13) First day, again

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Dear Woonhak,                                      9/7/2023

It's been 1,407 days without you, but hey who's counting, right? I know I haven't written in this journal in a while but it just kind of feels pointless. I know you're never going to read this but at least it makes me feel better (I think). But anyways, today's my first day of university, I'm assuming it is for you too. I'm so nervous but I'm also so excited. I can't believe I actually got accepted into my dream school Hybe University. Oh, you should have seen how pissed my mom got when she found out I was going to move back to Korea to pursue my dream of becoming a singer. But now that I'm 18 she can't do anything, so I'm finally free! The only thing that could make me feel even better right now is probably you. I do really really miss you, but to be honest I don't know if I'll ever have the courage to see you again.

Love, Jaehyun.

"Jaehyun if you don't get up from that chair right now I'm leaving without you." Jaehyun's new dorm mate Sungho called out with his bag hung over his shoulder while one hand held onto a piece of toast and the other held on to the doorknob, encouraging Jaehyun to hurry the hell up.

"Ok, ok, I'm coming." Jaehyun shut up from his chair while frantically collecting his things and putting them in his bag, before grabbing the extra piece of toast Sungho had made for him. "Let's go!" He chirped in English once he caught up with the elder.

Although Jaehyun and Sungho have only known each other for a few days they already seem pretty close. Close enough to make breakfast for each other and wait to walk with each other. It felt nice and almost familiar for Jaehyun, it reminded him of a certain someone, it reminded him of home.

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Meanwhile, only one door down Woonhak waited for his roommate and friend Leehan to get out of the shower which was taking longer than expected.

"Did you have a good time in there?" Woonhak asked, teasing the elder as he tossed him a banana.

"Oh shut it Woon, I happen to have a boyfriend for that unlike you." Leehan barked back as he aggressively peeled his banana and took a big taunting bite.

Woonhak shook his head at the elder and for some reason their little bickering made him feel a small wave of deja vu. "Whatever." He sighed, shaking the thought off.

"Ok, we need to go," Leehan said before taking his last bite.

"Alright." Woonhak nodded while he grabbed his bag and opened the door for the other.

"Thank you~" Leehan sang as they both left their dorm together and headed towards their school, Hybe University.

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"Hey, didn't you say you used to have a friend when you grew up here?" Sungho randomly asked as he and Jaehyun sat down in the café across the street from their university.

Jaehyun almost choked on his sandwich from the sudden question. "Oh um yeah I did, why?"

"Well, I was just thinking, why haven't you met up with him and you know, catch up or something," Sungho questioned.

Jaehyun suddenly got quiet and seemed a little bit stiff. "We kind of lost touch." He sighed while avoiding eye contact and playing with his straw.

"Oh, were you two not that close?" Sungho asked innocently.

"No! We were super close, he... was my best friend." As the words fell out of Jaehyun's mouth he felt an unsure and almost sad feeling dwelling in his stomach.

"Then why did you lose contact with him?" Sungho continued to ask not realizing how it was making the younger feel.

Jaehyun thought about his answer for a moment before he finally dared to speak. "Because I was in love with him, and I couldn't bear the thought of rejection from my best friend."

"Oh... I can imagine that would hurt but honestly, I think it would hurt more to not talk to your best friend again." Sungho shrugged nonchalantly but his words still set something off in Jaehyun's brain.

"Yeah, maybe." Jaehyun managed to mumble out as he got consumed by his thoughts.

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"Where do you want to go for lunch?" Leehan asked Woonhak as they weaved their way through the halls.

"Umm... why don't we check out that café across the street?" Woonhak suggested

Leehan sighed, clearly not liking the idea. "Mmm no... Oh! Wait, why don't we go visit Riwoo at his parent's noodle place."

"Ooo yeah, we haven't seen him in forever." Woonhak smiled as he wrapped his arm around Leehan's shoulder, leading them off campus and right past the café.

"Riwooooo~" Leehan called out for the elder once they got to the small restaurant as Woonhak rang the little service bell like crazy.

Riwoo greeted both boys with a warm smile as he walked out from the back room while wiping his hands off on a towel. "Well if it isn't tweedle dee and tweedle dum." He teased as he smacked both of them on the head with his towel from the other side of the counter.

Riwoo works at his parent's noodle shop and he plans on taking it over one day, whether that's his plan or not is questionable but at least it's guaranteed work and a lot of free noodles. The three have also grown close since Jaehyun left. Considering how much they would bug Riwoo on if he had heard anything from Jaehyun or not, it didn't come as a surprise.

The younger boys just laughed as they got hit "How've you been?" Woonhak asked.

"Oh you know, same the same old same old, just working away." Riwoo sighed. "But hey my life is boring, tell me something interesting." He smiled looking back and forth between the two hoping to get some juicy gossip.

"Leehan has a new boyfriend." Woonhak blurted out before Leehan could even breathe.

"Whaaat? Leehan the player." Riwoo teased as he nudged the younger, knowing it hasn't been that long since the last boyfriend.

"I'm not a player, boys just happened to like me." Leehan shrugged as a small blush grew on his face.

"Umhmm, whatever you say," Riwoo smirked. "So what's his name?" He asked while looking at Woonhak, knowing that Leehan was still a blushing mess.

"His name is Taesan," Woonhak answered while mocking Leehan.

Riwoo nodded as he padded Leehan on the shoulder to congratulate him. "Ok, and what about you Woonhak, anyone special finally won over your heart?"

Woonhak froze for a second, not expecting the conversation to be turned on him. "Um no..."

"Come on Ri, you know he's still in love with Jaehyun," Leehan spoke up after he finished composing himself.

"Still Woonhak? I don't think he's coming back, it's been what? Four years now?" Riwoo said with no sympathy left in his voice. In his mind, Woonhak was still doting over a guy who has ghosted him for 4 years. Even though Jaehyun was his friend he still doesn't like what he did and how he made Woonhak feel. It also doesn't help that Jaehyun ghosted him as well.

Meanwhile, in Woonhak's head, he is now going down the same rabbit hole he has gone down countless amount of times since Jaehyun left but it still led him to one answer. "Yeah, I still love him."

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ac: sorry if this is not my best work, I'm a little stressed with school rn but at least I posted. 😅

also, I hope everyone else who is in school is doing ok rn, fighting! ✊

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