“What about over there?” Junhui asked, pointing towards the Yangtze River.

Minghao took a few more snaps of his surroundings before turning to him. “Yeah, let’s go.” Even though they’d gone a million times already, Minghao never refused to see the water with his friend.

Junhui quickly jogged up to the railing that stopped him from jumping into Shanghai’s neighboring body of water. He held on tightly to the camera wrapped around his neck as he lifted it to his eye. Smiling, he scanned around, trying to get the perfect shot. But after a minute of not getting what he wanted, he sighed and dropped his arms.

Minghao was now beside him. “What’s wrong?”

Junhui looked over at him, a slight breeze tossing his hair around. “This place looks much nicer at night.”

It probably does, Minghao thought, recalling all the photos Junhui had shown him that he’d taken here over the years. “Come back later,” he suggested.

“Yeah, but you never come with me,” the other complained, shoving his shoulder.

Minghao laughed and straightened back up. “Maybe one day.”

Junhui just rolled his eyes, even though he understood Minghao’s reasons. Leaning over the railing, he tried again. “Yeah right.”

With a slight grin, Minghao admired Junhui as he looked through that camera. Quietly, he lifted his own and took a picture of the beautiful view in front of him.

— — —

“Well, that was…,” Wonwoo struggled to say as they walked out of the lecture hall. “...fun.”

Mingyu scoffed and adjusted his backpack. Walking out onto the campus, he replied, “I can’t believe you agreed to go to class with me.”

“Hey, I’ve never taken 20th Century,” Wonwoo pointed out. “I just wanted to see what you guys learn.”

“You were asleep.”

“And I learned that I sleep best with history in the background.”

Laughing, Mingyu was secretly glad that Wonwoo had agreed to come with him. The two were supposed to hang out, but there was no time before the class. And Mingyu knew very well that there wasn’t much time after. Even though his friend was out cold, Mingyu had to admit he was right. It was fun.

“Loser,” Mingyu muttered.

“Loser who goes to class,” Wonwoo muttered back.

“I’m a good student,” Mingyu argued.

“Sure,” he said back, sarcastically.

Rolling his eyes, Mingyu chuckled. “Okay, what should we do now?”

Wonwoo was about to suggest something when his phone vibrated in his back pocket. “One second,” he said as he pulled it out.

It was a text from his dad.

Dad
We’re having dinner soon.
You should bring Mingyu.

Wonwoo smiled and looked back up at his friend. “Actually, my family’s having dinner soon. You should come over.”

Mingyu furrowed his eyebrows. All of a sudden he felt nervous. “Um, right now?” he asked hesitantly.

Nodding, Wonwoo said, “Yeah, my grandma made something really good. And my parents want to meet you. Don’t worry I’ve only said good things.”

Weakly laughing to the tease, Mingyu didn’t know how to respond. Never in a million years would he agree to something like this for someone he’d only known for a few weeks, let alone someone who seemed to have interest in him. Meeting the parents? Isn’t that like a huge step for most couples. He tried not to think of it that way.

After Wonwoo had agreed to let the stuff from before go, Mingyu thought it was only fair to treat him as such. He wouldn’t be suspicious of Wonwoo making any moves. He wouldn’t be presumptuous about his actions. He wouldn’t think that Wonwoo had feelings for him. That wouldn’t be fair to their friendship if he was constantly tiptoeing around him. Meeting Wonwoo’s parents would be just like when he met his grandmother before, like they were friends.

“Do you know what you guys are having?” Mingyu asked.

Wonwoo smiled. “Not sure, but it’s delicious I promise you that.”

That was enough for Mingyu. He looked over and smiled at him. “Sure, I’ll come over.”

Wonwoo’s chest was beating rapidly, but he tried his best to contain himself. “Cool! My grandma’s gonna be so happy. She was so glad to meet you the other day.”

“Could you really have less friends than I do?” Mingyu teased.

“Less normal friends, yes,” he pointed out. “I’ve only got one normal person other than you and I don’t get to see him too often.”

Nodding, Mingyu walked alongside his friend, now letting him take the lead to his place. “Well, your grandma’s really nice. I'm glad she liked me. I've never met anyone's grandmother before.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I've never met Seokmin’s or Seungcheol’s. And I'm not sure how to track back cat ancestry so…”

Smiling, Wonwoo told him, “Well you made a good first impression, even though you didn't really do anything.”

“I was very charming, mind you,” he argued.

Wonwoo couldn't help but be amused. “My parents are a little different from my grandma.”

For some reason, that made Mingyu weirdly nervous. “What? Really?”

Noticing the boy’s tone, Wonwoo reassured him, “No, no they're still really friendly. I just mean…” He tried to find the right words. “My dad’s kind of nervous about the fact you know.”

