bowl. “Won, you remember that Silk Sonic record I got for you?” He hums, and Hoseok says, “That’s where I got it from.” He lets out an ‘oh’ as he grabs more ramen from the pot. You shrug, “That sounds fun. What about you, Won?” He thinks for a moment, “The film developing store.” You smile, “You took photos?” He nods, “You weren’t. So I stepped up.” You laugh and Changkyun goes, “(N/n)?” You shrug, and you ask him, and he shrugs back. You both laugh at having the same answer. You finish your bowl before getting up to change.

Once you’re all set, you and Changkyun play rock paper scissors to see who’ll drive. And you win! So, you all hop into your car, and Hoseok directs you to the record store. You park in the lot across from the coffee shop, and you all head in. The worker greets you, and you split up as if you four were looking for clues. You weren’t interested in the albums, having enough under your bed collecting dust. In the back of the store, you find shelves full of cassettes. They were more compact and easier to play on the go. While not as convenient as CDs, they were portable. Unlike the vinyls, the other three were digging through.

It isn’t long before you’re sitting in front of the shelving unit. Shortly after sitting, you find one that catches your eye. An old artist that your parents would always play. You check out the cover art and see a few tracks you know. You put it beside you before looking at the rest of the shelves. You dig through the fifty-cent bin. And find another one you'd like so you put it into your pile. Hoseok waves to you as he heads upstairs to where the more prolific vinyls are, and you continue your search. You've added a few more to your pile. As you continue to look, you realize you've worn out the shelves of artists you like. But continue looking in case you passed over one you might want. You come up empty as you hear someone clear their throat and look up to see Changkyun. He bends down and asks, “Do you want to get a pastry with me while they look for vinyls?” You smile, “You read my mind.” You grab his hand, and he helps you up. You pick your tapes up off the floor as you show him your finds. He shows you the two vinyls he found. You pay for your items. And you both check to see if they would catch you two sneaking out. With Hoseok upstairs and Hyungwon lost in his own world listening to an album on the record player. You were free to sneak off.

And as soon as you’re out of the store, you’re giggling like two teenagers sneaking out to see each other. You walk across the street together, and you both get a pastry and before you can pay, he already has. You go to object about it, and he winks, which makes butterflies erupt in a storm in your stomach. So, you let it slide, and unlike the last time you were here, you felt like you were on a date. And your heart gets all giddy at the thought, but your brain quickly rationalizes it. Once the barista serves them up, you sit at a table across from each other. You ask, “Can I have some of yours for some of mine?” He nods, and you split your pastries down the middle before exchanging them.

You whisper to him, “I feel like a teenager sneaking out of my parent's house to be with you.” He whispers, “I feel the same way.” You both blush as you eat your desserts. At the idea he might like you too, you go to speak up, “I think-” Just to get cut off by Hyungwon, “I had a feeling we’d find you two here.” You sigh. Of course, the interruptions would find you. You shoot them a glare as they scoot you both into the booth. Hoseok pouts, “Thanks for the invitation, meanies! You could have asked if we wanted pastries too!” You both roll your eyes and watch as they cut your delicious pastries into fourths. You mutter, “You’re lucky we’ve been sharing since preschool,” Hyungwon smirks, “Or what?” He whispers to you, “Your boyfriend would get me~?” You twitch and kick him underneath the table. And see Hoseok and him both wince at the same time. You two laugh at their reactions. You don’t know what brought him to hit Hoseok, just like he doesn’t know why you kicked Hyungwon. And Hoseok goes, “I see we’re wanted here.” Changkyun rolls his eyes, “Yeah, you’re wanted, alright… Just not for the right reasons, Hoho.” You snicker, and Hyungwon laughs, “The same goes for you, pretty boy.” He immediately pouts, “You make the term pretty boy sound mean.” You smirk, “It was my intention.” Which causes him to pout even more, and you both apologize to them before finishing up your halved treats.

Out the door, Hyungwon points to the film-developing store he was talking about, and you follow him in. He asks if he can send more in over the next few days, and the shopkeeper agrees. And Won gives him the film he has on him now. With a pickup for all his photos two hours before the flight takes off, you all head back to your car. Hoseok points out, “It’s 1 pm.” You smile, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” He nods, and you guys are off to the bowling alley when Changkyun spots a food vendor. And asks, “You guys still like cheese-filled bread?” Everyone cheers, “Hell yeah!” And you immediately pull over, and he hops out of the car and waits in line. You whine, “I haven’t had cheese-filled bread in so long.” Hyungwon groans, “It sounds so good.” You nod, and Changkyun bounds back with the treats in his hand. And Hoseok goes, “Last time we had this kind of bread, it was when we were kids visiting the city.” Changkyun gasps, “Oh my god, that was the day we lost our tour guide! And we wandered around the city because we knew where the bus was!” You laugh, “That was probably very dangerous for us to do,” Hyungwon shrugs, “We were kids. How were we supposed to know it was dangerous to leave the tour guide?” Changkyun laughs, “It's almost like our teachers told us never to stray too far behind our guides.” You shake your head, “Nah, we weren’t listening to that. We were too busy lollygagging and talking about, what was it?” Hoseok smiles as if it was yesterday once more, “Bunnies.”

After taking your first bite of cheese bread, you check the traffic and pull onto the road. Hyungwon asks, “Weren't you obsessed with those for a month?” He nods, “I still like ‘em.” Changkyun says, “How did we make it to the bus without them noticing we were gone?” You go, “Oh, that’s easy. We saw the kids starting to line up. And because kids aren’t good at lining up in a straight line, we snuck into the middle.” Hoseok goes, “Cheese bread and bunnies are still worth getting sidetracked for.” You all agree, and at the red light, you concentrate on trying to eat the treat. And you finish it by the time you’re stopping at the next red light, and Kyun takes your wrapper away. You smile at him, “Is it two more streets before the bowling alley?” Hyungwon goes, “One, you took the shortcut.” You nod, “Oh, okay.” Changkyun goes, “Didn’t you work at the alley?” He nods, “Best winter of my life.”

On the next light, you turn and see the bowling ball and pin signage and pull in. You park close to the door and ask, “Do you still have a custom ball?” He nods, “Yeah, I believe Michelle kept it the back for me 'cause she knew I wouldn’t need it while traveling the world.” He smiles as he opens the door for the three of you to enter. You walk in, and he goes, “Smells just like I remember, polishing cream and varnish.” He walks in front of you, and a little lady greets the four of you. She gasps when she sees Hyungwon, “I never thought you’d come back in!” He grins, “Hi, Shelly!” She tells him to give her a moment before she goes into the back and pulls out a red and black ball. “Your thirteen-pounder!” Engraved above the finger holes is “Won-won.” And you three giggle, “I haven’t seen you two in a long while.” She says as she points at Hoseok and you. She points at Changkyun and asks, “And who are you?” “I’m Changkyun.” She smiles, “I’ve heard a lot about you.” Hyungwon smiles, “You still remember those conversations?” She laughs with a nod, “I may be old, but I’m not that old.”

She smiles and asks Kyun, “What’s your shoe size, dear? I already know these kids’ sizes.” He tells her, and she pulls out all four pairs. “Lane 7 work?” You all nod, and she smiles, “Alright, have fun, kids.” She sends you four off, and once you reach the lanes, the three of you look for your balls. And Hyungwon puts in everyone’s nicknames; Won-won, Bunny, Kitty, and Gator. You return with a green ball; you pout as you place your ball into the rack, “I’m going last… But at least the nickname is fair.” He grins, “You’re always our gator.” Changkyun goes, “Kitty?” He nods, “Not enough room for Butterfly or Polar Bear, so I went for some school nicknames.” He shrugs, “Okay, fine.” He puts his purple ball into the rack, and Hoseok shows off his pink pearled one as he returns. “I’m Bunny!” He cheers, the only one enthused by his name and placement on the board.

Hyungwon bowls first, and with little effort, he gets a strike. And leaves the rest of you gawking, and he smirks, “You three are going to catch flies.” Changkyun mutters, “Way to show us up.” Hyungwon goes, “Want to repeat that to the class?” He coughs, ‘fucker’ and Hoseok does well with a spare as Hyungwon finishes gloating. Changkyun tries to spare his 7-10 split but only knocks one down and comes back pouting. It’s been a while since you’ve bowled, but you don’t do too bad. And without much effort, you're able to spare it.

