“Jagi.”

Jongin’s head snapped up at the mention of a single word. How that has gotten through the song that has been playing pretty loudly on his earphones is beyond him but nonetheless, there he is, looking up to a person that he hasn’t imagined himself to see again. It’s not like they have parted in bad terms; they just haven’t parted in good either. This particular person with big, bright eyes and such a warm, heart-shaped smile isn’t a stranger to Jongin but at the same time, he still is. Jongin isn’t sure on how to answer to the pet name. He can’t exactly pull the other closer in a one-armed hug as he would’ve done before.

It wasn’t that long for the awkward air to start creeping upon them and the bright smile that has greeted Jongin at first faltered into a fake looking one. He knows that if he was some bystander, the two of them were painful to watch.

“I’m sorry,” Do Kyungsoo quickly apologized and bowed low. Before Jongin could even make sense of it, the singer has his heels and has started to walk away. The choreographer didn’t miss the way the other’s eyes got clouded and his over-all expression turned dejected. It wasn’t Kyungsoo’s fault, after all. Jongin is just that bad in socializing that he couldn’t even greet his ex-husband properly. There was no cameras or PDs to prompt him on what to do so he is kind of lost.

Kim Jongin was never good with hellos nor with goodbyes. Will it be okay for him to get reference from their past? Will that even be appropriate? He didn’t want to offend the elder singer but then, he might’ve already did, considering that he’s walking away from the choreographer without another word.

Jongin stood and closed Kyungsoo’s head start in three long strides. He reached for the other’s wrist but missed. Maybe it was for the better since he was able to grab hold of a familiar smaller hand and it was easier to pull the singer to a stop. The latter tried to free himself from the hold but Jongin held on tight. There are only a few reasons for Kyungsoo to be there in the same place as he is and if he is right, it won’t do the both of them any good if they start on the wrong foot. Jongin makes a mental note to scold himself and gather his together.

“Hey, Soo. I’m sorry,” he started as soon as the singer stopped struggling from his hold. He’s still faced with the singer’s seemingly broader back but the choreographer decides to not push his luck too much. “I… I was just surprised to see you here. It was all… unexpected. I’m sorry, Soo,” he chuckled humorlessly. “You know me. And, I guess that’s something that still hasn’t changed. Really, I’m sorry.”

When Kyungsoo faced him with a slightly wary expression, Jongin tried his best to smile. It has been able to reassure Kyungsoo before and maybe, it could still do the trick this time.

“I get it,” at that, the choreographer sighed in relief. “I’m sorry, I overreacted. It’s just that… I wanted to kinda take you by surprise and I succeeded. Only I think it wasn’t the best way to do it. I’m sorry if I offended you or something.”

That wasn’t what Jongin has been after but at least, Kyungsoo’s not mad at him for being a douche. Still, his brows furrowed in worry as the singer has never been one for too many words but he has just… rambled along. And as far as his memory is concerned, he only does that whenever he is nervous or afraid. Jongin doesn’t want any of that. He was used to seeing Kyungsoo smile or laugh whenever they were together, most of the time, and that’s the only way he knows in how to be with the singer. He wasn’t planning on changing that anytime soon because a happy Kyungsoo could easily make a happy world, in Jongin’s humble opinion.

“What about we put that behind us and pretend that that didn’t happen,” the dancer took a deep breath and regarded the other with a serious face before melting in a more genuine smile. “How have you been, Soo? I missed you.”

Maybe one thing that Jongin should unlearn from being with Kyungsoo is that he runs his mouth too much whenever he’s with him. The level of comfort that he has around the other has been higher than most of the people that he has known for far longer and has been with more often compared to Kyungsoo. It might’ve been okay before but seeing their status of relationship (or lack thereof), it is just uncalled for.

He rethinks that as Kyungsoo’s tinkling laugh rang inside the waiting room where they had first met after five years of non-contact, five years after their six-month pseudo relationship under WGM has ended. He felt a calming feeling settle inside his chest that he didn’t know he missed until he felt it again. It’s just the same as before, Kyungsoo having that effect on him that nobody else has. Thinking back, it was incredibly stupid if him to have stopped communicating with the singer. They could’ve stayed as friends and Jongin might’ve been able to add him into the small circle of people who matters in his life, even outside the show that has brought them together.

“Fine, fine. I missed you, too, Jong. It’s been so long. You owe me.”

Kim Jongin doesn’t know how his boss and cousin, Kim Junmyeon, has coerced him in so many things that he hasn’t imagined himself getting into. For one, it was Junmyeon who volunteered Jongin to be his replacement in the student council when he graduated in high school. For a reason or another, Jongin did end up as the president of the whole student body through a landslide victory. He has never had any experience with any of those s but he ended up as the leader. If it weren’t for the other capable officers, Jongin might’ve thrown their school into the dumpster.

And then, it was Junmyeon who convinced his parents to let him be a dance major despite their wishes for Jongin to take some business-related curriculum because they have the entertainment agency to hand over to him. Jongin has already resigned into the idea of managing people instead of continuing his dancing but then his cousin has swooped in to get his into the Performing Arts department of the university they both attended. He took it upon himself to run the company in behalf of Jongin so that his favorite baby cousin could do whatever he pleases.

