Mingyu checked his phone for the time as he finally left the library.

8:02pm.

Dang, it’s so late already, he realized. He’d spent the whole day studying. Well, he tried to study the whole day. A lot of the time was spent getting distracted by his confusing thoughts over Wonwoo, but that was beside the point. The point was that he was on his way home from the library and he wasn’t crying. He wasn’t just agonizing over Wonwoo. He was getting his life straight. He was...keeping it together. Yeah, he reassured himself. I’m keeping myself together.

As he made his way home, Mingyu had to tighten the scarf around his neck. It was freezing and he could see his breath if he breathed hard enough. The rain had lightened up over the past few days, but the overcast covered the sun most of the day. And without the sun, warmth was pretty hard to find. Getting lost in no particular thoughts at all, Mingyu listened to the music that played through his earbuds.

As he passed different shops and cafes, he didn’t pay attention to where he was until he reached an intersection. He’d walked this way plenty of times in his day to day life, but today he hesitated. Normally, he would go straight and cross the street. That was the way home. But today, he looked to his left and saw the apartment complex that was just a few hundred feet down the sidewalk. He sighed.

Staring at Wonwoo’s building, Mingyu couldn’t help his heart from the strain. Days had gone by and the two of them still hadn’t talked. He wasn’t sure what was going on. But as he stared, Mingyu remembered something else. Furrowing his eyebrows, he recalled, Wonwoo’s grandma still hasn’t called me back. It’s been two days.

Hearing her comforting voice in his head, Mingyu could easily imagine sitting down with her while all the other Jeons were out of the house and just talking. Oddly enough, that thought filled him with a certain warmth that only truly sweet people can give you. Pulling out his phone, Mingyu checked the time again. 8:16pm.

Shoving it back in his pocket, he decided there was no harm in going up and saying hello.

Mingyu had learned Wonwoo’s building code and made it up to the right floor. Stepping in front of Wonwoo’s front door, he felt a sense of uneasiness creep up on him. Trying to shake the feeling out of his shoulders, he took a deep breath and knocked.

Knock! Knock!

It took a minute, but someone he didn’t expect opened the door.

“Oh, Mingyu!”

Surprised, Mingyu tried to put on a polite smile, but he was sure his face showed his confusion. “Mrs. Jeon, hi.”

She grinned back at him, not opening the door too fully. She seemed just as startled as him, but Mingyu could read something else about her. Her eyes were pink and her cheeks had no color. “What brings you here, sweetie?”

His mouth hanging open a bit, Mingyu could tell his senses were right. Something was wrong. “Umm, I’m...actually, uh, I’m here to see Wonwoo’s grandma. She called me to have dinner with her a few days ago and never called back. I was in the neighborhood, so, uh, I decided...to stop by.” As he spoke, he could see her expression drop. “Is everything alright?”

Wonwoo’s mom lowered her head and her gaze fell to the ground. “I guess Wonwoo didn’t get a chance to tell you,” she said.

“Tell me what?” he asked, knowing very well that Wonwoo wouldn’t tell him these days even if he did have a chance.

She let a sigh and looked back up at him. “Wonwoo’s grandmother passed away last night. It was sudden and unexpected, but it happened before anyone could help her.”

Mingyu’s heart stop. It felt like all the blood in his veins came to a halt. He felt cold. His knees were weak. He wasn’t sure he heard that right. “What?”

Feeling the weight of what she just said herself, Wonwoo’s mom in her lips and nodded. “Mr. Jeon and I called an ambulance but she was already gone. That’s why...we’re here right now.”

Slowly, it was starting to click in Mingyu’s brain. That’s why he was face to face with Mrs. Jeon after 6pm. They stopped...because Wonwoo’s grandma died.

Mingyu’s gaze was out of focus as he tried to breath. His lungs weren’t working right. With less oxygen flowing, he was getting dizzy. Still, one thing came to mind. He looked back at Wonwoo’s mom and asked, on his choking voice, “Where’s Wonwoo?”

If it was possible Mrs. Jeon looked even sadder, this time filled with concern. Tightening her grip on the doorknob to keep her balance, she told Mingyu, “He’s not here. He still jumped, dear.”

For days, Mingyu had been broken hearted. His emotions were tearing at his insides and it felt like nothing could get him out of that god awful place in his own head. But here he was, feeling it all over again, but in a completely different way. Days ago, Mingyu’s heart was broken by Wonwoo. Now, it broke for Wonwoo.

Trying to control his senses, Mingyu swallowed and asked, “Is he alright?”

“He’s taking it really hard,” she said. “It’s all happened so fast, but today he was out of the house the whole time. I’m not sure where he goes, but he’s not doing great.”

