The weather seemed to match Kyungsoo's mood. It was cloudy and cold, and even though there wasn't any snow yet, he didn't have any doubts that there would be soon. Luckily it was almost the end of the shift and Kyungsoo could finally escape the suffocating place and go back to his dorm to mop around in silence.

The reason?

The reason was just standing a few feet away from him, smiling at some dude that had been frequenting the café they both worked at. Kyungsoo never considered himself to be the jealous type, that was rarely ever a problem, however, he had to admit that now he found himself in a predicament. Staring at his now ex-boyfriend, who he had to see every single day both at college and work, flirting with someone right in front of him. Like he didn't care.

"If you stare harder, you might burn the back of his head," Chanyeol said next to him. Chuckling and shaking his head. It if wasn't for him, Kyungsoo didn't think he could put up with these shifts. His boss refused to change it until the season passed, so he was stuck there with his ex-boyfriend.

"Shut up," Kyungsoo sighed as he finally looked away. Grabbing a few dishes and taking them towards the back.

"Why don't you just talk to him and figure things out. We all know you will, eventually. You're both like a magnet to each other." Chanyeol followed him. He was friends with both, and of course, he hated to see them not happy, but deep down he thought the same thing the rest of their friends thought.

Jongin and Kyungsoo would get back together.

Because that's what Kyungsoo and Jongin did. They were one of those couples. The type that would fight, break up, then kiss and make up. Everyone knew this, even when they weren't a couple, they would always be a couple. It was like they were each other's gravity. They always returned to the other no matter what happened, and no matter how upset they were at each other.

It wasn't ideal, of course. Chanyeol advised Kyungsoo against this behavior a long time ago and Kyungsoo was aware, however, whenever he was in the same room with Jongin it was like they both just couldn't help it, despite all the fights and tears, he loved Jongin and Jongin loved him.

Or so he thought.

"It's not that easy, Chanyeol." Kyungsoo wasn't really in the mood to discuss this. It had been at least three months since they broke up and even when before they had worked their way through it and get back together, this time it looked like Jongin was moving on to other things.

Moving on.

Kyungsoo can't even remember why they broke up. He remembered being upset and Jongin was too.

He told Jongin to grow up and move on.

Jongin said it was probably for the best if they didn't see each other anymore.

Kyungsoo agreed.

Jongin left.

Kyungsoo didn't stop him.

And now there he was, hiding in the kitchen every five minutes, washing the same plate over and over so he wouldn't have to see Jongin flirt with other people right in front of his nose. Like, did he think Kyungsoo had no feelings?

He wasn't made of stone.

Especially with that one guy. Kyungsoo knew he was after Jongin even before their breakup. He always smiled at Jongin differently, touching his arm lightly, flirting with him, and even when Jongin always said he had nothing to worry about, now it was clear he did. This was the guy that was replacing him.

Taking his place in Jongin's heart.

Chanyeol sighed, observing his friend. They were both very stubborn. It could be difficult to make them understand certain things sometimes and often too proud to take the first step. Suddenly, the door to the kitchen swung open.

"Chanyeol, I'm going to take off. Junmyeon invited me to have a few drinks, so I'll see you back at the dorm." Jongin said and closed the door once again.

Chanyeol and Kyungsoo stood there in silence for what felt like forever. The words still echoing around them.

"It's probably nothing," Chanyeol said.

Kyungsoo sighed. "Probably."

Although they both knew it was a lie.

***

When Kyungsoo and Jongin met, they both knew right away. It was instant like their bodies recognized each other. However, at the time Kyungsoo wasn't interested in a relationship, no matter how cute, smart, funny, and hot Jongin was.

And he was all those things.

He was adorable. A cuddle enthusiast, he liked to hold Kyungsoo's face just because, and no matter how hard he tried, Jongin's smile was so contagious that he couldn't help to smile every time. It was a reflex.

However, as much as Jongin was attractive, he was stubborn. He made sure Kyungsoo knew he was trying to gain his heart or steal it as he said himself once or twice. A few dates here and there, a few details, a few smiles, his constant presence, and before he knew it, Jongin was an important part of his life. One he didn't want to give up.

Jongin would bring him breakfast when Kyungsoo had early morning classes, even if Jongin didn't have one for hours. They would walk to the dorms together, no matter how much Kyungsoo insisted he didn't have to wait for him. They sat together during the classes they shared, and Jongin always had this smile whenever he was with Kyungsoo. So beautiful and bright that Kyungsoo felt warm all the time. A smile Jongin saved for him only. A smile that made him believe that everything was good in the world and nothing could go wrong.

