Open letter to Rei and Bei:
Dear Rei and Bei,
I am so sorry I haven't included you in fic centered around your Jinwoo. I have a bad memory. I will correct my mistake in future chapters.
Forgive me,
Vai
~
That being said, this story is approaching its end. I'm thinking of including another small arc alongside the untangling of things, but I'll have to find my way around it first. I hope everyone's enjoyed the story so far <3

It was somewhat of an odd feeling, waking up next to another person.

A person you actually wanted to wake up next to, that is.

Jinwoo couldn’t see Mino the way he was being held. He had his back pressed to Mino’s torso, with the younger’s arm loosely wrapped around his waist.

But Jinwoo wanted to see him.

As soon as he came to, as soon as the sun stopped hurting his eyes, he slowly started to move. Very carefully not to awake Mino, he rolled over to face him.

Once he could see Mino’s sleeping face, Jinwoo smiled. He looked so peaceful. Jinwoo raised his hand and slowly traced his fingertips over Mino’s cheekbones and his lips, before settling on is jaw. Jinwoo leaned in to give him a sleepy kiss on the lips, then another. He kept going, gentle and slow until Mino started to stir. He opened one eye and the look he gave Jinwoo was nothing short of smug.

“Anything you want, dear?”

He only replied with a smile. The next thing he knew his dimple was being poked and it made Jinwoo giggle, slow and hazy as he still wasn’t fully awake.

“Stop,” he whined, attempting to swat Mino’s hand away, but not only did he not move away; he cupped Jinwoo’s cheek and kissed his nose, then his cheek and both of his dimples.

Mino then wordlessly embraced him, that way Jinwoo liked most, when he was completely tucked away and hidden in his boyfriend’s arms.

This way, Jinwoo fell asleep again.

When he woke up the next time, the sky didn’t seem as white and as painful to look at. The rays were much softer, playing with the curtain that was swaying in the breeze.

Jinwoo stretched, letting out a high pitched squeal-like noise as he did. Then he sat up and looked around, disoriented, realizing quickly that he was alone in the bed. However, there was music coming from outside the bedroom.

Jinwoo slid out of bed and approached the mirror in his room to check if he looked like too much of a disaster. Taking a squinty look at his reflection he found that he didn’t look disastrous at all; he was only hoping that Mino would also think that his amount of messy hair and sleepy eyes was cute.

Before heading to the kitchen Jinwoo went into the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face so that he didn’t look that dead.

He then padded into the kitchen where he was met with an adorable sight of a dancing Mino making coffee. There were pastries from the nearby bakery on the small dining table.

Mino didn’t notice Jinwoo at first and the elder took advantage of it. He took this opportunity to watch Mino when he was most carefree, singing along to a song playing from his phone. He was doing an improvised and restrained dance, since he was holding two coffees that he was trying not to spill, but it still looked relaxed and above all, he seemed to be having fun.

But at some point he had to turn around. Mino got so startled, he nearly dropped both their coffees.

“Woah! Hey there sneaky boy,” he greeted, placing the two mugs safely on the table at last.

He then stood there, with his hands on his bare hips, pouting. “You saw that,” he stated.

Jinwoo covered his amused little smile. “Yeah… You’re cute.”

Shaking his head, Mino took the few steps separating them and embraced Jinwoo. “Yeah? Well, you’re cuter.”

“Shut up,” Jinwoo immediately counter-offered, but he had to admit, he was quite weak for Mino’s kisses, kisses he was currently pressing down Jinwoo’s neck.

Mino pulled away soon though, took Jinwoo’s hands and pressed kisses to his knuckles.

“Let’s eat,” he mumbled. “I can’t cook, like you, but I have money which is just as good.”

Jinwoo chuckled quietly and moved towards one of the chairs, but… seeing Mino sit down, he decided to be a smartass and invite himself right into the younger’s lap.

Not that Jinwoo was expecting it, but thankfully, Mino didn’t complain. In fact he wrapped his arm around Jinwoo’s waist, giving his side gentle caresses every now and again. This way he only had one hand to eat with, but still, Mino didn’t mind one bit.

After breakfast there was a lazy morning spent mostly on the couch, with Jinwoo lying flat on top of Mino and with some teen flick playing aimlessly on the TV.

Jinwoo was tracing his fingertips over the letters on Mino’s skin, the blue rose on his shoulder. Now Jinwoo could finally do so with no restraint, and he made sure to make the best of it.

Although, he did question Mino about whether he was cold, but he only responded with squish-hugging Jinwoo close to him and saying, “How can I be cold when I have you to keep me warm?” to which Jinwoo would have to start whining loudly for Mino to let go.

He was also relieved to see that in the light of day Mino actually looked healthy, even though slim. Still, that didn’t mean Jinwoo wouldn’t take care of him. It only meant that he didn’t need to worry.

Jinwoo had his head rested on Mino’s chest when he unfortunately remembered that real life out of their embrace existed, and was made to let out a heavy sigh.

“What is it?” Mino asked, bringing his hand up to Jinwoo’s hair.

“Seunghoon,” Jinwoo muttered. “I still need to talk to him. And… I think I actually know what to tell him now.”