Feeling his insides crack, Mingyu stared at the ground. “I’m...I’m so sorry, Mrs. Jeon. I had no idea.”

Seeing his concern and hearing the quivering in his voice, Wonwoo’s mom reached out and held his arm. She was too short to comfortably reach his shoulder. With a faint smile, she said, “Thank you for stopping by, Mingyu. Just...please help Wonwoo, if you can.”

Mingyu nodded softly before Mrs. Jeon closed the door and was gone. Left to himself, Mingyu proceeded to implode.

Twisting around, Mingyu’s back slammed against the wall as he fell to the ground. All of a sudden, tears welled up in his eyes and he was crying. Nothing was making sense...but all he knew was that...Wonwoo’s grandma...died. The kind, welcoming old woman that he was supposed to see...was gone. And Wonwoo still jumped.

— — —

7:32pm.

“Babe, you’re hogging the blanket!” Jeonghan squealed as Joshua tugged the quilt they shared.

Joshua smirked with his arm wrapped around his boyfriend. It was dark except for the flickering light coming from the TV. It was their first time watching a movie together at night and Joshua was having a blast. Squeezing Jeonghan tight, he chuckled and said, “I’m cold! You’re not doing a good job keeping me warm!”

Laughing, Jeonghan nuzzled his head below Joshua’s chin. His arms found their way around the boy’s waist and he hugged him back. “Then I guess I have to do a better job.”

Joshua giggled and was about to lean down and kiss Jeonghan on the lips when he heard his cousin complain. “Can you guys please not do that here?” Vernon flatly said, sitting on the floor just below them. He moved from the couch ten minutes after the movie started.

Jeonghan blushed. “Sorry, Hansol. We’ll stop.”

“Ahh, don’t listen to him,” Joshua said, nudging Vernon’s head with his foot. “He’s just bitter that I’m in a relationship before him.”

Jeonghan laughed, but Vernon just scoffed. Looking over his shoulder, he said, “I’m not bitter. I just wanna be able to hear what happens next. You guys are so cute, it’s disgusting and distracting.”

With a smile, Jeonghan untangled himself from Joshua and got up, stepping past Vernon. “I’m gonna go to the bathroom. Be right back.”

Joshua watched him shut the door behind him with a huge grin on his face.

It had only been a day, but Joshua and Jeonghan were acting like a couple straight out of a romance movie. The type of couple that you root for and want to last forever, because they just seem so perfect together. Jeonghan was having such a good time, finally getting to be his crush’s boyfriend. Joshua was over the moon for so many reasons. It felt unreal.

While he was gone, Vernon twisted around and shoved Joshua’s leg. “You and Jeonghan are getting awfully coupley awfully fast,” he teased.

Still feeling all warm and tingly from just being in a couple with the greatest guy, Joshua sighed and sunk into the couch. With a shrug, he smiled. “What can I say? I’m not the only one who thinks he’s special.”

Vernon flashed a big smile and shook his head, knowing exactly what that meant. “I still can’t believe you’re here right now.”

Jeonghan was the one that let him be there. It was him. He was the one the universe thought was worth stopping for. Knowing all of this, Joshua couldn’t be happier. “Yeah,” he drowsily said, unable to wipe the smile from his face. “Me neither.”

— — —

“JUNHUI!”

“Woah!” Junhui cried out, laughing as his little sister flung herself into his arms. “Careful, Lien! You almost broke my camera!”

She smiled and bounced up and down, knowing he was always joking. “Come play tag with us!”

He beamed back at her and ruffled her hair. “I would but I have to take these pictures! Mom and Dad would be so sad if I didn’t get any good shots of your party,” he said, adjusting the camera around his neck.

Pouting, Lien kicked the ground. “Agh, fine. Make sure I look cute!”

“How am I supposed to make an ugly kid like you look cute?” he teased, messing with her dress sleeve.

She flashed him a stank face. “Even on my birthday.”

He laughed and turned her around, pushing her back towards the mob of her friends. “Go have fun! Happy birthday, kiddo!”

Laughing, she ran off to the other kids. Taking a few shots of them having fun, Minghao chuckled and said, “Kinda wish I was that little again.”

Junhui walked over to him as he adjusted his lens. “What? You don’t like being grown up? What, with all the awesome responsibilities and expectations we have to rise up to?” he asked sarcastically.

Minghao lowered his camera and shrugged. “Ya know, I could do without it.” I could do without a lot of things, he thought, recalling just how much crap was going on. All these problems as a Jumper were just piling up and he...could really do without them.

Smiling, Junhui gripped his friend’s shoulder, shaking him affectionately. “Being six isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” he said. “People are always pinching your cheeks and telling you how cute you are. No one takes you seriously. Everyone hides things from you. And when you’re six…” He sighed and admitted, “...you eventually have to grow up. At least now, we’re already past that.”

