UPDATED LESS THAN 24 HOURS AGO, PLEASE GO BACK AND REREAD THE LAST CHAPTER IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.
 

Finals had rolled around, and this time, Chaeyeon didn’t have her dark circles and exhausted look by the time they were over. She was packed for Hong Kong, excited. And he wanted to rub in her face that he had told her so. He told her that she didn’t have to work herself into an early grave to succeed.

Jongin had gotten into a program too, so they were going together, just as before, and Kyungsoo had just solemnly said, “No strip clubs this time.”

“No strip clubs.” They nodded back, agreeing because that had been something they were haunted by.

Hong Kong was relatively close to home, so they landed midday and spent the day milling around, getting dim sum despite the heat, trying to learn Cantonese, and watching the lights of the city twinkle from a rooftop bar as the sun slowly set.

The next day, they had to get to work, but in that moment, they were free.

Jongin put down his empty glass as the music flowed over the warm air, and then he snatched Chaeyeon’s drink too, downing it as she protested. “I was going to finish that—”

“The ice was completely melted and you’ve been sipping at it for the last thirty minutes.”

She shot him a flat look, knowing that she had been caught.

“Penny for your thoughts