Chapter Text
Jeonghan's back hurts from being hunched over his desk for so long. He's been staring at the screen for half an hour now without having written anything. He can physically feel the end of the day nearing, and knows that he's supposed to finish this article on his trip to Thailand by tonight. But he can't find himself to write anything positive about it.
He has to admit to himself that he has an awful case of writer's block that not even a week at the beach managed to cure.
He lies back in his chair, an awfully loud sigh escaping his lips. It's loud enough for his colleague and cubicle mate Vernon to lean his way, whistling impressively as he glances at his empty word document. He met Vernon on his first day as an intern after he moved to New York. They bonded instantly, Jeonghan being happy to have a Korean friend he could hang out with. It was a reminder of home, of what he left behind to pursue his dream.
They've been working together for six years now, and Vernon has quickly become Jeonghan's closest friend in the United States. They know each other better than anyone, which is why Jeonghan isn't surprised by his friend's reaction.
"Wow, amazing article Jeonghan. I definitely want to travel to Thailand right now. I'm actually booking a ticket as we speak," his friend says jokingly, earning himself a small punch on his arm from Jeonghan.
"Shut up- I'm having a crisis right now! Wonwoo is going to kill me if he sees I still don't have anything written," Jeonghan replies defeated, closing the empty document.
"You'll be fine! He loves you anyway. You've been his favourite employee ever since he hired you." Vernon reasons him, despite making fun of him just a few seconds ago. "You could just say that the trip isn't worth the article, it's not the first time it's happened."
"I know, but it's my job to make it look nice. And it wasn't that bad, objectively speaking. I just… can't find anything to say today."
"Why don't you take it easy, then? Ask Wonwoo to move the deadline later. There's like, at least three more issues we can release before yours is absolutely needed. It's okay to have a block sometimes, you'll get something to write eventually."
Jeonghan sighs, laying further into his chair. "You're right, I should probably do that." He dismissively looks at the clock which shows it's already well past six o'clock. He supposedly has finished his work day over half an hour ago. He decides that nothing good is going to come out of this shift and that he'll try again tomorrow.
He says goodbye to Vernon and goes home eagerly, wanting nothing more than to make one with his bed.
He carries the exhaustion from his work day all the way to his studio apartment, merely tossing the fresh stack of letters he retrieved from the mailbox on top of the already existing one. He hasn't had the energy to deal with any of this lately. If it was anything important, they'd probably call or send him an email anyway.
He plumps onto his couch with a sigh, feeling all of his muscles ache at the sudden movement. He really needs to work on his posture at work.
Halfway through trying to decide whether or not he has enough energy to get up and take a shower, he feels his phone vibrate in his pocket. He wiggles a little to snatch it out of it and looks at the incoming call, the sight making his eyes widen a little. 'dear Channie <3', it reads. Seungcheol's younger brother.
It's been months since they last talked, despite growing to be pretty close when he and Seungcheol were still friends. Naturally, with distance and nothing linking them anymore, messages and calls grew scarce, until they completely stopped. Jeonghan wonders what Chan possibly would need him for, and decides to pick up before the call goes to voicemail.
"Channie!" Jeonghan greets him as soon as the call connects. "How have you been?"
"Hyung! I've been great, how are you? More importantly, where are you? We've been waiting for you!" Chan greets him back, he can hear a lot of background noise on his end, and the statement makes him frown. Did he book a trip to Korea and forgot about it? He hasn't scheduled any days off until his birthday.
"Waiting for me? What do you mean?" He asks back confused, looking at the clock. "It's midnight in Seoul, what would you possibly need me there for at this hour?"
"Seoul? I'm not in Seoul, silly. We're in Barcelona!" Chan says, interrupting his speech for a moment. It seems like someone else is talking to him, leaving Jeonghan even more confused. What is Chan doing there and why would he need him. "Sorry Hyung, Soonyoung Hyung was talking to me. Anyway! Did you not receive the letter I sent you? We're getting married in Barcelona! You were supposed to RSVP."
The colour all but drains from Jeonghan's face, and he curses under his breath before jumping from the couch to get to his pile of mail, going through it at the speed of light until he finds what he's looking for, recognising Chan's writing. He hurries to open it while sitting back on the couch, quickly reading the content of it.
Together with their family, Lee Chan and Kwon Soonyoung have the utmost pleasure to invite you to their destination wedding in Barcelona, Spain, on June 27th, 2026.
Please confirm your presence before May 27th.
