enough. woosan (wooyoung pov)

22: i love you

Wooyoung was on the cusp of 26, a new age that promised to be a stark departure from the previous one. He stood in his newly acquired apartment, a tangible testament to his hard-earned independence. Months had passed since the ink had dried on his divorce papers, and he was determined to embrace what lay ahead. He was alone, yet not lonely, surrounded by the comforting presence of his friends.

Unexpectedly, the apartment was plunged into darkness. A momentary silence ensued, only to be broken by a chorus of familiar voices singing 'Happy Birthday'. Illuminated by the soft glow of a birthday cake, Wooyoung found himself surrounded by Younghoon, Chanhee, Kevin, and Juyeon, their faces beaming with genuine affection. Q, ever the cheerleader, clapped along to the rhythm with a smile that could rival the sun.

Changmin, the quintessential jester, chimed in with a jesting remark. "You're old as fuck now."

Wooyoung rolled his eyes, retorting, "Says the guy who's literally going to be 27 next month." Changmin responded with a teasing, childish gesture, to which Wooyoung couldn't help but respond in kind.

Juyeon, always the peacekeeper, gently admonished Changmin. He moved towards Wooyoung, his arm wrapping around the birthday boy in a protective embrace. Wooyoung felt a blush creeping up his neck as he felt Juyeon's warm breath. Their relationship was a complicated dance of attraction and denial. Wooyoung liked him, maybe more than he should, yet he couldn't see himself in a relationship with him. So, they had settled into a pattern of casual hook-ups, a dangerous game where the line between friendship and something more was always being toe-touched and blurred.

Changmin, ever the pragmatist, rolled his eyes, "Whatever, let's cut the cake."

Kevin swooped in, slapping Changmin's hand away from the knife with a grin. "Hold up, we've got a gift first."

Wooyoung's eyes widened as Younghoon appeared with a box. "You guys didn't have to do that," he said, feeling a twinge of surprise and gratitude.

"No problem, Wooie," Younghoon replied with an affectionate smile, handing over the box. Wooyoung could feel Juyeon's arm slip away from him as he proceeded to open the box.

Inside was a video game he'd been eyeing for some time. He'd nearly bought it on impulse the day before but had decided against it. He was glad he'd waited. Overwhelmed with gratitude, Wooyoung leaped up to hug Younghoon. "Thank you, Younghoon!"

Chanhee chimed in, "We also got you a new gaming setup. That was Changmin's idea." Wooyoung moved to hug him too.

"Yeah, hopefully with the new controllers, you can finally beat me," Changmin teased, opening his arms to return the hug.

Suddenly, Juyeon handed Wooyoung a small, bow-adorned box. "Here's my gift," he said, "It's nothing much, but I saw it and thought of you." Wooyoung's heart swelled. Moving back home, as his mother had suggested, had indeed been a wise decision.

"Thank you, Juju," Wooyoung murmured, opening the box to reveal a silver necklace with a 'W' charm and an orange gem attached to it. "This is beautiful."

Juyeon shrugged and asked if he could put it on Wooyoung. As Juyeon was fiddling with the clasp, a flash of light startled them. They turned to find Kevin holding a camera, a mischievous grin plastered on his face.

"I like capturing moments!" Kevin declared, capturing another memory in a single click.

Wooyoung spent the rest of the night with his friends, laughing and joking until the early hours of the morning. Eventually, one by one, they began to depart, until only Juyeon remained. Wooyoung watched as he closed the door behind Changmin and Kevin, turning to face him with a soft smile.