𝐸𝑇𝐻𝐸𝑅𝐸𝐴𝐿 // 𝐶𝐻𝐸𝑁𝑆𝑈𝑁𝐺 [✔️]

three

the sky began to grow dark a little after seven. the duo had finished eating their noodles not too long ago, but still remained parked in their space for a little longer as neither boy felt the need to keep driving. there isn't anywhere to go now, since it's too late to continue their travels and stay elsewhere, so they might as well find a hotel in seoul.

jisung fidgets in his seat. he's still in his suit from the funeral, one that looks quite similar to the one chenle's dressed in, and he begins to grow a bit uncomfortable. he loosens his black tie as if that would help. unfortunately, it doesn't do too much, so he takes off his jacket and rolls up his shirt sleeves. that's a bit better.

"before we stop for the night, i want to get some different clothes." he says, starting the car to finally break the silence between them. "this suit is uncomfortable, plus it's possible they could draw some suspicion. i saw a store not too far from here, and i've got some money saved in my account."

chenle seems to like this idea. he smiles and nods, buckling his seatbelt as jisung begins to drive off. "should i go inside with you?"

"you can wear my hat," the younger suggests. "i seriously doubt that anyone would pay any mind. plus, we're a few hours from home so the likelihood of being noticed is low."

the traffic gets a little heavy during city sunset hours, so jisung puts two hands on the wheel for extra care. chenle has to admit that his leg feels a little cold without jisung's hand there, but he knows how the younger feels about driving in heavy traffic. it took far too long for the boy to get his license in the first place, since driving is so anxiety-inducing and requires too much focus. he still wouldn't have it if it weren't for chenle constantly begging for rides to and from school.

"you look tired," chenle points out, to make conversation. normally, talking would come easy for the both of them. now, it's quite a struggle to merely speak up. chenle blames it on the situation they're in, or maybe jisung is just exhausted the day and everything else he's been through. plus, he has been driving for a while.

jisung shakes his head. "i do? i don't feel tired. i had a cup of coffee not too long ago. what makes you say that?"

"you just seem quiet, that's all."

to which, jisung silently agrees. he doesn't bother going into the details with his best friend, since it's fairly obvious to the both of them that he's still taking his time to process that chenle isn't actually dead—and instead sitting in the passenger's seat of his volvo very much alive. maybe in the morning, he'd wake up alone. he'd be back to the reality that he had gotten used to over the last few weeks. he'd get up, go to school, and talk to renjun about their loss.

some sick part of him hopes that's true. as desperate as he was to see chenle again, this isn't what he meant. this feels...different.

"jisung?"

the younger hums in response.

"are you sure you're okay?"

no, he isn't. he had just gone through the most miserable few weeks of his life, and now he's running away with someone who is currently presumed dead. it's a complete crime. but another part of jisung, the part that's loved chenle since middle school, says that what happened, happened. that there's no turning back now. and he'd rather run away with chenle than anyone else.

"of course i'm okay." he slows the car down as he parallel parks across the storefront. "let's go shopping, yeah?"

the shop is somewhat expensive, but nothing too terrible. he had saved a lot of money prior to leaving town. he learned that all the time he used to spend with chenle could be replaced with working. keeping himself preoccupied with waiting tables was a good way to temporarily forget his grief.

jisung already picked out some clothes for himself, so he goes to help chenle carry his pile. between the both of them, there's enough clothes for them to be set for a couple days without washing. jisung doesn't even mind paying for them either—despite the fact that chenle had come from a generally wealthy family.

"have you got everything?" jisung asks the elder, watching him emerge from the fitting room with a stack of clothes in hand. he definitely went all out this shopping trip—with jeans, shirts, sweatshirts, and a pair of tennis shoes.

the cashier looks at the stack of clothes, then to the two boys with a raised eyebrow. his name tag reads 'mark.' he doesn't seem to care enough to question why these two seemingly broke boys are buying a stack of expensive clothes.

mark reads out the total, a triple digit number that jisung winced when hearing. as he swipes his credit card, he silently hopes he has enough saved for a hotel, food, and gas money. the other half of him, however, knows that this purchase signifies the true start to their adventure together.

they collect their bags of clothes and wander out the store. jisung can't wait to get out of his suit and change into something a bit more comfortable—he had been sweating in that itchy suit all day while fantasizing about finally changing into pajamas.

he turns the car on and looks around, stopping when he notices chenle staring at him.

"what?"

"i wanted to say thank you for the clothes," he answers, setting the plastic bags on the floor in front of him. "i don't know a lot of people who'd spend that much on me."

"it's nothing, chenle. i wanted to." jisung says with a small smile. he isn't going to lie, spoiling chenle on things like this is something he's always wanted to do, and now is the perfect time to. he has no intentions of making chenle pay him back, if he even planned to.

he looks deeply at his best friend, suddenly fighting the urge to lean over and plant a small kiss on his nose. or maybe, he didn't actually think that.

it's a little moment they share, but jisung savors it and makes it last. the way chenle looks at him in return makes him feel like someone more than just a friend, and this was more than running away from home. this is starting a new life, together, spending every last second with each other with no end in sight. his best friend is alive, here, and willing to do this with him.

and jisung smiles wider. that's what matters most to him.