Jongin woke up to the sound of a series of disturbingly loud, unexpected sharp thuds of knocks coming from downstairs. He shot up, groaned in annoyance as his eyes adjusted to the bit of light radiating fron the window in the midst of his currently pitch black room and saw the hands of the clock ticking above his door pointing somewhere past three. The sun wasn't even up yet, but the knocking didn't stop.

He slid out of his bed and walked out his room at the slowest pace, rubbing his eyes with his hands rolled into fists along with long yawns as he made his way to the door and to whoever was knocking.

It was Sehun.

"Sehun-ssi?" Jongin woke up once he saw Sehun's pale face from behind the door, eyes completely swollen. He was standing in a hoodie and ripped jeans, his long honey blonde hair down unstyled with a luggage bag just behind him. There seemed to be gray aura around him, a mist that wouldn’t fade. "Sehun, what are you doing here-- What's with the bag? It's three in the morning--"

"Where's Seulgi?" Sehun asked, voice firm. "Where is she?"

"I don't know, man. She hasn't been home in a week." The morning after they went on their night walk, Jongin woke up with no trace as to where Seulgi went but he didn't think of it as something to worry about assuming she was with the man currently standing in front of their loft. "I thought she was with you."

"I've been in Beijing for the past week, I just came from the airport." He announced. "Where is she-- do you know where she might be-- I have to talk to her, she can't-- she can't do this- she can't--" Sehun stammered, his voice shaking and full of panic.

"What-- wait a sec, she can't what?" Jongin questioned, trying to sound as calm as possible.

Sehun looked down, even in the poorly lit hallway and even as he deliberately attempted to avoid Jongin's gaze, Jongin could still see water forming in his eyes.

Jongin completely unhooked the lock on the door. "Come in, first." Jongin ordered, as Sehun stepped inside slowly. He sat on one of the island stools with Jongin directly infront of him. "What's going on, Sehun?"

"I don't know." His eyes were a light shade of red around the corners but they remained blank. It was obvious he's been crying but Jongin couldn't tell if he was more angry or upset. Sehun’s throat tightened, making it difficult for him to express himself verbally. "I don't know anything anymore."

"Breathe, man." Jongin said, forcing himself to not give into the worry as he gave Sehun's shoulder a pat from across the island before asking, "When was the last time you saw Seulgi? Or contacted her, at least?"

Sehun did as told and exhaled deep, calming his emotions down. "Once we got to the airport last Thursday, our phones were confiscated." Sehun explained. "I left her a gazillion messages once we landed, but nothing."

"Wait, your flight was last Thursday?" Jongin asked. "Weren't you with Seulgi last Thursday?"

He spoke at a timid tone, the usual sullen face Sehun had looking even more sullen, an unsettling feeling entering him. "She was at the airport when we arrived."

Jongin kept listening, analyzing the situation at hand. "Oh, so she came to say goodbye?"

"Yeah, she came to say goodbye.." Sehun's voice slowly fainted to a whisper. "For good."

Jongin stared at him confused, still unable to understand. "What do you mean 'for good'?" He questioned, making sure he heard correctly.

"I mean." Sehun explained softly, but his voice started shaking, his sight fixed on the counter before him. "She said goodbye."

Jongin leaned back, and furrowed his eyebrows. "That doesn't make sense." He shook his head. "She was so happy last Thursday."

"Happy?!" Sehun snapped, raising his voice going ballistic. "She was happy after she broke up with me?? After she momentarily decides to throw away the three years we had? All that we planned, and all that we dreamt of together? I know I've been neglectful, I know. But it's been beyond my control, she knew there was a possibility of this happening-- she knew-- she should understand more than anyone else but--" Sehun stammered, he roughly ran his fingers through his hair and buried his face in his hands, his emotions continually firing up. "I don't understand. How could she-- I can't-- she can't--"

Jongin watched him. He watched Sehun try his best to hold in his tears and fail. Not knowing exactly what to do, Jongin stayed still and silent until Sehun calmed back down.

After awhile, Sehun shook his head, shaking away the tears and settled his arms on the island. His face showing complete distress, as drops ran down his face. "I don't want to leave her, Jongin. I don't know what-- how I'd be without her."

From the corner of Jongin's eye, he saw something silver sticking out attached to Sehun's wrist, partially covered by the sleeves of his hoodie. He stretched an arm out to tug on Sehun's sleeve, trying to get a full view of the glimmering item. Sehun's head shot up once he realized what Jongin was doing. "You have it." He pointed out, once he had it between his fingers.

Sehun pulled his arm back, pushing his sleeve down. Another Kim Entertainment tradition-- that exact bracelet around on Sehun's wrist was handed out to trainees once debut was 100% confirmed.

"Sehun." Jongin said, his eyes still on the bracelet. "Look at that thing around your wrist."

Sehun remained blank, but his eyes slowly shifted to his wrist on his side as he placed it back on the island.

"Your dreams are coming true, man. Dreams that can only remain as dreams for other people." Jongin muttered, giving his arm a light pat. "Seulgi isn't just throwing away three years, she isn't throwing away your dreams. She's letting you live yours out. I know this isn't what you want to hear right now. But, I think-- and this is just me-- I think this is what's best for you right now. For both of you."