The invitation comes with an address, and some scribbled notes at the bottom of it reading 'Hyung, please come to the wedding!!! We need you here!!!!'
The more he reads the lines on the invitation card, the more awful he feels. He guesses he couldn't have known that the invitation was waiting to be opened in the pile, but he at least would've had more time to prepare himself for when he needs to tell Chan that he won't be able to attend.
"Ah, Channie, I'm sorry I didn't call earlier about it. Congratulations for the wedding! I'm so happy you and Soonyoung finally took the leap." He stops for a second, biting his lip and playing with a strand of hair, while he tries to think about what to say. "I don't think I'll be able to attend, though. I'm sorry Channie… I have a work trip scheduled and I'm leaving tomorrow for China."
"What? Hyung, come on! I know your work is flexible, they'd let you skip it for this reason. I really want you here with us Hyung, you're like family and you know that." Chan argues back, and Jeonghan curses himself for talking about his work so much the past few years.
"I don't know, I don't think it's a good idea to have me here. With Seungcheol and Jisoo here… it would only sour the mood." Jeonghan finally admits, knowing full well Chan is aware of why he's reluctant to come to the wedding.
"Oh Hyung, they're not together anymore. And for good this time. It's been like, almost a year or something." Chan replies, and the information is like a blow to Jeonghan's stomach. How, why is he not aware of this?
"Oh, really? That's… unexpected." Is all Jeonghan finds to reply, not knowing what to do with the information. He switches topic quickly, not wanting to talk about the 'Seungcheol and Jisoo' subject any further. "Anyway Channie, I'm sorry but this work trip is not something I can get out of. I'll make it up to you when we see each other in Korea, yeah? You guys enjoy your wedding and the city."
Chan tries to argue some more, but when he realises Jeonghan won't budge he gives up. Jeonghan hates to hear the disappointment in his voice when he says that it's alright and they'll see each other soon before hanging up. He's already starting to think of ways to make up for his absence when he tosses his phone back onto the couch. He heads to the bathroom to wash up, making up a list of different wedding gifts to get for the couple in his head.
He knows Chan is right and that if Jeonghan really wanted to, he could cancel his work trip and go to Barcelona instead. Wonwoo has always been lenient with him, letting him take on whatever job he seemed fit for him. 'My best writer gets the best privileges,' he had said once when Jeonghan asked him about it.
The wedding is in two days, he would have time to book a ticket and get there. But he doesn't think he's ready to see Seungcheol again. Not in these conditions.
He can't stop thinking about it for the rest of the evening, the thoughts plaguing his mind even as he cooks a quick dinner to fill his stomach and gets ready for bed. It even prevents him from falling asleep. He tosses around his bed back and forth for what feels like eternity, questions flooding his mind. He thinks about what Seungcheol might think when he realises that Jeonghan isn't coming. Will he think it's because of him? Well, it is because of him. But he can't know that.
He sits back up on his bed with a huff, grabbing his phone and dialling Seungcheol's number without a second thought. He doesn't really know what he's doing right now, but he needs to make sure Seungcheol knows that he's not going to be here.
It takes a few seconds before Seungcheol picks up. "Hello?"
"Seungcheol, hi." Jeonghan says. He doesn't know if he's going to recognise him. Maybe he deleted his number, it's been so long after all.
"Jeonghan?" Seungcheol replies, and his heart can't help but skip a beat. He still remembers his voice. Or maybe his number is still saved, who knows.
"Hi. Sorry, I must be bothering you. I- uh, just got a call from Channie about the wedding. I told him I couldn't attend, but I figured I'd let you know too… just in case." Jeonghan explains, and he figures he must sound ridiculous right now. They haven't spoken to each other in two years and that's the first thing he decides to say? He slaps his forehead with a sigh, which he hopes Seungcheol didn't hear.
"Oh, okay. That's fine, I guess it's for the best," Seungcheol replies, and Jeonghan is almost offended. Hearing the words almost gives him whiplash. What is that even supposed to mean?
"For the best?" He can't help but ask, his voice betraying the bitterness he feels because of the comment. Does Seungcheol not want him here that bad? He can't hate him that much, surely.
"I mean- Soonyoung is going insane over the seating arrangement, so… Anyway. Where are they sending you this time?"
When Jeonghan called Seungcheol, he genuinely intended on telling him that he wouldn't be here. He had made his decision, prioritised his work even if it would hurt his friend—Chan, not Seungcheol. But Jeonghan is also a petty person. He gets riled up easily, and Seungcheol's comment was enough to make him act up and speak before his mind could even catch up.
