“You know, I’m glad he’s out of the picture for at least one day,” said Sungyeol.

“Yeah, that’s for sure,” agreed Myungsoo.

From afar, the duo were watching Jinyoung-less Sungjong and Yura sitting side by side by the shore, the waves touching their feet slightly once in a while. They were having a good chat, laughing and pointing up at the clouds and their funny shapes.

“We should do that sometime,” said Sungyeol.

“Do what?”

“Y’know,” Sungyeol fumbled with his fingers. “More romantic .”

Myungsoo smirked, rested his cheek against Myungsoo’s shoulders, and laced his fingers around his boyfriend’s. “No problem. Just tell me and in a second, we’ll do that makes the word ‘love’ an understatement.”

Blushing, Sungyeol held his hand tighter and rested his head onto Myungsoo’s. “You’re the best.”

“No,” Myungsoo shook his head and shot a surprise kiss at Sungyeol’s cheek. “We are.”

“Aw, now that’s camera-worthy,” commented Yura as she took a photo of the two.

“That’s pretty good timing right there; just when Sungyeol’s eyes were wide open in shock,” Sungjong remarked. “But hey, how ‘bout a picture of us this time?”

She happily nodded. “Sure.”

The two posed together and lifted up peace signs. What meant to be one photo became a camfest filled with derp photos, cute photos, and of course, we-act-like-we’re-together-but-we’re-not photos.

Returning to the shore, they looked at the photos together, making random comments with every slide of the screen.

“I look ugly in most of the photos,” exclaimed Yura. “I wonder how it feels like to be Hyuna, always looking gorgeous in every ang—“

Before she could finish, he cut her off. “Silence! You look stunning, very stunning. There is not one moment that you’re not stunning—even when you’re sad, it’s like you’re filming a drama or something. It’s not realistic, your face, yet what I see is real—real and beautiful.” After having said that, he turned away and curled up in shyness.

“Thank you, Sungjong,” she said, giving him a backhug that she felt very awkward with. “Hearing that coming from you makes me feel…”

“F-feel?”

“Special.”

“S-sure—“

She then pulled away from the hug, making her the one curling up in shyness that time. For a good minute the two stayed silent, unable to fathom the remnants of that spark-filled hug. Holding hands in the past was one thing, but a hug to them meant much more—it seemed like a step closer for the two. But After sometime, the awkwardness began to kill them so Sungjong made the atmosphere more casual.

“I can’t believe you actually hung out with Jinyoung.”

Feeling more comfortable already by hearing his words, she chuckled, “One does not easily reject strawberry ice cream.”

“Whatever. Jinyoung may have ice cream, but I have everything else.” He then jokingly gestured to his face. “No one can beat my breath-taking good looks and gentlemanly character, don’t you think so?”

She just laughed.

“Hey,” he playfully pouted. “What was that for? Admit it, it’s true!”

“Not really…” said Sunggyu with a blank expression, appearing out of nowhere.

“Sungjong, candid shot!” yelled Dongwoo as he took a shot of Sungjong—very 4D indeed. The victim didn’t mind though; his face looked more cute than it was derpy.

“Dongwoo, inception candid shot!” Sungyeol and Myungsoo said as they took a derp picture of Dongwoo taking a derp picture of Sungjong. “Success!”

“You guys are so cute together!” said Hyuna, linking her arm with Sunggyu’s.

“You guys too,” said Sungjong.

To that, Sunggyu just jolted up and looked away, then looked back at them once he regained his composure. “Onew told us to go group ourselves by friends for the campfire thing at 8 PM before we go home. We’ll hold it in my room, G?”

The 7 of them raised their thumbs up and said, “G.”

---

 Night came and they all gathered inside Sunggyu’s room. The atmosphere throughout the hall was nothing but solemn—the kind of solemnity that could only be acquired when everyone is entirely game for the activity. The only sound that permeated through the rooms was the sound of the waves crashing accompanied by the wind’s smooth whispers.

 “Scented candles for a sentimental mood, tchyeah?” Dongwoo said in a low husky voice as he lit the candle and said in an uplifting, chill way, “Smell it, guys. It’s beach rose.”