Even when a lot of things could go wrong.

And they did.

Everything went downhill so many times, not because they didn't love each other, but because they both had powerful personalities.

Now, because they wanted to be around each other so much, Kyungsoo had to go through classes and work with him. As if it couldn't get any worse.

When their last class of the day was over, Kyungsoo felt like he could finally let out the breath he had been holding pretty much the entire day. He practically ran out of the classroom, needing to escape as soon as possible. He didn't even look in Jongin's direction.

Was he being a coward? Maybe.

Did he care? No.

Instead of going to his dorm room, Kyungsoo knocked on his friend Baekhyun's door. Thankfully, they were both in the same building so Kyungsoo could hide there until further notice. Baekhyun opened the door with a smile, letting his friend in.

"To what do I owe this visit?" Baekhyun smiled as he always did, square shape smile, fluffy blond hair, and cheerful spirit most of the time. He had been Kyungsoo's go-to during the beginning of his breakup. Baekhyun had been there for him always.

"I'm just running away," Kyungsoo said. He dropped his bag near the couch and sat down with a sigh. At least Baekhyun's room wasn't filled with memories of him and Jongin.

Baekhyun sighed. "Jongin?"

There was silence.

"Yeah."

Baekhyun walked over, sitting next to his friend, and wrapping an arm around him. He knew how hard it had been for Kyungsoo. Especially after Jongin started dating again. It caught them all off guard because everyone thought they would get back together, they always did.

It was impossible to see one without the other.

"How are you feeling?" Baekhyun asked. He ran his fingers lazily through Kyungsoo's hair.

"Lost?" Kyungsoo couldn't think of anything else to describe the way he was feeling. "I've been in love with Jongin for so long. If we really can't fix it then, what am I supposed to do?" Kyungsoo didn't want to cry, he already cried enough about this. His feelings always squeezed him and turn him into nothing.

Would he ever be able to love anyone the way he loved Jongin?

He didn't think he could, and that was sad.

"Well, what if… the only way to go is to find someone else." Baekhyun offered, making Kyungsoo frown. "I know it doesn't sound appealing, but if you won't be with him anymore, maybe that's the only thing left."

Kyungsoo didn't like it.

"Why don't you test the waters. Go out, date someone." Baekhyun added. "It doesn't have to be serious, just so you can convince yourself that you can."

"I don't know."

"Trust me and try it out." Baekhyun patted Kyungsoo's shoulder. "I can set you up with someone nice. There is life after Jongin, you just have to see it for yourself."

Kyungsoo thought about it. He still couldn't see himself with anyone else, even when Jongin was miles ahead. Even when it looked like they couldn't love each other again.

"Just one date, and you'll see how I'm right," Baekhyun said.

It was a bad idea. He knew it, Baekhyun knew it.

He really shouldn't.

…

"This is a bad idea," Kyungsoo said for the fifth time that afternoon. Luckily for him, Jongin wasn't working that shift, so he had some time to prepare himself mentally for what he was about to do.

Meeting someone else?

Dating someone else?

It all felt so odd to him, strange. As if he was doing something he wasn't supposed to do, and Baekhyun had to remind him once again that Jongin was dating someone else too, and he didn't seem to care if it was right or not. Jongin was moving on.

And Kyungsoo had to do the same.

It didn't matter how much his instincts were against it.

Chanyeol was standing behind the counter, shaking his head. He didn't approve of this, but he would support Kyungsoo in whatever he did. Chanyeol remained quiet through it all as Baekhyun went on and on about how cool this guy was and how much Kyungsoo would like him.

"I promise Soo, you will not regret listening to me." Baekhyun smiled, brushing some blond curls away from his forehead as he scrolled through his phone.

"When you say I won't regret something, somehow I end up regretting it, so that's not encouraging," Kyungsoo replied.

Chanyeol chuckled. "It really isn't."

"Shut up, you two." Baekhyun glared at them. "I know what I'm doing."

They conversed for another twenty minutes when, just at 3:30 on the dot as expected, someone pushed open the door to the café. The man had to be just as tall as Jongin, maybe a bit more. Copper black hair and serious expression. He was wearing black jeans with a wine turtleneck and a brown coat over everything.

He smiled when he saw Baekhyun, and the other man quickly approached him.