“Well, that’s good,” Mino said. “Don’t stress too much about it. Say your thing and hear him out. Make sure to listen to his point of view too. You’ll see if things can be mended, if not, at least you’ll have cleared it up. It will be okay either way, like I told you.”

Jinwoo nodded slowly. “Yeah...” He closed his eyes and nuzzled Mino. “I’m sorry. I’m trying to stay in the moment, but I can’t get it off my mind.”

“It’s okay,” Mino assured. “It’s been an awfully long moment. I guess it gets hard to stay focused.”

As it turned out Mino was in no hurry to leave just as Jinwoo was in no hurry to see him off. That is how Jinwoo ended up in his lap, phone in hand, relying his whole sanity on Mino’s touch.

Jinwoo had his and Seunghoon’s empty chat open, and he kept typing up and deleting possible ways to start the conversation.

“Just say you need to talk in person,” Mino advised. “Figure out the rest later.”

“Easy for you to say,” Jinwoo muttered, deleting yet another message. “I doubt you’ve ever fought with your best friend to the point where you didn’t speak for years.” Jinwoo sighed and rubbed his eyes.

“We haven’t, that’s true,” Mino confirmed. “But we still fight, it’s just... more physical.”

Jinwoo turned a bit to give Mino a concerned look. “Do I even want to know?”

The younger grinned. “Sometimes both Pyo and I want the last donut and there’s only one way to solve that.”

“I assume it isn’t diplomacy.”

“No, it is not.”

Jinwoo smiled, but soon turned back to his phone and the chat that was still empty. Mino always advised to be straightforward. Maybe it really was the best way to go this time.

[xxjjjwww] Hey, it’s Jinwoo

[xxjjjwww] We should talk, in person

Jinwoo’s heart rate started to increase while he was typing the messages, and when they were both sent, he felt his heartbeat echo around his skull.

Mino took the phone away from him and put it on the coffee table, then lay back down on the couch with Jinwoo in his arms. It seemed that Mino was planning on distracting Jinwoo from the dreadful wait of an answer.

The distraction came in the form of many kisses, which Jinwoo didn’t mind at all. He was once again lying on top of Mino, eyes closed and letting the younger surprise him every time. Will it be a kiss on the cheek? On the nose? On the lips? He never knew.

When his phone buzzed, Jinwoo jumped up in such a way that he nearly kneed Mino in the crotch; thankfully he moved out of the way on time, which didn’t stop him from crying out as if he was actually hurt.

Jinwoo only spared him a glance before gluing his eyes to the screen.

After this Mino dropped his act and instead pouted sadly. “I see how it is..”

Jinwoo ignored the sulking – for now.

[maetamong] i guess so

Jinwoo took a moment to let himself breathe with relief. He couldn’t guess why Seunghoon had agreed so promptly, and he figure it was useless to ponder. He should just be grateful that things were moving.

[xxjjjwww] Is today too soon?

Jinwoo chewed on his bottom lip, still looking at the screen. He heard Mino moving, and soon felt his arms around his waist – he seemed to have stopped sulking.

Mino slightly tugged Jinwoo towards himself, perhaps offering some more distracting from the wait, when Seunghoon’s username popped up to signify that he’d read the message. Then the three bubbles appeared and Jinwoo stared at them, and Mino stopped trying to get Jinwoo to drop the phone, instead patiently resting his chin on the elder’s shoulder.

[maetamong] 6pm? at Yoon’s cafe

[xxjjjwww] Works for me

Seunghoon seened this message.

Finally wearing a shirt once again – but also his boots and jacket and with his backpack on one shoulder – Mino stood in the hallway, somewhat reluctant to let go of Jinwoo’s hands.

“You sure you’ll be okay?”

Jinwoo nodded, gently nudging Mino’s cheek with his nose. “I’m sure. You’ve helped me a lot today, but I can and honestly, I think that I have to do this one alone.”

Mino nodded once. “You’re right, I suppose. I’m always here though.”

“I know,” Jinwoo said, lips curling into a kittenish smile. Then he tiptoed for Mino to kiss him goodbye, and he saw his boyfriend off.

* * *

Sitting at the cafe, Jinwoo kept checking his phone for the time. He’d arrived early, which was unlike him, and was now at the edge of his nerves. Despite knowing full well that he was early and that he should give Seunghoon some time, Jinwoo couldn’t help being anxious, feeling like Seunghoon wouldn’t show up.

However, very soon it turned out that Seunghoon wasn’t bailing and Jinwoo genuinely wasn’t sure if that was better or worse.

Hands in his pockets, the younger pulled up a chair for himself by hooking a foot to the chair leg. He dropped himself onto it, and for quite a while didn’t even look at Jinwoo.

Jinwoo cupped his hands around his cup of tea, tapping his foot anxiously. “Hi,” he greeted in the end.

He hadn’t once looked away from Seunghoon, who was still looking away. That was, until he heard the greeting and felt compelled to respond with a “hi” of his own.

“How – how’ve you been?” Jinwoo then said, only to avoid more silence that made his insides twist.

