ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗬-𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗘
─◌✰್ 𝗈𝗎𝗋 𝗅𝖺𝗌𝗍 𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀

matchatess BADDIE GANG FOR LIFE 🫡
> robin_is_a_penguin BADDIE GANG PULL UP
    > huats.up @matchatess @robin_is_a_penguin BADDIE GANG SUPREMACY 💋
        > the.official.hwang @matchatess wait i'm part of the baddie gang, right?
            > matchatess @the.official.hwang dude we've talked about this, we're all the baddie gang 🤦‍♀️
                > sk8terjj @the.official.hwang duh you're a baddie
                    > nomnominnie @sk8terjj hey hey am i a baddie too?

robin_is_a_penguin i'm actually so sad i miss you guys 🥺
> sk8terjj come to jeju again! 🙂‍↕️
    > dingdonghong @robin_is_a_penguin come stay with meee 😛
        > bin.there.done.that @sk8terjj can i come too?? 🥺
            > dingdonghong @bin.there.done.that haven't you already visited like five times?
                > minniemouse- @bin.there.done.that take me with you pls 🫡

cheesecakehannie wait we actually look kinda cute 😊
> ramenoodlaska duh, bc i'm in the picture 💅
    > catdad_lee @ramenoodlaska no literally it's me wtf 🤨
        > cheesecakehannie @catdad_lee dude you didn't even want to be in the pic @changaroo97 had to drag you in, and i held you there
            > sunshine.lix @ramenoodlaska @catdad_lee yeah yeah you're both cute ig, but do you see @changaroo97 and i? 😁
                > ramenoodlaska @sunshine.lix ... you're in the doghouse tonight sir 😒😒

mymymy MY FAVE COUPLE IS BACK Y'ALL
> sk8terjj they really had the comeback of the century didn't they
    > bin.there.done.that @sk8terjj we really did, so iconic of us 🤪🤪
        > mymymy @bin.there.done.that may i say i was the #1 og supporter of you guys 😌💅 where's my trophy
            > huats.up @mymymy girl i made you sugar cookies at our sleepover last night that's trophy enough 🤨

ramenoodlaska can @sunshine.lix and i borrow those onesies?
> ryerye get in line @changaroo97 and i want them first!
    > ramenoodlaska @ryerye heck no i asked first to buy your own! plus u don't even like bright colors!
        > sunshine.lix @ramenoodlaska i got us matching sushi onesies, don't worry babe!
            > ramenoodlaska @sunshine.lix WAIT ARE THEY THE SALMON AND TUNA ONES?? 😍😍
                > ryerye @sunshie.lix wtf i need my own now... @changaroo97 hook me up

bin.there.done.that love you so much baby 🩷
> huats.up i love you so much more 🤭🤍
    > the.official.hwang @bin.there.done.that @huats.up WEE WOO THE CHEESE POLICE IS HERE 👮‍♂️
        > catdad_lee @the.official.hwang yeah and we're lactose intolerant so stop 😷🧀
            > ryerye @the.official.hwang @catdad_lee stfu not their fault you're both painfully single
                > mymymy @ryerye literally they're so cute BYEE 👋

You had never been so happy as you were in this moment, right now.

It was a couple hours after the farewell party, and all the guests had left. Now, you and Changbin were sitting with the rest of your friends around the empty campfire, just laughing and talking. It was around four o'clock, and night was fast approaching.

You still hadn't fully processed what happened at the party. Did you really just turn down Se Ri's offer to return to Park and Paws? Were you really unemployed, after standing up for yourself and your mental health for the first time, ever? And most important of all... had you and Changbin really gotten back together, now stronger than ever?

Yes, yes all of that had happened, and more. You had chosen Changbin, your friends, and yourself, over your career. And for once, you didn't feel stressed or self deprecating about it. You were actually... relieved. Happy. Excited for what the next chapter of your life might hold...

"You know what we should do?" Han said excitedly, snapping you out of your sappy thoughts. He seemed to be doing a lot better than he had earlier that week. Even though you had caught him staring sadly at Robin a couple times, it felt like he was trying to stay positive.

"What??" Jeongin said, when Han looked around at them all expectantly. He sat next to Mya, holding her hand under a fuzzy pink blanket they shared.

"We should grill hamburgers and hot dogs and have a cookout for our last night here!" The boy clapped his hands. "Doesn't that sound like fun??"

"I think it sounds fun! It would be a great last celebration." Alaska was the first to agree. Her legs rested across her boyfriend's lap, as he massaged them gently. "Lix has been showing me how to start a fire! Can I try it tonight?" She glanced at her boyfriend with hopeful eyes.

He sighed. "I... guess you can," he said hesitantly, unable to smother a reluctant smile when she squealed and cheered, rewarding him with a swift kiss on the lips.