Kyungsoo had to admit he was good looking.

"Guys, this is Oh Sehun. We share a class." Baekhyun introduced. "Sehunnie, this is Kyungsoo." He gestures at the man in question, and Kyungsoo smiled when the other's eyes land on him. He has deep dark eyes and gave him a playful smile in return.

"Nice to meet you," he took a step closer and offered a hand. "Baek said some really pleasant things about you."

"I'm sure he exaggerates." Kyungsoo laughed as he shook Sehun's hand. His grip isn't too strong, but firm.

"I don't think he does." Was Sehun's response.

Kyungsoo doesn't know what to say for a second, but Sehun didn't seem to care.

"Shall we then?" The taller man asked. Kyungsoo nodded, grabbing his coat.

"Sure."

Just then the door opened once again, Jongin walked in, a frown gracing his features when he noticed all the people standing there. He blinked, glancing from side to side.

"What's going on?" He asked. Kyungsoo considered the thought of making something up, however, he didn't have the chance too.

"Soo is leaving on a date," Baekhyun said, pushing both Kyungsoo and Sehun towards the door. "Go ahead guys, we don't want you to be late."

"What are you doing here?" Chanyeol asked Jongin, who frowned even more if possible, at the recent information.

"Yixing wanted me to cover for him," he replied. "Wait… a date?" He glanced at the new person standing there briefly, taking in his presence, then looking at Kyungsoo. He didn't know how to name what he saw in Jongin's eyes. He didn't seem unbothered, however, it all quickly went away as he gathered himself.

"Yes, a date," Baekhyun said, as he successfully pushed the other two out of the establishment. He looked over his shoulder once. "Now go have fun."

"I promise I'll bring him back early," Sehun said.

Baekhyun waved it off. "No need to, I trust you.”                

Meanwhile, Kyungsoo felt in some sort of daze. Between this handsome man that Baekhyun somehow convinced to go out with him, and was that hurt he saw in Jongin's eyes?

Could it be…?

It wasn't possible, right?

He pushed these thoughts away. He needed to focus on what he had between his hands right now. A date with someone anyone would kill to go out with.

Sehun turned out to be the perfect gentleman. They went to the movies. He let Kyungsoo pay for the tickets if Kyungsoo allowed him to pay for dinner later. And so they did. They had a pleasant conversation during dinner. Sehun was charming and funny, and he never ran out of things to talk about.

He seemed genuinely interested in Kyungsoo, and he had to admit he hadn't felt this nice since before the breakup. It was a nice boost to his confidence.

Even if they weren't meant to be, Kyungsoo would admit going out with him wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Sehun even took him back to the dorms and did it all with a smile.

"I have to admit I was skeptical about today," Kyungsoo said, his hand holding on to the door to his dorm. "But this was nice."

"I had fun too," Sehun shrugged. "Maybe we could do it again sometime."

Kyungsoo realized he wasn't opposed to that idea. "I'd like that."

Sehun nodded. "Good, I'll wait until you're inside."

Kyungsoo smiled, opening the door finally and waving at Sehun as he walked inside the room. Closing the door slowly.

As he took off his shoes and clothes, getting comfortable, he thought maybe moving on was hard, but not impossible.

***

"They said it's probably going to snow today," Yixing said as he cleaned the table of a customer that had just left. He looked out the window at the heavy clouds. It had been a slow day because of how cold it was, so the four workers had been sitting around chatting.

"They say that every day," Chanyeol scoffed, not taking his eyes off his book.

Yixing shrugged, his long, black hair falling over his shoulder. "They'll be right one day."

Yixing grabbed a few dishes and walked to the back. Jongin was looking out the window at the slow traffic and Kyungsoo was sitting behind the counter going through social media for the nth time.

They spent a few minutes in silence, waiting for the next customer. Maybe if they were lucky, they would close early and go home. Jongin sighed, taking his eyes off the street and glancing around the place. He stood up, walking behind the counter, and standing next to Kyungsoo. They hadn't addressed each other, other than for work or school reasons or when they were hanging out with the group. However, other than that, neither of them attempted to have an actual conversation.

Jongin cleared his throat, gaining both Kyungsoo's and Chanyeol's attention. "So, you went on a date." It didn't seem like he was asking, but Kyungsoo wasn't sure how to respond.

"I did," was all he could say.

Jongin hummed, like processing this information. "Is he nice?"