Now Mingyu was nervous. He hadn't even thought about Wonwoo’s parents in this whole scheme of things. Of course a father would be concerned if a total stranger knew their family’s biggest secret. Thinking about it made Mingyu wonder what else Wonwoo’s parents knew about him. “Do they know about what happened with…”

He let his voice trail off, and Wonwoo immediately picked up what he was trying to get at. Shaking his head, he replied, “No, they know nothing about that stuff. We're just friends to them.” Wonwoo paused. “I mean we're friends. I just told them what may concern them.”

“Okay,” Mingyu calmly replied.

“Yeah, so if my dad seems a little uneasy, that's not your fault.”

“Okay,” he said again.

“My dad's actually really friendly. It's helped him all over the world. Same with my mom. You can't really do what we do and not be nice to people.”

Mingyu laughed. Guess I could never be a Jumper. But he kept that to himself. He realized that Wonwoo was really good at not mentioning the word Jumper in public ever. He tried his best to do the same.

“I'm excited to meet them,” Mingyu said. That was something he'd never thought he'd say about someone who wasn't a cat.

Wonwoo smiled. “Good. They are too.”

— — —

5:00pm

“You good?” Wonwoo asked Mingyu, noticing him tugging at his own sleeves.

It was a nervous tick and it Mingyu was surprised Wonwoo picked it up so easily. He unclenched his fists and smiled. “Yeah, I'm good.”

Wonwoo smiled back and unlocked the front door. For whatever reason, Mingyu’s chest was pounding. I at talking to people. Of course I'm nervous, he thought.

As Wonwoo opened the door, Mingyu could hear all the proper sounds of people getting ready for dinner. Banging pots. Something on the stove. Dishes being put down. “Hello family!” Wonwoo announced as everything came into view. And what Mingyu saw made him loosen up and smile.

The first one to turn was Wonwoo’s mom. “Oh! Hi honey!” she took her oven mitts off and rushed over to her son. She was several inches shorter than Wonwoo, so he rested his chin on her head to hug her back.

“Hi mom,” he laughed.

This was so surreal to Mingyu. He’d never seen such a happy family before. Not even just happy, but lively. When he lived at home, there was never this much life around. Most of that had to do with the fact his parents were never home. But this was a family of Jumpers and even they took the time to be together.

Wonwoo’s mom released her son and immediately turned to the unsuspecting Mingyu behind him. “Hi! You must be Mingyu!” she exclaimed.

Mingyu didn’t know what to do, so he just kept smiling. “Hi!” he said back. He sounded so cheery, it even surprised himself.

Wonwoo chuckled as he watched the interaction. His mom stuck out her hand and grinned up at him. “It’s so nice to meet you! You can just call me Mrs. Jeon.”

Shaking her soft hand, Mingyu nodded. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Jeon.” Her motherliness was obvious, so much so that it made Mingyu even more comfortable. He wasn’t kidding when he said they were friendly. “Thank you for having me over.”

“Of course!” she said as she lead the two boys to the kitchen table. “Normally we would make Wonwoo help out with dinner, but we never have company over so he’s off the hook this time,” she teased.

Wonwoo rolled his eyes and took his seat. “I could help if you want, mom.”

“No, you’d just mess it up by now, honey,” she made fun of him.

Mingyu chuckled as the man by the sink finally turned to address them. He wore an inviting smile and an apron over his dress shirt. It seemed like he hadn’t changed from getting off work. “She says the same thing to me. That’s why I’m on dish duty,” Wonwoo’s dad joked.

“Hey dad,” Wonwoo said as he sat down. He gestured towards the still standing Mingyu. “This is Mingyu.”

“I could’ve guessed,” he said as he wiped his hands. He quickly came over and shook Mingyu’s hand. “Nice to finally meet you, Mingyu. Wonwoo’s said a lot about you.”

Mingyu nodded and tried to see if what Wonwoo said was true. He doesn’t seem very nervous. But still, he didn’t know him at all so who was he to judge. “Nice to meet you too. Yeah, Wonwoo and I have been hanging out a lot lately.”

“I’ve heard,” Wonwoo’s dad replied, glancing over at his son. “It’s always great to meet one of Wonwoo’s friends, especially one he puts a lot of trust in.”

There it is. Trying his best to reassure him without being too blunt, Mingyu replied. “Yeah, Wonwoo and I are becoming really close. He can trust me with anything.”

Just hearing that seemed to make Wonwoo’s dad happy. He gripped Mingyu’s hand a little tighter before letting go. “Good, good!”

But Wonwoo was sitting there listening in and he was even happier than his father. He could trust Mingyu with anything. He wanted to see how true that was.

It wasn’t until now did Mingyu realize someone from the family wasn’t in the room. He took his seat next to Wonwoo at the table and asked, “Hey, where’s your grandma?”

