Seeing him, Jihoon knew, his soulmate.

“Are you... Choi Seungcheol?”

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Seungcheol, who was sitting in a chair facing him, tilted his head up in his direction and stared at him. Even with his sickly pale skin, there were dark circles under his eyes. His cheeks could have been fuller, everything could have been fuller on him.

Jihoon’s heart broke at the sight.

“Seungcheol?”

Their eyes connected, and Jihoon was tempted to clench at his chest in order to calm his heart. There was so many emotions seen through Seungcheol’s eyes. The most clearest one Jihoon could read off of him was fear.

Without taking his eyes off of Jihoon, Seungcheol stood up and quietly walked over to him. He had yet to said anything to confirm or deny his identity.

Stopping in front of him, Jihoon had to tilt his own head up to study Seungcheol’s face. He couldn’t believe how tall Seungcheol was. Despite the toll taken on the guy standing in front of him, Jihoon couldn’t deny how handsome he was.

Putting his hands out in between them, Seungcheol opened up his hands to reveal two pens. Without a big introduction, he simply stated, “I- I need proof.”

Quietly looking down at the objects in Seungcheol’s hand, Jihoon knew he had to do it. There was no other way around it. He had already given up everything for this moment. Bringing out his own hand, Jihoon reached over and grabbed one of the pens in Seungcheol’s palm.

Clicking the pen, Jihoon brought out his left arm.

My soulmate. My whole world. My Choi Seungcheol.

Jihoon looked over to Seungcheol, who still had a blank expression.

Seungcheol brings out his own left arm. There was no flinch as they both looked down at the words disappearing on Jihoon’s arm to only appear on Seungcheol’s arm.

Jihoon’s eyes glazed over with tears threatening to fall. He lets out a breath he wasn’t even aware he was holding in. The man standing before him really was his soulmate.

Still not showing any signs of emotion, Seungcheol brought down his own pen on his left arm. On the bare skin, where Jihoon’s words had already disappeared, Seungcheol wrote down his own words.

My soulmate. My Lee Jihoon. I love you.

Now the tears are falling, blurring Jihoon’s eyesight. Seungcheol’s words disappear from his arm as a familiar pain comes to Jihoon’s. Blinking fast, Jihoon sees the words appear on his own arm. Seeing the confirmation only makes him cry harder.

A hand grabs at his wrist and Jihoon is pulled forward. The motions are too quick for Jihoon to even be shocked. Arms wrap around him, leaving no space between them. Jihoon couldn’t stop himself, once the sobbing started, it wouldn’t end. Pressing himself into Seungcheol’s shoulder, he grabbed hold of his soulmate, knowing he would never let go.

----------------------------------------------

Jihoon didn’t know how long they were lost in their embrace, and he really didn’t care. He had been waiting for this moment for the last few years, he was going to cherish it. Also, being in Seungcheol’s arm felt right. Jihoon never wanted to be anywhere else but to be held by his soulmate.

Then the most embarrassing thing had to happen. Jihoon’s stomach growled in hunger. He had been so nervous for this meeting, he barely ate anything in the last few days. Seungcheol pulled back, and Jihoon was about to explain himself, but the store became loud with signs of other people.

“Wha-What is going on?” Jihoon asked as he looked around to see shadows of two people moving around in the next room over.

Seungcheol sighed, “Saeun. When she heard I had friends who owned a restaurant, she thought it was best to do it here. She said we would need to eat right after meeting for the first time.”

Jihoon looked back up to Seungcheol. His skin flushed with goosebumps and he was sure his hair was standing up in attention at the sound of Seungcheol’s voice. Regardless of wanting to keep his questions to himself, Jihoon was still curious, “This place is owned by your friends?”

With a small smile, Seungcheol nodded, “A couple of my friends own it together. You’ll probably be meeting them in the next few days.”

Groaning, Jihoon buried himself back into Seungcheol’s shoulder. He was already nervous enough with the thought of meeting Seungcheol, now he had to meet all his friends as well too.

“Come on now,” Seungcheol said quietly with a light tone, “I’ll be here throughout the whole thing. Remember, it’s you and me, and some of my clingy friends.”

Despite how he was feeling, Jihoon couldn’t help but chuckle at Seugncheol’s words. “You were really serious, weren’t you?”

Seungcheol squeezed Jihoon closer to him, “I was totally serious. I can’t get rid of them. If I could have, I would have traded all of them for you.”

Jihoon pulled back and scoffed, “Don’t let them know.”

“I tell them all the time.”

“You should have been glad to have had them,” Jihoon said with a small frown, “I didn’t have anyone with me.”

Seungcheol leaned down, placing his forehead on Jihoon’s, “That’s why I wanted you here.”

Having Seugncheol’s face so close to his, Jihoon could feel his face become flushed with heat. He was sure his whole face was turning red.

Jihoon let go of Seungcheol and covered his face. Which only made Seungcheol chuckle and squeeze Jihoon closer to him again.

“Since Sungmin and Saeun are here,” Jihoon said through his fingers, “You should probably let go of me.”

Seungcheol only gets closer and said into Jihoon’s hair, “I don’t want to.”

“You’re going to have to sooner or later,” a woman’s voice said from behind Jihoon, “The food is almost ready.”

Jihoon pulls away from Seungcheol and turns to finally meet Saeun.

Saeun catches his eyes and gives him a wide smile, “It’s so good to finally meet you, Jihoon. I’ve heard so much about you from both Sungmin and Seungcheol. You’ve got a lot of guts, being the one to seek out Sungmin.”

Replicating her smile with his own small smile, Jihoon said, “It’s good to meet you too. I’m just glad Sungmin took me seriously enough to meet me and hear my story. I wanted to thank you too, for helping me.”

“Nonsense, “ Saeun replies, “If I know Sungmin well enough, he would have told you how much we love what we do. I’m would jump at any chance to see two people, such as yourselves, happy with the one you’re meant to be with. You have no idea how much my heart is exploding with joy to see you guys together right now.”

Her words are enough to make Jihoon blush. To have this much attention, even if it was only from three people, made Jihoon grateful for the life he was living. In all his new life experiences, this had to be one of the best moments.

Saeun walks back to the kitchen door, saying, “Choose a table. Sungmin and I should be back with food in a bit.”

Seungcheol smiles and nods.

When Saeun is gone, a arm wraps around his back and grabs Jihoon’s side, pulling him in. Jihoon looks over, and it’s Seungcheol drawing him in close again. He furrowed his eyebrows in curiosity.

Seungcheol gives him a gummy smile and whispered loud enough for him to hear, “My heart is also exploding with joy to have you here next to me.”

