Leaving

10th Member

"Once! Thank you for giving the support for our concert yesterday. I feel so grateful for you who came and cheered for us. I was really happy to know that I wasn't alone in this world," I say to my phone while we are leaving the mall. I don't know why I feel like doing v-live today. "Thank you for the staffs too... For the managers too... For the make-up artists too... For the stylists... Everyone! I feel grateful for the Twice members too......" 

Suddenly, someone taps my shoulder from behind. It's Jeongyeon!
"Actually, we're grateful that you're here, Haeju..." she says.

***

I can't believe this!
We actually get an opportunity to walk around in Japan for a day. One full day! Probably two days, but I guess I'll be too tired tomorrow. It's cool because there is no camera following whatsoever. I mean, Twice TV isn't that tiring but, of course, a vacation without any camera is different. When there were cameras, we must filter what we say (and for me it's not easy). Tzuyu can relate. It was cute that she went only-laughing all the time when she was in a show. Poor her. Our savage maknae has a vulnerable mouth kekeke... She's sweet inside but sometimes harmful outside. Lowkey that's why I like her from the first place hmm...

 

"Alright, guys, before we start our holiday-" Jihyo speaks in front of us. This is what I've been waiting for. We're in the middle of the street already but we don't seem to have a destination.
"Just go with the flow, Jihyo-ya! It's a vacation, you don't need to think too much," Nayeon cuts her.
"That's right. Take a day off as a leader," Jeongyeon adds.
"Let's find something to eat, right, Dahyun-a?" Momo says. The one who walks with Momo all the time agrees.
"Alright, let's eat! Don't lay your head to my shoulder while walking, Unnie, you might fall because of that," Dahyun tells Momo.
"Okay..."
"I didn't lay my head to anyone but I fell!" Sana, who listens to their conversation, speaks proudly. "You saw me, right, Dahyun-a?!"
"Yes! Be careful. Hold on Chaeyoung," Dahyun responses her.
Chaeyoung gives Sana her arm without saying anything, but Sana's reaction is just too much. "Awwwww, our Chaeyoung is sweet. You're like an angel. I love you~"
"Haha... Okayyy........."
"Why are we stopping?" Tzuyu asks no one. "C'mon, we don't have much time."
"Don't you think it's fun, Tzuyu, to have a short holiday like this?" I ask her. After that, I tell her everything that I feel. I think listening to me is a good way to distract her. But then, Jihyo tries to speak again.
"Alright, guys. After the discussion-"
"Discussion with who?" Nayeon asks.
"-Jeongyeon," Jihyo answers shortly. "After googling, actually, we decide that there is a good mall at the end of this street. There are many things that we can do there..." she pauses and looks at Momo,"...including eating-"
A wide smile appears on Momo's face after hearing that.
"-So, we're gonna walk to there. We can also stop by at any store here if there's an interesting one. What do you think guys? Are you all agree?"
"Agreeee!" we answer her as if it's commanded.
"Alright, let's go!" Sana screams to bring up the mood. Chaeyoung laughs along to see her excited unnie.
"Finally, a destination..." Tzuyu grumbles again.
"Dahyuna, I want ice cream..."
"O.M.G. Where's ice cream???" I turn my head right away, looking for a store who sells ice cream around us. "Is there an ice cream???"
"No, Haeju, I'm just saying. Hehe," Momo says.
"I want ice cream too!" Sana screams excited.
"Let's find the ice cream then," Nayeon says. 
"Should we?" Jihyo feels like called with this sudden change of plan.
"Yes yes, please, we should stop by if we pass an ice cream store," I tell them.
"Or a convenient store," Mina adds. Suddenly I realize that she exists.
"Yeah, I want an ice cream."
"Japanese ice cream must be different. Isn't it, Sana?"
"Ohh it's so much more delicious!"
"And cute. Some of them have various shapes and color,"
"Yeah yeah, let's find an ice cream!"
"Yes!"
"Cool!"
Suddenly, we all agree to get an ice cream. We start walking again. Our journey finally begins. Oh, I love my members!

