CHAPTER 29 : Until We Meet Again

As Nian and DK reached the dorm, they found the entire group—including Xuanye—awake and watching TV. Nian felt a little shy after the proposal, while DK looked proud, as if he had just won a championship.

Wonwon, spotting them first, stood frozen like a shocked cat. The others turned to see what had stunned him, and when they spotted DK limping slightly, they all burst out laughing.

"Where did you fall, DK?!" Wonwoo teased. "Why are you walking like an old man?"

Boo clutched his stomach, laughing uncontrollably.

Flustered, Nian gently handed DK over to Wonwoo and quickly walked toward Xuanye, trembling from the attention.

DK placed a hand on Wonwoo's shoulder and dramatically announced, "It's because of Nian—she threw me down."

The members gasped in a mix of shock and admiration. Even Xuanye turned to Nian with wide eyes, clearly impressed.

Nian scratched her neck, avoiding their gazes.

Jeonghan smirked and asked, "What? Did you try to stalk her?"

Nian laughed and clapped. "Jeonghan! How did you guess? You're really good at this!"

She gave him a playful thumbs up, and Jeonghan flipped his hair proudly.

DK, watching their exchange, grew slightly jealous. He walked toward Nian and leaned in to whisper, "Who are you supporting now, huh?" He raised an eyebrow teasingly.

Nian covered her ears and playfully slapped his arm, blushing.

Xuanye, watching the two of them, tilted her head in confusion.

Scoups and Mingyu kept tapping Jeonghan's shoulder in disbelief. "Hey—how did you figure that out so fast?"

Jeonghan waved them off smugly. "I told you, I'm a master at mind games."

Woozi was laughing quietly, eyes closed. Wonwoo glanced at Nian and DK, silently judging. Joshua placed a hand dramatically on his head. Vernon and Minghao, as usual, were silently observing everything. Hoshi and Dino placed their hands on their cheeks and swooned at the 'lovebirds.'

When Nian lightly slapped DK's arm again, he suddenly grabbed her hand.

"DK, what are you doing? They'll see—" she whispered, flustered.

He leaned in and whispered, "I told you I don't care, Nian. Eventually, I'll tell my bros. I want you to see me not as an idol, but just a man who loves you. I want you… and I want you to want me too."

He leaned back, smiling warmly.

Nian stood frozen, trying to catch her breath, her palms sweaty. DK rejoined the group like nothing had happened.

Xuanye came to Nian's side and whispered, "What's going on? Why is he acting weird?"

Nian quickly composed herself. "No... he's just being himself. Anyway, Xuanye—we have to get ready for college."

Xuanye froze at the mention, glancing at the members who were still chatting happily. "Nian, how can we part from them? It feels like we became family."

Nian gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know it's hard. But if we're meant to meet again, fate will bring us back."

Xuanye took a deep breath and nodded, her eyes lingering on Minghao. Nian noticed and gave her a soft smile.

Later, Nian and Xuanye interrupted the members' chatter. Everyone turned to them.

"We're leaving today," Nian said quietly.

Xuanye, still gazing at Minghao with worried eyes, added, "If we ever get the chance, we'll meet again."

The members stood, faces pale.

"You're leaving… today?" Scoups asked, stunned.

The girls nodded. Tears welled up in Xuanye's eyes. Minghao took a step forward, his hand hovering in the air like he wanted to reach out but couldn't.

Jun stepped forward. "We had a great time with you. It felt like having two more close friends."

He bowed deeply. "Nian, Xuanye, we wish you happiness and success."

The members followed, holding hands as they bowed together.

"Thank you," they said in unison, their voices trembling. "For seeing us as more than idols—for seeing us as people. Being with you felt warm, natural… like we could just breathe and be ourselves. We'll always carry this moment with us."

Nian and Xuanye clutched each other's hands and bowed, tears flowing.

"We were truly lucky to meet you," Nian said. "It's a dream for many, and we got to live it. Every moment with you… it stuck to our hearts like a beautiful virus."

The members chuckled through their tears.

Then, one by one, they did their signature actions:

Scoups raised his brow and bit his tongue.

Jeonghan gave a dramatic princess bow.

Mingyu did his puppy face.

