3rd POV

Jongin really didn’t care about the food or the drinks or, really, anything, in fact. But he figured time would go by quicker if he was busy eating than just waiting around for Boss to finally  finish up with her, “connections.”

Jongin almost laughed at that term. Some connections. All she had been doing the whole night was chatting up some of her old friends with useless conversation. He had told her twice that he wanted to leave with her answer being, “5 minutes,” which was about an hour ago.

So with a grunt and sigh, he filled his plate with little shrimps and tiny horderves. He went down the buffet table, liberally picking at anything that caught his eye, not really caring if he finished everything or not. His ears didn’t think twice about the shuffling of feet behind him until a hand belonging to that pair of feet was placed firmly on his shoulder and the piercing sound of the name he hadn’t heard in years took over his mind:

“Kai?”

The effect of that name destroyed his body in a millisecond. His body began so numb and shaky that he almost lost his grip on the plate. With blurry eyes and his breath caught in his throat, he dared to turn around. A pair of familiar eyes so big and warm greeted him.

“Oh my God, it’s you.” Aya said, her words cutting right through him. Jongin didn’t even get to utter a word before her arms were immediately thrown around his neck, embracing him in her deprived arms. He couldn’t find the courage to hug her back.

In the distance, he saw Kyungsoo staring at him. Just staring. With no readable emotion on his face.

“How- how long has it been? How are you?” Aya frantically asked as they separated. “How is everything with you? Dude, look at you!” She chuckled, but Jongin noticed the awkwardness in it. “You’ve changed so much! I hardly recognized you! How’s life? Everything good?”

The questions were friendly and light, but Jongin perfectly saw the years of longing and desperation in his old friend’s eyes. How much Aya must have missed him.

Aya turned around and eagerly pointed at Jongin, the latter watching his beaming face as he smiled to Kyungsoo and said, “It’s Kai! Come here!”

The daze (or anger, Jongin thought it was, possibly) faded and Kyungsoo fixed fixed expression. Jongin saw him smile, but he saw the tightness in his face and the insincerity in his eyes. He strutted over,beaming at Aya.

“Kyungsoo, look who’s here.” Aya breathily said.

“Kim Jongin, in the flesh.” He joked with a soft chuckle. “It’s nice to see you.”

“‘Nice’? Are you kidding me? It’s amazing! Our best friend is home!” Aya exclaimed, slinging an arm around Jongin’s shoulder.

Aya didn’t notice, but Jongin did. He noticed the dryness in the light laugh that left Kyungsoo's lips. “Haha, yeah...our best friend is home.” He said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, unable to make eye contact with him.

“We have to go tell the others. Oh man, Kai, they’re gonna be so happy to see you. Alot has changed in the past couple of years but we’re all still the same bunch of idiots.” She laughed. “Come on, let’s go. They’re outside.” She said and began leading the way, leaving a breath moment alone for Kyungsoo and Jongin.

Kyungsoo only spared a small glance at Jongin, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of him. He was taller, almost the same height as him. And his hair was a lot shorter, making him looked like the older man he was. His face was aged and mature, but still as loveable as always. His childlike, immature eyes were replaced by heavy, weary, and cautious ones that still had speckles of fun and jubilance.

He turned to follow Aya, but Jongin quickly said the first words he had to hir in five years:

“Kyungsoo-ya...” he quietly called, “It’s nice to see you.” 

But when he turned around and only spared him a glance before not being able to look at him any longer, his response pierced into his fragile heart. He said hir words and turned back around to follow his girlfriend with Jongin rounding up his courage to move from his spot, the spot that was saving him from experiencing reactions like Kyungsoo's from his other friends. 

Hannie

“Alright so the next time you take me to Cuba-”

“Mexico.” I corrected.

“Whatever,” Sehun rolled his eyes, “So the next time you take me Mexico-”

“Who said I was going to?” I laughed.

“Jesus woman, let me speak!” He exclaimed. The guys and I chuckled and I ushered him to go on. “So the next time you take me to Mexico and if I see a random hot, Latina woman, how would I ask her out?”

I snorted. “Alright, repeat after me: Sabías.”

“Sabías.”

“Que.”

“Que.”

“Mi.”

“Mi.”

“Pene.”

“Pene.”

“Es.”

“Es.”

“Pequeño.”

“Pequeñ