The story currently goes Kibum, Minho, Taemin, Jonghyun, Jinki. This may change per chapter. I'm currently still thinking about it. Let me know what you think. :-)

When the door to their suite swings open, Kibum realizes  that he's the first one to have arrived. There are no voices bickering from further in the suite. There are no video game sounds being blasted from the television. There's no piano melody waving through the room, and no one belting high notes from within the shared shower.

It's fully silent, and it's almost an eerie silence in itself.

Kibum doesn't like silence. Especially not after the breakup. It gives him too much time with his thoughts and the reality of his situation.

He sighs, and it's a deep one. He'd agreed on sharing this suite with his friends long before his relationship had ended, and had told himself over the summer that he wouldn't regret his decision to go through with it; and though Jonghyun was only due to arrive later on in the day, Kibum's anxiety swirls around him, making the air itself taste heavy.

"What to do..." he mutters to himself, taking a glance at his cell phone. It had been vibrating in his pocket intermittently for the past half an hour, but he knows exactly who's trying to get into contact with him without checking.

And he's just not as ready as he thought he'd be yet.

Taking a deep breath to brace himself, he wanders through the dorm to see what he has to work with.

Two rooms with two twin beds, and one room with one twin bed. Back when they had first agreed to live together, he was supposed to share a room with Jonghyun, with Minho and Taemin sharing a room and Jinki taking the remaining single room. He wonders if that's still going to be the room arrangements, or if Jonghyun would agree that they'd be better off in separate rooms.

With no other ideas, and because he wants to at least wait until one of the others arrive to see if he can get away with changing roommates before Jonghyun arrives, Kibum deposits his luxury suitcases in a heap in their common room and sets to cleaning up. It's mostly clean already, already set for the new semester and new group of students to occupy the suite, but Kibum finds that cleaning is cathartic in its own way, and it's a good way to deal with his many thoughts without being overwhelmed by them.

He's in his junior year of college already, the exciting world of fashion b with endless possibilities before him. A meloncholic smile lights his face as he thinks about it, of memories of when he had met Jonghyun during his freshman year, along with Jinki. The two were a year ahead of him, he'd learned, both in the Arts Department and studying performance music. They had seemed very close; and with Jonghyun's charm accompanied by Jinki's gentleness, had easily roped Kibum into befriending them. Along had come Minho, a freshman like himself who was also in the Arts Department studying theater as a way to 'get his foot in the door,' as he'd explained when they met. Minho was loud and passionate, or quiet and thoughtful, depending on who you asked.

By the end of his first schoolyear, the little group was virtually inseparable; and the following year, Taemin had squeezed his way into their group and hearts. He was a young musical prodigy whom Jinki and Jonghyun had met because of their shared major of performance music; and because of his many talents, his peers were often spiteful and mean to him. The four had gone out of their way to protect him, and his bright and eager-to-learn personality made it that much easier for the rest to take him in.

They all got along great, despite wildly opposing personalities. Jinki was always smiling, ready to tell a bad joke at a moment's notice. Jonghyun was talented, and had a way with words that had ultimately been Kibum's downfall. Minho fit like a glove with his passion for anything he set out to and his overprotective instincts. Then, there was Taemin, who was sassy and energetic and bright and knew exactly how to manipulate the others into what he wanted. With Kibum's own personality, a self-proclaimed diva image with a propensity to tell the blunt truth at any given notice, they were a group of friends that were so well known around campus for turning heads.

But their friendship dynamic, once so close that they could call each other brothers if they wanted to, had shifted when Kibum realized he'd developed feelings for Jonghyun.

It was his second year of college when it happened. On a crisp autumn day, with the rain pelting him from overhead as a frazzled Kibum held bundles of fabric tightly to his chest as he waited, hoping that the rain would at least clear up a little bit, Jonghyun had appeared with an umbrella and his signature charming grin.

Like the knight he'd been waiting for.

Kibum had known of the elder's attractiveness since they'd first met. No one in their friend group was a slouch, but Jonghyun's unique facial features had always drawn Kibum's eyes towards him unconsciously.

He knew Jonghyun was attractive, but right in that moment, when his heart fluttered as Jonghyun held the umbrella over his head, something clicked in his mind.

"What are you doing here?" Kibum asked, eyebrows furrowed as he took in Jonghyun's attire,

"Your class is all the way across campus."

His tone was blunt enough that Jonghyun was seemingly caught off guard. The elder glanced away for a moment, fingers tightening ever so slightly on the handle of the umbrella that Kibum had almost missed it entirely.