Unsurprisingly, Hyungwon wins the first round. You barely beat Changkyun by a point with Hoseok in second. Knowing you'd play last, you get everyone a pop before sitting back down. Changkyun started sulking since he lost. You smile at him, and under the table, you squeeze his hand, “It’s okay.” He nods and gets up for his turn as you crack open your pop. And he strikes, and you all cheer for him, his first strike in twelve rounds. You all high-five him. And on your bowl, you get another spare. You’re happy with it, and Hyungwon continues striking you three out. Hoseok whispers while he’s up, “He wasn't this good when we'd bowl with him when he first started here.” You shake your head and whisper, “He probably watched pro bowlers and got tips from them.” Changkyun sighs, “Man’s gifted at nearly everything.” You both laugh, and Hyungwon returns after a spare, “I learned from Shelly.” You all, ‘ooh,’ and he smiles, “She’s been playing since she was five. She played in pro leagues until she opened her own bowling alley.” You ask, “You loved working here, didn’t you?” He nods with a fond smile, “Yeah.”

You guys play a few rounds, and the results stay relatively the same with you and Hoseok switching between who's second and third every other game. It isn’t until a few rounds later that Changkyun pulls off an impossible feat. After some pointers from Shelly and Hyungwon: he comes in second. You all cheer, gather around him and lift him up. He immediately whines, “I’m not in first place, though!” And you three laugh, “Second is the best!” He shrugs before joining in with you guys, and Shelly calls from the back, “You did well, kid!” Hyungwon goes, “See, even Shelly agrees!” He grins before asking, “Can you put me down now?” You all nod and set him down, and ruffle his hair.

You guys eat some fries before playing another round. Changkyun asks, “Why do bowling alley fries always taste better?” Hoseok shrugs, “Same reason food tastes better when eating with friends.” That answer satisfies the three of you, and you finish up your fries before playing another round. Hoseok beats Changkyun by a point, making him come in second and you in last. Which causes him to pout, and the three of you coo, “It’s okay. You did well, baby.” He nods, and you all hug him, and Hyungwon waits for his turn, the victory hug. You pull him in and cheer for him before deciding you're tired of bowling. After changing back to your shoes, you put your balls away, and Hyungwon hands his ball off to Shelly. You return your shoes, and she thanks you for the entertainment and charges you half of what you paid. Hyungwon doesn’t accept that and has her take the other half as money for a good meal out on the weekend. She smiles at him and thanks him as she pockets it.

When you start driving back, it’s 10 pm, and Changkyun hooks his phone up to your radio and plays an old playlist. One that the three of you instantly recognize and start singing along to, and when pauses to transfer to the next song. Hoseok goes, “I haven’t heard this playlist in forever!” It was the playlist he made for the four of you. So you could enter high school with a soundtrack for your next four years together. Of course, it didn’t play out like that, but it was still well-intentioned. You roll down the windows, and Changkyun turns up the volume. And the four of you sing along to it loudly, even at red lights next to other cars. It felt so right as if the playlist had come full circle. The four of you scream, “If it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad!” Laughing as you pass through another green light.

When you pull into the parking lot, you’re down to the last two songs on the playlist. You roll up the windows, turn off the car, and turn to face each other. And sing the songs softly, and as the last note rings out, you all unbuckle and get out. Changkyun says, “It’s come full circle now.” You all agree and head up to the apartment. It isn’t until you enter the living room that you feel the tiredness seep into your bones. Hoseok lets out the first yawn, and the rest of you follow. You lose the race to the bathroom and end up in third place, with you and Hoseok waiting for the other two to finish. You tell Hoho it’s sparkling clean for him on the way out, “Thanks for not stinking it up.” You roll your eyes, “How was a shower supposed to stink up the house?” He shrugs, “That’s not for me to know.” You laugh and shake your head at him before knocking on the door to Kyun’s room.

He tells you to come in, and you yawn as you enter, stretching your arms out from you. “I’ve never been happier to see a bed in my life.” He laughs, “Really?” You yawn, “I’m so tired.” He smiles, “Too tired to talk?” You shake your head, 'no,' he smiles, “Cool.” And you crawl in after he moves over to his side. “What do you want to talk about?” He smiles, “I just wanted to thank you for encouraging me earlier.” You smile, “That was nothing, plus you did all the work.” He shrugs, “I suppose.” You move down until your head hits the pillow, “Thanks for getting me out of there. I was so bored looking at the cassettes I already looked over. I didn’t know how much longer I could feign interest.” He laughs, “That would have interested me when I was younger, but I own the music I want to hear on my phone already.” You laugh, “Right!?” He grins, “The physical media is nice, but as you said, I could only feign interest for so long. I’m so glad you were ready to leave too.” You laugh, “Your blueberry pastry was good, of course, what I got to eat of it.” He laughs, “Your strawberry tart was good too. Even if I only had a bite of it.” You shake your head, “They’re despicable.” He nods, “And they’re our best friends.” You grin, “Yeah, they are.” He smiles, and for some reason, when you turn to look him in his eyes. You can’t look away.

When you do, you shift your eyes to the light and notice it’s still on, “Good night.” You say as you flick it off, and he says it back. In the dim moonlight, he asks, “Do you ever wonder if we lie past the line of best friends?” You look back in his direction at his question, “Yeah, but I don’t think there’s a perfect descriptor to explain it.” He nods, “When I figure out what that is, I’ll let you know.” You smile and agree, and he smiles back. And with that, you fall asleep facing each other.

You wake up just before Changkyun, thinking about what you had talked about last night. If you were right, he meant what you thought. You guys have always laid past that. The lines between you have always been blurred. Always taking care of each other in ways you wouldn’t take care of Hoseok and Hyungwon. But did that mean he liked you the way you liked him? Or if it was just that? You’d always lay past the bounds of what being best friends meant, but never be anything more? You sigh and shake your head at that last thought, wanting to be hopeful. Changkyun wakes up with a yawn. “Good morning.” He says all groggily, and your heart skips a beat. Maybe you wished that what Hyungwon said yesterday was true, that he was your boyfriend. But what you feel for Kyun is more distinguished than that. You weren’t just seeing him to see if he worked out for you. You knew he was made for you as you were made for him: the perfect pair. You tell him, “Good morning.” As you stretch out, the word you were both looking for lays on the tip of your tongue. Just before you can say it, the door opens to reveal Hyungwon.

It leaves you as fast as Hyungwon sits at the foot of the bed. “Hoseok is talking to Kihyun and Minhyuk. I think Jooheon is on the line too? I don’t know. They’re being too loud for the morning. So, I came in here for some peace and quiet.” You both laugh. And you ask, “What are they on about?” And he goes, “I think they’re arranging dinner plans.” He lays back on the bed, and Changkyun pouts, “Without us?” He shakes his head, “Oh no, we’re definitely included.” You blink, “Uh, but I don’t even know Minhyuk and Kihyun that well.” Changkyun pats your shoulder, “It’s okay.” You nod, and Hyungwon says, “They told us they liked your first impression, and plus you’re one of us. That's good enough for them.” You give him a look, “I don’t think that’s how that works.” Hyungwon shrugs, “Friendship is weird.” You both shrug at that, knowing he was right since you were living testimonies to that statement. He continues, “Just because you like their music or liked them doesn’t mean you can’t be friends.” You nod, and he goes, “Can I rest now?” You both laugh and nod at him.

Hoseok comes in thirty minutes later to find Hyungwon napping at the end of Changkyun's bed. And to you and Kyun sitting close together watching a video on your phone. He tilts his head as he asks, “Good morning?” The three of you look over towards him, “Morning.” He has you scoot in closer to Kyun as he sits beside you. “Kihyun called.” The three of you nod, “We heard.” He continues, “Minhyuk was in the same room, and they added Jooheon to the call. I guess Jooheon is our friend, too, now?” Hyungwon goes, “He’s our friend like Min and Ki are (N/n)’s.” He nods, “Yeah, that’s a good way to describe it.” Changkyun asks, “So, dinner?” He smiles, “Yeah, they want us to meet up at Son’s. If that’s okay? Hyunwoo isn’t working. So, he’ll be able to join us too.” Hyungwon smiles, “Like one big happy family, then?” He nods, and Changkyun looks at you, asking if that’s okay, and you nod. Kyun speaks for the two of you, “Okay, we’re in.”