"Barcelona, actually!" He says with a fake enthusiasm in his voice. "I'll be able to attend the wedding after all, I might just not be able to make it to all the festivities though." Jeonghan wants to slap himself the second he realises what he said. He's such a dumbass.
"Oh, okay then. That's cool." Seungcheol replies, and if he sees through Jeonghan's lie, he doesn't mention it. "I'll see you at the wedding, then."
"Yeah, see you then." He replies before hanging up, throwing his phone on his bed like it's a burning object before grabbing one of his pillows to scream into it.
He's so stupid, so so stupid.
"So… you want me to cancel your trip to Shanghai to go to Barcelona instead? You realise your flight is in a few hours, right?" Wonwoo says over the phone. He doesn't sound pissed just yet, but Jeonghan knows he still needs to sell the idea well to be able to go.
"I know, I know. Listen, it's last minute but it's important! I was so busy with work that I didn't even have time to check my mail and see the invitation. Can you believe that? And Barcelona can also work for an article, it'll be just like Shanghai, I promise." Not his best argumentation ever, but it's the best he could manage.
There's a beat of silence after he finishes speaking. Wonwoo is probably thinking over the logistics of it. Jeonghan thinks he might have stopped breathing in anticipation, and he needs Wonwoo to speak up fast before he dies of asphyxia.
"Fine," Wonwoo finally says after what feels like forever. "You can go, but you better come back with your best article to date. Is that clear?"
Jeonghan lets out the longest breath he's ever had. "Yes, oh my god, thanks Wonwoo! I owe you with that one."
They hang up after greeting each other goodnight, and Jeonghan gets out of his bed to retrieve his luggage. He looks over the clothes he had packed for Shanghai, and figures that they probably don't fit a destination wedding. He looks up at the clock which is already showing past midnight, and he knows that he won't get much sleep tonight. He has too many things to prepare on such a short notice.
Nine summers ago
Jeonghan straightens back with a huff, sweat pooling up on his nape from the continuous effort. He brought his bags down from his dorm on his own, every single one of his friends having left the day prior. He didn't have anyone to come pick him up and drive him back home; he had planned on booking a train ticket, then take two different buses to be able to get back in his hometown when he discovered that there's a guy from his year, but different major, who lives in Goheung too.
He didn't waste time in trying to contact the guy and planning a last minute hitchhike to get back home, which would save him a lot of money. He promised to share the needed gas money for the trip, but that would still be less expensive than taking the KTX all the way to the south of the country.
He spots the guy as Jeonghan is slowly but surely bringing the last of his suitcases and bags to the parking lot.
"Hi! Seungcheol, right?" He greets the guy when he gets to his level. He notices that the trunk is already open and doesn't waste time before putting his belongings in it. "Thank you so much for the ride, it's such a crazy coincidence that we're from the same town! I can't believe we never crossed paths at university before-"
"You're late." Is all Seungcheol replies, interrupting Jeonghan's babbling.
"What?" Jeonghan asks incredulously, putting the last of his bag into the trunk. "You said we should meet around eight."
"It's five past nine, that's nowhere near eight. I told you to meet early because I wanted to avoid traffic," Seungcheol deadpans while showing his phone screen, which indeed displays that it's past nine already.
"Well," Jeonghan tries to explain while keeping his tone light, "I didn't have anyone to help me carry my bags down. It's okay though, I'm sure the traffic will be fine…" His voice trails off when he sees Seungcheol take his bags off the trunk. "What are you doing?!" He asks hurriedly, his voice pitching up in a panic.
"You're blocking my rear-view mirror!" Seungcheol bites back visibly annoyed. "Just put them in the back seat and let's go, we're already going to be late enough as it is."
"I told you we're not going to end up in traffic! Everyone left yesterday already," Jeonghan retorts, getting his bags where he was told to before getting into the passenger seat.
They've been stuck in traffic for an hour now, the atmosphere being so thick Jeonghan thinks he could probably cut through it. He hasn't dared saying a word yet, not wanting to admit that he's wrong and that it's his fault they didn't even make it out of Seoul yet. It doesn't help that Seungcheol looks visibly annoyed too. Jeonghan is scared that he's going to be thrown out of the car if he utters a word right now.
He waits until they're fully out of Seoul before trying to strike a conversation with the guy. It is a blessing that they're from the same town, and he figures that if he manages to make a friend out of him, he'd have a free ride back and forth to university everytime they both needed to.
