Once Hoya knew that Dongwoo would be leaving so soon, time simply flew by. Dongwoo had been ecstatic when he heard the news, jumping around and telling anybody who would listen that he was going to Japan! The pink haired man practically threw himself into preparations for the trip and, for the most part, those preparations went smoothly.

Hoya also threw himself into planning, making sure that Dongwoo had all of the necessary flight documents and even putting down a deposit for an apartment in Tokyo. It was in a high rise apartment block, overlooking a large park that Hoya knew that Dongwoo would totally adore.

There was so much to be done that the day of the move - the day that Sungyeol had dubbed ‘J Day’ - descended on them all too quickly for Hoya’s liking.

The day began early in the morning, when Dongwoo woke Hoya up by barging into his bedroom and jumping onto the bed. “Wake up Okami-san! It’s J Day! It’s J Day! It’s J Day!” He screamed, sounding way too much like a six year old on Christmas Day. Hoya groggily rubbed at his eyes, cracking them open to see Dongwoo staring down at him eagerly.

“Dongwoo… It’s too early for this…” He mumbled, trying to roll away from the eager alien.

“But Okami-san. It’s J Day, you need to wake up! You’re not allowed to be asleep! There’s so much to do and so many things to arrange and we need to be at the plane station early, you said!”

Hoya sighed and pulled himself up, his legs feeling like lead as he swung them to the floor. The truth was that he had every right to be tired - he had barely slept a wink the last night knowing that Dongwoo was leaving the next day - but Dongwoo was right. As organized as they already were, there was just too many things to do.

“It’s called the airport, and I’m awake…” He mumbled, causing Dongwoo to laugh.

“It’s okay, I made Okami-san some coffee because I know how grouchy you get in the morning!” He passed Hoya a mug that the businessman hadn’t seen until then and then smiled. “It’s the bestest coffee ever, because I made it!”

Hoya smiled at Dongwoo’s energy, taking a sip of the coffee before gagging at the overly sweet taste. Dongwoo’s smile dropped so Hoya forced himself to swallow the syrupy liquid.

“Okami-san? Was the coffee not nice..?” Dongwoo asked.

“No, it was nice.” Hoya lied, trying not to think of the cavities this cup of supposed coffee would give him. “I was just taken aback by how tasty it was!”

“Good! Because I made it extra special. I put six big spoons of sugar in to give you the energy for today!” Dongwoo beamed. Hoya couldn’t help but chuckle into the cup lightly, of course Dongwoo would do something that ridiculous. He took another sip, once again forcing himself to swallow it. Dongwoo watched keenly for a moment before hopping up. “Well then Okami-san, I am going to go and change! Kirin-chan is taking me out for a while!” Dongwoo smiled and left the room.

Hoya watched the alien’s disappearing form for a moment, before lowering his eyes back to the murky coffee in his hands. It was weird to think how comfortable he had become with Dongwoo’s presence in his life. Once upon a time a rude awakening like that would have annoyed Hoya to no end, but now it was just… just so Dongwoo that it didn’t even bother him. It was scary to think of this big house so empty again, just filled with himself and Sungyeol. Dongwoo was a solid presence in Hoya’s life now, and the thought of living a life without him in it had Hoya’s heart sinking in his chest.

But Dongwoo’s excitement showed just how much he wanted to go to Japan, and Hoya had no right to take that away from him. Whatever feelings he had needed to be pushed back down. Hoya could deal with them when Dongwoo was gone. Thinking about it now would only make the next few hours so much harder for the both of them.

“We’re here.” Sungyeol announced, unlocking the door to the clinic. It was nothing like the other mornings when they showed up at Companion Care together, there was no excited chatter or predictions of what the work day would bring. They moved inside together, Dongwoo nonchalantly turning on the lights with a snap of his fingers.

He moved over to the reception, sitting in his usual post from behind the desk. Sungyeol followed him over, leaning on the counter with his forearms. “Why did you want to come here?”

Dongwoo shook his head, trailing his fingertips over the desk in front of him. “I figured since I spent so much time here, that I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye. I thought it would make me feel better to see the clinic one last time before I left… but now all I feel is-”

“Sadness?” Sungyeol added helpfully and the alien nodded. “You know… it’s okay to feel sad Dongwoo. I feel the same way.