Grinning back at his best friend, Minghao found Junhui’s words to be oddly comforting. “You ever tell Lien that?” he teased.

“Hell no!” he laughed. “Let her be happy in her little kid world. Even if it’s not that awesome in our eyes, doesn’t mean we have to ruin it in hers.”

Minghao twitched. Just because Soonyoung and Jihoon aren’t that awesome in my eyes, he thought, doesn’t mean I have to ruin them in his.

With a soft smile, he went back to taking pictures. “Your parents are really gonna pay us for this?” he asked.

Nodding, Junhui joined him. “As long as they look good. They didn’t want to hire professionals, so they said they would give us half of what they would’ve spent.”

“Sounds good to me.”

As Minghao made his way around the party and took shots of all the cheerful interactions, he was getting lost in the art of capturing these moments. Even if he wasn’t getting paid, he would’ve taken this job in a heartbeat. This was the dream for him. To see life more beautifully through the lens. And in the midst of his art…

“Hey Minghao!”

Startled, Minghao turned to where he heard Junhui’s voice. Before he could even utter “what?” he heard the click of a shutter and saw a huge smile on Junhui’s face. Brushing it off like he didn’t just take a picture, he dropped his camera and turned around. “Never mind.”

His mouth hanging slightly open, Minghao scoffed and rolled his eyes. At this point, he was well accustomed to Junhui’s sudden snapshots. Normally, he would chase after him until he promised to delete it, but not today.

Minghao watched Junhui walk away. Smiling to himself, he just shook his head. Raising his camera and taking a picture of the boy’s back, he thought to himself, How am I so in love with him?

— — —

“I WIN!” Seungkwan shouted as he smacked the table with both hands. Laughing victoriously, he got a napkin and wiped the corners of his smiling mouth.

Chan fell back in the booth, his mouth still stuffed with egg tarts. “THAT’S NOT FAIR!” he screamed, all words completely inaudible because of all the food he was still chewing.

Mockingly, Seungkwan put his hand to his ear and leaned in. “I’m sorry, Chan. I couldn’t understand that. I think it’s because...YOU’RE A LOSER!” he laughed.

Finally swallowing, Chan leaned forward and argued, “THAT’S NOT FAIR! You had a head start!”

“No I didn’t!” Seungkwan defended himself. “I would never cheat!”

Admitting defeat, Chan got a napkin for himself, cleaning his face before angrily throwing it on the table. “Aish! I should’ve never agreed to this! Of course you were going to beat me in an egg tart eating contest!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“You baked these!” Chan shouted, pointing at him. “It’s just not fair!”

Still laughing maniacally, Seungkwan crossed his arms. “You’re just a sore loser.”

Clutching his full stomach, Chan scoffed. “Whatever.”

Seungkwan was completely satisfied with beating his best friend. “Ahhh, I’m so happy we’re friends.”

“I’m not,” Chan flatly said.

Smiling like the cat he was, Seungkwan replied, “I know.”

Trying to get past the loss, Chan nodded his head forward. “So did you bake these by yourself or did Seokmin help you?”

“He made the first batch and then I made the rest myself,” he explained. “Working with him is a blast.”

“I know. I thought my ears were gonna explode when I visited you guys.”

Seungkwan nodded and asked, “Hey, how’s Mingyu? He hasn’t been coming by the bakery lately. Same with Wonwoo.”

Recalling just how bad things were for his friend, Chan sighed. “They’re going through...some stuff.”

“Awww, sorry to hear that,” Seungkwan said, drinking some water. All those egg tarts made him really thirsty. “Hope they work things out soon.”

Chan smiled. “I hope so too.”

“What about you, Chan?”

Shaken from his thoughts, Chan turned to his friend. “What?”

Seungkwan reached out and started munching on the fries they had strangely ordered before their little contest. Even as the winner, Seungkwan was able to keep eating. “How are you doing these days? I’ve been working so we don’t get to be around each other ALL THE TIME.”

Chan laughed at the way his friend made that last part sound like spending time with him was the worst thing in the world. “Ya know,” he said, leaning back into the booth. “I could be better.”

“What’s wrong?”

Chan sighed and played with the coaster, spinning it on the table with his finger. “It’s not too much wrong with me. It’s more just worrying about, like, Wonwoo and Mingyu.”

Seungkwan grinned, knowing that his best friend was way too empathetic for his own good. “Is it because of something you did?”

“No, it’s not—”

“Then you shouldn’t let it worry you too much,” Seungkwan told him. “Wonwoo and Mingyu are great guys and I’m sure they wouldn’t want you to be down because you’re worried for them. Help them out when you can, but don’t beat yourself up about anything.”

