Baby Steps | hyunsung

2 | NO NEW FRIENDS

He was speechless. He was motionless. He just stared in astonishment. In all honesty, he didn't think he'd see the two men ever again. After having left for college they went radio silent. Their phone numbers changed; they never visited during winter or spring break; and there was never an attempt to reach out. But then again, Jisung didn't try either. In a way they were like Hyunjin—someone who fell off the face of the planet, with only an empty goodbye as their last words. The single father couldn't be spiteful towards them though. Afterall, he was the one who refused to let anyone know what was happening in his personal life. But then again he could be a little angry towards Changbin for what he'd done.

"And to think you would have been a little bit more excited to see us?" Changbin jokes. "Driving hours in a hot car for whatever this face is" His palm had risen to make a circular motion in front of Jisung's frozen face. It was enough to knock the blonde from whatever daydream he'd found himself in. Now he looked between the duo with raging emotions. Mostly nervous for what he evidently has to explain to them.

"You didn't do shit. I drove the whole way" Seungmin retorted. He even shoved the shorter with a punch to the arm. Changbin didn't hesitate to glare back, the two almost immediately falling into unnecessary bickering. It reminded Jisung about how they used to do the same thing back in high school. They may have been worse than Hyunjin and him if they weren't originally friends. "Having to skip breakfast in order to pick you up on time. Pfft, you weren't even ready. And to top it all off, your dumbass university security made me drive around in order to find visitor only parking. Like what's the point!? The semester is over!"

"Could you not complain about that again? I will rip my ears off."

That's when Jisung felt a smile break out on his face. Lurchingforward brought them in for a group hug. It cut whatever they were going to say next short, grins too making its way to their faces as they wrapped their own arms around him.

"Changbin! Seungmin! It's so good to see you guys again!" When he pulled away, he quickly let his eyes rake up and down their bodies. Changbin had grown no more than a few inches; Seungmin definitely shot up in height. They'd both grown muscle, but Changbin might as well consider himself a body builder from how large his biceps had become. And his chest was so big and firm. They both had changed their hair colors, Seungmin going lilac while Changbin went a light brown. They look so mature now; giving him nostalgia from all of the fun times they had in high school. He really did miss them. But it didn't stop him from furrowing his eyebrows and landing a punch to Changbin's other arm. An action to which the older scowled at with a groan. "Four years and not a single call! How did you guys find out where I lived?"

"Even after high school I'm still the one being bullied."

"Sorry about that actually" Seungmin rubbed at his nape with an awkward chuckle. "I broke my phone not even a month after leaving, forcing me to get a new one. I could only remember my parents' numbers. I had gotten Changbin's when accidentally running into old friend Wooyoung. You remember him, right? That one loud guy who thought he'd win president of the student body if he sold cupcakes?" Jisung nodded along in understanding. He looked at Changbin in hopes of a just as pliable excuse. The buff male let his ears go red.

"I guess mine is more of a shame thing...you know, for what I did. So I deleted everything in my phone that may have been related to you guys. I threw away everything that reminded me—I just felt like an awful person and I thought it'd be best if I just disappeared for a while." He looked genuinely upset for what he'd done, brown eyes going solemn as if asking Jisung for his forgiveness. He must have known that the blonde already heard about his unbelievable act through Felix.

Speaking of the red-haired Australian, he still slept on the couch. He was oblivious to the way Seungmin and his now ex-boyfriend stood not even a few feet away, awaiting to be allowed in the small home. It was a dilemma that Jisung didn't think he'd have to deal with so early in the morning. He rather be cuddled up with his old pregnancy pillow that he refused to throw away after Esme was born, not only because it was extremely comfortable to lay with, but he may have grown an emotional attachment to it. At first Jisung was going to block the sight of Felix sprawled out on the couch, and urge that they meet up later in a more public place, but the plans were quickly changing when that same freckled foreigner was stirring awake. While sitting up, he raised his arms in a stretch as a yawn echoed out. He has yet to notice the way three men stared his way; one particular set of eyes being filled with deep remorse. So rubbing at his chocolatey eyes still unaware of who stood before him, he too let his naturally deep (but somehow even lower) croaky voice fill the ears of the people still standing at the front door. He was ranting to himself about how he had to pee and that the sofa felt as though he was laying on the floor. If Changbin knew that Felix was visiting Jisung as well, he would have made Seungmin drop him off at his parent's house. Not being able to do anything about the situation, Jisung finally let his guest enter.