a week had gone by without a word, just awkward looks in the bakery. both boys were hurting, but hongjoong told himself over and over that he was doing the right thing by letting seonghwa go.

"ugh, i miss when hongjoong was happy for like, two seconds," wooyoung groaned, flopping against the counter with a dramatic sigh, nearly knocking over a tray of scones.

"same here," yeosang muttered as he handed a customer their change. "i started thinking maybe he remembered how to smile."

"i can hear you, you know," hongjoong mumbled without looking up, focused on the cappuccino he was making, his hands moving on autopilot.

"good," wooyoung huffed. "maybe if you hear us talk about your tragic little emo era enough, you'll snap out of it."

yeosang leaned against the register, arms crossed. "honestly, we're starting to worry you've merged with the sourdough starter. all broody and quiet and kind of... fermenting."

hongjoong let out a tiny laugh under his breath but did not lift his head. he missed that brief glimpse of happiness too, missed it more than they could know. but the thought of hurting seonghwa any more than he already had was unbearable.

"hongjoong," wooyoung said, suddenly switching to a sweeter tone. "come out with us saturday night. please? we're going to the club. you need to shake the sad off."

"absolutely not," hongjoong replied instantly, like he had been waiting for them to ask. "i work on saturday."

"you get off at twelve," yeosang countered, quick. "we checked."

"okay, stalkers," hongjoong muttered, wiping down the steam wand.

"please, please come," wooyoung said, now dropping to his knees behind the counter and clasping his hands together like he was praying. "i'll even let you pick the pregame music. i won't complain if it's all sad indie boys crying about lost love."

"you already do that anyway," yeosang added. "last week you made us listen to that one guy whisper-singing about rain for like twenty minutes."

"that was art," wooyoung snapped.

hongjoong chuckled, shaking his head. "i don't know... i'm not really in the mood for clubs."

"then come out just to spite us," wooyoung grinned. "think of it as revenge for how annoying we've been."

"tempting," hongjoong admitted, his lips tugging up slightly. "but i don't exactly have the energy."

"you nap on your fifteen-minute breaks. i've seen you fall asleep standing up," yeosang said. "you could recharge for thirty minutes and have enough energy to rave."

"he's got a point," wooyoung said, nodding eagerly. "you're like a phone. plug you in for five minutes and you're good to go."

hongjoong sighed, leaning against the counter. "you're both the worst."

"is that a yes?" wooyoung asked, eyes wide, already sensing victory.

"fine," hongjoong said, giving in before he could change his mind. "i'll go."

a beat of stunned silence, then instant chaos.

wooyoung and yeosang erupted, grabbing each other and jumping in a circle behind the counter like overexcited children. a couple customers turned to stare, but neither of them cared.

"i'm getting you so wasted, hongjoong!" wooyoung yelled.

hongjoong buried his face in his hands. "i already regret everything."

"too late," yeosang grinned. "you're coming, and we're dragging you straight to the dance floor."

"and i'm dressing you," wooyoung added.

"ugh, this is going to be a nightmare," hongjoong muttered.

they ignored him entirely. he let them. because for the first time in days, even if it was small, the heaviness in his chest felt a little lighter.

——

seonghwa sat at the desk in his bedroom, typing away at his laptop, the soft clicks of the keyboard the only sound in the room. working after the heartbreak of losing hongjoong had not been easy. he kept catching himself rereading the same sentence, staring at blinking cursors, getting lost in memories that crept in like shadows. but he was trying, trying his best to keep moving, to stay busy, to outrun the ache in his chest.

a sudden knock pulled him out of his daze.

"come in," he called, voice a little rough from the quiet.

the door creaked open and jongho stepped inside, holding a sandwich wrapped in foil. "hey," he said gently, making his way over to sit on the bed. "how you doing today?"

seonghwa offered a tired smile as he spun his chair slightly to face him. "i'm okay. best as i can be."

jongho handed him the sandwich without a word, like he had done a dozen times before, a small, quiet kindness. seonghwa unwrapped it and took a bite. it was simple, but warm. exactly what he needed.

"thanks," he said, cheeks puffed slightly with food. "you're too good to me."

"someone has to be," jongho replied, shrugging like it was no big deal, but his eyes were soft. "you barely eat when you're upset. san keeps trying to cook but he burned rice again yesterday, so i took over."

"he burned rice?" seonghwa blinked. "how do you even manage that?"

"don't ask me. i just supervise and quietly judge."

seonghwa let out a small laugh, and jongho seemed proud of that.

"speaking of san," jongho started again, "we were talking and... we think you should come out with us saturday night. nothing wild, just a few drinks, maybe some dancing. get your mind off things."

"drinking my sorrows away?" seonghwa raised a brow. "that's your master plan?"

jongho smirked. "no, drinking your sorrows into manageable little chunks that can be shaken off on a dance floor. there's a difference."

"hm." seonghwa leaned back in his chair, chewing slowly as he considered it. "i don't know. i'm not sure i'd be good company right now."

"you don't have to be good company," jongho said plainly. "you just have to show up. we'll do the rest."

seonghwa smiled again, smaller this time. softer. "you guys really aren't going to give up, huh?"

"not a chance."

he paused, glanced down at the half-eaten sandwich in his hands, then looked back up at jongho. "...okay. i'll go."

jongho lit up like a kid who had just won a prize. "really?"

"really. but if i end up crying into a vodka soda, i'm blaming you." seonghwa pointed his finger at the younger.

"fair," jongho grinned. "but i'll be right there to hand you napkins."

seonghwa laughed again, a little more real this time. "god, you're the best."

"i know," jongho said simply, getting up from the bed. "i'll tell san. he wanted to invite mingi and yunho, too. and by the way, he's already planning what you're gonna wear."

"oh no." seonghwa's eyes widened.

"oh yes. you've got a few days to emotionally prepare." jongho winked as he walked out of seonghwa's room.

seonghwa rolled his eyes but did not argue. when jongho left the room, he sat back in his chair and let out a slow breath before returning to his work.

i'm so sorry for not updating friday, i genuinely forgot since i was off😭

-vic