Kyungsoo frowned, he didn't know where this was heading, and to be honest, he didn't know why Jongin was asking. He was the one who started dating first. "Why are you asking?"

Jongin blinked. "I'm just curious."

"Why?"

Chanyeol stood up. "I'm going to go check on Yixing." He quickly left the room. Not that either of them acknowledged him.

"I don't know, I just didn't think-"

"You didn't think I would find someone while you went out with other people?" Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow. "Well, FYI, I can find someone too." His face was burning. If that's what he thought, then it was very selfish of him. "And not that it's any of your business, but he is more than nice."

Kyungsoo held Jongin's stare for what felt like forever. Neither of them seemed to want to back down, and even when it hurt Kyungsoo that their first real interaction after their breakup was like this, he didn't want to be the weak one.

Suddenly, the front door opened, revealing a red-haired man. The man Jongin had been going out with. It was only then when they took their eyes off each other. The man smiled at them and gestured Jongin towards his usual table, unaware of what just happened between them. Jongin let out a breath.

"Well, looks like you have company." Kyungsoo sighed. "You don't want to keep him waiting."

Jongin didn't move or say anything for a moment, his stare almost piercing a hole through Kyungsoo's skull as the other man ignored him. It was very clear that the conversation was over. He sighed, making his way towards the table, and just then was Kyungsoo able to breathe properly. This was not what he had in mind for sure, but there was no way around it.

He glanced at Jongin, smiling at the other man as nothing happened.

Like they didn't happen.

Was this normal? Feeling like his chest was burning, like he could break anything. Like he could break any moment? He was human after all, and he loved Jongin for a long time. He still loved him, and he knew some time would have to pass by before he got over him.

Before, he could gather himself and love again.

***

Kyungsoo groaned and stretched after his last class of the day. He was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to go back to his dorm and order pizza while he watched something on Netflix. However, he had promised Baekhyun and the rest of his friends he would go out for some drinks with them. The group hadn't gotten together in a while, so Baekhyun as self-proclaimed president of the group insisted they had an outing. This meant Kyungsoo would have to see Jongin for the third time that day, and he wasn't excited about it.

But it is what it is.

The place wasn't crowded, and they could still talk normally over the music, which is something Kyungsoo enjoyed. Luckily, Jongin sat at the other end of the table, so they didn't have to interact.

"I just want to say if Jongdae drinks his life away, I won't be the one taking him home," Minseok said as he sat down next to the man in question. Baekhyun and Kyungsoo chuckled.

"It's Chanyeol's turn to babysit," Baekhyun mentioned and Chanyeol's eyes widened.

"Says who?"

Baekhyun laughed. "Me."

"I love how you guys talk about me as if I'm not here." Jongdae intervened, taking a sip of his drink.

Baekhyun reached out to touch his hand. "It's because we love you."

"Well, love me less." Jongdae rolled his eyes.

They laughed as a new round of drinks was ordered. Since they now assigned him to babysitting duty, Chanyeol restricted himself to just a few drinks. They talked and caught up with each other, with time their conversation made less and less sense. Baekhyun went from being annoying, loud, and laughing too much to his usual phase of just loving everything and everyone.

Kyungsoo chuckled when Baekhyun told Jongdae he loved him for like the tenth time that night.

A server placed a drink in front of Kyungsoo, informing him someone had sent it from a different table, gesturing at some guys on a faraway table, right next to the window. They were looking at him. Kyungsoo smiled politely at them, giving the drink a short sip for them to see. He knew he shouldn't accept drinks from strangers, but he was too polite to reject it too, so he just put it on the table, discarding it.

"Kyungsoo is getting popular," Baekhyun said, his drunk eyes scanned the table. "You should go say hi."

Baekhyun didn't notice a glare being directed at him.

Kyungsoo shrugged. "I don't intend to go out with any of them, so why should I?"

"Besides, didn't you set him up with that other guy?" Chanyeol raised an eyebrow.

"Sehun? They went out on one date. Kyungsoo is free to do what he wants." The blond replied, finishing his glass. "I need a bathroom."

Baekhyun stood up, zigzagging his way through the bar.

Kyungsoo sighed. "Chanyeol, can you go make sure he doesn't hurt himself?"

Chanyeol groaned, rolling his eyes, but he stood up either way, chasing Baekhyun around the bar. The rest of them watched as they ran around, looking like a Scooby-Doo scene. Kyungsoo laughed, shaking his head at the pair of fools he had for friends. A few minutes later, Jongdae and Minseok also left the table because Minseok allegedly owed Jongdae a dance.

