The party raged on throughout the night, with everyone heavily intoxicated, especially after JayB and Youngjae arrived.
Youngjae quickly befriended the 96 and 97 liners, while JayB bonded with Taeyong and Woozi. Following Doyoung's suggestion, they enjoyed the cake, which led to another quarrel between Doyoung and Ten—a familiar sight.
As the night grew wilder, most of them were talking gibberish, unaware of their surroundings. The party continued for hours, fueled by alcohol and camaraderie.
As the night wore on, Jeonghan finally declared, "I'm going to sleep," and slowly stood up from the floor, making his way toward Hoshi's room.
Unbeknownst to everyone, Hoshi had already passed out an hour ago due to excessive drinking.
DK had kindly taken him to the washroom to prevent any embarrassing moments in the morning, saving both Hoshi's dignity and the party.
As the celebration wound down, the guests began to disappear. Woozi and JayB, being responsible, had abstained from drinking since they needed to get home safely.
Woozi was also in charge of taking Vernon and Hao home, as they lived in the same area. JayB and Youngjae followed suit, leaving shortly after.
Taeyong, Ten, Joshua, Jungwoo, and Seungkwan were among the next to depart, bringing an end to the wild and memorable night.
As Jeonghan disappeared, S.Coups stood up, deciding to call it a night due to the dizziness he was feeling.
He and Jeonghan had been the last ones up, caught up in deep and random conversations. S.Coups was visibly drunk, stumbling over his feet as he made his way to the door.
Despite his struggles, he managed to balance himself and exited Hoshi's house, closing the door behind him.
The door auto-locked, and S.Coups headed to Taeyong's house, quickly entering the password to gain entry.
The house was dark, illuminated only by the dim moonlight filtering through the curtains. S.Coups navigated his way to Taeyong's room, throwing his jacket somewhere in the darkness.
He slid into bed beside Taeyong, who was peacefully sleeping, and wrapped himself in the cozy blanket.
Without another thought, S.Coups fell asleep, completely unaware of his surroundings. The only sound was the gentle rise and fall of his breath, as he drifted off into a deep slumber.
[]
"I am planning to shift to a new house," Yuta said, and Kun asked, "When?" Yuta replied, "Next year. I had talked to a broker, and he asked me to wait till the end of the year as he's searching for the best condo according to my preferences."
Kun guessed, "Let me guess, a peaceful neighborhood with less population, yet should be in the main area of Seoul, at a favorable distance from your office, and tons of greenery, isn't it?"
Yuta hummed in approval, and Kun teased, "Then, of course, the broker will have to search for a year to get you your dream house."
Their bickering continued, with Yuta having the upper hand due to his quick wit.
Later, as Yuta was about to leave the office, he asked Kun, "When are you going to visit me? It's been two years since we last met."
Kun replied, "Well, perhaps around your birthday next year...as you know how exhausting it is to be a college professor."
Yuta said, "Being a professor is indeed tough, but when you're doing something you love, you can't help but give it your all, no matter how challenging or exhausting it is."
Kun chuckled and said, "Only if you weren't passionate about marketing and business, you could have been an awesome professor of philosophy—not to forget, handsome."
Yuta chuckled, and Kun continued to tease him about his dream of becoming a professor.
Yuta shot back, "You could have been an amazing businessman, given how persistent you are about something that's not possible."
Kun scoffed, "Gee, no thanks. I have zero interest in wasting my time planning and strategizing marketing plans."
As they continued their conversation, Kun decided to change the topic and asked, "You have entered your late 20s, so what are your future plans regarding your personal life?"
Yuta shrugged off Kun's question about his future plans regarding his personal life, knowing exactly where Kun was heading.
Kun teased, "So you're planning to die single?"
Yuta didn't respond directly, but Kun could imagine his reaction.
Kun joked, "Hey, come on! I don't know about you, but I definitely want to meet my brother-in-law before dying, Mr. Nakamoto."
Yuta rubbed his forehead, flustered, but quickly counter-attacked by bringing up Kun's recent Weibo post. "I can say the same for you. 'I wish I can hold your hand like this forever'—for whom did you make that post with the pic of hands interlocking?"
Kun's voice became panicked, and the tables turned in the conversation.
[]
In a separate scene, Taeyong was dragged by Hoshi through the mall as Hoshi shopped for travel essentials.
Hoshi explained that he would be gone for over a year due to an upcoming World tour with his group, for which he was the choreographer.
Taeyong was excited to learn that the rumors about the group's tour were true.
Hoshi showed Taeyong various clothes, seeking his approval, and Taeyong playfully rejected some of Hoshi's choices.
As they shopped, Taeyong helped Hoshi avoid overspending on unnecessary items, a common reason why Hoshi and others chose Taeyong or Doyoung to accompany them on shopping trips.
As they headed back home in the cab, Hoshi mentioned to Taeyong, "It would be my second time joining the group on their world tour."
Taeyong recalled, "You accompanied them on their first world tour four years ago, right?"
Hoshi nodded, gazing out the window. "Yeah, because it was the first time not only for them but for the entire company too. They were the first boy group of the company, so they wanted everything to be perfect during their first world tour."
Hoshi's eyes sparkled as he reminisced about traveling the world with the group and seeing them perform on the global stage.
Taeyong smiled and said, "Guess your New Year wish came true."
Hoshi chuckled, recalling the New Year's celebration where their friend circle had ganged up on Joshua and S.Coups, forcing them to throw a party.
He couldn't help but laugh at the memory of Ten almost throwing cake at Jeonghan.
"Don't remind me of that," Hoshi said, and both males shared a hearty laugh. The cab driver gave them a judgmental look, but Taeyong and Hoshi were lost in their memories.
"I hope you have a good time," Taeyong said, composing himself. Hoshi replied with excitement, "I will," eager to see how the new year would unfold for him.
To be continued....