" and just like that- one season has ended, and another one has begun."

----------

jake clicks his tongue as he taps the steering wheel. he stares at his buzzing phone, the notifications popping nonstop.

he seriously can't shut up. he shakes his head and taps the answer button. "i'm already on my way, stop calling."

he hears the guy on the other line scream.

"i can't fucking believe-" jake sighed when he heard continuous curses from the guy.

"please breathe and control that anger of yours."

"sorry, i was just really pissed off by hiyyih. she literally scammed me! i could sue that bitch for lying to my face i swear to freaking mary-"

"jungwon, calm down." jake chuckled before he entered the parking lot. "what did hiyyih do this time?"

"sorry, hyung. but she took my credit card and now she used it to pay for her hair extensions. can you fucking believe that?"

he cleared his throat, fighting the urge not to laugh at the situation. "oh, damn. did she return your card now?"

"yes, after using it to buy another bag. she acts like her job doesn't pay her."

jake smiled. for almost three years that he got to know jungwon, he can definitely say that the boy's not quiet. at all. contrary to what he assumed, jungwon is very talkative especially when he's with his friends.

three years had passed.

who would've thought that things would end up this way? back when i was a freshman, i thought i would've spent the rest of my years with my best friend beside me.

jake took a sharp breath. it's been three years since he left. was it exactly three years? i can't even remember now. everything felt like a blur to him when his best friend went off the grid without telling him.

one email.

that's the only thing jay left for him. the only thing that's been assuring him that he's still coming back. and yet, years have passed but jake still hasn't seen even his shadow.

do i miss him? fucking hell, yes.

"hyung?"

"oh, sorry. i got a bit distracted." jake cleared his throat before continuing. "what were you saying again?"

"it's about the alumni homecoming, did you receive the email? i got mine earlier."

"nope, haven't checked that yet. why?" he grabbed his phone before going out of his car.

"well... are you planning to come? it'll be on the third saturday of march." jungwon's voice sounds softer this time, like he's asking for a favor.

jake stares at the elevator in front of him before he pressed the fifth floor, where his office is. "it depends, i mean i could come and just say hi to my blockmates then leave."

the other line got quiet. he heard jungwon sigh, and then spoke again. "right. i mean- i'll do that too. we should come together, hyung."

he chuckled. he knows exactly why the younger is acting like this. "don't worry, i'm sure he won't be there. i heard he's on the other side of the earth too."

just like my best friend. he clicks his tongue at the thought.

"what are you saying? hahaha i don't even know who you're talking about hyung. anyways, i have to go now, bye!" jungwon ends the call before jake could even say goodbye to him.

he laughed. it's funny how him and jungwon are in the same situation now. birds of the same feathers flock together, indeed.

----------

📷 @nishi_rk tweeted.

took a photo of him while he was busy with his phone earlier 🤏 so pretty 🩷

2794 likes | 716 retweets

replies:

@sunscript i barely got any sleep and i waited 4 hours for you ☺️ i'm mad if you can't tell btw
↪@nishi_rk i'm sorry hyungie 😭 i had to finish my work istg i didn't mean to make you wait for hours 😭😭😭 i love youuuu
↪@sunscript shut up 😊 ilyt
@hiyyihglow do you ever just wake up in the morning, open the app, see this couple, and then think to yourself "fuck i wanna jump off the building" bc same
↪@nishi_rk do you ever just think that you need to get some help

----------

"so, are you coming back?" heeseung adjusts his headphones before going back to his game.

"sure, after i finish some business here."

"business, huh. i'm pretty sure you were just busy looking for him. after all, he's got you all wounded up." he smirked while making an all-kill. this game is not bad, just needs some tweaking.

"funny you should say that. don't you miss jay?" his friend's voice sounded so annoying. "you know what, i've gathered some interesting intel fresh from milan. wanna hear it?"

heeseung shakes his head. "i thought you were in germany? you and your fucking nosy ass, i swear."

"what can i say? news travels fast, especially in this economy. so, wanna hear it or what?"