Sometimes Chan was utterly surprised by how Seungkwan’s simple advice could make him feel better. But it often did. He smiled. “Maybe you can just bake them a cake and it’ll all be better.”

Seungkwan sighed. “If only life were that simple.”

— — —

“We need that before five, Jihoon. You have another hour.”

“Sure thing,” Jihoon replied from his desk as his superior left him to himself. In his cubicle, Jihoon was working on yet another fluff piece. It had gotten even colder in the city so he’d spent the whole afternoon interviewing people how they felt about the weather. He was almost done writing everything up, which gave his mind plenty of time to wander.

Tapping his pencil to the desk, Jihoon just couldn’t shake off the bigger story. Glancing around, he made sure none of the uppers were around. Once the coast was clear, he reached under his desk and pulled out their Wonwoo storyboard.

Placing the bulletin board in front of him, Jihoon stared at the web of information they had collected. It almost surprised him how much more they knew in such little time. There were new connections to Minghao and to this Joshua Hong. There were connections to Shanghai and America. There was the fact that Minghao wasn’t home after 6pm. Was Wonwoo gone after that time too? Why did Minghao lie about the picture of Wonwoo in his living room? Why was Wonwoo in that picture at all? Why was he in China? Was that where he went after 6pm? How did Wonwoo and Minghao even know each other? How did this Joshua fit in?

Then Jihoon looked at the notes Soonyoung collected that one day he overheard Wonwoo and Chan at 10/10. Chan had mentioned Minghao and Joshua. He mentioned how Soonyoung and Jihoon knew too much. How was Chan a part of all this? Also, what was this fight going on between Wonwoo and Mingyu? Was it important? Did it change anything?

Jihoon rubbed his face as he got dizzy from thinking of all these things. There were way too many questions. And no answers. With all the connections they made, still, not enough connected.

“None of it makes sense,” Jihoon muttered to himself.

As he stared at all the information in front of him, his eyes trailed off to a picture of Seungcheol that Soonyoung had added a little while ago. It was a blurry shot of him and Seokmin taken from a distance.

“Seungcheol,” he said softly, not even aware of the name coming out of his mouth.

Jihoon was brought back to that day on the bus. After they got off, when he was outside Mingyu’s apartment, he swore he heard Minghao’s voice.

But somehow, Jihoon could only think of Seungcheol. He remembered Seungcheol’s easy conversation and how...nice his voice sounded with the rain. He remembered how good it felt to talk to someone who would just listen to him. He remembered how oddly he nervous was when Seungcheol even asked him to hang out at his apartment.

Feeling his heart race, Jihoon finally caught himself just staring at Seungcheol’s unfocused photo. Startled, he immediately slammed the board face down on his desk. Catching his breath, he shook his head and pulled his hair back.

Trying to get back to work, he took a deep breath. “None of it makes sense.”

— — —

“Do you want any chips?”

“Ooh, yeah, salt and vinegar,” Seokmin said, eagerly catching up to Seungcheol.

Seungcheol grimaced as he reached out for a bag. “Ew, I seriously don’t know how you and Mingyu like salt and vinegar so much.”

Seokmin smiled and tossed in another bag to the cart. “It’s an acquired taste.”

“One I definitely still need to acquire.”

With a laugh, Seokmin followed his friend around the store as they picked out their groceries. As they passed the pet food aisle, Seungcheol asked, “Do we need more cat food?”

Seokmin remembered opening the cabinet that morning and only seeing two more cans. “Yeah, we should get some.”

With a nod, Seungcheol lead the way. Just thinking about those cats made him think back to their friend and his struggles. “Seokmin.”

“Hmm?”

“What’re we gonna do about Mingyu?” he sighed.

Feeling the weight of that question pull down his shoulders, Seokmin didn’t know. “I don’t know, hyung.”

Stopping in front of Mingyu’s prefered brand, he was out of ideas. “He’s just not opening up to us.” For a second, Seungcheol flashed back to the other day when he told Mingyu he was with Jihoon. Feeling disappointed in himself, he admitted, “I guess it’s partly my fault.”

“No, hyung,” Seokmin reassured him, knowing full well that it was because of him and Soonyoung that Mingyu was forced to close himself off. “It’s definitely not your fault.”

“Yeah, but I’m not helping.”

“Neither am I.”

Seungcheol paused as he got the food and threw it into the cart. Looking Seokmin in the eyes, he asked, “So what do we do?”

Obviously, Seokmin’s answer didn’t really change since five seconds ago, but he gave it a shot. Shrugging, he suggested, “We just...have to be there when he finally asks. Whatever he needs, we help him with it.”

