A goodbye stage; Juniel couldn’t be anymore glad.

There were news going about that the sensational underground rock band was finally cropping out of their earth to perform on broadcast stages. It made Juniel more than nervous to know that she might be seeing more of Choi Junhong, who definitely did not wish to see her—that, she was sure of. It could’ve hurt her more than this, the artist knew, if she wasn’t already so very shattered.

Poor thing one must say; she liked to think she had been living with the pain the very moment Junhong became her history. For all those years ago, Choi Junhee believed it was little a price to pay for leaving him. Dead heart, dead smile and dead soul were nothing to her now. The dead couldn’t hurt more than the living, she thought.

Of course, the little prodigy used to worry her lip over the obstacles she might face when everything about her existed with no soul—how could she make music?

It turned out it was not quite a problem. Music simply replaced the hollowness and the howling in the dusty crannies of herself. It gave life to her existence, but never as rich nor vivid as the way Junhong could offer just by merely standing there, bright smile on his face, snarky remarks on his tongue and eyes so full of emotions that there must be enough for both of them.

Those days were gone and Choi Junhee was no different from an empty candy jar forever desiring to be filled. Sadly, Junhong could no longer provide her those sweet treats—not when his own bitter heart was poisoning itself.

…

“I don’t like that look on his face,” Himchan muttered quietly to any of the members within earshot as they were being strapped to mic devices and earpieces.

“Me neither,” Jongup grunted as they both eyed the suspiciously bright glint in Yongguk’s eyes. “He’s up to something.”

Zelo, distracted and slightly annoyed with the tech crew who was fumbling with the device attached to his back pocket, looked up to find Yongguk with a mischievous grin on his face. He’s definitely up to something.

And at that moment, it was Daehyun’s cue to pop up the infamous question, “Wait guys, so which song are we playing again?”

Youngjae rolled his eyes, hands already grabbing his electric guitar as Jongup swivelled his drumsticks in his hands absently.

Yongguk looked up and immediately Himchan said with heated conviction that froze even the tech crews, “No.”

The leader blinked innocently at the flames behind Himchan’s wary eyes.

“I didn’t say anything–”

“It’s still a no,” Himchan pressed, knowing exactly what the other was thinking.

Zelo stared confusedly, feeling a little lost and on edge.

“You didn’t even hear me out yet,” Yongguk replied. It sounded like a whine.

Daehyun cut in, “Guys, so what song?”

“‘Unbreakable’, you idiot,” Youngjae snapped.

Yongguk blurted out at the same time, “‘COMA’.”

Everybody stilled.

“What?” snapped Zelo, hissing like an angry snake.

Yongguk turned to Zelo and grinned. He grinned in the way that made Zelo’s skin crawl. No.

“About time, don’t you think?” the composer said encouragingly.

“No,” Zelo hissed, narrowed his eyes. “That’s, that’s my song. It’s– you can’t just–”

“Can’t what?” Yongguk smiled knowingly. “Show your brilliance to the world? Our youngest member composed an awesome song?”

Zelo felt exposed and desperate and, “But it’s, it’s–”

“Personal?” Yongguk finished for him pleasantly. The tech crews were done, and they were being ushered onto the stage. “To expose something personal—that’ll finally make you an artist, Zelo.”

“But-” he tried to protest, looking at the others for help. “It’s crap. We’ve barely practiced it–”

“Oh please,” Youngjae rolled his eyes. “Don’t give us that. We know each others’ souls by heart. Your music is like my blood, yada yada.” The singer-guitarist winked. “I’m in.”

Zelo felt extremely betrayed and glanced at Himchan, who unhelpfully shrugged. The kind that meant ‘I tried’. It was very unconvincing.

“I vote for ‘COMA’,” Daehyun raised his hand childishly, as the members stood there, between the borderline of the stage and the curtain. “‘Unbreakable’ has been boring me to death.”

“I second,” Jongup said, raising his hand which was holding his drumsticks.

Zelo felt the urge to grab them and break the woods into pieces. His ears burned.

Silence reigned.

Then.

With one look back at Yongguk, Zelo understood.

Old flashes of memories rewinded in his head, reminded him of late night ramyun and black coffee, of tears, frustrations, hopelessness and drunken conversations. Then he recalled the way a girl had sang a song, with one acoustic guitar, at a radio station. The same girl, today, who sang of a boy from her childhood and the shameless lies that had left those sinful lips the boy used to so tirelessly kiss…

Something strong and solid settled in his insides. Th