a/n: long overdue and probably not as good as you guys deserve. but thank-you for supporting me and staying with me. i'm going to be updating more often to make up for time lost. without further ado, here's the newest chapter uwu ♡

the bus was always something that jihoon thought was a paradox - useless but a necessity. 

the sheer amount of time wasted travelling by bus is a precious time you could spend appreciating anything from the patch of nature that survived the concrete roads to the comfort that his totoro plush provides him with.

jihoon’s eyes felt heavier, his lack of sleep for the past week finally taking their toll on him.

✈

wonwoo’s heart felt heavy for soonyoung, as he knew that his friends heart felt hurt by the possibility that someone could replace him in jihoon’s life.

walking around their humble place, he speaks, “gyu?”

after walking around the whole place for the 2nd time, he started to worry, finding only mingyu’s phone and keys on the table counter. 

grabbing his phone and a jacket, wonwoo ventured outside to look for mingyu.

just as he was about to give up, wonwoo passed by a bridge that overlooks the river. admiring the view, he only belatedly realised that part of the view he was admiring was the person he had been looking for since he woke up. with someone else in his arms.

✈

“ji, be honest. how much of an arsehole am i?” soonyoung’s face was buried in his pillows but jisoo heard his question loud and clear.

jisoo merely sighed, “you know i don’t approve of that kind of language use but there’s no better word to use other than that right at this moment.” soonyoung grumbled in reply, “but… that doesn’t mean it’s not something you can fix. wallowing in self-pity is not an option young-ie!”

soonyoung feels like he’d rather drown in this pool of self-pity and pride than admit that he was wrong to have treated seokmin that way. also, the fact that tall giant kim mingyu was capable of taking care of jihoon just makes him feel even more disposable.

jisoo didn’t condone violence but in this situation, he felt he was left without a choice but to hit kwon soonyoung with the nearest pillow.

“to be honest soonyoung, you are disposable.” jisoo smiles sympathetically, “but so is everyone. there will be people who can do the same thing as you, there will be people who can do it better. but individual difference is what it all comes down to. once upon a time, jihoon fell in love with you - you must’ve done something right.”

it was funny, soon young’s heart felt lighter at those words and he also felt like tearing up very soon, “should we watch a movie and binge on ice cream, ji?”

jisoo chuckles at the fond memories flooding in, “as long as it’s a sad one so you can cry your heart out, kiddo”

halfway through the movie, jisoo speaks again. 

“and apologise to seokmin, ok? you’re not as petty as you made yourself out to be”

✈

“remember how we used to wish we lived next to each other like in those cheesy high school films where our bedroom windows faced each other and we would climb into each others windows whenever we wanted to?” mingyu smiled fondly after recalling their dreams and hopes from when they first met at 1 year old.

seokmin smiled too, but it was weaved with sadness and longing. 

“i’m sorry for everything i have and haven’t done… i have, and will always love you min-ie.” seokmin’s cigarette was turning into a line of ash as he only stared at the water facing him, “i have no excuse, just an explanation long overdue - you loved me too, you still love me. but what we felt was not romantic love, we were each others hometown. we grew up together, our life revolved around each other and this memories i knew we’ll always be fond of but when that day when you got confessed to, it hit me like a ton of bricks - i thought of the future and i can see you on my wedding day, but you’re next to me.”

✈

wonwoo’s legs felt like they’re about to give up, and he sees a bridge not too far away and plans to catch his breath there.

relief flooded over him once he reached the bridge, until he heard a familiar voice nearby.

‘i have, and will always love you min-ie’

wonwoo’s heart was made of steel but it was as breakable as his legs. 

so he ran, he ran until his legs gave up and he collapsed in the sidewalk with tears streaming down his face.