Chapter Text
Two months later.
Chan had finished packing up as he began to head down from his apartment. He stood outside on the pavement, waiting for Minho to pick him up. Soon enough, a car pulls over to his side, and the window is rolled down.
Minho smiles at him, and Jisung is seated beside him, sipping on some coffee as he waves at Chan. Changbin us seated right behind them, busy on his phone.
"Open the boot, Min," Chan asked. Minho does so and steps out of the car to give him a hand.
Chan looks at the huge number of bags. "Don't you think that's a lot for three days?"
Minho laughed. "Don't look at me. Only one of them is mine. The rest are Jisung's hoodies and Changbin's dumbbells."
"Right," Chan doesn't argue and places his bag in, and the two get back into the car as they drive off.
Jisung is given the responsibility to play music, and to no one's surprise, he plays all of their songs. 3Racha's whole discography.
"Jisung, as much as I love our music, please stop," Chan pleaded. "It's pretentious."
Jisung huffed. "Our music is fire. It's perfect for the journey."
Minho sighed. "This is nothing. I have to hear all of this twenty-four seven back at home."
"You love it," Jisung teased, placing his head on Minho's shoulder as he played with Minho's free hand.
"No," Minho replied, turning his head to the side to place a kiss onto Jisung's hair. "I love you."
Chan looked at Changbin in disgust. Changbin just shrugged and whispered. "They've been at it since I got into the car."
Chan nodded but smiled nevertheless. He loved the fact that they had each other to love and card for. Chan had never seen Jisung this happy before, and he's known the guy for at least eight years.
"Where's the rest of the guys?" Changbin asked, finally putting his phone aside.
Minho spoke up. "Seungmin and Jeongin said that they'd be coming on their own. Apparently, Jeongin wanted to drive them there."
Jisung continued. "Hyunjin and Lix are already at the cabin. They went a little ahead of us to set everything up."
Chan smiled. "There's no need for that. We could've all just gone together."
"Well, they're the ones that invited us," Jisung said. "Lix insisted on treating us like guests, and you know Hyunjin. He can never say no to him."
"Yeah, we know," Changbin laughed.
"How long is the drive?" Chan asked.
"Two hours," Minho replied. Chan decided to just take a nap to pass the time away. Jisung finally changed the playlist. Changbin decided to keep Minho entertained by making conversation.
Two hours passed by in a blur, as Chan felt the car stop and the engine turned off. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around. There was a cabin right in front of them, trees surrounding the area, lanterns placed all around to aid their movements at night.
"We're here, Channie hyung," Jisung said as the other three got out of the car. Chan soon followed.
He stretched his arms and legs, feeling the stiffness of the long drive fade away. He took in the serene surroundings. The air was crisp, carrying the scent of pine trees, and the only sounds were the rustling leaves and the distant chirping of birds.
As he walked towards the cabin, he could see Hyunjin and Felix standing on the porch, waving enthusiastically. Chan couldn't help but smile at their excitement.
"Welcome, guys!" Hyunjin exclaimed as they approached. "We've been waiting for you."
Felix nodded eagerly. "Yeah, we've got everything set up for a great weekend."
Chan looked around at the cozy cabin and the beautiful scenery surrounding it. "Wow, this place is amazing. Thanks for inviting us."
Hyunjin grinned. "Of course! We wanted to do something special. It's been two months since we all got together."
"It's hard to believe it's been that long," Felix added, his eyes shining with fond memories.
Chan felt a surge of gratitude for his friends and the bond they shared. Despite the ups and downs they had faced over the years, they had always stuck together, supporting each other through thick and thin.
As they settled into the cabin and began unpacking, Chan couldn't shake the feeling of contentment that washed over him. Surrounded by friends who felt like family, he knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, they would face them together, just like they always had.
Seungmin and Jeongin arrived shortly after, and Hyunjin and Felix welcomed them just the same as they all gathered in the living area.
"There are four rooms in this cabin," Hyunjin announced. "I think... we all know how we're gonna divide them, yeah?"
Chan nodded because, of course, the couples were going to room together. Which left poor Changbin and Chan to partner up.
"I say, we change that," Jisung said, grinning. "I don't wanna see Chan and Changbin hyung sulk like babies throughout this trip. Lix, you wanna room with me?"
Felix laughed and looked at Hyunjin with a mischievous smile. "Sure, Hannie. I'd love to!"
Changbin rushed to Hyunjin's side and grabbed onto his arm. "Seems like you're stuck with me then, Hyunjin!"
