Let's Stop!

Chapter 3: Back to Square One

After the comeback and promotions the group was given a short vacation. Chenle flew back to China to spend time with family.

"Chenle, I was going to throw these but I saw that it's from Jisung. You would have killed me if that happened. Place this somewhere safe alright?" His mother chuckled.
She placed them on his bed before walking out of the room.

He peeled away from the computer screen and got up from his seat.

Opening the box, he swallowed the growing lump on his throat.
One by one he took the contents and looked at it. Examining it with his fingers, he gazed at the ribbon that Jisung gave him for his birthday once, rereading the message that was written there.
He can't help but give a pained smile.
His fingers then brushed on the surface of the basketball that Jisung signed, chuckling at the memory of him telling Jisung that he won't keep it.
The keyring they made lay on his palm,
"Chenji's This and That."
He uttered those words in the usual tone that they do it, and in the back of his mind Jisung's voice echoed.
"Jichen's This and That"

He stood up and went back to his computer the keyring still on his hand.
On the screen he clicked the youtube icon and navigated his way to the NCT channel.

He rewatched their episodes, laughing in every single one.
"Only Jisung can handle all sides of me even at times that I annoy him."
He admitted aloud.
He wiped the tears on the corners of his eyes from laughing too much when the last episode autoplayed.
The few drops of moisture quickly turned into a waterfall as Chenle realized what Jisung did for him.

From the time he was awkward and clueless about the korean language,

At the moment they discovered that they met before as children,

To when they became the famous duo,

And in every single second of his life,

Jisung always protects him, puts him first and genuinely cared for him.

He quickly got up and ran to his mother, the keyring still snuggled in his curled fingers.
"Mom, please book me the soonest flight to Seoul."

"What? You just arrived yesterday!" His mother interjected, surprised as to why his son suddenly want to go back.

"I have to go mom, please. There's something I need to do." Chenle begged, his face still glistened with tears.

As soon as the plane landed in the Souh Korean soils, Chenle called Jeno.

"Jeno do you know where Jisung is?"

"Yeah, he went home." The older answered curious as to why someone in Shanghai would ask that question.

"Thanks hyung."

"Wh-" Jeno looked at his phone when he heard that the call ended already and sighed.

Jisung was just done having supper with his family when he heard the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it." He announced.

"Who could be visiting at this hour?"

He took his time walking towards the gate and was shocked to see the face he saw when he opened it.

"Ch-" He was cut off by a bone crushing hug when the older threw himself at him.

Chenle inhaled the comforting scent and melted inside the familiar warmth of Jisung.
"I miss this... I want more of this."
"I'm s-sorry... I'm so sorry." His sobs muffled as he buried himself on the younger's chest.

"It's not your fault that you don't like me back Chenle."
He hesitated before giving gentle rubs on the smaller's back.

"It's not like that... I can explain...
Can you please come back to me."
He gazed up to look at Jisung's face.

"I don't know Chenle..."

With those words he felt his world crash.
"Yeah... I hurt him. I deserve to hurt too...
It wouldn't be easy after what I put him through."

"In what place in your life would you want me to come back?"
Jisung's breath hovered on Chenle's ears as he clearly hear the words being tenderly spoken through his ears.