jeonghan woke up feeling better than yesterday. he had finally caught up on much-needed sleep, his mind temporarily away from the burdens that had weighed him down. the past two days had been nothing short of hell for him—his world filled with endless phone calls, unread messages, and meetings that seemed to blur into one another. sleep had become a luxury he couldn't afford, and the mounting stress had eventually taken its toll, leading to the fever that knocked him out.

he had pushed himself to the edge, running on caffeine and sheer willpower. his body had screamed for rest, but his mind refused, too tangled in thoughts and responsibilities. deep down, he didn’t understand why he had allowed himself to get this bad. maybe part of him wanted to crash, to shut down completely and escape the noise in his head. and, for a few hours, he did.

as jeonghan sat up, he glanced at the wall clock in front of him—5:18. he replayed the events of the previous night in his mind. he remembered talking with ha na yeon at yang jun ho’s wake, and then... everything turned hazy. the memory of stepping outside was a blur. honestly, he felt embarrassed. never did he want anyone to see him that way—weak, vulnerable, struggling. he hated it.

for a couple of hours, he had been left alone to rest, the room cloaked in silence.

but then, something clicked. jeonghan realized he wasn’t in his own room—or in any room he recognized.

the hotel room was simple but elegant. neutral tones dominated the space, with beige walls and dark wooden accents. a soft white comforter draped over the neatly made bed, and thick, cream-colored curtains framed the large window. a modest desk sat by the wall, a glass of water and some medication resting on it. the air smelled clean, almost clinical, and the hum of the air conditioner filled the room with a soft white noise.

"dino-yah!" he called out, his voice rough and broken, as if he hadn’t used it in days. he winced at the sound, the dryness in his throat making each syllable scratchy.

he called again. and again.

finally, on the third try, the door creaked open.

dino stepped in, his expression a mix of relief and hesitation. he wore a crisp white buttoned-down polo shirt with the sleeves neatly rolled up, paired with black pants. his hair was slightly messy, as if he had been running his fingers through it repeatedly.

"hyung, you alright now?" dino asked, his voice gentle as he moved closer.

"what happened? how long have i been out?"

"19 hours and 13 minutes to be exact. it's five pm now hyung, " dino glanced at his watch, each step toward jeonghan careful and measured.

"how are you feeling, boss?"

"better now. what happened after i passed out? and why did you bring me to a hotel instead of the mansion? jun could have taken care of me."

silence filled the room, heavy and uncomfortable. jeonghan’s eyes remained on dino, waiting for his answer. a minute passed, and still, there was no answer from the younger.

"dino?" jeonghan looked at him with tired eyes, eyes not fully awake yet.

"it was i—" dino swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing.

"i didn’t know what to do, so i just brought you to the nearest hotel and called jun hyung to check on you. he also said that it was best for you to rest in a hotel than at the mansion... so you would really be comfortable."

jeonghan narrowed his eyes, sensing something was off. his eyes continued to look at him.

dino's lips curled into an awkward smile. "i am telling the truth, hyung..."

jeonghan did not say he wasn't. and it was enough for him to start suspecting the younger.

"let’s go back to the mansion then." jeonghan moved to stand up, but dino stepped forward quickly.

"wait! wait here. i have a change of clothes outside. why don’t you get yourself cleaned up first, then we’ll leave?" dino suggested, his voice too eager, his feet already shuffling toward the door not waiting for jeonghan’s response, disappearing from the room in a rush.

the younger's haste only deepened jeonghan’s suspicion.

when a set of clothes was finally brought to him, and dino insisted that nothing was wrong, jeonghan went along with it.

in the bathroom, the warm water fell over him, easing the tension in his muscles. trying to remember if his dreams were merely a dream or if it was memories of last night before he lost into his tiredness. yet, he dismissed it almost immediately, it was impossible for it to happen anyway.

as he stood before the large mirror, he studied his reflection. his skin had regained some color, and the dark circles under his eyes had lightened, though faint shadows remained. his cheeks were less hollow, and his lips no longer chapped. he almost looked like himself again, but there was still a weariness in his eyes. a heaviness that sleep alone couldn’t fix.

