what actually happened (two years back)

he didn't mean to leave, it just happened. the contract ended, he didn't sign it. he thought bin, of all people, would understand. but the blossoming bruise on the right side of his face was an indication that moon bin was anything but approving of this. chanwoo almost wants to punch him back. 

"you can't just - just - just leave!" his hands form into knuckles as he balls up the collars of chanwoo's polo shirt. the look in bin's eyes said it all: betrayal, anger, sadness, grief.

he snickered. it surprised them both. he shoves bin away and glares at him. "i can. it's my choice, you -"

"why are you doing this?" his anger transitioned into disbelief. his screams boiled down to pleas. chanwoo can hear the words lying beneath what he's saying: why are you leaving me? "did - did i do something wrong? did i -"

"no! god!" chanwoo pushes him against the wall and bin groans, rubbing the back of his head. chanwoo narrows his eyes at him. "i mean, listen to yourself! are you deaf to your own words? you always have to make everything about you! it's always 'i', always 'me', always you!" he points an accusing finger to his best friend's face. 

chanwoo pokes at bin's chest. hard. "you think everything's about you these days? just because your fantagio's iteen king, doesn't mean you can ing order everyone around! you know what, i'm done with you. i don't have to explain myself any longer. besides," he spits. blood. "everything always has to be about you, if you won't even listen to me, who will you listen to?"

he didn't believe hearts could really break, until chanwoo walked away from him. when he did, bin's eyes grew wider. he tried to change. change himself. in hopes of winning chanwoo's friendship back. 

but he already lost him that night.

ten o'clock whispers

"i'm glad you're okay." he says, pulling a chair out. eunbi sits on it instead. "i was scared."

bin tries for a smile, the side of his face still aching from the incident. but he tries. for chanwoo and eunbi. "yeah... i - uhh, thanks."

he thought he lost him, but really, chanwoo's been there all along. 

what chanwoo says to bin before he leaves

"i'll always be here." 

what actually happened (a year and a half back)

eunbi sees his face on television screens, it's almost crazy. it's also sad. being in a survival show isn't so good for one's mental health, especially chanwoo who snaps at the slightest of things at times. but when she watches the show, every night with little to no commercial breaks, eunbi sees he's changed. 

when they cross paths in hongdae one day, he really did change.

chanwoo passes by her, not a smile or even a side glance. in a busy street, with tons of people, with the store owners shouting at every direction: eunbi had the wind knocked out of her. how dare he. 

he saw her; she knew he did. 

eunbi burns a picture; it's him, it's her, they're in mid-laugh, holding hands. "you'll always be my eunbi," "yeah, and you'll always be annoying." laughter. his mom takes the picture. bin ends up whining because he wasn't in it.

she watches the flames engulf the picture. she almost regrets it.

too late.

"jung chanwoo, you're a special kind of evil." 

waiting for taxi cabs with hands warming each other's

"i'm sorry." 

"give me time to forgive you."

chanwoo turns to her, frowning. he squeezes her hand. doesn't care about cameras or eyes. he's changed again.

"you were a special kind of evil."

"i'm sorry." he tries again, harder, more sincere.

it's a nice change, she thinks.  

overnights in shanghai

they just got back from a high, them on stage, hanbin smiling at donghyuk, jiwon hooking an arm around his neck. everything was great. everything seemed in place. jinhwan fell asleep beside chanwoo and drooled on his shirt.

"you guys could've been the golden trio or something."

junhoe sighs, turning off the lights. he goes on and on how it's a shame chanwoo had to be such a drama king, then none of it would've happened. 

"i wasn't being a drama king," he protests, locking his phone and placing it on the nightstand. he was checking the weather in korea tomorrow; he told bin and eunbi to bundle up. "i was just... angry."

"why?"

bin thought he was king of the world and i was merely nothing. eunbi didn't even care about us. eunbi went her own way. living in bin's shadow was something i got tired of. he didn't even realize. eunbi didn't too. but i did. i realized. 

"just because," he shrugs. 

"you acted like you guys weren't friends -"

"but we are now," chanwoo says, wanting to dismiss this already. he thought he cleared everything up. "we're back. the three of us. golden trio we are."

junhoe snorts but says nothing more. 

to old friends with young faces 

"hey," 

chanwoo halts. he frowns and looks back at her retreating figure, telling her to stop. she does. she even looks back at him, a small smile on her face. "okay, so you're done being mad at me?"

she nods. "yes," the smile on her face is familiar. 

"weirdo," he shakes his head, waving his hand. "hi."

"hi," sua waves. "bye," 

and if forever existed, i'm glad to be spending mine with you

they have a chat room, just the three of them. chanwoo sends a picture, from back in the good old days, moon bin teases how chanwoo didn't even know how to play the trumpet and eunbi reminds him he was a loser at the guitar. only eunbi knew how to play an instrument.

chanwoo tells her she should play for them next time. she thinks that's a great idea. bin bids them good night, he had an event tomorrow. eunbi follows a few minutes later.

when chanwoo locks his phone, the smile on his face is something else. something more than just sincere, more than just happy. he's at peace. when he closes his eyes, he sees him, he sees eunbi, he sees bin. the three of them, together, again.

an iron bond that rusts but never breaks. 

he smiles wider. 

a/n: omfg. it's done. it's just a short story and i kinda rushed it so. please do comment! i hope they'll have interactions soon, like the three of them as a whole. that would be awesome. well, till next time.