Hoseok gets up and holds his hand out to you, which you gladly accept, and he pulls you out of bed. Hyungwon groans as he gets pulled up by Hoseok. He offers his hand to Changkyun after he scoots closer. Once you’re all up, Hyungwon asks, “Do you guys have pop-tarts?” You nod, “I always keep ramen and pop-tarts in our pantry.” You follow them down the hall and pull out the variety box, “What flavor?” Kyun asks for blueberry, Won wants Cherry, and Hoho asks for Strawberry, and you pull out yours. Thankfully, you have a 4-slice toaster. So, you can make two packs at a time.

Once they're finished you join the other three at the table. And slump into your chair and sigh, “It’s nice to be back in this chair.” The three smile, already knowing the reason. You eat your pop-tarts, and Changkyun asks, “What do you want to do in the meantime?” Hoseok goes, “Laze around?” Hyungwon lets out a yawn, “Sweet.” You agree that sounds perfect, and Hoseok puts the plates in the sink. You look over at Changkyun and look towards the sink, and he nods. While the two head to the living room to find something to watch, you clean the dishes together. As you put the plugs in, you say, “It’s surprising how many dishes we can go through even though we haven’t really been here all week.” He laughs as he fills up the sink with soapy water and agrees.

You fill your sink with rinse water, and he hands you the soapy dishes, and you run them through the rinse water. And put them on the rack. Changkyun places his hands in his water, and soap flies up at you both, causing you two to splutter. You flick off the bubbles onto him, and he squints but shakes his head before handing you the next clean dish. You didn’t intend to splash him when you put the bowl into the water, but you did. “Oh, it’s on!” And he splashes you with his soapy water, and you spray him back with your water.

You two childishly splash water at each other until you're both soaked. You sigh as you peel your shirt away from your skin. And notice Kyun doing the same thing. You laugh at each other before finishing up the dishes and draining the sinks. You leave them to dry as you drip water onto the floor. You pass through the living room. They both chuckle, and Hoseok goes, “Did you guys go through a tidal wave?” And you both point at each other and cry, “They started it!!” Which causes the two to laugh even harder as you both change in your separate rooms.

With new shirts on, you join the two in the living room. Changkyun asks, “What are you watching?” Hyungwon shrugs, “I haven’t been watching.” And Hoseok goes, “I think it’s a cowboy show? But I haven’t figured it out. There is so much going on that I haven't caught on to it.” You nod as you both sit in between them. It’s the space bounty hunter cowboys, and you recognize it immediately, “It’s Cowboy Bebop!” Changkyun nods, “We watched this together.” Hyungwon raises an eyebrow, “When?” You smile, “Remember when you both went to the 8th-grade dance without us?” Hoseok nods at that, and Hyungwon raises an eyebrow, “You mean the one you two didn’t want to go to?” You shrug, “Tomayto, tomahto.” He shakes his head, “Whatever. Anyway?” Changkyun smiles, “I had rented the series, and since (N/n) was into anime then, I asked if they wanted to watch it with me.” You smile, “Yeah, we stayed up til one in the morning watching it.” Hoseok coos, “That’s so cute. But we liked anime then too!” You squint, “Would you have really missed a night of dancing?” Both of them shake their heads, and Changkyun goes, “See.” The two of you settle into watching the fourth episode, and the other two go back to their phones.

The episode ends, and it starts playing a different series. So, you change the channel to something you can all watch: a museum mystery show. Hyungwon asks, “Is it really a mystery when the plague in front of the 'mysterious' object tells you all about it?” You laugh, “Do you really want to read that instead?” He shrugs, “You have me there.” It plays for another two episodes before Hoseok goes, “We should get ready to see them.” You all agree. You wait your turn to change after getting your clothes out of your room. Hoseok is taking longer than usual. You sigh as you wait by the door, and Changkyun comes out dressed nicely. “You wanna change in my room?” You nod, and he leaves you to sit on the couch. It feels different to change in his room. It felt as though you were more exposed than you were. Maybe it was because of the angle of the mirror? No, you shake your head, it was because you were changing in his room. And even though he wasn’t in there, it felt like a rather intimate act.

You quickly change, shake the feeling away and throw your clothes into the hamper. You find Changkyun playing on his phone. And you sit down next to him, pulling out your phone. He looks over at you, “You look nice.” You give him a small smile as you compliment him back. “Nervous?” You nod a little, “I’m okay. I know they’re real people. But uh it feels unreal to believe I’d be sitting and eating with them.” He nods, “Yeah, I can understand.” He pats your thigh, “It’s going to be okay, though. I’ll sit beside you the whole time.” You smile, “Thanks.” He nods and pulls his hand away to type. Hoseok comes to join you guys next, “He’s still changing?” You both go 'uh-huh,' and he says, “He acts like he’s getting ready for a hot date.” You laugh, “Maybe he is~” Which makes them both laugh. “You guys are mean. Can’t someone look nice?” The three of you shrug as he exits your room, “If you’re wondering, I couldn’t find this shirt and dug through my suitcase three times just to find it on top.” You laugh, and he rolls his eyes. Kyun asks, “Did you have your contacts in?” He sighs, “That’s what I was forgetting.” He goes back into your room and comes back out shortly after. Hoseok asks, “See better?” He nods, and when you all get up, Changkyun asks, “You guys ready for the walkover?” You all agree, and Hoseok says, “I didn’t know Hyunwoo’s restaurant was so close!”

Changkyun smiles, “When Jooheon and I bought Honeycat and started working inside it. We’d come here all the time. He asked us about our building, and we showed him around, and then he told us he sang a bit. And from there, it’s been history.” You all smile, and he grins as you pass the label out strolls Jooheon. You guys stop to greet him, “Good to see you guys!” And you all cheer, “Nice to see you again!” He grins, “I was just telling them about Son’s.” Jooheon goes, “Did you know it’s his family’s restaurant? It goes back several generations. He’s just running it for now. Until his cousins return from their long honeymoon.” Hyungwon, Hoseok, and you shake your heads, ‘no,’ and he smiles, “He’s the best for a reason.” You all hum in agreement and continue over to the restaurant.

You fall behind as you realize you’re about to see people you used to dream of. Changkyun notices your absence and slips back, and you muster the best smile you can. He goes, “You’re alright. They’re not going to bite.” You look at him, “You sure?” He nods and gives you a hug which you gratefully accept. It eases your nerves a bit before you both catch up to the other three and before they can notice you’re both gone. The three waiting for the five of you are already sitting down. They wave and get up from their chairs to let you all file in. You gulp, and before you can choose where you’re sitting. Hyungwon puts you between him and Changkyun, with Minhyuk on his side. You let out a breath as you look at the table. Hyunwoo is across from Changkyun, next to Jooheon, and across from Minhyuk is Hoseok, leaving you sitting in front of Kihyun. He gives you a big friendly smile which you do your best to reciprocate.

The table is split pretty evenly between those who have menus in their hands and those who don’t. You wait for someone to speak up after figuring out what you want. And Minhyuk starts the conversation up, “What's everyone eating?” After Hyunwoo and Kihyun give their answers, so do you, and everyone else follows. And before you know it, you’re in a conversation about what food is best and where with Kihyun and Hyunwoo. It was wild to think a few days ago that you never dreamed of even knowing him past a passing glance or two. And now here you were, conversing with him. You expected to have conversations with Hyunwoo, Jooheon, and your best friends. You didn't expect the same with Minhyuk and Kihyun. And now you are, and it feels nice. A few minutes pass before one of Hyunwoo’s coworkers comes over and asks, “Joo, Woo, Kyun; same thing?” They nod, and then they turn to ask each of you. You all pass your menus to the waiter, and they thank you before heading to the kitchen.