And then there were two.

It didn't feel as awkward as he thought it would, being left alone with Jongin. However, neither of them was saying anything. Maybe the alcohol playing a part in this, maybe not.

Kyungsoo pretended to read something interesting on his phone and ignored everything else. He didn't have the courage or the strength to have a conversation with him, especially after their minor argument. Neither of them said anything for a while until suddenly Kyungsoo felt a warm presence next to him. He looked up to find Jongin sitting there, his head resting on the table and his eyes on Kyungsoo. Like he had finally allowed himself to look at him.

"Jongin?" Kyungsoo frowned.

"Do… do you remember that first snow?" Jongin's voice was low, and he was dragging the words, meaning he was drunk. However, even then Kyungsoo knew what he was talking about.

People always said that if you spent the first snow with your significant other, then you would probably be together forever. Their first kiss happened during the first snow a few winters back. Jongin and Kyungsoo always played with the idea that it meant they would last forever.

Neither of them knew how wrong they were then.

Kyungsoo considered denying it. Going down memory lane wasn't the best idea, but somehow looking into Jongin's eyes and maybe influenced by alcohol, he nodded. "I remember."

"Our forever… it was very short." Jongin bit his bottom lip. Kyungsoo didn't know why he was being like this.

"Maybe it was meant to be short." Kyungsoo shrugged.

"I don't regret it though…" Jongin closed his eyes, letting out a sigh. "I enjoyed every moment."

Kyungsoo felt tears building up, and he tried hard to swallow the lump that was forming in his throat. If his heart didn't break before, it was broken now. Somehow, this felt more like a breakup than the fight they had.

It felt like Jongin was letting go.

And maybe Kyungsoo had to do the same.

"I enjoyed it too." Kyungsoo blinked the insisting tears away, staring at the ceiling. He would not allow himself to break down. "More than I will ever be able to say."

There was no response. Kyungsoo turned to Jongin, only to find him asleep on the table. He sighed, shaking his head. Jongin had always been a sleepy drunk, so he wasn't surprised. Kyungsoo brushed some of his hair out of his face and allowed himself to look at him for a while.

He realized he had been resisting. Even if he went out with other people, his heart had still hoped that maybe everything could be fixed. Now, looking at his ex, he thought maybe some things were never meant to be fixed.

Maybe it was the time to let him go.

…

Kyungsoo realized letting go was harder than he expected, even when his mind decided on it, his heart still skipped a beat when he saw Jongin walk into the classroom the following week. The teacher hadn't arrived, so there were students scattered around talking. Nothing had changed.

Except something did.

Instead of going to the opposite side of the classroom as he had been doing the last few months, Jongin walked over towards where Kyungsoo and Jongdae were sitting, taking the seat right next to Kyungsoo as he used to do when they were dating. Kyungsoo's eyes widened as he watched him. Even Jongdae stretched to look over Kyungsoo at Jongin.

Neither of them said anything, Jongin just sat there, pulling his things out of his backpack. He didn't even greet them for that matter. Jongdae and Kyungsoo exchanged a look.

Kyungsoo could barely concentrate, Jongin's presence next to him felt heavy. The air changed, and it was harder to breathe. His brain couldn't process what the teacher was saying. All he could think about was Jongin and this sudden change in his behavior. Was this because of their bar talk? Jongin had displayed no signs of remembering that when they saw each other again at work.

He had been acting the same until now.

Was this his way of letting go? Of showing that he was really over it?

Could Kyungsoo handle it if that's what it was?

He had to; he decided to. He had to admit, seeing each other every day made everything harder for him. If they couldn't love each other ever again, then Kyungsoo would have to tell him he needed space. Jongin moved on and he deserved a chance to do the same.

When the class was finally over, Kyungsoo picked up his things as fast as he could so he could leave the room and breathe fresh air. He quickly put everything, with no specific order, inside his bag and turned to leave when suddenly there was a hand on his arm. Kyungsoo turned around to find Jongin's deep eyes staring at him. It felt like it had been such a long time since he looked at him like that; he was finally looking at him, seeing him.

"Kyungsoo…" he started. There was something in his eyes. Something Kyungsoo couldn't identify or was maybe too afraid to. "Can we-?"