"We had breakfast together, right?" Jonghyun starts off, and in that endearing way of his that signifies he's about to start rambling,

"You didn't have an umbrella in the morning and I remembered you talking about grabbing materials to bring them to your dorm to work on some new designs, so I figured I'd swing by with an umbrella just in case."

And that was just so much like Jonghyun that Kibum cracked a grin. For as aloof and goofy as Jonghyun would act, he was always doing things to be helpful towards his friends, even if doing the nice things took away from his own responsibilities. Then, there were the telltale signs of a blush on Jonghyun's cheeks, which couldn't be explained away by the coolness of the autumn air on its own. Kibum had found himself to be utterly speechless, as it was the first time in so many years that someone had gone out of their way for his sake.

"Tell me if I'm reading the signs here wrong, hyung," Kibum says, his voice just soft enough that no one could hear him if they just happened to be walking by at the same time,

"but, do you like me?"

Kibum can see it on his face. For a moment, Jonghyun's debating on dismissing it and playing cool so he doesn't risk embarrassing himself. But the elder takes a deep breath, his features schooling so easily that Kibum's impressed by him.

"Well if I made it that obvious then there's no reason for me to be too nervous to ask you out on a date, right?" Jonghyun asks this time, and his charming little grin is back. It stretches as the silence between them does, because even without a verbal confirmation, it's clear as day that Kibum's interested as well.

But their relationship, which lasted from Kibum's second year of college through the summer of that same year, wasn't meant to last. A number of things had gotten in between them, including Jonghyun's inability to turn off his inate charm that fed into Kibum's insecurities and his own tendency to shut anyone out when his bottled feelings reach a tipping point. They had called it quits over the summer, just a week before they had to return to school. Kibum had told himself it was mutual, and that things would be better this way, for both of them, but the truth was that he couldn't find it in himself to face the realities surrounding him just yet.

Their relationship might be over, but Kibum's not done grieving over it.

With another deep sigh, Kibum places the rug in the living room back down onto the floor. It's been cleaned, and thoroughly. When he checks the clock on his phone, it reads noon. There's also a few messages showing on his lockscreen from his soon-to-be roommates. He deletes Jonghyun's without even bothering to read it, but the one that replaces it is from Minho, saying that he'll be showing up around noon.

Bemused, Kibum tucks his phone into his pocket. While the friend group is very close knit and he can't say he dislikes any of them, Minho is very close. Their personalities are at such opposite ends that there's nearly a chasm between them. His dread at seeing Minho again almost outweighs his anxiety at seeing Jonghyun again.

Minho claps his dad on the back, a move that he'd learned from the old man himself. Their faces are sporting matching grins as they part, and Minho's dad is beaming with pride as he takes one more lasting glance at his son. Minho knows that his dad's love is unconditional, but moments like these still warm his heart. It tells him that his father will never be disappointed by him, so long as Minho leads a life that he's proud of.

"I know you have your heart set out on pursuing the theater, but I do hope you rejoin the football team this year." Minho's dad says with a chuckle, and Minho finds himself joining in.

"They wouldn't last a game without me." Minho reassures him, and with a little wave, he's trudging onto campus by himself.

Going back to college is always a little bittersweet for Minho. He loves learning, especially about the stage; but he also loves his mom and his dad and his older brother, and being here without them by his side always leaves him feeling just a little hollow. Their family was close, and closer than some families he knew of. While other kids were pressured to go into law school or medical school, his parents had encouraged him to try his hand at any passion he'd stumbled across. When he'd fallen in love with acting and came clean to his family about wanting to become an actor, his parents had spared no expense in getting him any kind of help; whether it be in lessons or local theater groups.

Minho truly believed he was blessed in that regards, because everyone in his life was always so accepting of him and his passions that he'd never really had to worry about not fitting in. He was easygoing, and genuinely friendly enough to make connections in every situation he was in and know that those connections would last a lifetime.

Well, almost.

There was one. One person, out of every relationship Minho had ever had, left him feeling shaken.

He checks his phone one last time as he walks up to the entrance of their dorm building, acknowledging the way his heartbeat seemed to quicken. There's no answer to his earlier message, but Minho already knows Kibum's there. Dramatic as he is, Kibum is punctual and precise, and wouldn't want to waste time when he could have things ready for when the others get in.

He knocks on their front door, once, twice, three times. He could just use the keys he'd gotten from the residential advisor's office and he knows it, but he wouldn't lie to himself. Kibum's exasperation, which was what he was expecting to receive after months apart, was endearing enough that he had to put down some of his pride.

As expected, when Kibum opens the door, the look Minho's receiving is enough to wilt lesser men.

