“~Billie jean is not my lover~”

“Turn it up!!”

“Ne-hyung!”

“~she’s just a girl who thought that~”

“I WAS THE ONE!!” they both shouted in unison. “BUT THE KID IS NOT MY SON!”

Wooyoung and Nichkhun jammed for the rest of the car ride, singing along and dancing in their seats. It was a beautiful afternoon, the perfect weather for a relaxing day off from the busy city life. The two were headed to a campsite Nichkhun heard about through his friends, he thought it would be nice for Wooyoung to do something outdoors for once instead of cooped up in his apartment all the time.

“We’re here!”

“Alright, I think my reservation was in the lot over there, take a right.”

As they pulled into the campsite, Wooyoung could not contain his excitement. It’s been a while since just him and Nichkhun hung out together due to their schedules and promotions.

“Khunnie-ya, I think I forgot the soccer ball…”

“What…” Khun glared at Wooyoung for a few seconds while Wooyoung just stared back with a pouty aegyo face. “Just kidding! That’s okay, I’m hungry anyway!”

Khun set up the BBQ as Wooyoung went to get the meat from the car.

“I got a discount on the samgyeopsal from the noona today! ^0^”

Wooyoung sat down on the opposite side of Khun as they start setting up their plates. With the grill looking ready, Nichkhun laid on the first piece of samgyeopsal as it sizzled and crackled coming in contact with the heat.

“Ooh this smells amazing! Good choice Wooyoungie!” Wooyoung smiled smugly, he knew all of Khun’s favorite foods.

“Of course, I had to go all out!”

“I hope you bought enough to share with others” Khun said as Wooyoung’s expression dropped suddenly.

“What, you invited girls again?”

“You gonna call me a bad person again and storm off again like that one time in the dorms?” Khun said with a smirk. “I’m just kidding, lighten up!”

“Oh, haha” Woo laughed with an embarrassed expression. Woo had a flashback to the scenario that was touched on during their filming of Strong Heart and he stammered “I’m sorry again Khunnie for overreacting that one time.”

“Oh Wooyoung, don’t apologize! We’re way past that now, I was just teasing. I didn’t mean to make you feel awkward. We’re good enough friends that we can laugh at these things now, right?”

“Yeah, we are!” Wooyoung said brightly. The breeze blew by gently, tugging on the summer leaves as Wooyoung and Nichkhun reminisced about their debut days and various promotion cycles. While taking shots of soju in between, the two kept on talking and laughing at past memories even after they had finished all the food.

“Hyung, what were your first thoughts when Jinyoung hyung showed us our title tracks?”

“Honestly, I was really set on Minjun’s song as one of our title tracks but Jinyoung hyung was pretty convincing, wasn’t he?”

“Yeah, I liked ADTOY a lot. I loved Game Over but I also liked CWYHTS too, I was torn. I really believed that we would hit daebak with one of them…”

“I know what you mean Wooyoungie, I was honestly a bit sad that we didn’t get an all-kill because Hyori-noona came back the same day as us.”

The two looked blankly at the empty grill for a few minutes as the sun started to set, changing the colors of the sky to deep and vibrant warm colors.

“Our Daum cafe numbers were on a steady decline over the past two years… were we gone from Korea too long?”

“That was mostly my fault…” Nichkhun looked to the ground, avoiding Wooyoung’s gaze.

“Hyung…”

Nichkhun fidgeted in his chair as he slightly bit his lower lip uncomfortably, finally clasping his fingers together and setting them in his lap as he hunched over.

“Hyung, please don’t blame yourself anymore. Our true fans still support us… even though we have only been able to win on a music show once, we’ve all worked hard… right?”

The two sat in silence, both looking off into the distance lost in thought. Nichkhun stared at the ground with a sorrowful expression while Wooyoung looking longingly to the sky. After a few minutes, Nichkhun leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees while tilting his head up to look at his best friend.

“Why did you move out of the dorm Wooyoung? I miss you.”

Wooyoung was taken aback at the sudden change in topic after silence. He looked down, to the side, and into Nichkhun’s eyes for a split second before looking down at the ground again.

“I… I guess I just wanted to prove to myself that I am capable of living as a man, having my own identity.”

“Wooyoungie…”

“It’s something I had to do, especially since I obviously can’t stand on stage alone successfully.”

“Wooyoung, stop. We have all told you this before, you did so well as a solo artist!!” Nichkhun smiled brightly and encouragingly but Wooyoung was still avoiding his gaze.

“I don’t know. That isn’t the only reason either. I was so alone during my solo promotions. Even with the backup dancer hyungs surrounding me on stage, it felt like I was standing all by myself without all of my brothers there with me.”

“You are never alone.”

“But Hyung, that’s the thing. Right now, I still have all of you with me. But what is going to happen in 10 years, or 5 years? We will all have our separate lives and we won’t see each other for probably weeks to months or even years at a time.”

Nichkhun was at a loss for words. Wooyoung’s words hit him like a ton of bricks, he had never thought of that before.

“Standing on stage by myself, I got a glimpse of what it would be like when 2pm is no longer together. I felt what it would be like when we all move on from this life as a group, how alone it would feel. I realized that I need to learn how to live by myself, or else it will be too hard to say good bye in the future.”

Woo’s voice cracked as his eyes welled up. Nichkhun couldn’t help but feel a flood of emotions run over him as well. He had never stopped to think about the future seriously, about how 2pm really would have to go their separate ways someday.

“Wooyoung-ah…” Nichkhun reached across the grill separating them and put his hand on Wooyoung’s shoulder, looking him straight in the eyes. “You are so strong and wise. Yes, eventually we will separate but we must cherish this time we are all still young and free, am I right?”

Wooyoung wiped a tear from his cheek as he nodded. “You’re right hyung. Let’s spend as much time together as possible while we still can.” By now, the sun had fully set and the only light left was from the glowing coals still burning on the grill and distant lamps from other camp sites.

Two figures came up behind the two carrying lamps. Nichkhun recognized them as the campground owners and greeted them.

“Are you having a good time Nichkhun? Ah you must be Wooyoung! We brought you guys some light!” After setting down the lamps, the owner requested a picture to which Woo and Khun cheerfuly obliged. After signing a piece of paper, the two bowed and thanked the owners for their hospitality.

“No, I must thank you two, 2pm! My kids will be so jealous I got to meet you. Please, enjoy the fireworks that are starting soon! We have some leftover Cass beers aswell, please take them!”

Khun turned over to Wooyoung with an excited expression, “Let’s watch the fireworks! We can always spend the night here and head back in the morning, I don’t think I could drive right now” Khun laughed.

“Sounds like a plan hyung!” Wooyoung grabbed his chair and joyfully moved it over to Nichkhun’s side as the owners said good bye and left. The fireworks started right on time and the two cheered and let out “oo’s” and “ahh!’s” as the show went on, laughing and drinking their beers as the sky exploded with bright lights.

“Wooyoung?”

“Ne-hyung?” Woo cracked open another Cass as he looked over at Nichkhun.

“Wooyoung-ah, when the day comes that 2pm is just a string of distant memories, they will forever me my most cherished memories.”

Wooyoung smiled, “Me too hyung. Mine too.”