Changkyun is talking with Jooheon and Hyunwoo when Kihyun asks, “What got you into financing?” You smile, “A few things; when I was younger, I always said I was going to be Hoseok's and Hyungwon's acting manager. And then our dreams changed, and I was the only one good at math in the bunch. Don’t get me wrong. They passed their classes. But they didn't get A's without my help.” He laughs, “And lastly, I really like working with numbers. It just makes so much sense to me. What made you want to become an idol?” He smiles, “I always loved singing when I was younger. My brother did too, he was unsuccessful, so my parents worried I would be too. It dampened my outlook, but I always participated in choir. And when I met Minhyuk, we ran after our dreams together.” He looks at him and smiles, “I’m glad I met him.” You look at each of your best friends, “Yeah, I know what you mean.”

The waiter brings your drinks out, and Jooheon gets up and cheers the eight of you, “To our future endeavors! And to our friendships, new and old; may they last forever.” You all clink your glasses together before taking a sip. It’s not long before your guy's food arrives. You look over at Changkyun to find him looking at you. He gives you an ‘I told you so’ type of look, and you smile at him, grateful for his comfort leading up to this night. You guys dig into your food, and you feel content. As Hyungwon said, having good food with friends makes the food more delicious. Hyunwoo asks you about pets you’ve had. And you happily tell him all about them and ask him about the pets he’s taken care of, which leads to Jooheon talking about the various animals he has kept. Which causes the rest of them to share their pets and experiences with animals too.

After you finish your meal, you watch everyone talking animatedly. And it brings joy to your heart. Hyungwon signals to you he's going to the restroom. And when he gets up, Minhyuk scoots over. “I haven’t got to have a proper conversation with you all night!” You laugh, and he asks, “Who was the worst boss you've ever had?” Of all the questions he could ask, you didn’t expect that one. But you give it some thought, “His name was Mr. McGee. I got the job after graduating high school at this ice cream shop. It was summer, right?” He nods, and thinking back on it makes you groan, “On Saturdays, one of the busiest days of summer. I’d be scheduled alone for the first two hours we were open. And since we opened at 3 pm, everyone was getting out of sports by four. I was struggling. And if I had ‘the audacity’ to request someone else to work with me. He’d have a conniption fit! Needless to say, I worked like three weekends before quitting and finding something else.” He laughs, “Damn, he sounded awful!” And you ask him, and he tells you, “I only worked two jobs before this one. But the first one, I quit pretty fast like you. I worked for Mrs. Robinson. She had me doing four jobs; delivering, serving, cooking, and counting money. But she only paid me for delivering! After a month, I quit without even a notice.” You gasp, “That’s rotten! I would have quit sooner!”

He nods, “She wasn't as bad as Kihyun’s old boss, though.” Kihyun, hearing his name, looks up before he realizes what he uttered afterward. Which causes him to let out a groan, “Mr. Park!” You laugh, and he tells you how he ran ragged from getting this man's coffee and doing his paperwork. And after every time, he finished his last task instead of a thank you. Mr. Park would ask, “Can you do this for me, Mr. Yoo?” “Yes, sir. Right away, sir!” He sighs, “I was so good for the promotion, and for what? Just for me to get no thanks, no promotion, and measly paychecks?! Oh, that was awful.” You look at Jooheon and Changkyun before saying, “We have the best jobs in the world now, thanks to them.” The two look over and grin. And Jooheon goes, “Without you guys, we wouldn’t have a company to run.” You all smile, and Hyungwon coughs, “My chair, Minnie.”

He pouts, “I was just getting to the fun part.” “Yeah, and I was just to the good part of my food.” Minhyuk rolls his eyes before moving back and letting Hyungwon have his seat back. Behind his back, you say, “We can always talk later!” He grins, and you both stick your tongue out at Hyungwon, which causes the rest of the table to laugh. Hyungwon squints at the two of you, “You guys are so nice to me.” And both of you mock him, causing you both to laugh. He rolls his eyes, and you find yourself talking with the three of them after Hyungwon finishes the 'best part' of his meal.

You’re not sure how long you’ve spent in the restaurant, but your guy’s conversation never dies down. You only pause when one of his coworkers comes over, “Hyunwoo, you can lock it up, right?” And he nods, and you hear the door close for the last time. You continue talking about everything together. It feels like you’ve known them all for years rather than only knowing three of them for that long. It isn’t until Jooheon yawns that Hyunwoo says, “Maybe we should all head home. And try to meet up again? Of course, when we’re all in town.” You all agree before tidying up. While waiting for Hyunwoo to lock up, you guys start another conversation. The eight of you walk out of the restaurant laughing. You start saying your goodbyes and exchange phone numbers with Hyunwoo, Minhyuk, and Kihyun. All of you promising to keep in contact. “See you guys later!” Jooheon and Hyunwoo leave first after exchanging their number with Hyungwon and Hoseok. The five of you have one last conversation before both Minhyuk and Kihyun have to leave.

You walk home all giddy with your best friends. “So, do you feel comfortable with your idols?” You smile, “I can’t believe we’re friends now.” They ruffle your hair, “We always knew you would be!” You all laugh and make your way back up to the apartment. Changkyun asks, “You guys want some ice cream and cake?” You all cheer, and he goes to the freezer and serves up the ice cream onto the plates you grabbed. And Hoseok cuts up the cake that Hyungwon serves.

As you eat, you realize the flowers in your heart are in full bloom, and you can see their colors. You felt healed in ways you couldn’t explain, but you could feel it to the nth degree as you laughed at Hyungwon. Who was growing tired by the moment with each bite he ate. He misses his mouth, which causes him to blink back awake. Hoseok wasn’t fairing much better as he leaned on his elbow, drooping to sleep with every other bite. You finish your ice cream to see Changkyun blinking back sleep. You don’t know why you feel so awake. Usually, after being around people you didn’t know, it would tire you out. But you feel energized, unlike your friends, who are about to pass out. You ‘ahem’ and everyone blinks their eyes open, “Finish your last bite and go to bed.” They nod tiredly, and you clean up after them. As they all drag themselves to bed, you look out the window.

The sky is littered with thousands of stars, and the city is sparkling like a million suns. You look up and whisper a few thanks for how your friends came back. About all the friends you made, for the new job, and for the new life you got. It’s rare someone gets the opportunity to start anew, but you did. You continue watching the cars fly by, and the planes take off from the airport. You sigh in contentment; the ashes became the perfect fertilizer for your flowers.

You must have stayed there for an hour watching the world turn. When you feel a blanket wrap around you, you finally feel tired. Changkyun asks, “What are you looking at?” You smile as you look over at him, “Everything and nothing at all.” He nods and looks out at it himself as you hold the blanket around you. “It’s pretty, you know?” You agree, “It is.” You stay like that for a while before he asks, “Are you ready to come to bed?” You give him a nod, and you both walk carefully in your shared blanket to his room. “Do you need to change?” You nod, and he heads to his drawers, “So you don’t have to wake them up.” You smile, thank him, and drag yourself to the bathroom.

You hold his clothes in your hands, and it dawns on you that he gave you his clothes to wear to bed. While it meant nothing, it meant everything to your heart, just like looking out at the city. You change into his clothes and smile as you look in the mirror before doing the rest of your nightly routine. You come back and see him tiredly waiting for you to come in. He holds his arms open, and you tilt your head, “Come on, I’m tired and need my sleeping buddy.” You laugh, and without another word, you slip under the covers and into his arms. Sleep takes you at that moment. Yeah, the lines were blurred a long time ago, but you’ve both just come to accept them.

You wake up to the sounds of two people snickering. But you don’t open your eyes as you hear Changkyun softly telling the two off. You can’t tell what they’re saying, but you know it probably has to do something with you lying in his arms. But you keep your eyes closed, hoping they'd grow quiet so you could go back to bed. Sleep doesn’t take you back, just as they don’t stop whispering. You sigh and open your eyes. “What are the three of you talking about?” You see Changkyun smiling at you, “Nothing in particular.” You sigh, “Could you have had this ‘nothing in particular’ conversation in the other room?” You hear Hoseok laugh, “Maybe, but it wouldn’t have been as fun as it is now.” Changkyun gives him a pointed look, and you shake your head, “Whatever.”