Jihoon was sure his blush turned red with hotness. He couldn’t believe it. He had been so worried about Seungcheol’s reaction to seeing him in real life, he wasn’t really prepared for all of this. Everything about Seungcheol made him flustered.

His tallness, his deep eyes, his taunting lips, the warmth his body gave, but it wasn’t only the physical things Jihoon noticed. Seungcheol was also very straightforward, he followed through with his promises, and he seemed to genuinely care for Jihoon’s well-being.

“I hope you’re happy to be here, with me, too,” Seungcheol continued to whisper.

Reaching out for Seungcheol’s unoccupied hand, Jihoon takes it in both his hands, studying it and softly pressing his thumb over Seungcheol’s palm. “I spent weeks on end looking for a person I wasn’t even sure existed. When I found that stranger, I put all my trust in him to cart me across the galaxies. I gave up all my belongings, other than what I could put in a backpack, and I ran across the galaxies to find you. To see you, to touch you, to know you are real, to know everything we’ve been through since you’ve first written to me is real, I still can’t believe it.”

Seungcheol traps both his thumbs in his hand, and said, “You’re saying...?”

Jihoon looked up at Seungcheol with a frown, the guy was going to force it out of him, “I’m saying, I gave up everything for you, Seungcheol. You mean that much to me. I would have withered away where I came from, but here, here I can live again. You give me a reason to live again. Because I tried so hard to live without you, but thoughts of you, glimpses of you, you, you kept coming back to taunt me. Reminding me that without you, with me, I was nothing but a living corpse. Being with you, seeing you happy and alive, it has helped me considerably. All I can hope now is that I can do the same for you.”

Before Seungcheol could say anything, the kitchen doors are opening again, and they are joined by Saeun and Sungmin. Both of them have their arms full of plates and bowls.

Jihoon looks over and starts walking over, “Let me take one.”

Seungcheol follows and nods, “You guys should have called us over.”

Once they’ve chosen a table and had the plates of food set up, the four people sit down for a meal. It was going to be Jihoon’s first proper meal in... he actually couldn’t remember the last time he made himself a whole meal. When he ate, he always chose simplicity. Looking at the plates of food now, Jihoon wondered if he was going to be able to keep the food down.

Seungcheol leans over and quietly said, “Don’t force yourself to eat, but please do eat something. I’m sure it’s been a long day for you.”

Jihoon looks over to him and nods, “You too. Eat something too.”

For the first few minutes, the group ate in silence. They allowed themselves to get comfortable in the awkward situation. If they could have, all of them would have agreed to how strange their circumstances were. Seungcheol was used to seeing his friends running around this place cooking and helping customers. And the other three, they were from completely different worlds.

Once they found their rhythm of choosing what to eat and actually eating the said food, Sungmin spoke up. “Once we finish making sure Jihoon is a legal citizen here on this world, we’ll be leaving. It shouldn’t take anymore than three days. The people we have connections to, good people, they’re pretty amazing at what they do. While we had some down time on the ride over, we took a picture of Jihoon. All you guys need to worry about is if Jihoon wants to learn how to drive. You’ll still have to get a driver’s license.”

Seungcheol had been listening in closely, making sure he had gotten all the information correct. “Saeun knows where I live, you guys can stop by anytime.”

Jihoon had also been listening carefully, but to be honest he was getting tired, and he was okay with Seungcheol taking over their conversation.

“I’m glad this all worked out,” Saeun said, taking a break from eating, “Hearing your story, despite hearing many stories, made me happy Jihoon isn’t alone anymore. I’m glad you guys have each other now.”

Sungmin nodded, “Having you guys together makes me happy too. I’ve only been with you, Jihoon, for a few days, but I can already see a difference in you since we’ve arrived.”

Seungcheol places his chopsticks down and grabs hold of Jihoon’s unoccupied hand, reawakening him from his tiredness. “I don’t know how to thank you guys for all that you have done for us. You risked everything for strangers, without even batting an eyelash. If it wasn’t for the two of you, for people who do the things you guys do, I probably wouldn’t be able to hold onto my soulmate’s hand. Thank you, thank you so much.”

Tightening the hold on Seungcheol’s hand, Jihoon agreed. “Seriously, thank you. This is all I have ever wanted. I asked Sungmin before, but if there is ever anything you guys need, just ask.”

Sungmin shook his head lightly, “Stop it already. All that we ask for is that the both of you live a good life together, just like us.”

Sauen nods, looking over to Sungmin just as he turns his attention to her as well. They smiled at each other and shared a small kiss.

----------------------------------------------

When they were done picking at the food, eating as much as they could, they cleaned up their mess. Sungmin and Saeun decided it was best to leave then. They had finally reunited after a few months of being apart, and they were excited to see each other again. Jihoon could understand.

Seungcheol locked up the store and led Jihoon to his own car. Even though they had not said anything before, it was already understood Jihoon would be going home with him. A new wave of nervousness and excitement coursed through Jihoon with the thought of being in Seungcheol’s home.

“The place I own right now isn’t much, but it’s good enough for now,” Seungcheol tells him as he drives, “We-we’ll start deciding what we should do for our future later. I’m sure you could use a shower and a rest.”

Jihoon nodded, “As long as we’re together, I don’t mind anything.”

----------------------------------------------

“Jihoonie,” a voice rung through his ears, and a hand on his arm shaking him lightly. “Ji. Wake up.”

Not wanting to, considering this was the best sleep he had taken in such a long time, Jihoon groaned, whimpering at the thought of opening his eyes. By then though, his other senses were taking over too. He was laying in soft blankets, giving him such a comfortable warmth, he definitely didn’t want to get up. There was a lingering smell of homemade food in the air, and it almost woke him up, but it only just warmed him up further.

“Hoonie Hoon, you’ve been sleeping all night and all morning. It’s almost midday already. You’ll get the chance to sleep later on tonight too. I won’t stop you.”

It was then when Jihoon realized where he was. Seungcheol’s home. He had fallen asleep before he could even see the place. A heat flushed his skin as he realized how he had made it into the house. There was only one way how he saw it happening, Seungcheol had carried him in.

Preparing himself for the new day with his soulmate, Jihoon turned over to where the voice had been coming from. Opening his eyes, he sees a smiling figure sitting next to him. They stare at each other for a while, still not believing their situation. Seungcheol tilts his head, still staring at him with his smile, and something in Jihoon’s stomach knots up.

“Hey there, sleepy head,” Seungcheol said with a wide gummy smile, “Glad to see you awake. Did you have a good sleep?”

