“Changjo-ya.” Jiyoon carefully called him who had been busy in his own world during their breakfast. The spaced out guy didn’t budge at her call. “Changjo.” She made her voice louder a bit.

He was clearly startled. “어?” he finally looked up at her with an empty gaze.

Jiyoon secretly sighed knowing that there hadn’t been any change at all. “I’m getting some drinks, what do you want?” she tried to speak normally.

“Coffee will be great.” No matter how well he faked his smile, Jiyoon couldn’t be tricked.

Changjo watched her walked away to the buffet. Her swift moves when she made the coffee forced him to swallow down another bitter reality he had. His expectation to do the same in the future had popped to dust. He wouldn’t get to see her making coffee for him in the morning before he kissed her goodbye and left for work—the ordinary scene of a small family’s morning routine, probably with their kids clinging around.

“Here, your very own coffee.” She smiled at him as she’s back with two cups of drinks.

Her beautiful smile almost brought him to tears remembering the real truth he’s facing. “Thank you.” He smiled back at her.

“Do you have any plans for today?” she sipped her tea.

Changjo shook his head. “Do you?” he asked back. “Then let’s just have a day off,” he continued since she shook her head at his question as well.

Awkwardness wrapped them soon after Jiyoon gave him a positive nod. Somehow it reminded them of their first day back then in Pearl Lavender, the day when they sat across each other for the first time, having their breakfast together under pressure. They moved their gaze away from each other, pretending to have a look on something to reduce the sudden awkwardness.

The silence continued until they reached their room. Jiyoon plumped herself on the bed, rejoicing the comfort she missed although she had just left it for about 20 minutes. “Don’t!” she squealed when Changjo opened the curtain.

“Why?” he laughed at her sudden commotion.

“Close it again! It’s too bright!” she buried her face onto the pillow, preventing the light from burning her sight.

Changjo continued laughing, “It’s better like this. I can see your face clearer.”

“Changjo-ya!” she whined. “I hate early sunlight! Just open the curtain later after 12!”

Instead of fulfilling her demand, he hopped on the bed and hugged her. “You know what? You’re so noisy,” he whispered on her ear.

“If you don’t want me to be noisy just-“ she couldn’t finish her sentence since she was already squealing from his tickles. “Ya!” she snapped, but it didn’t stop him.

“I love you,” he said as he snuggled onto her neck. “I love you, really.” He nearly choked at his words. Faintly smiling, he lightly kissed her cheek.

Jiyoon hugged his head with one arm. She unconsciously smiled to herself also when she kissed the top of his head. “Out of all the men I know, I couldn’t stop wondering why it has to be you,” she chuckled.

“Because it’s always been me from the start,” he giggled as he hugged her tighter into his arms. “And it will always be me,” he trailed off.

Jiyoon ruffled his hair when she snuggled back to him, hiding from the stronger sunlight coming into their room. “I know. I love you, but screw you for not closing the curtain,” she muttered.

“Then just hide here.” He pulled her head closer, making his body as her shield from the sunlight.

“Finally your big build has an advantage,” she laughed.

Their laughs faded slowly, leaving them hugging each other in a total silence. All they could hear was only their breath and heartbeats as those soothed each other with their constant sound. Changjo’s hand was on her hair, aimlessly running his fingers through it while he stared blankly at the wall behind her. He got to cherish his last moments with her since he had no idea till when it would last. With a choked breath, he lightly kissed the top of her head.

Meanwhile Jiyoon was in her own heaven, inhaling his scent all along, his very own scent which greeted her once when she woke up on his bed back then at the hostel. She could stand not doing anything else but the current thing she’s doing. She’d just love to.

“Are we really gonna spend the whole day like this?” asked her, giggling.

He laid her back since she had been lying on her side all along. He rose on his elbow to get a better look of her. “Do you mind? Because I don’t,” he replied. His sincere smile already got back on his face before he gently crashed his lips on hers. She trailed her hands onto his nape, pulling him closer as she kissed him back.