You relish in Changkyun’s warmth for a little longer before you get up. You slip out of bed and look at the clock noticing the date, “Oh,... It’s our last full day together.” They nod, “Yeah, that’s why we were trying to wake you guys up.” You hear him grumble, “It worked,” from behind you, and you can’t help but laugh. You follow the two out, “Ooh~ You’re wearing his clothes. Did something happen?” You glare, not in the mood for their antics so early in the morning, “Yeah, you guys went to sleep too early for me to grab clothes from my room to change into.” Hoseok puts his hands up in defense, and you roll your eyes as Hyungwon goes, “If you say so.” With a shake of your head, you go to your room and change in there for once.

You sigh and regain your ability to think as you head out of your room, “You wanna get coffee at the coffee shop?” You smile, that's something you can do so early in the morning. You nod, and the three of you head to Changkyun’s car since you drove you guys last. And listen to the three converse, too tired to engage with them. Maybe you shouldn’t have stayed up that late. But it felt so peaceful that you couldn’t pass up that moment of solitude. When you finally get your coffee and have your first bite of pastry. You finally feel your actions catch up to your mind. Changkyun sits diagonally across from you, and you lay your head on Hyungwon as you cover your mouth to yawn. He mouths, “Tired?” you nod, and Hoseok says, “You stayed up later than usual.” You raise your eyebrow, waiting for him to elaborate, “We got home at one am. You stayed up till three.” You go, “Oh.” And the three nod, and you finish your pastry and order another coffee.

“Thanks for getting me last night.” He shrugs, “It’s no problem. It didn’t feel right without you.” You don’t see the eyebrows raise at that as you smile at him. You’re halfway through your second coffee when Hyungwon goes, “I’m going to drop off the last of the film. Just remind me to pick it up tomorrow morning.” You all nod at him as he gets up and heads to the photography store. Changkyun and Hoseok continue the conversation they were having once he leaves. And you readjust in your seat as you feel awake. “So, what are we talking about?” Hoseok smiles, “How long it would be for Hyungwon to return.” You nod, satisfied with that answer even though you had a feeling that wasn’t it. As you scroll through your phone, you hear the word. “Love,” and it clicks. That’s the word you were searching for! You don’t say anything, but you keep it in mind. Butterflies swarm in your stomach as you realize you're in love with Changkyun. And while you knew it, now you knew he loved you back once you put all the context clues together. You hide your smile as you continue to scroll through your phone.

Hyungwon comes back, “What did I miss?” You shrug, and the two answer for you, “Nothing.” And he asks, “What do you guys wanna do today?” You smile and ask, “You guys want to look through old photo albums?” They nod, and Changkyun goes, “Breadsticks, takeout, and beer?” You agree, and Hyungwon adds, “Take out from a seafood place?” You all agree, and Hoseok says, “And a few rounds of cards?” You all nod, and Changkyun takes the three of you back home. Hyungwon places a scheduled delivery from a seafood place you all like. You pull out the breadsticks and get the oven ready. As you put them on a tray, Hoseok gasps, “Oh my god, you bought breadsticks that look like Lolo’s?” You nod and go, “I hope they taste as good!”

While those bake, you go to your room and find your childhood photo album. Hyungwon grabs his college and travel photos. Hoseok finds his small traveler album. And Changkyun comes back with his solo adventures. You all pile them onto the living room ottoman and go, “Let’s look at the ones where we are all together first.” They all agree, and the oven dings. Hoseok pulls out the breadsticks, puts them on a plate, and brings them over. You thank him, and Hyungwon goes, “These look like one’s we’d order from Lolo’s!” You all nod as you each grab one and try it, and Hoseok continues, “They taste just as good too!” You all hum in agreement, and Changkyun opens up the album. You munch on the breadsticks as you look through the photo album, cooing at everyone’s kindergarten photos. Hoseok taps excitedly on the page, “This is the first day we all hung out!” You nod and flip the page revealing more from that day, “Hyungwon’s house was huge!” He nods, “I would get lost in there all the time. Grandpa’s house was confusing as a kid.” Changkyun laughs, “I was so thankful to run into your grandpa after using the restroom. I got lost going back to the living room that day!” You all laugh and continue looking through the pages.

From school trips to park adventures to beach days. You guys were always together until that last day of summer. You don't know who sniffles first, but you shook with tears as you flipped the book closed. You sit there for a moment and cling to each other. Murmurs of, “It's okay...” “We have each other now” “It's alright...” “We've made it back to each other." When the four of you realize that's in the past, Hyungwon opens his photo album.

Changkyun is the first to speak up, “I didn’t expect you guys to look so sophisticated for your first day.” Hyungwon laughs, “It was our first day. Of course, we looked nice! It's the first impression that counts.” He shakes his head and pulls out his album, “I woke up late the first day, and Joo took a photo of me walking out the door! I look like a frazzled mess!” Hoseok gasps, “We should have never let you go out into this world alone!” You guys finish your breadsticks as he groans, “I looked nicer the second day!” He points to the outfit he has on the second page. Hyungwon shakes his head, “You look like a kid still learning how to dress.” He pouts, and you all coo, “It was nice!” He squints, and you go, “You look like a college kid!” Which makes him pout more, “That did not help.”

After ruffling his hair, you continue flipping through your college adventures together. “No way you three went to a frat party?!” Hoseok laughs, “We had to carry this one home that night-” They both pointed at you, “No one told me that the punch was spiked! I just thought it was spicy.” Changkyun cackles, “How much did you drink?!” You groan as Hyungwon says, “You’d think a sponge had soaked up that punch.” You sigh, “I was really thirsty. And I couldn’t reach the kitchen because of all the bodies. So that was the next best thing. I didn’t drink alcohol for a month after that.” Changkyun pats your head, “Oh, poor baby.” You pout. And he tells you, “If it makes you feel any better, I puked my guts up after my first-time bar hopping.” You give him a smile and nod, “That helps a bit.”

You finish your college days with your graduation photos and flip the book closed. And Changkyun continues with his. “We had originally lived in a dingy apartment together. When we finally started making money, we moved out and into the places we live now.” You all nod and listen to him as he shows the photos and all the renovations done to the building. He grins, “This is the day Joo and I opened the label to the public.” He flips to the next page showing a photo of Jooheon, Minhyuk, Kihyun, and him. He smiles, “Ki and Min were the first ones to sign to our label.” Hoseok asks, “How did you manage that?” He grins as he tells the story, “Joo was reaching out to everyone who didn’t have a label that he knew. We were having no luck. And then we got a call from Minhyuk. They were looking for a label that would push them to the next level.” You all nod as he continues, “So the next day, we talked it over... That was it. And soon, everyone wanted to sign with us.” Hyungwon goes, “And now, you guys are what? A multi-million dollar company?” He nods, “Most of it goes to our artists, though.” You agree, “If I were an aspiring artist, I’d be begging to get into Honeycat.”

You guys move on from his album to Hyungwon’s and Hoseok’s adventures as models. Hoseok smiles, “This was my first shoot with Gucci.” And Hyungwon says, “And this was my first with Dior.” They turn to show you both, “And we posed for Chanel together!” You both nod as they show you various landmarks and forests, along with all the beautiful clothes they got to wear. Changkyun asks, “Didn't you guys both model for W?” They nod, and he cheers, “I own that magazine!” And you all gasp, “You do?” He nods, “I remember being stunned looking at the photo of you two. I picked it up and bought it- hold on!” He rushes to his room and returns with the magazine in his hand. And he shows the image, “I was so happy to see you guys again, even though it wasn’t physical. I was happy to see you guys made it.” They smile as they tease, “You want our signatures~” He shakes his head, “I don’t need that when I have the real deal.” The two wrap him up in a hug, and you smile at them, secretly taking a photo of them.

You guys finish up their albums, and together you four clean up and go to the dining room to play cards. Hoseok and Changkyun grab snacks to eat while you play card games. You get everyone a beer and sit in your ‘assigned seats’ . Hoseok hands you the deck. After shuffling and debating what game you all were going to play. You start with a classic: Rummy. After an hour, Hoseok wins the first game with a perfect score of five hundred. You guys decide to play another game of Rummy. It takes several rounds, but Changkyun cheers as he wins. Hoseok comes in second, and Hyungwon and you tie for third place. And you whine, “Shouldn’t the scorekeeper be allowed to have fifty-five extra points?” The others laugh and shake their heads at you, “Well, can’t say I didn’t try.”

