Ren had to scold Minhyun into getting up and getting dressed for Daniel’s final send-off that night. Afraid of confronting his now ex-boyfriend for the first time since the break-up, Minhyun was reluctant to go, and it took a while for him to gather the strength.

Baekho had wanted to go too, but the company decided to quarantine him in the dorm until the scandal died down. Minhyun kind of hoped that Seongwoo would be in the same situation. But, unfortunately for him, that was not the case. Seongwoo did come, and Minhyun couldn’t even lift his head and look him in the eye.

Seongwoo also ignored Minhyun’s presence to the best of his abilities, doing everything he could to distract himself from the tall, beautiful ex-boyfriend that just broke his heart. Most of the time that entailed talking to Woojin and Daehwi and playing games on his phone.

Eventually, Seongwoo got a call from Dongho, which he felt happy to answer because it was another distraction from the stupid big head that still made his broken heart swell.

“Did you talk to Daniel?” Dongho asked him.

“I can’t. Everyone’s here.”

“Then get him alone.”

“It’s not the right time…”

“Sorry to break it to you, but this is the only time.”

And Dongho was right about that. Seongwoo sighed as he peered at Daniel’s pile of luggage; Daniel really was leaving for good, and now that there were unresolved questions between them, they needed to be addressed immediately or they will remain unresolved for a very long time.

When Seongwoo requested that they talk alone, Daniel’s eyes widened and his hands nervously fumbled around the straps of his duffle bag. Daniel definitely knew what they were going to talk about.

Telling everyone that they were going to buy coffee and discuss private matters, they finally managed to steer clear of everyone and talk in private in a far, empty corner of the airport.

“I heard what you told Dongho over the phone,” Seongwoo began the conversation. “But I just want to hear it from you directly, just to make sure I heard right...”

“Fine,” Daniel shrugged. “I’m in love with you. Been in love with you for a long time.”

Seongwoo just smiled when he heard it.

“What’s so funny?”

“My life is funny,” Seongwoo answered cynically. “I’ve been waiting to hear those words for a very long time, and I’m finally hearing them, but not from the person I expected.”

Daniel just narrowed his eyes.

“Never mind,” Seongwoo said, shaking his head. “I wish I had known about this earlier. Maybe I would have been smart enough to leave Minhyun and go to you if I had known…”

“Leave Minhyun? What are you saying?” Daniel asked, and Seongwoo remembered that they still hadn’t broken the news to the other Wanna One members about their separation.

“Me and Minhyun broke up this morning,” Seongwoo clarified, trying to keep a smile to conceal how hurt he still felt.

“What??? Why?”

“Long story. And not important. What’s important is that my heart is now in a bad place, and it’s not ready to open up just yet. But it might be in the future…”

Daniel was still processing that the ever-so-happy couple was broken up, and now that Seongwoo was bringing up the prospect of him “opening up his heart,” Daniel was staggered. He stared blankly at Seongwoo, not sure where exactly this conversation was taking them.

“I wish you weren’t leaving,” Seongwoo added regretfully. “I wish I fell for your dumb instead of Minhyun’s…” he trailed off.

“Well, I am leaving,” Daniel managed to say. “And you don’t have the same feelings for me. It’s clear where we stand now, Ong. I don’t think you can make any promises about us in the future.”

Daniel was right, and Seongwoo knew it. “It feels so wrong to say goodbye on this note though,” he muttered.

“I confessed to you literally an hour before I move away; I didn’t expect anything. I’m just glad you finally know. And that you don’t hate me for it.”

Seongwoo sighed. “I care about you deeply, Daniel. And I’m sorry that I can’t do anymore for you. But I will tell say this: if you ever decide to move back and both of us are single, maybe we can give it a shot…”

-

Baekho got the full overview of what happened during the conversation from both sides. Daniel sent him a long detailed text message, and Seongwoo called him. But to be honest, Baekho wasn’t really happy with the outcome.

“So that’s it? You guys just separated with a ‘possibility’ of getting together in the future? Come on dude, you could have done better than that!” Baekho groaned in disapproval.

“What else was I supposed to do? The guy is moving away!” Seongwoo defended himself.

“I don’t know,” Baekho shrugged. “At least seal it with a kiss or something!”

Seongwoo laughed, “next you’ll tell me to follow him on the plane and beg him not to leave.”

“That would have been cool too!”

“You watch too many dramas,” Seongwoo commented and laughed. “Anyways, I just broke up with someone else. I’m not quite ready for grand romantic gestures towards a different guy. I’m still recovering from the first guy.”

“Fair enough. Oh well, I guess the timing was bad for both you and Daniel. It’s unfortunate though; I think you two are compatible.”

“I think both of us are happy with how it turned out, actually. There’s a hope for the future, and it’s kind of exciting. Like the beginning of another story...”

