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The night hummed with warm laughter and conversation, the soft glow of candlelight flickering among the clinking of glasses as a group of old friends gathered around a long wooden table. Plates were pushed aside, making room for shared desserts and refilled drinks, and in the very center of it all, two simple yet elegant rings lay in their open box as undeniable proof of the fact that Jisoo and Seokmin had taken the leap. It had been years since they’d all been in the same place at the same time, and the occasion—Jisoo and Seokmin’s engagement—made the reunion all the more special.
Seungkwan and Jeonghan, having taken it upon themselves to be the unofficial hosts of the evening, had been relentless in their teasing. "We all saw it coming, but to think you actually went through with it?" Jeonghan mused, playfully elbowing Seokmin.
"Guess Jisoo really does have the patience of a saint," Seungkwan added.
"Alright, alright," Seungcheol cut in, nudging the small velvet boxes closer to the center. "You two better put these on before Seungkwan starts reciting his best man speech.”
“I just think it’s about time,” Seungkwan declared, lifting his glass. “We’ve all been waiting years for this.”
“Years of dating, years of us watching them be disgustingly in love,” Mingyu added with a grin, earning a chorus of chuckles.
The table was alive with stories and easy conversation. Old habits were resurfacing—teasing glances, inside jokes that hadn’t dulled with time, and lingering questions about relationships that never quite had clear standings.
“So... is whatever the hell was going on between Seungcheol and Jeonghan still a thing?” Wonwoo quipped, prompting a chorus of groans and knowing smirks.
“Yeah, Seungcheol,” Seungkwan added, swirling his drink. “You and Jeonghan… was it ever really just playful bickering?”
Seungcheol, as poised as ever, only sipped his whiskey and smiled. “Mystery keeps the heart young, Kwannie.”
“Yeah, and how many times did Mingyu try to ask you out before you even blinked, Wonwoo?” Jeonghan chimed in, and Wonwoo merely shrugged, ever the picture of nonchalance.
As if on cue, Chan set down his glass and started recounting Mingyu’s years-long campaign to get Wonwoo to go out on a date with him. Wonwoo snorted, offering nothing more than a shake of his head while Mingyu, from across the table, let out a dramatic sigh. "I swear, persistence should count for something.”
Amid the playful teasing, Seokmin, ever the instigator, leaned back in his chair and threw out a question. “So Jihoon, do you still hate Soonyoung?" The words were casual, playful even, but the immediate shift in energy was palpable.
Jihoon’s fingers curled slightly around the stem of his wine glass and a flicker of something unreadable passed over his face, just for a second.
The table went silent for a moment and Soonyoung, seated beside Seokmin, shot him a glare and muttered under his breath, “Really?”
Jihoon, however—never one to show what he was feeling—merely let out a short chuckle. “I never hated him,” he said with a small shrug. “He was just… annoying.”
He punctuated the words with a small smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes but was warm enough to be convincing.
Soonyoung, who knew Jihoon’s smiles like the back of his hand, told himself Jihoon was just being polite for the sake of the evening. And yet, his eyes lingered on Jihoon’s lips longer than they should have trying to read something he wasn't saying.
The moment dragged on, and for a fleeting second, Soonyoung was transported back to their shared dorm room during college. He remembered Jihoon sitting cross-legged on the floor, headphones on, completely lost in his music. Soonyoung was supposed to be studying but kept sneaking glances instead.
The group erupted into laughter at something someone had said, snapping Soonyoung out of his thoughts. He glanced around the table to catch up with the conversation and locked eyes with Jihoon, who was already watching him before blinking away.
The evening came to its inevitable end, and guests began to filter out reluctantly, dragging their goodbyes in an effort to stretch the night just a little longer. Soonyoung pulled Seokmin into the biggest hug he could muster, then followed it with an equally exaggerated one for Jisoo. With a dramatic sigh, he said, “Good luck Hong, you’re the sole bearer of all his tantrums now.”
“Yeah,” Jihoon suddenly added, to Soonyoung’s surprise, “You’re going to have to deal with them permanently.”
Jisoo laughed, and before Soonyoung could fully process the rare moment of camaraderie, Seokmin was ushering them toward the door with an affectionate, “Okay, yeah, get going now, you two.”
Still grinning from the night’s banter, Soonyoung and Jihoon stepped out of the restaurant. The air in the hallway was warm, carrying the lingering scent of food and laughter from inside. They fell into step beside each other, like they always had.
Realizing they were walking stride for stride in the same direction, Soonyoung glanced over. “Parking?” he asked as they reached the elevator.
“Yeah, level two,” Jihoon answered, his voice quieter now.
They stepped into the elevator and Soonyoung pressed the buttons for levels 1 and 2. The doors slid shut and the quiet hum of the machinery filled the silence between them. It was different from the lively energy of the dinner, a shift neither of them acknowledged outright.
As they descended, Soonyoung looked over at Jihoon and broke the silence. “They’re happy,” he said, voice soft.
Jihoon didn’t turn his head, just nodded. “They are.”
The short reply felt like the end of the conversation, and Soonyoung took it as such. Silence settled in again, but his mind drifted and before he could stop himself, he spoke. “We were happy too, weren’t we?”
At that, Jihoon finally turned to look at him. For a moment, he said nothing. He just looked at Soonyoung’s face, the way he used to during their dinners back in college when Soonyoung would go off on one of his rants.
“You always ask the hardest questions,” he replied, his eyes dropping—only to flick back up again for another glance, as if not yet satiated.
Soonyoung caught that. He considered saying more, the words dancing on the tip of his tongue. But instead, he just nodded, swallowing everything else down.
The elevator dinged at level 1. Soonyoung moved quickly, eager to disappear into the night before his thoughts could tangle further. But just as the doors began to close behind him, Jihoon’s voice reached him.
“Good night, Soonyoung.”
Jihoon’s words were soft, casual even, but they caught him completely off guard. Startled, he stopped in his tracks, turning back only to catch half a glimpse of Jihoon as the elevator doors slid shut between them.
For a moment, he just stood there, staring at the closed doors, debating whether he was overthinking or if something had just shifted between them. His mind raced. Jihoon had never been one for exchanging pleasantries with him, and yet…
The reckless, not to mention ridiculous, idea of taking the stairs to level two and catching Jihoon before he drove away to say goodnight back crossed Soonyoung’s mind. But the thought was absurd and he shook his head to snap himself out of it. He turned and walked towards his car, exhaling a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.