They were having their own time when Changjo’s phone rang. Cursing, he got off of her and reached out to get his phone. He rejected the call after having a look on the screen.

“Something’s wrong?” she hesitantly asked, worried on his sudden mood change.

“It’s-“ his sentence was cut by his ringtone again. His thumb undoubtedly landed on the red button again, rejecting the call before he turned off his phone in the end.

“It’s Minhyuk,” told him. “Screw him for ruining our moments.”

Jiyoon scooted closer to backhug him whom sitting on the edge. “It’s okay. No need to get mad at him. He didn’t know anyway.” She leaned her cheek on his shoulder.

Changjo turned his head to kiss her forehead. “Let’s just continue sleeping,” he muttered.

“You’re really mad for it?” she laughed, not believing how childish he was.

He chuckled a bit, “Yes, I am.” He locked her and gently pushed her to land on the bed back first. He flashed a smile before he kissed her lightly. “Continue your sleep, sleepyhead.”

******

“Ya, you seem bothered since last night. What’s going on?” L.Joe nudged Chunji as they were walking down the street, leaving CAP alone back at their new dorm.

Chunji shrugged. “I’m not really sure though, but I’ve been worried about Changjo and Jiyoon. I suddenly get suspicious on them somehow.”

“Uh? How could you? Did you call them or something?” L.Joe raised his eyebrow, demanding for more explanation.

“Last night I called her when you guys were out, but it’s him who picked it up,” told him. “He said she was in the bathroom, but… if you think about it, Changjo, with all his indifference, would he take her phone and just simply pick the call up? Well, I know it was me who called, but still, it bothers me somehow.”

Chunji had continued before L.Joe could give a proper respond. “And you know what? They moved to a room for the two of them, just the two of them,” he muttered. “She said they got to move since there’s a big group taking over our old room, but it’s just weird to know they seemed to get along pretty well now.”

L.Joe hissed. “You’re just jealous of him, Chanhee. Don’t mind it too much.”

“Yeah, of course I’m jealous that he got to stay with her, but for you, who don’t have special feelings on her like I do, don’t you think it seems suspicious?” Chunji insisted with his analysis.

“Are you saying that Changjo has fallen for her?” L.Joe mockingly laughed. “No way! That guy would never budge with that kind of demeanor! They’re moving together isn’t something to be suspicious at, it deserves standing ovation instead. I mean, it’s amazing just to know them befriend each other. It shows a good progress knowing that he finally could interact with new people other than us. Why should you get jealous?”

Chunji rolled his eyes. “I thought you’re the one accusing me for being jealous at him back then,” he mumbled.

“It’s different,” replied L.Joe. “So, when are we going home? Are we going back to Tokyo first?”

“Up to you guys, seems like we’re going home from here right away. Jiyoon said the hotels and hostels are mostly full booked. Well, that’s her excuse when I indirectly nagged about them having a private room,” he scoffed.

L.Joe’s eyes widened. “Woah, what’s with the negative thoughts of her, Chanhee-ssi?”

Chunji let out a heavy sigh as he shrugged. “I don’t know. Somehow I’m disappointed for I don’t know what. I guess jealousy has eaten me up alive.”

“Cheer up, Chanhee.” L.Joe wrapped his arm around his shoulder. “Nothing’s happening between them. It’s impossible.”

Chunji sighed for the umpteenth time. “But unfortunately, nothing’s impossible.”

******

Changjo and Jiyoon went out for dinner later. Changjo had changed again, drowned into his own world, making their walk that night seemed way too quiet. He had always been that kind of quiet guy normally, but Jiyoon could feel that the quietness he’d been having was somehow unusual remembering his demeanor during breakfast before.

Worried, she hesitantly held his hand, wrapping it in a tight grip. The startled guy glanced at her whom smiling at him. He smirked as he tightened his grip on her as well before giving a kiss on her forehead without saying any words.