Jongin has known long before that the elder doesn’t really do anything that will harm him in any way. His motives might be vague at first but eventually, the younger will be able to figure out and he mostly feels thankful for Junmyeon.

And maybe, Jongin’s most favorite and hated deed done for him by his elder cousin is signing him up for We Got Married. Back then, the elder has reasoned that Jongin sill has a very, very big world to explore and one way to start that is by getting into a reality show where he will fake a relationship with someone. Jongin failed to see the logic in that but he blames his blind trust on Junmyeon that he found himself in the set of the show not long after.

But then, there he met the timid singer who was looped into the show because his manager thinks that it is a good way for him to share his other side to his fans. It was stupidly ironic to expect someone to show something real in a show that was based on something fake but it probably worked to an extent because Kyungsoo did earn a whole lot more fans due to the show. And Jongin? He was able to meet the Kyungsoo behind the singer and was able to feel happy because of something aside from dancing and his pet dogs.

Things and people come and go, and so did their temporary time together. It hasn’t gotten to Jongin until it was too late to reach out to the singer without making things awkward. Jongin had been right since that is exactly what had happened the first time they met again.

Bringing Kyungsoo into the reality show that his cousin has cooked up for their company is yet another ploy for Jongin, he knows. But what is Junmyeon’s motive this time?

“Ahh, perfect. Nice to see you again, Kyungsoo-yah. And thank you for accepting the job,” Junmyeon boomed as he entered the waiting room with his usual blinding smile but Jongin saw the hint of smugness beneath it. He let out a resigned sigh. Trust his cousin to come up with things like this.

Kyungsoo took the proffered hand and smiled at the then CEO of Kim Entertainment. “It’s an honor, Junmyeon-hyung. Maybe it is time for me to take the back seat. Thank you for trusting in me to do this.”

The singer has always had this polite demeanor whenever he is around someone with authority or with the elders, Jongin observed. He knew that this is one of the reasons why Kyungsoo is one of the withstanding artists in the industry. His impeccable manners and likeable charm has set him apart and placed himself in the good books of so many people. A strange sense of pride washed over Jongin and he knows that he is smiling creepily. He just wishes that he could school his expression before Kyungsoo could catch him.

“Actually, the main reason that I wanted you to do this is to save Jonginnie and his sad, sad heart. He is an idiot for not talking to you, at all,” Junmyeon had the nerve to glare at his speechless cousin. “Please forgive him.”

Jongin lists this reunion with Kyungsoo as one of the things that he would strangle his older cousin for. “Hyung.”

And he forgot one tiny little detail about Do Kyungsoo. He loves to tease Jongin whenever he could. Maybe Jongin was just banking that on the years that they have been apart, Kyungsoo might’ve forgotten things such as that. But Jongin is wrong.

“Aww. You said you did miss me, Jonginnie. Come give me a hug?” the singer opened his arms and was chuckling playfully. Feeling ganged on, Jongin pouted childishly and it has been too long since he has done that. It seems like Kyungsoo is unearthing things from deep inside him and pulling them back into the surface.

“I hate you two.”

It was Kyungsoo’s turn to pout but his eyes are still gleaming with mirth. “Come on, jagi. I’ll think about forgiving you for not keeping in touch if you give me a nice, long hug.”

If Jongin hasn’t had his eyes on Kyungsoo, he wouldn’t have seen the way his face fell by the end of his statement. But then he would’ve heard the change in tone right in the middle. It started as teasing but as the singer finished talking, a crippling guilt settled into the pit of the choreographer’s stomach. He knew he was at fault there and so why wouldn’t he grab the opportunity to make things right? This is Kyungsoo after all.

Whatever make believe the public has seen in the two of them while they were portraying a couple in front of the camera, Kyungsoo is one caring and affectionate person behind all the staged skinship and dates. He did not only do what was asked of him but he also helped Jongin survive that stifling fantasy. He owed Kyungsoo so much and he feels so ing bad that he has been a reason for Kyungsoo to feel down.

Without wanting to up any more than he did, Jongin wordlessly stepped into the awaiting embrace and pulled Kyungsoo into what he hopes to pass what the other has requested to be a nice, long hug. Kyungsoo then wrapped his arms around his waist tightly and Jongin thinks that he owes him even more than just a hug. He has a lot to make up for when the elder’s muffled voice told him, “I’ve waited for this for so long.”

The auditions are starting in three days and Jongin was called in for a briefing. Actually, all of the mentors were called in to let them know how the audition process will proceed. He has almost begged his cousin to just let him in on the secret so that he could skip the meeting but one word has Jongin foregoing the current choreography that he was putting together in favor of being present in yet another meeting.

“You do know that Kyungsoo’s gonna be there too, right?”

Jongin chose to ignore the -eating grin that Junmyeon has tacked after his question and ended the call in favor of making himself presentable. He swears that the only reason why he has taken an hour-long bath is that he was sweating too much because of dancing and he needed to get rid of any unwanted smell on himself. It wasn’t because he was trying hard to impress someone by not looking like some hobo .

He would also tell you that he had pored a lot more time into digging in his closet for clothes is because he wanted to wear something extra warm as the weather man has warned that the air is starting to get chilly as autumn comes to a close. It wasn’t because he was looking for a certain navy blue sweater that has been given to him by Kyungsoo as a gift for their joint birthday celebration, three months into their marriage.

But if he is bein