Wonwoo was about to answer, but someone else did before he could. “I’m right here, boys!”

Mingyu stretched his neck and tried to see where the familiar voice came from. In the corner of the kitchen, Wonwoo’s grandmother was squatting on the ground with her giant cleaver, chopping up some cabbage. He immediately smiled and waved to her. “Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you over there, grandma!”

She smiled back and waved her seemingly frail arm with the knife. “It’s great to see you again, Mingyu. Food will be ready soon.”

“Thank you,” he said back.

Wonwoo smiled. For some reason, he liked seeing Mingyu here with his family.

At the same time, Mingyu was still taking in what was going on. He had never imagined Wonwoo’s family to be so close like this. Based on the Jumper life that Wonwoo described, it seemed like none of them would ever have time for the others, but it was the exact opposite. They were making time to be together. And based on what Mingyu could tell, this wasn’t the first time they were eating dinner like this. It must be pretty regular. He was pleasantly surprised, but surprised nonetheless. It was so different from what he was used to in terms of family.

After a few minutes, the table was set and food was served. “Alright, dig in everybody!” Wonwoo’s grandma announced.

“Thank you!” Mingyu and Wonwoo both said as they started to fill their rice bowls with fish and cabbage.

Wonwoo’s mom smiled and watched the two. “Hope you enjoy, Mingyu.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Jeon,” he said with a smile.

As everyone began to eat, Mingyu sat back and let the conversation roll as if he weren’t there. He was curious to see what a family dinner like this entailed in terms of talking to each other. He was shocked to find how easy it was. Everyone just talked about their days. Apparently, Mr. and Mrs. Jeon worked for a travel agency. Mr. Jeon was a salesman. His day consisted of telling clients all about vacation spots in all sorts of countries. He was incredibly successful at his job, especially since he’d been to almost every spot he talked about. Mrs. Jeon, on the other hand, was in marketing, so it was up to her to make sure they were properly selling these cities to travelers. Needless to say, she was also very good at what she did. Mingyu couldn’t help but be impressed with how they managed to make their lives work with Jumper stuff.

“So what did you two do today?” Wonwoo’s dad asked.

Chewing and swallowing before he answered, Wonwoo said, “I sat one of Mingyu’s classes.”

“Ooh, did you learn anything?” his mom eagerly asked.

Without even thinking, Mingyu chuckled. Everyone turned to look at his blushing face. Thankfully, they were all smiles. He wiped his mouth with a napkin before saying, “Sorry. Umm, no. He was asleep.”

The adults laughed as Wonwoo tried to defend himself. “I didn’t know 20th Century was so incredibly boring.”

“I could’ve told you that, son. If you want something exciting, go to some Econ seminars with Mingyu,” his dad sarcastically suggested. “Those are fun, right Mingyu?”

Playing along, Mingyu nodded. “Oh yeah, those are just the best. Foreign exchange. Factors of production. Supply and demand. All very exciting.”

Wonwoo’s mom smiled. “Sweetie, you’re just saying business words and you sound like you know what you’re talking about. You should consider a career in the field,” she teased.

Mingyu smiled at her and went back to eating as the conversation continued. It was so weird for him to feel so welcomed, but that’s exactly what was happening. It was such a warm environment. Mingyu wondered if most families were like this and his was the odd one out. At the same time, he didn’t really mind since he was no longer living with them. It didn’t make a difference.

As for Wonwoo, he was so happy to see Mingyu getting along with everybody, not that he had any doubts about it before. He was definitely worried about anything his dad might say, if he was too nervous, but things were turning out right. Maybe his dad trusted Mingyu too. That would mean a lot to him.

But just as that was going through his head, Wonwoo heard his dad clear his throat. “So, Mingyu,” he said, turning to Mingyu. “I don’t really know how to bring this up without being too forward…”

“Honey,” Wonwoo’s mom called out. “Don’t do this now. Let the boys eat!”

“Oh, it’s okay,” Mingyu insisted, his voice kind of shaky. “I—I think I know where this is going. I don’t mind.”

“You do?” Wonwoo’s dad asked.

Wonwoo clenched up a little as he watched Mingyu start to speak. For some reason, he was worried about what he could say. As for Mingyu, he wasn’t sure what was happening, but he felt like he knew what to say. He smiled and put down his chopsticks. “I know that you all know Wonwoo told me about...what happens to him.”

Everyone paused and just listened to the person they invited into their home. This was also the first normal person to know about them being Jumpers. On the edge of their seats, no one interrupted Mingyu.

“He told me all about Jumpers and the universe and what you all go through because of this life. He also told me how important it is that nobody knows.” Mingyu looked from Wonwoo’s dad to his mom to his grandma to him and then back around. He spoke to all of them to make sure they knew how honest he was being. “And I know we haven’t known each other for too long, but if Wonwoo thinks he can trust me...then he’s right.”