Boo gave the most bombastic side-eye.

Hoshi did his "Horanghae~" pose.

Dino threw a finger heart with eyes of love~

Joshua cleared his throat and recited an acrostic:

> "Just wondering... how many times did you watch that fancam?

Over and over, huh? Don't lie—I saw your playlist.

Streaming me like rent is due? I'm flattered."

Everyone burst into laughter.

Vernon followed with his iconic seagull laugh. Jun shyly meowed and did a tiny aegyo. Wonwoo chuckled like a cat. Then Minghao, still looking frozen, suddenly asked, "Xuanye… can I have your number?"

Xuanye's eyes widened. She squeezed Nian's hand.

The members turned to them in unison and added, "Yeah! We've known you for a month, but we still don't have your numbers!"

Blushing, Xuanye slowly grabbed her phone and shared her number with Minghao.

"When will we meet again?" he asked softly, looking at her with misty eyes.

Nian and Xuanye exchanged a bittersweet smile.

Then Scoups suddenly declared, "I'll cook for you today!"

Everyone screamed, "No!" and jumped on him. Boo slapped him with a towel.

"Are you trying to starve us, Scoups?!"

Scoups collapsed under their weight and cried, "Fine, I won't!"

The others backed away, standing like good boys.

Nian and Xuanye laughed. "Then we'll cook for you. It'll be a memory for us."

Everyone nodded happily—except Scoups, who sat on the couch like a crushed paper ball.

While the girls cooked, the members freshened up. Seeing Minghao still lost in thought, Wonwoo teased, "Hey, did you forget to meditate this month?"

Minghao sighed, pale. DK patted him and said dramatically, "Don't worry, Minghao. We're here for you."

"Thanks, DK," Minghao replied, dramatically grabbing DK's hand.

The members stepped back and shook their heads.

At breakfast, they all took their first bite and gasped in unison.

"Waaah!"

Nian and Xuanye beamed proudly. "See? Top-notch!"

Hoshi nodded. "Your boyfriends are lucky they get to eat your cooking."

DK grinned proudly. Minghao smiled at Xuanye, who blushed and laughed nervously.

After breakfast, while packing, Xuanye quietly wrote a note:

> "Minghao, don't feel sad after I leave. I'll give you my precious plushie and bracelet. Take care of them until we meet again 😊"

Nian peeked at the note and teased, "Xuanye~ is this a love letter?"

Xuanye stammered, "N-No! It's just… he told me not to go."

"Then do you love him?" Nian asked with a playful grin.

Xuanye froze.

Flustered, she placed the note at the door and quickly resumed packing, her heart racing with thoughts of Minghao.

When they finally stepped out, the members stood in a line, holding hands and softly singing Campfire. The girls froze in shock. As the boys approached them, they added lines from Run to You, smiling through their tears.

Nian and Xuanye couldn't hold it in—they burst into tears.

After the song, everyone clapped. One by one, the members hugged the girls tightly, wishing them well.

Then Boo grabbed a camera and set it up.

"Come on! Time for a group photo!"

The girls, still crying, placed their luggage down. DK stood beside Nian, Minghao beside Xuanye. The others squatted or posed around them with a smile.

As the flash went off, DK leaned toward Nian, and Minghao gently held Xuanye's hand. Xuanye looked up, stunned. Minghao smiled, squeezing her hand.

Everyone ran to see the photo. Dino grabbed it before the girls could.

"Nope! We're making it an album first!"

Nian pouted. Xuanye was still in shock, her fingers clinging tightly to Minghao's.

Finally, as they waited outside, the cab pulled up. The members gathered around like parents sending their children off to school.

Nian and Xuanye loaded their bags and turned to wave, their smiles bright through the tears.

As the car began to move, DK and Minghao instinctively stepped forward.

From the left window, Nian spotted DK. From the right, Xuanye saw Minghao. They both smiled.

Suddenly, DK and Minghao broke into a run, chasing the car for one last glimpse.

"Nian!! Xuanye!!" they called, their voices cracking.

The members ran after them, catching up and placing their hands on their backs, comforting them.

The girls watched from the window as tears streamed down their faces.

It wasn't a goodbye.

It was a see you again.