cold | junhao

十九

"Jun?"

After four days of barely any free time and little sleep to keep him going, hearing his name called from over his shoulder startles Jun.

It wouldn't normally - since coming back to China for this shoot it's as if everyone knows who he is, but the thing in this voice that startles him is the familiarity and warmth that bursts in his chest as he hears it. His mind blanks after he tries to figure out why. After a few moments he just turns around, and his eyes widen.

At the edge of the hotel building, a young woman stands with her eyes alight with recognition and hand waving high above her head. She starts jogging towards Jun, as the male can't believe what he's seeing.

While it may have been years since they last saw each other, everything about his cousin Shuhua is the same to Jun as it was when they were children. And after hours and days without leaving each other's side, it's pretty impossible to forget. 

The second they meet in an embrace, Jun feels a breath leave him. The stress of the past few days melts away. 

Shuhua chuckles lightly in his ear, "Wow, you've grown so much. Not gonna lie, I didn't believe it was you when I saw your first magazine shoot." She tightens her arms around Jun's neck, Jun rocking the two of them from side to side. "Mum always fawns over your shoots - she buys every single thing you're in, by the way." 

Jun laughs, "Really? I didn't expect Auntie to be so supportive... Remember when she used to scoff whenever I mentioned wanting to be a model."

They lean back away from each other as Shuhua laughs. "You must work in labour like your father, it's the only way to support your future family," she says, imitating her mother's high-pitched scolding voice perfectly. She waggles her pointer finger at Jun, making him almost fall over from laughter.

"Oh god," he wheezes. "I guess a part of me actually missed that." He brushes himself off and looks at his cousin, unable to help the grin on his face and how he bounces on his heels. It's funny how spending years away from someone can be so different depending on the person - for some people it tears them apart, while for others they carry on as if they never left.

"We should go get a drink or something! And then you need to come back home and see everyone! You should've told one of us you were coming Jun," Shuhua slaps his arm, giving him a disappointed look. "When are you free next?"

Jun glances at the back of his phone, which has his schedule for this trip slotted in the case. He sighs, "I'm actually free for the rest of the day," he grins. "Thank God." Shuhua claps in glee and immediately grabs hold of his hand and begins to tug him along, but Jun pulls back and stops her. "I need to tell the others I'm going out," he says. "They'll worry otherwise."

She nods and sits down on a bench, crossing her legs over each other to wait for him. Jun immediately sprints through the hotel lobby, racing up the stairs to Yuqi and Yeji's rom, where the four of them were supposed to meet. He pushes the door open and as expected, three faces glance at him as he barges in the door.

Yuqi stares at him, "You good?"

Nodding, Jun hurries to talk to them, trying to contain his happiness at being reunited with his cousin. "Yeah, I'm great... uh, I might not be back until late tonight."

Renjun raises an eyebrow. "And is this so important that you're leaving us on the one afternoon we have free?"

All Jun has to say is 'Shuhua' for Yuqi and Renjun to roll their eyes and wave him away. After all, they're all aware of Jun's family here and how long he's gone without seeing them. He quickly yells bye before running off again, jumping down the stairs multiple at a time to reach the door quicker.