“You carried me in, didn’t you?” Jihoon asked, slowly sitting up.

If possible, Seungcheol’s smile grew even wider, he nodded as he said, “You fell asleep, and I didn’t want to wake you up. Plus, you looked so peaceful, I didn’t want to ruin your sleep.”

Looking at his surroundings, Jihoon sees the bed he is on. It’s not small, but it’s also not huge, just big enough to fit two people if they squeezed. The white walls are bare, and no carpet covers the wood flooring.

“Is this your...?” Jihoon started asking.

“My room,” Seungcheol tells him, “You’ve been sleeping in a spaceship, I figured you would like some sort of comfortable bed after all that. Did you sleep well?”

Jihoon finally smiles, “I did. My first good sleep in a long time.”

“Good,” Seungcheol said, getting off the bed. “Come on, I already chose some clothes for you. You should shower and eat.”

----------------------------------------------

Taking his time in the shower, Jihoon couldn’t help but process everything leading up to this point in his life. Everything felt like a dream. The only thing Jihoon was sure of was Seungcheol. His soulmate.

To literally have nothing to his name, Jihoon was going to be relying heavily on Seungcheol. It was almost to a point where Jihoon wondered if he was going to be too much of a burden on him. He had showed up out of nowhere, not demanding, but needing everything to carry on a normal life again.

Was their status of soulmate enough for Seungcheol to help him out? What if he tired of Jihoon and decided they should live apart? They’ve gotten this far due to luck, but what if their luck ran out? The anxiety in Jihoon’s stomach flopped around, knowing he was always running out of luck.

----------------------------------------------

There wasn’t much for Seungcheol to show Jihoon in his tiny apartment. He had only the one bedroom Jihoon had woken up in that morning, a small living room, a smaller dining room that connected to a even smaller kitchen. An apartment perfect for one person.

When they were done looking around at Seungcheol’s decor, they decided it was time to eat.

“So I was thinking,” Seungcheol said as he finished chewing his food and swallowing.

Jihoon looked over to Seungcheol with curiosity, “You were thinking?”

Seungcheol grinned, finally free of any food, “We should go buy you some things today. I’m sure you would like your own clothes and bathroom supplies. Just a few items for now.”

“I-I’ll pay you back once I can get a job,” Jihoon said, placing more food into his mouth.

“Yah! Lee Jihoon,” Seungcheol said loudly, startling Jihoon. “What about your writing? Are you going to go back to your writing?”

Jihoon’s already fast paced heart pained. He wished he had more to say about it, but there wasn’t much he could. “I haven’t been able to write in a long time now. Everything is still in my laptop, but I can’t seem to add any new words no matter how hard I try. I stare and stare and stare at the white screen and nothing comes to me.”

Seungcheol wasn’t hiding any of his expressions as he frowned, sadly pouting. “It’ll be okay Hoonie. You’ll get back to it soon. Of all things I know about you, you love your writing. If you want, we can go to the library and I can check out some books for you.”

Hearing words like library and books calmed Jihoon, making him almost as happy as to having Seungcheol in his life now. Before writing, before having Seungcheol in his life, Jihoon had the world of books. It would be nice to have something he knew and felt comfortable with in his hands.

Nodding, Jihoon smiled, “The library sounds good.”

After eating as much as their stomach would allow, Jihoon helps Seungcheol wash their dishes. And even though they had shared many moments of touches the day before, Jihoon still becomes a flustered mess everytime their hands accidentally brushes against each other.

Slowly coming to terms with it, Jihoon realizes he was going to feel like this daily with Seungcheol. To feel this spark of being so close to his soulmate, the spark of his feelings for Seungcheol, Jihoon counted it as very lucky. Knowing this, Jihoon couldn’t help himself, once they dried their hands Jihoon wrapped himself around Seungcheol.

“Ji-Jihoon,” Seungcheol stuttered out, “What’s wrong?”

Jihoon breathed in Seungcheol’s scent, “I just like knowing I can do this now. To have you this near that I can hug you whenever I’m feeling down.”

Seungcheol’s chuckles vibrate against Jihoon, and Jihoon can’t help but smile. Seungcheol hugs him back, lightly squeezing him, “Jihoonie. Of course you can hug me anytime now, every day if possible. Every morning and every night. If you don’t I’ll probably be very sad.”

Jihoon nuzzled into Seuncheol’s shoulder, “We can’t have you being sad.”

“No,” Seungcheol replied, “We can’t. But if we are, at least we have each other now. You give me the strength to go on, and I’ll be there for you for anything you need.”

“I already have everything I need,” Jihoon said, leaning back to look at Seungcheol, “You.”

Seungcheol gives him such a wide gummy smile Jihoon can’t help but smile back too.

----------------------------------------------

Jihoon is slowly making his way through all the aisles in the library, waiting for any of the books to call him out. Of course there were many that interested him, but he knew there would be a difference when he found the one he was meant to take with him.

Seungcheol was following behind him, and Jihoon could feel him watching his every move. It didn’t bother Jihoon though, this moment was meant for only him and the books around him. Jihoon was too far lost to care that Seungcheol was grinning like a fool.

When he had his arms full, knowing he had to finish the ones he had chosen first before he could take another handful, Jihoon turns to Seungcheol and smiles.

“After an hour you’re finally acknowledging me?” Seungcheol said with a smile.

Jihoon nods, “I’m ready.”

Seungcheol chuckles, not minding Jihoon’s love for books. “Did you want to go get some coffee? There’s this really good place downstairs.”

Nodding faster now, Jihoon widen his eyes in prospects of coffee. He hasn’t had any in what seemed like forever. Being in a new environment excited Jihoon, he was always in wonder if everything was the same as his other world. And now he was curious as to whether the coffee would be different.

Seungcheol checks out all the books Jihoon had chosen, and the two make their way down to the cafe. They choose a table far away from others, and Seungcheol tells Jihoon to settle in with his books while he goes to get their drinks. Jihoon does not mind at all, itching to forget everything around him and dive right into a book.

Jihoon doesn’t get very far though. He felt a familiar pain on his arm. This comes as a shock to him, because there was no reason for his arm to be in pain anymore. He was already with his soulmate, they could talk to each other whenever they wanted.

I had to tell you, Ji, you’re too cute when you’re passionate about books. Even though I didn’t get to see the young you who grew up loving books, I’m glad to see the you now who is such a determined book reader.

There’s a smile on his lips, but Jihoon can’t help but shake his head in how cheesy Seungcheol was being. He knows it’s just Seungcheol being Seungcheol, but it still does make his heartbeat fasten. Jihoon realizes his can be a bit over the top with his love of books, so he was glad Seungcheol didn’t mind how he can be around them.

