Things returned to normal at school eventually, even though the fight at the dance was brought up more often than not. Even though Minho wasn't directly involved, he was often brought up too as being the reason for it all, even if he wasn't.
It was almost time for all the seniors to leave, and that meant most stayed at home since all work was completed and they only had a few exams here and there. The school wasn't nearly as wild as it was when the seniors were around, and overall, it was rather boring. Not much drama happened, but Taemin had had enough of that for a few years. He was glad the school didn't have much seniors loitering around anymore, even though he did miss Jinki from time to time. It just didn't feel the same not having the sunshine around to cheer the junior up when he needed it sometimes.

It was a Friday, only two weeks before the graduation ceremony. Taemin was bored out of his mind - history being one of the last few classes on a hot day, especially a Friday, wasn't a good idea in his opinion - and he fished out his phone to scroll through some of his chats.

𝑰'𝒎 𝒔𝒐 𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒅... [14:26]

He was surprised when his phone buzzed - would he really get a reply, especially now?

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚? 𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒍, 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒘𝒂𝒚. 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒘, 𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚? [14:28]

It surprised the junior to know this little fact was remembered, and he felt his heart flutter.

𝒀𝒆𝒂𝒉. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝑰'𝒎 𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏. [14:29]

The teacher was droning on too much to really take note of Taemin in the back of the class chatting on his phone, something he was glad for.

𝑻𝒓𝒖𝒆...𝒐𝒌𝒂𝒚, 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆. 𝑰'𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒔, [14:30]

School wasn't due to end for another hour, but Taemin was more than eager to ditch his last class. It would be his first time doing something like this, and he promised himself it wouldn't be a regular occurrence. He was too much of a good student to really skip class often - his parents and conscience wouldn't allow it anyway.

He kept checking around the classroom until he heard a knock on the window, making him turn his head to see Jinki's smiling face and his little chubby hand waving at the junior.
Taemin sneakily waved back, packed up his things as quickly and quietly as he could while the teacher was scribbling some notes down on the board, and then made his way to the window to climb out. But he misjudged just how long the teacher would have his back turned to his class, and he had one leg out of the window when the teacher turned back; Taemin's heart began to thump unevenly. He was so busted, he knew it! His parents were going to skin him alive when they found out just why he was sentenced to detention, and his palms grew sweaty. The junior had never wished to be a chameleon any more than that moment, or maybe for the floor to swallow him up. His first time trying to sneak out of class, and he gets caught!

“Crap!” There was a loud clatter in the front, and Taemin glanced down on the floor to see a bottle of water spilled all over.
The student, Lucas, gave a small wink as the teacher rushed to get a cloth; perks of having a teacher that wants everything clean.
Taemin flashed his friend a relieved smile and then slipped out of the window to Jinki where they both ran and ran and ran until they were safely off school grounds.

“I can't believe you really came,” He said as he walked beside the senior who seemed more than relaxed, his hands in his pockets.
“I know. A bad role model. Don't make this a habit, okay?” Jinki said, and Taemin nodded with a smile. He wasn't planning on that, but he wanted to reassure his hyung anyway.
“I won't~ I just wanted to get out of there, only for today,” He chirped in a sing-song voice, his smile never leaving his face - he had never been this happy to see Jinki before, and he had to wonder why that was. Maybe it was the fact that he hadn't physically seen the senior for at least a week, or the fact that he didn't have much time to check in with Jinki. He was starting to realize he really had taken advantage of the fact that the older one always checked up on him, and that he had never checked up on Jinki first instead on some days.

“So, how have you been? We haven't spoken in a little bit,” He asked as they stopped by a traffic light to wait until they were allowed to walk across the street to the other pavement.
“Busy. I've been going through my options for college,” Jinki replied and shielded his eyes from the sun using his one hand, glancing at the junior beside him that seemed to be struggling with his school jacket and the bag on his back - it wasn't this hot in the morning when Taemin got dressed, and he felt himself getting cranky at the heat that seeped through his clothes.
“Is there one you have in mind?” He asked anyway, trying to concentrate more on his friend instead of the annoying sun that drowned him in scathing heat. That was more important than the high temperature right now.
“Maybe in Incheon...? Of course, there's Seoul University, but I could also go to one in Tokyo,” Jinki said, eyed Taemin for a little longer, and then started walking in the direction of the younger one's home instead of walking across the street.
“Tokyo...? Hey, where are you going?” The junior exclaimed as he jogged a little to catch up with the older one once he noticed Jinki not going the way they originally planned.
“You look like you're about to faint. Let's go to your place so you can change, then we can go to that chicken place we went to one time,” The senior answered once his friend had caught up to him after a few seconds, and Taemin brushed some hair out of his eyes. He was somewhat grateful Jinki had noticed it, but he also felt a little shy since it was obvious how tired he was from the sun.