On the other hand, Minho is practically beaming.

"Don't you have a ke-" Kibum begins.

He's cut off mid word as Minho lets himself in and wraps his arms tight around Kibum. In comparison to Minho, Kibum is shorter and lankier, and his arms engulf Kibum as they embrace.

"Oh my god!" Kibum nearly groans, and he's patting Minho's back in that overly dramatic fashion of his like Minho's being a pest,

"Get off of me, you big oaf!"

He doesn't really want to, but because Kibum's now squirming and saying bitten-off profanities into his ear, Minho pulls himself back.

"I'd say you've grown but it looks more like you've shrunk." Minho tells him, enjoying the way that Kibum's nostrils flutter in frustration.

"I haven't grown any more than your receding hairline has." Kibum snaps back as he turns and walks further into the dorm.

It's always like this between them. Minho saying something to get a rise out of Kibum. Kibum saying offensive things that Minho can't help but argue back at because, ouch, why doesn't Kibum have any tact? It's a weird little relationship, and Minho constantly finds himself wondering if he's just a masochist, because why else would his heart continue to long for Kibum's attention?

"You're even more snappy than usual," Minho notes as he follows Kibum in and drops his two suitcases by Kibum's many. He makes a note to ask about why they're in the common area,

"Did you have a fight with hyung?"

Kibum looks over at him, and there's this flicker of alarm in his eyes that has Minho biting back questions he didn't think he'd be asking. While it had hurt him to know that Jonghyun and Kibum were dating the previous year, he  had seen them together enough times to begrudgingly accept that they worked well together.

Kibum is silent for a long time, fiddling with the table in their little kitchen like it's the most impressive thing he's ever seen. There's a story there, Minho thinks. A long, painful story. He wants to ask, feels like he's swimming in all of his regrets and desires but knowing he can't do anything unless Kibum himself brings it up first.

"We broke up. Last month." Kibum says, which is what Minho figured he'd say.

After all, Kibum's strong enough that it had to be something major that would let him look so defeated.

"And let me guess. This is the first time you'll see him in person so you're getting yourself all worked up thinking about it." Minho surmises, and he notes the way Kibum's shoulders slump in relief.

Well, it sort of explains why Kibum had left all of his stuff in the common area instead of one of the rooms. He's probably not sure of how their previous sleeping arrangement would translate at the end of it all. Minho wants to offer a listening ear, but knows he's not Kibum's first choice in venting. That would likely be Jinki, who listened to everyone's venting with kindness and patience that they'd all come to rely on.

They'd all been a little unsure about Jonghyun and Kibum's relationship, because they didn't want their friendship to be disrupted if things hadn't worked out; and Minho finds himself feeling a little frustrated. Why hadn't the two worked things out earlier? What went wrong that a couple that worked so well together was suddenly over and left one half of it looking so unsure of itself?

"Hey, Minho," Kibum says, after a lengthy silence that gave them both some time to think.

Minho looks up at him, and finds himself transfixed. Kibum's still at the table, his fingers gliding across the surface almost absentmindedly. Even like this, doing something so mundane, Kibum is so beautiful that Minho forgets how to breathe for a moment.

When he remembers he has to breathe again, he sighs out a, "Yeah?"

"You mind sharing a room with me for the year?" Kibum asks, and he stills from his early fidgeting,

"I wanted to shower but I wasn't sure of what we'd do about the rooms and-"

"We can share a room, Kibum." Minho interrupts, his voice gentle. It might even come across as a little condescending, but that's unintentional. All he ever wants is for Kibum to be happy.

Kibum breathes a sigh of relief, then turns his head enough to look Minho in the eye. His expression is tired, but there's a glimmer of thankfulness in his eyes as he passes Minho with the intention of grabbing his suitcases from the common area.

"I'm going to shower." Kibum says from the distance, though it's entirely rhetoric.

Which is good, because Minho's a little busy trying to get his brain back together to answer anyway. He knows he'd agreed to it; but somehow, the idea of sharing a room with Kibum is both exciting and terrifying. There are only so many ways this can go, after all. Just because they're getting along for this moment, when Kibum literally doesn't have anyone else to turn to for help, doesn't mean their less than stellar friendship is going to turn on its head and become something entirely different. Jonghyun still lives there with them; and from the looks of it, Kibum's not even close to ready to let him go.

He finds that it's okay, though.

Like a true masochist, he'll wait as long as Kibum needs. Even if he never moves on from Jonghyun, Minho wants only to be at his side.