“And if he doesn’t come to us for help?” Seungcheol asked. He felt like his interaction with Jihoon was a huge part of the problem.

And Seokmin felt the same way about Soonyoung, but he was able to push through, remembering what Soonyoung promised.

“I won’t hurt Mingyu,” he could hear Soonyoung say. That gave him hope.

Seokmin smiled and gripped Seungcheol’s shoulder. “Then we’ll be there for him anyway.”

— — —

Mingyu slowly walked up to that familiar park bench, the one where he and Wonwoo first opened up about themselves, the one where they ran into each other after their first fight. It only made sense that this was where he found him.

It was before 6, but it was dark and cold and only the streetlight above him made Wonwoo visible. Coming softly up the path, Mingyu tried not to shiver too much. He wrapped his coat tightly around himself and tried to summon the courage to speak. This was the first time he’d seen Wonwoo in a while. It may have only been a week or so, but it felt like an eternity. Seeing Wonwoo, Mingyu felt his heart crack.

He was crying into his hands. His face was smothered in his palms as he weeped. His body shook with every cry. He wore a jacket far too thin for the weather, but he didn’t care. None of that mattered. He was far too sad for anything else to matter.

So it wouldn’t matter to him that Mingyu broke his heart. Mingyu didn’t think about himself in that moment. He didn’t think about how hurt Wonwoo made him feel. He didn’t think about how it would be weird to talk again for the first time. He didn’t think about why he ached. He only thought of Wonwoo.

Summoning the courage from his shivering, pain-filled body, Mingyu spoke.

“Wonwoo.”

He didn’t speak loudly, but that voice was enough to make Wonwoo flinch. Flicking his head up, he was surprised. He was so distraught and filled with emotions, he didn’t know what to think. “Mingyu?”

Standing before him, Mingyu looked down at Wonwoo’s tear stained face. He’d never seen him like this, but he’d imagined something similar since he was going through the same pain. But now...it was all different. It was all worse.

“Hey,” he said quietly.

For a moment, the two of them just stared into each other’s eyes, knowing just how much they went through because of the other. But both of them knew...that this wasn’t the time.

Mingyu easily stepped over and sat down next to Wonwoo, their shoulders pressed against each other. Mingyu watched the side of Wonwoo’s face. Wonwoo just looked straight ahead. Neither of them spoke.

Hunched over his knees, Wonwoo felt all of that sadness right below his throat. It was right there just waiting to be puked up. It was a mix of pain and insatiable despair. It. Was. Terrible.

Taking a shallow breath, Wonwoo blinked and finally said something.

“I lost her.”

Mingyu tried to keep it together. “I know.”

Wonwoo looked down and fiddled with his fingers. “I lost the woman...who loves me the most,” he said, his voice starting to quiver.

Mingyu had no words, but it was better that way. Wonwoo just needed him there.

“She raised me...She took care of me...She taught me almost everything I know,” he said. Wonwoo couldn’t believe he was here. He couldn’t believe that he was talking about his grandmother in a world that his grandmother no longer shared.

Shoulders shaking, he couldn’t handle himself. He knew he was falling apart. “I lost her…”

Mingyu felt a chill run down his spine as his bottom lip started to quiver. Trying to offer any sort of comfort, he reached out and placed his hand on Wonwoo’s back.

But at that subtle touch, Wonwoo felt it all. He felt all of his misery and frustration. He couldn’t take it.

“My grandma’s gone and she’s never coming back,” Wonwoo growled, angrier and more bitter than a second ago. Still facing the empty void before him, he felt it all. “I’ll never talk to her again. I’ll never hold her hand again. She will never call me again!” Letting his voice echo, he weakly chuckled as his thoughts flowed through his pain. “She was the only person who called,” he said, his tone dropping again. “She was the only person...who always looked for me. She would do anything for me.”

Mingyu remembered the phone call they shared. Wonwoo’s grandmother just wanted to see the person she knew her grandson cared a great deal about...and who cared a great deal about her grandson.

“I know,” Mingyu said softly.

Tears all over the place, Wonwoo couldn’t take it. He just couldn’t do this.

“And now she’s gone!” Standing to his feet, Wonwoo was screaming, fuming and destroyed by all that was happening. “The universe took her away from me! THE ING UNIVERSE!”

Mingyu had never seen Wonwoo like this, and it was scaring him. He didn’t want Wonwoo to hurt himself. He knew the boy was in so much pain that he wouldn’t care about any damage he did to himself, but Mingyu couldn’t let him do that. These doubts and accusations towards the universe...they were destined for trouble.