Changkyun gets another round of beers, and Hyungwon asks, “Go fish?” You all nod, find the jokers, and put them aside, and he deals out five cards and spreads the rest on the table. You look through your hand and find an ace, a ten, one six, and two fours. You place your match down, and Hoseok lays two matching sixes down. Hoseok asks, “Kyun, do you have any sevens?” and Changkyun hands him his seven. After putting them down on the table. He asks, “(N/n), do you have any queens?” You shake your head and say, “Go fish!” You ask Hyungwon if he has any sixes, and he tells you to go fish, and you pick up another ten. Changkyun asks Hyungwon if he has any fours, and he hands his four over. He asks Hoseok if he has any fives, which he hands over. And then he asks you if you have any nines, and you tell him to go fish.

Hoseok snickers as he asks, “Kyun, do you have any nines?” Changkyun groans as he hands it over. And then he asks Hyungwon if he has any queens and has to fish for a new card. Hyungwon smirks as he asks, “Kyun, do you have any twos?” He nods and hands it over to him, “I knew it.” He guffaws, “How?!” And he goes, “I saw you pick it up. (N/n), do you have any eights?” You shake your head, and he picks up another card. You put down your pair and ask Hoseok if he has any aces, and he tells you to go fish. Changkyun asks if you have any kings, and you just fished it from the pond. So, you sigh as you hand it to him, and he picks up five more cards. Hyungwon smirks at you when it's his turn again, “(N/n), do you have any aces?” You sigh and hand it over to him, and he asks Kyun if he has any jacks, to which he hands it over. He asks him again for any eights, and Kyun smiles as he can finally say go fish for the first time in a while.

The game goes for a while, but for the first time all night, you win the game! You cheered as you counted up your eight pairs. Hyungwon came in second with seven, Changkyun was in third with six, and Hoseok ended with five matches. You guys finish another round of go fish when the doorbell rings. The four of you hopped up from your chairs; Hyungwon went and got the food, Hoseok got the plates, and you and Changkyun cleaned up the table. After serving up your meals, you all head to the table. And Changkyun shuffles the deck and splits it between the four of you. Hoseok goes, “Bullshit again?” He nods, “Best game to play while distracted~.”

You start first, even though you don’t have an ace in your hand. No one ever suspects the first player. In reverse, Hoseok goes next, and you’re too busy eating to notice it’s your turn. “What number?” “Five” You nod and lay down a five. Hoseok goes next, and just before Hyungwon sets down his card, you notice him trying to hold back his grin. “Bullshit.” Hyungwon retracts his hand, and Hoseok flips over the ‘six,’ revealing a ten. You smirk as he looks through the cards. And he goes, “(N/n), lying even in the first round!?” You giggle with a nod, and you continue playing and eating. No one pays attention until the four of you notice the size of the pile. You eat your seafood, hoping no one will call your bullshit out as you lay a jack down and call out, “Queen,” and Hoseok places his card down. None of you are brave enough to call each other out until Hyungwon says the card he was putting down instead of Ace. He calls “four,” and you all giggle, “You mean Ace?” He blinks, “Fuck yeah, that’s an ace, I can assure you.” Changkyun smirks and bites the bullet, “Bullshit.” And he groans and flips over the card revealing the four.

He picks up at least thirty cards, “Now. I’ll know if you’re lying.” He sorts them real fast between bites. “You guys are the worst… You were all lying to me, and the one time I didn’t lie, that’s when you caught me!?” You all laugh, and Changkyun goes to put down his ‘two,’ and Won says, “You better put that back.” You make eyes towards Kyun and place down your 'three'. “Bullshit.” You gulp, not even thinking about messing with the man with half of the deck, and grab it back up. Hoseok says, “Four,” Hyungwon squints before placing his verified five down. He finally lets you both off the hook. Until it reaches Hoseok again, he tries to place down an ‘eight’ and immediately gets a “Bullshit” call. He flips over his card, revealing a seven, “It was close.” Hyungwon squints, “Uh huh.”

While Hyungwon is distracted, taking a sip of his beer and placing his card down: the three of you quickly lay your cards down in succession. Hyungwon questions, “Is that a Queen?” “Hell yeah, it is.” He takes the answer and places his card down as Hoseok lets out a sigh of relief. “Do you have any threes?” You nod and secretly switch your card out with his for your next hand. Changkyun holds in his laugh as he catches the two of you doing it. “But that’s clearly bullshit?!” Won whines as he has the monopoly of twos after Hoseok rapidly places his three on top of your ‘two.’ “I believe (N/n) wouldn’t lie. Would you, Kyun?” He shakes his head, and the three of you laugh.

“I hate all three of you.” You laugh, “Uh-huh, and then you’ll be all over us when it’s time to go home.” He rolls his eyes and puts his card down. He finally gets to put his two down and mellows back out after you pick up the pile after trying to call him out on his lying. Hoseok goes, “I told you he was telling the truth.” You roll your eyes, “Just cause he has twenty cards does not mean he’s telling the truth.” He smirks, “Right you are. Look at your hand.” You gasp and point at him, “You-!?” And he cackles, “I knew calling you three out every other second would make it seem like I was telling the whole truth.” Hoseok groans and throws his cards face down. “You cheater!” Hyungwon cackles even harder, “Don’t hate the player~ Hate the game!” He sits back down, “Meanie- I know this is bullshit, but jeez.” Changkyun just shakes his head at the three of you.

You guys finish your plates and grab the snacks again after Changkyun wins. You all sigh in relief before cleaning up the cards. You ask, “What do you guys say to some old-fashioned video games?” They all nod, and you all pile into the living room. After a few rounds of Mario Kart, various Wii sports games. You are all shocked to find out that Hyungwon sucks at Wii Bowling, “Yeah, but this game doesn’t require skill!” Hoseok shakes his head, “Don’t be a sore loser.” And you laugh as he pouts, and you ruffle his hair. When he gets a strike, he takes a shot of whiskey. Which makes him do a silly little dance, and you all cheer for him with your beer cans.

None of you wish to go to bed as you continue playing games throughout the night. Even after everyone has yawned more than a few times, you still don’t move from your position on the couch. None of you want the day to end because it would bring tomorrow's afternoon faster. Hoseok yawns and stretches his arms out. And wraps them around Changkyun and you; “What do you guys say to a blanket fort so we can stay together tonight?” You smile, “That sounds perfect!” And you guys drag your mattress into the living room and connect it to the couch’s pullout. You guys work hard putting it all together with blankets strewn all over it and pillows littered throughout it. Satisfied with your handy work, you all giggle and high-five.

Hoseok whispers, “Last time we made a blanket fort was when we were fourteen.” You nod, and Hyungwon says, “We made cookies and stayed up all night watching anime and eating cookies.” And Changkyun asks, “What do you guys say to cake and ice cream in bed instead?” You all agree and get changed for bedtime. The four of you decide on a movie together before getting your dessert. You guys crawl in carefully, not wanting to have ice cream all over the blankets you just laid down. You sit on the end next to Hoseok, and Changkyun sits between him and Hyungwon. Changkyun unpauses the movie, and you all intently watch it.

It had to be the perfect way to end your vacation with your best friends. Changkyun finishes his first and puts his plate at the end of the mattress. And the rest of you pile your plates and forks on top of his. Hoseok takes the trash in and asks if anyone needs anything while he is in there. And you all shake your heads as the tiredness finally takes over. He joins you guys, and you all lay down, grab your separate blankets, and cozy into them. You try to fight the sleep and stay in the moment, but it wins you over with only a quarter of the movie left to go.

You wake up with a heavy feeling in your chest. As you sit up, you notice the other three waking up too. “Morning,” you whisper and hear whispers of it back. You all take a little while to come to your senses. And Hyungwon, with a rasp, asks, “Cake and coffee?” You all agree and make the awkward shuffle out of the fort. You smile as you look back over it. It held up well for such a late-night craft. You cut into the cake and serve it onto everyone's plates as Changkyun makes everyone a cup of coffee.

