Chapter Text
epilogue: boy, do not walk alone
Justin didn't blink, eyes trained on his opponent. Neither of them were moving yet. They were both waiting, testing out every minute movement that the other made. Justin's heart beat rapidly in his chest. One wrong move meant certain death.
Justin crossed his right leg behind his left, ever so slowly, still not breaking eye contact with the other man.
Is he going left? Right? Is it a straight? Jab?
"Scared?"
"You wish," Justin replied.
Justin moved swiftly and rammed his shoulder into his opponent, the two of them moving backward. But the other man used his foot to stop himself from toppling over. Then, with brute force, he grabbed Justin's waistband--that's against the rules! Justin protested in his mind--pulled him up, and slammed him back on the floor.
The force was so strong that Justin's head spun upon impact. Suddenly, his opponent was on top of him, knuckles raised, ready to punch.
Shit, certain death! thought Justin, closing one eye as he winced.
Ken only smiled cockily and tapped his knuckle on Justin's jaw.
"Certain death to Justin!" Stell cried out and shot Justin on the thigh with his airgun. "That makes it 3-1, Ken wins."
It had been four months after the nightmare in Zamboanga. It took some time, but Justin finally felt that he was getting closer to being 'okay'. His body had started healing on its own, while he and his team worked towards putting their own spirits together.
Josh had eventually succumbed to Sejun's pleading to take the temporary unit chief position. He had been reluctant at first, not knowing how it would change the team's dynamics. But Sejun, Stell, and Justin all assured him that they trusted him. And their trust wasn't put to waste as Josh eventually grew to fill in the leader role. He was firm but kind. Flexible but only just. And he knew when to take risks. Justin never told him, but he was becoming somewhat of a role model to Justin and a celebrity to the new recruits.
Meanwhile, Stell took on a more active role in training the newbies. Specifically, he was the main martial arts and shooting instructor for a handful of potential agents. When he wasn't out in the field, he was in the training rooms shouting commands and shooting people with his airgun. Justin couldn't think of a more befitting role for Stell; he just hoped none of the new recruits inherit his knack for overkill.
Ken, on the other hand, finally decided to join the agency after mulling it over for two weeks. Justin liked to think it was due to his and Stell's constant badgering that Ken finally filled in the application form. And good thing, too. Because as soon as he took the practical examination, the Board had been impressed by his skills and he was promoted from recruit to probee on the spot. And, as if he was always meant to be there, Ken eased into the group and became more comfortable working with them.
With Josh's clout as temporary unit chief, Ken was given the vacant slot as probationary field agent in their team, Stell as his supervising agent. Justin had opted to remain as technical analyst in the meantime, while he was still recovering from his injuries--physical and emotional. He still had nightmares and vivid flashbacks, after all. But over the months he had learned that all he needed to do was call on his team and one or two of them would come knocking at his door even in the middle of the night to comfort him.
"Alright! I win! You're buying dinner!" Ken celebrated, raising his hands in the air.
"Not fair!" Justin complained, taking the hand Ken held out and pulling himself up. "Stell, he grabbed my waistband! You saw that!"
Stell, who was watching from outside the ring, only pouted at him. "Why? Did I say there were rules against that?"
"But--!"
"C'mon, Jah. Just accept that dinner is on you!" Ken teased, wrapping one sweaty arm around Justin's shoulders.
Justin looked at Ken sourly. He wiped the sweat on his upper lip with the collar of his shirt before saying, "I'll win next time."
"That's what you said last time," Ken said and pulled in his head for a noogie. "Stop over analyzing my movements. I could practically see the gears in your head turning."
Justin watched Stell join them up on the ring and hand them both face towels. He did a little dance before patting them both on the head.
"Ken's right, Justin," Stell said. "I keep telling you that no amount of head knowledge will work if you don't start using your gut." He punched Justin lightly on the stomach for emphasis.
Justin looked down on the floor, thinking again. "Okay... I'll... I'll remember that next time."
"Ei~~ Don't feel too bad," Ken told him. "You're still better than me at shooting."
"But you got your license while you're a probee. I got mine while I'm already a full-fledged agent."
Ken laughed. "Only because Josh pulled some strings, justifying I was needed on the field ASAP."
"Speaking of Josh..." Stell said, pointing to the doorway of the training room.
Josh walked into the room calmly, a cup of coffee on one hand and folders on the other. He smirked when he saw them.
"Who won?"