"Are you planning on signing up for the exhibition this year?" Jongin asks, and Taemin glances over at his best friend.

"I wasn't really planning on it," Taemin answers with a crinkle of his nose, and his head tilts to the side just enough to show that he is now thinking about it,

"Are you?"

The little excited grin on Jongin's face is enough of an answer, Taemin thinks. They'd been friends since their freshman year of high school, and had decided to go to the same college after they'd graduated. They'd found their own little friend groups and didn't typically spend time together; but still, Taemin couldn't imagine anyone else as his best friend. They'd just left the residential advisor's office with the keys to their respective suites in hand. Jongin was assigned across campus with his friends, and because he was so reluctant to let his friend go alone, Taemin tagged along to walk him.

"I might try to convince one of the guys to join me, since I'm not very good." Jongin answers with a shrug, and he looks a little deflated now.

No one's a greater critic of Jongin's than Jongin himself.

Taemin scoffs, bumping his shoulder into Jongin's and snickering when it causes Jongin to lose his balance for the shortest of moments. Jongin glares, his grip tightening on one of the suitcases he'd been pulling that had been so dangerously close to rolling away.

"That's a load of and you know it." Taemin tells his best friend, and Jongin's glare softens immediately,

"If the exhibition were a competition, you'd easily make second place."

"Second?" Jongin asks in confusion,

"Who'd be first?"

Taemin raises an eyebrow in skepticism as he turns back to the confused man, "Why, me, of course. Do you really have to ask?"

Jongin rolls his eyes, then shoves at Taemin's shoulder. He's a lot rougher than Taemin had been, but they're both lucky in that neither of them or their things spill as their playful shoves get rougher.

"You're something else alright."  Jongin murmurs as they close in on his building. He pauses a few feet away from the entrance, turning to Taemin with obvious hesitation in his eyes,

"Hey. If things don't work out with our roommates, maybe we can try living someplace by ourselves?"

Again, Taemin scoffs, though this time it's because he knows how close Jongin is with his friends. Joonmyeon, who Taemin had met previously, was personally very protective of his friend, as well. There was no possible way, at least with Joonmyeon around, that Jongin would be unhappy there.

"Sure, Jongin." He says anyway, because he loves the minute relaxation of Jongin's shoulders as Taemin's reassurance comforts him. He raises a hand up in a wave, then turns around with his own suitcases in order to head over to his own dorm when Jongin suddenly reaches out and places a hand on his shoulder.

"I just thought of something, Tae," Jongin mutters, the excitement in his tone warming Taemin's chest as he turns back,

"Instead of competing against each other at this year's exhibition, why don't we perform it together?"

Now there's an idea, Taemin thinks. The pair are known as a killer combination of dancing and vocal skills already, and there was no one in their school that Taemin was more comfortable with performing with.

Well, aside from Jinki and Jonghyun, but they're a lot older and have their own performances to worry about.

"If you're sure you can keep up with me." Taemin teases good naturedly; and though Jongin rolls his eyes at his friend's playful arrogance, he doesn't say a word to the contrary.

"Alright I've had enough of you for a day." Jongin says with a guffaw, and he shoves at Taemin's shoulder one last time.

Without even a glance backward at his friend, he enters the dorm building and disappears from Taemin's sight. The moment the door swings shut behind him, Taemin moves on to go to his own dorm. Being friends with Jongin is effortless, easy. They had a lot in common besides their love of performing, and had clicked easily upon first glance. While he loved his elder friends, and felt like he owed them a great deal for how well they had treated him when they obviously had no need to, having at least one friend in his age group did a lot to ease the insecurities that Taemin had felt.

The grin on his face, having been brought out while he was still hanging out with his childhood, is strong enough to make his cheeks hurt, even as he reaches the door for his suite. He wonders what's changed since the last time he'd seen his elder friends. He wonders if Jinki had decided to cut his hair finally, after he'd let it grow wildly during the past year. He wonders if Jonghyun had any luck in composing new music, after complaining a few too many times to Taemin about his lack of muse and motivation. How that worked while he was in a relationship that he kept saying made him happy made no sense to Taemin, but he'd kept that opinion to himself. He wonders if Minho finally had the courage to stand up to Kibum for his unfair treatment of him during the past. Likewise, he wonders if Kibum had finally figured out that he was less happy with Jonghyun than he had let on during the past year of their relationship.

The smell of bread hits him even from outside of their dorm, causing Taemin's grin to widen, though he wasn't even sure that were possible.

Freshly baked bread only meant one thing. Kibum was already home. And where Kibum went, Minho was always close by.

