thirty eight

"i'll always look out for you." -sparks, coldplay.

——

days had passed, and jihoon was finally feeling better. the fever was gone, and the exhaustion that had weighed him down for days had faded.

he stretched in the practice room, letting out a quiet sigh. dokyeom noticed and nudged him.

"look at you, finally awake," dokyeom teased. "so... misun, huh? how are things between you two?"

jihoon chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his neck. "it's... better now. a lot better. we're not awkward anymore."

hoshi leaned against the wall, eyebrows raised. "not awkward? careful, woozi. that doesn't happen often. you're serious?"

"yeah," jihoon said, voice low but certain. "we laugh, talk... i guess she's giving me a chance again. i'm not letting it slip this time."

mingyu smirked. "wow, someone's happy."

"i am," jihoon admitted, a small smile tugging at his lips. "after everything... it feels right to just be with her, even if it's slow. even if we have to rebuild everything."

seungkwan grinned. "so you're officially back in her good books?"

"i think so," jihoon said, looking down at his hands. "but it's not about being in her good books. it's about... being there. really being there. for her. for us."

the members fell quiet, sensing the weight in his words. they all knew how much he had suffered over the past few years, and seeing him so open, so honest, touched them.

meanwhile, misun was at home with her mom, sitting on the couch with mugs of tea. the sunlight spilled in through the window, casting a warm glow over the room.

"so... jihoon?" her mom asked gently, raising an eyebrow. "how is he now? you've been... different these past few days."

misun shrugged, a soft smile on her lips. "he's... better. and... we're better too. it's not perfect yet, but we're... trying."

her mom leaned closer, squeezing her hand. "you sound happy. careful, but happy."

"i am," misun admitted, staring into her tea. "it's just... after everything he did, i didn't think i could trust him again. i didn't think i could... feel this way."

"but you do," her mom said softly. "and that's okay. it doesn't make you weak. it means you're willing to open your heart again."

misun looked up, eyes misty. "i love him... i really do. even after all the years... even after all the hurt. but i'm scared. scared i'll get hurt again. scared he'll leave."

her mom nodded, pulling her into a hug. "it's natural to be scared. but love isn't about forgetting the past—it's about choosing to move forward anyway. you're giving him a chance. and you're being honest with yourself. that's brave."

misun rested her head against her mom's shoulder. "i just... i don't want to lose him again. i worked so hard to survive without him, but now that he's here... i don't want to pretend i don't care. i can't."

"then don't," her mom whispered. "let yourself feel. and let him show you he's different now."

a quiet smile formed on misun's lips. "he is different... i can see it. he's patient, gentle... and he's really trying. but it's hard. trusting again... it's hard."

"i know," her mom said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "but you two... i can feel it. you're finding your way back."

misun looked out the window, thinking about jihoon, imagining him in the practice room with the members, thinking about her. her chest ached, a mixture of longing, hope, and fear.

"we're trying," she whispered to herself. "and maybe... that's enough for now."

and somewhere across the city, jihoon was looking at his phone, thinking about her, feeling the same mixture of hope, guilt, and love. they were apart physically, yet emotionally closer than ever.

the thought made him smile softly. "we'll get there," he murmured. "i'll make sure of it."

the quiet warmth of the day settled around them both, separate yet connected, hearts inching closer with every passing moment.