Looking through his belongings, Jihoon finds his own pen and looks at his blank arm. And now he gets why Seungcheol had decided to write to him through their skin again. The feeling growing in his chest, spreading all over his body, it makes him fall in love with Seungcheol all over again.

Would you be mad if I choose books over you?

Jihoon knows he probably looks like a fool, but he was in love and he didn’t care.

You traveled across the galaxy for more books, is that what you’re trying to tell me?

Books and coffee. ;)

:(

Come back soon so we can go back to your place.

Do you mean our place?

Jihoon flushes red at the thought of it. Seungcheol was so willing to share anything and everything with him. A chuckle escaped his lips as he thinks of how lucky he is to have someone like Seungcheol as his soulmate.

Our place. I like the sound of that.

Me too.

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Later that night, while sitting in front of Seungcheol’s tv, watching mindless shows, Seungcheol gets up to walk into the kitchen.

“Jihoonie, did you want anything to drink?”

Without even thinking about it, Jihoon said, “I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

Seungcheol comes back with two opened beer bottles, handing him one. “Just one tonight.”

Blinking with a bit of uncertainty, Jihoon accepted the bottle. It was going to be their first official alcoholic drink together. Jihoon had only witnessed Seungcheol’s drunk writing, he’s never seen an actual drunk Seungcheol. And the fact that Jihoon rarely ever drank didn’t help either. What if this one bottle made him feeling just good enough to pass out right there on the couch?

Joining Jihoon on the couch, Seungcheol turned down the volume of the tv. Hearing the noise almost disappear, Jihoon turns to Seungcheol with anticipation of what was going to happen.

“Can we talk?” Seungcheol asks.

Jihoon nods, “Sure. What... What did you want to talk about?”

Seungcheol took a little sip before saying, “I want to hear your side of the story. What you went through to get in contact with Sungmin, everything after that to get here.”

Seeing as Jihoon had yet to personally tell him what he honestly went through, he could see why Seungcheol was curious. And as hard as is it was to talk about it, Jihoon wanted Seungcheol to know about it. So that’s what they did for the next hour or so. They sipped at their beer and Jihoon told Seungcheol everything he went through.

Being this open about his depression, his state of feeling so lost in the world, of almost giving up on it all, Jihoon started shaking at hearing himself talk about it. No one was around to witness it, to hear him ranting about it, to help him through it, and it still hurt him thoroughly despite having his soulmate right in front of him now. Jihoon was sure he was never going to fully heal from his hard past, but he was going to be okay anyways.

He had his soulmate, the love of his life, his whole world, Seungcheol.

His Seungcheol, who had put both their bottles down so he could take Jihoon into his arms and hold him tight.

His Seungcheol, who wiped away the tears he didn’t even know he was crying.

His Seungcheol, who kissed the top of his head and told him everything was going to be okay now.

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“A-are you sure this is okay?” Seungcheol asked, following Jihoon into the bedroom.

Jihoon nodded, “You’re tired, I’m tired. Let’s not think too much about it and just sleep.”

“I could sleep on the floor, or the couch. It wasn’t so bad last night,” Seungcheol continued.

“I like that you respect me that much, but come on Cheol,” Jihoon said, “It’s just sleep. I know you won’t try anything. I know I won’t”

“What if you’re so cute, and I can’t handle it and snuggle you too hard?”

“Then I guess you’ll just have to sleep on the couch.”

“I-I I change my mind,” Seungcheol quickly retracted his words, running to take dibs on the side of the bed he wanted. “I’ll be careful not to snuggle too hard.”

“Good,” Jihoon said, taking the unoccupied side, “I’m so tired, I probably wouldn’t even feel it.”

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The next morning had them both waking up to Seungcheol’s phone. It had been non-stop ringing for a while. They were too tired to care. Then the little annoying jingle went on for a long thirty minutes, and Jihoon couldn’t take it anymore. He wasn’t used to this much disturbance in the morning.

“Seungcheol,” Jihoon cried out, “Why is your phone doing that?”

Seungcheol let out his own cry, “My friends. They said they would give me one day, and they were serious.”

“Do I have to meet them today?” Jihoon lethargically let out.

“I think you do,” Seungcheol said, sighing as he turned in his position, “They’re all curious as to who you are, and how you look, and everything.”

Jihoon huffed out his own sigh, “You should just tell them they’re never going to see me. I’m going to glue myself to this bed.”

“I don’t think it would help much. One of them has a key to my apartment, and I wouldn’t put it past him to invite himself and everyone else here.”

Sitting up, Jihoon ruffled his hair, then scratched an itch that was starting to bother him on his back. Blinking at the room around him, he still couldn’t believe where he was. Looking down at the lump beside him, Jihoon thought it wasn’t so bad waking up to a Seungcheol lump.

“Do you think they would be offended if I brought a book along with me?” Jihoon asked. He had started a book the day before and he was holding back as much as possible to not go running for it to finish it all in one go.

The Seungcheol lump started to shake, and in the next minute Jihoon could hear him laughing. Jihoon pulls at the blankets and uncovers Seungcheol’s top half. The knot in Jihoon’s stomach showed up again at the sight of pure happiness in Seungcheol’s face.

“What’s so funny?” Jihoon asked the still giggly Seungcheol.

Seungcheol composes himself enough to tell him, “I’m glad I’m not the only one you choose books over.”

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In the end, Jihoon didn’t bring the book.As much as Jihoon really did want to bring a book, so he had something to hide behind, he decided to stick it out for Seungcheol. These were his friends, so they were bound to be people Jihoon was going to see frequently. Plus, Seungcheol promised him he would get his alone time later that day to read to his heart’s content.

Since it was Seungcheol’s friends they were going to see, it only made sense to go meet them at the restaurant some of them owned. The restaurant seemed to be very special in a way. It was the place Jihoon saw Seungcheol for the first time, and now it was the place he was going to meet Seungcheol’s friends for the first time too. Stepping through the familiar doorway, Jihoon was greeted with a totally different scene from the last time he was here. The place was up and running, and there were customers sitting in random places.

Looking around, Jihoon spotted a loud crowd of boys and wondered if they were...

“Choi Seungcheol!” one of the boys yelled out.

“Hyung,” another whined, “Not so loud. You’re disturbing the rest of the customers.”

Jihoon looked up to Seungcheol and saw him looking down at him too. Seungcheol was smiling.

“I warned you didn’t I?”

