Moonglow Bay | ATEEZ

10. the return

It was a Tuesday when everything fell apart. Summer was approaching and schools were beginning to let out for holiday. Long gone was the December wind that enveloped you and Yunho on your first date. Tuesday, May 5 came completely assuming; despite the recent increase in temperature, a breeze still lingered in the air. You and Jongho were finished with your studies for the semester and opted for a day on the beach, deciding it was the perfect way to celebrate.

The two of you set up an umbrella and a couple of lounge chairs a few meters back from the tide. Complete with a large blanket beneath you and a cooler full of goodies, you and Jongho were eager for some well-deserved relaxation and sunshine. Wooyoung was meant to join you after his shift at Dalbich, with promise of fresh-brewed iced tea, the Choi family's famous recipe. Until that arrived, though, you were content with the sound of the waves crashing against the shore, Jongho's presence at your side giving you comfort.

"So, where's Yunho today?"

You turned your head to face your friend. He was gazing at you from over the rim of his sunglasses, lips taken over by a sly smirk.

Rolling your eyes, you settled back down into your seat, attention back on the water. "As much as I'd love for you and Woo to torture him, I'm afraid you can't today. He's finishing up exams."

"Aw, c'mon, he can't even drop by for a little bit?"

With a small laugh, you shook your head and dug a novel out of the tote bag laying underneath your chair. "No, not even for a little bit. He'll be back tomorrow."

"Who will be back tomorrow?"

The sound of Wooyoung's voice caused you to perk up, and you turned completely in your chair to offer your friend a grin. "Hey!" You called, excited that the three of you were all together.

"You talking about Yunho?" Wooyoung asked. He made his way to the front of your set-up and plopped down onto the blanket, facing you and Jongho, a cooler in his arms. You scrambled off of your chair and settled on the empty patch of blanket before him, eager to devour the contents of the cooler. Wooyoung unpacked two pitchers: one full of iced blonde roast, Jongho's favorite, and one of the famous Choi iced tea.

"Yeah," you said with a nod, reaching to accept the goodies Wooyoung brought with him. "He has his last exam tomorrow, though, so he needs to study."

Wooyoung continued rifling through the cooler and settled back with a groan.

"What's wrong?" Jongho asked from behind you, scooting over to see what the problem was.

"I forgot to get cups," Wooyoung murmured, shaking out the hair that had blown into his face.

"Want me to go get them?" A voice called from behind you. Assuming it was Jongho, you turned to thank him, only to meet eyes with Yunho. He was settled at the edge of Jongho's lounge chair, a faint smile on his face. It was the perfect juxtaposition for the mischievous grin overtaking Jongho's features.

"Yunho?!" You asked with a laugh, scrambling to your feet before plopping down in the young man's lap, arms around him. "What are you doing here? You need to study!"

"Hey, taking breaks is healthy for you," your boyfriend teased, pressing a kiss to your forehead before enveloping you in his embrace.

"Oh, gag," Wooyoung said as he stood. "I'll be right back, lovebirds, I need to go grab cups from the café."

Nuzzling your face into the crook of Yunho's neck, you let yourself smile again.

"I'll keep them in check," Jongho called out to Wooyoung as the young man dashed back up to the main road. Yunho swatted at Jongho with a laugh, and the two fell naturally into one of their brother-like scraps.

"Come on," you said, tugging at the hem of Yunho's shirt to pull his attention back to you. "Let's go play in the water."

Yunho swatted at Jongho once more before nodding, showing his agreement with your idea. "Yeah, that sounds nice."

You hopped off his lap and ran down to the shoreline while Yunho took the time to remove his shoes and cuff the bottoms of his jeans.

The way the waves met the sand brought you joy. In that moment, you felt as if everything was perfect. To you, there was nothing better than that, spending the day on the beach with the people you loved most in the world.

"No, wait!"

The sudden call shook you from your daze, and you turned to see why Wooyoung was making such a fuss. Only, the person you made eye contact with was not, in any way, Wooyoung.

"Y/N?"

You felt your heart drop into your stomach. The young man's cherry locks were back to their natural color, the bright scarlet you once associated with him now replaced with shades reminiscent of midnight. Over his shoulder, you saw Wooyoung and Jongho muttering to each other, shooting you looks of concern. A stack of cups was toppled over onto the sand near their feet. Yunho stood a little way behind them, features contorted by his confusion. Upon seeing your expression, he approached you, standing right next to Mingi.

"Y/N, what's going on?" Yunho asked, his voice as gentle as ever.

Switching your gaze back and forth between Yunho and Mingi, you felt yourself grow hot. "I don't know." Your voice was barely above a whisper.

◌ ◌ ◌

"What do you plan on doing about all this?" Jongho was still seated next to you with Wooyoung fixing an order for another customer. You could only see the back of the patron's head, but something about their stance rang a bell with you. It didn't matter, though. There were bigger problems at hand than who looked familiar to you. You returned your attention to the friend sitting next to you, but you couldn't find it in you to smile. There was nothing about this situation that brought you any form of comfort, and it was taking a toll on you.

"I don't know, Jongho," you sighed, raking a hand through your hair.

"Well it's been a week since Mingi showed up. I think you need to figure it out pretty soon." Jongho didn't mean to be cruel, but his statement caused you to wince. Of course, you knew you needed to make a decision, but how were you meant to handle this? It wasn't as if you asked for Mingi to return unannounced, to make a mess of everything you'd put together.

As tears welled in the corners of your eyes, you slumped into your seat, keeping your gaze out the front window of Dalbich Café. "I wish Hongjoong was here."

The customer Wooyoung had just served faltered for a moment at the front door, and with a smile, he turned to you.

"I am."