Hyunjin rolled his eyes but accepted nevertheless. Soon, Minho paired up with Jeongin, and Chan paired up with Seungmin despite his relentless protests.
"Also," Jisung added. "Let's keep the lovey-dovey stuff to a minimum. While I know some of us will find it hard," He glared at Hyunjin. "We need to take into account our poor singles who are sad and miserable."
"We are not sad and miserable, excuse you!" Chan argued. "You guys can kiss and hug all you want. We... we won't mind. Right, Bin?"
"Yeah," Changbin replied. "However gross it may be. We still want you guys to feel comfortable with expressing your love for each other in front of us as well."
"And besides," Chan smiled, looking at the others, but really, mostly at Felix. "We'd like some of that affection, too. Hugs would be nice."
Felix smiled back and nodded, and Chan felt his heart flutter. While this wasn't helping him in any way to move on, maybe he would use this an opportunity to do so. Seeing Felix with Hyunjin for the next three days may make Chan finally let go of the man he loved.
"Great," Jisung beamed, turning to Hyunjin. "Tell us what you have planned for us."
"Glad you asked," Hyunjin stood up from his seat and took out his phone. "We'll be fishing today. There's a lake nearby. Those who aren't interested can stay home and rest, but they will have to cook lunch. Is that okay?"
Everyone nodded.
"Tomorrow, we'll take a hike up the mountains," Hyunjin explained. "There's a waterfall there so we can have some fun for a while."
Felix then took over. "On the last day, I was thinking of us just staying in and spending time with each other since... well."
"Since Channie hyung is moving back to Sydney," Hyunjin finished. Everyone except Changbin gasped at this, looking at Chan in surprise.
"You're... what?" Jisung asked.
Chan sighed, looking towards Felix and Hyunjin. "This wasn't how I was gonna break the news, but... yeah, I'm going back. I'm guessing Changbin told you."
"And you didn't bother to tell me!" Jisung exclaimed. "How could you keep this from me? Changbin hyung, how long have you known?"
Changbin looked at Chan with a pitied look, and he turned to Jisung. "A month..."
"Unbelievable," Jisung muttered in disbelief as he got up to leave but was quickly stopped by Minho, who pulled him back down.
Minho held onto Jisung, who was doing his best to break free from his hold. "Relax, baby. Maybe he didn't tell you because he knew you'd act this way."
"That's - That's not an excuse!" Jisung was fuming, but he stayed seated, avoiding Chan's gaze.
"Hannie..." Chan called out gently. "I was going to tell you, I swear. I just... I just didn't know how to. I didn't know how you were going to react. You were my first ever friend, I couldn't bear to lose you so I was planning out how to tell you carefully. I'm sorry... if I hurt your feelings."
"Ah... hyung," Jisung mumbled, standing up and rushing to Chan, tackling him in a fierce hug as the two fell back on the couch. "You make it so hard to stay mad at you."
Chan laughed, hugging Jisung tighter. "So we're good, yeah?"
Jisung pulled back and smiled. "Yeah. I'm happy for you. I know how much you wanted to go back to Sydney. I'll miss you too."
"I'll miss you too," Chan replied. "But it's not a permanent thing. I'll be back in six months."
Jisung nodded and sat beside Chan. "That's still a long time. Are you sure you can stay away from us for that long?"
At this question, everyone's interest piqued.
Chan smiled. "I honestly don't know. You guys... mean everything to me. It's just going to take me a while to adjust being away from you all."
"Channie hyung..." Felix looked at Chan with sad eyes. "You mean everything to us as well. We'll miss you a ton."
"A shit ton," Minho added. "But I don't think we want to spend our last few days together in this sad and somber mood. Right, hyung?"
Chan nodded. "Yeah, for sure. I want us to have as much fun as possible for the next three days."
Hyunjin took this as a cue to start their first activity of the day. "So. Who's up for some fishing?"
As the group dispersed to get ready for their fishing excursion, Chan couldn't help but feel a mixture of emotions swirling inside him. He was sad to be leaving his friends behind, but also excited for the new adventures awaiting him in Sydney.
As they gathered their fishing gear and headed towards the lake, Chan looked around at the familiar faces, committing every moment to memory. He knew that no matter the distance, their bond would remain unbreakable.
With laughter and banter filling the air, they spent the day fishing, reminiscing about old times, and making new memories to cherish. As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the tranquil lake, Chan felt a sense of peace settle over him.
In that moment, surrounded by the people he loved most in the world, Chan knew that no matter where life took him, he would always carry a piece of this special place and these extraordinary people with him, wherever he went.