Jongwoon and Youngwoon’s harmony is better than Maestro Jang anticipated, even better than what Jongwoon thought and what Youngwoon hoped. The days pass by quickly and before they know it, they’re down to two days before the competition.

He doesn’t need to think of Kyuhyun anymore when he sings, good or bad, and he doesn’t have any problem singing it with Youngwoon now, because well, Youngwoon is his partner now. He thought he has moved on but he doesn’t need himself reminding him how difficult it is to move on to know he’s kidding himself and this is the last bits anyway. He will move on.

He feels a little guilty about Sooyoung and Joohyun. He knows how much they care for him. As much as he is their older brother, he thinks of them as his younger siblings so for those days he’s in the university and he’s trying his best to be invisible (and doing a damn good job on it) to Sooyoung and Joohyun, he feels bad for it. But then, he’ll remember it is best this way.

As for Heechul, it’s extremely, almost impossibly, to completely avoid Heechul. Simply because Heechul has access to his house, wherever and whoever the hell he got it from (most probably his father who is worried about him) and Heechul is just stubborn. He pops out from time to time, asks Jongwoon if he has eaten (and one time asked Jongwoon, “Are you still alive?” to which Jongwoon answered, “Barely.”) or when will he come back to university or if he wants Kyuhyun skinned or diced (to which Jongwoon muttered, “You’re so morbid, Heenim.”).

Heechul is a pest and Jongwoon has always known that and he regrets it, that his good friend has to come back at this time. But he is still thankful because Heechul is a good distraction, an unescapable escape from time to time.

Jongwoon will miss him, he thinks with a sad smile, as he glances on Heechul’s direction. He insisted on coming with Jongwoon to practice and is sitting between two girls, members of the choir Jongwoon has never talked to, maybe because they figure they’re too pretty to be talking to someone who talks to turtles. They’ve become even more hostile to Jongwoon after the gym announcement, barely looking at Jongwoon. He wonders what will happen if Jongwoon tells them Heechul also talks to his cat.

“No practice tomorrow,” Maestro Jang says, fishing Jongwoon out of his thoughts wandering to his good friend.

Jongwoon and Youngwoon exchange glances before looking back at Maestro Jang. That is the day before the competition! How can they not practice? Surely, they have the same thoughts in their heads but they remain silent and wait for Maestro Jang to continue.

It’s almost ten in the evening but everybody is still in the practice room. They’ve just practiced all of the pieces they’re going to perform in two nights, Ryeowook’s solo, Youngwoon and Jongwoon’s duet, and the group performance, of course. Ryeowook is absolutely breathtaking. Youngwoon and Jongwoon’s duet is almost perfect and the group’s performance will surely leave the audience speechless. It’s visible in Maestro Jang’s face how satisfied he is with his kids.

“Tomorrow, don’t drink anything cold. Don’t eat anything sweet or spicy. Don’t scream or shout or yell,” Maestro Jang says and then laughs. “Basically, don’t stress your voices. I need not tell you how because I know you know what to do. The day after tomorrow is the competition, the day we’ve been waiting for. Tomorrow, I want you all to relax and think that the day after tomorrow is just going to be another day when you’ll be singing for many people. I need not you to win, kids, I always tell you. I need you to sing.”

They’re sure the university will surely disagree, because they need to win, of course! But no one among them did. They have their differences, yes. They have their disagreements but they are there for one purpose: to sing.

They reviewed the details of the competition before finally calling it a night.

“Maestro,” Jongwoon hears Youngwoon approach the maestro. “I don’t think I can join everyone in the bus to Seoul National University on Saturday.”

Seoul National University is the venue for the yearly, most grandiose competition among universities in Seoul. They are supposed to meet at three in the afternoon at the university and go by bus to the venue together. The competition will start at six in the evening but Maestro Jang insists it’s better to be early than late.

“Why is that?”

“I have,” Youngwoon hesitates, “part-time job, Maestro Jang. I really have to be there. I’m sorry.”

“Are you sure you’ll be there before six?” Maestro Jang asks.

“Yes, Maestro.”

“It’s okay, then. Don’t be late, Youngwoon.”

“I won’t, Maestro!” Youngwoon grins and grabs his duffel bag on his feet.

Jongwoon is waiting for him outside the room and Heechul is grumbly waiting for Youngwoon, too, because he is waiting for Jongwoon.

“You’ll go there by yourself?” Jongwoon asks, looking a little concerned.

“I need to be at the shop this Saturday,” Youngwoon shrugs. “Big clients coming, boss said. I really have to be there.”

“Where do you work anyway?”