"So…" He lets out tentatively, dragging the syllable out as much as he can to try to gauge Seungcheol's reaction. Not seeing anything that would be a direct threat to his safety, he deems it okay to continue. "What's your major?" He starts with a pretty generic question, something easy that wouldn't offend anyone.
"Finance." Is all Seungcheol says, with no indication that he's going to continue the conversation.
"That makes sense," Jeonghan replies. "I study journalism by the way, thanks for asking."
"What do you mean that makes sense?" Seungcheol asks back, and he sounds almost like he's offended.
"I mean, you do look like someone who would study finance. It makes sense."
"That's such a stupid explanation. It doesn't make any sense."
"There's nothing wrong with looking like the major you study, Seungcheol. It doesn't make you any less handsome, I promise," Jeonghan jokes to try to get the atmosphere a little lighter, but it seems like the joke doesn't land in peaceful territory when he sees Seungcheol frown.
"… I have a partner." Seungcheol replies. He really sounds serious about it, which makes Jeonghan laugh almost nervously. Did he really think Jeonghan was trying to hit on him?
"… Okay?" Jeonghan is dumbfounded, this guy is so full of himself. He needs to find a new topic of conversation or it's going to be the most excruciating four hours of his life. "Anyway. Since we're on the road, if you could travel anywhere right now where would you go?" He asks, hoping it can get the conversation going.
"I don't know. Home, probably." Seungcheol replies after a beat, the answer almost making Jeonghan scandalised.
"What? You're serious?"
"Yeah. I like home, it's comfortable." He states with his eyes not leaving the road ahead.
"It's boring, not comfortable. Come on, aside from home where would you be?" Jeonghan insists, because he can't believe anyone would want to go back to their small town willingly.
It's not a bad town per say, it has the essentials. But Jeonghan always felt alienated to his place there, not being able to be as free as he's always dreamed of. He always knew that he would leave after he finished high school, only applying to universities that were at least four hours away. He comes back every holiday because he loves his parents no matter what, but just the thought of imagining a life there makes him sick. That's why he doesn't understand why Seungcheol would find any appeal to their hometown.
He watches as Seungcheol looks like he's actually thinking over the question, humming to himself. "London, probably. I love seeing it in the movies, I want to know if it's as pretty as it looks like."
"That's a much better answer than home," Jeonghan replies, accepting the answer. They fall into a somewhat comfortable silence after that, the atmosphere lighter than at the beginning of their trip. They probably have a couple more hours to go before they reach their hometown. Jeonghan settles on looking out the window and admiring the view of the countryside. It's a little refreshing to see after staying in the city for a few months.
They drive a little more before stopping at a gas station to refuel and buy some snacks. Seungcheol gets out of the car after turning the ignition off, before looking back at Jeonghan when he realises he's not getting off with him. "You're not getting out?"
Jeonghan shakes his head, settling a little more comfortably in the seat. "Not yet, I'll be out in a minute."
Seungcheol nods, closing the door before he starts walking towards the gas station store. Jeonghan closes his eyes and stays still for a few minutes, needing some time to himself. to reset. He gets out after a bit, circling around the car when he doesn't see the car keys anywhere to close it with the button on the driver's door.
He doesn't take too long inside the gas station. Only going to the bathroom to freshen up and grabbing some snacks before getting out, meeting Seungcheol on the way.
"Ready to get back on the road?" Seungcheol asks as they're walking to the car.
"Yeah! I can't wait to get back to my bed, really," Jeonghan replies when they reach the car, going for the passenger's seat door. He waits for Seungcheol to open it, but the other man just looks at him with the same expectancy.
"What are you waiting for to open the car?" Jeonghan asks, and he watches as Seungcheol starts to frown.
"What do you mean? I don't have the keys, I left them inside the car for you to close it." He looks down through the car's window, and Jeonghan doesn't think he's ever seen someone's eyes bulge so much in his life. "Oh my god, did you lock the car and left the keys inside?" He asks frantically, trying to open the door.
Jeonghan's blood drains out of his face, and he crouches a little to see the car keys on the floor next to the driver's seat. "I didn't know!" He tries to explain, "I thought you had them, I didn't see them." He knows that nothing he's going to say is going to save the situation right now, but he's still going to try.
Seungcheol doesn't even bother to reply, pinching the bridge of his nose while he sighs.
