The ride to the next town is silent. Everyone is instructed to sleep, but no one does. Soojung feels numb. She can’t seem to feel her hands or her feet and even the ache in her heart has become a dull reminder of Chanyeol.

Naeun is still in the front seat and Jongin is driving. It’s weird to see Jongin in that spot. It used to be Chanyeol’s.

She pushes the thought out of her head and stares as the world outside becomes denser with buildings. She recognizes the tall buildings and the mall just on the other side of the road.

“We’re getting close, aren’t we?” Naeun’s voice comes.

It startles everyone. Jongin slows down the car because the roads become cramped again. Cars are parked here and there again in all directions as they get further into the city.

“I used to come out here every now and then with him. We used to walk around until the busses stopped running. Then we would just sit in the soccer field and watch the sun come up. We would talk about everything…”

Everyone listens to Naeun carefully. The car has stopped and in the back, Soojung can hear someone sniffling.

“Why have we stopped moving?” Baekhyun asks.

“The roads are blocked off by too many cars. We’ll have to either go around or walk.” Jongin explains. Everyone is silent again.

The sound of a door opening catches the silence and Naeun is stepping out into the road.

“Let’s walk. Find somewhere high up and get an early night.”

She seems stronger than ever, but Soojung knows better. She knows that Naeun is hurting more than the rest of them. She’d known Chanyeol the longest, and to watch one of your closest friends die in front of your eyes is something Soojung just doesn’t understand just yet.

They veer into a larger 711 and grab food and water. Naeun is navigating and in just twenty minutes they are walking into a huge hotel. The windows are busted in and everything is disheveled, but they haven’t encountered any bodies yet.

The elevator takes them to the fourteenth floor, and with a master key, they enter the grand suite. It has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a common space. Soojung immediately claims a couch and discards her weapons on the floor.

“Everyone just get some rest. The sun is still up for an hour or two. We’ll all take turns in the shower.” Jongin explains. All the while, Soojung watches Naeun slip into the farther room and close the door soundlessly.

She follows when Jongin finishes. The bathroom door is closed and she hears the water running. With a gentle knock, Soojung leans against the wall beside the door.

“Naeun, are you alright?” she calls. Its silent for a few seconds, but Naeun finally answers.

“Yea. I just need some time.”

Soojung sighs. When she goes back to the common area, she doesn’t see Kyungsoo and Chorong.

“She’s okay?” Jongin asks. Soojung nods and goes back to the couch.

It’s almost midnight and Soojung hasn’t fallen asleep yet. The few candles they’ve found are lit in each room and she watches the shadows they make along the walls. Across from her, on the other couch, Baekhyun whimpers slightly, eyes closed tightly. She guesses he’s having a nightmare.

"You should sleep."

The voice comes from the far door. It's Naeun. Her hair is wild around her, but she's still beautiful. And in the candlelight, it's harder to tell how sad she looks. Instead, the light is warm and gives her a healthy glow. Soojung smiles.

"It's never easy to sleep, at least not for me," she replies. Naeun takes a seat on the carpeted floor. Soojung isn't able to see her face.

"We didn't even do a perimeter check or set up watches." Soojung thinks Naeun sounds so empty. 

"I think we're fine, so high up." she doesn't really know what else to say.

They sit in silence for a while hut Soojung is still wide awake.

"Where do you think he is?" Naeun's voice is soft. So soft that Soojung barely hears it. She ponders the question, and can't quite come up with anything.

"I just...I miss him."

And with those words, Naeun stands. She turns just enough to give Soojung a small smile, and then walks away. She watches the girl's form recede into the room and the door closes softly. Even her form is so sad.

Soojung can't help but wonder what Naeun is feeling. She's certain there was something else. Something more. Maybe it was just a small, small thing. But it was undeniable. Soojung doesn’t know what it might feel like. She never even had friends like that to begin with.

"Nightmares?"