And Seungcheol did warn Jihoon. He just wasn’t sure someone was capable of having 11 friends who clung on to them. But the proof was sitting in clusters of tables on the far side of the room waiting for them.

“Come on,” Seungcheol whispered, taking Jihoon’s hand.

Holding onto Seungcheol’s hand for dear life, Jihoon follows a step behind him. Meeting 11 new people was bound to be overwhelming.

“You’re finally looking better Hyung.”

“Where-where is he?”

“Why did it take you guys a whole two hours to get here?”

“You knew we were planning this, why weren’t you prepared?”

“You still need to eat more Hyung.”

“Sleep, he needs more sleep.”

“Where is he?”

Seungcheol stops in front of his friends, and Jihoon accidentally bumps into him before he stops too. Jihoon’s vision had blurred, unable to concentrate from the onslaught of noise around him.

“Guys,” Seungcheol said in warning to them, “Will you please be more calm. If you make Jihoon run out of here before you can even meet him, I won’t talk to you guys ever again.”

The group immediately went quiet.

But then there was a quiet whisper of “That’s a total lie.”

And another “That’s his soulmate he’s talking about. I wouldn’t be surprised if he throws us away.”

“We’re his friends though,” the first whisper said back.

“Who would you chose? Wonwoo or us, your friends?”

Without waiting to even consider it, the whisper said, “Wonwoo!”

“See.”

Seungcheol sighed, and Jihoon couldn’t help but smile at the ridiculous conversation he was hearing. Pulling on Jihoon’s hand, Seungcheol brought Jihoon forward. “If you guys are ready now, I’d like to introduce you to Lee Jihoon, my soulmate.”

Jihoon’s vision returns to him and he finally sees the people in front of him clearly. All very cheery boys smiled to him, waving hello. Jihoon, in turn, gives them all his own small wave. And seeing him wave, made the group smile even wider.

“Hi,” Jihoon said, “I’m Lee Jihoon.”

There was a moment of quiet as they all stared at him. During all the silence, Jihoon wondered what they were thinking.

“Seokmin,” Seungcheol suddenly said in shock, “Why are you crying?”

Jihoon looks through the crowd and finds the crying face. It was true, despite the smile on his lips, Seungcheol’s friend was crying.

Seokmin wiped his cheeks with one hand and waved his other, “No, no. I’m not crying.”

“You’re clearly crying,” someone else added.

“Yah,” a head of blond said, grabbing Seokmin’s cheeks, “You promised you wouldn’t cry.”

“I’m just so happy for them,” Seokmin said, now full on teary-eyed.

“Stop it, Seokmin,” another voice said, “You’re making my Jisoo cry.”

“Minghao, don’t you dare cry too.”

“Says the person wiping away their own tears. Come here you big cry baby.”

“I-I’m not a cry baby.”

“You guys,” an exasperated voice said, “I just got Seungkwan to stop crying this morning. And now you guys made him start all over again.”

“Can-can you guys not cry,” Seungcheol said with a raspy voice.

It made Jihoon frown, looking over to Seungcheol. Seungcheol’s own eyes were glazed over with tears. These people were important to him, this much was evident, and they obviously cared for him a lot too. Jihoon’s chest swelled with warmth, and he squeezed Seungcheol’s hand.

Seungcheol returns Jihoon’s look and Jihoon gives him a reassuring smile. Seungcheol nods and recomposes himself. He clears his throat and looked back to his friends. “Okay, okay. Come on now. Everything is good now. I’m good now. Jihoon is here. We’re all here. I know you guys are crying happy tears, but I want you guys to introduce yourself to Jihoon too.”

It takes another long moment before Seungcheol’s friends are ready to talk. And it’s fine with Jihoon, as it gives him a moment to pull Seungcheol in for a small hug. Jihoon was sure Seungcheol was never going to let go, but he does and they face the group of people again.

This time they are all smiles again. And they start introducing themselves to him.

“I think you might recognize my name. I’m the self-proclaimed best friend of Seungcheol, Yoon Jeonghan. I’m so glad you’re here now, Jihoon.”

“Hi, I’m Hong Jisoo. If you have any troubles with Seungcheol, just let me know.”

“Kim Mingyu, I own this restaurant with a few others here.”

“Jeon Wonwoo. It’s good to finally meet you, Jihoon.”

“Xu Minghao. I heard you like books, I do too!”

“I’m Kwon Soonyoung. You can come here to eat anytime, free!”

“You are a good match for Seungcheol-hyung. I like you a lot. Oh yeah, I’m Moon Junhui. But Jun is fine.”

“Boo Seungkwan,” he said while hiccuping, “Thank you so much for coming and loving our Seungcheol-hyung.”

The next one was hugging Seungkwan, still trying to calm him down, “Sorry about him, he’s just too happy. I’m Choi Hansol. Let me know if you need anything.”

“I-I’m Lee Seokmin. Please-please take care of our Seungcheollie-hyung. He can be a bit moody at times, but he definitely loves you.”

Seungcheol scoffed, shaking his head.

The last one had been super quiet through the whole conversation, and was finally given a chance to talk. “Hi, I’m the youngest here. Lee Chan. The Hyungs are a bit noisy, but you’ll get used to it.”

Jihoon smiled and nodded.

“Well,” Seungcheol said, “There you have it. All my clingy friends.”

“That’s right,” Jeonghan said, “We’re going to hang on to you guys till we’re all 100 years old.”

In all of Jihoon’s life, he never felt more luckier than this. He thought he only had Seungcheol, but now he had this group who was more than willing to have him in their lives and help him out.

Jihoon was still looking at the group before him, but he tells Seungcheol, “You were very lucky to have these people in your life. And I am so lucky you’ve keep them around this long so I could meet them.”

And with a racing heart, Jihoon also tells Seungcheol’s friends, “Thank you. For caring so much about Seungcheol, and making sure he was eating and sleeping when I couldn’t. Thank you.”

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Later that day, after eating and talking about Jihoon’s experience of traveling, he was offered a job by Soonyoung.

“Why are you trying to enslave my soulmate already?” Seungcheol said in protest.

Soonyoung shrugged, “I thought I could help him out.”

“It could help us out too,” Mingyu added, “It’s hard trying to run the place while trying to cashier too. And Jihoon could read or write whenever there isn’t a customer by the counter.”

“What do you say, Hyung,” Seungkwan said, turning to Jihoon.

Jihoon contemplates the offer. He had been wanting to find a job. He really couldn’t rely on Seungcheol too much, all the time, no matter how much Seungcheol said he didn’t mind. It would give him something to do, rather than sit at home doing what he normally did.