They've been sitting down on a bench at the gas station for hours now. Seungcheol called the tow company so they could get his car, but apparently they're beyond busy and don't have an ETA for when they're going to be able to pick them. The sun is almost set by now, and they haven't uttered a word to each other since the incident.
Jeonghan texted his parents, but none of them were available to pick them up and drive them back home. It's not like Seungcheol doesn't need to stay around until the towing company comes by anyway, so they're stuck here for now.
He feels a shiver going through his body with the night setting and the cold breeze taking over the weather. He didn't take anything with him when he got out of the car, he just has his shirt on him. It wasn't that cold earlier, definitely not enough to warrant getting his jacket from the backseat, but now that the night is on its way he regrets his decision.
"The towing company should be here soon. They can drop us in a nearby town so we can stay the night," Seungcheol says, having probably noticed how cold he is.
"Cool, that sounds like a plan." Is all Jeonghan finds to say, feeling awful for having ruined their trip back home. Seungcheol probably hates him right now, only tolerating his presence because he's decent enough to not let him rot on the street for the entire night. "I'm really sorry, I didn't do it on purpose." He feels the needs to apologise, figuring he probably should've started with that when they realised they were locked out of the car.
"It's okay, it happens. The keys probably fell down when I tried to toss them in the compartment." Seungcheol reassures him, and Jeonghan feels like he really, really doesn't deserve it.
They fall back into silence after that and all the way until the towing company finally shows up—which takes an additional hour. They're being dropped off at the nearest town with a hotel alongside instructions on how to get the unlocked car back tomorrow morning. Now, the only thing they have left to do is getting a room to stay in for the night.
"Welcome, how many nights are you staying?" The receptionist asks once they get to the counter.
"Just one night," Seungcheol replies, "and two rooms, please."
The receptionist types something on their computer before looking back at them with an apologetic smile. "Unfortunately we only have one room left available for tonight. Do you still want to book with us?"
Jeonghan eyes Seungcheol up and down to gauge his reaction. He doesn't seem particularly pleased to have to share a room with Jeonghan and he gets it. They're still somewhat strangers. But he didn't see any other hotel nearby while they were driving here. They don't have the luxury of being picky for the night.
The receptionist gives them the key of the room after they payed and they both make their way towards the room in silence, Jeonghan rushing to the bathroom as soon as he can to escape. He freshens up as best as he can given little he has and comes back into the room to find Seungcheol on the phone.
He notices that Seungcheol pulled some bedsheets and a pillow from the drawer and laid them on the floor, where he's currently sitting. He looks at the bed. It doesn't particularly look like it would fit them both without having them close to each other.
"Yeah, Jisoo. We're getting the car unlocked tomorrow morning and then we'll be on our way," he hears Seungcheol speak on the phone. He's trying to make his voice as small as possible but it's not enough for Jeonghan to not hear it, the room is small after all. "Yeah, it's a guy. No— I'll sleep on the floor. Sure, I'll update you. Love you, bye." He says some more before hanging up, tossing his phone on the bedsheets.
"Was that your girlfriend?" Jeonghan asks while plopping on the bed, not being able to stop himself from being nosy.
There's a second of silence before Seungcheol replies. "Boyfriend, actually."
Oh. Jeonghan didn't think Seungcheol was into guys. "Oh, cool. Does he also live in Goheung? High school sweetheart?" Jeonghan follows up, eyes following Seungcheol as the other is heading to the bathroom.
"Yeah, my family loves him." Seungcheol replies through the bathroom wall. Jeonghan doesn't feel like raising his voice to continue the conversation, so he waits for Seungcheol to finish freshening up and get back into the room to speak again.
"That's nice. I'm happy for you. You know what they say, if your mom loves them you gotta keep them." He comments while wiggling his eyebrows.
"Oh," Seungcheol replies, "He never met my mom. She passed away a few years ago." He states while sitting back down on his makeshift bed.
Jeonghan closes his eyes as he feels his heart constrict in his chest. He closes his eyes, letting a sigh. He always has to mess everything up. "I'm so sorry, it must've been awful." He ends up saying, feeling awful for ruining the mood like this.
"It's okay, we were young." Seungcheol reassures Jeonghan while getting into bed. "It was harder on my dad than us, it took him a while to get back on his feet. Our grandma helped a lot. Everything is alright now, though."