Everyone was listening closely as he spoke, but in his head Mingyu was going crazy. How the hell am I saying these things right now? Am I even the same person? Where is this coming from? I mean, it’s all true, but...how did this happen?

Trying not to let his thoughts distract him, he said, “I don’t have many friends. My roommates are the only two people I talk to. I mostly talk to cats in my free time, and I promise they won’t tell anyone about this.” Wonwoo’s mom chuckled. Mingyu smiled and took a deep breath as he finished. “I know...um...you have all the right in the world to be nervous...that I know this...but…” This time Mingyu looked directly at Wonwoo. He grinned and stared at the boy who shoved him in an alley. “...I won’t tell anybody. Your secret’s safe with me.”

A huge smile came onto Wonwoo’s face. As he heard Mingyu, his body relaxed and he knew that he’d made the right decision at the beginning of all of this. For a moment, he even forgot what Mingyu said about his feelings towards relationships. He just let himself be happy picturing life with this amazing, trustworthy person.

The three adults all looked to each other and smiled, silently observing the two friends. Wonwoo’s parents nodded at one another in agreement. It was clear that Wonwoo was right to trust Mingyu. Wonwoo’s grandma was just pleased to see her grandson so happy.

“That’s all I wanted to hear,” Wonwoo’s dad finally said.

It took Mingyu a second to break his gaze with Wonwoo. He turned and nodded at Mr. Jeon, glad that he’d said the right thing. But as he was turning his head back, Mingyu noticed the stove’s clock. “Is it really already 5:57?”

“What?!” Wonwoo shrieked. Everyone looked towards the clock and saw that Mingyu was right. “Oh my god!”

Immediately, Wonwoo and his parents were on their feet. Mingyu got up too. “I can’t believe we lost track of time like that!” Wonwoo’s mom exclaimed. She quickly came around the table and, without any warning, she hugged Mingyu. “I’m so sorry we have to go like this, sweetie!” she said to him. She patted his chest and looked up to say, “Thank you for coming over and for being such a good friend to our Wonwoo.”

Still surprised, Mingyu just chuckled. “Thank you for having me.”

With one last smile, she ran down the hall and disappeared into one of the bedrooms.

“It was great meeting you, Mingyu,” Wonwoo’s dad frantically said as he reached over to shake Mingyu’s hand again. “And like my wife said, thank you for being there for Wonwoo.”

Mingyu nodded and let the rushed man run off as well. Mingyu realized he probably still had to change out of his work clothes.

5:58pm.

As Mingyu was about to say goodbye to Wonwoo, he felt someone grab his wrist instead. “Woah!” he exclaimed as Wonwoo dragged him into his bedroom.

Wonwoo didn’t say anything. He just shut the door.

This is familiar, Mingyu couldn’t help but think. But last time, Wonwoo didn’t take him into the bedroom so that was new.

“What is it?” Mingyu asked.

Wonwoo stood there for a second and just stared up at him. It took every fiber in his being not to just lean up and kiss the boy, but he knew way better. Instead, he just said, “Thank you.”

Mingyu laughed. “What?”

Wonwoo knew he didn’t have much time so he started getting ready while Mingyu was still there. Going to his closet, he got out his tan coat, the one that Mingyu recognized. Putting it on, he turned back at the puzzled Mingyu. “Thank you,” he said again, “for all of those things you said.”

“Oh that,” Mingyu joked, batting his hand up. He couldn’t admit that even he was impressed with himself. “I meant all of it, I hope you know.”

“Yeah, I do,” Wonwoo laughed. “It was just nice to hear.”

“Good.”

Wonwoo grabbed the baseball cap on his desk and put it on. “I think they really like you.”

“You weren’t lying when you said they were friendly.”

Wonwoo nodded and reached down to put on his tennis shoes. “I’m glad you came over today.”

Mingyu watched him. For some reason, his chest was beating really fast as Wonwoo tied his shoelaces. “I am too.”

5:59pm.

Quickly finishing up, Wonwoo put on his sunglasses. He saw that he had about a minute to spare. He stood back up and just admired Mingyu for a second. Mingyu laughed. “That’s a nice look on you.”

“I know right. I’m thinking about wearing it more often.” Wonwoo chuckled. “Hey, you’ll get to see me jump this time.”

“Where do you think you’ll end up tonight?” Mingyu asked.

Wonwoo shrugged. “I don’t know. Last time you were here I went to LA, so who knows.”

Mingyu smiled. There was this strange feeling as he just stood there and talked to his new friend. It was nice, but it was definitely weird. “Text me when you know where you are.”

Wonwoo felt his insides tingle. “Yeah I will. You want me to bring you back anything?”

“What? Like a souvenir?”