before leaving, jeonghan gathered his dirty clothes from the bathroom hamper. as he did, something caught his eye.

a bracelet.

his fingers wrapped around it, lifting it gently. it had a white elephant charm, delicate and small, paired with a blue heart. other tiny beads surrounded the charms, simple yet meaningful.

his heart pounded. he knew this bracelet. he knew exactly who owned it.

suddenly, everything fell into place. the hazy memories, the fragments of last night, even dino’s strange behavior.

jeonghan’s eyes lowered to the bracelet resting delicately in his palm. his fingers curled around it, almost afraid that if he held it too tightly, it might disappear. the familiar beads pressed against his skin, and for a moment, he could see joshua’s soft, gentle hands threading those very beads. jeonghan could almost hear his quiet laugh, the one that always seemed to fill the room with warmth.

"i made it thinking of you... and my grandfather," joshua had said back then, his smile bright yet gentle. jeonghan had pouted, playfully demanding his own. joshua, always so thoughtful, ended up making another. a matching bracelet, one for each of them. they were only nine at the time, but even then, joshua’s kindness had meant the world to him.

the memories swelled inside him like a wave crashing against his chest. confusion, disbelief, a flicker of hope. all tangled together in a knot he couldn’t untangle. had joshua really been here? had he seen him like that ?

jeonghan’s grip tightened around the bracelet, knuckles turning white. he needed answers.

and he would get them.

he shoved the bracelet into his pocket and stormed out of the room, his heart racing. he barely knew where his feet were taking him, but he knew he had to find joshua. his fingers trembled as he fumbled for his phone.

“dino!” he called out, voice sharp and urgent.

it wasn’t long before dino responded, but jeonghan didn’t even wait for him to finish. he grabbed his phone and bolted out of the room.

when he finally reached the hallway, he spotted wonwoo, jun, and dino all sitting apart from one another. the tension in the air was almost suffocating, like a heavy storm cloud looming above them. jeonghan’s breath hitched, something had happened.

“why are you here?” jeonghan asked, his voice firm yet wary.

“why don’t you ask him?” wonwoo shot back, his gaze flickering to jun with barely concealed anger.

jeonghan turned to jun, his voice quieter but no less demanding. “what did you do?”

jun barely looked up, his expression unreadable. “i only did what was rightfully so,” he said flatly, not offering anything more.

jeonghan’s brows furrowed. “what do you mean by that?”

before jun could answer, wonwoo’s frustration boiled over. “he told joshua that we have choi jae ha, and he revealed that you’ve been working behind joshua’s back to help him.” he snapped.

jeonghan froze.

his mind raced, piecing things together. jun had told joshua the truth. a truth jeonghan had tried not to reveal, until he was ready. but instead of anger, jeonghan felt something else. something calmer… grateful.

he should’ve been furious, but as his fingers brushed against the bracelet still tucked safely in his pocket, he felt the tension in his chest loosen. joshua had been there — even if only briefly. joshua had seen him, cared for him. that simple fact silenced all the frustration he should have felt.

he wasn’t mad. how could he be? joshua still cared. the bracelet proved it.

jeonghan let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “i should be angry,” he muttered, mostly to himself.

he turned to jun, his voice steady. “i won’t question why you had to do it. but i know you did it for my sake. thank you, junnie.”his lips quirked into a small, tired smile

jun blinked, clearly taken aback.“you’re… you’re not mad?”

“no,” jeonghan said softly, his fingers curling tighter around the bracelet. “because now i know that joshua was here... that he still cares.”

his chest felt heavy, but not in the painful way it had earlier. it felt full — full of hope, full of resolve.

he didn’t care anymore what joshua’s reaction might be. he didn’t care if joshua tried to push him away again. jeonghan had spent far too long waiting. waiting for joshua to come to him, waiting for the right moment.

but not this time. this time, jeonghan wouldn’t let him run. he wouldn’t let joshua slip through his fingers again. not when he knows- not when he believed that joshua cares for him.