You all make your way to the table. A somber feeling takes over the four of you as you realize today is the day of parting. Changkyun speaks up first, “So what are your plans in Berlin, Hoho?” Hoseok grins as he tells him, “First, I’m going to sleep the whole first day there, then take in the sites the next day. And then I’m off to model for Men’s Health.” You nod, and then Kyun asks, “What are your plans in Marseille, Won?” Hyungwon finishes his bite of cake before answering, “About the same as Hoho. But I’m going to be modeling for Single’s magazine.” You eat your cake before looking at the two of them, “What time are your flights?” Hoseok sighs, “2:15 pm.” You look over, and Hyungwon says, “2 pm.” You both nod. You see it’s 10 am, and you sigh, only four more hours with them physically.

Hoseok puts the dishes in the sink after you all finish everything. “We have to pack…” You nod, and the two of you follow them to 'their' room, “You know, I’m going to miss you guys sleeping in my bed.” They nod, and Hoseok whispers, “It’s weird to think you guys were only a door away.” And Hyungwon continues softly, “And now we’re going to be hundreds of miles apart again.” You collectively gulp back your tears. You and Changkyun sit in front of the door watching the two of them pace around and collect all their things. Changkyun whispers, “I never thought I’d have to say goodbye to them again.” You nod, “I thought when we’d get back together. It’d go back to how it was and stay like that.” You put your head on his shoulder as he says, “I thought that’s how it would be too.” When they finish collecting their things, they come over and sit across from you guys.

You all grab hands, and Hoseok goes, “Let’s promise to see each other every month.” You agree, and Changkyun says, “And to not lose connection, no matter what happens.” With sad smiles, you all nod. Trying not to cry, you whisper, “Let’s talk about everything with each other.” They all nod, and Hyungwon goes, “Let’s always be together even when we’re apart.” You all agree through sniffles and bring each other for a hug. No words are needed to express how much you'll miss each other. When all of your tears dry, they gather their bags, and you take them down together.

You stare at the tailgate as you shut it, as though you were sending them off now. Hyungwon breaks the silence first, “We’ll have to get the last of my photos developed.” You all nod before getting into Changkyun’s car. The radio plays softly in the background. A comfortable silence envelopes the four of you like a sweater in December. He parks in front of the film place, and you all decide to wait in the building with him, not wanting to be apart from each other. It doesn’t take long as they return with a box of photographs. Hyungwon looks through them and smiles at a few before he nods and pays for them. He has them wrapped in a particular fashion. And once it's completed. He holds the bundle to his chest and thanks the person behind the counter. And they tell the four of you to have a good day.

You look at the clock and whisper, “It’s almost twelve.” They all nod, and Changkyun drives you guys to the airport. They talk about where their gates are and realize they have the same entrance. That means you won’t have to separate before their time to depart. You all smile at that, and Changkyun waits until a car pulls out of the upfront parking space before parking in it. You all turn back, and Kyun sighs, “Do we have to?” You all pout, and Hoseok says, “If we didn’t have to, leaving would never cross my mind.” And Hyungwon agrees. You all sigh at the situation before getting out of the car one last time together. Hoseok pulls his backpack on as Hyungwon wraps his headphones around his neck. They both pull their suitcases out together before the four of you begin the short venture to the airport.

You guys move to the side to talk and wish each other off. Hyungwon, having a little bit of an earlier departure, goes first. Out of his pocket, he pulls out two packets. He has you open your hands and places the packets into your palms. He tells you, “I got you double the copies 'cause I know you like to put them in photo albums and into frames.” You hold back your tears as you hold them close. You whisper with tears starting to fall, “I’m going to miss you, you know that, right?” With tears in his eyes, he nods, “But this time, we’ll only be a flight away. Our schedules are more flexible now, and we'll be able to see each other more.” You nod, wrap him up in your arms, cry into his chest, and do your best to tell him, “Thank you. I’ll see you soon. I promise.” He holds you close and runs his hands through your hair. You both let go before he moves over to Changkyun, and you wipe your eyes.

He hands him a packet of photos, “I can’t wait to see how you’ll decorate your walls with them.” Changkyun shakes his head as he looks down, “I don’t want you to leave. I want you to see my wall art in person.” He nods, and Changkyun pulls him into a tight hug, “I promise I’ll come back. And I'll see your wall art in person. We won't be separated for long ever again.” When they pull away, he walks over to Hoseok who’s already shedding his tears. And he hands him his pouch of photos, “I can’t wait to see how you collage this.” Hoseok wraps him up tightly, “I’ll see you in Paris?” Hyungwon hums a ‘yes’ as he puts him down. When they part, all of you wrap the tall man up into one last tearful hug, “We’ll see each other soon.” He nods as he starts to walk away. You all shout, “Till then, Penguin!” He smiles, and the four of you wave until you can no longer see each other.

Hoseok stands in front of you both, “I sent you guys the video as a parting gift.” You both shake your head at him. And you whisper, “You didn't have to.” He smiles through his tears. And he nods, “I did, and I'm going to miss you guys so much more now.” He picks Changkyun up for a hug first as Kyun tells him how he wishes he would stay too. And Hoseok wraps him up tighter, “I won’t be gone for long, and nor will Hyungwon, I promise.” He sets him down and opens his arms, and you crash into them as he picks you up. He whispers, “I know you promised before, but please promise to talk to us about everything.” You promise him and tell him that you’ll miss him. And once he sets you down. He brings you both into a hug and tells you both, “We have each other, and we’ll see each other soon, I promise.” He pulls away and gets about a foot away when you two shout, “Take care, Polar Bear!” He leaves in the opposite direction, with you three waving until you can no longer see each other.

You wipe your eyes again and look over at Changkyun to see him doing the same thing. Without another word, you grab his hand and squeeze, “Let’s go home, Kyun.” He smiles, and you both walk out of the airport. It’s so quiet on the walk back, but it's not uncomfortable it's unusual. You were so used to chatting with the other two that when it went back to just the two of you. It felt lonely. The rain in your flowery meadow starts pouring as you miss your friends dearly. You only release his hand to get in before he pulls your hand back into his. He whispers, “I can’t believe we won’t see them for another month.” You sigh but give him your bravest smile, “But it’s only a month this time.” He nods, “Yeah, it's only a month. We’ll have each other until then.” You squeeze his hand as he drives home.

You come home to streamers, a blanket fort, and huge signs, and it hits you full throttle again. You put your head into Changkyun’s chest and cry. He wraps his arms around you as he cries into your shoulder. It was an intense feeling of longing and separation, even though you knew you'd be seeing them again soon. It still broke your heart. When both of your cries turn into sniffles, you part and walk over to the kitchen table. You guys don’t say anything as you move around to make ramen. As you eat the noodles, it comforts you endlessly in the ways only ramen can do. The rain in your heart turns to sunshine. And the flowers see their first rainbow as your heart comes to terms with it all.

After an hour or so, you both work on dismantling the pillow fort, and you return your mattress to your room. You take time to redo your bed with fresh bedding. And place your two packets of photos on your dresser beside your signed album. You come back out to see Changkyun pushing in the couch’s pull-out. You pitch in and help him, and from there, you both take down the decorations. Once you finish, you sit beside each other. You guys watch an alligator documentary together. Your phone rings with a group call from the two you were missing. You answer and prop it up so you both can talk to them. You guys talk until it’s time for them to turn off their phones. Changkyun lays his head on your shoulder, “I know it’s not going to be long, but it doesn’t make me miss them any less.” You hum and reach your arm around and rub his shoulder. “Me too.” You guys watch a happy little cartoon to take your minds off it.

When you both yawn and decide to go to bed. You get changed in your room and realize you can sleep here for the first time in seven days. And if you heard that seven days ago, you would have been ecstatic. But now, as you look down at your bed, you don’t wish to divulge in the plushness. It’s not the same, and you know it. You lay down and try to get comfortable. It feels as though rocks are underneath you. It causes you to toss and twist into uncomfortable positions to relax. But nothing is working: and you know it's because he's not there. You sigh and play on your phone to take your mind off of it. But after an hour, you’re done. You can't take it anymore. it’s not until you get to his door that you realize what you’re about to do. You shake your head, ‘It’s just for tonight,’ as you go to knock, the door opens. He blinks in surprise before smiling at you. And you ask, “Can I sleep in here?” He nods, “I was about to ask you to. It feels weird without you.”

