---

So, things haven't really gone as planned for Junmyeon.

He hasn't gone out everyday like he'd planned, hasn't completed anything related to his early new year's resolutions, and he's gotten sick from staying outside during the cold without warmer clothes on. Now, time's just ticking by and New Year's Eve is only two days away. (Like his other friends, he celebrates a new year twice. First when it's January first, and again around mid-February.)

Lying down under his bed-sheet covers like this just won't do for him though, and so, with a pounding headache and a runny nose, he slowly pushes himself up to grab his phone from his bedside table. In his slightly foggy mind, he figures that if he can't physically go anywhere to hang with his buddies then he'll just bring them to him. It's downright brilliant to him and he wonders why he didn't think of anything like this sooner as he scrolls through his contact list.

Sehun and Zitao are obviously the two he'd invite first but before he dials them, he grabs a tissue to blow his nose and then crumples it--throwing it beside himself and adding to an ever-growing pile of snot-filled tissues. Then, he goes back to his phone and ponders between dialing Sehun's or Zitao's number since where one is, the other usually is too. After a short round of Will I make the shot into the trash with this tissue paper?, he decides to call Zitao.

Zitao picks up after the fourth ring and greets him with the usual raspy-sounding Hi, Junma, and unsurprisingly, Sehun also greets him in the background. They must be together, and by the sound of springs--they're on a bed.

"Hey, you two," Junmyeon says, sniffling at the end.

"What's up?" Sehun asks, sounding closer to the phone.

"Yeah, still sick?" Zitao asks.

"Mhm."

"Jun...you know you gotta bring a jacket...Have I taught you nothing?" Sehun says, and Zitao chuckles.

Junmyeon frowns. "Don't forget I'm still older than you, Sehunnie. Show some respect to your elders."

"But, age is irrelevant, Jun."

"Yeah...just like my foot up your would be irrelevant too."

Zitao starts laughing all high-pitched in the background at that and Sehun laughs a bit too before saying, "I thought Buddhith--Buddthith..." He sighs. "I thought you guys weren't supposed to curse."

Junmyeon scratches his scalp and lets out a sniffle. "Well... also means donkey, so..."

"Unh-unh-unh..." Sehun says and Junmyeon can just imagine him wagging a finger.

"What?"

"That's cherry-picking, Myeonnie."

"Semantics."

"Um, no."

"Um, yes," Junmyeon says, copying his bored tone. Zitao laughs again.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

They both go on like that for a few more seconds before Zitao reminds him that they're wasting his phone's minutes. Junmyeon apologizes and Sehun gets fake-annoyed over that and says that there's nothing to be sorry over while Zitao instantly begs to differ. Then, the two of them start arguing over that and Junmyeon's about to interrupt when all of a sudden, a cough and a sneeze escapes him at the same time and the other two stop arguing to ask what that was.

Junmyeon explains in a more nasally tone about the rare thing that just happened after the stars leave his vision and the two seem to be dramatically awed by that before Zitao brings up a new topic to talk about. Junmyeon pretty much just listens as his throat is feeling incredibly sore from that cough-sneeze.

 A few minutes later, the topic of New Year's Day (according to the Gregorian calendar) comes up and Junmyeon finally asks if they'd wanna come hang out at his home tomorrow. The two of them answer Sure and Junmyeon sets up a random time for them to come over before saying that he's gonna take a nap. His mind feels just so...foggy right now and he's using all of his willpower just to stay awake.

With a Feel better, Junma from Zitao and a What Taozi said from Sehun, they say their Bye's and Junmyeon simply lets out a hum before ending the call and placing his phone down just as his eyes close. Sleep quickly comes as he breathes solely through his mouth.

-------

For Jongin, the new year can't come quick enough.

New year, new me, he chants in his head.

A new year means new adventures, a new age, new people to meet, and different seasons that he could spend with the people he cares about.

Currently, he's at work assisting his boss Victoria with the usual ballet class. (Which really just means that he gets her whatever she wants, watches for mistakes and watches her teach.) A lot of familiar faces are in the current class as well as some new ones, and Jongin's been people-watching as they dance on the beat while his mind drifts to other things or people. Like his friends, his family and his...boyfriend.

He involuntarily smiles and bites his bottom lip to try and stop his lips from spreading too wide as he thinks of Kyungsoo and accidentally locks eyes with a person in the class. He quickly looks away while rubbing behind his left ear and continues people-watching again to look for any things that Victoria might miss with her keen eyes.

Though frankly, it's boring as heck to assist his boss when she teaches so darn well already. He feels like there's no point in him being there actually and wonders a lot of times if she just lets him be there because she pities him.

It thinking like that, but he can't really help it, and as he thinks more self-deprecating and anxiety-inducing thoughts, his expression unknowingly saddens and his energy/aura ends up attracting a few eyes from the class. He's just thinking about how worthless to this class he must be though and ends up bringing an index finger to his lips and pushes it upwards. It then takes Victoria walking over to him and calling out his name a few times for him to get out of his mind and lift his gaze to look at her.

"Hey," she says gently, placing a hand on his shoulder. Even though she looks concerned, all he can think about still is that she must pity him. "Why not take a quick water break, hm?"

Jongin looks from her concerned eyes to the people in the class before letting out an involuntary cough and looking back at her. "I--" He gulps. "--um, okay."

"Three minutes, Jongin," she says and he simply nods. "Not a second more, alright?"

She walks back towards the front of the class after that and Jongin tries to take in a deep breath as he gets up to leave the dance-room. She always says what she means and he never really wanted to see what would happen if he did take longer than necessary for his usual breaks. (And though he has a water bottle right next to his desk, this is basically her way of saying Please get yourself together.)

He heads out of the room in a nervous daze with some of the students watching him (and clumsily bumps into the door-handle on the way out). It then takes some seconds of him just breathing deeply and ruffling his hair a bit for him to rationalize his thoughts and remind himself that he is actually helpful to his boss.

There's a small water fountain attached to the wall between this class and the closest restroom and so he walks over to it and slowly bends down in front of it (as not to hurt his waist) to drink from it after pressing the button at the front. After his throat no longer feels parched, he bends back up and looks through the ballet room's glass-door as Victoria leads the students into a dance that the studio's ballet choreographer came up with.

Taking in another deep breath and putting on a smile, he re-enters the class with a second to spare and Victoria and the others turn to look at him as he goes back to his seat. Victoria smiles a bit and lifts up an index finger to signal that she was actually counting before turning to instruct her class again, and Jongin clasps his hands together while still trying to think of his own good qualities.

-------

Some hours later, around six in the evening, Zitao and Sehun are walking to Junmyeon's home together. (It was Sehun's idea to stop by today and grace him with their presence.) If Zitao's parents let him borrow either of their cars then he and Sehun would've made it here sooner, but they didn't, and so they took the bus like they always do. And the closest bus-stop is three minutes away from Junmyeon's place so they have to walk in