Ken stood up straight and did a faux salute. "I did, commander Josh, sir!"
"Sir!" Stell and Justin joined in.
"Fuck you guys," Josh said, putting the coffee cup on the ring's surface and slid each of them the folders in his hand. "You're forgetting that as of today, I am finally free from my temp unit chief duties?"
"He's here?!" Stell asked.
"Upstairs, briefing room," Josh told them. "That's why you all need to get your asses up there or he'll come down here."
"Oh, shit!" Ken exclaimed, picking up the shirt he had thrown carelessly to the side.
Justin smiled. Sejun was officially returning that day. It was a day they all waited patiently for, even if it did take one month longer than expected.
Sejun took his time healing. Justin knew this because he and Sejun often went to group therapy together. Sejun had a lot of emotional baggage--even more than Justin or his team knew about. So when he requested for a month-long leave after his suspension, none of them questioned it.
He was still very visible in their lives, however; be it over the telecom or meeting outside the agency. From the sidelines, he made sure that Josh's questions were answered, Stell's behavior was tempered, and Justin and Ken's potentials were developed. And when he was on his own, Justin learned that he spent most of his time immersed in his music and his writing.
Sejun was returning after four months; but Justin honestly didn't think of it as him coming back after leaving. On the contrary, it was more like a family member was coming home. Justin liked to think that Josh, Stell, and even Ken would agree with him.
The four of them hastily made their way upstairs. Justin and Ken no longer bothered to change out of their training clothes, reasoning that Sejun's wrath was scarier than pneumonia. When they got to the briefing room, Sejun was already sitting at his designated seat.
"You're all late," he noted. Sejun looked happier, his eyes brighter, and his smile more genuine as he greeted them. Stell and Justin sat at Sejun's left while Josh and Ken to his right.
"I'm not late," Josh said, "I just fetched these losers from the training room."
"So who's buying dinner?" Sejun asked them, smirking.
"Justi~~n," Ken teased from across Justin on the table. Justin stuck his tongue out at Ken.
"Alright, kids. Knock it off," Stell warned. But then his face turned into a smile, "Justin, I'm feeling like samgyup tonight."
"Just sharing?" Justin said, raising one eyebrow.
Sejun rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger. "I can't believe I missed you guys."
Ken laughed. "As if!"
"Shut up, probee," Sejun told him off. "Anyway, we've got a new mission right at the beginning of my comeback. You've all got the files, right?"
Josh immediately started explaining the details of the mission. Before, Sejun took on all the admin work by himself. But that time, Josh had given him a hand... and perhaps for the foreseeable future, too. Josh gave introductions, and Sejun added input every now and then. Justin felt very secure having two capable commanders.
When they started to brainstorm, it was like a pingpong session of ideas. Sejun would give an suggestion, Josh and Stell would add to it. Ken would question it, and Justin would give his two cents. While this was how it had always been, Justin felt like it was still different with both Sejun and Ken around. If not different, complete.
Justin smiled to himself.
"Someone's excited to buy us dinner, I think," Sejun commented in the middle of the meeting. He looked at Justin, teasing.
"I have a list of people who owe me money," Justin said. "And yet here you are asking me to buy you dinner."
"C'mon, Justin~~ Think of it as a 'Welcome Back, Sejun' party!" Stell said.
"Hm... I do feel like eating samgyup tonight," Sejun said, pretending to think.
"Wait, wait. We aren't done yet," Josh said.
"Oh, loosen up, grandpa," Ken mocked. "We'll figure the mission out. We always do."
"Looks like someone's finally getting in on the spirit of teamwork?" Sejun teased Ken. Ken only grimaced at him, blushing.
"It sucks to be the only rational person here." Josh shook his head, but smiled as he closed the folder in front of him. "I guess we just continue the meeting at the samgyup place, then!"
Ken rubbed his hands together. "Alrighty~~! Samgyup here we come!"
Justin pretended to grumble as they all got on Sejun's car. He pretended to complain that they were all bullying him for being the youngest. He even pretended to sulk because they were having him pay for the entire thing. But if he were being honest, he didn't really mind.
No. Justin didn't mind if it were these people. Sejun, with his steadfast leadership. Josh, with his emotional strength. Stell, with his optimism and talent. Ken, with his out-of-this world wit and instinct. Knowing this, neither debt nor danger, not even death, scared Justin. They were unit SB-19, after all. And Justin could always count on this team. He could always count on this family.