“Wonwoo—”

But he cut him off. Wonwoo was delirious. He was drenched all over, with tears and his nervous sweat. Standing under the dark sky and the glow of a single streetlight, he was broken. He had never been so angry and so disappointed and so saddened and so tortured and so utterly destroyed. His heart was racing and he had this crazy look in his eyes.

This was it for Wonwoo and he knew it. This was the last straw. He’d had it with the universe and this was just far too much. It was way too cruel and no all-holding being had the right to do this to his grandmother.

Wonwoo spun around and found Mingyu’s concerned face, but he didn’t even see that. He was blinded by all of these spiralling emotions. Sputtering and shaking, he frantically screamed, “They’ve controlled everything in my ing life but they’ve SERIOUSLY gone too far!” Losing all sense, he flung his head back and cried to the darkness above him, “WHY??!! WHAT REASON COULD YOU POSSIBLY HAVE FOR TAKING HER LIKE THIS?!”

Listening to Wonwoo in such a terrible place made Mingyu feel it too. But he couldn’t stop him. There was no point in trying. Wonwoo had to let this all out. Tears streamed down Mingyu’s cheeks as the shrieking boy before him went on.

Just losing it, Wonwoo paced in a circle, looking all around him, as if he could find something that would make all of this stop. Obviously, he didn’t find it. Finally getting a firm stance in the ground, he said, looking down at Mingyu, “I’ve always been told that things happen for a reason! When things that truly matter happen, the universe would have a plan!” Gasping on his words, Wonwoo felt like throwing up. Hunching over, he took a second to try and catch his breath. He felt light headed. He felt like he was going to faint.

Startled, Mingyu was about to get to his feet and hold him up, but Wonwoo snapped back up before he had the chance. Wonwoo took a few deep breaths, each one shaking down his throat, rattling in his lungs, then coming back out even more battered. Shaking his head, he thought he was going to die. “The universe was supposed to have a PLAN! But they ing killed my grandma, and I STILL DIDN’T STOP!”

Sobbing, Mingyu had no words. What can you say to that?

Wonwoo was crying hysterically and his words would’ve been inaudible if they weren’t so loud. Clutching his face, he finally collapsed beside Mingyu again. His shoulders were quaking uncontrollably as he tried to drown in his tears. “If that doesn’t do it, what will?!” he yelled, still questioning every part of the universe and even his own existence. Feeling defeat on so many levels, he cried, “What’s the point of anything if I know I won’t stop?!”

That last sentence cut deep into Mingyu’s heart. It was like Wonwoo finally admitted to the one thing that he’d feared the entire time. Mingyu had to close his eyes for a second, as if trying to hold back the pain from the blow. But when he opened them again, all he saw was Wonwoo furiously crying beside him. And in that moment...he let it all go. Wonwoo was beyond upset and even if what he said held the truth, it didn’t deserve to hurt Mingyu. Neither of them needed more hurt. Mingyu just needed to be there to help Wonwoo, someone he had to admit...he loved. So...he let everything that stood between them...fade away.

Mingyu slid over and smooshed his leg against Wonwoo’s as he wrapped his arms around the boy’s trembling body. Hugging him as tightly as possible, Mingyu wanted to squeeze the sadness out of him. But he knew he couldn’t do that, so he settled for giving Wonwoo as much warmth and support as physically possible.

Not even questioning the contact, Wonwoo fell into Mingyu’s embrace like it was the only thing that could keep him from crumbling entirely. His head fell onto Mingyu’s chest, just below the boy’s chin. His arms were pressed so tight to his sides by Mingyu that Wonwoo couldn’t hug him back. But that was okay. His hold was enough for the both of them.

Wonwoo’s tears and snot started to cover Mingyu’s shirt, but Mingyu refused to let go. So Wonwoo stayed there and let it all out.

Leaning into Mingyu, Wonwoo spoke a little softer, but still enough that he could be heard. “She was the only one...who made being a Jumper tolerable,” he said, staring out into the blurry night. He sniffled. “Before I met Minghao or Joshua or Chan, she was the only one I could talk to about jumping. My parents worked hard...but it was my grandma who...got me through it. Growing up, she made it...easier. Jumping every...every day...since I was seven.” Thinking about his grandma was proving to be too much. “God,” he said before turning and burying his face in Mingyu’s chest.

Mingyu held the boy and the back of his head. Wonwoo managed to crawl his hands up and press them to Mingyu’s body. He pulled his face away and looked up at the person who was physically holding him together. It wasn’t until now did he see Mingyu’s tears. “Being a Jumper...was tolerable thanks to her.”

Mingyu nodded and continued to listen. Wonwoo readjusted himself to face outward again. With his head there, he could easily hear Mingyu’s heartbeat. It was so steady compared to his own. Somehow that calmed him down.

