Vernon is late. He is sure that he is too late.

He and Seokmin promise to meet in his apartment parking lot an hour ago. But Vernon just manages to wake up 45 minutes after the promised time. He has a quick shower and grabs the nearest clothes in the wardrobe. He wears a black t-shirt with a dark blue flannel and black ripped jeans which he only uses outside the class because Seokmin prohibits all of the tutor to wear ripped jeans while teaching. Vernon sends a quick text to Seokmin that he will arrive in the parking lot in a minute while he quickly styled his hair so it can be more presentable.

It turns out that Seokmin already know that Vernon will be late as usual, courtesy of he already knows Vernon since high school. He knows that Vernon will always be late at least an hour. But something that Seokmin still doesn’t understand is that his best friend will never be late if it’s about job. Hell, he will arrive half an hour earlier from the appointment time.

Well, actually Seokmin arrived half an hour late and spend another 30 minutes in a café near Vernon’s apartment which owns by his roommate, Soonyoung. He finished his free French toast (Hey, we practically brothers, I’m not going to take my brother’s money for a burnt bread – Soonyoung) when he read the text from Vernon.

“Soon, I gotta go. Thanks for the free breakfast.” Seokmin yells outside the kitchen door and get replied with another yell from the café’s owner.

“Late again?” Minghao glances at Vernon who eats a slice of bread quickly and gulps a glass of water in one shot.

“You really should set an alarm in your phone.” He closes the morning newspaper and sips his black coffee. “I have.” Vernon searches for a pair of socks in the drawer. “That are my socks, you !” Minghao throws the newspaper and directly hits Vernon’s head. “Oww! Where’s mine?” Vernon rubs his sore head and looking at Minghao with pleaded eyes.

“I don’t know. Maybe you haven’t washed it, because we both know how lazy you are.”

“Oh…yeah, you’re right. I don’t have any clean socks…” Vernon looks blankly at the drawer.

“Whatever. Take one pair of my socks…but don’t take the blue one!” He gets in the bathroom to take brush his teeth.

“Thanks Minghao! You know I can’t do anything without you!” Vernon quickly takes a pair of black socks and puts on his white shoes. There is a mutter ‘Yeah, I know I know.’ from the bathroom.

Seokmin scrolling aimlessly through his Instagram when Vernon knocks at his window car.

“Punctual as usual, Vern.” Seokmin opens the lock of the door and Vernon quickly gets in the car. “I’m so sorry.”

“Hmm, I know you are.” He starts the engine and drives out of the parking lot going to the bookstore. The rest of the drive fills with Vernon talking about the recent research article he read online and discussing about certain teaching theories with Seokmin. It takes about almost an hour drive to the bookstore but there was no traffic jam which is good. They directly go to the information desk asking about Vernon’s novel which actually already shipped two days late so the book will be arrived tomorrow. After that, they go up to the 3^rd floor of the store, the Language Section, to see the newest collection of book. Seokmin goes to the Korean language shelf while Vernon goes to the English language shelf.

“Weird. I’m pretty sure the catalogue says that the book is in this shelf.” A voice on Seokmin’s left sounds familiar to him. He glance a little to see the owner of the voice and try to remember the boy’s face. He seems familiar but not too familiar. Seokmin believes that he met the boy before but he can’t really recall the boy’s name. On the other hand, the boy who Seokmin’s dying to remember the name is still searches a book on the top part of the shelf by tip toeing on his brown sneakers. The boy gives up looking because the book is too far from his reach so he calls out another man that seems to be the boy’s friend.

“Joshua! Jisoo hyung, please come here.” The man whose named Joshua or Jisoo walks to the boy and asks, “What is it, Seungkwan?” and it clicks something on Seokmin’s mind.

“Boo Seungkwan?” the other boy turns around and widen his eyes looking at Seokmin with the same surprised face.

“Seokmin hyung! Oh my God! How are you doing? Oh my God! It’s been a while, isn’t?” Seungkwan can’t hide his excitement in his voice while Joshua can’t hide his annoyance because Seungkwan seems very happy meeting the stranger named Seokmin.