“Hyung, would you really move to Tokyo? Are you considering it?” Taemin asked once they had neared his home - lucky for him, his parents wouldn't be home for another few hours, so he didn't have to worry they'd find out he skipped the last class of school.
“Maybe. Why?” Jinki asked, and Taemin felt himself gnawing his bottom lip. Something about having the senior so far away made him sad, but he hoped he could somehow change Jinki's mind about it.
“What about your parents? What about your friends? We'd miss you a lot,” The junior said as he stepped up to the front door to unlock it after pulling out his keys from his backpack.
Okay, so it was maybe selfish of the blonde to want to keep Jinki here if the senior really wanted to attend a university in another country, but the junior wasn't only thinking of how he would feel in this situation.
“My parents would move to Japan, too. My dad has an opportunity to transfer there. And as for my friends...some are moving to other countries as well. Canada, America, other cities...not a lot of seniors are going to attend Seoul's university,” He explained, and Taemin walked in with a small tremble in his hand. What did Kibum want to do, then? Would he move somewhere with Minho?

Taemin didn't know.

“Then have you decided?” He had to ask, and Jinki shrugged.
“I'm leaning towards it. Japan is a nice country,” He replied, and Taemin felt sadness pour into his body; if Jinki was thinking of this, did that mean current juniors would do the same when they got to being seniors? Would Baekhyun, or Lucas, or Jongin leave to study in another country eventually as well? What if the blonde was the only one who stayed in Seoul out of his friend group?

Without much else to say, Taemin went to change after discarding his backpack. He didn't like the thought of being all alone, especially without Jongin. Even though he was a freshman, and therefore had a lot of time to decide, Taemin didn't want to hear about his best friend wanting to leave when his senior year was almost done.
What if all his friends went to faraway countries? Like Italy, or Paris, or even Canada like some of the current seniors? It made Taemin's mood drop to think about something like that. Sure, he wouldn't be as sad to see people like Lucas or Ten go since he didn't know them as well as people like Baekhyun or Jongin, but it didn't mean he wouldn't want to see them again. They still had spots in Taemin's heart, and he was sure it wouldn't change, even a few years down the line. He got too attached too quickly, he knew it, but he was grateful for the group of friends he had.

He met Jinki downstairs.
“Let's go,” He said, and the senior walked out with him. The walk to the chicken restaurant was rather quiet, and the older one could tell something was bringing Taemin's mood down. Not knowing whether to ask about it or not, Jinki kept his hands in his pocket and allowed the younger one to mull over whatever was bothering him for a little bit.

“You're quiet. Why?” He asked eventually - the boy that came with him from school and the one that was walking with the older one now was very different, and he wondered if he had said something wrong to upset Taemin.
The younger one glanced up, and his eyes moved from the cracks in the pavement to meet Jinki's eyes.
“What?” He had been too involved in his sad thoughts of having to say goodbye to Jinki for a few years to really pay attention to his surroundings, and he raised his eyebrows.
“Are you okay?” The older one asked him, placed his hands on Taemin's shoulders, and looked at him in the eye. Taemin almost wanted to blurt out his fears - that his friendship with his hyung would crumble to dust eventually if Jinki never came back, that his friends would leave too, that he would be alone for a long time, and that he would have to watch as his friends became distant again...but he couldn't.
“I'm fine,” He answered weakly, and then walked into the restaurant before his friend could properly bombard him with questions.

They ordered some fried chicken, a banana milkshake and a vanilla milkshake, and then sat in silence. Jinki studied his friend carefully, deciding not to push too much on what was truly bothering Taemin - even if the younger one said he was okay, his body language said otherwise. And Jinki knew him too well to just believe the blonde when he said he was fine when he clearly wasn't.
As he played with a straw once their milkshakes had arrived, he spoke up.
“You know you can talk to me about anything that might be bothering you...right?” He said gently, sliding the straw into his drink.
“Yeah,” Taemin answered and took a gulp of his banana milkshake, not wanting to meet his friend's eyes. He knew the moment he did, he would pour his little sensitive heart out.
“So tell me what's making you sad,” The senior said, and Taemin glanced at him for a split second before he sighed and looked down at the table.
“I'm okay. Really. Don't worry about it,” Was the small answer, and Taemin swirled his straw around in his drink for a second or two. He would cherish the time he had left with Jinki - maybe the older one would stay, but it he was offered a position in an elite university in another city and another country, why would he attend Seoul University?
He would miss these little outings, the way Jinki liked his chicken, the way he was up for an adventure any time of the day, even if it was in the middle of the night. He would miss 𝐽𝑖𝑛𝑘𝑖.

“Well, I suppose your parents will be back now, right?” The senior asked once they had finished their meal, and the younger one nodded as he drained his cold beverage.
“Probably,” He responded somberly - he wanted to spend more time with his friend, but he didn't want Jinki to deal with him when he felt so low. Maybe some time alone would be better for the blonde.
“Let's get you home then,” Jinki said, put some money down on the table, and then walked out with the junior.
“You don't have to walk me home, you know,” Taemin said once they were outside in the scathing sun again, and Jinki waved a dismissive hand.
“Don't mention it. I like it,” The older one said, and started walking to the junior's home before he could argue. They walked in silence for a while, something Jinki had gotten used to, and Taemin turned to him once they were by his home. Why did this feel like the last time they would really get to hang out like this without worrying about schoolwork that needed to be done, or that their schedules would mix too much for them to spend a few hours together? Even if it was Friday, and they had the whole weekend to spend some time together, that did little to cheer the younger one up. Knowing that an impending end was coming to their time together, he felt as if little could cheer him up.

