Even with her experience on stage, meeting fans, singing on music programs, and recording music videos, Yuri found herself a bundle of nerves as Johnny drove her to Mrs. Seo's house. She tried to hide it as best as she could, but the tapping of her feet under the car seat exposed the singer's nervousness to her boyfriend. With a soft laugh, Johnny briefly touched Yuri's left hand. She looked at him in surprise, and as soon as she saw him smiling, something inside her relaxed just a little.

"Don't overthink it."

As he said this, he placed both hands back on the steering wheel.

"The last time we saw each other wasn't under the best circumstances... which leads me to think that your mom probably thinks I'm vulgar and immature," he sighed, clenching his fists in his lap, "especially because of the scandal I caused at the club."

Now it was Johnny who let out a nervous laugh, but he was much more relaxed than his girlfriend.

"She can be a bit hard to deal with, and sometimes she judges a book by its cover, but you'll be with me, Yuri. Would it be great if she liked you? Definitely. But if she doesn't, it won't change the fact that I want to be with you. I don't want you to feel like you have to please anyone. My family tends to mess up sometimes, so I'm sure she won't expect you to be perfect." He turned the corner, slowing down the car. "Come on, don't be so tense. Just be yourself, and everything will be fine."

A brief silence fell, but it wasn't uncomfortable, and Yuri's boots stopped tapping. After they passed through the large gate, Johnny parked next to the friends' cars.

"Why is there an Azera parked here...?" Johnny looked at the other cars. "Did my mom bring a guest?"

"What...?!" Yuri froze.

Johnny parked in the empty spot behind Yuta's Audi while the singer beside him tried not to panic.

"This is a luxury car, oh my God, what if it's the CEO of the network, or... or...!" She took a breath. "How do I look?" She turned to her boyfriend.

"What?"

"My clothes, do I look presentable or sloppy?"

Johnny started laughing, shaking his head.

"You look great, stop it. My friends are there too, just relax, it's going to be fun." He unbuckled his seatbelt. "Come on, you're with me, you're with God..." Suddenly, he nervously scratched the back of his neck.

Yuri didn't feel reassured by Johnny's words. Maybe he suddenly remembered something. And he had. Even with trembling knees, Rebecca walked with her head held high alongside Johnny, and they both entered the luxurious Seo residence. They were greeted by Jinyoung and soon came face to face with Mrs. Seo in the hallway, finishing putting on her earrings. She looked very elegant. With a brief smile, she greeted her son.

"Finally, you two have arrived," she said, smiling at Jinyoung beside her.

Yuri greeted both of them respectfully while smiling.

"No need to be so formal, we've met before." She reached for her bag on the glass table beside her.

"We're family today, darling, don't worry," Jinyoung smiled. "She may seem tough, but she won't bite," he whispered, making a face.

"I'm right behind you, and I'm not deaf, Jinyoung." Mrs. Seo finished organizing herself and turned to the two. "Unfortunately, I have to go now. I received a call from the director. He wants to talk about my new position before the broadcast starts."

"We'll see each other later then. Just don't stay too long at that dinner. There will be a bunch of drunk men, be careful," Johnny frowned.

"You're starting to sound like your father," she chuckled.

"Of course I do, I'm their son."

Although the sentence was simple, the woman felt her heart swell, and she hugged Johnny.

"Mom, you'll be able to say goodbye to me at the airport tomorrow, you don't need to get all melancholic now..." He laughed awkwardly, glancing at Yuri, who also seemed a little sad.

"I know." She then regained her composure. "I'm just proud of you and the man you're becoming."

She smiled, quickly caressing her son's face, and then made her way to leave before the tears could fall and ruin her makeup.

"Well, I'm late. Have fun, and please don't destroy the house." She put on her shoes and walked out the door.

Johnny ended up smiling awkwardly, unsure how to react to his mother's words, until he felt his legs being embraced in a collective hug.

"Johnny oppa!"

"Hyung!"

Charlotte, Bogum, and Jinwoo were all smiling widely at the tallest.

"You took so long to get here, we thought you got lost!" Charlie laughed.

"I told you my hyung was smart and wouldn't get lost, but you didn't believe me," Jinwoo teased.

"I believed you!" Bogum seemed offended. "It was Charlie who disagreed. You girls think too much."

"That's probably why I'm better than you guys at school," Charlie stuck her tongue out.

"Hey!" the two exclaimed in unison.

"Hey, hey, don't fight, I just got here." Johnny crouched down to face the three. "I want a real hug, come on, come here." He opened his arms with a smile.

As soon as the kids hugged him, Johnny embraced them warmly.

"Ah! We're going to die like this!" Jinwoo laughed heartily.

Yuri couldn't help herself and smiled widely at the scene she was witnessing. Soon, Johnny freed the three of them and ruffled their hair.

"Who's this noona?" Bogum whispered to Johnny.

With a smile, the tallest one stood up.

"This is Yuri."

"I know who you are." Charlie smiled. "You're on TV, you sing and dance like this." The little girl tried to mimic one of Rebecca's dance moves.