“I-I’ll take it,” Jihoon said, “I think it will do me some good to get out more often. It could help with my writer’s block.”

Seungcheol, who had been listening, finally nods, “If you want to, I can’t stop you. And I’ll be going back to school soon anyways, so it’ll be nice to know you’re getting feed and talked to.”

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As much as he tried to read that night, Jihoon couldn’t. There were too many questions he had for Seungcheol. So with a sigh of defeat, Jihoon bookmarked his page and went to find him. And he liked this, going to find Seungcheol rather than trying to find a pen. Jihoon loved that he could go talk face to face with his soulmate now.

Jihoon found Seungcheol sitting in front of the tv, watching some reality show. Joining him on the couch, Jihoon leaned into Seungcheol’s side. “Can we talk?”

Seungcheol smiled at him, and lowered the volume of the tv. “What’s wrong? I thought you wanted some time alone with your books?”

Jihoon faintly smiled back too. “I did, but my mind kept going back to you. There’s something I wanted to know.”

Nodding, Seungcheol said, “Okay, what’s on your mind? You know you can ask me anything.”

Looking into Seungcheol’s gaze, Jihoon reached over to intertwine their fingers. Jihoon took his time, playing with Seungcheol’s hand before he spoke. “You never told me how you were doing while we stopped talking to each other and everything up to us meeting. I can see it on your face, I could see it through your friends, but you haven’t said anything to me yet.”

The smile Seungcheol had on dropped, and now he was slightly frowning. His fingers, in Jihoon’s hold, tensed up. And Jihoon could see the gears in Seungcheol’s mind turn over.

“I won’t ask you to tell me now, if it makes you uncomfortable,” Jihoon said, seeing how Seungcheol was reacting, “But when you are ready, I’ll be here to listen.”

Seungcheol calmly shook his head. “I’ll tell you. And it’ll be because I want to.”

Jihoon nodded encouragingly, waiting for Seungcheol to start.

“I’m pretty sure you know I was devastated. I barely made it to my classes, but Jeonghan and Jisoo made sure I went and did my homework. The others helped me with everything else. The studying, making food, making sure I was showering, making sure I slept, woke up, and got out of bed. They even cleaned my apartment for me. I was sort of pathetic. They literally walked me through living for all of that time.

“No matter how much I wanted to quit everything I was working on, they talked me into continuing. All I ever wanted to do was write to you, talk to you, try and get you to acknowledge me, I wanted to be connected with you again so bad. But my friends had made a pact that they wouldn’t let me write to you. And they stuck to the rule like crazy. They wouldn’t let me hold a pen without holding onto my other arm.

“I probably still talked about you every day, and when I didn’t talk about you I thought about you. I’m sure the guys were sick of it, but they never told me to stop. And I was being kind of mean back then too, cause I wanted them to share my misery. Which I’m sure they did.

“I... I didn’t want to continue living like a normal person. I was fine with not doing my laundry and okay with wearing old clothes. I didn’t care about the piles of old dishes, and the trash was least of my worries. If I wasn’t being watched and forced into living normally, I would have okay with rotting away in my apartment.

“I was like that every day till Saeun came to find me. Just barely living. I didn’t see any reason to try and find joy in life. You-you weren’t there with me. If I didn’t have my friends, I don’t know what would have happened to me.

“When Saeun found me, I couldn’t believe it. She was telling me my soulmate was trying to find me, telling me it was possible to be with my soulmate. Do you know how crazy that sounded? I thought she was pulling a prank on me at first. That’s when I wrote to you. I had to make sure.

“And when you confirmed it... As happy as I was, there was also so much guilt. I kept telling you over and over how much I loved you, yet I didn’t even do anything to try and find a way if we could be together. I wondered if I even deserve to see you and be with you. I still wonder if I do.

“But you were coming, and there was no way of stopping it. So I gathered the guys and they helped me to think everything through. They helped me see that no matter what, you are here now, and it’s the one fact I should be thankful for. So now all I really care about is making sure everything is okay for you.”

While Seungcheol told Jihoon of his story, Jihoon held onto Seungcheol and listened. It was different from them writing to each other, of course, there were no long periods of waiting for each other to finish writing what they wanted to say. Seungcheol could say everything on his mind without having to figure out what to write and make it shorter for hand cramping purposes. Being together had many positive aspects.

The biggest outcome of the conversation for Jihoon was that he knew he wasn’t alone in his feelings. He wasn’t the only one who felt like giving up.

Both stayed quiet. Seungcheol focused on breathing and bringing his heart rate back down. While Jihoon waited, and held onto Seungcheol’s hand. Though there was a lingering silence, it wasn’t uncomfortable at all. They were still gathering all their thoughts after the two finally shared their experiences.

“Seungcheol,” Jihoon said, getting his attention, “You know that I could never hate you, right? With the situation we were in, we had no choice but to try and move on. Before my mother said anything to me I didn’t think there was a way to this world too. You have to know I was on the verge of rotting away too, exactly in the way you almost did. The only difference is, you had your friends. And I’m so grateful to them for keeping you alive this far.

“I decided to move on and try to live a simple life cause I was sick and tired of not really living. As much as it hurt not having you part of my daily life, it hurt even more not living. I couldn’t write anything, my mind had drawn a blank every time I tried. And what was worse was that I could barely read, nothing kept me interested. Not even being able to live enough to enjoy my lifestyle was killing me. So I moved on.

“Till moving on wasn’t enough. I needed you Seungcheol. You are my whole world, my everything. When I wasn’t even worried about soulmates, you pushed yourself into my life and took up every part of it. When I thought we were already destined to meet, and I didn’t care to get to know you, you made your way into my heart anyways. It was exactly the push I needed to need you this much.

“You’ve always put me first, then took care of yourself after. And I want us to change that. I want you to be the confident person you once were, and for me to keep my confidence. I know we’re still a long ways from getting better, but at least this is a start. Us, acknowledging our situation and talking it out.”

Seungcheol couldn’t say anything right away. There were too many emotions in the air, and there was so much said between the two, they needed all the moment they could get to digest the conversation being said and listened to.

Finally, Seungcheol nodded. “Okay. Of course I want us to work out our issues. And it’ll be together, as it should be. Us two, together forever.”

Jihoon nodded as well, “Of course.”

“Is...” Seungcheol lingered out, “Is it okay if I hugged you?”

A smile grew on Jihoon’s lips, “How do you plan on doing that when we’re both sitting?”

“Cuddling then,” Seungcheol sighed, pulling Jihoon closer to him, “We’ll cuddle, with you in my lap.”

