The next morning, Jeongguk was a bundle of nerves. He paced around, thinking about how the hell he was going to spend an entire week without texting V. The more he thought about it, the more it gnawed at him. Why was he so hung up on V when he had Shezam right here? Shouldn't he be excited about the trip?

Lost in thought, Jeongguk was jolted back to reality when Shezam, fresh from bed and completely naked, sneaked up behind him and wrapped his arms around him.

Jeongguk was taken aback but couldn't help but shiver as Shezam started planting hickeys along his neck.

"Did you enjoy yourself last night?" Jeongguk managed to ask, his voice shaky.

The other male just hummed in response while inhaling his boyfriend intoxicated scent. Jeongguk tried to hold Shezam's hands, but the touch was distracting. "When are we heading out?"

"Tomorrow," Shezam replied, giving Jeongguk a quick peck on the cheek. Jeongguk's eyes widened.

"Tomorrow?!" Jeongguk practically yelled, his mind racing. "You're serious?"

Shezam laughed, nodding. "Yep, tomorrow. You ready for it?"

Jeongguk sighed, rubbing his temples. "My hospital's got me on call, and I don't even know how to explain this." The excuse he just came up with was to hide an unavoidable reason.

Man, I've gotta figure out how to make up for V.

Shezam's face turned serious. "You gotta handle it, Jeongguk. We're leaving tomorrow, and I need you to be all in."

Jeongguk was caught between his duty and his personal life. He had no idea how to break the news to V without making things worse. "Yeah, I get it," he muttered. "I'll figure something out."

As Shezam continued to give him affectionate pecks, Jeongguk's mind was already spinning with excuses and explanations. How the hell was he going to manage this?

Jeongguk sat down with a heavy sigh, pulling out his phone. He felt a pang of guilt as he typed out a message to V, trying to sound casual but clearly feeling the weight of his situation.

[@Jk_moon_1997]
Hey V, so sorry for going MIA.

[@Vantae30_u]
Heyy it's fine!
How's day?

[@Jk_moon_1997]
Uh not good, not bad!
How was urs?

[@Vantae30_u]
Did smething happened?
U can tell me, uk?

[@Jk_moon_1997]
Thank youuu :)

Nothing much,
What u doing?

[@Vantae30_u]
Oh just had lunch!
Yk, I got myself a banana milkshake now XD

[@Jk_moon_1997]
u always tease me :(
jk is upset!

[@Vantae30_u]
Awww sorryyyy!
u kind of seem bit off todayyy

Everything going ryt?

[@Jk_moon_1997]
Uh seems like I need to reveal!

[@Vantae30_u]
What?

[@Jk_moon_1997]
First of all, u promise me...
u won't freak out?

[@Vantae30_u]
It depends Jk.. ;)
Just tell me alreadyyyy

[@Jk_moon_1997]
Heyy wait a min, coming!

Taehyung was flabbergasted and also had a question linguiring in his chest what must gave been so important for Jk to reveal...he let go off his tray and focused on his phone screen waiting for his online friend to just pop up anyhow.

[@Jk_moon_1997]
Heyy, I came!

Got caught up with some hospital calls..

[@Vantae30_u]
Hey finally so what's
there to reveal?

[@Jk_moon_1997]
I won't be able to be around
much this week :X

as now I'm heading out on a trip tmrw :(

Hope you're cool with it ;(

[@Vantae30_u]
Whatttttt
That's not possible?!

God, y so soon! :(
Is it imp?

[@Jk_moon_1997]
Pls forgive me ;(

^yes V, it is.

[@Vantae30_u]
Wow, Jk. Really?
You're telling me this now?

So, you're just gonna drop off the
map for a week? That's messed up.

[@Jk_moon_1997]
Pls forgive me V....even I didn't know.,
It was so sudden :(

I also can't afford a bye with u!
Not when we get this close :(

I hope u understand!

He hit send and put his phone down, trying to distract himself. A minute later, his phone buzzed. He picked it up, surprised to see V's reply.

[@Vantae30_u]
Damn, that sucks.
Was looking forward to chatting more.
But okay, I get it!!
Hope the trip goes well <3

Just don't be a stranger, alright?

Jeongguk's heart sank a bit, feeling even worse for not being able to explain more. He typed back quickly, trying to keep it light.

[@Jk_moon_1997]
Yeah, for sure<3
Will miss our chats!!!

I'll hit u up when I can :(
Catch u later <3
Take care, V<3 :3

He put his phone away, still feeling conflicted. The trip with Shezam loomed ahead, but V's response lingered in his mind, making him second-guess his choices.

Jeongguk sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his phone, a deep frown on his face. He rubbed his temples, feeling the weight of his decisions press down on him.