I love ice cream!!! Hehehe...

***

We finally find the store.
I'm enjoying my ice cream too much that I walk behind the crowd. At least, that was I thought before someone appears from my back and holds my shoulders.
"Haeju, may I taste your ice cream?" she says all of sudden.
"Oh sure," I give it to a mouth behind my shoulders. I see who the owner is.
"Mina! You don't get one?" I ask her.
"No... Mm, this is tasty!" she says excitingly.
"I know right!"
"Strawberry, as usual, Ju?"
"Hehe... How about you? Not interested in ice cream?" I ask her, knowing that she doesn't bring one.
"Nah, I just wanna taste yours," she says.
"Oh, umm... Okay."
Mina moves so she walks beside me. She holds my arm and says,"Let's catch the others. We're so left behind them." she pulls me.
I smile and let her leads the way. It's been a while since anyone pulls me. I don't know why I'm enjoying it. I feel like my heart is being pulled by her. Ohh Ju, stop it! What am I thinking?

We walk until we reach Tzuyu who's walking behind the group. She looks at me and Mina while enjoying her coned vanilla ice cream. "Unnie, this is tasty! I like my ice cream," she says. The ice cream is all over .
"I can see that," I say while taking a tissue from my purse.
"Wanna taste it? Ju Unnie? Mina Unnie?"
"I'm okay, ehm, thanks," Mina says.
I swipe Tzuyu's mouth with my tissue. She moves her head forward and lets me do it. I feel like I'm a caring mother for a second. Funny.

"...After that, we have to a cellphone store so Momo can get a new earphone. Everyone must get what they want, right, Mina?" I hear someone is, apparently, talking with Mina while taking care of Tzuyu. "Oh hi, Haeju. You're here!" she says. It's Sana.
"I hear you're planning something," I ask her.
"Yeah, Mina and I will make sure everyone enjoys their holiday today," she says.
"Sana is trying to make a list of everyone's needs," Mina says.
"Oh, really? So unusual," I say, May I see the list?"
"Hehe, you can't!" Sana answers. She puts her index finger on her head. "It's all here."
"Ah, I see..."
"Haven't you finished your ice cream, Ju?~"
"Umm, yeah... Wanna taste it?" I offer her.
"Sure! Strawberry, right? Must be tasty! Here, go taste mine," she passes me her ice cream. Its color is golden brownish...
"Ow, what is this? Caramel?" I ask her.
"Cappucino, Dear. Umm! You really have a great taste!" she says after tasting my ice cream. I decide to taste hers as well.
"This is good too," I say.
"Really? I thought you didn't like coffee?"
Ugh, how does she know everything about me? I can't lie to her anymore. "But this one tastes good," I tell her.
"Do you like it?"
"Yeah!"
"Great! Wanna swap?"
"What?!" I'm surprised by that sudden offering.
"You take mine, I take yours," she explains.
"Uhh, wh... Why?"
"I regret buying that, Ju. I don't like it, hehe!"
"Whaaat... Hahaha, okay," I agree with her deal. It seems like she likes my strawberry ice cream so much. Well, it's the best flavor in the world. Duh! "Are you okay that there's not much left?" I ask her.
"Yeah! But, YOU are okay with this, right?" Sana tries to reconfirm my decision. "If you are not, I will just throw my ice cream or-"
"-No no, it's fine! I like yours," I cut her before I change my mind.
And because of that, I end up eating the ice cream that I don't like until we arrive at the mall. I can't even throw it away so I won't hurt Sana's heart. Gosh, she's so dangerous sometimes. Her blank-mindedness can be this bothering. But it's okay as long as she's happy. She's not doing it on purpose, right?

