Uptight - 2jae

11

Please wait while we redirect your call.

Jaebum impatiently tapped his forefinger onto the back of his phone as he held it against his ear.

Maybe it was a stupid idea. Maybe he changed his number. Maybe he was wrong for thinking Youngjae would actually pick up.

Why was he calling, anyway? It's not like him to reach out to an ex especially one he's decided to completely forget. But perhaps Youngjae would like hearing a greeting from JB?

Your call has successfully been transferred.

Then the rings began. And although it was something as small as a phone call, he wondered if this was the time to hang up. When he did, however someone had picked up.

"Hi, it's Choi Youngjae."

Silence.

"Hello?"

Silence.

"Is anyone there?"

"I--Youngjae. It's me. Jaebum."

The silence they held seemed like forever. To say Youngjae's heart did somersaults would be an understatement. Was it actually Jaebum on the other side of the phone?

"Uh. H-Hello, Jaebum.", Youngjae spoke softly but awkwardly. The elder pursed his lips as his eyes roamed around the studio room, searching for a response. 

"How have you been?", he asked. 

"I'm alright. Why're you calling?" Wow, Youngjae that was rude. Even he slightly cringed at his tone. 

"I-I just wanted to greet you a happy birthday. It was yesterday, wasn't it? Sorry I'm late."

Youngjae paused before answering. He didn't even receive a call for his first birthday after JB left so why was he getting one, now? 

"It was -- Thank you." There was once again a long silence before Youngjae decided to hang up. That was until Jaebum spoke once more.

"We--We're planning to visit home, soon. We get a break once our next piece is finished. Will you be there?" 

~

And since the two years that had passed when Jaebum was away, felt like nothing, the next month would be equivalent to the next day.

"Kihyun, here.", Yoongi placed the guitar in its hardcover case onto the floor in front of the said male.

"You found it! Where was it?"

"At customer service, where you forgot to check last time too." 

"Oh yea~", said Kihyun, reminiscing on their first flight.

As the rest of them gathered their belongings, Jaebum's eyes searched for the same person he expected two years prior. No different than then, he didn't show up.

"There's a cab, there!", Jooheon yelled, pointing to a near by vehicle. 

~

"Woah, is it actually you?", said the bartender whose name Jaebum still didn't know after all these years, and was too afraid to ask. 

"How's everything going? I heard you went to the US?"

"Yea, just got back for vacation. I'll have my usual, if you still remember it.", JB said, smiling. 

"'Course I do."

As he waited for his drink, he observed the old bar he would frequently visit and not much has changed. The tables were still in the same place, the walls were painted the same colour but fresher to replace the peeling corners, and the one rickety floor board was still in place which no-name-bartender had still forgotten to fix. 

"Is this seat taken?"

JB turned his head to the voice on his left which he didn't recognize but definitely the owner of it. In front of him stood Choi Youngjae, a warm smile on his face and a paper bag in his hands. 

"N-No, go ahead.", the elder motioned to the seat next to him. He bopped his head slightly before taking a seat.

"I meant to pick you guys up at the airport but Jinyoung, my boss accidentally slipped in the staff room and had to be brought to the hospital. He's alright, though.", Youngjae couldn't help but chuckle as he remembered the way Jinyoung fell. 

"Oh, and I brought you something. It's not much but I thought I should get you a welcome back present.", he continued as he handed the bag to Jaebum. 

The elder smiled, nodding as he tucked the bag away but would look inside later. 

"Thanks for the greeting, by the way. Though I have to be honest, I was quite surprised when you called."

"About that. Uh Youngjae...", Jaebum started, beginning to become shy and avoiding eye contact.

"I'd really like if we could start over and I know that everyone says that, and it's the most cliche thing to say but I really want to. I shouldn't have left for New Jersey and stayed here with you."

"No.", he said, making the elder raise his head in shock.

"I-I don't want to start over. Starting over means neglecting all you've worked for and unlearning everything you've already been taught. I want to pick up where we left off. As if you never left and we didn't break up. That's where I want to be.", he said. 

And as if they had traveled back in time, the two men sat in the same seats they did when they first met. Where they spent most of their time together in the same bar, with the same drinks, the same unnamed bartender, and an all too familiar feeling in their chests. 

~End~