Genre: Fluff

Word Count: 760

A/N: A oneshot that came to mind today and that I just finished

 - Admin Ania

“It’s been awhile since we last met. How have you been?”

“Depends on how you view the world really, though what can be easily discerned is that my life has been rather dull without you.”

I’ve missed him for so long; he is my best friend who I can’t imagine being without, none of us can. We’ve all gone through so much together and we’ve come a long way from where we began our journey. While the end isn’t in sight yet we know that as long as all of us are together we can face anything. That is, until around ten months ago when he needed to step back for a bit and we continued in the best way we could. 

“That sounds about right for us as well. Since you’ve been gone the empty space beside us has been hard to fill.”

“I’m sorry for that. I hope you know that I never wanted to leave you all in such a way.”

“You needed time to rest and none of us were going to stop you from doing so. Believe it or not but you’re a big part of this team, the company family, and for the fans.”

He looked down at the coffee mug that sat in front of him, watching the hot steam rise up in slow curls then disappear in the sunlight. For a moment I saw what looked to be sadness etch into his features, but soon vanished as if he never felt that way. I could tell he was going to make his role in this less important than it really is, but I couldn’t stop him from saying those words until he did. 

“I have no doubt that on a certain level that your words are true and many people must have missed me. You know, there was a split second before I decided to come back where I asked myself ‘Am I really ready? Do I have the strength to make it?’”

“Wooseok, if you didn’t have the strength to come back I don’t think you’d be sitting with me right now in a coffee shop. I’d like to think you’d be at home with your family relaxing and gaining back your strength. Though I know that this path, of being an idol, isn’t something you can do alone.”

There it was again, the stoney expression that I knew was full of regret and heartache for leaving. It was best that he left to take care of himself though because none of us could have predicted what would come next if he had stayed with us. We all knew he was going downhill for some time when he brought up taking a break to us, we just didn’t know it had gotten so bad. 

“You don’t have to do it alone. Why do you think we’re here?”

We turned our heads to the others who stood in the door way of the shop, wearing slight sad but welcoming smiles. Minsoo was the first to approach us as the rest push another table over to ours so we could all talk. While I watched Wooseok and Minsoo I couldn’t help but feel a wave of relief and great strength wash over me. After months of being together as nine, we realized that without Wooseok our happiness wasn’t the same. We need him in our lives because he is a friend, but he is family and we must do what we can to protect each other in any situation. 

“I’m sorry I left for so long, it was never my intention.”

“You don’t need to apologize to me, or to any of us. We just wanted to see you happy again.”

We took our seats once more and let ourselves settle into the comfortable feeling of being whole: being ten members again. It’s that day that still makes me the happiest out of all of them and is why I write this short entry now. Years from this moment in time I want to remember the day that made me the happies, the day that made me smile the most, and I want them to remember as well. 

So, to my members, my friends, my family, you are wonderful people and you have made my life so much better. The first day we met each other seems so long ago now, so let’s never forget that we’ll always be together no matter where we end up in the future. Up10tion for now and until the end.

With sincere love and gratitude,

Lee Changhyun