The A-Z of Love

Still Here

The apartment felt eerily quiet after the boys left for their last-minute schedule. Zoey wandered through the empty rooms, feeling the absence of her soulmates acutely. It had been a whirlwind of emotions since she arrived, and the sudden solitude gave her too much time to think.

Looking around, she noticed the place had become a bit messy. Deciding that some cleaning might help clear her mind, she rolled up her sleeves and got to work. She grabbed her phone and put on her favourite K-pop playlist, making sure to include plenty of ATEEZ songs. The familiar beats filled the air, lifting her spirits. She even sang along extra loudly to ATEEZ's songs, feeling a sense of connection to her soulmates through their music.

As she dusted, swept, and tidied up, her thoughts drifted to the impending separation. Next week, she would be flying back to England. The idea of leaving her soulmates behind made her heartache. Although she planned to return in a few months, it would again be just for a short visit. She had to start her university course in September, and who knew when she could come back after that?

Zoey paused in her cleaning, sitting down on the couch with a heavy sigh. The thought of being away from her soulmates for so long was unbearable. As she absentmindedly dusted a shelf, an idea struck her. What if she did her university course in Seoul?

Excitement bubbled up inside her at the thought. She quickly grabbed Hongjoong's spare laptop, which he had told her she could use, and started looking up universities in Seoul that offered graphic design courses. The more she read, the more the idea seemed possible. She imagined being close to her soulmates, sharing her everyday life with them instead of just visiting.

However, as she delved deeper into the requirements and standards of these universities, doubt began to creep in. The competition was fierce, and the standards were high. Zoey's confidence wavered. Was she good enough to get accepted?

Just then, she heard the familiar sound of the front door opening. Startled, she quickly closed the laptop and put on a smile as the boys entered.

"We're home! Guess what? We had the craziest day!"

Wooyoung called out as he raced over to sit next to her.

Zoey listened attentively as Wooyoung animatedly recounted their day. She smiled and laughed in all the right places, but her mind was still swirling with thoughts about the future. Seonghwa, noticing her distraction, nudged Yeosang to sit on her other side.

"Zoey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, just tired."

The others started unpacking the dinner they had picked up on the way home. Despite the lively atmosphere, her soulmates sensed something was a little off. Yeosang decided not to press her tonight, giving her the space she seemed to need.

After dinner, they all gathered in the living room to watch an episode of their favourite drama. Zoey snuggled between Yeosang and Wooyoung, feeling comforted by their presence. However, she couldn't shake the thoughts about her future.

Once the episode ended, Zoey excused herself and went to bed. She lay there for a while, staring at the ceiling, her mind still buzzing with doubts and possibilities.

Meanwhile, Hongjoong, tidying up a bit, noticed his spare laptop on the coffee table. Curiosity piqued, he opened it and saw the university searches still open on the screen. He read through them, understanding immediately what Zoey had been thinking about. A soft smile spread across his face. He would need to talk to her about this, but not tonight. For now, he was just happy to see that she was considering a future that included them.

Yunho came back into the living room, looking around in amazement.

"San, did you start cleaning already?"

San, lounging on the couch, replied sarcastically.

"Yes, because that was the first thing I wanted to do when I got home."

"No, seriously, the bathroom is sparkling like I've never seen it."

They all looked around at each other confused. Jongho, who had been quietly observing the conversation, spoke up.

"Zoey must have done it."

Everyone fell silent for a moment, absorbing the revelation. The apartment looked immaculate, a testament to Zoey's hard work.

"You guys don't deserve her."

"Wooyoung!"