Jongin takes a seat, almost at the exact spot where Naeun was sitting moments ago. He looks worn and tired. Soojung knows that feeling all too well.

"No. I just can't sleep. What about you? Nightmares, too?" she asks. She catches his brief smile.

"Maybe." Jongin turns to her, and she catches his eyes. They're as dark and mysterious as ever, but they're familiar and reassuring now. She can't seem to help the smile that plays at the corner of her lips.

"Jongin, how come you never smile?" she asks. He looks away and she catches his fingers starting to twiddle.

"What's there to smile about? We live in a ed up world made by ed up people. Nothing good is left," he answers. She sees the anger in his eyes and hears it in his voice. And she reaches out to touch his hand.

"There's you and me. We're alive and we're good. There's Kyungsoo and Chorong and Baekhyun. Sulli and Naeun. Even Sehun. There was Chanyeol, Jongin. All of us, we're good. We're worth smiling about, aren’t we?"

She searches his eyes for a moment – a long, silent moment. Jongin seems to do the same. He blinks at her words and his hand comes up and he wipes at her cheek. Soojung hadn't even realized she was crying.

"Yea."

And she smiles and so does he. She's actually seeing Jongin smile. Really smile for the first time. And before she realizes it, her hand touches his cheek. She's pressing her lips to his and she's leaning into him. He's kissing her back and for a moment, there's just the two of them. His fingers brush against her jaw and she opens . He's pressing her to the arm of the couch now, and then there's a noise.

A loud thump against the floor.

Soojung jolts backwards and Jongin is on his feet; but it’s just Baekhyun. He's fallen from the couch and is rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"My bad..." he breathes and then climbs back into the couch.

Soojung looks up and sees Jongin looking at her. His eyes are intense and she feels vulnerable. But all he does is sit again. He sits and a second later he smiles and runs a hand through his hair.

"Chanyeol should be here. He should be here, rubbing in our faces about how right he was. How he knew that we had a thing." Jongin's words sting, but in a good way. It feels like the way a wound burns but itches at the same time. The sign of it healing.

"He would've been throwing a fit about it, too," Soojung adds. Jongin turns to her and she sees him smile again. It's addicting; that smile of his.

Soojung smiles back and she finds her fingers touching the ends of his dark hair. She wonders if Chanyeol is watching them, right now.

“You were right,” she whispers to nothing, in general, but hoping that he might hear her in some other land.

The morning is bright and welcoming, but everyone is still silent. Breakfast consists of doughnuts and coffee. Only the coffee is drained.

“Maybe we could stay for another day?” Kyungsoo suggests while everyone sits around the kitchen.

“Yea, I think everyone should really rest up while we get the chance, Jongin,” Sulli chimes in, too. Soojung looks around at all the weary faces around her. She touches a hand to Jongin’s and nods as his eyes confide in her.

“Yea. Everyone just get some more rest,” he says.

When everyone disperses for the day, Soojung realizes that Naeun hadn’t shown up. She’s about to go check on her, when Baekhyun stops her.

“I already talked to her. Gave her a cup of tea instead of coffee. She’s okay. She just wants to be alone. She told me to ask you to not worry about her so much,” he explains. Soojung peers through the door into the room and sees Naeun standing near the window, arms tight around herself.

“Thanks, Baekhyun.” 

Ahh~ that smugness and relief that comes after your OTP finally, FINALLY getting that one moment! I'm talking about the kiss in this chapter AND the TAEKAISTAL PHOTOSHOOT FOR W KOREA! OMGEE ITS GORGEOUS~ HAVE YOU GUYS SEEN IT? AHHHHHHHHHHHH /can't calm myself/

Anyways, thanks again for waiting for these updates (i know its hard T.T). I am a terrible person and should update more often, but...i just can't seem to bring myself to do so, especially now that my already written portions have been getting shorter and shorter! DX But, really guys, thanks, ILY!

And don't forget to comment and subscribe! ^o^