today ╱ jeongchan

009.

Chan woke up to the smell he grew accustomed to for the past years. The strong smell of the lemon bleach wafting from the bedding made his head throb and his stomach churn. He kept his eyes shut, not wanting to face the truth he was desperately trying to give a wide berth to. It didn't help that his attempt to go back to sleep was futile as his mind started to race with so many thoughts. However, just like before, one notion stood out the most: he wants nothing but to get out of this hell-hole as soon as he could and never come back.

He slowly opened his eyes when he heard the sound of the door sliding open and shut, a familiar female clad in her uniform walked in. "Oh, good morning, Chan."

"Hey, Sana. What time is it?"

"Ten in the morning, bubs," Sana answered. The usual sweet smile plastered on her face ever so slightly disappearing into a thin line. "This is the third time this month, Chan. I hope you're not forgetting."

Chan sighed. Of course, what did he expect? He could not possibly forget; the constant palpitation in his heart is the harsh reminder of the many futile attempts to grapple every bit of normalcy in his life.

He is no different than Jeongin; both clamouring to get back to the normal life they wished they could have. Like Jeongin, he has been silently wishing for a miracle, magic, to happen overnight that could completely change his life; that maybe the universe would finally align and answer his desperate prayers for more time.

Chan is waging his own war with time.

Time.

Time is gold. Chan has always found that phrase a little ridiculous. By all means, why would someone compare gold with something as intangible as time; something that is nothing but a figment of our imagination. But now he realized that maybe, just maybe, it is worth more than any golds in this world. Because you can work your ass off and earn your golds but you can never turn back the time, especially the lost ones. And if he could trade his millions for more, he would.

"Chan, you're awake?" Jinyoung walked inside the room in all his glory, wearing the familiar coat Chan has always loathed. Something that he wants nothing but to burn. "I believe we have to talk about many things."

When Jinyoung didn't receive any answer from the debilitated male, he decided to continue. "You're not getting any younger. And I know that you have already rejected my proposal from months ago but Chan, please considerㅡ"

"I'll do it," Chan answered pointedly, a hint of finality dripping in his voice.

"Great, I'll have everything scheduled as soon as possible," Jinyoung responded in a quite hurried manner, afraid that the male would change his mind if he didn't affirm too quickly. He then gave Chan a light and what supposed to be a comforting pat on the shoulder. But it did nothing to comfort the male. "For now, I'll let Sana take over and address your needs. Call me if you need anything."

ㅡ

"Jeongin, tell lover boy that we're closing the café in fifteen. We can go straight to Minnie's apartment for the party!" Felix poked Jeongin's side while wiggling his brows teasingly before motioning the younger to inform the mentioned who is currently working on his laptop at one of the booths in the café.

It is Seungmin's birthday and as a tradition, they would gather to one of the apartments to celebrate. The mentioned owning the biggest one which pretty much explains everything about the setup. And of course, Felix would never miss the chance to invite Changbin, the boy he has been crushing on. Thus, extending the invitation to his two friends, Chan and Jisung. Besides, Jeongin's friends were very well-informed about the budding relationship between the famous producer and their amnesiac friend, so it would not hurt to have them around, right? The more, the merrier, they said.