He lets you in, and you laugh, “I couldn’t get comfortable no matter how hard I tried to.” He nods before getting in first. You follow in after him and immediately feel at ease. You sigh and fluff up the pillow under your head. You stare at each other, and your brain races with tons of thoughts. You click the light off, and he reaches for your hand, which you give him. He intertwines your fingers, and you smile. And he says, “I figured it out.” You go, “Me too.” And with a deep breath, he tells you, “The word I was looking for is love. It knows no bounds. It has no time constraints, and it’s limitless. I think I’ve always loved you. I didn’t always have a name for what I felt, but I know that’s what I’ve always felt for you.” You bring his hand up and place a kiss on his knuckles before saying, “I think I've always loved you too. I realized that was the word we were looking for when you and Hoseok were talking.” He smiles, “I realized it as I came out of my room to find you looking at the cityscape.” You grin, and he pulls you closer to him. And like that night after looking at the cityscape together, you both wrap up in each other’s holds.

You whisper, “I love you,” and he whispers, “I love you too.” And you both fall asleep feeling at peace. In the morning, when you're still in bed, you both call up Hyungwon and Hoseok, who cheer. Hoseok yells, “I’ve been waiting for this moment for wayyy too long!” And you both laugh, and Hyungwon shouts, “The romance of the century!” You shake your head as the two chatter about you guys finally being together. You lean back against Changkyun’s chest, and he holds you in his arms and puts his chin over your shoulder. Hoseok goes, “Screenshotted babies!” And Kyun smirks before kissing your cheek, which causes them to coo and you to turn red. After a few more minutes, you hang up, and he asks, “Coffee at the café, baby?” You go, “Pet names already, Babe?” He giggles, and you grin before getting dressed.

He drives you both to the cafe and holds your hand the whole way. You swing your arms back and forth as you walk in. As you wait in line, you ask him, seeing if he feels the same way, "This isn't our first date, is it?" He nods, "No, but officially it is." You smile as you get a tea and a pastry, and he gets the same. You head over to a table that looks out onto the street. You split your treats in half and exchange them as he says, "This is where we first saw each other again." You nod, "Do you consider the time we snuck off to be our first date, then?" He smiles, "Yeah, until those two interrupted us." You laugh as you continue, "Our first date has been here twice." You both grin and he says, "Few can say they went on a first date twice with the same person." You nod, "But we can." He agrees, and you eat in peace.

When you finish your cherry pastry, Changkyun goes, "Joo is going to be so excited when he finds out." You laugh, "I can't wait to hear his reaction." That's when your phone dings with a new message. You unlock and laugh as you read it out loud to Kyun, "I knew you two liked each other! Kiki didn't believe me!" The two of you laugh as another message comes from Kihyun, "Minnie is lying. I told him you were holding hands when we met you. But he didn't believe me!" You both laugh, and he continues, "But congratulations! I'm glad you two are together!" You get another notification from Minhyuk, "Anyways, congrats, you two!" You text them your 'thank you's. You finish up as he calls up Jooheon and puts him on speaker. "Oh my god! I knew it was only a matter of time! He'd talk a lot about you and your best friends. But he didn't talk about them in the light he did about you." Changkyun turns bright red as he goes on, and you giggle. And Kyun whines, "I'll see you tomorrow, Joo?" Jooheon agrees, "I'll see you both tomorrow! Have a fun evening, you two love birds!"

Once you guys leave the cafe and return home, he goes, "I can't believe this is all real." You nod as you set your things down, "Yeah, it's unreal. Isn't it?" You turn back to talk to him to see him standing right in front of you. He asks, "Usually, when something feels like a dream, you'd pinch someone, right?" You agree and look into his eyes as he goes, "Maybe instead of a pinch, just to make sure it's real..." He trails off as he looks down at your lips and back into your eyes, and you go, "We kiss?" He smiles, and you wrap your arms around him, and he leans in and captures your lips in his.

When you pull away from each other, he whispers, "Yeah, this is real." Breathlessly you ask, "Wanna do it again?" He nods, and you kiss him for the second time. He leads you back to his room, and as Jooheon said, you had a fun evening together.

—---

On your first anniversary of being with Changkyun. Hoseok calls you two up and cheers, “We have a surprise for you two!” You tilt your head and look over at Kyun, asking him what could be in store for the two of you, and he shrugs, unsure. You hear a knock on your apartment, figuring the two of them delivered you guys something silly. You both get up to see what it is and see them standing before you. They wrap you both into a hug and when they release you, you ask, “I thought we weren’t seeing each other until the 15th?” Hyungwon smirks, “You’ll be seeing us more than that.” You give Changkyun a look, and he shrugs. Still not sure what they were hinting at. They gesture for the two of you to follow them over to the abandoned apartment next door. Changkyun catches on first and goes, “No way.” Hoseok smirks and flashes a key at the two of you before opening the door. In shock, you gasp, put a hand over your mouth and see Changkyun doing the same thing.

Hoseok says, “Yes, way,” as he pushes the two of you in front of him into the newly opened apartment. “It looks like ours but opposite?” Hoseok says, “Yeah, our offices are connected. But that’s about it.” You nod with tears filling your eyes as you bring them into your arms. You cheer, “This is the greatest anniversary gift ever!” The four of you become a puddle-like mess as the four of you cry. Hyungwon tells you both, “We might be out and not here all the time, but this is home.” Changkyun says, “This is all younger me ever wished for.” Which makes the four of you cry harder.

Being able to visit your best friends whenever your heart desired? Felt unbelievable but magical. It's something you always begged and wished for as a child. And now, you were living those dreams. Sure, they had work. And they'd be in other cities, but when they returned, it felt like a piece of you came back. Everything was right in the world, and the flowers in your garden blossomed. When you were a junior in high school, all you wanted was for Changkyun to be back. And when you graduated college, Hyungwon and Hoseok left. All you wanted was for them to be back in your life again. You prayed to stars that somehow, some way, you'd be together again. Not only did the stars grant your wish, but they also made it better than you dreamed of. And you wouldn't have it any other way.

"(N/n), you coming?!" You hear Hyungwon interrupt your thoughts. And you go back to the task at hand. You empty the popcorn into two big bowls and feel someone wrap their arms around your waist. "Hi, Kyun." He puts his face into your neck, "What are you thinking about?" You smile, "How lucky I am." He smiles and kisses your neck, "I think I'm luckier." You raise an eyebrow, "How so?" He smiles as he turns you around, "Because you came back to me." You grin and look into his eyes, "I guess you are pretty lucky." He laughs before kissing you, and you laugh as you kiss him back. You hear someone enter the kitchen, "Okay, love birds, very cute. But I'd like to eat my popcorn now." Hoseok sighs as he reaches behind you. And he walks into the living room as you both part, "Wonnie! They're kissing again!" Hoseok whines, and you both chuckle at him. And you kiss Kyun's nose and ask, "Wanna join them?" And hear Hyungwon cry, "Will you two come in here! I'm gonna start the movie without you!" He laughs and nods, "We can't miss movie night with our best friends." You agree, "You're right." And before you can leave the kitchen, he pulls you in for another kiss. You both giggle as he goes, "What? One kiss is simply not enough with you." You shake your head and kiss him again. Good thing the beginning of the movie was a credit sequence as you finally sit down next to your best friends.

It felt right to be together again. Your relationship with Changkyun is like a summer breeze in your flower field. The lines between you blurred between lovers and friends. But now it was clear there were no limits on the love you held for each other, and there never would be. In the fire he held your hand and helped you until you escaped the flames. He watched as the ash settled, the smoke cleared, and the flowers bloomed. And you helped his heart do the same. His gray skies became colorful again when you came back into his life. Like a piece of watercolor work, going from a sketch to a beautiful painting. And reunited, your worlds blossomed and grew together. Before you knew it, your two best friends came back. And now live right next door. Well, most of the time. Everything that was wrong became right again.

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