“About three blocks from here,” Youngwoon answers. He notices Jongwoon is worried and he hits Jongwoon’s back (he doesn’t know about Jongwoon’s heart, forgive him) a little too hard for Heechul’s liking as he immediately glares at Youngwoon although the bear is busy laughing at Jongwoon’s face to really notice Heechul.

“Don’t be so worried!” Youngwoon laughs at Jongwoon. “I’ll be there before six.”

Jongwoon glares at him. “Be sure of that.”

Youngwoon laughs again and puts his hands behind his head. “I’ll be there.”

Jongwoon sighs as he looks at Youngwoon walking ahead of them. He doesn’t know who reminds him of Youngwoon but in just a short time of less than two weeks, it’s nice to know someone like Youngwoon. He smiles to himself but has to stop short because he knows how easy happiness can be taken away, can be gone. He doesn’t want himself to get caught in something like that again.

“What’s that long face for?” Heechul asks Jongwoon, after Jongwoon said goodbye to Youngwoon.

“Huh?” Jongwoon looks back at him, kind of confusedly.

“Never mind,” Heechul answered irritably. “Where do you want to eat?”

“Can’t we just eat at home, hyung?” Jongwoon offers. “It’s pretty late and I really can’t think of anything other than the competition right now.”

Heechul stares at him for a short moment, too quick for Jongwoon to notice before turning the other way from Jongwoon’s house and saying, “I know a nice restaurant just around the corner. Let’s go.”

Jongwoon can argue, he figures, but Heechul is already turning the next corner. He sighs and jogs to follow Heechul. He thinks this is just alright because he doesn’t know when they’ll be able to eat together this late at night again, when Heechul will come with him somewhere and wait up for him, and how Heechul will be bossy about things. He can’t say Heechul is the best friend he’s got in his life (because he’ll still say it’s Hyesung), but Heechul is a great friend and well, he’ll not say it now because he knows Heechul might throw up or something (Jongwoon smiles a little) but he will definitely miss him.

Heechul takes him to an indeed nice restaurant, probably half a block from the university. He doesn’t even know how Heechul knew of that place and he didn’t.

“Sooyoung and Joohyun brought me here,” Heechul says, as if having read Jongwoon’s thoughts. He looks briefly at Jongwoon appreciating the ambience of the restaurant and looks away again just before Jongwoon looks up.

“Really? When?”

“Last week,” Heechul answers. “When you wouldn’t pick any of our calls and I was literally starving to death. You’re supposed to be helping me adjust, you know!”

Jongwoon sighs and he knows that’s not really why Heechul is being pigheaded. “Heenim, I told you I was sorry about that.”

Heechul waves his hand off and he knows Jongwoon is not just apologizing for being responsible for Heechul’s almost death because of hunger. “I know. I know. Come here, let’s order.”

They ate in comfortable silence, which is a little unusual when Jongwoon is with Heechul but he doesn’t let himself feel really bothered about it because he likes the silence. In silence, he can appreciate how loud Heechul’s eating is, how delicious the food is, and even though it’s almost midnight, how beautiful the time it is.

He thinks of his time here and remembers the good times with Sooyoung and Joohyun and Heechul and Sooyeon and Miyoung and Ryeowook and Youngwoon and Siwon and even Kyuhyun. The good times, Jongwoon is sure to remember. He will remember them, of course, but then comes the bad times he wishes to forget the most. The things that disappointed him, the people who hurt him. So that one day, maybe, he can go back to the good memories without the bad.

He’s been thinking so much of what has happened in his life over the years he hasn’t noticed Heechul’s play of expressions. He’s been seriously struggling himself to keep his mouth shut, to not punch Jongwoon in the gut (remember his heart, Heechul, his heart) and demand explanations.

After eating, they walk out of the restaurant to the bus stop. They waited for the bus and sat side by side on the last row. They got out of the bus and walked to Jongwoon’s neighborhood. All in complete silence.

When they’re already near Jongwoon’s house, about five minutes away, Heechul stops. He can’t take it anymore. He knows they all agreed to make Jongwoon’s last days in Seoul the happiest they can, for Jongwoon, but he can’t take it anymore. He’s been trying to keep quiet about it but what the hell? He can’t even say goodbye to them properly?

Jongwoon turns around, not hearing Heechul’s footsteps behind him anymore and is about to ask why Heechul stopped.

Heechul’s expression is a mix of frustration, hurt, yearning, disappointment, and probably ten more Jongwoon’s mind isn’t able to process anymore as Heechul’s words leave his far too strained mouth.

“When are you going to tell us you’re leaving, you ?!”