Jeonghan hums and nods, not trusting himself to say anything else while not fucking up. He turns his head to look at Seungcheol. "Hey, are you sure you don't want to sleep on the bed? I'm sure we can make it fit." He tries to ask him, feeling bad that he's the only one who's going to get a comfortable night of sleep.
"It's fine, don't worry." Seungcheol replies, and his tone sounds definitive. Jeonghan doesn't want to insist too much, so he nods and gets comfortable in the bed, trying to fall asleep.
They're both silent for a few minutes after that, Jeonghan shifting in the bed a few times to try and find a comfortable position to fall asleep when Seungcheol speaks up again.
"Hey, can I ask why you dislike Goheung so much?"
The question makes Jeonghan's heart skip a bit, thinking about the reason. He debates whether he can trust Seungcheol with that information or not, but he figures if Seungcheol could tell him about his boyfriend so easily, he can share something as well
"When I was in high school I had a crush on this guy— I tried hiding it, but I don't think that I was subtle enough. You know how teenagers are," Jeonghan starts, he takes a deep breath between sentences to ground himself. "I attended this party during my second year, and we were playing seven minutes in heaven. I got paired with the guy and we got in the closet, but nothing happened. I couldn't even dare thinking he liked me back, or was even into guys." He continues, "The next day at school everyone started laughing at me the second I stepped in. Turns out, he lied about… stuff that I did to him. Somehow knew I was gay, and for the rest of my high school years they called me names, bullied me for it." He ends the story with that. His voice is a little heavy by the time he finishes, but he pretends not to notice it.
"Jeonghan, I'm so sorry that happened to you. You didn't deserve it," Seungcheol says after a bit, sitting back up on his bed to look at Jeonghan. "They're so stupid, they should've never done this to you."
"It's okay, I'm over it now." Jeonghan reassures Seungcheol with a smile. "I just… I've always wanted to get away from this town after this happened. Nothing aside from my family ties me to it anymore
"If that can be worth anything, I wouldn't have called you any name had we known each other back then."
"It does help. Thank you, Seungcheol." Jeonghan says, his smile stretching just a bit wider
"Thank you? For what?" Seungcheol asks a little confused.
"You're the first person I've told this to who hasn't asked if I actually did it."
They don't speak for a moment, Seungcheol staring at him with surprised eyes. His face softens after that, and he lies back down on his bed. "Good night, Jeonghan."
"Good night, Seungcheol."
Jeonghan wakes up to an empty room the next morning. The curtains in the room aren't thick enough to block the light and Jeonghan has always been a light sleeper. He looks around the room, not hearing anything coming from the bathroom. He sits back on the bed suddenly, panic coursing through him for a second when he realises that Seungcheol isn't here anymore. Did he really leave him here all alone?
He doesn't have much time to let panic settle in him when the door opens, a panting Seungcheol greeting his sigh.
"Hi, you're already awake?"
"I can't believe you left for a run so early in the morning. I thought you abandoned me," Jeonghan tells Seungcheol when they're getting breakfast at the hotel. He's stabbing into his omelette with more force than needed just to emphasise his annoyance
"I always run in the morning! Sorry, I should've texted you about it. I didn't think you would be up so early."
"It's fine, I'm not a heavy sleeper, so the morning light woke me up pretty quickly." Jeonghan replies, before leaning forward slightly towards Seungcheol. "Anyway, how did you like the last twenty four hours? Does the great Choi Seungcheol like travelling?" He asks playfully. Truthfully he does want to know whether or not he completely scared him off and will be thrown out of the car as soon as they reach Goheung.
"I never really travelled anywhere before, but I did get to see a beautiful sunset in a place I've never been to before. It wouldn't have happened if things went as planned…" Seungcheol replies after a bit, looking like he's really thinking about the question. "I think I like it, it was fun," he finishes with a smile
Jeonghan's mirrors his smile as he's straightens up in his chair. "Great! Should we book a trip to London then? You said you wanted to visit it."
"How about we start with becoming friends, yeah?" Seungcheol replies with a laugh, extending his hand for Jeonghan to shake.
Jeonghan eyes the hand up and down for a second, shaking it with a smirk. "Deal, friends first then."
Jeonghan has been used to the turmoil of the airport for awhile, having worked at his travel journalist job for six years now. He's always going somewhere, and it's almost like the boarding gates feel more familiar to him than his own New York studio apartment.
