short note: the whole story is relayed in Jinyoung's pov. italicized texts are flashbacks.

ஐ〰ฺ･:*:･✿ฺ ஐ〰･:*:･･:*:･✿ฺ ஐ〰･:*:･･:*:･✿ฺ ஐ〰･:*:･

"Is it on already?"

They heard Jaebeom ask while they all gather around a small couch which was somehow able to accomodate seven adult sized humans. Jinyoung scoots a bit more and almost making himself one with the wall adjacent to the side of his part of the couch, to make space for Yugyeom who was the last one to change into his comfy clothes, thus also the last one to join the rest of them. They've just finished filming their backstage interview for their acceptance of the Best Album award in the 35th Golden Disc Awards. They're all inside their assigned waiting room, only their managers with them, when they decided to open vlive and meet with their ahgases.

"Not yet. I'm just waiting for you guys. Should I turn it on now?" Bambam, who has been officially sort of in charge for the camera turns to them to see if they're all ready. The Thai then angles the phone again to make sure that all seven of them fits inside the frame.

"Alright-"

"Noo, wait!" Jackson suddenly says, interrupting Jaebeom. "Let me get my cap first." Then the Chinese stands up to get his cap. He was back in the couch in a couple of seconds and when he sat, their eyes met. Jackson then adjusts his cap, tucking his hair in it. But Jinyoung knows it's not his hair he's trying to hide... it's something else.

Heaving a sigh, Jaebeom scans them all again, his narrow eyes checking each one of them before asking, "Ready?" and Jinyoung asked himself why it felt different hearing that now. Nevertheless, when the leader's eyes crossed his, he smiled that kind of smile he could muster, accompanying it with a small nod.

"Okay, Bam-"

"Wait!" Jaebeom was yet again interrupted, this time by the maknae. They all turned to Yugyeom who is sitting just beside him. "Can we do 'jjai' first before we start?"

They exchanged glances, before Mark held his hand out in the center first. The rest did follow, Jaebeom being the last one to put his hand on top of theirs. "G-O-T seven jjai!" Jinyoung might have seen a slight glisten in the leader's eyes and how the older said it might not be as powerful as before but... Jinyoung didn't say anything. Bambam turns on the vlive and in a few seconds, many ahgases joined them, flooding the comments.

Throughout the live, Jinyoung sits back and watched s create the usual chaos: Jackson bickering with both Yugyeom and Bambam; Jaebeom arguing with those ahgases who threw hate on mint choco; and Mark making Bambam rap but dismisses him right when the younger was about to get on with his 'famous' Thai rap. Youngjae was the one reading comments and Jinyoung peeks on the phone every once in a while, enough to see certain comments which the younger purposely avoided reading to not kill the mood. 

Towards the end of their vlive, each of the members said their messages. 

"Got7 forever." Yugyeom says. "Igot7 forever."  and Youngjae supplies.

"There's nothing to worry about, our ahgases. Trust us." says Jackson and Jaebeom continues with, "We're not going anywhere. Don't worry."

Mark then said, "This is not an ending. This is a new beginning." The older's eyes casted on him as he added, "The seven of us... we are all in it for the long ride."

Jinyoung was still staring at the brunet when Bambam called on him. "Hyung? What do you want to say to ahgases?" The younger was waiting, as well as the others. Pursing his lips to form a somewhat you can call a smile, Jinyoung stares at the phone's camera. "Thank you, our ahgases. I love you."

That message of his earned some teasing noises from Yugyeom and even Jackson but Jinyoung didn't answer to any of it. It was Bambam's turn to say something to their fans. It was very rare for the Thai to say something in a serious note. And this is one of those rare times. "See you later, our ahgases. Seven or never."

Jinyoung didn't think about it when he heard Bambam say that then. Later... how soon is that? If only he knew how things will turn from that point, maybe he would've asked.

"Jinyoung oppa!" A group of fans greets him as he passed them by. Each of them gave him a letter, two of them handed him flowers. When he took these, the girls were all smiling, bowing at him. "Welcome back! We missed you, oppa!"

Jinyoung nods again and says thanks, before turning to a different group. He just got discharged from his military service training and his fans were there to welcome him back. Well, some of his fans were there. There were around fifteen fans waiting for him outside the camp. It's less compared to how many fans were there to send him off two years ago. Well, it's not as if he is used to having a huge crowd welcoming him , after all whenever they leave the country, not much of a big crowd sends them off too. 

Jinyoung felt a hand in the small of his back, and he looked back to see his manager guiding him towards the car which was waiting on the side of the road. Jinyoung gives his fans one last wave and bow before turning again to his manager. He follows him until they got inside.

Buckling his seatbelt, Jinyoung stared at his reflection in the rearview mirror. "I thought I looked terrible. Since when did I have my hair this short?"

"More than ten years ago?" His manager answered, getting his bag from him as well as his fans' gifts and putting them all in the back. "But your hair when you guys debuted was way worse. Your hair looks a bit better compared to it, don't worry."

Jinyoung chose to smile at this. "Thanks, hyung." He stared for a bit longer. "And I am glad that you're still my manager." The forty year old manager smiled at him and Jinyoung really meant what he said. He is glad to have at least one thing constant in his life after everything that had happened.

After a short lunch, him and his manager went on their way to JN Entertainment. Woon Joon-hyung, the company's CEO asked for him and they're set to meet for a short talk. Jinyoung anticipated what their talk is going to be about and as soon as he entered the CEO's office, Jinyoung only confirmed his guess.

"I am not sure." Jinyoung says when he was asked about his plans. "If I'd be honest... I actually don't have any, as of now."

As expected, that kind of response is not really what Woon Joon-hyung was meaning to hear from him, Jinyoung knows. He could see it in the way the older pursed his lips, just staring at him. He appreciates how the CEO seemed to have held his tongue, probably saving his words for the time when his patience of him had really ran out. Jinyoung isn't sure. Although he wants to say something, he just had to be honest. After serving for two years in the military, Jinyoung had done nothing near to thinking about his next steps once he got discharged. He hadn't really thought of it... and maybe if he'll be more honest, he'd admit to not even trying to think about it. 

The CEO then asked him if he wants to keep on acting, Jinyoung answers with, It's not like I have other things to do, right? And to this, he was asked whether the company should line him up for acting projects, look into scripts and same sorts. 

And maybe because Jinyoung is still not in his right mind to go and decide on anything, he just tells them that he'll talk about it with his manager and will let them know then.

The m