***

"Ya, Jeongyeon-a! Can you help me bring these bags?" Nayeon says to Jeongyeon who's walking in front of the group. She comes to Nayeon after hearing that, leaving Jihyo. Good!
"Jihyo..." I call her after catching her up.
"Haeju!" she looks at me with her widen bright eyes. I miss her wide smile that so wide I can stare at her teeth. She looks so excited to see me, as always. Oh, it's been a while...
"What do you buy?" I ask her, try to start a conversation. And just like that, we talk a lot together. It's so fun to chat with her. She always succeeds to make me less lonely. But there's something that she always says that I'm waiting for it.
"Where is Tzuyu," she asks me. 
"I don't know. Maybe behind us?"
"Behind us? Like, right behind us, eavesdropping our conversation since the beginning???" she kids.
"Hahaha... That would be scary."
"Sure would be!"
"I don't know... I saw Tzuyu was with Mina before," I say.
"You're always with her..." Jihyo says. I take a moment to look at her expression. She's not looking at me.
"Do I so often look together with her?" I ask her. I can feel her hand accidentally touches mine.
"Both of you look so close together. Always."'
"I guess so..."
"Why don't you have a boyfriend already, Ju?"
"Why do you think I should?" I ask back.
She looks at me in the eyes for a second, before looks at the front. "You're beautiful, you know. Soft... Talented..." she says.
"So are you!"
"No no, you're different. You are... Perfect!" Usually, I turn bubbly when anyone compliments me. But this time, I'm so embarrassed that I can't say a word. I really don't know what to say. I know, actually, but I'm hesitant to say it.

"Jihyo..." I call her name.
She doesn't answer it this time. I don't care. I decide to continue my sentence anyway.
"...I miss you."
She doesn't react or says anything. Her gaze is fixed to the front. I'm not sure if she can hear me or-

"I miss you too," she says.

***

I sit beside Tzuyu on the airplane.

We're heading back to our home, Seoul. Oh right, it's not everyone's home. Not for Tzuyu or Misamo. Or not even for some people who weren't born in Seoul. But we're going to our dorm anyway. It's everyone's second home, is it? 

I see everyone's busy with their luggage. Momo helps Nayeon to put hers in the locker. Tzuyu is helping Chaeyoung. Sana is helping Dahyun. We're all tired. I'm sure we're all happy anyway. Although we need to leave Japan so early in the morning, it's a relief that our schedule her is over. At least, we can continue our sleep in this 1 or more hours or trip. This is the best time to take a rest.
Suddenly, I feel so grateful for all the support that I get from Once. They're all so great. It's still amazing to know that they support me for being the 10th member.

Guys, thank you for the opportunity you've given to me. Sorry if I haven't given you the best, okay.....?

"Unnie, why are you crying?" Tzuyu notices.
I swipe my tears. "Nn... Nothing."
She sits beside me. She, who has been a great company since the beginning of my journey. If I was a Once, I think she would be my bias. "Why am I asking anyway?" she says, "You always cry of something."
"Haha, you know me so well, Tzuyu-ya..."
"Everyone does."
"Right..."

After a while, everyone has sat in their own seats. The plane is taking off. I hold Tzuyu's hand so tight. The plane is so dark. It's even darker when I close my eyes. As dark as before, but this time, I can feel everyone's here. I'm not lonely anymore. Twice and Once care with me now. Nothing to be afraid anymore. Thank you.

 

 

Thank you, but I'm leaving now...

 

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ahnhaeju
The end. Thanks all for reading until the very last chapter :)

Comments

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YaniPiplup2005 #1
Chapter 167: I LOVE IT HAEJUUUUUU!!!!!!
K-Reader28 #2
Chapter 161: Please don’t tell me this is the actual ending. I’m in literal tears 😭 from this.
LittleMina2003
#3
Chapter 157: Author nim made me cry bc all of us ONCEs miss Mina so much :(
chaellax
14 streak #4
Chapter 156: Awh
dh_pram
#5
Chapter 153: What the!??
Ternyata orang indo wkwkwk
drunk_bunny #6
Chapter 151: Hmm for QnA, through the first chapter up to your latest chapter, did some of those happened to you in real life???
And for haeju, by only choosing your members, who is your ideal type based on their personality and why?? ≧∇≦
LittleMina2003
#7
Chapter 151: Will there be sequels to this fanfic?
LittleMina2003
#8
Chapter 148: I re read after I saw my name on there and it's so good