Best of You [ChanCheol] ✔

04

Hyunjin phones to say he can't make it to practice and right after, Leedo messages to say he has to cover someone else's shift. Ungjae assures them that it's alright and they could practice another day, so Chan is off for the day. Meaning that he gets to sleep in, which he does. Or at least, the closest to sleep in he could possibly achieve. It's after eleven when he climbs out of bed.

There is a sticky note on the fridge of a list of things they need. Spotting milk on the list, he disappears into the bathroom to shower and he gets ready. He grabs the little sticky note grocery list on his way out and makes his way to the convenience store down the road.

He's back in the apartment half an hour later, packing the items away and pouring over the milk into his cereal when his phone goes off from inside. Thinking it's a notification, he decides it can wait and eats. Only when he's made and finished his coffee and done a load of laundry does he go to check his phone.

Only to be met with 3 missed calls and 2 messages. He responds to Jihoon before swiping down to take a closer look at the calls. It was the same number; one he didn't recognise. Nobody ever called him; they never needed to, so it was odd. He doesn't think it's a wrong number either, considering whoever it is called thrice. People don't typically dial a number incorrectly more than two times in a row. It wasn't Minghao or Jihoon's work numbers either, because he had those saved as well, and it couldn't be their dad because, despite the rarity of communication between them, he still had it saved. Unless it was a new number, but if that were the case, either Chan or Jihoon would have known by now.

Realizing that the only way he would find out was to phone, he sucks in a deep breath and presses the call button. It rings until the very last before there's an answer.

"Good afternoon." A familiar voice fills his ears; as familiar as a voice could become within three conversations. While it could have been anyone else and he just thought it sounded familiar, Chan had never been more certain about anything of who the voice belonged to.

"It's still morning," he feels the need to remind as he takes a seat on the couch. "And hello to you too, Seungcheol."

"So you remember me." He could be mistaken, but he thinks there's the hint of a smile in his voice. Though he's never seen Seungcheol before, he can almost picture a smile on his face. "Thought I'd chased you away."

"I'm not that easily chased off." He pauses. Listening to the breathing on the other side of the line, he wonders why. Why was Seungcheol calling him? Why had he called thrice? And from where was he phoning that they weren't directed through the hospital room telephones. All questions he wanted to ask, but he didn't. He chooses not to. "You sound chirper."

"The nurses have laid off for a bit. There's a new patient in the ward."

"What, so all the nurses are with them? Do they do some sort of welcome day or something?" He queries, hand fiddling with the remote.

Another chuckle. "Something along those lines. New comers get really nervous so the nurses try to make their arrival as welcoming and comfortable as possible," he explains. He's about to say something in response when Seungcheol speaks up again. "Did I interrupt your morning?"

"Excuse me?"

He rephrases his question. "Were you busy when I called?"

"I had to stop at the shop," Chan replies. He's smiling, but he doesn't know why. "We were out of milk and I wanted to eat."

"Is this a usual morning routine?" Amusement rings through the speaker. Chan snickers before covering his mouth with his hand. This wasn't how it went. They never called him and they certainly never made him smile or laugh. So what was this?

"Not at all," he says. "Only on my days off and if we need groceries."

"What do you do when you're not off?"

"I'm a dance major at the local university."

"For a 'local' university, they're one of the top," Seungcheol replies and then his voice lowers as he adds, "Or so I've heard."

Chan doesn't ask. He doesn't need to to figure out why he's only ever heard that they're one of the top universities in the country. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out either; anyone could really. Seungcheol's breathing has picked up, he really sounds like he's struggling. As he breathes in, Chan thinks it sounds heavier than it did before. When he breathes out, it's slower, like he's really trying to control it.

"Seungcheol?" A hint of panic slips into his tone. "Is everything okay?"

He takes longer to respond this time. Quiet, struggling breaths are audible through the speaker and then, after an excruciating minute, Seungcheol speaks. "I'm sorry. I need to go." Without waiting for a response, the line cuts off.

He puts the phone down, brow creasing as he stares silently at it. He finds himself hoping above everything else that Seungcheol was okay. He didn't even know him and yet he just hoped.

It's an effort trying to distract his mind the rest of the day. Most of it is spent putting on a movie only to switch it off and change to a series and this went on multiple times until he decided he'd try to read. That worked for about five minutes which was when Jihoon walked through the front door.

"You're home early," Chan notes as he locks gazes with his brother and smiles. He can't remember the last time Jihoon ever came home early. Though the expression on Jihoon's face goes from the usual neutral expression and morphs into a look of concern.

"Chan, I'm home the same time I've been getting home every other day."

Sure enough, when Chan looks at the clock, Jihoon is right. It's almost time for supper again. When Minghao walks in, Chan averts his gaze and tries to focus on the television, but really all he can wonder is about today.

Today and where the hell the time had gone.