Taking another quivering breath, Wonwoo shut his eyes. Less tears fell now as he whimpered. “When I first started jumping, she would always be awake at 6 in the morning when I got home...waiting for me...with a giant smile...and some breakfast.” He managed to smile through his sorrow. “She would even try making pancakes and bacon cause...she knew I loved American breakfast.”

He bit his lip and shook his head. “She loved to hear about where I jumped. She made it...she made it easier. My grandma...she—she would rock me in her arms whenever I came back crying...She would...fight off the nightmares...from my bad jumps. Some cities...scared the crap out of me. But everything scary that ever happened to me...became less scary...because of her.”

Remembering his grandma was so painful. “She loved me more than I could ever know. She raised me. She took care of me. She...she…”

Wonwoo couldn’t even finish his sentence, but he didn’t have to.

“I know,” Mingyu whispered to him.

For another while, the two of them sat in silence, holding on to whatever warmth the other could provide. Wonwoo was finally starting to calm down. He could breathe smoothly again. His mind was still racing, but at the same time, it was blank. He was out of...everything for the time being.

Once he could finally stop his shoulders from shaking, Wonwoo realized where he was. It wasn’t until now did he really feel Mingyu’s strength. He could feel the incredible heat from his hold. He could hear him breathing slowly just above his head. He could see...that they were together.

Sniffling and wiping his face, Wonwoo gently pulled himself off of Mingyu. Once Mingyu saw that the boy had enough in him to sit steadily, he lowered his arms, letting them rest by Wonwoo’s waist. Wonwoo’s eyes were now on the same level as Mingyu’s, neither of them looking higher or lower. They were seeing the same thing.

Wonwoo continued to try and smudge away what was leftover on his face. He didn’t realize how much a mess he was. Looking into Mingyu’s pink, watery eyes, he asked, “When did you find out?”

Mingyu swallowed and replied, “Last night. I stopped by your apartment and your mom told me.”

Wonwoo furrowed his eyebrows. “Why were you there?”

Mingyu felt a new lump form in the back of his throat. He didn’t want to tell Wonwoo it was because of his grandmother and how they were supposed to see each other. He didn’t want to send Wonwoo down that hole again. Not right now.

“It’s not important,” Mingyu said.

Nodding, Wonwoo agreed. It probably wasn’t. Nothing was important anymore. Rubbing his eyes, Wonwoo sighed. Lowering his hands, he looked at the fuzzy Mingyu before him. “How did you find me?”

“I had a hunch.”

Somehow, in the midst of this horrible time, Wonwoo found the slightest comfort in Mingyu. Gazing into those eyes, he saw the boy he so often thought about. He was staring at his best friend, and it was no surprise to him that he was able to make him feel even the tiniest bit better. But then, Wonwoo was reminded why he hadn’t found that comfort in what felt like forever. But before he could say anything…

“I’m sorry, Wonwoo,” Mingyu blurted out. He wasn’t thinking. Just staring into Wonwoo’s heartbroken eyes told him that he needed to say this. “I—I’m sorry...for everything I put you through.”

Wonwoo was speechless. He didn’t realize it, but now it was his turn to listen.

Mingyu didn’t know what he was doing. All he knew was that he didn’t want to hurt Wonwoo anymore than he was already hurting through this terrible, terrible time. If he could provide any relief, that’s what he was going to do.

Reaching over and holding one of Wonwoo’s trembling hands, he squeezed tight. Looking down, Mingyu gently said, “Please...don’t spend any of your broken heart on me.”

Wonwoo didn’t know what any of this meant.

But this was exactly what Mingyu needed to say. Shaking their hands softly, he went on. “We...are okay…” Now it was Mingyu’s voice that started to shake.

Wonwoo was shocked. His mouth gaped open. “Mingyu…”

Mingyu pulled his head back up to meet Wonwoo’s gaze. Somehow, he was able to crack the tiniest smile. “Wonwoo, we are okay...and…” He took a deep breath before saying, “...I still have feelings for you...even if you don’t know what you feel for me.”

Mingyu felt water running down his face. Holding Wonwoo’s hand a little tighter, he whispered, “Please...just take care of yourself.”

Wonwoo’s heart was racing as he watched Mingyu cry. Seeing such a sight made him tear up again. It was an endless cycle of crying...but this time felt different.

But before Wonwoo could process what was happening, Mingyu wiped away his tears with his free hand. Feeling the wave of grief wash over him, he shared Wonwoo’s broken stare and said, “I’m so sorry you lost her.”

Wonwoo was frozen. He felt his heart breaking at the reminder of his grandmother, but he already knew that was a feeling he was going to be living with for a while. Maybe forever.