“Yeah,” Wonwoo laughed. “I’m always in a touristy place. I’ll get you a keychain or something.”

Mingyu didn’t even care that that sounded a little gushy. He was weirdly excited. “Yeah that sounds good. Thanks. Make sure it looks cool.”

“You obviously have no faith in me. I only like cool things.”

“Uhhh,” Mingyu muttered as he looked around at Wonwoo’s stuffed animals and Kpop posters. “Right.”

Wonwoo couldn’t help but admire Mingyu as he scanned his surroundings. At this point, his feelings were overwhelming him, he could hardly stand how much he was dying inside to say something. He couldn’t tell if it was just the moment or this was how he actually felt, but he didn’t care. Wonwoo just looked at Mingyu and couldn’t help but think that he was the greatest person ever. Like his thoughts, he couldn’t control his mouth. “Mingyu, I—”

6:00pm.

Mingyu heard Wonwoo’s voice cut out and immediately turned back. His heart skipped a beat when he didn’t find anyone beside him. It took a moment for him to realize what happened. Still, he couldn’t believe it. Spinning in a circle, he had to make sure that he was alone. When it was confirmed that Wonwoo was no longer with him, he let out a small sigh. He checked his phone and saw that it was 6:00pm on the dot.

He smiled, but furrowed his eyebrows. All of a sudden, there was this weird feeling in his chest, but this time it wasn’t pleasant. He decided not to think too much of it. Taking in a deep breath, he opened the door and stepped out of Wonwoo’s bedroom.

He almost forgot that there was still someone in the house. In the kitchen, Wonwoo’s grandmother sat alone at the end of the table, quietly eating her rice. When she heard Mingyu come back out, she smiled at him. “This is what happens everyday.”

Mingyu nodded and came back to the table. Taking his seat, he replied, “So you end up eating by yourself?”

She chuckled and pushed some fish towards him. “Today I’m not. Eat up. You didn’t finish your dinner.”

Looking down at his bowl, he realized she was right. “Thank you.”

As he got some more food, Wonwoo’s grandmother said, “I think you made a really good impression here today.”

A little surprised at the now one-on-one conversation, he weakly smiled. “I hope so. I don’t want anyone to think I’ll say anything.”

“You did good, Mingyu. You seem very trustworthy,” she reassured him. “And Wonwoo seems to like you a lot.”

“We’re becoming really good friends,” Mingyu added.

For a moment, she quietly watched Mingyu to see if there was anything behind his words. From dinner, she could tell there was something between him and Wonwoo. Friendship may not have been the right word, but she didn’t argue. “It’s great that he found someone like you. Wonwoo’s always had a hard time jumping like this.”

“Yeah, he’s said that,” Mingyu commented. He sighed and was a bit disheartened at the thought of a distraught Wonwoo. Trying to think of something else, he looked to Wonwoo’s grandmother. “So, grandma, you’re not a Jumper.”

Shaking her head, she replied, “No, I’m not. I get to be here with you.”

He smiled and added, “Is it hard having them all leave like that?”

With a sigh, she stopped eating for a second. “It was at first, but I married a Jumper so I’ve been dealing with this for a long time now. Wonwoo’s grandfather, his father’s father, only ever stopped jumping a few times in his life, but I learned to live with only 12 hours of him a day. I think the hardest time was when Wonwoo started jumping. It does get a bit lonely here, but I can’t imagine what they go through.”

Mingyu listened carefully. “Yeah, it must be tough.”

She smiled, glad to hear the boy’s sympathy. To lighten the mood, she added, “But they do leave me with all of the clean up work, so I guess I have it hard too.”

Mingyu laughed and looked around. She was right. The kitchen was pretty messy. Seeing this, he said, “I can help clean up after.”

“Oh, Mingyu, you really don’t have to. You’re a guest,” she replied, touched by his request.

“No, I can help. Please let me.” Mingyu honestly wanted to do anything for this sweet old lady.

Smiling from ear to ear, Wonwoo’s grandma nodded. “Thank you, Mingyu. That’s very kind of you.”

“Anything I can do to help.”

— — —

7:21pm.

As Mingyu was wiping down the table, Wonwoo’s grandmother was finishing putting away some dishes. For the past over-an-hour, she had made Mingyu feel nothing but comfortable. Telling him all sorts of stories about Wonwoo as a kid, she kept him engaged. Mingyu never felt awkward like he normally did with people and he was incredibly grateful for that. It made cleaning go by faster. It hadn’t even seemed like that much time had gone by.

Then all of a sudden, there was a knock on the door.

Knock. Knock.

Mingyu looked towards the door then back at Wonwoo’s grandmother. “Are you expecting anyone, grandma?”

She put the stack of dishes down and furrowed her eyebrows. “No, I’m not. But they must have known the building code to get in.”

