if without you || seongjoong

though it was tiring as hell

the pair went back to the hotel. they scanned the whole room, not wanting to leave anything behind.

seonghwa brought hongjoong's backpack and the suitcase.

"i am not a child. i can bring it by myself," hongjoong said as he pouted his mouth.

"yes you're not. and i can bring these by myself too," seonghwa smiled as they went in to the elevator together.

they went to the receptionist. seonghwa wanted to thanked jongho for his words that day, maybe giving him seonghwa's  signature would work.

except jongho wasn't there.

"hello there, i am baro. what can i help you?"

"we would like to check out," seonghwa answered.

baro scanned their key. "it said here that you still booked the room for another day,"

"yes, but we decided to go back today," seonghwa answered shortly.

"oh i see, where are you guys going?" the boy smiled as he typed on his monitor.

"you will still be charged with four days of booking, sir," the boy added.

"we're going to seoul. and that'll be fine," seonghwa answered as he pulled his card and gave it to the boy.

"your password please," he said as he showed seonghwa the edc machine.

"can i see jongho by any chance?" seonghwa asked.

"jongho? he's absent for today. here is your card, sir. thank you for staying with us,"
the receptionist answered as he gave seonghwa's card.

seonghwa nodded and he said another greeting to the receptionist with a smile. and the receptionist smiled back at him.

hongjoong and seonghwa turned their back, off to the airport they go.

hongjoong and seonghwa had already left the hotel with a taxi, but the smile of the receptionist didn't fade.

it turned into a grin.

***

they were now on the plane. seonghwa buckled up and so did hongjoong.

he received a text from eden, saying that he'll picked them from the airport.

"are you sure you okay?" seonghwa reassured.

"yes, mom. i am totally fine," hongjoong smiled, showing off his glossy teeth.

the flight was smooth, hongjoong slept the whole flight, maybe because he was still tired.

seonghwa didn't even realized that they had already landed. last time he checked on the windows, there were clouds and the blue painted skies.

and now there were planes, some people here and there.

holy shit, they're in seoul now.

seonghwa braced himself. people might see him from a far, with hongjoong beside him.

he had to face this, for the sake of–

hongjoong tapped on his shoulders. offering him a hat.

"can we at least use this?" he said slowly as if he was afraid.