Wearing shades even in the dark just because she felt like it, CL chicly said, “I have no idea why he had that in his bag. It’s like a supermarket in there filled with lotsa’ useless crap.”

The soothing smell clouded the room, soothing everyone inside it. Sitting in a circle around the candle, they remained silent for some time. All of them wanted to speak, but were very hesitant to start. But one of them had to step up, and Sunggyu was the first to speak.

He cleared his throat, unable to organize his thoughts properly but just went for it anyway. “I came into this vacation prepared to be a bodyguard; the thought of relaxing or goofing around never really crossed my mind until,” he gave a glance at Hyuna, “until I was reminded that I shouldn’t be too panicky. When I decided to just hang out and let loose, I finally felt like I had a break. My body had been too busy being the leader and being too responsible. Such feelings of fun and relaxation led me to reflect and realize how lucky I was to have every single one of you in my life—this group is something that I can’t let go of. I had made many feats just when school began. When I look back to it, I am very glad to have gotten close with everyone and to lend my advice when you guys needed it. Thank you everyone, for everything—for making my life worth living.”

Beside him, Hyuna held his hand tightly, making him melt inside. She gave a short pause period for people to absorb Sunggyu’s words. After that, she spoke in a serious tone, “I’m usually the happy one, but as you can see, I had problems not long ago. Love wasn’t as easy, and I thought all along that it was achievable. But I was wrong. People make mistakes; people sink into a bottomless pit of depression. I had been to that pit and there I did nothing but eat myself alive and let myself wither to die. But I had my friends with me—friends that always hung around to support me whether I was my hyper self or not. And there’s a person that was especially persistent in curing me,” Everyone looked at Sunggyu who was bashful yet he was happy inside to be appreciated by her. “This person helped me clear my mind—it must have been hard for him to be so tough on me. I wasn’t eating, I wasn’t speaking but still he led me to put things into a close and helped me to get back up no matter what it took.”

Her eyes were watery by then. “Sunggyu, everyone, I will never forget all the good times we shared, and I hope for many more to come.”

With that, she wiped her tears with a sleeve. Sunggyu couldn’t handle the load and pulled her closer to him. The rest were a bit surprised as he wasn’t so touchy-feely and of course, the two boyfriends couldn’t help but .

“Wow,” said Sungyeol. “How sweet of you, Gyu.”

“Yeah,” added Myungsoo. “You actually have that side to you, eh?”

“Oh, be quiet,” said Sunggyu, grinning slightly at Hyuna.

“Hey, Myungsoo,” called Sungyeol.

“What—“

Sungyeol gave him a quick peck on the lips that made everyone’s jaws dropped. Still shocked, Myungsoo covered his mouth and his eyes were very much wide.

“That was for earlier today,” smirked Sungyeol. “I have delivered my vengeance!”

“So now, why don’t you deliver your speech?” urged CL. She had to stop them to preserve the sentimental mood. If she didn’t, the conversation would last forever and drift away from the original motif.

“Alright then.” He sat straight up then began, “I know that my usual rep in this group is that I am some jokester, but I think you guys would also know that I take everyone seriously. Even if I don’t look it, I see the light in everyone and all I want to do is be a good person to everyone and a good boyfriend to Myungsoo. That is why I always joke around; it is because I wanna make you guys feel happy at least once in a while. To see you guys laugh is already an achievement on my end, and to be able to share these small yet meaningful experiences with all of you is a gift to me. I really treasure every moment—I do.”

Myungsoo gave Sungyeol a hard pat on the back and added with a smile, “On the day of the play, I couldn’t help but feel so lucky that I have both a special significant other and good friends that would bust their asses just to get us to take it up a notch. That moment was the best; Sungyeol and I were able to confess to each other and be vulnerable for once. I love him and all of his shenanigans, and I am proud to call him my partner any day, anytime. The same goes for all of you—I can’t see myself being in any other group but ours.”

