Luhan wakes up in Sehun’s arms some time in the middle of the dawn. He snakes his arm on the other guy’s torso, and carefully budges to his side with extra care so he won’t stir him awake. He looks up to him and examines his virile features. Luhan deems he looks extra wonderful in a deep slumber under the dim light in his room. Sehun smells like an eccentric blend of infant milk and honeysuckle, and he likes it even more than his favorite perfume brand.

He whispers loving words to his ear hoping it will be sent to his dreams. He wonders if he also appears in Sehun’s dreams, because just a little while ago, he showed up in his.

“Thank you,” the taller man says softly as he opens his eyes and met Luhan’s sparkling ones. The latter smiles at him and buries his face on the other’s side. Sehun heard his blabbers and he feels a little conscious for sounding like a clingy lover. Sehun chuckles, “I find it very, very sweet, though.”

He looks back at Sehun, who is staring holes at him, keeping his sweet grin. They keep their eyes tied for a minute or two until Sehun notices the tears welling from the other’s eyes. He wipes the saline fluid off from Luhan’s soft cheeks, asking him what made him cry.

He pulls himself up and Sehun follows suit then gets their neglected clothes somewhere on the floor.

Now that they’re dressed and back sitting on the bed, Sehun is dying to ask Luhan what the matter is, but he keeps hushed and wait for him to initiate the talk.

“I need to go to China after graduation, Sehun,” he finally states suggestively and the other just goggles at him waiting for more, like how the thing is worth crying for, why does it bother him so much? Mainland China is just a few hours plane ride, and besides, they can fly there even with their friends. “Mama called me, and they want me to take over our company.”

That’s it – the cue for his mind to collapse. Sehun blinks, he knows that taking over their advertising company means Luhan needs to reside in China for good, that they’ll be separated for a long time. It means Luhan will be very busy keeping their firm in good track. It means that they will have to be in a long-distance relationship.

And Sehun doesn’t believe that that kind of relationship actually works.

“I know you’ll still go even if I beg you not to, so I just have to let you go, then,” he deadpans, trying his hard to muster his emotions.

“You’ll wait for me. We can make this work,” Luhan assures more like himself than Sehun. “We can still send messages anytime. We can do video call whenever we want. You can visit me there at least once a month, or I can just go back here whenever I’m off. We can use all the means. Technology is pretty comprehensive now. We can make ways. We can…” he trails off, tears frantically plummeting down his cheeks.

Sehun hugs him firmly as his own tears escape from his eyes.

Graduation is just a few weeks later and he feels like a doctor just told him he’ll be facing his decease sooner.

“We will, Lu. We will.”

“Promise?”

“Promise,” he answers, hooking their pinkies. He plants a chaste peck on Luhan’s forehead, hoping it can shun his worries away.

Perhaps, Sehun needs to believe now that long-distance relationships work and he wants them to be a living proof.

--

Seated comfortably on the supple settee of their apartment are Baekhyun, Chanyeol, Tao and Kris. Kai invited the whole gang for an in-door get-together, just because everyone is available for a day, and each one of them agrees and submits.

Kyungsoo cooks his renowned kimchi spaghetti with Kai’s help of slicing the needed ingredients. Baekhyun and Tao fidget on their phones ordering fast foods online, while Kris and Chanyeol are having a friendly conversation despite of meeting for the first time. The two giants seem to get along well, having some common interests.

Luhan and Minseok have a quick soccer practice on a Friday and Sehun and Jongdae are on the bench waiting for them.

The clouds are darker than usual and the wind smells like an impending rain, Sehun thinks his bestfriend considered consulting the weather forecast resolving to indoor plans.

On their way out of the campus, Sehun sees Yixing, the Chinese transferee in their department, with Junmyeon, Jongdae’s fellow choir member. The three had a little chat, and Luhan suggests them to go with them, because 'the more, the merrier’.

Kyungsoo’s specialty gets praised by everyone and Kai acts like a proud boyfriend. They talk about random stuff. Baekhyun and Chen indeed are the chattiest ones, and once Chanyeol joins them, the room says goodbye to any piece of silence left. He’s like the fuel that gasses up the two. While Baekhyun doesn’t forget to tease and imitate Tao’s expressions every now and then, since he finds the kid full of aegyos. Kyungsoo and Minseok watch them, giving needed reactions from time to time. Kris and Junmyeon are sitting side by side, although a little awkward at first, they’re now both comfortable with each other, chatting like they were old friends. Sehun and Kai bother Yixing, talking about dance and music, the three obviously get along, being in the same department, and Luhan is there helping Yixing to express himself more in the language that is not his mother tongue. Sehun never heard Luhan talks in full Mandarin, thanks to Yixing he’s able to see this side of his boyfriend. He can’t even understand any of the words he is uttering, but one thing is for sure, he sounds y to his ears.