Mingyu watched carefully as she went over to the door and checked the peephole. Immediately, a smile came onto her face. She threw the door open and greeted the mystery guest.

“Minghao!” she exclaimed, extending her arms out.

A thin boy with brownish-blondish hair came into the apartment, hugging her instantly. He wore a red beanie and denim jacket on top of a red flannel. His dark jeans and sneakers made him look like any other teenager on the street. The only thing that put him out of place was the fact that he was obviously Chinese. “Grandma!” he exclaimed back, equally as cheery.

Mingyu watched in confusion at the interaction. Wonwoo’s grandmother let the boy go and closed the door behind him. “You’ve gotten so tall since you were last here!”

Minghao laughed and nodded. “You say that every time I’m here.” Mingyu noticed he had a thick one-strap backpack on. It looked like a camera case.

She laughed and patted his shoulder. “You know it’s always nice to see you. Did you get here okay?”

“My jump was fine. It took me a little while to get to the bus station, but it’s so great to be in Seoul again. It’s been so long.”

Still smiling, Wonwoo’s grandmother finally remembered who else was in the apartment. “Oh!” she exclaimed, turning back to the kitchen. “This is Wonwoo’s friend!”

Taken aback, Mingyu didn’t know what to do, and clearly Minghao didn’t know either. He turned over and wasn’t expecting anyone else to be with them. Luckily, Wonwoo’s grandmother filled in some more gaps. “Minghao, this is Mingyu, Wonwoo’s new friend.”

Mingyu, Minghao thought. It took a second to register. “Oh, Mingyu!” he yelled out. A huge smile came onto his face. “Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard all about you!” He rushed over and immediately shook Mingyu’s hand. “Sorry, I never thought I’d get to meet you!”

Mingyu was still having a hard time understanding. As he shook this stranger’s hand, Wonwoo’s grandmother added, “This is Minghao, one of Wonwoo’s Jumper friends from Shanghai.”

Shanghai, Mingyu thought. It took a second. “Oh, Minghao! Wonwoo mentioned you too!” He smiled and couldn’t believe what was happening. Here, in the flesh, was one of Wonwoo’s other friends. Not just a normal friend either, a Jumper friend.

Both so excited to meet the other, neither of them realized that they’d been shaking hands for a little while. Finally, Mingyu looked down and let go. Still surprised, Minghao said, “Sorry, I’m being weird. Uh, hi!”

“This is weird for me too, don’t worry,” Mingyu said.

Minghao smiled and crossed his arms. With an amused smile, he chuckled, “So you’re Mingyu.”

“That would be me,” he said spreading out his arms.

“Wow,” he said, amazed. “You are...exactly how Wonwoo described you.”

A little taken aback, Mingyu wasn’t really sure what that meant. Has he been talking about me? “Ummm, thank...you…,” he said awkwardly.

Realizing he was being weird again, Minghao shook himself. “Sorry, sorry, again! No, I just mean, he said you were tall. Brown hair. And obviously...that was true!”

And I thought I had trouble talking to people. Normally, Mingyu would feel really uncomfortable in a situation like this, but this was far from normal. It was kind of nice to see someone who wasn’t smooth. God knows, he wasn’t. “Uh, yeah. That’s very true,” he chuckled. “Wonwoo hasn’t told me too much about you. He just told me he had a friend in Shanghai named Minghao.”

“Oh yeah,” Minghao said with a laugh. “That would be me. He told you all about the Jumper stuff right? Like, this isn’t totally bizarre to you right now?” raising his hands up as he asked.

“Um, no it’s still pretty weird,” Mingyu admitted.

As the two spoke, Wonwoo’s grandmother couldn’t help but be pleased to see people she knew for a fact cared about her grandson. Looking past them, she realized the kitchen was all cleaned up. “I don’t mean to interrupt, boys,” she interjected, causing them to turn back to her. “But you two should go out and get acquainted.”

“Are you sure?” Mingyu asked. “I can help you finish cleaning up—”

“You’ve been an amazing help, Mingyu. But look, we’re all done,” she said, pointing behind him. “You two should go out and have fun. Mingyu, show Minghao around. Whenever he’s here, he waits until Wonwoo’s home to do anything. Get to know each other. I know Wonwoo would like to hear about that.”

Before Mingyu could even answer, Minghao was already all for it. “Actually, yeah, that’d be pretty awesome!”

Mingyu hesitated, looking at this stranger who now wanted to hang out with him. He never hung out with new people. But he looked towards Wonwoo’s grandmother and her smiling face. He couldn’t refuse. He shrugged and said, “Sure. We can...hang out.”

— — —

“So you’re from Shanghai?”

Leaving the boba shop, Minghao sipped his milk tea. Nodding gently, he replied, “Yep. Lived there my whole life.”

Mingyu chuckled. “Well, based on what I know, you don’t really have a choice.”

