KaiSoo One Shot Collection (REQUESTS OPEN)

Second Chances

Title: Second Chances
Genre(s): Slight angst, fluff, college!au
Rating: PG-13
Warnings/Kinks: Adult language/content, mentions of infidelity
Description: He messed up before, but Jongin hopes it's not too late for second chances.

He wakes up at the same time, eats the same food, drives the same way, all to end up at the one place where nothing is the same.

Jongin has always been the type to believe that change is inevitable and nothing is ever bound to stay the same. But that doesn't make going through change any easier and it definitely doesn't make the pain of change fade away any quicker.

He's had his fair share of change, from the time his sisters went off to college to the time he and his family was forced to move and all the other small changes in between. Nothing could have prepared him for the change that happened when he was a junior in college, though--by far the hardest time of his life thus far.

Admittedly, their relationship wasn't always the best. They fought quite often, most of them being caused by feelings of jealousy, and there were many days when they really couldn't stand to even talk to each other through text. A lot of their friends constantly expressed their concern for their relationship, but Jongin didn't think much of it at the time; that was just how they were and before he could even count the days properly, they had made up.

But now, he wishes he would have listened to them.

"I can't believe you, Jongin. I go away for one day and two hours after I come back, I find out you cheated on me with some random person at a party! I mean, did you really think I wouldn't find out?"

He was livid. He felt everything he rightfully should have--hurt, upset, betrayed. Jongin recognized his feelings, he just didn't make as big of a deal of them as Kyungsoo did.

"Babe, just calm down, alright? It's not like I fell in love with him. And besides, I barely remember it. It meant nothing, it was just some stupid thing I did that I won't do again."

"You're right, it was stupid and I know you won't do it again. I know because I won't let it happen again."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"We're done, Jongin. It's over."

He tried to act nonchalant about the whole thing, but that turned out to be harder than he imagined. Some days were better than others, but none of it was never easy--at least not as easy as he wished it would have been. If only he could have gotten through that following year without feeling any pain or heartache, he wouldn't still be left with the guilt he is today.

Still, despite the change, he wakes at the same time and goes to class like he did when everything was normal. He can't completely avoid Kyungsoo because as part of the same major, they share some classes, but he can talk to him and at least pretend to be satisfied with how his life is. Kyungsoo seems to have become happier during the 378 days that have passed since their break-up and as much as the sight of him smiling at other people kills him, there isn't anything Jongin can do about it. There isn't anything he would do about it even if he could. He loves Kyungsoo and as the saying goes, if you truly love someone, you have to be willing to let them go. 

Too bad that saying doesn't tell you how to deal with the pain that follows.

It's an early Thursday morning and Jongin is fifteen minutes ahead of the set arrival time again. So, he takes his time as he walks down the hallway, strolling and letting the sound of his music temporarily flood his mind. He strolls right to his classroom and plops in his usual seat while letting out a huff of air. After that, he just sort of scrolls through his phone, still listening to music as he plays a game for the remainder of the homeroom period.