Jihoon didn’t complain when he was plopped between Seungcheol’s legs and arms came to wrap themselves around his waist. Seuncheol’s chin finds a place on Jihoon’s shoulder, and Jihoon frowns.

“If you’re tired, we can go to sleep,” Jihoon tells him.

Seungcheol lightly shakes his head, “Not yet.”

They had so much happened to them, and a whole future waiting in front of them. Yet, for one night, they were going to push away all their worries back and just enjoy being in each other’s presence.

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The third day in, Jihoon was washing their dishes from breakfast when the doorbell rang. Seungcheol, who was trying to read a book Jihoon had brought home from the library, gets up to check who it was.

“Saeun, Sungmin,” Seungcheol said, opening the door for the couple, “You guys are here early.”

Jihoon, who had heard the names, finishes off the last plate and dries off his hands. He was curious as to what they had brought for him, but also very saddened to know this was their last time seeing the couple as well.

Seungcheol led them to the livingroom and Jihoon joined them there.

“Jihoon,” Sungmin said as soon as he sat down, “You’re looking a lot better now.”

Jihoon smiles and nods, “I’ve been fed very well here, and I actually sleep normal hours.”

“How are you guys doing?” Seungcheol asks, joining Jihoon on his couch.

“Good,” Sauen replies, “Especially since we have all of Jihoon’s papers with us.”

Sungmin, who was holding onto a file, sets it on the table in the room. “Everything you will need to lead a life in this world is in there. You won’t have to worry about anything missing. We’re pretty thorough when it comes to paperwork. We want you guys to life safe lives, away from worrying about anything that might come in the future.”

Nodding along to her husband’s words, Sauen agreed, “Have you guys decided what you guys are going to do yet? About everything?”

Seungcheol’s smile falters, side-glancing Jihoon, “It’s only been the third day since Jihoon arrived. We’re still getting used to the fact that he is here, but it’ll get better. Jihoon already has a job lined up for him, and I’m going back to school soon. Everything else, we’ll work on it as it comes. We’ve already come this far, there’s nothing else to do but to keep moving forward.”

With a knowing smile, Sungmin looks between the two and decides to let them work out their own problems. “Now that we’ve given you guys the file, our job here is now done. We really wish we could stay longer, but we’ve got the whole galaxy to explore and people to save. There are also some friends we have to go and entertain.”

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A week had passed since Sungmin and Sauen had visited them for the last time. Jihoon was hired on by Seungcheol’s friends, and was in training to learn how to work the cash register. And true to his words, Seungcheol was preparing to go back to school.

They had gone to the library a few more times over the last few days. There was research Seungcheol had to do, and Jihoon was happy enough to find a comfortable chair for reading while he waited.

Are you busy at the moment?

Sitting by the register, Jihoon couldn’t help but smile. They had yet to buy him a phone, so they still wrote to each other when they were apart. Jihoon loved it.

Not really. I think I actually saw Soonyoung dozing off at one point.

Lol, I heard he had a late night with his dance crew. I’m not surprised he’s tired.

Ahhh, so there is a reason why Seungkwan just let him nap for a while. Normally, on slow days, Seungkwan has him cleaning all the corners.

For a busy place, they need to take advantage of the slow periods.

So, what’s up? Unless you were just curious as to how I was doing.

I’m always curious as to how you’re doing. But there was also something else.

Okay?

I was wondering if you were busy later. I wanted to take you out.

His heart thumped against his chest at what Seungcheol’s words implied. Could Seungcheol really mean...?

Are you asking me out, Choi Seungcheol?

On a date, yes. Sorry, I’ve never done this before.

Jihoon laughed, imagining a nervous Seungcheol writing to him.

“Jihoon, did something good happen?” Soonyoung asked, standing up from his chair, stretching out his tired limbs.

He knew he would be in trouble if he told Seungcheol’s friends, but he couldn’t help it. Jihoon smiled, nodding, “Seungcheol just asked me out. On a date.”

“What!,” Soonyoung said, screaming, long forgetting his tiredness, “Our Choi Seungcheol finally asked his soulmate out.”

Seungkwan comes running from the kitchen. “Wha-What’s happening?”

“Seungcheol asked Jihoon out on a date,” Soonyoung excitedly screamed out again.

“I’m gonna tell everyone,” Seungkwan said, taking out his phone.

It was only matter of minutes before everyone knew, and Jihoon knew he couldn’t stop it. He had already found out the guys were persistent in what they did.

I am so sorry.

You told the guys.

They would have found out sooner or later anyways.

Jeonghan is going to try and meddle somehow. And I wouldn’t be surprised if they all tried to tag along.

It’s our first date, I’m sure they’ll leave us alone. If not, we’ll turn off your phone. Plus, they don’t know it’s happening tonight.

So... you’re saying yes?

Of course I’m saying yes.

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Jihoon had just finished brushing his teeth for the night when Seungcheol came from behind him and wrapped him up in a back hug. A frown appeared on Jihoon when he saw how defeated Seungcheol looked.

“What’s wrong, Cheol?” Jihoon asked.

“Sorry our date didn’t turn out well,” Seungcheol said near Jihoon’s neck.

Jihoon scoffed, “It’s not your fault I fell asleep during the movie. I should be the one who is sorry. I’m such a snooze fest. I can’t even stay awake long enough to finish a movie.”

“It was a pretty bad movie,” Seungcheol said.

“You’re right,” Jihoon smirked, “It was pretty bad.”

“I’ll make it up to you,” Seungcheol tells him, “We’ll go anywhere you want.”

Jihoon smiled widely, “The bookstore.”

Seungcheol shakes with laughter, “Why did I not think of that?”

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“Seungcheol-ah,” Joshua said, taking a break between eating, “Did you ever get those house blueprints approved? I remember you stressing out about them a while back, you never told us how that went.”

Jihoon looked from Joshua to Seungcheol, wondering what Joshua meant with his words. He spooned more rice into his mouth, watching Seungcheol, waiting to hear what he was going to say.

Seungcheol slightly side glances Jihoon, which Jihoon noticed, and looked towards Joshua. “It’s what I’m working on right now. One of my professors is helping me get it approved. If it’s all good, then I’ll contact the home builders.”

“It shouldn’t take long though, right? You’ve been drawing up sketches for years now,” Jeonghan said, joining the conversation.

“There’s a lot of safety procedures I have to think about. But other than that, I have everything all ready.”

“I’m going to come for a sleepover once everything is set up,” Hansol interrupts, raising his hand.

Seungkwan raises his hand as well, “I want to come too.”