“I’ve been looking forward to J Day for so long, I thought when it came that I could only feel happiness. But now I just feel… confused? I don’t know what’s wrong with me Kirin-chan.”

Sungyeol sighed, making his way around the reception to throw an arm over Dongwoo’s shoulders. “There’s nothing wrong with you Dongwoo. It’s normal to feel this way. Even if the goal was to always get you to Japan, that doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to miss Korea.” Sungyeol bit his lip, looking away from the alien. “Trust me… Korea will miss you.”

Dongwoo looked over to his best friend, who was obviously trying to keep his composure. He stood up, wrapping his arms around the taller man’s back. “Oh, Kirin-chan. I’m going to miss you so very much. I couldn’t have done any of this without you.”

Sungyeol hugged him back tightly, resting his head on top of the pink hair. “You’ve just become such a big part of my life… I’m not sure how I’m supposed to continue on without you.” His eyes looked around the clinic. “It’s going to be strange to work here without you.” He loosened the hug, looking into the shorter man’s eyes. “And all the animals will miss you too.”

The alien smiled sadly. “I will miss them too. It made me so happy to help them get healthy… like I was using my powers for something good.”

“You were! There were tons of patients that only got better because you were here Dongwoo. There’s so many things I couldn’t have accomplished without your help.” Sungyeol told him honestly.

“Then what will you do without me here?” Dongwoo asked worriedly.

“I’ll figure it out. I’m a good vet, I can help my patients on my own.” There was a moment of silence between them, before Sungyeol forced a smile back onto his face. “Plus, if I have a really difficult case, I can just call you up and put the animal on the phone.” He laughed, shaking his head. “I can’t believe that I’m actually considering putting an animal on the phone.”

“You might have to use the face call thingie… not all animals are the talkative type, especially reptiles. It would be helpful if they could see me so they would know I’m someone they can trust.” Dongwoo stated matter of factly.

“I’ll blame it on the fact that they are cold-blooded. And it’s called FaceTime.” Sungyeol correctly him lightly.

“Oh, that’s right! FaceTime. And we’ll use it all the time, right Kirin-chan? Not only because of the animals, but so we can talk to each other? Just for fun?”

Sungyeol ruffled his hair, making the smaller man laugh. “Of course we will! You didn’t think that you could get rid of me just because you are moving to another country, did you? Remember the Earth saying I taught you?”

“Mhmm!” Dongwoo said happily. “BF4L: best friends for life!” He held up for fingers cutely as he rattled off the acronym.

“Exactly! So let’s swear that no matter where we are on this planet, together or apart, our friendship will always be strong.” He held up his pinky, and Dongwoo did the same.

“Pinky promise.” He said seriously, just the way Sungyeol had taught him. They wrapped their fingers together tightly, kissing their thumbs to seal the deal. They hugged each other again, just enjoying the closeness for a little while longer. When Dongwoo pulled away he felt much lighter, as if some of his burdens had been lifted.

“You ready to go now?” Sungyeol asked and Dongwoo nodded slowly.

“Yeah… I think I am.” Dongwoo said honestly, leading the way to the front door. He let Sungyeol out first, turning around to get one last look at what had become his workplace over the past couple of months. “Someday, I’m going to see you again.” He vowed, lifting up his hand to snap off the lights.

“It’s finally J Day.” Hoya looked up at the voice, scoffing when he saw his assistant in the doorway.

“Don’t tell me that they’ve got you calling it that too.”

Myungsoo shrugged his shoulders, walking further into his office. “What? It’s catchy. And it’s basically all Sungyeol has talked about this whole month, so it’s kind of stuck in my head.”

“Really? I thought he wouldn’t like talking about Dongwoo leaving…” Hoya guessed, probably because that’s how he felt. He did his best to smile and act interested when Dongwoo talked about all the things he would do once he landed in Japan, but it was hard to hide the fact that he wasn’t exactly excited for the alien to go.

