Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

“_____?” A voice called out your name.

Your face scrunched up, but you didn’t respond.

“I know you are in here. Open the door!” The voice ordered.

Your eyes fluttered open, trailing to the door and staying there. Your expression was emotionless.

You had been sitting in the practice room you’d spent the last few days working your of in for almost 3 hours now. You were just continuously listening to the song that you were supposed to ace, the one that had ruined everything. You couldn’t get yourself to stop it from playing though.

You felt as if there was a chance. If you kept listening to this song, maybe, just maybe you could re-sing it. You could have another chance.

But that wasn’t going to happen.

“_____!” He called your name louder. “Let me in! Now!”

You stood, walking over to the door. Your hand hovered over the lock, should you unlock it? Should you face reality? You didn’t want to, not any time soon.

Before you knew it, your hand acted by itself and the door was unlocked.

Almost immediately, he came rushing into the room with frantic eyes. His gaze fell on you and instantly softened. He slowly walked up to you.

You stared up at him blankly, not smiling, not moving.

“Oh, ______.” He sighed. “I heard.” He didn’t continue, knowing not to say it straight out. “Are you okay?”
 

You didn’t answer.

He bit his bottom lip, “Stop.”

You were slightly confused and he noticed the flash of the spoke expression on your features.

“Don’t hide your feelings from me. It’s ok.” He explained, gazing into your eyes. “I’m right here.”

With those words, you felt a string in you break.

“Lu han oppa…” you sobbed and the tears welled in your eyes.

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around you, holding you to his chest. You nestled your face into his neck, linking your arms around his waist, and cried into him.

“It’s ok.” Lu han hugged you even tighter, feeling his own heart break at the sound of your broken sobs.

Lu han himself couldn’t believe what had happened. He had been so confident that you would succeed that when he got news of what happened, he knew you would be like this. And he knew that he had to come. The rest of s hadn’t thought twice before sending him off, knowing that you needed him.

He moved you so that you two could sit down on the floor. He leaned against the wall and cradled you on his lap, holding you close. You leaned against him, your face still buried in his necks. Your sobs had quieted and you hugged your arms together closely.

“It’s ok.” Lu han repeated. He sighed and you were quiet. “You know. Someday you will get your chance. And I know that sounds bad, since you don’t know when that day is. But it will come. Everybody knows you tried, hard. It’s all right. You can’t always do the best; sometimes you get stuff wrong. In the end, though, a day full of smiles will come.”

“When is that day, oppa? I don’t think it’s going to come anytime soon.” You quietly responded.

Lu han shook his head, “It’s going to come someday. You will just have to keep working hard until then.”

You scoffed lightly, “I don’t think I can, oppa. I’m tired. I don’t want to work anymore.” You shut your eyes. “I just want to stop now.”

“S-Stop?” Lu han blinked and his eyes widened in recognition. He sat up, moving you and gripped your shoulders. You opened your eyes and stared at him. “You can’t stop! You can’t. You worked so hard. You can’t give up now, _____. I’ll never forgive you if you do.”

You sighed and moved out of his grip to lean against him again, “I’m tired now, oppa. I just want to sleep.”

Lu han wanted to shake you. He wanted to yell at you for even thinking of stopping. But one look at your broken figure had him doing otherwise. He pulled you closer and placed his chin on top of your head. “Ok…” he nodded slightly. “Sleep.”

And you did just that.

*Goodbye…. * You trailed your fingers on the walls of the hallway. You smiled sadly as previous memories of all the times you had walked through this same corridor flashed through your mind.

The first time you ever joined SM Entertainment. You could still remember the anxious and nervous feelings that you had felt when you first entered the practice room. The first evaluation. The first time sneaking out past curfew...

You reached the exit of the building and you suddenly felt sick to your stomach. It was actually happening. You were done.

You lifted your foot... and stepped out.