“I want to cook a meal in the kitchen,” Mingyu volunteers.

Wonwoo nods, “I want to eat that meal in your dining room.”

“Whose house are we talking about?” Soonyoung asked, rejoining the group after coming back from the bathroom.

Chan smiled widely, “The one Seungcheol-hyung is building for Jihoon-hyung.”

Soonyoung gasped, “I want to see it too.”

“I’m going too!” Seokmin eagerly nodded.

“It’s not done just yet,” Seungcheol tells him.

Jihoon had kept quiet long enough, he had his own questions too. “The house you’re building for me?”

Seungcheol turns to Jihoon and smiles, “The house I’m building for us.”

“With a library in it?” Jihoon asked.

“And the kitchen right next door, so I can cook for you,” Seungcheol added.

“Your office right next to mine?” Jihoon continued, smiling now.

Seungcheol nodded, “So I can visit you when I miss you.”

“You guys are so gross,” Minghao tells them with disgust.

“But they’re so cute,” Jun said, clinging onto Minghao’s arm.

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“How’s the writing coming along, Jihoon?” Soonyoung asked from across the restaurant.

“It probably would go better if you weren’t asking him every five minutes,” Wonwoo responds for him.

“Yeah, Hyung,” Seungkwan said, also speaking up, “Leave Jihoon alone. The store finally slowed down enough for him to write.”

Soonyoung huffed, “Fine, I was just curious, hoping everything was going good.”

Jihoon, who had been listening to their conversation, just smiled on and continued his writing.

After working with them for quite some time, he was used to their banters on a daily basis, and they didn’t seem to mind that he never seemed to respond. In no time, all of Seungcheol’s friends had become his friends as well. Jihoon almost wanted to say they were pretty close to being his family. They were part of his everyday now.

Seungcheol had finished his last semester in college and had been accepted into a architectural design firm. Already, after seeing his many works, he was making his way to being one of the top designers. Which meant crazy hours, but at least he could work from home too.

When Seungcheol was done with work, and Jihoon finished his shift at the restaurant, they both went home to enjoy some quiet time to do what they liked. Jihoon, while reading or writing, loved looking up to see Seungcheol sketching with determination. And Seungcheol wrote cheesy love notes, either showing up on Jihoon’s arm or thrown to him on paper.

Their house, which had been approved, was in the process of being built. Which meant they were in the process of moving too. Despite their busy hours, the two took time to choose the design of their new place. And although Jihoon was okay with anything Seungcheol decided on, Jihoon appreciated how Seungcheol wanted his input on the new place.

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During one of their last few days in their old apartment, the first place Jihoon called home in this new world, the two were quietly sitting in the living room, working on their own things. Although, Jihoon wasn’t really working on much. He was sitting behind his laptop, overthinking the decision he had just made. He knew Seungcheol would be nothing but happy for him, but it was a huge step he was making.

Honestly, telling Seungcheol wasn’t what bothered Jihoon. Jihoon knew once he put his goals into actual words he would actually have to keep them. And Jihoon took this decision seriously, to the point where he was scared to even start cause he worried of failure.

Looking at his screen, and stealing a glance at Seungcheol, and back at his screen, Jihoon knew he just had to do it. He had been working too hard to stop here. Wiping his clammy hands on his jeans, Jihoon breathed in and out.

“Seungcheol-ah,” Jihoon said, looking over to the huched figure.

Sitting up to look at Jihoon, Seungcheol saw the small smile Jihoon had on and broke into a smile too, “Everything okay over there?”

“I’ve come to a decision,” Jihoon carefully tells him.

Getting up from his seat, Seungcheol goes to stand beside Jihoon, “And the decision is?”

Jihoon turns to him and said, “I’m going to start looking for a publishing company. The book I’ve been working on is ready.”

Seungcheol opens up his arm and Jihoon doesn’t even question it as he stands up to return the hug.

Placing a kiss on Jihoon’s head of hair, Seungcheol tells him, “I’m happy for you.”

Snuggling closer to Seungcheol’s warmth, Jihoon whispered, “Thank you.”

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Jihoon was sitting in his new office, plotting a new story, when he realized the doubts that haunted him daily weren’t as apparent as they used to be. Even when he was showered with love everyday, Jihoon’s consciousness was always wondering how long it would last. Yet, a year after being in this new place, he was still being well looked after.

And now, having all the dreams he shared with Seungcheol become reality, Jihoon felt at peace.

Picking up a pen, Jihoon thought about what he wanted to write.

Choi Seungcheol, my whole world, my love, my soulmate.

He went with what his heart told him. Jihoon wanted Seungcheol to know how much he meant to him.

Jihoonie! I’m right next door, did you want me to come visit?

No :)

I just wanted to tell you how much I love you.

This is very confusing. If you want, I can be over in a second. You know, I also love you, very much.

You have made me the happiest I’ve ever been in all my life. Everything we went through was worth it, cause I have you now.

Hoonie Hoon, is everything okay?

Jihoon couldn’t sit still anymore. Getting out of his chair, he bounced to the office next to his. With the door wide open, Jihoon could see Seungcheol sitting with a pen in hand. A frown was on his face as he stared at his arm.

“Hey,” Jihoon said, lightly waving as Seungcheol looked up at him.

“Ji,” Seungcheol said, blinking with confusion. Usually it was Seungcheol visiting a busy Jihoon.

Smiling, Jihoon walked over to Seungcheol, pulled back his office chair, plopped down in Seungcheol’s lap, and wrapped his arms around his neck.

“Wha-what are you doing, Ji?” Seungcheol stumbled out, flustered by the action. It doesn’t stop him from wrapping his own arms around Jihoon’s waist, to make sure he doesn’t slide off.

“Sitting in your lap,” Jihoon tells him.

“I can see that, but why?”

“I wanted to know how you are. If you are happy or not.”

“Ji, you know I love having you here. Nothing makes me happier than being able to see you, hug you, and have you sitting in my lap. I’m doing extremely well, even more so when I see you just as happy.”

“That’s good to know.”

Jihoon pulls at Seungcheol’s neck and lifts himself up to meet Seungcheol halfway. Their kiss was sweet and desperate, everything they wanted to express.

Despite feeling unlucky in the past, Jihoon knew he didn’t have to worry anymore, he had all the luck he needed with Seungcheol.

 

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Thank you, thank you!! I can never stop saying those two words enough, seriously. Seeing how this story has grown and where it went, it was all thanks to the readers.

The author’s note is just a bunch of ramblings, so you really don’t have to read it. I just like to write my thoughts down.

I hope everyone is happy and doing well.