Everyone smiled at the two’s touching words and by that time half of the room was already tearing up especially Dongwoo who recalled his feats not long ago. As he was already in the zone, he was the next to speak.

Grabbing a towel from his bag, he wiped his tears away. “Recently, I was in a difficult position. The girl I love so much had changed into something she was not. I tried to stop her for quite some time, but she just kept shoving me away. Every time she did, it hurt so bad, but I kept trying and trying because I believed in her, and I believed that she was in there somewhere… I wasn’t wrong.”

Beneath her shades, a short line of tears fell across CL’s cheek but she swiftly wiped it away and stayed stiff with a single sniff.

Dongwoo continued, “All the hurt and pain that both CL and I experienced, that climatic moment where we lashed out at each other—all of those summed up to our relationship now. Just like what Myungsoo said, we find love and beauty in vulnerability. And whether Chaerin is acting chic or feeling weak, I will be there for her. I will hold her tight and be by her side.”

“ you, I ain’t weak,” said CL, already sniffing and wiping away her tears.

“I cherish you too,” replied Dongwoo. He gave her a tight hug and a box of tissues.

“Me too,” she said, blowing her nose, unable to hold her smile. “Okay, it’s my time to get messed up.”

She removed her shades to let her tears gush out; she had been holding back her emotions since the first speech. Hearing Dongwoo like that and recalling her devastatingly shameful past beat the crap out of her heart. It was her time to say sorry—in her way.

“I was a ing runnin’ around in stupid clothes and flirting with the wrong guys—douchebags.” She paused for a moment to chill but her feelings took over her and she began to speak in a shrieky voice. CL was Chaerin; it was just her belting out her heart.

 “I was an embarrassment…” She punched the floor hard, tears trickling down her face and splashing down to the floor. “I lost my dignity… I couldn’t believe I let myself do all those things: those insults I gave to Onew right down to me dancing disgustingly on the dance floor. After that, I kept telling myself, ‘ you, . Your stupid did all this bull. Now look at you, it’s stuck forever in your life’s resume. you and your bull. you.’”

She held Dongwoo’s hand tightly for support and let out a long heavy sigh. “But heck… people make mistakes. I am merely proving my existence as a human being; but as a human my duty is…”

“To my heart,” Dongwoo said to cheer her up a bit.

 “Oh, shut up.” It made her smile a bit though.

“My duty is to be motivated—motivated to take that tidbit of my life not as a burden, but as a reminder of how I developed as a person. The past won’t haunt me if I let the present enlighten me to do better. That is what I want to feel today, tomorrow, and forever. Whatever will happen to me, imma stay badass, you know what I’m sayin’?”

They all smiled at her sincerity. “Absolutely.”

“I’m passing the tear fest to the last two puppy lovers out there.”

“We’re not like that!” Yura and Sungjong exclaimed at the same time.

CL scoffed. “Ah, these two. They never fail to reduce my tough factor. The romance denial just hits the spot every time.”

“But—“

She blocked Yura, extending her hand out to shush them as she blew her nose for a very long time. “No butts or I’ll kick your . Speak!”

And speak she did.

Yura shyly leaned away from Sungjong in the case she ended up saying something too sentimental, let alone something too long. Everyone around her was anticipating something more than just a mere few sentences. From that point on, they knew that the ever so collected Yura would add a bit of glam to her speech. They thought right.

“I’m the newest addition to this group so upon hearing all of your touching speeches, I couldn’t help but feel like I came a bit late and missed out on a lot. But heck, better late than never, am I right?” They giggled. “When I first came to the school, I immediately came into an argument with the baddest female that walked its corridors.” They paused to laugh-mock CL and let her continue. “I also had a very great difficulty in speaking to guys, especially being given such a bombastic and overly sociable greeting.” They paused to give funny faces to Dongwoo. “But that day, I met all of you guys at once. It was the day that changed my life—no joke. Back in my old school, my personality depended on taste; it was either a peer would like me, or would detest me to the point that they’d give me intimidating looks and insulting notes during class. I didn’t have friends—only fair-weathered acquaintances. I hated that school—they hated my ‘cause I was different, but it was better to be different than be like everybody else. They say they’re pretty, but they just copy each other’s styles and see who can look the best in it. Therefore, they are not pretty at all. And mind you, their makeup: heavy. Take it all off and you’ll see aliens disguised as humans.”