“Wonwoo really told you everything, didn’t he?” Minghao laughed.

The two of them walked down the sidewalk and continued getting to know each other as night surrounded them. “Pretty much,” he commented. “Okay, so this might be a stupid question, but if you’re from Shanghai, how is your Korean so good?”

“Mmm,” he mumbled, finishing chewing on some tapioca. “My dad made sure that I learned it early when I was growing up. He was the one who jumped around and he ended up in Korea a lot. He thought that I might too, so I needed it.”

“That’s cool, cause yeah you’re perfectly fluent,” Mingyu complimented him, still very impressed.

“Thanks,” Minghao laughed. He lifted his drink and pointed at Mingyu. “It was helpful when I met Wonwoo, so I’m glad.”

“I still can’t believe I’m meeting one of Wonwoo’s friends,” Mingyu said aloud, digging his empty hand into his pocket. It was getting cold outside.

“I can’t believe he told you about us,” Minghao added, trying to wrap his head around everything that was happening. One minute he was home, leaving Junhui with his same lame excuse, and the next he was with the guy that Wonwoo was crazy for. The universe really has a way of working.

“Yeah, I know it was...uh...new, that’s for sure.”

Minghao laughed and let Mingyu lead the way around the city. Unfortunately, he was probably the worst tour guide someone could ask for. But since he knew they were talking about this kind of stuff, he didn’t take Minghao anywhere too crowded. The sidewalk was empty and they just strolled along. “So,” Mingyu said, “Wonwoo’s talked about me?”

Nodding, Minghao looked pretty amused. “Ohh, yeah. He’s told me all about you and everything that went down when he told you.”

On a day to day, Mingyu would be insulted or just annoyed with someone talking about him that way. But it was weird coming from someone who lived thousands of miles away. It was like, because he was only there for a few hours, Mingyu gave him a free pass. “Yeah, so you know how I kind of went off on him,” Mingyu said, a little embarrassed thinking about it now.

“Yeah, but he said you had good reason. Apparently you’re not into the whole relationship business,” Minghao stated. He’d never been very good at deciding when to keep his mouth shut, especially since he was used to speaking so openly with Junhui. Well, openly except for two topics.

Weirdly enough, Mingyu didn’t mind that someone else knew what was going on with him and Wonwoo. It was definitely strange, but Minghao seemed like he had a level head. It was okay if he knew. “Yeah…,” he said, a bit uneasily, feeling bad for what he did to Wonwoo. He didn’t mind that Minghao was talking about it, but he didn’t want to add more. “It’s really something that...I’m not up for.”

“I can understand that,” Minghao encouraged. “And ya know, you and Wonwoo just met. I don’t blame you for anything that happened between you guys. It seems like you’re getting along just fine now. I mean, you were at his house for God’s sake.”

Mingyu laughed and thought about that evening again. It was just so nice. “Yeah, we’re becoming good friends.”

Minghao smiled, but let out a faint sigh as he looked forward. “I’m glad. Wonwoo’s always struggled with who he is and the universe, so it’s nice that you’re here for him.”

Everyone keeps saying that, Mingyu thought. He really wasn’t kidding when he said he didn’t want to do it anymore.

As Mingyu was going through his thoughts, Minghao was exploring his own. “He’s definitely not the only one though.”

Mingyu turned to him, confused. “What?”

“I mean he’s not the only one who has a hard time with how the universe makes the shots.”

It was so weird for Mingyu to hear about life from the perspective of another Jumper. Typically, he wouldn’t care about someone else’s problems, but Minghao was a Jumper. He couldn’t help but be curious. “You too?”

With another sigh, Minghao nodded. “I’ve got my own love problems at home.”

What is that supposed to mean? Wonwoo and I don’t have love problems, if that’s what he’s implying, Mingyu thought.

But he let it go and just listened instead. They made it to a street corner and waited at the crosswalk. “There’s this guy back home that I’ve had feelings for for a while now.”

Minghao had been wracking his brain with these emotions for years. Obviously, his friends knew about his struggles, but he felt like he should tell Mingyu the whole story too. It didn’t make sense, since he was a total stranger, but he felt that any person Wonwoo could trust, he could too. And it wasn’t like Mingyu was going to fly to Shanghai and tell Junhui. He had nothing to lose, but maybe Mingyu had something to gain. Minghao didn’t know, he just wanted to talk to this person who was so special to his friend.

“His name’s Junhui and we’ve been best friends for a long time. And, I don’t know, I started feeling this way a couple years ago. He’s just someone...I care a great deal about...and I want him to know how much I care, you know?”

No, I don’t know, Mingyu thought, but he didn’t say that. Instead, he just nodded.