"I'm down!" Riley shrugged. Her arm was linked with Chan's, as she squeezed his muscular bicep. You definitely understood that. You couldn't stop touching Changbin's arms, either. "I'm in the mood for a burger. And maybe like, five hot dogs."

"Me too!" Mya exclaimed, beaming. "I love hot dogs!"

"It's a good idea, don't you think babe?" Changbin squeezed your waist, a contented grin on his face.

You flashed him a huge smile, wrapping your arms around his neck and nodding. You had been sitting on his lap this entire time, and ever since you reconciled, you hadn't let him go. It was like you physically couldn't go a second without touching him. You had missed everything about him so much, and not realized the full extent of it, until you had him back. His callused palms, his spicy scent, his goofy laugh, that gorgeous smile. You loved it all.

"I agree!" you declared, planting a kiss on his cheek, watching with satisfaction as a blush bloomed beneath your touch. "Let's get our grill on!"

"I wanna grill!" Hyunjin cried, jumping up from his seat. "It looks fun!"

Minho raised his eyebrows disbelievingly, refusing to stand. "Have you ever grilled before?"

Hyunjin shrugged. "No, but you make it look cool! Do you think I could get a girl if I can grill?"

"You could get me!" Tessa joked, draining the contents of her water bottle, and getting up. "I need me a man who can provide."

"Because you can't cook for yourself?" Minho asked dubiously. But he ran to throw his chef's apron on much faster than was natural, practically shoving Hyunjin out of the way to get to the fire.

While Felix and Alaska began starting the fire (Felix forced her to tie her hair up so she wouldn't "light herself on fire like she almost did last time"), and Minho worked on the grill, Tessa and Renee hurried away to start preparing the ingredients, and Chan and Jeongin started readying the hot dogs and raw burgers to take to the fire.

"Can I help you with the drinks?" Mya asked JJ hopefully. "I don't drink, but they look so colorful and fun!"

JJ chuckled, shrugging. "Sure girl, maybe I'll make you a mocktail if you're lucky."

"Can I join?" Riley asked curiously. "I'm in dire need of a strawberry margarita."

So the three girls linked arms and marched off to one of the cabins to get started.

Once all the jobs had been divvied up, the leftovers, Han, Hyunjin, and Seungmin, began throwing a football around in the clearing. Hyunjin and Seungmin were laughing their heads off, as they continually threw the ball too high or far for Han to reach. He kept stomping his feet dramatically, pouting every time he had to run after it. They definitely didn't seem upset that they hadn't been chosen to make dinner.

"You two wanna help me with the snacks?" Robin approached you and Changbin. The two of you still refused to get out of your seat. Usually, you were the first to offer assistance. But you liked the feeling of Changbin's solid thighs beneath you a little too much, and really didn't want to move...

Changbin glanced at you, a knowing smirk dancing across his lips. "Sure, you know I love snacks." He squeezed your waist again, and you reluctantly stood up.

"I'm down!" you agreed. "I think I want sour skittles and a cocktail."

As the three of you began walking towards your and Changbin's cabin, Han acccidentally knocked the ball towards you. It whizzed past Changbin's head, and almost nailed you in the face.

Usually, your reflexes were quite fast. You were very athletic, after all. But before you could react, Changbin reached in front of you, and blocked the ball from making contact with your face.

"Watch it, Han!" Changbin warned, easily tossing the ball back at his friend, and marching inside.

You followed him, wide eyed and speechless. Damn, since when had your boyfriend been so protective? Well, you'd always known he would protect you. But you had always seen him as more of a softie, while you were the aggressive one. And yet, just from something so small and light-hearted, you your heart swelled with gratitude. You'd really done the right thing coming back here.

You glanced backwards when the door closed behind you. Robin, who you thought had been following suit, was nowhere to be seen. You peeked out the door to find her.

Robin was standing in front of the door, frowning out across the clearing, cheeks red. You peered over her head to see what she was looking at.

Han stood a few yards away, still holding the football in his hands. He was staring back at her, a forlorn expression on his adorable face. He opened his mouth, like he was about to say something, before he turned back around, and threw the football into a waiting Seungmin's hands.

Robin remained outside the door, gazing off into the distance, eyes blank. You frowned in concern. That confirmed your suspicion that those two still hadn't talked properly to one another. And they sorely needed to.

"You good, girl?" you asked after a moment.

She visibly jumped, turning around with a sheepish grin on her face. "Did you see that?" she asked after an embarrassed moment.

You inclined your head in acknowledgement. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I was waiting for you, and then..."

She smiled, jerking her shoulders in an attempt at nonchalance. "It's okay." She forced a smile, and motioning to the door. "C'mon, let's not leave your man waiting."

You laughed. "Yeah, he's probably grouchy and starving."

