yuxi wanted to hate junhui. she wanted to get revenge for all those years of being left in the dark. she wanted to kick him, slap him, embarrassed him. but she didn't. because really, she still liked him. this time, slightly more than when they were kids.

when yuxi left her house that morning, she could feel her heartbeat rapidly beating in her chest. she didn't know why she was this nervous, all she was doing was meeting up with an old friend that she had a slight crush on.

walking down the busy streets of beijing with a black mask and cap made her feel weird. she felt like she stuck out like a sore thumb. she was used to blending in with everyone else.

as she approached the cafe, she realized why junhui had chosen it. it was hidden away from the crowds of people, and had little to no customers in it. there was less of a chance of being caught. now she was actually getting nervous. could this hangout ruin his career?

entering said cafe, yuxi spotted junhui almost immediately. he waved to her and gestured for her to sit across from him. she sat down with a small exhale, unsure of what to say.

"thanks for bringing me here." he smiled, "thanks for coming." she nodded.

it was silent, and really, really awkward. she hated it. "sorry, if you don't mind me asking, what are you studying?" "psychology, why?" "just wondering. i remember you said you wanted to become a psychologist..." she nodded, their childhood friendship suddenly becoming a sore spot.

"i'm sorry, by the way. about leaving you like that. trust me, i feel terrible. and i know this apology can barely suffice what i've done but i hope you know that i feel really fucking bad. you didn't deserve that."

she was surprised by his sudden rant, but wasn't too upset. at least he knew that he had done something wrong, "that broke my heart, you know? i did everything to get in touch with you. back then, i thought that you were going to be a permanent part of my life," she quietly confessed.

"i'm sorry, yuyu- do people still call you that?" she grimaced at his old nickname. "not really, it's mostly reserved for you," she answered with a laugh. "do people still call you junnie?" "just the fans, nobody i know personally. other than you, of course." the tension was unbearable.

"the fans, i forgot you were famous. celebrity life. how is it?" he though about it for a little, "i like it. a lot. but sometimes it can be too much. i just want to be a normal person but i don't really have the freedom to do that. and it's also annoying that i don't have time to focus on anything other than my job. but otherwise-"

"focusing on what?" he looked down at his hands, "like friendships, connections... and you." he spoke his last words quietly, but yuxi heard him just fine. she chose not to bring it up. "yeah, i get that. sorry, continue speaking."

"other than that, im insanely grateful for the love i receive from fans. and my members. i couldn't be the person i am today without any of them." she nodded along, feeling like she lived a pretty boring life compared to him.

it was silent again, but much different from the previous one. this one was comfortable, a silence young junhui and young yuxi were used to. hopefully matured junhui and matured yuxi could get used to it too.

the two finally remembered they were at a cafe and ordered drinks. they spoke about embarrassing stories from childhood, the one part of their lives they shared. though it was ten years ago, it felt like just yesterday when junhui had pushed the girl off the slide at the local playground. it felt like just yesterday when yuxi watched as the boy ran into a glass table and didn't help in the slightest.

she missed him, deeply. she realized. a lot more than she thought she did. sure, she ranted to her friends about him a lot, but that was full of anger and hatred. or at least she thought it was. it was really a longing. she wanted a best friend again. not a single one of yuxi's friendships compared to their friendship. it was always them two against the world.

"why'd you come back to china?" she asked. "to see my family," he lied through his teeth. she couldn't tell. "oh, i get it. must be hard. your whole life's in korea except your family. i'm sorry." he nodded along, "yeah, but i've gotten used to it."

he felt bad lying, but he was not about to tell yuxi that he pulled a move a sasaeng would. he wasn't about to tell her that he tracked her down, and then flew back home just to see her. absolutely not.

yuxi was suddenly ranting about some girl she hated in her chem class, and all junhui could think about was how pretty she looked. his eyes scanned her facial features, taking them all in. she was much different than the girl he used to know. her facial structure had matured in a way that everyone's does, but there was still something special. she had gotten much, much, much prettier.

it was reaching one pm, and the girl realized she had places to be. she split the bill with the boy, getting out of her chair. "let me walk you home," he insisted. "no, it's fine, i'm taking a cab." he raised an eyebrow, "are you sure?" she nodded, "yeah."

the boy still waited for her to catch a cab, and when she finally did, hugged her goodbye. "until next time, junnie." he smiled, "don't worry, yuyu, next time won't take ten years." she giggled and closed the cab door.

LANA SPEAKS . . . !

first written chapter lets gooooo (my excuse for it being really bad is the fact that i just got home from camp so i'm not as a good as before (i wasn't good before) 😭)

PULL IT BACK, THAT SIRENNNN, AH