Wasting no time on clever entrances, Taemin unlocks and slams the door open, gauging the surprise on both Kibum and Minho's faces. They were both sitting on the long couch in their common room. There's enough space between them that Taemin could fit snuggly and up all of their body heat; but when he notes that neither of them are holding anything that can spill or hurt him, he kicks the door shut, then hurls himself up and over the couch to lay across their laps.

"Tae!" Kibum says, more like whines, as he shoves Taemin's feet off of his lap,

"I just finished cleaning! At least take your shoes off!"

Cooing, Taemin sits up and presses his face into Kibum's cheek, smooshing their faces together as he kicks his shoes off, "I missed you too, Bummie."

Minho is full on cackling as he watches, though he seems aware that Taemin isn't going to forget about him. His one hand is already on Taemin's shoulder, one to keep him balanced, and two, because he can probably see the glint in the younger's.

"And my Ming hyung!" Taemin hollers, much like the child he always feels like he's reverting back to when he's with this specific group of friends. He reaches out with one arm to Minho's shoulder and yanks him closer, holding the two in a tight hug that has them awkwardly reaching around him to reciprocate.

"You're a whole year older and you still act like a child." Minho says in his overly friendly, good-natured manner. Taemin's not offended by it at all; after all, as the youngest of their group of friends, there's a lot he can get away with that the others enable.

Taemin releases the both of them, shifting so that he's sitting up in between them. It's not entirely necessary, and won't do much if the elders decide to really go after one another, but acting as a wall between them usually deters them for a few moments when they feel like arguing.

"Did the hyungs say when they're getting in?" Taemin asks, and he's trying to keep his voice cool and collected, even though he knows the excitement is building up in his chest.

Kibum's body tenses, but it's such a slight movement that anyone who didn't know the man well enough would miss it. Taemin knows better than to ask about it, but it looks as though something had happened during the summer between Jonghyun and Kibum.

"Jonghyun just got to campus," Minho explains, after casting a brief glance at his phone with his eyebrows furrowed in concentration,

"He says he'll head over after taking a detour to the music library."

When Minho finishes surmising the texts that Jonghyun had sent him, he throws a look over in Kibum's direction, one that could be mistaken as pity by anyone else concerned about the situation.

"What are you looking at him like that for?" Taemin asks with a brow raised, because the two of them are awfully quiet when they're typically always at each other's throats. They care about each other, sure, but Kibum's not the type who likes having anyone in his business,

"Did you break up with Jonghyun or something?"

The silence that ensues is more than enough of an answer, Taemin thinks. He wishes to comfort Kibum, but doesn't know of what to say that would make the already bristling tension fade away.

"It's whatever, right? Just have to move on," Kibum chortles, a decent attempt at acting that would likely fool anyone who isn't an art major that focuses on performances. Kibum clears his throat, pulling his own phone out of his pocket. Taemin can already see the several messages from Jonghyun on his screen, but doesn't comment on it.

"Did either of you hear anything from Jinki?" Minho asks, and Taemin fishes his own phone out of its hiding place as well.

While Jinki isn't the type to text continuously, he would have at least given them a heads up on when he planned to arrive on campus. Right?

"It's the old man we're talking about," Kibum says, a fond little smile tugging at the corners of his lips,

"Maybe he thought he could surprise us."

They let the thought slip from their minds as they discuss their vacations with one another.

Okay. So maybe Jonghyun should've stopped at the suite before heading to the library, because then he wouldn't have had to juggle his suitcases of clothes with the little pile of books and records he'd gotten to use for reference in his upcoming compositions. Instead, with an excruciatingly slow shuffle in the direction of his accomodations, Jonghyun slowly pushes his suitcases along and wishes that anyone, anyone at all would save him from the embarassment of being ogled and laughed at by other students that just happen to cross his path.

But he's not that lucky, it seems. Somehow, and by the skin of his teeth, he makes it all the way to his suite without breaking what could be hundreds of dollars worth of musical materials in his haste to see his friends. It was a good distraction, he tells himself; because otherwise, he'd be too busy wallowing in his own misery with question upon question regarding just why Kibum had told him to remain friends if he hadn't meant to put in the effort to be one.

Whoops. There he goes, thinking about it again. It doesn't help that he knows the others have likely already heard about their split. They'd all had some concerns about the two dating in the first place, but Jonghyun had been so sure that they would last and get stronger as time went on that he'd practically thrown all caution to the wind. He had been entirely crushed when Kibum had suddenly broken up with him, using flimsy lies about how the two were heading down separate paths. Now, he could only hope that their friends would remain impartial and that he could eventually fix the rift between him and Kibum before he lost the design student for good.