The dinner was amazing. Filled with laughs and fun stories, contented smiles and jokes. It was hard to believe that you had met most of these people on the beach one average day in Jeju. On a whim, you had decided to walk along the sand, maybe take a swim. Little did you know, but that choice would change your life forever.

After everyone's plates were empty, stomachs comfortably full, you all rested in your chairs in a contented silence, soaking in the last evening in the forest.

"I can't believe tonight is our last night." Chan voiced your thoughts exactly. He was drinking from a cold can of beer, an arm resting over the back of Riley's chair. "This month went by so fast."

"I'm going to miss this." Hyunjin motioned around to everyone. "I almost don't want to go back home. Especially since I have to share a house with those two." He pointed at Felix and Alaska, who were sharing a s'more they'd made on the fire.

Alaska wrinkled her nose at her brother. "Oh, you love us," she tsked at him, before smiling at the group. "As much as I hate to say so, I'm going to miss our adorable little cabins. I think I came to love living in such close quarters with all of you. Robin was the best roomie!"

"Hey, what about me??" Felix feigned offense, still squeezing her hand.

"You know I hate nature more than the average gal," Robin began. Alaska, Felix, and Han nodded in response. "But I had an amazing time, honestly. I'm so glad I live in Seoul, because I would miss you all too much!"

"You guys have to come out for a late birthday celebration!" Renee exclaimed. "There's no way we're not celebrating my birthday."

"We did have a great time celebrating Minho and Chan's birthday," Seungmin joked. "We have to do something special for yours."

Renee's cheeks glowed at his words, but she just bobbed her head in response.

"This event was so much fun," Tessa agreed decisively. "Even with all the crazy shit that happened-" JJ nudged her hard in the ribs, causing her to wince, "-I mean, it was so amazing! And I think the only person we can really thank for that is you, Hua." She beamed at you.

Changbin turned to you, glowing with pride. "I've never agreed with anything more. Hua, you made this month one of the most memorable experiences for me. Well, all of us, really. We could all feel how much you cared, and how badly you wanted this. So cheers to you, Gorgeous." He lifted his can of beer into the air.

"Cheers to Hua!" The rest of the group chorused, lifting their assorted beverages.

You looked around the table, at all of your friends holding their glasses up to you in appreciation, smiles lighting their faces. Tears filled your eyes, but you held them in, smiling broadly as you lifted your cup in return.

Everyone clinked cups and cans, Han sloshing beer down his front when Seungmin "accidentally" knocked their cups against each other too hard.

"Take your shirt off!" Tessa cheered, clapping her hands.

"Do it!!" Minho cackled in agreement, for once not arguing with her.

When Han finally shimmied out of his shirt and pulled on his coat instead, followed by whoops and whistles, you rolled your eyes, but couldn't help smiling around at all of them. Then, you stood up, ready to make speech again, like earlier. Everyone sat back down, curious eyes on you.

"Thank you guys for all the appreciation." You beamed at them all. "But really, I should be the one saying it. I'm so grateful for all of you. You agreed to come out here and support me on this crazy assignment. If I didn't have you, none of this would have happened. The entire event would have been a failure, especially after none of my clients showed up. You all helped me through it." You turned to Changbin, heart hurting with how full it felt. "And you, Bin, you came up with such an amazing idea for how to turn it all around, and make it the best it could be. Getting to meet Miso, Bingsu, and Areum was the best thing that could've happened, and it was all because of you. I just... I love you so much, thank you."

Changbin stared at you like you were an angel from heaven. He reached a hand out, grabbing yours, before tugging you back into your seat. Then, he tilted your face towards his, and pressed his lips against yours in a sweet kiss. "I love you too, Hua. I'll always be here for you, whether things are going right or wrong."

You blinked at him in gratitude, and nodded sincerely. "And I'll always be there for you. Now you're stuck with me!"

"Ugh, so cheesy!" Seungmin tsked, but he was smirking knowingly at you both. "But I have to admit, it was a good cheers."

"Oh!" Mya exclaimed, glancing between Jeongin and the rest excitedly. "I forgot! I have an announcement to make!"

Jeongin frowned, concerned. "Should I be worried?"

She giggled. "No, of course not!" When everyone raised their brows expectantly, she continued. "I decided to adopt Areum! I signed the papers for her during the party! Namjoon signed off on it, and I paid the fee! So... she's officially mine!"

You gasped, filled with even more delight than before. "Oh my gosh, you didn't!" you cried, running over and giving the girl a hug. Areum was going to be staying! You would get to see her again! And Mya was going to make a great dog mom.

Mya glanced at Jeongin hesitantly, like she thought he might start yelling.

On the contrary, Jeongin's face stretched into a huge grin, and he wrapped his arms around her.

