Kids were crying as they heard the loud thunder. There was a storm outside but to tell you the truth it wasn’t any better inside either. I was no longer walking. I was running. Running so fast, it looked like I was part of a marathon. It was a race against time inside a foreign airport. My eyes only focused on boys who wore a familiar beanie or a snapback. The other boys wouldn’t matter to me. I tapped on many different shoulders and most of the boys would turn around surprised. I held a box of new shoes and held it close. It was a present I hoped to give to Jackson before he leaves yet it was miserable. The more boys I look at, the less hope I had in finding the person I wanted. The current environment made it harder for me. The airport was even more crowded due to the bad weather. Flights were cancelled. I tripped over a pile of suitcases. I bumped into groups of people and ended up apologizing more than ten times. The airport appeared wider and wider as I kept on running. For crying out loud, where could he be? Was I already too late?

A giant bowl of black bean noodle suddenly appeared out of nowhere and blocked my path. The dish was as big as a four wheel drive and I swear it could feed an entire neighbourhood.

“Move!” I screamed at the strange over-sized item.

“I need to get to him!”

“I don’t want him to go… I’ll never see him again if you continue to block my way… Please…”

It was a pathetic scenery and as a result, the bowl only grew bigger. I fell onto my knees and cried liked a lost baby. I wiped my tears off my cheeks and opened my eyes hoping for a miracle.

Darkness.

The lights were off.

It was all just a dream.  

---

I sat up from my bed and leaned against a pillow to check my phone. It was 2:00 am. I knew I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep unless I had something to drink. I went downstairs. Dirty pots, pans, plates and cups were stacked onto each other in the sink. The aftermath of a party would always looked like this. Everyone would be too exhausted to clean up so we'd all head to bed. I took a bottle of spring water out from the fridge and drank half of it in one go. The cameras were switched off for the night and I felt like I could do anything and not get caught. I walked over to stare at the group photo that was hanging on the wall. With a slight touch, I brushed my index finger on Jackson's face. Looks like we might have to say our farewells to one of the roommates.

I took a small sip from the water bottle and walked back to the couch. I closed my eyes as I sat down and remembered what had happen a few hours back. Just after the family reunion, we all introduced ourselves. I introduced myself as Jackson's best friend. Sae-Ho on the other hand said I'm his Korean girlfriend. Everyone laughed because they thought it wasn't “true”. Of course, nobody knew what had really happened between the two of us. The smile wouldn't swipe off my face as I felt like a successful rebel.

As soon as I reached my bed, scenes of the past came back again. Other than Ji-Young, all of the other guests went home. Jackson decided to stay with his mother at a hotel till morning. The rest of us? Well, we all gathered together for a mid-night snack on the second floor. Sitting quietly with a cup of tea in my hands, I listened carefully to the conversation.

[ Key: Guk-Joo (bold) | Baek Ji-Young (italics) | Nana (normal) | Jong-Ok (bold+italics) ]

"Pass me the chips."

"Aigoo. How can you still eat after what has happened. Haven't you heard?

"About what?"

"Jackson."

"What about him? Where's he going?"

"Home. That's where."

"You can't be serious."

"Didn't you see how much he was crying?"

"He cried for so long."

"He was spaced out for the whole night too. Totally shocked."

"Times like these could change everything. One's mind may have second thoughts."

"Second thoughts of what?"

"Whether he'll stay here... or go back to Hong Kong with his mother."

"What about his job? What will happen to GOT7?"

"Who knows?"

"That's so sad though..."

"As long as Jackson's happy then I'm happy. We can't decide on other people's future."

"That's so true."

"Well... good night everyone. I think I'm going to go to bed."

"I'm so full and I should probably go now."

"It’s about time! You just can’t stop eating can you?”

“I can’t help it! You guys have everything here.”

“All right I’ll wrap you some leftovers, let’s go.”

Of course I wouldn’t believe such a rumour. Nothing had been confirmed yet. However, things aren’t always as they seem. Jackson might have realised how sick his mother is. She may need someone to look after her when she returns to Hong Kong. Life was unpredictable and I was dying to know what my future would look like. If Jackson would have a place in it or not. I was afraid of letting him go when we barely had anything to take away with.

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