Myungsoo sighed, moving closer to stand in front of Hoya’s desk. “I didn’t say he liked talking about it. He hates that Dongwoo is leaving, but he can’t tell Dongwoo that. He’s working so hard to be supportive in front of Dongwoo that whenever he is away from him, Sungyeol can’t help but talk about it, you know? I don’t mind, I’m just glad he isn’t keeping it all bottled up. But this is hitting him a lot harder than he’s letting on.” He stopped his explanation, looking at Hoya with curious eyes. “But what are you doing here? I thought you weren’t going to come in today.”

“I wasn’t going to, but Dongwoo asked Sungyeol to take him by Companion Care, so I figured that I’d keep myself busy here until they were ready to meet up again.” Myungsoo nodded in understanding, sliding his hands into his pockets.

“Well, for what it’s worth, Sungyeol’s really thankful for everything you are doing for Dongwoo. He told me that he wouldn’t have been able to handle setting up the arrangements for Dongwoo in Japan, so he’s glad that you were able to take care of the technicalities of the move.”

Hoya smiled sadly, he knew exactly why Sungyeol hadn’t wanted to be involved in such things. It was hard to set up the tickets and secure the apartment, because they were concrete actions that resulted in Dongwoo leaving. Not that he would ever admit to his brother or the alien that it was difficult. “It was something that had to be done, and I’m more suited to handle these sorts of things than Sungyeol. But thank you for being there for him as well.”

Myungsoo smiled. “As Dongwoo would say, it’s my job as his koibito.”

Hoya smiled at the word, just another little expression of Dongwoo-ism that he would miss with the alien’s absence. “You should come with me when I leave. I’m not exactly sure what Dongwoo wants to do with his last day in Korea, but I’m sure that my brother would like to have you there. He’ll need the support.”

“Of course. Whenever you’re ready, just let me know.” He bowed slightly at Hoya and let the office.

Hoya crossed his hands in his lap, thinking about the inevitable departure that evening. Sungyeol would be pleased that Myungsoo would join them today, and he knew that Sungyeol would need the support once the alien was gone. He rested his chin on his fist, looking out the window of his office; he wasn’t sure who was going to support him when the time came to leave Dongwoo in Japan.

True to his word, Myungsoo did accompany them to the airport. This was a good choice because he spent the whole journey squeezing Sungyeol’s hand in the backseat as Hoya and Dongwoo rode in the front. Through the rearview mirror Hoya could see that his brother was holding back his tears, which was good because he knew that should Sungyeol cry he would probably do the same and Hoya never cried.

He tried to convince himself that the reason his hands were shaking was just secondhand excitement for Dongwoo, that it was nothing to do with the fact that the distance between the car and the airport was narrowing. He tried not to notice the way his heart sank every time they passed a road sign directing to the airport, but it was hard.

Dongwoo was also unusually quiet, but Hoya could only put that down to the fact that he was either excited or nervous or that unmistakable mixture of both. The whole car was silent, with Sungyeol staring out of the window in the back and Myungsoo staring at his boyfriend in concern, and Hoya stonily staring at the road in front of them. It was a silence that Hoya couldn’t really put his finger on, but he could definitely say that it was tense. His fingers moved to the radio and he pressed it on, filling the car with the sound of some k-pop song about a man who had lost his lover and wanted her back.

And as much as it was almost difficult for Hoya to admit, the lyrics were words that he could relate to in a way that made him very uncomfortable. The way the singer felt about his lost lover - the closeness that only she could give him - filled Hoya with dread at the thought of feeling the same way about Dongwoo.

He hated himself. He hated himself for leaving it this late - they were literally on the way to the airport, where Dongwoo would depart for his new life in Japan. Hoya was going to join him, just to make sure Dongwoo got to the new apartment safely and settled in, but in no time he would be back in Korea and Dongwoo would stay in Japan and that distance… that loss… Hoya couldn’t even bear the thought of it.

He had heard of people having these epiphanies before, when they finally realised the feelings they had been denying themselves. It was so cliche that Hoya could only chuckle quietly to himself. Of course he had to realise right now what he had been hiding all along.

He was in love with Dongwoo, and it was too late to do anything about it.

They arrived at the airport after a long journey that went way too quickly. After they parked up in the large airport parking lot they opened the doors of the car and all four of the occupants stepped out. Hoya began unloading the luggage from the trunk placing onto the ground as Dongwoo stood with Myungsoo and Sungyeol. “So this is it…” Sungyeol whispered. “This is goodbye.”

