Seungcheol gazed at the rolling waves, the salty sea air ruffling his hair. He was sitting by the shores, all alone and brooding. The day had passed in a blur for him; the next thing he knew they were already eating dinner, grilling meat and drinking beer. He seriously hadn’t expected for the time to fly so fast. They would be leaving Busan in the morning and would be facing again their realities. Somehow it felt like he was slowly awakening from a dream; good or bad – he honestly didn’t know.

A sigh then escaped his lips. His emotions had somehow settled but his heart and mind were still muddled. He laid down on the sand and looked up at the stars, his arms tucking behind his head as a pillow. His gaze immediately landed on Draco, his favorite constellation and ironically Hoshi’s home. A woeful smile stretched across his face. “Somehow looking at you is making me even more anxious tonight,” he chuckled drily.

“I just got here and you’re already insulting me?” a voice suddenly said.

He jumped and sat straight, head immediately turning to the voice’s owner. He was honestly surprised to see Jihoon. The blond was looking at him amusedly.

Feeling caught, Seungcheol scratched his nape and smiled bashfully at the blond. “You’re here,” he weakly stated. Jihoon just nodded and proceeded to sit beside him. The blond then bumped his shoulder. “What’re you doing here by yourself?” he asked. “Everyone’s inside playing some sort of game,” he added, making a face. Seungcheol raised a curious brow, his interest piqued. “Judging from your face, it’s probably something the gag trio has come up with,” he amusedly stated whilst pinching the blond’s cheek. Jihoon swatted his hand away. “Shut up,” he scowled. Seungcheol merrily laughed, shaking his head in delight. “Ah~ those three really,” he commented. The blond just rolled his eyes and huffed.

“So what’s up with you?” Jihoon asked again, looking imploringly at him. “Something’s bothering you,” he added thoughtfully. Seungcheol stared back at the blond, his thoughts instantly going back to his earlier conversation with Jun. It was kinda ironic the two of them said the same thing. The tips of his lips curled slightly. “Am I that transparent?” he commented, chuckling wryly.

He looked away from Jihoon, lips set in a straight line. He knew he could talk to the blond about it but somehow saying it was harder than he thought. A heavy sigh escaped from him. Seungcheol was torn on what to do – should he tell Jihoon or not? He sifted his fingers through his hair, thinking pensively.

“It’s about Hoshi, isn’t it?” Jihoon suddenly said, catching his attention. Seungcheol dropped his hand and glanced at the blond, frowning. “How did you know?” he asked, brows furrowing together. His response earned a smirk from the other. His eyes widened. Realizing he had slipped, he immediately shook his head. “N-no,” he stuttered, trying to backtrack his words. “It’s not about him,” he tried to tell Jihoon. “It’s really not about H-Hoshi at all.”

Jihoon merely raised a brow. “You’re stuttering, Choi Seungcheol,” he stated. “Denying it would only make it worse,” he taunted. Knowing he was already caught, Seungcheol sighed, releasing the tension in his shoulders. He rubbed his face, exhaustion suddenly overwhelming him. His gaze met with Jihoon’s reluctantly. “It’s just…” He paused, biting his lip. “I just don’t know what to do,” he told him. “I’m so confused on whether I’m doing the right thing or not. It’s seriously eating me up inside,” he explained, his expression anxious and filled with worry.

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