"Kyungsoo! Sehun's here." Baekhyun interrupted, standing by the door. Sehun was there too, with his polite smile and gentle eyes. Kyungsoo turned to Jongin once again, taking his arm out of his grip.

"Do you have something to say? I have to go." He bit his bottom lip as he waited. He could see Jongin's brain working around the situation.

Ultimately, Jongin let out a sigh. "No."

They both stood there, staring at each other for a while, trying to decipher what the other had in his mind, until Kyungsoo finally nodded, putting his bag over his shoulder. He walked towards the door where his friend was waiting, looking excited.

"Sehunnie came to pick you up?" He said, not letting Sehun say anything.

"Oh, really?" Kyungsoo turned to Sehun with a smile.

Sehun nodded, slightly pulling out his laptop from his bag. "I rented some movies and thought maybe we could go back to the dorms and watch them together." Sehun's eyes briefly flickered over Kyungsoo's head, but quickly focused back on him as he smiled.

"Sure." Kyungsoo smiled back and glanced at Baekhyun. "You're coming too?"

"No, I was just here to show him the way." Baekhyun gave Kyungsoo a mischievous smile, slightly pushing him towards Sehun. "Go ahead."

Kyungsoo sighed, not saying anything else as he led the way towards the dorm building. He didn't dare to look back, maybe because he was afraid of what he could find. He didn't know if he could handle sadness, but he didn't think he could handle indifference either.

Sehun as always was the perfect gentleman, walking next to him, asking about his day and his classes, and Kyungsoo felt bad his brain wasn't there. It was freezing outside the class building, so they both made their way to the dorms as fast as they could.

Nobody other than Jongin, Baekhyun, and Jongdae had been inside his dorm and yet there he was, with Sehun, turning on the lights and pulling a few drinks from the small fridge he had. They sat on the couch as Sehun pulled out his laptop, looking through the selection of movies he rented.

Kyungsoo got to choose the first movie. Luckily it was the typical romantic comedy, so he didn't have to pay that much attention. Sehun wasn't the type to make comments through the middle of the movie either, so that was also favorable, unlike Jongin who used to talk all the way through. Kyungsoo hadn't realized how used to Jongin’s comments he was until now. Once the movie was over, they stretched a bit and discussed ordering food.

"What would you like?" Sehun asked as he scrolled through his phone.

"I don't mind," Kyungsoo shrugged as he got a water bottle from the fridge. "Do you want some water?"

Sehun looked up at him and nodded. "Sure."

Kyungsoo grabbed another one, walking back to the couch and handing it to Sehun. "What's the next one on our list."

"I have a scary one if you don't mind," Sehun said.

Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow with a smile. "Hoping I will jump into your arms?"

Sehun laughed. "Maybe… it could also be the other way around."

"I don't think you're the type to get scared easily." Kyungsoo sat down next to him.

Sehun hummed. "Intuitive, I see."

Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door and both of them stared at the door in confusion. Kyungsoo stood up to answer.

"Was the food delivery service that good?" He chuckled.

"Unless they read my mind, I don't think so, because I haven't ordered yet," Sehun said.

Kyungsoo shook his head, smiling as he opened the door only to have that smile fade away. Jongin was standing there, his cheeks red probably because of how cold it was, widened eyes, and looking like he didn't expect Kyungsoo to answer the door.

"Jongin?" Kyungsoo frowned. He hadn't been in his dorm in months. Why was he there?

"I…" Jongin hesitated, looking over Kyungsoo's shoulder, probably at a curious Sehun. "Can we talk?" his voice was low, as if he was expecting the other man to not hear anything.

"Uhm… I'm kind of busy right now." Kyungsoo didn't have any energy to deal with this.

Jongin took a deep breath. "But…" he looked like he had something important to say, but was Kyungsoo ready to deal with any of this?

You have to let go.

That's all Kyungsoo could think of. Letting go, he had promised to let him go.

"I have company, Jongin," Kyungsoo said, his heart squeezing at his own words. Why was it so hard? Why was his heart screaming?

Jongin stood there for a few seconds, biting on his bottom lip and staring at him. Then he nodded, taking a step back. His eyes were so desperately trying to say something, and then he turned around and left. Kyungsoo closed the door.

It was for the best, at least this way they could not hurt each other anymore. It was for the best.

Then why was his heart breaking again?

Kyungsoo walked back to the couch, sitting down and avoiding Sehun’s eyes for a moment. Looking heartbroken about your ex in front of your date wasn’t the best thing. Kyungsoo sighed as he tried to put a smile on his face.