Yet, today, as he's getting out of the plane and walking towards the luggage area to get his stuff he can't help but feel nervosity pooling in his stomach. The music blasting in his ears from his headphones is doing nothing to soothe his nerves, and he knows why that is. The context of why he's in Barcelona in the first place is only making him more anxious
He hasn't seen or talked to Seungcheol in over two years now. And as happy as he is that Chan and Soonyoung are finally getting married after dating for so long, he's scared. Scared of seeing Seungcheol again. Scared of confronting the reality that they fell off so abruptly, and there was nothing they could do to save their friendship.
He's scared of being put in front of the fact that he doesn't know how to act around him anymore. Not when being by his side used to be the most comfortable thing in the world.
His train of thought is abruptly stopped when he notices the treadmill starting to move and his luggage being the first one to drop on it. For a second, he forgets about everything and focuses on how lucky he is to get his so early. He almost always has to wait at least half an hour before starting to see his stuff coming in.
He practically hops to his luggage, grabbing it with a little celebration dance. He lets himself relish in this little win, probably the only good thing that will happen during this trip—aside from the wedding
He's still dancing and humming when he leaves the treadmill area, not looking in front of him when he bumps onto someone. He doesn't hear a thing they're saying with his noise cancelling headphones, but he apologises regardless.
It's almost comical, really, how fate does its things. He almost hears the universe laugh at him when he looks up to the person he bumped into and realises who it is.
It's like a cold shower is washing over him, his excitement from a few seconds long gone as Seungcheol looks back at him with probably as much surprise as he's adorning on his own face. He feels his heart skip a beat, and breath is almost knocked out of him.
Seungcheol still looks the same as he remembers him from two years ago, save from his hair being a bit longer. He looks familiar and like a stranger at the same time, for the look he displays on his face is something that Jeonghan never witnessed on him before. He's never seen Seungcheol surprised to see him.
"Seungcheol, hi." Jeonghan says after a beat, figuring that he can't just pretend he didn't see him. It would be complicated, considering he almost made him fall.
"Hi. I didn't— expect to see you here." Seungcheol replies, and Jeonghan hates how awkward the atmosphere feels. He wasn't ready to do this now. He hasn't prepared himself yet.
"Yeah! My plane just landed. And my luggage arrived first, actually. Hence the…" he gestures behind him in an attempt to explain himself, figuring Seungcheol probably witnessed his behaviour to some extent, "little dance. I was happy. Anyway! How have you been? I thought you would be there already, Chan called me directly from Spain." He finishes, trying to switch the topic.
"I couldn't take anymore days at work than I have right now, so I came here separately," Seungcheol explains. And Jeonghan nods in understanding.
"You're still working at that firm in Seoul?
"No, actually. I left about a year ago to come back home, I found a better job in Yeosu. And it's better, you know, to be closer to my dad..."
"That's cool. I'm happy for you," Jeonghan replies, not knowing what else to say. There's a beat where they don't say anything, his words hanging in the air. The atmosphere is agonising, and he feels the urge to just get going and finally settle down at his Airbnb apartment.
"Anyway, I need to get going, I told the host I'll check in at three." He says, grabbing his luggage. "Do you wanna share a cab, maybe? It'll cost less
"Oh, I rented a car actually." Seungcheol replies, scratching his nape. Jeonghan isn't even surprised. Of course he did, he's always been one to only trust himself when it comes to driving.
"Okay then, I'll see you at the wedding." Jeonghan greets him goodbye and starts to walk towards the exit, when Seungcheol's voice interrupts him.
"Do you- want a ride, maybe?" Seungcheol asks hesitantly, there's an edge in his voice that betrays the tip toeing he's doing around Jeonghan.
His fight or flight response almost urges him to say no immediately, not wanting to suffer anymore through the heavy atmosphere surrounding them. He could still save the taxi money to do something else, though. "Uh, sure. Thanks." He agrees before they both start making their way to the airport's parking lot.
Jeonghan waits on the side as Seungcheol settles everything with the car company, signingpapers and retrieving the keys. They're silent on their way to the car, not uttering a word when they put their luggage into the trunk either. Jeonghan can't help but remember their first meeting when they're driving out of the airport and into the city, the awkwardness he felt almost being the same.
"I didn't imagine the weather would be so hot." He says after a while, not being able to take the silence anymore.
"Yeah, it's the same in Goheung. Hottest summer we've had in years." Seungcheol replies, eyes not leaving the road. His reply makes Jeonghan laugh.
”God, Seungcheol. When did we become people who talk about the weather? Is this what adulthood is like?" He says with a huff of disbelief. They used to talk about everything, conversation flowing without a stop for the entire time they were together. He hates that it got to this point.
