flutedrum | woosan ✓

49

The tension between Seonghwa and Hongjoong had hung over them for what felt like an eternity. Neither of them had wanted things to get this bad, but between the company's downfall, the stress of the group, and their own unspoken feelings, everything had spiraled out of control. It wasn't until now, standing outside under the soft glow of streetlights, that Hongjoong realized how much he had missed Seonghwa—the warmth of his presence, the steady calm he brought into every room, the way he seemed to understand him without needing to say a word.

Hongjoong had called Seonghwa to meet him, unsure of how the other would respond. He hadn't expected Seonghwa to agree so quickly. But here they were, the silence between them heavy, and Hongjoong had no idea where to start.

Seonghwa stood a few steps away, arms crossed, his expression guarded. He didn't trust himself to speak just yet—afraid that if he did, the disappointment, the anger, the hurt would all spill out uncontrollably. So he just stood there, watching as Hongjoong shuffled nervously on the spot.

"I'm sorry," Hongjoong began, his voice barely above a whisper. He didn't move closer, afraid that Seonghwa might walk away. "I know...I know it doesn't fix anything. I know I messed up. We messed up. But I'm trying, Hwa. I'm trying to make this right."

Seonghwa didn't respond immediately, his gaze steady, though there was a flicker of emotion behind his eyes. Hongjoong took a deep breath, his hands clenched at his sides. "I've been talking to our company," he continued. "They've offered to take AURORA under their supervision. You won't have to disband just yet. We can still release the collaboration song together, and even after...you guys can go solo. Or go your own ways. It won't be like it was, but it's something, right?"

For the first time since they had met up, Seonghwa's expression softened. He had expected a lot of things, but not this. He had expected empty apologies, half-hearted attempts at fixing the damage that had already been done. But Hongjoong had actually found a solution—a way to keep them together, even if it wasn't the same as before.

"Why?" Seonghwa asked, his voice quiet but steady. "Why are you doing this? After everything..."

Hongjoong looked at him, eyes filled with something Seonghwa hadn't seen in a while—genuine care, remorse, and something deeper. "Because I care, Hwa. I never wanted to hurt you, or AURORA. And...I can't stand the thought of us being like this. I can't lose you."

Seonghwa's heart clenched at those words. He wanted to stay angry, to hold onto the frustration that had been eating at him for weeks. But hearing Hongjoong say those things—seeing the way he was trying, really trying—made it impossible. His walls began to crumble.

"You think this fixes everything?" Seonghwa asked, though his voice had lost some of its edge.

"No," Hongjoong admitted. "But it's a start. And...I'll keep fighting for you, for us, if you'll let me."

There was a long pause, the weight of Hongjoong's words settling between them. Seonghwa stared at him, feeling the emotions rise inside him—everything he had been holding back for so long. Finally, he let out a sigh, his arms dropping to his sides.

"I hate you sometimes," Seonghwa muttered, his voice shaky.

Hongjoong winced, but before he could respond, Seonghwa stepped closer. "But I love you more than I hate you. And I can't keep pretending I don't."

The confession hung in the air for a moment, both of them standing in the quiet street, the tension slowly melting away. Hongjoong's breath hitched, his eyes widening slightly as Seonghwa's words sank in.

Seonghwa took another step forward, closing the gap between them. His hands came up, gently resting on Hongjoong's shoulders. "I forgive you," he whispered, his voice trembling slightly. "I don't know how, but I do. Because I can't do this without you either."

Hongjoong let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, his heart racing. "Seonghwa..."

Before he could say anything else, Seonghwa leaned in, pressing his lips softly against Hongjoong's. The kiss was slow, tentative at first, but filled with all the unspoken words and emotions they had kept buried for so long. Hongjoong's hands instinctively found their way to Seonghwa's waist, pulling him closer as they deepened the kiss. He immediately bit Seonghwa's bottom lip slightly, before licking the sting away and sliding his tongue in.

It was like time stopped around them—just the two of them in that moment, finally letting go of the pain and finding their way back to each other. When they finally pulled apart, their foreheads rested together, breaths mingling in the cool night air.

"Don't ever scare me like that again," Seonghwa murmured, his hands still resting on Hongjoong's shoulders.

"I won't," Hongjoong promised, his voice soft but filled with conviction. "I swear."

They stood there for a few more moments, just holding each other, the weight of their previous argument slowly dissolving into the background. Things weren't perfect—there were still challenges ahead—but for now, they had each other. And that was enough.

As they slowly started to walk back, hand in hand, Hongjoong glanced at Seonghwa with a small smile. "So...does this mean we can release the collab song?"

Seonghwa chuckled, shaking his head fondly. "One step at a time, Joong."

Hongjoong grinned, squeezing Seonghwa's hand. "One step at a time, then."