He pulled Jinki in for a tight hug so the older one wouldn't see his tears, and he bit his lip so hard he wondered when he would taste the blood from it.
The senior felt himself frown at the sudden intense hug, but wrapped his arms around Taemin anyway. He didn't really know what else to do; he didn't want to hurt the younger one's feelings by not hugging him back, but he felt nervous as to why Taemin suddenly seemed so emotional. He never gave long or tight hugs like this, and it was starting to worry the older one.
“Taemin...” He uttered after about two whole minutes of just holding Taemin, and he looked at the younger one who peeled himself away from his hyung.
“I'm sorry, I-I just-” He didn't even know what to say; he was so overcome with different feelings and emotions that he didn't know where to begin explaining things.
He pulled away and took a few steps back to catch his breath, calm down, and brush a hand through his hair not to lose it in front of his hyung. He hated to cry, especially in front of others. It just felt like he was being a baby.

“What?” Jinki pressed when the younger one didn't carry on speaking, and he watched as Taemin seemed to retract back in shell like before.
“Nothing...I have to go. Bye,” He dashed off into the house, leaving Jinki on the sidewalk, utterly confused and curious.

The night rolled in faster than Taemin thought possible...but he probably just lost track of time since he got so entangled with his thoughts. His parents were home, but they only came to tell him what was for dinner - they always had things to do around the house, so most of the time, Taemin had his privacy without worrying about his mother barging in.
The longer he spent alone, the more he fell into despair. He couldn't do much to really make his thoughts go away, and that made him feel worse. There wasn't anything he could do to distract him from his overwhelming emotions, and by 7 PM, he was just about in tears. He wanted to tell someone about the way he was feeling, to rant about everything, but he didn't want to bother anyone - Jongin was hanging out with Kyungsoo, Baekhyun was probably playing some video games with his online friends, and he of course couldn't say anything to Jinki. So who did that leave? Lucas? Mark? Ten? No. He couldn't expect them to listen to his nonsensical chatter.

After a half an hour or so of Taemin wallowing in his seas of sadness, he grabbed his phone without thinking and dialed the only person he could think of right now.
“Taemin? What's wrong?” It was Jonghyun.
“I-I don't want him to go,” The junior choked a sob - when had he started crying? - “I don't want any of them to leave! I don't want to be alone again!”
“Okay, okay, slow down...take a breath...who are you talking about? Who's leaving?” The older one asked calmly, and Taemin did as he was told.
“Jinki. He said he wants to go to a university in Tokyo...what if my friends leave me too when we get to being seniors? What if they want to go to other countries, too? I don't want to be without them,” The blonde croaked out as he dabbed at his eyes with his sleeve.
“As far as I know, Jinki is just weighing his options right now. He isn't sure exactly yet. Just calm down, okay? And as for your friends, you don't know they'll leave for sure. Maybe they'll even come back after studying in another country. Why is it bothering you so much? Why does Jinki leaving bother you so much?” Jonghyun asked from the other side, and Taemin felt his voice drop into a low whisper.
“I don't want to be without him,” He admitted softly, and Jonghyun silently smiled.
“Should I come over?” He asked in his honey-like voice, and Taemin nodded almost immediately.
“Yes please,” But what he didn't know, was that Jonghyun wouldn't be the one to come visit.

After twenty minutes, Taemin heard a rap on his window, something like a small stone hitting the glass. It was somewhat annoying, and the blonde wanted to cuss out whoever was doing it - didn't they know they could crack or damage the window?!
But when he opened it and saw Jinki standing there, he frowned.
“I hope you don't mind me coming instead of Jonghyun,” He offered in a quiet call that he hoped only the junior could hear and not his parents as well.

“Why did you come? What did Jonghyun tell you?” Taemin asked once he was down in the backyard to meet Jinki, and the older one smiled somewhat shyly.
“He told me you didn't want me to leave,” He replied. Taemin felt his cheeks flush - he wasn't sad anymore, but instead, more embarrassed than anything else.
“Yeah...I'd miss you too much,” He admitted, rubbed his one eye, then spoke again.
“I know it's silly and maybe even childish, but I don't want you to go so far. I don't want us to lose contact. I don't want you to...to disappear. I want you to stay,” He whispered and gulped back the emotions that wanted to come out again.
“Don't go, hyung. Please? I-”

Jinki's warm, soft hands cupped Taemin's face before he could say any more, and their lips collided similar to the first time it happened that night at the chicken restaurant. He hoped Taemin wouldn't push him away like then, that the younger one wasn't saying these things only because he saw the senior as nothing more but a brother, but his fears were denied when he felt that one tingle in his heart.

Taemin was kissing back.