Maneuvering the bundle of records he'd gotten from the music library under his arm, Jonghyun unlocks the front door of their suite and pushes his way inside. He sees the trio immediately, of course, since the door opening is right in front of their common space; but still, for whatever reason, seeing them together just feels a little bit unexpected.

Perhaps it just feels a little unusual because someone's missing. Without even really meaning to do so, Jonghyun finds his eyes slipping past the common area to the hallway, expecting that fourth person to just appear, the way he would normally.

"He's not here yet," comes Kibum's interruption, his tone calm and pointed all at once.

Jonghyun swallows a lump. Unlike Kibum, who seemed utterly composed as he sat there with his easygoing grin, chatting along with Taemin and Minho, Jonghyun is a bundle of nerves feeling like he's supposed to combust. He'd been trying to put on airs of casual coyness throughout their messaging, but seeing Kibum again in person was a different feeling all together.

Kibum doesn't age much, Jonghyun thinks. He's got a sharp jawline, the eyes that are curved enough to make him look like a fox, and his once dyed hair is back to its natural black, unstyled and carefully ruffled. Just like back when he'd met Kibum, Jonghyun feels his heart flutter.

"Hyung. You made it." Minho says as he gets off the couch and crosses the small amount of space in order to pull Jonghyun into a hug.

Their height difference makes it a little awkward every time, but Jonghyun still manages to wrap his arms tightly around the tall friend in return. The blond haired phase seems to have passed from Kibum to Minho, Jonghyun thinks, which oddly completes Minho's seeming transition into looking like an Adonis sculpture come to life.

"Sorry I'm a little late," Jonghyun grins as he releases the tall boy to instead turn his attention to the youngest. Taemin is silent, but there's that ever present smile on his face that tells Jonghyun he's happy to be reunited. His hair is growing out below his beats, jet black like he'd just recently had it done. He's still the lanky, quiet kid that Jonghyun had met the previous year, but Jonghyun's still ever so proud to be able to witness his growth.

"You're still here before hyung, if that makes you feel any better." Minho offers in that good-natured way of his, like the tension in the room isn't apparent,

"Kibum and I already chose our room, so you'll either have to bunk with Taemin or hyung."

Surprised, Jonghyun's eyes flicker over to Kibum to find that he's not even looking back at him. It's like that, then, is it? Kibum's offer for friendship was an empty platitute meant to calm him down when they had broken up all those days ago. He seemed to have no interest in being friends with Jonghyun. Well, Jonghyun would just have to change his mind. But he was patient enough that he knew he could play the long game.

"We already decided we'd give hyung the single, right?" Taemin asks, and he nods his head in the direction of the single room,

"Maybe we should just leave it for him."

There's an unspoken agreement that dances in the air. Jinki's not the type to complain, so he would easily take any room that they wanted to leave him in, and therein lies the reason they'd leave the single open for him. After being such a good, supportive friend and the unofficial leader of their little group, Jinki's earned the right to be respected.

They disperse for the time being, with Jonghyun and Taemin bringing their belongings into the open suite and unpacking as Kibum and Minho go to their kitchen. Jonghyun is amused by their bickering, even as his mind continues to replay his interaction with Kibum and wondering what had gone wrong that made Kibum move on from their relationship so quickly.

By the time Jonghyun and Taemin are done unpacking and showering, Kibum's whipped dinner together. It was one of Jonghyun's favorite things about him during their time together. No matter how crass and blunt Kibum could be, he was extremely thoughtful and showed his affections through acts of service, much like feeding his friends.

Jonghyun's heart hasn't fully caught up to reality, he decides; that's why it proceeds to skip beats as he remembers their previous months together, dancing in the quiet of Jonghyun's apartment where he'd invited Kibum to stay with him over the summer. They'd just eaten, and rather than having dessert or dessert, Jonghyun had pulled Kibum off of his chair by the hand in an effort to sweep him off his feet. He had thought he'd been successful, until the following week when Kibum had all but slammed the door shut in his face.

There's a knock on the door to his room with Taemin that shakes Jonghyun out of his thoughts. He's still in the middle of drying his hair after the long shower he'd taken, his platinum blond hair feeling silky soft as he brushes his fingers through it, and his gaze flies over to where Minho's standing at the door with that wide, disarming smile of his,

"Dinner's ready. Bummie made japchae."

Which is one of Jonghyun's favorites. He loves noodles in all shapes and forms, and had made it clear pretty early on in his relationship with Kibum. Kibum had been amused, but had only ever grumbled playfully when it came to making the dishes Jonghyun liked the most.

