"I think... everyone experiences change..."

Hyukjae's looking at the script. The note. Brackets. Indicating it's his cue. To speak his thoughts about the subject.

He has thought about this for hours. Last night. Today. To decide what to say. How to say it. He still hasn't quite... put it together. Never will.

"Change is... necessary. There are good changes. Bad changes. They help you grow and learn about yourself. What's important is that... we accept it in ourselves, and we also give room for others. We let them change how they need to... if they think it makes them better, and happier... and we support them through it, if we get that chance. We... it's hard, but we shouldn't stop them for ourselves, just because we think that they were better being a certain way. Sometimes... that's more for ourselves, because they were near us, with us, and their presence filled a need in us...

Maybe they weren't better, maybe they were struggling, hiding it, for our sake. They would know, truly, how they feel inside, not us. Maybe if we really let ourselves see, we'd know they weren't doing well, or maybe they were awful, to themselves or to us, but we'd just found a way to cope with it. And now... we're scared of finding ways to cope again...

So we get resistant to that change, in them, and in us. We're more resistant when that change comes with... people separating from us... going and maybe never returning..."

Hyukjae takes a breath. He's not sure who he's referring to anymore. Speaking to. Himself. Donghae. His parents. He doesn't know.

"Sometimes... we have to stop waiting. Stop holding on so tightly. We have to let go, let them change freely and move on, so that we can also do that. There might be an easier or better life waiting for you, if you let yourself turn towards that change, let yourself see it."

----

Hyukjae comes here. Every day. He sits on the couch. With a notebook. The blinds are drawn open. He's put a chair on the balcony. Right inside the sliding doors, too.

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