“Did you order already?” he asked.

"No," Sehun replied. He sat there quietly for a moment. "You know… I'm not an expert, but if you both look like this then why…”

"It's better this way. We can't hurt each other like this." Kyungsoo took a deep breath.

Neither of them said anything for a few seconds.

"Well, I can't say I know much about it, but it looks like he's taking that first step… so why can't you?" Sehun puts down his phone. "Take this opportunity to change whatever went wrong."

Kyungsoo frowned, thinking about this. Could they change things? Could he let Jongin in one more time? If he did, then there was a possibility that it didn't work and they would just end up hurting each other even more than they did before. However, what was the alternative?

The alternative was scary.

"You know… this isn't something a date usually does." Kyungsoo sighed.

"Maybe this is the reason I've been single all this time." Sehun shrugged. "Go get him. I'll let myself out."

Kyungsoo smiled at him, leaning in and kissing his cheek lightly. "You're a good person."

"I hear that all the time." Sehun smiled.

Kyungsoo laughed. He stood up, grabbing his coat and scarf and running out the door. He had erased Jongin's number, but thankfully he still remembered it. He dialed the number, running down the stairs of the dorm building to the second floor where Jongin's dorm was. He knocked on the door several times with no response.

Where the hell was he?

Kyungsoo dialed his number again as he reached the stairs once again. He gasped when he saw the familiar figure sitting on the steps. He could also hear the ringtone of Jongin's phone echoing around them. Kyungsoo sighed.

"Why are you ignoring my calls?" Kyungsoo said, catching Jongin's attention finally. When the other man turned around, the view made Kyungsoo's heart break.

He was crying.

Crying as he sat on the stairs. Kyungsoo instantly felt the need to comfort him, but he held it back. They had a lot to talk about first.

"Jongin-"

"I messed it up," Jongin wiped away a few tears only for more to come. "I should've known. It was all my fault. I did this to us and now…" he sobbed. "Now you're with that guy. It's too late.”

"Jongin."

"I thought it was better to go our separate ways, I thought it was better, but then you started seeing that guy and I hated it!" He sobbed. "I hated it!"

Kyungsoo said nothing. At this point, it was better to let him express himself.

"And now you don't love me anymore…" Jongin said this, and he looked so lost. Kyungsoo felt bad. "What will I do now?"

Kyungsoo sighed, realizing his own eyes had filled with tears. He sat down next to him. "Jongin, I'm here… doesn't that count?"

Jongin sniffled, turning to look at him like he had just realized Kyungsoo was sitting there. "What about that other guy?"

"Sehun? Well, he sent me here. Not a good dating tactic if you ask me." Kyungsoo chuckled, reaching out to wipe the tears that kept falling. "What about the guy you were seeing?"

Jongin pouted. "That ended when I realized being apart wasn't what I wanted." He sighed. "I was upset at first."

"I know."

"I thought ending everything was for the best."

"And maybe it was."

"But I don't want to."

"Me neither."

There was silence between them as they both processed the situation.

"So what now?" Jongin bit his bottom lip.

"Now, we have to promise to stop hurting each other. This is our last chance, Jongin. I don't want to keep on breaking up whenever things get difficult. We either talk it through or we end this forever." They just couldn't keep on functioning like that. "This is it, if it doesn't work out then it's over."

Jongin nodded. "I agree."

"Let's give it our best effort then." Kyungsoo smiles.

"So… are you going to love me again?"

Kyungsoo chuckled, his heart broke for Jongin a bit again. "I never stopped loving you, Nini."

Jongin smiled at the mention of his nickname, it was a genuine smile, the smile he only kept for Kyungsoo and filled with so much affection that it often made Kyungsoo forget about the hard times they went through, just so he could see that smile again. He missed it.

"I love you too."

Kyungsoo then took Jongin's hand, pulling him back to his room. They still had a lot to talk about, a lot to catch up on. To heal together and be better together. They went into the room, both unaware that outside it had started to snow.

…

"Anything to report?"

Baekhyun leaned against the door of his room, smiling at none other than Sehun, who had left early from his date.

"Mission accomplished, I guess," Sehun said, pulling out his gloves. "They're making up right now."

Baekhyun's eyes widened. "Oh? Took them long enough." He sighed. "Thanks for helping, I owe you."

"You do," Sehun smirked, leaning against the frame too.

"Let me know whatever you need."

"How about a date?”