06242017 12:05pm

"Hey Kai! You comin'?"

"Uhmm, you guys go on first. I still have to email my report to the boss."

"Ok, but hurry, cant keep the food waiting."

"Haha whatever Nick."

Once everyone left, you heaved a long sigh and flopped back on your seat. It's only been half a day but you're already exhausted after doing 3 straight experiments. You wanted to take a rest and feed yourself but you remembered that your boss called you all this morning to tell you to hand in analysis data by the end of the day.

"How could those guys still think of food when there's so much work to do?!"

To keep yourself functioning, you decided to make some coffee before organizing and sending your data to your boss. Taking off your lab gown, you stood up and headed for the break room. After making coffee, you sat down on one of your comfy couches and put your feet up the coffee table. You fished your phone out of your pocket to check emails from your sister. Having deleted all your SNS accounts, and with international calls being too expensive, you only keep in touch with your family through email. It may sound old school for others but still, you decided to keep it that way.

As you checked your email, you froze once you saw an all too familiar email address from someone you have tried to forget for many years now.

sender: sehunoh1204

subject: Hey...

You stared at your phone for so long, not knowing what to do. With trembling hands, you decided to read the contents of the email.

hi kai! It's uh.. sehun. And uhmm, long time no see! Oh wait, we haven't actually seen each other yet. Haha,, sorry. Hahahaha

Anyway, it's been 6 years. Couldn't believe it took me this long to get a hold of you. Why did you change your email? You deleted all your SNS too. If you ask me where i got your new email address, well i actually got it from your sister. I met her yesterday at the mall, and kyungsoo too. Wow, kyungie has definitely grown up to be a man! But i still see him as your squishy nephew tho.. hahahaha

As for me, Irene and I are still married. Our son, whom you didn't see, is already 5 and is already studying. I named him In Jeong (get it? In jeong, jong in? Genius right?). One time, jeong asked me why i named him that and i said because i named him after you ("uncle jongin") and then he got upset saying he'd wanted to be named jongin instead. Aish, that kid, he even said he wanted to see you and ask to switch names. Hahaha

Chemist, huh. Didn't think you'd actually pursue that.

Why did you cut off ties with all your friends here in Korea? Well I figured you wouldn't tell me since you didn't even tell me you were leaving. I'm still your bestfriend, right? Because for me, you still are.

Will i see you again? I miss you man.

-Oh Sehun

As tears threaten to spill from your eyes, you stood up, and hurried to gather your things. Wanting nothing but to leave your workplace to find all the comfort you could get from your apartment. Screw the reports, you'll just have to accept all your boss's wrath the next day. But for now, for now you just want to run.