The sun shines straight through her windows and into her room, Soojung stirs and slowly gets up, inwardly groaning. She rubs her eyes and hops off her bed, grabbing her rubber band in the process and ties her hair to a messy ponytail. She heads towards the bathroom and cleanses her face. Drying up her face, she takes her toothbrush and starts brushing her teeth. She stops halfway and blinks, remembering she is not alone. She quickly gargles and walks out of her room, Soojung is greeted by a sleeping Jongin on her couch.

She chuckles and smiles to herself, she thought, He is still that idiot I fell in love with.

Soojung walks towards the kitchen to prepare breakfast for both Jongin and her. She boils the water to prepare Jongin's favourite, americano, and then takes out the frozen bacon along with a pack of fries. She pulls out a can of baked beans and washes a few eggs. Soojung then starts to cook some scrambled eggs with bacon and places it on a plate along with two slices of toast with baked beans on the side and some fries. She sets the food and the pot of americano on the table.

Her eyes trail to Jongin's still asleep body and hesitates to wake him up. Jongin greets, "I'm already up thanks to that scent of yours."

Soojung flinches and her brows furrow, "My scent?"

Jongin gets up from the couch and looks at her, nodding with his bed hair, or perhaps his couch hair. Soojung chuckles and asks, "Need a comb for that, wild cat?"

He flashes a smile and fixes his hair with his fingers, brushing them left to right and vice versa, making it look slightly neater. Soojung takes a seat and munches on her slice of toast, Jongin sits across her purposely looking at her everytime he takes a sip of his coffee. The awkward atmosphere hangs in the air, filling up the empty spaces until Jongin clears his throat, making Soojung look at him.

Jongin asks, "How have you been?"

Soojung avoids his eyes, "I thought we had asked each other that question yesterday."

Jongin shakes his head, "You did, but I didn't."

Soojung pokes on her baked beans with the fork, playing and avoiding Jongin's stare. If his stares were fatal, she would probably be dead by now. Jongin continues, "So, how have you been, Soojung-ah?"

She can't help but to look at him the moment he mentioned her name, she feels as if on cloud nine, like before. Soojung mumbles, "That's not fair," however Jongin does not hear her. She takes a deep breath, "If okay is an answer you would accept, then, I am okay."

Jongin's lips tug a smirk, he shakes his head, the piece of fry on his fork flinging as he keeps on swinging the fork. He replies, "Oh, but you are never okay."

Soojung asks, "How would you know? You were not here two years ago. You are the one who is never okay."

Jongin chuckles lightly, the corner of his lips rising a bit higher on his right cheek, one of his famous smirks. Soojung awaits for his spite comeback but gets nothing instead. She looks at him, his eyes are still looking at her, not blinking even once. Jongin asks, "Do you mind if we restart?"

Soojung blinks, trying to convey the words that escaped his lips. Jongin continues, "Our story started without an ending and I know you are still on that page where we left off, but I have a different plan. I want to rewrite, to restart."

"What if, I have a different plan too?"

This time Jongin blinks, he stares at her still but his brows furrowing, obviously confused and taken aback at her reply however he remains his cool and asks, "What is your plan?"

"Close the old book and never open it again. I don't read the same book, twice."

Jongin looks away from her, he exhales a sigh and gets up, walking towards his jacket and pulls out a cigarette pack. The exact same one when they both first met. Soojung smiles to herself seeing it, Jongin puts it in his lips and sits down on the couch. He asks, "Is closure what you're asking from me?"

Soojung thinks for a while, she is not sure what she wants from Jongin. Answers? Definitely. Closure? Perhaps. Restarting? Maybe. Jongin continues, "Or is it an answer to each one of your questions you long to ask me? Why have I left? Why did I not stay? Why had I not told you? Where did I go? All those simple questions? Questions you believe I should answer because it will satisfy your curiousity and perhaps rethink of your decision on us?"

"There is no us, Jongin. There is only you and I."

Jongin turns to look at her and his lips curl up to a smile, "Once upon an autumn, there was us. Not only you and I."

Soojung gets up from her seat and places the plates and mugs in the sink, "Was, Jongin, was. Not is, not are, not now but was."

Soojung leans on the counter, arms crossed, she stares at Jongin who is staring at the empty spaces. Jongin replies, "But, can I at least, get a second chance?" as he turns his head, looking at Soojung. Soojung blinks, her stare burns a hole on Jongin's face, without her realising, she nods her head. Jongin smiles and stands up, he puts away the cigarette and walks towards her door.

Soojung looks at his every movement, Jongin slides in his shoes, he looks at Soojung all the time and on his lips is his undying smile. Soojung walks towards him, accompanying him out the door. Jongin motions her to come closer and points to the end of the corridor, Soojung looks and Jongin steals a kiss on her cheek. Soojung flinches, surprised by his action. Her cheeks flush a shade of pink, she looks away and says, "Uh, hope you had a good rest here."

Jongin chuckles looking at her, he nods his head, "Thanks for letting me stay, Soojung-ah."

Soojung looks at him and flashes a crooked smile, "Anytime, I guess..."

Jongin then walks away, heading towards the elevator, Soojung looks at his disappearing back. A pang of sadness forms in her heart, filling up the hole that was left about a couple years ago. Soojung then falls back to reality as Jongin shouts, "I love you, nerd!"

Jinri visits Soojung after receiving a bunch of missed calls from the lassie. Jinri knocks on the door, calling out for Soojung. Soojung opens the door, eyes puffy, hair messy and a roll of tissue on her left hand while plies of tissue on her right. Jinri blinks and quickly enters the apartment, shutting the door behind her. Soojung pulls her into a bear hug and sobs, "What should I do?"

Jinri raises a brow, confused, yet she still pats Soojung's back and consoles her, "Why? Just what happened? I was only gone for two days and I'm sorry, I really didn't have time to check my phone nor called you back."

Soojung backs away and shakes her head, "No, don't worry. I should've known you were busy, I'm sorry I bothered you though."

Jinri ushers her to sit down and waves her hand, "Oh no, no, no. Don't you feel sorry, what's a best friend for? I'm here for you and you are here for me. So, what happened exactly?"

"He wishes for a restart. To rewrite. To start something new."

Jinri nods her head, "But?"

Soojung looks at her and answers, "But, I don't want another once upon an autumn. I don't want another story that never ended and you know I don't read the same book twice."

Jinri sighs, "It doesn't hurt to give him a second chance, doesn't it?"

"I don't want a second start Jin, he didn't even tell me why he left. Am I at fault for wanting an answer?"

Jinri takes her hand and pats it, replying, "Sometimes, there are things you just can't solve." Soojung looks down, Problems would not exist if they have no solution.

author's note:

hey gurls and gaizz. /waves. how is this update? hope it suffices for the upcoming two weeks of no updates. i'll be on a hiatus from 4-13 mar since i got exams ;-; hope you'll bear with me. /sobs. anywho, can we just agree that kaistal fit each other? oh my kaistal feels ;-;