"Hyung," Taemin's soft voice calls out, and there's a slight dip of his eyebrows in concern at Jonghyun's reluctance to move,

"Are you coming?"

"Huh?" Jonghyun asks dumbly, having zoned out for the second time already since having gotten to their new apartment.

Taemin shakes his head, fond smile playing at his lips as he exits their room to follow the scent of food. Jonghyun hesitates for another moment, unsure if maybe this whole roommate situation had been the best move after all, but had given up on his internal dilemma when his stomach's growling overpowered his rationality.

When he sits himself at the table, Jonghyun's mouth nearly waters. There's his favorite japchae, after all, accompanied by several side dishes that go well with it. Kibum had decided to go all out on their first meal together. Jonghyun digs in the moment he's gotten a plate of it for himself.

It's just at that moment that the door to their suite opens, its squeak loud enough to travel all the way to their kitchen. They all stop eating, and Jonghyun has noodles hanging out of his mouth, as their gazes turn to the direction of the squeaking door. There's only one person it can be, Jonghyun knows, and his lips curl upward in anticipation.

"Hello?" Calls Jinki's voice, but it's a little deeper than it had been a few months prior. Jonghyun wonders if he's possibly just imagining it wrong.

But a look at Taemin, Kibum and Minho's confused expressions tells him that he actually hadn't imagined it after all.

"Hyung, is that you?" Minho calls, his tone just a little unsure.

There's the sound of footsteps, though they're pretty quiet over all, and not even a minute later, Jinki is in the kitchen with them. Jonghyun nearly chokes on his dinner at the sight of him. During the few months back at home, Jinki had seemingly been spending a lot of his time at the gym. Gone is a majority of his baby fat, replaced by muscle that makes his shirt look snug against his skin. His hair, which he had never wanted to do anything with and left naturally growing, had been dyed dark red, stylishly unkempt.

He looks breathtakingly handsome, but there's something about him that causes Jonghyun to pause.

His eyes, Jonghyun learns.

Jinki's eyes, which had always been so honest and open, and full of love, are guarded now.

Jonghyun finds himself curious about what could've happened to Jinki in the few months that they had been apart.

"Oh, you're all here." Jinki notes, as he drinks in the sight of his four younger roommates. Even though time has passed since he's first met them, his heart swells at the sight of the four most precious people in his life. He can't help the way he wonders if he's as precious to them as they are to him.

"Sorry, are you sure you're the same old man Jinki?" Taemin asks, his lips curled upwards into a teasing grin.

Jinki blinks, lost for a moment; but when he realizes it's meant as a compliment to his recent 'makeover,' feels himself growing bashful. The summer had been a turbulent one for him, and had left him making many changes to a life he had once considered boring and routine.

Minho stands up, distracted from the wonderful-smelling dinner in order to engulf Jinki into one of his exceptionally warm and comforting hugs. Jinki resists the urge to melt into it, even as he raises an arm to gently pat the taller boy on the back. Minho had been lanky and unsure of himself when they'd first met, but had grown to be such a wonderful person.

"What took you so long to get here?" Minho asks into his hair.

He stills for just a moment, recovering quickly and hoping his momentary falter hadn't been noticed by anyone else. In truth, Jinki wasn't even sure if he was even going back to college after the summer had endedd, but his longing to see his friend group had been the driving source for him to pull himself out of his despair.

"You're smothering him," Kibum chortles from the table, and Minho relinquishes his hold on the elder in an endearingly bashful way,

"Come and eat before it gets cold."

As Minho reclaims his abandoned chair and dinner, Jinki rounds the square table and takes the open seat between Taemin and Jonghyun. He notes the table placement immediately; and how Jonghyun and Kibum, normally joined at the hip, are sitting at the farthest ends from one another. He knows even without being told, and reaches out to put a comforting hand on Jonghyun's thigh. Though the younger won't outwardly admit to it, the small, secretive smile that tugs at his lips is enough of a reaction.

"How much do you want, hyung?" Kibum asks, brandishing an empty dinner plate in the air like it's his weapon of choice.

Jinki glances at the japchae sitting at the center of the table, then frowns. It does look wonderful, doesn't it? Kibum had gone all out in his preparation of it.

"Sorry. I'm not feeling hungry." Jinki responds, though he does reach forward to where the pitcher of water is on the table and pours himself a glass of it.

That seems to concern the group, who had been caught ogling Jinki's muscled frame when he had first entered the room. He typically eats the most out of the five of them, and isn't one to turn down food offerings.