Nothing changed during their whole dinner time. Changjo didn’t talk much than just smiling at her every time their gazes met, somehow faintly. Jiyoon herself couldn’t stop stealing glances at him when he looked down on his food, not much different from the situation earlier that morning. The bright Changjo who that day had vanished, leaving her with the gloomy Changjo instead, the forever unpredictable side of him.

It’s only their hands which talked all the way back to the hotel. Their intertwined fingers spoke better in expressing their mixed feelings that couldn’t be expressed.

Hiroshi spotted them later at the lobby as they arrived. Noticing the different aura, he held himself back from greeting the couple. Their hands might be twined, bounded closely to each other, but their faces didn’t tell the same way. He shrugged his thoughts off and got back to his work instead, wishing that it was just him who minded it too much.

They tucked themselves into bed right after they arrived at their room. Jiyoon spent a moment to stare at Changjo who had closed his eyes. She was slowly getting mentally hurt by his quietness for keeping his problem to himself. She was there all along beside him. She was there to ease his hardships. She was there to listen to him every time he needed to be listened to. Knowing that he decided to keep it all to himself just slowly but surely tearing her up.

Meanwhile on the other side, Changjo’s busy mind couldn’t rest at all. Time kept going. The panic he had been having caused him not to be able to express his affection anymore. His tongue felt like tied all along. His eyes weren’t able to look at her eyes which stared at him in unspoken pain, hurt.

He had no idea how he could be that bright to earlier that day. The upset feelings easily drove his emotion up and down. And after since, he wasn’t sure if his mood could get up again. The whole off day got him thinking of those stupid things he hated, but yet still needed to be faced. And he wasn’t ready for that.

******

Jiyoon was awakened by the emptiness of the other side of the bed in the midnight. She stared blankly at the empty space beside her, thinking that it was just her hallucination. But it was real. Changjo had gone, again, back to his old habit.

Clenching her eyes shut, she let out a heavy sigh. She grabbed her phone to call him, but the fortune wasn’t on her side. Changjo didn’t bring his phone with him as it rang on the coffee table instead.

With her heart thumping faster, she changed her clothes. She was about to step out the room when Changjo’s phone rang again, which clearly it wasn’t her whom calling that time. The curiosity brought her to walk back towards the coffee table. She gulped nervously at the caller ID. It was Minhyuk.

“Changjo.” Jiyoon had no idea what had got into her that she innocently picked the call up. “Changjo? Ya, we need to talk,” said Minhyuk from the line across.

Jiyoon hastily hung up and put the phone back on the table before she left the room for real. She couldn’t stay still in the elevator, speculating where he might go.

“Going after Changjo?” Hiroshi startled her as she was taking wide steps towards the exit.

“Damn you, Hiroshi! You shocked me!” she jokingly smacked his back. “Uh, yeah, kind of. Do you know where did he go?”

Hiroshi simply shook his head, unintentionally added another burden on her. “I saw him went out, but I didn’t get to talk with him first. Why don’t you call him?”

Jiyoon puffed her cheek. “That’s the problem. He didn’t bring his phone,” she sighed. “Okay then, I should be going now.”

“Alone? At this time? Are you sure?” Jiyoon vigorously nodded at his doubts. “I wish I could accompany you,” he regretfully apologized.

Jiyoon tried to hide her worries with a smile. “Don’t worry, Hiroshi. I’ll be fine. Just go back to work. Bye!”

Grasping the tip of her jacket, she walked through the weirdly cold summer night. She just walked wherever her feet and feelings took her to since she didn’t have any precise place in her mind. Her gaze practically scanned all the stalls and stores she passed by which were still open that night, searching for his presence. She bit her lip nervously knowing it didn’t obtain any significant result.

Her heart beat faster along with her quick steps; her eyes which had turned glassy were ready to break at any time. She was muttering wishes and curses under her breath as she was half running going around the nearby blocks, not wanting to give up until she found him.

A/N:

Omg been a long time! Finally updated. Now I'm worried whether it reached your expectation or not, but I hope so. This story is still quite far from its ending so yeah, please wait Dx

AND HAPPY TEEN TOP 4TH ANNIVERSARY!! #TEENTOP4EVER