"That's right, it's me!" Yuri laughed softly.

"Noona, you're really pretty." Bogum smiled shyly.

"Thank you so much!"

"Did you marry her like I said?" Jinwoo asked.

"What?" Confused, Yuri looked at the tallest one beside her.

"Boy, you still don't get what that means, it's not how it works." Johnny laughed, a bit frustrated for being shy.

Jinyoung soon approached again.

"Alright, kids, I just remembered a really fun game. Do you want to play with me?"

"Yes!" The three raised their fists.

"Then let's go." Jinyoung briefly directed his attention to Johnny. "The boys are in the game room. I've left something for them to snack on in there. If it runs out, there's more in the kitchen." This time, he smiled at Yuri. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

With a brief nod, Jinyoung said goodbye to the two and led the kids upstairs. As they walked toward the game room, Johnny murmured.

"See, everything went well, no guests, no problems. We're fine."

As soon as Johnny entered the room, everyone present cheered with lively smiles from where they were sitting. Kun, who had been on the phone until then, immediately disconnected the call when he saw his friend. It turned into a party of hugs and greetings. Johnny introduced his girlfriend to his friends, who seemed awestruck by her being a famous celebrity, except for Winwin, Taeyong, and Ten, who, even though they didn't know about the couple's relationship, had some knowledge of the personal trainer's connection to the singer.

"What happened to the 'it was God protecting me from this evil,' Johnny?" Jaehyun laughed, lightly patting his back.

"When it comes, it comes. I can't do anything about it." Johnny shrugged.

"But to call her your girlfriend right away..." Katrina smiled mischievously at Yuri. "You really won him over, huh?"

Yuri wanted to respond but became embarrassed as everyone laughed, and Johnny gave them a scowl. Ten was the first to approach Yuri with questions, wanting to get to know her better. He ended up forming a group with Gayeon and Katrina around her.

"Can't you see you're making the girl anxious?" Doyoung commented as he passed by the three on the couch with Yuri in the center. "The goal is to make her comfortable, you know?"

"You were dying to come here before, and now you're acting uninterested." Ten smiled teasingly.

"Stop messing around, I wasn't!" Doyoung sat down with them. "So, Yuri, they said you live in the same building as Johnny, is that right?"

"Doyoung, get out of here." Ten started laughing.

"I'm talking, excuse me."

"Why didn't you bring your fiancée with you?"

"Fiancée...? Oh, I mean, congratulations to the couple...!" Yuri seemed surprised, but genuinely happy.

Doyoung smiled, trying not to show his discomfort with the situation.

"I've already explained why we're almost never together... She's a nurse, she's a busy person. Our schedules don't always align, okay?" He was frustrated. "Don't make me repeat this over and over again, for God's sake."

Little by little, everyone settled where it was most convenient for them. Winwin and Taeyong were on the couch, debating about the possible stalker with the yellow backpack. Yuta was teasing Jaehyun for forgetting to mention he had bought a luxury car. Kun was keeping Johnny company in the kitchen, trying to replenish the snacks and sodas that were running low.

"What are you planning to do in these three months in Australia?" Kun opened the fridge, searching for cans of Coca-Cola and Sprite.

"Talk to my dad, think...," Johnny poured the chips into the glass bowls.

"Is something bothering you?"

"Hm... Until now, I've been doing what I love, before Jinwoo arrived and all these problems came to light. But now, I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing, or if I've at least followed the best path."

"Are you thinking about quitting your career?"

Johnny leaned his hands on the counter in front of them and sighed.

"My dad's not getting any younger, obviously. He needs support, support from someone he trusts. To be honest, I always knew this day would come. My mom wanted to raise me to be the successor from the start, but he preferred to let me choose and deal with whatever came next."

"So you're really considering following in your dad's footsteps?" Kun crossed his arms and leaned against the counter.

"I like working in the field I chose, I feel good and comfortable."

"But?"

"But I don't think I'm happy with it. It was good at first, but now I'm confused... Would you choose the known or the unknown?"

"It depends. Should I base it on which one is easier?"

Johnny stared at him, without a response to give at that moment.

"No one likes difficult things. You want to help your dad, but you don't want to give up your whole life for it. It's completely understandable to feel that way. But you can't be trapped by the fear of the unknown. The future is uncertain, we can't plan our whole life. If you keep avoiding it, you'll end up doing nothing, and then you'll regret it. But look, I'm not saying you should choose the hardest path. I'm asking you to be fair with the choices you have before deciding what to do."

"I want to help, but at the same time, I don't want to help. How selfish will people think I am if they know I think like this?"

"Ah, who cares what others think?" Kun waved his hand briefly in front of his face. "Your life is yours, no one has to think anything." He raised an eyebrow. "A good life is one where we're happy, putting yourself first every once in a while isn't a sin. Choose what you believe is best for you."

A bit of courage pierced Johnny's heart after that conversation with Kun. He was happy to have met each of the people present there.