Sehun listened intently, and remained silent, internally despising how much he knew Jongin was right.

"And I don't mean to be frank, but Sehun if you choose to stay with her, you'd just keep hurting her more than you already have." Jongin added, keeping his voice soft to be sensitive. "You haven't even debuted, and you've already admitted it yourself, you've been neglecting her. I know you never meant to but imagine how much worse it'd be once you're actually an idol already-- concerts, performances, shootings, training, flights-- as much as you'd want to, do you honestly think you'd have time to give her the attention she deserves?" 

And that ended their conversation. 

As Sehun pulled his luggage bag behind him and exited the door, he stopped under the door frame to turn around and say, "Take care of her for me."

Jongin nodded, closed the door slowly, and locked it shut, his mind still trying to fully absorb everything he just found out.

I surely will. He thought to himself, the corner of his mouth gradually, and rather unnecessarily curving up.

---

"Seulgi hasn't been training for the past week, sorry Mr. Kim. We also have not heard from her."

"She quit her job in the middle of her shift last Thursday and ran out with another word. Didn't even give me a warning to go find another waitress, that brat."

"Jongin? No dear, Seulgi hasn't gone home in awhile actually. Neither has she even contacted us for months. Tell her the family misses her terribly, especially her dad and I. Also! Please let her know that we would love to visit Seoul for the holidays-- oh, and has she sent in the money for October? Anyways, aren't you the heir of Kim Ent? Oh, son are you Seulgi's new boyfriend??"

"I haven't heard from her either, none of the trainees have. She's not one to pay any attention to her phone anyways so I really don't know."

"Sorry, I've never heard of a Kang Seulgi."

"Sorry."

"Sorry, we don't know."

"We are very sorry."

---

Jongin spent the entirety of Friday looking for his roommate, the worry practically eating him alive. He passed by the company, called her friends, visited the restaurant she worked at, even contacted her parents in the province but nothing. He was inches close to calling the police because Seulgi literally left no traces as to where she possibly was. He didn't even know exactly why he was exerting so much effort in the first place-- but for some reason, he felt responsible for her now. Especially with no Sehun in the picture, he felt completely responsible.

As the day passed, he locked the door facing yet another empty loft. Usually, whenever Seulgi left, it barely mattered. But for some unknown reason, he felt particularly lonely just looking around inevitably getting enveloped by the silence around him. The only noise was in his head; the unanswered question as to where she was constantly hovering over him desparate to be answered.

That's honestly all he needed.

Answers.

And what better place could he get answers than in the one room in his own loft that he's never dared to enter.

He stood outside Seulgi's bedroom door, hand already grasping the knob, just staring blankly still under the dilemma of opening it or not. He kept looking around, still cautious of whether anyone was watching him or not even if he was certain no one was in the flat other than him.

"Seul, don't kill me." He whispered to himself as he turned the knob and stepped inside. His eyes immediately wandered around the entire perimeter of the room. Other than tiny glimpses from the common area on the second floor, he never actually completely saw it even after two long years. He instantly noticed the huge canvas portrait of a ballerina being held up in the air by her male partner still steady in the middle of a cabriole. He observed the pure ivory colored walls, the unused bed with clean white sheets wrapping up the queen-sized mattress with a wooden headboard and a couple fluffed up pillows with a rilakkuma bear seated in the middle tucked under the first upper layer of bed sheets and the multi-colored blanket with polka dots Seulgi dragged around everywhere with her. There was also a forty-inch flat screen attached on the wall directly in front of her bed, a bunch of DVDs scattered on a small drawer under it. He paced around slowly, the familiar wooden maple flooring brushing against the soles of his shoes. He noticed the vintage curtains billowing in the breeze from the window behind the bookshelf filled with leather bound books and the tall wardrobe with the tan coat Seulgi often wore clumsily hung on the hook upfront, plus a pair of leather boots and red Vans lying around right in front. He trolled around, and picked up a framed photo on her bedside table under the night lamp.

It was a photo of her and Sehun, the both of them looking snug in baggy knit sweaters as the winter filled the atmosphere. It was snowing in the background while Sehun had his arms tight around her neck, smile wide and genuine while Seulgi still looked irked as usual by the gesture even if the person hugging her was (Jongin assumed) already her boyfriend. Jongin had his eyes fixed on the joy evident on Sehun's expression, and he felt his insides twist as he stared more. Without thinking, he picked it up and he held onto it tight leaving the frames of Seulgi with her family and another one with her friends on the table. 

Honestly, the question wracking and constantly bothering Jongin's brain after discovering literally no one knew where she was if Seulgi didn't only leave Sehun for good-- it was if she left Seoul for good as well. Looking around one last time and realizing how all her belongings were still seemingly present, he left the room with his heart at peace. And a framed photo tucked under his arm.

---

The morning after, Jongin was awakened by not a bunch of knocks but rather with a hard smack on his head with one of his own pillows. St