Over Books and Coffee (Seongjoong)

Part 11

—TWO YEARS LATER—

Hongjoong watched as Seonghwa did one last check of the apartment, making sure that everything was in place before the guests started to arrive.

"Everything looks good!" He decided, walking back to where Hongjoong was slowly spinning around on the bar stool.

"I can't believe we've graduated." Seonghwa said.

"Me neither. It seems so surreal." Hongjoong climbed off of the stool and stood next to Seonghwa, looking around their shared apartment at all of the decorations they put up.

"Only Jongho and Mingi still have a year left." Seonghwa commented, slipping his arm around Hongjoong's waist.

"I feel like a proud parent, thinking about them working so hard." Hongjoong laughed, leaning into Seonghwa's side. He smiled.

A knock sounded at the door, the first guests arriving. Hongjoong ran to the door and opened it, only to be tackled into a hug by Jongho. Yeosang stepped in behind his friend, carrying some bags.

"I brought the food." He announced.

"Great! I'll help you, come to the kitchen." Seonghwa called. Yeosang took off his sneakers and went over.

"Hyungs I can't believe you've graduated! I'll be all alone!" Jongho said, separating himself from Hongjoong.

The past year, they had become good friends with Jongho and Yeosang, probably caused by Wooyoung already knowing Yeosang.

"You won't be alone. Mingi will be taking another year too." Hongjoong corrected the youngest member of their chaotic family.

A loud horn sounded through the room and Hongjoong nearly jumped out of his own skin.

"Freedom! At last!" Wooyoung yelled, stepping into the apartment followed by San who apologized to Hongjoong for nearly scaring him to death.

Wooyoung was holding one of those party favors that Hongjoong didn't know the name of, but that resembled a cone and made noise when blown into.

"Hey San, Wooyoung." Hongjoong greeted.

"Hey guys!" Seonghwa called from the kitchen, followed by a "Hi" from Yeosang.

Wooyoung pranced into the room, and started to take out all of the party favors he had brought. Jongho watched him with interest.

"The neighbors are going to hate us." Hongjoong said flatly, looking at San. San laughed nervously.

"Sorry, Woo insisted." He said. Hongjoong reached forward and gave his friend a hug.

"Hey, I want to join!" A body collided with them, and hongjoong recognized the cotton candy blue of Yunho's hair instantly.

"Happy graduation guys!" Mingi said cheerfully.

"Mingi! Come get a hat!" Wooyoung called. Mingi's eyes lit up as he flung his shoes off and ran in.

Yep, the neighbors would hate them.

"Now that everyone is here, why don't we get this party started?" Seonghwa asked.

"Food is ready!" Yeosang called. There was a chorus of cheers from the others as they bolted for the kitchen.

"I wish they were that excited about cleaning..." Seonghwa sighed as he bent down to tidy up the many pairs of shoes on their doorstep.

When he stood up again, there was a loud bang and both of them saw the streamers litter the floor.

"I swear to god Wooyoung and Mingi and their party poppers are going to be the death of me." Seonghwa said, his fingers twitched.

"Let it go. They're kids." Hongjoong said, patting the taller man's head.

"Hongjoong, they're all in their twenties." Seonghwa said bluntly. Hongjoong laughed.

"Yeah, but they're still idiots." Hongjoong shrugged.

"Our idiots." Seonghwa corrected.

"Yeah, I guess so." Hongjoong laughed. Seonghwa took his hand in his.

"I love you, you know that?" He said. Hongjoong gave his hand a squeeze.

"I love you too." Hongjoong said.

"Hey! The two antisocial people over by the door! Come eat!" San called.

"How about going for a walk down the campus street after?" Yunho suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Seonghwa nodded. Everyone else agreed too.

They walked down through the campus, and down the bordering streets as well. Wooyoung was at the front of the group with Mingi and San, the three of them happily bouncing and talking.

Hongjoong felt Seonghwa come to a stop.

"What is it?" Hongjoong asked him. Seonghwa merely pointed ahead.

Hongjoong looked and saw it, the library where they had first met, and the coffee shop where everything had started.

"What are you thinking about?" Hongjoong asked Seonghwa.

"If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have met them." He replied, gesturing to the six rowdy men in front of them.

"You mean, if I hadn't thrown a book at your head or was addicted to coffee?" Hongjoong said with a laugh.

"I guess so. I wonder what happened to that book?" Seonghwa said jokingly.

"Maybe it's hitting some other poor soul in the face. Matchmaking may be it's new hobby." Hongjoong shrugged. Seonghwa laughed.

"It certainly worked for us." He said.

"Yeah." Hongjoong agreed.

It had.