"Man, this sucks. I don't wanna leave V hanging like this. Why did I agree to this trip so soon? I should've just... I don't know, postponed it or something. I wish I could just make this day last longer." He muttered to himself, thinking about all the possible reasons who could come up with, but every one of them failed.

He glanced at the clock, knowing time was slipping away. His mind raced with ways to fix things.

Jeongguk thinking of a quick note to himself,
"Okay, maybe I can find a way to keep in touch with V while I'm on this trip. Just a few messages here and there. Maybe I can sneak in some time for a call or something. Just gotta make it work."

He sighed deeply, feeling a mix of frustration and resolve. He knew he had to make this work, both for V and for Shezam, but it was proving harder than he thought. He looked at the ceiling, wishing for a bit more time to sort things out.

"If only I could stretch this day out. Just one more chance to clear things up with V before everything gets complicated."

When Taehyung saw Jk's message, he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. It was like his heart just dropped. He scrolled through the message, reading it over and over, trying to process what he was seeing. His phone buzzed with notifications, but he barely registered them.

"Seriously? This is the excuse he's giving me now? I thought we had something going, and now he's just ditching me for... what? A holiday? What the hell?"
Taehyung spoke to himself while scrolling down the chats.

He paced around his living room, feeling the sting of disappointment. The image of Jk's last message lingered in his mind, making him feel both disheartened and frustrated.

"Wow, Jeongguk. Really? You're telling me this now? So, you're just gonna drop off the map for a week? That's messed up."

He threw his phone onto the couch, running his hands through his hair. The whole thing felt like a cruel joke. He tried to ignore the gnawing feeling of rejection that came with the sudden silence.

"Guess it's my fault for getting my hopes up. I should have known better." The young male whispered, as his voice laced with disappointment and occupied with disheartened emotions.

He sat down, staring blankly at the TV, but he couldn't focus on anything. All he could think about was how Jk was slipping away just when things seemed to be getting interesting.

As Taehyung closed his chat with Jk, he felt a wave of hurt wash over him. He stared at his phone, feeling the sting of Jk's abrupt absence. The message thread was left hanging, and the more he thought about it, the more it gnawed at him.

"Damn, man. This feels like a punch in the gut. What's up with him just bouncing like that? Am I really that easy to ditch?"
He said while having random thoughts and was unable to pin down anyone of them.

He ran a hand through his hair, trying to shake off the confusion and frustration. He didn't get why he was so invested or why Jk's sudden silence stung so badly. The whole thing was messing with his head.

But somewhere, he need to understand, need to summarize the whole situation in good context. Jk was getting in a trip, and he should be happy...atleast he's gonna enjoy himself now.
No matter what happen, we cannot hold any person longer without their will. And moreover, he's gonna come back soon..right?

Taehyung texting Jk,
"Damn, that sucks. Was looking forward to chatting more.
But okay, I get it!!
Hope the trip goes well <3
Just don't be a stranger, alright"

And suddenly, a ping echoed from his phone gathering attention...he saw goodbyes message from Jk..to which Taehyung replied a lovely message.

"I will miss you <3"

But as soon as he hit send, he realized Jk probably wouldn't see it anytime soon. He tossed his phone onto the bed, feeling the emptiness settle in his chest.

"Why do I even care this much? He's just some guy I met online. But... why can't I stop thinking about him?"

He paced around his room, trying to make sense of his feelings. The whole thing felt messed up, and he was caught between wanting to move on and holding out hope for a better explanation from Jk.

Shezam was buzzing with excitement as he packed his things for the holiday. He threw clothes haphazardly into his bag, practically vibrating with anticipation. He had been counting down the days, and now it was finally time.

Shezam muttered to himself while packing,
"Man, can't believe we're finally doing this. Gonna be epic-just me and gguk, away from everything. No distractions, just us."

He tossed in a few more shirts and some random essentials, his mind racing through all the fun they'd have. He couldn't wait to get away from the city, from all the daily grind, and just focus on Jeongguk, his pretty boyfriend.

Shezam grasped his phone which was placed right beside the unchained trolly. He typed a text to his partner, so fastly as ever.

Shezam:- "Got everything packed! Can't wait for tomorrow. It's gonna be a blast. 😎"

He glanced around his room, checking if he'd missed anything, and then grinned widely.

The excited male grinned to himself and spoke,
"Tomorrow's gonna be awesome. Just us, no phones, no work, just chilling and having fun. So pumped!"

He continued to pack with an almost childlike enthusiasm, looking forward to spending quality time with Jeongguk. The thought of a whole week together, away from everything, had him practically bouncing off the walls.

(a/n:- can i have shezam with myself...he's such a baby 🤍😫)