She stopped ranting for a moment to drink some water; she needed to cool off her past frustrations.

“Regardless, I am living in the now. I am living with you guys. Because of you guys, I finally know how it feels to have a circle of friends to have both hardships and triumphs with. The fact that we fight and make up proves that we accept each other for all our strengths and shortcomings especially mine in which Sungjong tried really hard to eradicate and I must say his concern for my lack of male communication skills is finally beginning to pay off. I know I am still kind of like a gray area person, but I just want to let you guys know that I have more to show to you, and from now on, I promise to show more of my color and personality.”

“Damn,” remarked Sunggyu. “That was… actually long.”

Everyone applauded for Yura’s long monologue. “Congrats!”

“Thanks, guys,” she said. “Now I’ll pass before I start cry—”

She was too late; her eyes caved in to her tears and as soon as it happened, she just sat like that.

“Damn it,” she hissed.

Sungjong wiped her tears away with his fingers in which she was taken aback at. Both of their faces turned red.

“Wow, first the hugging then now the tear wiping,” clapped Hyuna. “So adorable!”

Both immediately took action. “No, it’s not like that—“

“Whatever,” Hyuna teased. “Anyway, let’s have the last person speak, shall we?”

“Alright then.” Sungjong nodded and began. “As you guys remember, I used to be that extremely shy and timid guy when it came to this girl—Jieun. I even would change my style every week in the hopes that she would notice me for who I was not. I was a pathetic loser and because of that I got dumped way before I even got the chance to confess, which, let’s face it, was something I couldn’t have done anyway at the time. Back then when that tragedy happened, I was depressed, and I even called for Yura to talk to me. I still can’t believe that she was able to put up with my endless storytelling—it lasted for hours.”

“Yeah, it was long. With lots of whining and crying—“

Sungjong covered Yura’s mouth in a panic. “No, be quiet.”

“Put your hand away, it stinks!”

“Never!”

“If you do not put your hand away, I will have to result to extreme measures!”

“And what will that be?”

“This!”

“Ack!” He yelled and jumped up, his eyes almost popping out of his face. “She kissed my hand!"

“You made me do it!” She retorted.

The people around them just watched amusingly.

“Seriously, who wears lip gloss indoors!”

“Sorry, my fault,” Hyuna cutely raised her hand. “I was supposed to give her a makeover but got distracted by and ended up putting just lip gloss on her.”

“True story, bro,” said Yura with a peace sign.

“But still, why didn’t you remove it before you came here?”

“I can’t just waste it so why not keep it there, hmm?” But she ended up wiping it off with some tissue anyway. “Now continue, we don’t wanna be drifting off topic, should we?”

Rubbing his hand across his khaki shorts, he nodded. “So anyways, all I want to say to you guys is that whatever happens, I want us to continue staying close to each other. We will see each other grow and change as people, but one thing that will never change is that our bond is so unbreakable despite all the hardships and bumps along the way. These will only make us stronger. As we travel this road called life, I want us all to remember that we all have each other’s backs. Forever.”

With that, Dongwoo blew the candlelight to signify the closure of that meaningful night. When it became pitch black, neither one of them moved for a few minutes. All of them have said such sincere confessions and it made them think of the times that reminded them of how much they’ve been through together.

It was only when Onew had gently called them to pack their things and head over to the bus for them to travel back to their homes. All of them sat beside each other feeling a new kind of connection—a stronger connection that exhibited a lot of warmth and care. That night, everyone poured their hearts out, and it was a night that they would never forget.

But then there was something missing—something that had been left out. One of them had been hiding a secret, and the other seven of them were about to find out.

A lot of this chapter was basically the bulk where they were just belting their minds out. A sentimental night, don't ya guys think? :) Very kill-joy ending though WHAHA :P.

Thank you for reading and I hope you guys enjoyed it~! :D