The night stretched on with jokes, memories from school, and nostalgia. Everyone seemed to be having fun, even Yuri found her place among them. Gayeon and Jaehyun seemed fine, they were comfortable with each other again, and now and then they were caught hugging or sharing quick kisses. It wasn't much different with Yuta and Katrina, but the Japanese guy preferred to leave the affection for when he was alone with his girlfriend, a crowd was uncomfortable for him. Doyoung and Ten, on the other hand, were unusually bickering like cats and dogs, and Doyoung didn't understand why he had become Chittaphon's target that night. All he knew was that the masseur was enjoying provoking him.

Johnny managed to give and receive attention from everyone, and in doing so, he remembered why he had always liked parties. Loneliness didn't torment him when he was surrounded by his friends.

"Okay, I have something important to say!" Ten raised his arms, standing up from the couch.

"Is he going to say what I'm thinking?" Taeyong thought aloud.

"I don't know why, but I think I'm thinking the same thing as you." Winwin commented.

"You're not going to say you're dating the aunt who harassed you last time, are you?" Jaehyun seemed disgusted and scared.

"No! Yuck, with all due respect, yuck!"

Chittaphon made such an indignant face that everyone in the room burst into laughter.

"Ah, I thought no one would remember that anymore." Doyoung shook his head, trying to control his laughter.

"I'm dying, but I'll never forget that." Johnny added.

"Guys, what's this story?" Gayeon asked, touching Jaehyun's arm, who seemed to be dying from laughing so much.

"It's not important right now." Ten called everyone's attention back to him. "Don't spread these lies."

"Now it's a lie?" Kun just laughed.

"What lie? It's all true. He ran away from the naked aunt, probably screamed like a little girl." Doyoung concluded.

Now everyone had a laughing crisis while Ten threw potato chips at Doyoung.

"But now shut up, I want to say something important!" Finally, the masseur straightened up.

"Then speak up already." Taeyong was smiling.

They went silent again, staring at Chittaphon.

"I'm dating." He revealed.

It took a few seconds of staring at each other until Winwin commented:

"That was the important news?"

"Yes, it's important to me, so it's important news." And Ten sat back down.

"I thought you were going to say you were leaving the country." Taeyong made a face. "But then you come with this."

"Such a lack of consideration, stop being jealous." The masseur rolled his eyes.

And with that, the subject began to color everyone's face.

Soon, each person took their time to say goodbye to Johnny. Yuri was happy to see that scene, everyone together, true friends. It was good to know that even with all the difficulties, her boyfriend had people to rely on so he wouldn't give up. Even though she felt melancholic about it being her last night with Johnny, even if just for three months, Yuri didn't turn away the smile on her face.

Time kept passing, the night stretching on, and each person organizing to leave. It was already late, and some had to wake up early the next day. Winwin and Taeyong accepted Doyoung's ride, while Ten went with Yuta, Katrina, and Charlotte. The last to leave were Jaehyun, Gayeon, and Bogum. The oldest son of the Jung family had finally bought a car after renewing his driver's license, and now he was adjusting his younger brother, who had fallen asleep in the back seat, before heading back home.

"We'll see each other tomorrow at the airport." Jaehyun hugged the taller friend as they said goodbye.

"Don't be late." Johnny joked.

"I'll say the same to you." Jaehyun smiled.

As soon as he got into his Azera, Jaehyun rolled down the window to look at Yuri.

"I'll keep an eye on him until he's back here, so don't worry, okay?"

The singer smiled in response and waved goodbye.

"It was a pleasure to meet you!" Gayeon concluded before leaving with her boyfriend.

Once again, they were alone. Johnny looked at Yuri, and as they exchanged glances, they went back inside. She asked him to let her stay a little longer. With that, they helped Jinyoung clean up the mess they made in the living room and kitchen, and since Jinwoo had already fallen asleep, they went to Johnny's old room. Soon, they were sitting on the bed, exchanging kisses. There was no fear, no worries, just the two of them sharing affection like they had during the two weeks that had ended just two hours ago.

"Johnny..." she pulled away slightly. "I don't want you to drive so late alone..."

So, they found themselves back in the car, on the way to Yuri's apartment. Neither of them wanted to say goodbye. They spent long minutes exchanging words in the singer's living room, trying to delay the inevitable until a message arrived on Johnny's phone.

"My mom is asking me to come back, is it really that late?" He smiled a bit sadly.

"In the end, we'll have to say it, won't we?"

Johnny looked at her.

"But I don't want to say it..." she murmured.

"Then don't say it. I'll come back to you anyway..."

She sighed.

"I love you." He smiled. "I love you so much." He took her hands and gently caressed them.

"I love you too..." Yuri felt her eyes welling up.

"We'll be okay." He kissed the back of her hand.

"Call me as soon as you land...!"

"I will."

Finally, they hugged. She held him in her arms as if she didn't want him to leave, and she truly didn't, but she knew she had to let him go.

One last hug, one last kiss until you're mine again.