Author’s Note: This story is set in an alternate universe, in an imaginary town and country, and during an ambiguous time period.

Yunho felt as if the whole town was at the high school for the game. He was glad he did not have a car to park. He would have had to struggle to find a spot.

Paying a couple of dollars at the entrance for his ticket, he made his way in, feeling like an outcast and trying to not look around. 

Heading to the food court, someone tapped him on the shoulder. It was a beaming Soel and Kimberli. Soel slipped in front of him, stopping him dead in his tracks and she gave him a giant hug. For such a short girl, she was strong, but all softness. “I’m so glad you’re here!”

He stayed frozen in shock. Stepping back, she slipped to his side, distracted by her buzzing phone. While she checked her phone, Kimberli said, “You’re here.” 

He shrugged. “Yeah.”

“You won’t regret it.” Soel said cheerily. “Sit with us.” As she said that, she unabashedly hooked her arm through his and Kimberli’s. Yunho arched an eyebrow at the action but stayed mummed.

“What are you getting?” Soel cheerily asked before she started prattling about her favorite foods to get at the games and how much she loved coming to the games. It felt charged—a nice charged feeling. It felt like everyone was happy, and because of that Yunho felt happy.

He was genuinely happy he came.

Yuno and Kimberli shared a look and then they shared a small smile.

------

Up in the bleachers next to the girls, Changmin and Kevin, Yunho watched as the cheerleaders did their number, cheering the crowd before the teams came on the ice-rink. 

As their school team rolled out, Yunho was startled by a few high pitch screams and whistles. It was Jaejoong’s group of friends, the ones that didn’t play hockey. The high pitched screams were coming from Jaejoong’s girlfriend’s friends. He could not help but notice how excited Aki looked, standing and cheering with all her might for Jaejoong.

Maybe Jaejoong was a good boyfriend. Maybe in the time he was gone, he had turned into a loving, selfless, and caring guy.

He ignored the stabbing pain.

Yunho even thought Jaejoong looked cool in his uniform. Seeing him on the rink brought back positive memories of when they used to be teammates.

—

After the game, they went downtown to Jim’s Pizzeria; they sold pizza by the whole pie and by slices, and it was considered as the place with the best pizza in town, and the next two towns over, it was a popular hang out for the teenagers. 

The place was packed with his classmates and their extended family, neighbors, and friends. It felt like the whole town went to the game and then decided to tag along and go to the after party too, which was Jim’s Pizzeria. It all screamed small town and he didn’t dislike it as he thought he would. As he should have.

The buzzing feeling of excitement from the game carried over. Everyone was riding this high from the win, and Yunho wanted to act like he was immune, but he wasn’t. But the gravity of the number of bodies in such a small restaurant and the din was slightly overwhelming.

Yunho was having a great night. He was happy that he decided to go to the game. And he was intensely surprised at his feelings.

Yunho was not sure if it was because he was feeling nice, or he was enjoying the company he was with, but he agreed with the sentiment that Jim’s Pizzeria had the best pizza in this corner of the world. Pizza had never tasted nicer.

Maybe Green Meadow would not be as bad as expected.

Yunho was having a few realizations that night. His newly acquired friends were not as annoying and burdensome as he had thought they would be when he first met them. They were great fun. 

Even Kevin was growing on him, and that guy never said much except for when he was being sarcastic in this sardonic, verging on mean tone and pressing Kimberli’s button. Which he did often during lunch. He was even laughing at his attempts at ‘dark’ jokes as he downed slices after slices of pizza. 

Whipping his fingers on his napkin, he got up. “Excuse me.”

“Come back in one piece,” Kevin said around a chunk of pizza between his teeth.

Chuckling, Yunho said, “I’ll try to.”

“Let the boy go to the bathroom in peace,” Kimberli said in her normal taciturn fashion. She took a sip of her drink and rolled her eyes.

“Kimberli and Yunho sitting in a tree—”

Kimberli didn’t let her friend finish his childish teasing, she threw a piece of half-eaten garlic bread at his head. “You’re just jealous you’re not half as good looking.”

“You’re just confused because you have the hots for you-know-who.”

“I hate you!” she glared at him, attempting to whip her greasy fingers on Kevin’s cheeks.

Laughing, Kevin tried to fight her off. 

“You two need to stop,” Soel said in a stern, maternal voice.

“Stop trying to be a mom, Soel,” Kimberli fired at her.

“Hey, I’m trying to help you, spoiled brat!”

Yunho promptly walked away, leaving the friends to bicker. It felt like their default setting.

----

Yunho felt Jaejoong’s presence before he saw him approaching the sink, and he instantly grew stiff. 

Their eyes met and they shared a hasty, tensed look.