“Speaking of story,” Baekho transitioned, “online forums are bursting with new ongbaek fanfiction. Apparently, fangirls are really into imagining two men in a hotel room doing things? CEO just told me my brand ranking exploded. And masses of people just joined the NU’EST fancafe too with usernames like ‘ongbaek4ever.’”

“You’re welcome,” Seongwoo joked. “I guess me and you will be a thing from now on. Watch, TV stations are now going to cast us on reality shows together to boost ratings!”

Baekho laughed, but he could totally imagine that it would happen. And in a strange way, he looked forward to it.

-

JR had been listening into the conversation between Baekho and Seongwoo. He was actually very confused. Why was Baekho talking to someone he had hated just yesterday, someone that pulled him into a scandal, someone who had just broke Minhyun’s heart?

And what was worse was that Baekho was talking about Seongwoo getting together with Daniel or something. How could Baekho even tolerate something like that? For JR, it just felt like Seongwoo broke up with Minhyun and was already pursuing other interests, and Baekho was encouraging him? As if Minhyun wasn’t having a very difficult time right now…

When Baekho finally finished his conversation and hung up, JR decided to confront him. “What were you doing, Baekho?” JR asked him, trying to convey disapproval.

“Talking to Seongwoo,” Baekho answered truthfully. “Surprised?”

“Yes, I am actually.”

“Well, me and him are good now so...”

“Did you know that he broke up with Minhyun?”

“Of course I did,” Baekho answered, but JR expected more of an explanation than that.

“So why are you talking to him?” JR pressed. “He hurt Minhyun…”

Baekho laughed at that and shook his head. The leader was naïve and clueless as always. Baekho felt it was time to set him straight once and for all. Maybe he was intruding and getting involved in something that Minhyun and JR have to sort for themselves, but at this point, he was over it. This issue had dragged on for far too long.

“Trust me, Jonghyun. The person who did the hurting was more Minhyun than Seongwoo.”

“What are you saying? Seongwoo was the one who broke up…”

“Yes, but only because Minhyun was planning to dump him first!”

“What?” JR narrowed his eyes. Minhyun had not told him that part of the story...

“You really don’t know anything, do you? Let me tell you then: when you sent that message yesterday about spending the night with your girlfriend, it bothered Minhyun so much, and he went after you. He’s still crazy about you, and I guess he finally realized that yesterday.”

JR froze. He didn’t know any of this, and suddenly he felt stupid. It had completely slipped his mind to inquire or even think about why Minhyun was outside the dorm last night…

“I was always on you and Minhyun’s side,” Baekho continued. “I knew you two were right for each other since the start, and I let that affect what I thought of Seongwoo. I hated him for coming between you; but yesterday I realized that he also suffered because of this, and I felt bad for him. He really did care about and love Minhyun, but Minhyun never moved on from you.”

JR stayed quiet as he processed this, but Baekho wasn’t quite done lecturing him.

“I’m telling you this because you have a girlfriend right now, and you’re getting serious with her. But if she’s going to end up like Seongwoo, investing a futile relationship with a guy who loves someone else, then it’s your responsibility to end things sooner rather than later. I know you’re the last person who would ever want to hurt someone, especially someone like Jooeun, but be honest with yourself and think about whether you’re being fair to her right now. Because let me tell you: Minhyun was definitely not fair to Seongwoo at all.”

Baekho had said everything he wanted at this point, and JR seemed to be taking the information with a heavy heart. Baekho didn’t like to make the leader feel guilty, but for once, he felt like JR was indeed at fault. Both JR and Minhyun were at fault for all the miscommunication and arguments and distance and the angst that came with their separation.

Baekho just wanted it all to end already.

-

Breaking up with Jooeun had to be the hardest thing that JR had ever done.

Baekho had convinced him that it was the right thing to do. As much as he liked and was attracted to Jooeun, he knew he wasn’t being fair to her, and he didn’t want to tie her down anymore. She deserved someone who was on the same wavelength as her emotionally and ually, and he was simply not that person.

She took the breakup with grace, but it was clear that she would have preferred if things had turned out differently. She wished him luck with Hwang Minhyun and hoped that the two work everything out soon.

He didn’t tell any of s that he broke up with her, and he didn’t plan to. Knowing them, they would push him to get back together with Minhyun immediately, and he didn’t want to rush anything. He didn’t want to put that kind of pressure on Minhyun who had just got out of a long and happy relationship with someone else.

JR wanted Minhyun to take the time to recover from the break-up. He wanted to give Minhyun the space to reflect on it without the other members forcing him into something that was not even meant to be restored.

However, it would be a lie to say that JR had not imagined and longed to have Minhyun back. There was finally an opening, a chance for them embrace something that had been long lost between them. After years of angst and pain, he was eager for the moment they would naturally come together again.

But not yet. For now, he let the memories of another relationship sit and loiter in Minhyun’s heart. When the time was right, JR was determined to give his relationship with Minhyun another chance.