"no thanks, keep that to yourself. but you better tell us when you're coming back, sunoo's still mad at you for leaving right after the graduation."

sunghoon's laugh can be heard through the speaker. "sure, sure. but is sunoo really mad? because i'd find that really unfair when he never even got angry at jay for suddenly leaving, too."

heeseung's hand stopped clicking on the keyboard. when jay left, it didn't feel real at first. sunoo was sad that he didn't have a roommate anymore, and sunghoon was surprised that jay could do that. moreover, jake... his best friend left him that day.

but to heeseung, it took him days to sink in. when he couldn't find jay inside sunoo's apartment anymore, when he couldn't see his face frowning at him every time he talked to him. it was like a hole was slowly burning its way through my body.

until one day, heeseung finally came to a conclusion: absence really makes the heart grow fonder.

the more he remembers jay, the more his heart aches for him. but what can he do? it was jay's decision to leave. heeseung didn't have the right to stop him, either.

he just has to wait. and wait. until he realized, three years has already passed.

"well, it's because jay had his reasons." heeseung answered after a few seconds.

"of course he does, he had to run away- kidding, i meant that he had to go to the internship." sunghoon laughs again. "but if he's got his reasons, then i have mine too."

heeseung rolled his eyes. "really? mind telling us your reason, then?"

"i already told you, business matters. i'm a busy person."

"is that why you ordered some people to stalk-"

sunghoon cuts him off fast. "woah there, papi. i didn't do anything like that. stop accusing me."

"you're not the only one who can hear news, hoon. sunoo tells me a lot of things these days." it was heeseung's turn to laugh now.

"i bet he does. and i'm sure it's coming from his tattle-tail boyfriend." sunghoon snorts, "i'll just text you when i come back, bye."

heeseung went back to his game after sunghoon ended the call. he was supposed to finish polishing the app tonight, but he didn't have the energy anymore.

it's one of those nights again. a night that would just make heeseung miss him.

------------

🐻🩵 @itsjimin tweeted.

he got upset when i told him we're going on a trip 😅 this baby bear just doesn't like travelling 🫠

528 likes | 76 retweets

replies:

@yunaaa omg he's so cute! 🥹🫶 what's his name?
↪@itsjimin thanks yuna, his name's meiji 😊
↪@yunaaa he's got a lovely name too 😭
@cornjay you told him? hahaha
↪@itsjimin yeah he's grumpy now lol

------------

"okay baby, stop sulking now. your uncle's gonna be here in a minute to pick us up." jimin zips meiji's jacket before fixing his hair.

"da?" her son manages to speak, his eyes now sparkling. every time she mentions uncle, meiji would just light up.

"nope, not da. it's un-cle. say it with me, ji." jimin moves closer so he could see her clearly. "un-cle. not daddy, uncle."

calling him daddy when we go back to korea would be terrible. imagine all the rumors that would fly up to all the people that knew us. jimin grimaced.

she was thankful that she could raise meiji in a quiet environment after her internship ended in milan, and she couldn't wish for more. this was all she needed. a brand new start.

"kol? da?" meiji looked up to her, confused. she smiled at him, and then the door bell rang.

"and there he is, exactly right on time."

she watched as jay opened the door and walked inside, smiling as he saw meiji standing in the living room.

"hello there, tiny hooman." he kissed his cheek before carrying him. "how are you? you ready to ride the plane with me?"

"da! da! fly!" meiji excitedly claps his hand.

"what about you, are you ready to face your fear?" jimin asked, her eyebrow raised at jay.

jay glares at her for a second. "what fear? i don't know what you're talking about."

she scoffed. "yeah sure, three years of ghosting them won't make you have amnesia. don't you dare run away again, jay. it's high time you go out there and pick a decision."

"i know that, ji. i know." he sighed before going back to cuddling meiji.

it's been a long time since i ran away, and yet... it feels as if it's just been yesterday. how could i even face them again?

------------

welcome to the new arc ☺️

this marks the start of their work era, so expect to read a more serious vibe from them lol but this will be very fun, i promise 😁