Seungcheol lets out a little laugh at his comment, probably thinking the same. "Yeah, adulthood is boring. The most exciting thing I've been doing lately is replacing the CVC in my house
"A house? You bought a house?" Jeonghan asks in disbelief. Two years ago Seungcheol was living in a shitty Seoul apartment, how did he go from there to a house?
"It's my grandma's. She left it to me." Seungcheol says, and the words make Jeonghan's blood run cold.
"… She's dead?" He asks, his voice incredibly smaller now. He grew to become very close to Seungcheol's grandma when they were still friends. He was at her house all the time during their summer break, and always made sure to come and visit her when he was in town after he moved to New York. They haven't spoken since Seungcheol and his' friendship ended, and he hasn't been back home in a while, but he never imagined that she was gone
Why didn't Seungcheol tell him anything?
"She was old, her death was peaceful." Is all Seungcheol replies, not even sounding like he's sorry he didn't message Jeonghan about it. He feels a little sick at the thought of it, that he was—is— so mad at him because of what happened even her passing wasn't enough to break their tacit no contact rule
He doesn't speak again after that, all the way to his accommodation, not trusting himself to talk now that he learned the news. He feels sad about it, like a part of his life is definitely over with her passing. They shared so many memories together during their college days. He wishes he had known, wishes he could've said goodbye to her. He adds to his list to go visit her once he's back in Korea. He can ask Chan the cemetery's location when he sees him
They get to his accommodation and Jeonghan gets out of the car to retrieve his stuff, Seungcheol following behind. He sees him grab one of his luggages and walk with him up the starts to the apartment.
"You really don't need to help, I can handle myself," Jeonghan says to him, not wanting to bother him any more than he already did.
"It's fine, it's the least I can do," Seungcheol replies, letting the luggage down at the entrance of the apartment. "I'll go get the rest while you unlock the door," he adds while going down the stairs.
Jeonghan retrieves the apartment key from a box beside the door and opens it. He enters the apartment and in a split second he feels like he entered an oven. "God, is the AC broken?" He mutters to himself as he gets inside, leaving the luggage behind him as he rushes to the AC panel. He sees that the temperature is set to twenty eight degrees and huffs in disbelief. Is the owner crazy
He taps his finger on the panel in a desperate attempt to get the temperature to go down, but the number doesn't move at all. He hears Seungcheol arriving into the apartment and gasping at the heat. "Oh wow, do Spanish people like to live in an oven
"That's what I said!" Jeonghan exclaims, abandoning the panel for the window instead. Even if it's hot outside, it's nothing compared to inside the apartment and he figures he can at least get some air in. He slides the window open and is met with a construction plastic plastered all over the window, leaving no air to come into the apartment or even a way to get a view of the balcony. Everything feels like a joke, and Jeonghan is seconds away from screaming.
He turns back to see Seungcheol in the same spot he was standing a few minutes ago, hunched over the AC panel in a desperate try to make it work. Jeonghan walks over to a drawer next to it to try to find something that could help. Maybe there's a remote that could make it work, he hopes.
After some rummaging, he finds a scribbled paper with instructions in english about how to make the AC work and the sight almost makes him cheer
"I found something," he says to Seungcheol, "you need to… only click once every three seconds to make it work?" He reads the instructions to him but it doesn't make much sense as he says it.
He watches as Seungcheol tries to follow the instructions, annoyance slowly building on his face. It takes approximately thirty seconds before he straighten back up with a huff, hands on his hips. "This is definitely broken. I need to check inside of the unit, maybe there's something blocking it from opening up. Can you give me a chair so I can reach it." He asks Jeonghan, turning back to look at him
"Seungcheol, it's okay. You don't need to do all of that, I'm sure your family is waiting for you. I'll be fine really, I don't mind if it's a little hot." Jeonghan tries to reassure him. He definitely won't be okay in here, the heat will prevent him from getting any wink of sleep for sure, but he really doesn't want Seungcheol to stay more than necessary.
"Liar, I know you won't get a wink of sleep in this heat." Seungcheol sees through his lie immediately and for a second Jeonghan regrets that they know each other so well despite everything. "Everyone is probably busy with the preparations, they won't notice I'm late. Come on, I wanna help.”
Jeonghan can't find anything to say in return so he just nods and grabs the first chair he sees, handing it to Seungcheol. "Fine. But if anyone complains, you offered to help. I didn't ask you to stay."