“And yeah,” Minghao went on as they crossed the street. “I was talking to Wonwoo about this the other day. I want to be more than friends already, but I don’t want to let him know how I feel. I don’t want to change anything, but at the same time I do. And I have no idea if he feels the same way or what it is…”

His voice trailed off as Mingyu tried to follow along. Oddly enough, Mingyu wasn’t totally grossed out by Minghao talking about his potential relationship. He guessed that since it was coming from someone so foreign to him, that it was different. He was almost interested to hear about this love story.

“What makes him so special?” Mingyu asked, not even thinking about what was coming out of his mouth.

But Minghao was more than happy to answer his question. “Everything. Everything’s special about him. He just makes me feel...better. Like when I’m around him, I just want to take a million pictures of him, as if those pictures will capture how I feel in that moment.”

“Is that what the camera’s for?” Mingyu teasingly asked, pointing to the backpack Minghao was wearing.

Minghao felt behind him and chuckled. “Oh, I wish. No, I’m really into photography, and so is he. I take the camera every time I go somewhere. But yeah, trust me when I say there are a lot of photos of him on my other SD cards.”

Mingyu laughed and let him go on. “He’s just a great person. I mean, he’s sweet. He’s funny. He’s clever. He’s just amazing. I just can’t tell him how I feel.”

“But why?” That was something Mingyu still didn’t understand about this whole dynamic. Why couldn’t he just say how he felt to his best friend?

Letting out some air, Minghao tried to find the right way to say this. “Well, part of it...is that I’m scared to. But I guess there’s a bigger reason.”

Mingyu waited to hear what that was. “I haven’t told him...about...what Wonwoo’s told you about.”

It took a second, but Mingyu knew what he meant. That was a surprise. His jaw fell a little and he didn’t know what to say. But the first thing that came to mind was, Wait, he hasn’t even told the guy he’s in love with he’s a Jumper and Wonwoo freakin told me in like a few days? What the hell?

“Really?!” was all that came out of his mouth.

Minghao nodded, understanding his shock. “Yeah, I haven’t told him.”

“Why not?”

“It’s not that I can’t trust him,” Minghao made clear. “Because I can trust him with my life. But, it’s...the universe.”

Confused, Mingyu furrowed his eyebrows and tried to think of what that could even mean.

“Wonwoo told you how to stop jumping right?” Minghao softly asked.

“Yeah.”

Clearly having thought long and hard about this, Minghao seemed a little wary as he spoke, as if he weren’t sure of this himself. “Well, part of me wants my love for him...to be enough for me to stop...without telling him.”

WOAH.

“Woah,” Mingyu accidentally said aloud. He blushed when he realized how inconsiderate that sounded.

But Minghao just laughed, encouraged by how Mingyu took it. “Yeah, I know. It’s kind of crazy.”

“No, it’s not that…,” Mingyu tried to recover.

But Minghao didn’t mind at all. “No, it’s definitely crazy. I want to love him to the point where the universe thinks I should stick around and tell him.” He laughed at himself this time. “It’s absolutely insane.”

Yeah it is. But for some reason, Mingyu found some of that commendable. “That’s kind of awesome.”

Smiling, Minghao was glad he told Mingyu. “Thanks. It’s hard though, cause I’m not even sure if the universe works that way.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean,” Minghao started, “what if love isn’t enough? What if the universe doesn’t care how much I love him? What if I just never stop?”

Mingyu thought that over and realized how obscure the universe was for Jumpers. They had no idea what would be decided for them. They didn’t even have guidelines. Then, for a split second, Mingyu thought, What if Wonwoo never stops jumping? Immediately, he shook his head and let that go. It wasn’t his concern right now.

“I guess you’re right.”

“It’s just tough,” Minghao admitted. “But that’s why I’m not telling him anything. I want it all to be enough without him having to know.”

That’s like the opposite of Wonwoo’s approach.

“That’s like the opposite of Wonwoo’s approach,” he involuntarily said.

But Minghao thought it was funny. Chuckling, he was so happy to talk more about his struggles. Even if Mingyu had no way to help him at all, it was almost like an outsider’s ears were enough to get him energized again. “Wonwoo’s a different guy than I am.”

Mingyu smiled and took another sip of his drink. Thinking over everything Minghao said, he tried to imagine what else Wonwoo said about him, but he refused to ask. Minghao’s love story was fine to listen to, but he had no interest in learning about his own.

Realizing Mingyu was lost in his own thoughts, Minghao just smiled and walked beside him. “Thanks for listening, Mingyu.”

Mingyu couldn’t count how many times someone said “thank you” to him that day. It was definitely a record. Still, he grinned back at him. “No problem,” he responded. For whatever reason, he thought he should say a little more. “I can’t really speak for the universe, but I’m sure it’ll turn out right one day.”

That was strangely nice for Minghao to hear. “Yeah, maybe one day.”