Worst Behavior

EPILOGUE

[ EPILOGUE ]
J E O N G G U K

are you ready?

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1999. ten years later.

"When will you guys pick me up?"

Jeongguk holds the clamshell phone close to his ear, a smile spreading across his lips as he shoves the duvet off his lap. He lets his feet hit the cool floor and approaches the windows to his flat. He proceeds to push aside the drapes, letting the morning light spill into his home.

There's something about living in New York that soothes him. He guesses it's how the city never seems to sleep— especially since it's an unbearable time to be awake at the moment but people are already making the early morning commute to work.

He can hear their cars faintly every night and morning, and whenever he glimpses out his window his breath hitches in his throat seeing the towers that kiss the sky. It's especially beautiful at evening when the lights illuminate the city like stars in the vast sky above them.

After college, he had moved to New York to pursue his career as a therapist for trauma patients. He works the normal 9 to 5 job (with some late shifts) at the main hospital. His weekly job consists of meeting patients and going through counseling sessions that usually progress quite slowly, though Jeongguk understands how they feel.

Traumatic events aren't an unknown to him. They take time to acknowledge, face, and adjust to— Jeongguk knows that for a fact. It's also been ten years and in that stretch of time, Jeongguk has managed to heal the wounds that have left scars on him. So, he thought, why not help others recover as well?

"Dan will pick you up from the airport since I'm with Nayoo preparing for the party. He might be stuck in some traffic though," Grace's voice is slightly muffled in the speaker.

"California traffic is different than New York traffic though," Jeongguk says, chuckling softly. He runs a hand through his disheveled hair and leans agains the massive glass window, feeling the warmth of the sun heating his bare shoulder.

"You sound happy today," Grace points out, to which brings a smile to sprawl across Jeongguk's face. She doesn't have to see it to know, "It's him again, isn't it?" She teases.

"What makes you think that?" Jeongguk asks, raising his eyebrows at her tone. Grace laughs into the receiver, and god, it feels like old times. It's been so long since they've talked besides the occasional postcard and text messages.

"Because I can tell how you sound when you're in love," She says, singing the last part. Jeongguk rolls his eyes, and in the background he can hear a laugh that surely isn't Grace's. The smile he wears widens, his heart leaping in his chest knowing his best friend is happy.

Grace has been dating Nayoo Hae for almost three years now. They met, or well, bumped into eachother in the streets. He remembers Grace telling him about some scrunchie that she dropped and how Nayoo followed her and returned it to her instead of going to her dance competition.

It's a chaotic story, but knowing Grace, she has always been the chaotic friend in their group. Despite how ten years has passed and they haven't seen eachother physically, she's still the same girl.