41: Way back home.

Now, truthfully, Jisung wasn't that sure if his apartment was still his apartment. It would be, as long as the siblings lived there, and of course he still had the keys for the building, safe in the pocket of his shorts for a year.

They walked there through the neon-light lit streets, empty of people save a few black figures in the distance, yet still looking weirdly alive every time of the day. Minho's hand was in his, squeezing like mad, but whenever Jisung turned to look his face was blank as his eyes roamed over the scenery.

It must have looked strange. Power lines crossing over narrow streets, signs flashing in bright colours to sell you something you definitely didn't need but kind of wanted anyway, and a lot of garbage thrown around haphazardly for the lack of trash cans.

It kind of looked weird to Jisung as well, and he had been living that life for twenty-one years more than the other. To Minho, this was completely new.

Only when a car passed them did Jisung notice how high-strung Minho really was - the guy pushed him behind him, standing protectively between him and the terrifying metal machine.

"That's a car, Minho. We've talked about those, right?"

It took a moment for Minho to relax his stance. "Mn."

"Hey, tomorrow we can go sightseeing and I'll answer all of your questions," Jisung said then. "But right now we are two weirdly dressed lunatics in the middle of a very not-safe district in Seoul. In the middle of the night. So... uh... we need to get moving. The place is... just around the block."

"Mn."

"I love you." He enjoyed the hitch in Minho's breathing.

It took them only a moment to get to the apartment. The keys still fit much to his luck. They were soon in front of the door to the small, claustrophobic apartment of the Jisung and Hwang siblings. Although there was an elevator on the third floor, Jisung tried to minimise the additional shock because he believed Minho might pass out if he had to use it.

For Jisung, stumbling into Geumgangsan felt like visiting a historic site. It wasn't something he'd lived in, for sure, but at least it was familiar.

To Minho, everything appeared to be brand new and alien, as well as possibly dirty, noisy, and excessive. Ha, probably like Jisung, when he had seen him the first time.

The keys also fit the door, and Jisung prayed to all the gods above that he was not about to break into some unsuspecting new tenant's apartment.

There was no light inside when they quietly walked in, but there was a slight movement before them in the dark, only just visible enough for Jisung to discern. He shut the door with a click and turned on the lights to see-

Hyunjin with a baseball bat, ready to swing at the strange men breaking into his apartment at two o'clock in the morning.

"Don't hit, it's me!" Jisung yelped, arms coming up to cover his face in case he swung.

Hyunjin's eyes widened, the bat slipping out from his grasp. It hit the ground with a loud clatter. The shock on his face was palpable.

"You-?"

Then there were arms thrown around him as he was being pulled into a crushing hug. For someone so tall and lean, Hyunjin had always been unnaturally strong.

Jisung returned the hug with just as much feeling. He had missed him. He had missed him so much. And now he was back, and he looked the exact same except maybe ten times more tired and a thousand times more pissed.

When he pulled back, Hyunjin hit him with the back of him fist on his shoulder.

"Ouch!"

"You bastard! How dare you show up here after pulling a disappearing act like that?" He seethed, eyebrows furrowed and eyes flaming and maybe a little red. " Yeji thought you were kidnapped! I had to travel from Daegu, thinking you'd been shot and dumped in the ocean or- or- Fuck, Jisung, you don't get to pull this shit!"

Rubbing his shoulder, Jisung tried to look calm, even though he was probably crying. Nobody had called him a bastard with such wrathful fondness in a year.

He'd missed him very much.

"You left your phone, you took nothing with you, it didn't seem like you ran away! Why would you do that to us?" He continued, shaking with anger and maybe relief.

"I know, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," Jisung said, scratching his cheek. "I would love to explain, but...I mean, it's a long story and really unbelievable."

"Well, you have no choice, you absolute moron, you idiot, showing up in the middle of the night a year--fuck, it is been exactly a year, how could you do that?" Hyunjin wiped some of his angry tears off with both of his palms. "And in a get-up like that! What's this, Fantasy Fair? And with a- Jisung, who is this?"

Jisung turned to look at Minho, who remained luminous in his all-white outfit, both handsome and stiff. Jisung had never seen the man look so embarrassed as he stared at the wall.

"That's- my boyfriend," Jisung said, squinting. The term 'boyfriend' sounded ridiculous. 'Soulmate' would have gotten Hyunjin to choke him.

"Intended," Minho corrected. Damn, they appear to have jumped right into betrothal territory. Minho circled his hands and gave a proper bow, eyes still cast. " Lee Minho Hagwan, courtesy name Minho. I am honoured."

Hyunjin looked at him for two blinks, then turned back to Jisung. "What the fuck is this?"

"Okay, I will explain if you promise to keep an open mind," Jisung said to Hyunjin, then to Minho, "Why are you staring at the walls?"

"He is undressed," Minho said, sounding even more embarrassed than he looked. Which was not a lot, since he was still Minho, but to Jisung it was very much apparent. He glanced at Hyunjin and snorted.

Hyunjin was wearing a ratty t-shirt and striped pyjama shorts probably from Yeji since the siblings have the tendency to share house wears a lot. Jisung could not help the burst of laughter that escaped him.

Hyunjin punched his shoulder again.

"Ouch! Ah damn you Hyunjin!" He saw the look on his face, then quickly added, "Okay, fair, I deserved that."

"You got engaged to some sort of traditionalist?" Hyunjin asked, waving an angry hand towards Minho.

"He has not officially asked, so I am going to say no, but let us keep the option open," Jisung explained. "Please put on a pair of pants or something so he can look at you. I promise it's not sexism, he's just very respectful."

Hyunjin rubbed his forehead before picking up the bat and disappearing down the hall to his room. He soon returned, dressed in a hoodie and long pyjama pants. Minho finally turned to faceHyunjin, but Jisung could still see a hint of tension in him.

It was probably about the pants. Jisung did not say anything because he knew he would have to get used to it eventually.

"Stop standing there at the door like idiots," Hyunjin said then. "I'll make us some coffee, and then you're going to explain everything from start to finish. And don't think I'm going to even consider forgiving you until you properly apologise."

So Jisung took Minho by the hand again and settled the two of them on the couch, Hyunjin turning to their even more cramped kitchen.

Everything there looked exactly the same, from the scuffed wallpaper to the coffee-stained table by the window.

He was not exactly happy looking at it all, but he did feel a sense of comfort from familiarity and nostalgia. He had survived a year here, for sure. He would survive a lot longer now that Minho was with him.