// Flashback

      Before me, are the ten men that I have known since middle school. Each of them became popular and I took a downward path. Why? Was it because I was really an eyesore? Or did those girls just hate me for being friendly with them? I still don't know.

      "HaNeul-ah," ChanYeol wraps his arm around my shoulders, "You guys have finally finished high school."

      Coming to join him, KyungSoo gave me his sweetest heart-smile that I will forever remember, "We've made it!"

      I wanted to be happy, I really did. But I kept having these flashbacks from last night. I didn't.. There was no way that I could ever tell them. My hands were stained red and my nostrils were filled with the scent of blood. I smiled but my mind was elsewhere.

      "Nuna!" Kai and SeHun ran my way, "I'll see you next year, right?"

      I nodded, "O-Of course..."

      Lay brought me a bag full of sweets, "Eat these!"

      SuHo, XiuMin, Chen, and BaekHyun clapped as they handed us flowers. Tao and KyungSoo had their arms around each other and I felt distant. But it was only because I had made it that way. I didn't want their lives to mix with my tainted one. No one deserved that and I don't even know what they'd think if I were to tell them. Quietly, I walked over to my parents and they smiled at me, telling me that they were proud of me. They said they were happy to see that I had so many friends at school. That I must have been... popular. Popular? No...

      "Let's go home," I said, "I want to rest.."

      "Really? But-"

      "Mom.. please."

      I felt bad but they were too immersed in their own world to notice me leaving. I left without thanking them for all they've done for me. I left without a goodbye.

      I opened my eyes to see the familiar white ceilings and the same beeping noises from my own heartbeat. Without realizing that there were people in the room, I lifted my body and pain surged through my left side. As I let out a groan, KyungSoo ran my way and in a flash, he was already calling SuHo to come in and check on my wound. I had no idea how long I had been sleeping or .. in a coma if I was even sleeping that long.

      "Is she okay?"

      SuHo nodded, "The bullet was already pulled out and stitched. It's just that she hasn't healed all the way yet."

      "Okay.."

      "Just give it time," he winked at me, "We're all glad you're okay."

      KyungSoo sat next to me and silence overwhelmed me so much that I spoke;

      "How long was I out?"

      "A week or so," he placed his hand in mind and rubbed my thumb slightly, "But you're awake now, that's all that matters."

      I looked out the window from my lying position and saw that they sun was about to set. A week that I just let pass by me again. I had done this way too much. I was almost twenty-four years old and yet... I hadn't seen life.

      "You know... I remember our graduation day."

      "You do?"

      "I saw you all being so happy... but the thing is, I was envious of that. I know that now. I didn't have that family friendship that you all had and my own parents and I weren't even that close. I envied the love you all openly showed." I let a few tears drop from my glossy eyes, "After three years, I met you again and I could remember was pain... But you know? After I was certain about who you were, you became my get-away. I always searched for you whenever I was afraid or whenever I wanted to run away."

      As I got through that last sentence, the other guys came through but this time with LuHan and Kris. I smiled and finally got myself to a sitting position without the wound hurting;

      "I love seeing all of you together in one room," I smiled, "It's been a while since I've been genuinely happy. I learned how through seeing you all fail and stand up again.. together."

      "We've learned to treasure life more.. and to treasure our friends," BaekHyun stepped up, "Thanks to you."

      Nodding, I rolled up the huge sleeves of my hospital clothing. I revealed every scar on my arms and I saw that they were slowly disappearing but they were going to be there my whole life, whether I liked it or not. I rubbed them slightly and smiled;

      "These are my battle wounds," I laughed at the hilarity in the statement, "I will remember each one.. and they will remind me to never go back to those times."

      "Those times?" SeHun asked.

      "The times when I locked myself in my own room. The times when I wanted to die and the times when I ran away from other people." I rolled my sleeves back down, "When I thought I had no one by my side.. "

      KyungSoo brought me into a hug and said, "With us, you have everything you need. You have everyone by your side."

      Agreeing, ChanYeol placed a hand on my smaller one, "I still have to teach you about music, so of course I'll be by your side."

      "There is a lot I want to thank you guys for," I rested my head on KyungSoo's shoulder, "But.. I want to thank you for giving me the second, third, fourth, and one-hundredth try at life."

      Four Years Later

      I stand here, seeing twelve men before me. They smile, they joke, they tell stories and they cry. But most of all, we live like humans. We are the definition of imperfection but that's why we are okay with who we are.

      "HaNeul!" ChanYeol ran my way from the end of the driveway, "Where's my nephew?"

      "What do you mean nephew?" I punched his arm, "You're not even KyungSoo's real brother."

      ChanYeol shook his head, "I am close enough to be!"

      "YeonWoo is inside sleeping," I pointed into the living of the big, three-storied house, "See but don't touch!"

      "Alright, alright!"

      ChanYeol had been gone for a year due to his singing job. He got to see parts of the world that I have never seen and he was happy. We still live in this house together and we make mistakes together. With the birth of my first child, I learned that life is too precious to try and throw away. The only reason why I was able to make it out alive, because they were by my side. For that, I am thankful.

      After ChanYeol disappeared into the house, KyungSoo came out of nowhere and kissed me on the cheek;

      "Hey!"

      He smiled and hugged me from behind, "YeonWoo will grow up happily."

      "I know he will," I joked, "He has eleven other uncles."

      "That's true," KyungSoo locked his hand with my own and lifted it up to the setting sun, letting the ring's diamond shine.

      "You know?" I started, "I think I want to change my job."

      "Why?"

      "It's not that I don't like writing.. I don't like staying cooped up at home!"

      "What do you want to be?"

      "I want to help others.. the ones who are just like how I used to be—The one who's puzzle pieces are scattered all over the world."

      Through so much trial and error, we all ended up together, happy and smiling. I was too busy trying to pick up my own puzzle pieces and then I was too busy trying to fix theirs. I hadn't noticed that our pieces made the best melodies and that they were mixed together. Mélange.