Sliding next to him in the sink, turning on the water, Jaejoong said, “Enjoyed the game?”

He gave him a silent shrug.

Jaejoong looked like he was about to say something by opening his mouth, but he pressed his lips shut and dropped his gaze. He began to wash his hands.

Yunho watched Jaejoong reflection in the mirror under his lashes. Jaejoong gripped the rim of the sink and said, looking at Yunho, “Are you still upset at me?”

Yunho sighed. There he went with that voice.

“I am not.”

“You’re not?”

Yunho shook his head and reached for paper towels; wiping his hands dry, he used the damp paper towels to turn off the tap.

“Then, can we talk?”

He finally looked him in the face. “Why?”

“Why?” Jaejoong drowned his hands under the rushing water before he abruptly turned the tap off and turned around to face Yunho. “I know you might never see me as a friend again, but can we just...chill sometimes?”

“Jaejoong—”

“I’m having a get together tomorrow, come.”

“I can’t.”

His expression fell. “Right.”

“No, I mean….I am not saying no because I am angry at you.”

He looked surprised. “You're not?”

He shook his head, and he didn’t know why he said what he said next, but he did: “My dad and I are having dinner tomorrow night.”

“Okay.” He gave him a small, but hopeful smile. “Good.”

“Okay.”

“Yeah.”

Maybe it was the collective jubilation that had rubbed off, Yunho didn’t know. He just felt like he could be nice to Jaejoong.

They stared at each other in silence for a moment before they started speaking at the same time. They shared a short, awkward laugh.

“I’m going to head out,” Yunho said, pointing to the door.

“Wait,” Jaejoong said, making to reach for him. He realized what he was doing and snapped back and dropped his arm.

“Yeah?”

His cheeks darkened. “Can I have your number?”

Yunho blinked at him. “My—Why?”

Jaejoong looked flushed and shame-faced at his response. “Never mind,” he said swiftly.

“No. I don’t mind, it’s just…” He sighed, ran his fingers through his hair and decided to be honest with him. “Listen, we haven't been friends, or anything, for so long; we have grown to be completely different people; I just feel like we have nothing to talk about.”

“I’m...sorry.”

“Jaejoong, it’s okay! I’m not upset anymore.” He smiled. Jaejoong didn’t look convinced. But he tried his best to smile back. It was weak.

"You're not?"

Yunho shook his head.

Yunho was as surprised as Jaejoong at his admission, too. However, he was being honest. The anger was gone, in its place was a dull ache. He missed having a best friend, and it hurt realizing Jaejoong was never that. It wasn't his fault, Yunho tried to reason. They were kids. Kids did not have the maturity to form firm, open, sensitive friendships—maybe. Yunho didn't know  all he knew was that, the edge of his anger was gone.

Swallowing, Jaejoong said cautiously, “If you’re not...angry, as you said, then you should be okay with giving me a chance, right? Please?”

“Jaejoong—”

“I think we have so much to catch up on. Yes, we’re different people now,” he said when Yunho opened his mouth to interject, “but I think if you give me a chance and get to know me, we can reacquaint ourselves and, you might find out that you like the new me.” He lifted his left shoulder and smiled before he dropped it. “Please.”

“Jaejoong, it’s really not like that.”

“Are you acting like you have forgotten how close we used to be?” As he talked, he kept on walking closer to where Yunho stood, frozen.

Yunho felt overwhelmed and defeated at the same time. 

Wordlessly, Yunho stretched out his arm, hand facing up. 

Jaejoong looked down at his palm, then up at him, raising his eyebrows in a silent question. Yunho wiggled his fingers.

“What?” Jaejoong looked up at Yunho’s face, confused.

“Your phone.”

“My what?”

“The piece of technology you use to—”

“I know what a phone is.” He grinned.

Yunho chuckled. “Then take it out and save my number on it.”

“You want to give it to me? Your number?” he stammered out, frowning.

“Yeah. Why...do you look upset?”

“I’m not. I just feel like you’re making me beg.”

Yunho felt like being mean for a little bit. “If my memory serves me right, you used to like begging.”

Jaejoong chuckled against his will. Pulling back, he tried to fix his face. “I don’t remember that. But I do remember you always doing what I wanted.”

“Also another way of admitting that you’re manipulative.” 

“Another way of saying you’re a masochist and liked being told what to do—by me.”

Yunho shrugged, but he had a small smile adorning his lips. “I think not, but I’m okay with you going off believing that.”

“Because it’s the truth, and only the truth,” Jaejoong fired back, trying his hardest to bite back the large smile that was fighting its darndest to take over his face.

“Just give me your phone,” Yunho said, chuckling. 

still restraining his smile, Taking his phone out of his back pocket, he handed it to Yunho.