To this poor attempt at small talk, Seunghoon reacted surprisingly mildly – he smiled.

“Good, good...” He sat up a bit and placed his palms flat on the table. “You said we should talk. Let’s not beat around the bush.”

Jinwoo cleared his throat and nodded. “Yeah, I guess we shouldn’t.”

As he had been the one to call upon the talk, he was expected to speak first. That didn’t mean that he was prepared for it though, and he still took some time to find a way to begin.

“I want to hear your side of the story,” he said at last. “I’ve replayed the memories in my mind so many times and I’m always left with many blank spots and things that simply don’t make sense. So... I thought we should clear things up.”

Listening to this, Seunghoon’s brows furrowed in dissatisfaction. Perhaps he was expecting an apology right off the bat, and while Jinwoo had been planning something similar, in the last moment he’d realized that he didn’t want to give shallow apologies before he fully understood the situation and Seunghoon’s feelings.

The younger shifted, sat back in his chair and once again hid his hands in his pockets. For a moment he seemed angry, like he didn’t want this discussion to be taking place. Like he wanted to take what’s his and leave.

However after more silence – during which Jinwoo wanted so badly to sip his tea but he felt it would be rude to do so – Seunghoon’s shoulders relaxed, a startlingly noticeable change in his posture, and he sighed.

“Sure,” he said. Seunghoon had realized that this approach might be good after all; he was ready to give his version of the story in an explosive reveal and finally get his apology once he made Jinwoo realize that he’d been wrong.

But just as he was beginning to speak, he was met with the kind of insecurity that he could recognize in Jinwoo – missing points, incomplete memories and unreliable recollections. What if he too was wrong?

“I just know that everything changed after you started dating that guy,” Seunghoon said with a shake of his head. “I felt like I was losing you, you never wanted to see me anymore, we hardly even talked.

“But I thought that I was just jealous and for the most part I didn’t do anything about it because I didn’t want to ruin your happiness.

“Except that you weren’t happy, and it showed. That’s when I changed my approach and started to speak up, even if it wasn’t my place, but I guess you weren’t ready to hear that. And you pushed me away harder than before.” Seunghoon shrugged.

Jinwoo had placed his tea down and had the heel of his palm pressed to his forehead. Envisioning everything over again from this perspective, he saw where his mistake had been, one that was more or less responsible for every other that eventually led to him being completely isolated for quite a few years.

“I guess you don’t remember it that way,” Seunghoon prompted, beginning to feel uncomfortable in the silence.

Jinwoo’s gaze snapped up and he smiled bitterly. “I didn’t. But it makes sense now. I... I remember you standing in the way of my relationship. You, my other friends, uni, my interests, anything really. I didn’t realize that it was the other way around.”

Seunghoon didn’t know what to say to this. Pressing his lips together he looked away, feeling some of his anger that he’d kept for years dissolve. He’d been so disappointed and devastated with the loss of his friend that he didn’t stop to think about what it was that led to them parting ways; the relationship that everyone but Jinwoo saw was no good for him.

“But how did it end?” Jinwoo asked, and Seunghoon thought he heard his voice crack.

“Oh yeah,” he muttered with a frown. Undoubtedly they were both thinking of the last time they... spoke.

That one event that stuck around with Jinwoo, making him believe that Seunghoon hated him.

“I just know you were mad at me,” Jinwoo said. “I don’t even remember what happened.”

“Right,” Seunghoon muttered, sitting up a bit. “Well, I wasn’t mad, I was... hurt. And worried. And I kind of snapped and... I didn’t exactly convey my emotions the way I’d wanted. It was after the dude outed you. I thought, after that, there’s no way you’d stay with him. But you did and I—wanted to give you a piece of my mind I guess.”

He froze up as if only now understanding his words. Seunghoon shook his head. “That was a mistake. I should have talked to you. I’m sorry.”

Jinwoo didn’t expect this. He’d come there to give an apology, not to receive one. Subconsciously, as he often did when he got the heavy and tight feeling around his heart, he started rubbing at his chest, as if that would help.

“It’s okay,” he said, his voice nearly gone at that point. “You were right, I should have listened to you. I could have avoided all of this, but I was stupid. I just wanted someone to love me.”

Of course, in retrospect Jinwoo knew that even back then he was loved, he just didn’t recognize it; his insecurities prevented him from seeing love from his friends. Perhaps if back then he’d known someone like Mino and Pyo, or Hyoseob and Seunghyun, he would have been able to understand that one doesn’t need a romantic relationship to be loved or fulfilled.

Even after his horrible relationships, it was a lesson that took him years to learn.

“You can’t really blame yourself either,” Seunghoon said. “That’s messy stuff and you got caught up with it in a bad moment in your life.”

“I guess so,” Jinwoo said.

For a little while neither of them spoke. They both seemed to get lost in the dimmed chatter of the people around them and the sounds of coffee brewing.

Then Jinwoo heard the creaking of a chair and Seunghoon was no longer in his seat opposite of him. He took that one step around the small table and threw his arms around Jinwoo, pulling him into a bone crushing hug.

Breathless, Jinwoo wrapped his arms around his old friend in an embrace he’d thought he would never return to.