But as he got chipped away, Wonwoo couldn’t help but realize something else. As he was staring at Mingyu’s face, he felt something he hadn’t in far too long: safe. Mingyu made him feel safe. Mingyu couldn’t take away Wonwoo’s pain. He couldn’t bring his grandmother back to life. He couldn’t stop the universe from doing whatever it wanted. But in the worst time of his life, just having Mingyu there...made Wonwoo feel safe.

In that moment, Wonwoo knew he was, without a doubt, in love with Mingyu. All the other times he tried to figure out what his true feelings were...finally lead him here. It was so clear. He didn’t say it, not with all the emotions filling that cold, night air. But he knew. Wonwoo loved Mingyu.

Speechless, Wonwoo continued to stare at every beautiful corner of Mingyu’s tear-stained face. And Mingyu let him. Slowly, his eyes wandered and made their way to Mingyu’s soft, glowing lips. He couldn’t look away.

Mingyu saw where Wonwoo’s gaze fell and instantly felt goosebumps run across his arms under his jacket sleeves. His heart was trying to break out of his chest, but he didn’t move. Whatever happened...happened.

Wonwoo didn’t try to fight that impulse, the impulse to be even closer to the person you’re in love with. Without another thought in his mind, Wonwoo’s eyes fluttered shut.

And Mingyu’s did the same. His nerves were going crazy, but he didn’t want to run away from Wonwoo anymore. This was when they both needed each other most, when they seemed broken beyond repair.

They both slowly leaned in, waiting for the moment their lips would meet and they would no longer be two broken souls, but one mess of shattered pieces. Maybe that way they could at least put something together from the scraps. But obviously…

The universe was much more cruel than that.

Mingyu could feel Wonwoo’s breath against his mouth and was ready to finally connect when...

6:00pm.

All of a sudden, the warmth surrounding Mingyu disappeared. He couldn’t feel Wonwoo’s breath, but a cold breeze pass by his face. Immediately, Mingyu’s eyes shot open. There was no one in front of him. He lifted his empty hand and stared at where Wonwoo was so close just a second ago.

Mingyu sat there for another few minutes, trying to calm down his insides. Sitting on the bench alone, he felt the tears well up over his eyes again. He couldn’t do this.

For a moment, Mingyu was fooled into believing he and Wonwoo could have what both so desired, but it was just as quickly pulled out from under them. Both of them needed so much more than just a kiss. They needed the person who made them feel safe.

But now they were both alone.

Finally trusting his weak legs to carry him, Mingyu stood up, feeling the weight of a million broken pieces on his shoulders. Unable to look back, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and left their bench, softly crying on his own.

Everything was quiet now. Only the sound of the city filled the background. There was no more crying. There was no more screaming. No more talking. No more whispering. None of that.

But five minutes after Mingyu left, there was rustling. The sound of branches and leaves brushing against each other.

In the bushes just a few yards from Mingyu and Wonwoo’s bench, Soonyoung finally stood up. His knees were sore from kneeling in there for so long. His neck was aching from listening so intensely. And as Soonyoung finally stretched out his cramped limbs, he couldn’t wipe the shocked expression now glued to his face. But with all of the pains in his body from hiding, his arm hurt the most. It took a lot of strain to hold up his phone and record for that long.

hey guys! ok wow really eventful chapter but first off i want to thank you all for your incredibly kind comments from the last chapter about what im going through you have no idea how much better i felt just reading them <3 i even read them to my mom and she was so touched so thank you for being so warm and so sweet during such a hard time in my life. I'm still going through the motions but things are moving forward :) again thank you for being there and for being so wonderful i know i didnt thank all of you individually and im so sorry but please know that doesnt change how appreciative i am of you sharing your own stories and helping me along the way <3

as for this chapter! I HAVE BEEN WAITING SO LONG TO WRITE THIS XD ok yeah this is one of those rare chapters where all of the members make an appearance! i actually did that all on purpose for the end (did any of you guys notice soonyoung was missing ;)) ugh but meanie rips my heart and...agh! yeah! hope you guys liked that pretty emotional chapter for meanie im sorry if there are a lot of typos and things again its like almost 4am and i really wanted to upload XD ill be editing probably within the next few days just to fix those errors but i really hope you guys like this chapter! this was kind of one of those chapters to just show where each of the characters are and whats going on with them but the main focus is our main couple <3 dont worry tho plenty to come with the others in this next chapter especially with what soonyoung has on his phone now OK IM GONNA STOP TALKING! HOPE YOU ALL ARE WELL! Thank you agian for reading and subscribing and commenting and upvoting it all means the world to me <3 hopefully talk to you guys soon! i dont want to leave such large gaps between my updates agh THANKS AGAIN!