“Not yet!” Dongwoo replied. “You still have to come into the plane station with me to wait for the plane…”

“No, you’re already running late for your check in and besides… I think it’s probably best for me to say my farewells here. If I come in with you I’ll only get sad and that will make you sad and you have to be happy! You’re going to Japan finally!”

“But Kirin-chan….” Dongwoo said, his bottom lip trembling.

Sungyeol rushed forward and embraced the frowning alien. “Dongwoo, we will see each other soon. Face Time, remember! You promised you would call me as soon as you settled in! Don’t be sad, okay? Remember how much you have always wanted this.”

“I’m so glad that I met you, Kirin-chan.” Dongwoo mumbled into Sungyeol’s chest, before pulling back and looking behind Sungyeol to where Myungsoo stood awkwardly. “And you, Neko-chan. Tell Luna-chan that I said bye. Look after Kirin-chan for me.” He said the last part sternly but Myungsoo just smiled weakly.

“I will, you have my word.” He said, bowing graciously.

Finally, Dongwoo turned to Hoya who stepped forward and placed his hand on Dongwoo’s shoulder.

“It’s time to go.” He said, and Dongwoo nodded. Hoya turned to begin walking, before spinning back around and throwing his car keys to Sungyeol. “4pm tomorrow. I expect you here to pick me up.”

Sungyeol gave a salute, his forced smile doing nothing to hide his watery smile, before he climbed into the driver’s seat of the car.

Hoya and Dongwoo made their way into the airport, the fancy building making Dongwoo ‘aah’ in awe. They had no time to stare though, so Hoya led Dongwoo to the check-in counter, passing him all of the necessary documents and praying that he managed to get through with no hitches.

Whilst the airport staff did look at Dongwoo funnily, Hoya guessed that was more down to the outrageous colour of his hair (Dongwoo had insisted on re-dying it right before the trip, which Sungyeol was happy to do). They made it easily through check-in and security and stepped into the departures lounge with half an hour to spare until their flight boarded. Dongwoo insisted on visiting all of the shops in the lounge, and Hoya trailed behind him as the pink haired man got excited over the overpriced goods on offer.

Finally, the tannoy announced that their flight was boarding and Hoya pulled an excited Dongwoo away from the jumbo-sized box of M&Ms that he had clocked onto.

“Come on, Dongwoo. Our plane is here and it’s time for us to get on. Just show the lady that slip that you’re holding and she’ll let you on, okay?” He advised as they made their way to the boarding gate. Dongwoo nodded obediently, his teeth worrying his lip at the thought of finally getting on an airplane to Japan.

“It’s time now… But...” He whispered, more to himself than to Hoya. The younger heard though, turning to look at Dongwoo confusedly.

“But what?” He asked.

Dongwoo dismissed Hoya with a wave of his hand. “Nothing. It’s nothing.” He said, but Hoya couldn’t help but feel like Dongwoo was lying. That concerned him more than anything, because Dongwoo never lied - it just wasn’t in his nature.

They boarded the plane easily - Hoya once again thanking the stars that Dongwoo didn’t cause any trouble - and as they settled into the cushy seats of the plane Hoya couldn’t help the sinking feeling that once again returned to his chest.

They were on the plane now. They were going to Japan, and there was no turning back, not for either of them.

And as the plane began its slow journey to the runway, Hoya realised that he really didn’t want to do this. When Dongwoo began giggling as the engines kicked in and they began speeding down the runway, Hoya couldn’t help but turn to face the alien, watching the excitement in his sparkling eyes. He couldn’t help but wonder if Dongwoo really found it that easy to leave him, because this whole thing was anything but easy for Hoya.

A/N:
Cutie best friends saying goodbye to each other! :/

And our dear Hodong has finally had the epiphany, but is it too late? What’s going to happen?!

Tune in next time to find out!

(Ugh there’s a freaking airport scene how freaking cliche can we get blame Jade for that. Ray is just watching Jade write the cliche wtf-ery.)

Ugh, comments, as always, are verrrry appreciated (we love to know what you guys think!).

Jade & Ray