"I guess we're going to be pet parents, huh? This is gonna be great!" He winked at her, and she giggled in response, reveling in the warmth of her boyfriend's strong arms.

"You wanna bring her down to the river with me? She's in our cabin!" Mya offered him, and he agreed, the two of them excusing themselves from the table.

"Let's go with them!" Alaska urged Felix, gripping his arm and gazing at him pleadingly. "We don't have a river near us back home."

The rest of the group began discussing heading down to the lake for the rest of the evening. Minho suggested they bring ice cream sandwiches they'd gotten at the store.

"Can we watch the stars, too??" Riley exclaimed to Chan. "I bet they'll be so pretty tonight."

"I'll bring the blankets." Chan smiled fondly at his girl, and it was a plan.

You stood up to follow the rest of them, when a hand gripped your wrist, stopping you. You glanced back to see Changbin, a look of amusement gracing his face.

"Actually, Hua and I are gonna hang back for a bit!" Changbin called to the rest. "We'll put out the fire before joining you."

"Okay, see you!" JJ and Tessa, the last two in the group, waved at you, before linking arms and hurrying after the rest.

You glanced at Changbin questioningly, and he just smiled.

"Let's sit by the fire for a bit, yeah?" He kept his grip on your wrist, before standing up from the table and leading you over to the chairs around the fire, sitting down first before patting his lap for you.

You climbed on top of him, and wrapped your arms around his neck, smiling down at him. It felt so good to be like this again. And finally, the two of you were alone.

"I can't believe it's our last night here," you said for the hundredth time, breaking the silence as you gazed around the empty clearing. "The month went by so fast."

"So fast, and so slow," Changbin agreed, kissing your shoulder gently. "We've only been together a few weeks, and it feels like it's been months. We've learned so much about one another."

"No one knows me as well as you do, Bin," you said in quiet agreement. "I think that's another reason why I got scared. You kept seeing through all my bullshit, and instead of running, you stuck by me. I'm learning that's not a good reason to run from someone. I need to be grateful for it. And I am."

"I fucked up too, bad." He shook his head, as if to rid himself of the memories. "I apologized before, but I want you to know how truly sorry I am for what I said. I believe in you more than I believe in myself. I admire you so much, it's crazy. I know you can do anything you put your mind to, and more. And if you struggle, I'm there to pick you up."

You giggled. "Where did you get that genius line from?"

He shrugged proudly. "Felix. Well, I twisted his words a little. So can I say it was me?"

In response, you wrapped your arms tighter around him, and pulled him in for a kiss. You lowered your head to meet him halfway, melding your mouths together, alone for the first time since you'd made up. You could taste the relief, the contentedness, on his lips, like you could both truly relax into each other. You could both be the realest, most honest versions of yourselves, together. You just closed your eyes, and breathed in the scent of him, reveling in truly loving the man before you.

When you finally broke apart, you didn't jump off his lap and run after your friends. Instead, you just rested your head on his shoulder, and stared out at the fall scenery before you. The sun was setting over the golden-leafed trees, a glowing orange as it disappeared from view, turning your skin an alluring shade of honey. It was an absolutely gorgeous view, the sky an oil painting of inky purples, vivid ambers, and lemony yellows. And the longer you stared, the more emotions it stirred up, your throat clogging at its pure beauty.

It was a perfect autumn evening.

"You are so beautiful," Changbin suddenly whispered, his voice forever a welcome interruption. "Do you want to move in with me? Like, right when we get home?"

You tilted your head to face him, pursing your lips to hide an embarrassed smile. He was gazing at you the same way you were staring at the sunset, eyes filled with a reverence you'd never witnessed before.

"Let's take it slow, okay?" you murmured back, heart thudding at his sudden proposal. Were you ready for that?

But he didn't seem to mind. "I could sit here with you all night, just like this," he continued softly, reaching out to brush a stray strand of hair from your face.

You smiled down at him, leaning in and placing another tenderer kiss to his awaiting lips. Then, you leaned over next his ear and whispered, "then let's do it."

laska's note —
oh my goodness, that's the final chapter of autumn evening! all we have left is the epilogue. our babies have finally gotten together, permanently 🥹 and they truly deserve each other. they've forgiven one another, and expressed just how much they care about each other. it's really heartwarming to see, especially because i've become so attached to hua, and changhua as a couple! but if you're worried about more skz content from me, don't! as i've mentioned many times (no i will not shut up about it), there will be another book in this series coming after this one! so once this fic is over, there will still be more content from this universe 🤭 so, give changhua all the love in the comments, and let me know what you're looking forward to in the next book, which will take place in the winter! 😍

𝖭𝖤𝖷𝖳 𝖴𝖯：
𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲
┊ ⇄ ◁◁ II ▷▷ ↻ ┊