"Are you okay?" Minho asks now, reaching over the table to put his hand around Jinki's, like he's about to disappear into thin air.

Jinki glances down at his hand, grins, and slips his hand out of their joint grasp. If anyone notices, they don't bother bringing it up.

"Have we decided on the room assignments?" Jinki asks to change the subject, and his abrupt change of subject is something they notice, if the way the group starts to sit straighter is any indication.

Jonghyun is the one who answers, though he shoots a questioning look in Kibum's direction out of habit, 

"Taemin and I are sharing a room and Kibum's sharing with Minho. Is that alright with you?"

Why wouldn't it be alright with him? Jinki doesn't even bother answering, just smiles a little. With how Jonghyun and Kibum's relationship seemes to have ended, he had been mildly aware that he might have to share a room with someone else after all; but he's filled with relief because that doesn't seem to be the case. When Jinki remains silent, the others take it as a cue to change the subject between them once more.

"Are you excited for the exhibition this year?" Taemin asks, directing his question toward both Jinki and Jonghyun,

"Jongin decided he wants to team up with me this year."

The fondness in his tone as he brings up his other friend, one that's closer to him in age, doesn't escape Jinki's notice. It doesn't escape anyone else's notice, either, judging by their fond little grins and smirks. Taemin doesn't seem to realize it himself, but his friendship with his childhood friend might just be something more than that.

"I got some materials to help me write some new songs," Jonghyun explains excitedly, and Jinki watches the light that fills his gaze.

Jinki zones out as they talk about Jonghyun's song writing endeavors. Jonghyun's the most passionate musician that he knows, so passionate in fact that Jinki had once felt significantly inferior in his own musical abilities. While he no longer felt inferior, or felt like he had no right to feel inferior because his life was taking him on an entirely different path, Jonghyun was steadfast in his hopes to use his music to reach ears near and far.

"What about you, Jinki?" Minho asks, possibly because he'd already noticed how Jinki had zoned out and was instead focused on his glass of water like it was the most amazing thing in the world,

"Jinki?"

When he calls the elder's name again, in order to have him refocus on their conversation, Jinki is pulled back to reality abruptly. He hadn't meant to start thinking about it, but it was inevitable after all, especially as all four of his roommates were art majors that crossed paths more times than other majors.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

Four pairs of eyebrows raise at once, finding his lack of observational skills to be out of character for the elder.

"Kibum asked if you're working on any new musical pieces for the exhibition." Jonghyun answers, his hand lifting to press against Jinki's shoulder, like Jinki just needs an anchor to keep his mind from wandering.

"No. I transferred to the school of science, so I'm not eligible to perform." Jinki answers with a grin, one that feels entirely too forced on his face.

The silence is brutal. He can hear their thoughts even if they don't speak on them. It's his final year and he's changed majors? What had happened that Jinki, who loved to use his voice to melt hearts and connect with people, would suddenly decide to change life paths?

Realizing his mistake at even bringing it up, Jinki pulls his phone out of his pocket. There's a message from Sunyoung that flashes briefly on his screen, he notes in bemusement. She's also asking about the exhibition, and whether or not he'd agree to perform a duet with her. He can't do this with everyone, not right now.

"Thanks for dinner," Jinki says decidedly as he stands up, bringing his glass over to the sink to rinse it out.

"Are you going somewhere?" Minho asks, rightully suspicious.

Jinki, who is an introvert in every sense of the word, still has his outdoor jacket on and is picking his keys up from where he'd placed it on the table when he sat down.

"Changsun invited me to party," is his answer, slow and secretive, as he holds his phone up.

"Hyung?" Jonghyun asks, confused,

"Since when do you go to parties?"

Not to mention, why wasn't he invited to a party that was apparently being hosted by a mutual friend of theirs. Thinking his lie had been caught, Jinki grins,

"We're just going to be drinking at the bar downtown. It's not your scene."

It's another lie, more boldfaced than earlier, but Jonghyun doesn't say anything to call him out on it. None of them do, thankfully. Jonghyun doesn't drink much anyway, and the others don't know Changsun well enough to be partying with him.

"When are you coming home?" Kibum asks as he follows Jinki to the door. He's carrying himself in a way that tells Jinki he had been hoping for some time to vent into the elder's patient ear.

Unfortunately for Jinki, he doesn't even have the patience for himself right now.

"I won't be back until morning. Sorry, Bummie." Jinki answers, and even though Kibum is spluttering behind him, trying to convince him not to stay out all night, Jinki shuts the door behind himself and takes a deep breath.

Then, he heads in the direction of the campus by himself.