“Yeah, it’s been a while.” Seokmin laughs at Seungkwan reaction. “Oh my…You changed a lot, Seungkwan. We were just five years apart and you become a lot more handsome than the last time we met. My younger brother now becomes a man!” He pats Seungkwan’s shoulder while the younger’s smile is not decreasing a bit.

“Well, I can say that finally puberty hits me.” He smiles shyly with his own statement.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure puberty hits you very-very hard.” Seokmin gives him his bright smile, brighter than the sun even the sun jealous of him. Seungkwan hits Seokmin lightly and mutter, “Hey, I wasn’t that bad.”

“Who is this, Seungkwan? Mind to introduce me?” Joshua interrupts the sudden reunion between them but still try to remain his calm.

“Oh, Jisoo hyung! He was my senior in high school. The ex-student body president, ex-choir leader and Pledis high’s sweet heart, Lee Seokmin.” Seokmin only laughs at his junior exaggerate introduction, “Stop it.” But only get replied by Seungkwan, “But it’s true!” and Seokmin scoffs but still smiles fondly at Seungkwan which Joshua not missed to see.

“Anyway, Seokmin hyung, he is my coworker in the school, we both are teacher. He was also my senior in the college. Joshua or Hong Ji Soo.” Seokmin smiles a little looking at Joshua and they sharing a hand shake. But not too long because Seokmin’s attention gets back to Seungkwan. He just gets an important news here. “Wait, you are what? You are a teacher in a high school? You, Boo Seungkwan, who always got detention every Tuesday because you always gave a sassy comeback to the English teacher whenever she was in your class, becomes a teacher?”

“Hey, she was annoying as hell, okay! Always criticizing my pronunciation when speaking English. I just defended myself, I did it for everyone in the class anyway.” Seungkwan does his infamous roll eyes and Seokmin laughing loudly that make some people looking at their direction. Joshua feels a little bit left out of the conversation and surprises to see a sassy Seungkwan. It is because Seungkwan always seems sweet and calm around him, this side of Seungkwan is completely new for him.

They talk a little bit more when someone approaches Seokmin while looking down at two thick books on both of his hands. “Hyung, do you think we need the pre-intermediate one or just buy the intermediate only?” Vernon stops besides Seokmin completely oblivious by other two people in front of him.

Seungkwan turns right only to see the person he’s been trying to forget for the last years. A sudden familiar pang of emotion hits his heart, the same emotion he felt this morning when he woke up.

He wondered why does today don’t go well like his usual routine. Today must be the most unorganized day in his life. He wears a colored pastel sweater and short blue jeans, unlike his usual plain colored shirt and dark colored dress pants. He can’t style his hair with gel because he left it this morning so he only combed his hair with his fingers (he left his comb also). He forgets to pay the monthly bill as usual. He spilled his breakfast. He forgot to do his morning exercise. He left his bus card and keys. He arrived at exact time when usually he will already arrive at least 15 minutes earlier. Everything was out of control, and Seungkwan hates it. But he never knows that those series of unfortunate events not stopped when he steps in the bookstore.

He just sees the highlight of the events right now. In front of him. Not separated by thousands miles anymore. Not separated by different time zone anymore. They were best friend. Were.

“Hansol?”

Seungkwan can’t believe he will say that name again. After he shed many tears whenever he spilled the name from his lips. After he had enough of feelings, stupid feelings. The person looks at him, a little bit taken aback by the name he hadn’t heard for years and the familiar voice he always misses to listen.

“Boo?”

____________

AN: cliffhanger!!!! I personally hate cliffhanger when I read a story, but I’m basically a demon disguised as a human, that’s why I love see other people suffering. *evil laugh*

No. Just Kidding! I love you guys. Especially if you leave a comment *winkwink* No. I still love you guys even though you’re not leaving a comment.

And did you notice that if Seungkwan calls Joshua by his American name he doesn’t use ‘hyung’ but he also calls him ‘Jisoo hyung’? No? Well, I’ll just put it here then…

Midnight thought

I want to watch a new Verkwan V-Live again!!!! (because the ice cream date was so cute!)