"We meet here today to honor the life of Lee Sandeul..." the dull voice of the pastor could be heard over the crowd's sobs with the help of his microphone.
    Looking around, Shinwoo realized he was the only member of his old band to show up at Sandeul's funeral. Well, guess it showed that everyone moved on with their lives after WM Entertainment went bankrupt. It had been hard for Shinwoo to not have a job for the past seven years. Maybe I should’ve gone onto law school... or med school, Shinwoo thought as he sat on the hard pew of the church. Anything to give me a good paying career. My parents were right. I never did make it big with singing and dancing.

     "...Every one of us has been affected..." Oh yeah, Shinwoo snapped back to reality. I’m at a funeral. "...perhaps in small ways, and for some, transformative ways..."
    The pastor rambled on, saying prayers and speaking about Sandeul's life. Even though Shinwoo wasn’t fully paying attention to every word, what he did hear, he enjoyed listening to the stories family members wrote. Sandeul was a good kid, always smiling and happy. It was a shame I didn’t get to know him better after only working with him for a year. Shinwoo consistently zoned in and out of the entire ceremony. 

     At the reception, Shinwoo scanned the room for anyone he could start a conversation with. There were many people who resembled Sandeul, but he didn’t feel comfortable enough to talk to his family. Standing near the appetizer table, awkwardly silent and eating an occasional bite, he gave a polite smile to anyone who passed him. I wonder if it’s best if I leave… I don’t know anyone here.

     Right as Shinwoo tossed his crumpled napkin in the trash and decided to leave early, the doors flew open and in came Gongchan. “Jwaesonghamnida! So sorry for being late!” The young sweaty male bowed to the staring crowd as he panted and tied his necktie. 

     Everyone in the room went back to conversing, crying, and giving each other support. Sensing how somber the vibes were, Gongchan bit his lip as it sunk in once more why he was here. Shinwoo could see from where he stood that Gongchan teared up at the sight of Sandeul’s picture that stood upright surrounded by flowers. 

     Shinwoo adjusted his glasses, feeling sorry for Channie, since he was obviously much closer to the car accident victim than Shinwoo was. Once again, feeling uncomfortable, Shinwoo headed for the door, but was stopped when he felt a tap on his shoulder. 

     “Hyung!” Gongchan stood next to Shinwoo as he turned around. “You came? It’s nice to see you again!” He wiped his tears and dripping nose with his hand before offering it to Shinwoo to shake with a bittersweet smile. 

     It was clear the kid didn’t realize what he just did: offer a hand that was used as a tissue, but Shinwoo politely shook it, even though he had never cringed so hard in his life. “Uh… Nae. I thought it would be best if I–”

     “Where are the other two?” Gongchan interrupted, looking around the room. 

     “Jinyoung and Baro? I don’t know, but they’re not here.” Shinwoo shrugged. “I lost contact with everyone since the band broke up. I just saw Sandeul’s obituary on the Internet, looked up when and where his funeral would be, and decided to attend. So, why’re you here?” Shinwoo unintentionally raised an eyebrow. “Did you stay in touch with the other guys in the past seven years?”

     Gongchan itched the back of his head. “No, I haven’t. Well, I hung out with Sandeul a few times, but that’s all. I haven’t heard from anyone else since.” He quickly brought his wristwatch to his face, shifting nervously. 

     Not taking notice in Gongchan’s odd behavior, Shinwoo sighed, “Maybe we’re all to blame for parting ways and not staying friends. I know I didn’t do my part in keeping in touch, but–What are you doing?”

     Gongchan returned from looking out the window. His cheeks turned pink. “Oh! Nothing. It’s cloudy out there. Looks like it’s going to storm.”

     “Yeah, it’s supposed to. I wonder when they are going to bury the casket. They can’t if it’s raining too har–”

     Once again, Shinwoo was interrupted, but this time Gongchan placed his hand on his old band mate’s shoulder and began tearing up once more. “You were able to see him before they closed the casket, right? How… How did he look? He wasn’t looking too rough, I hope.”

     The truth was, Shinwoo arrived in time to only see Sandeul for a moment, and he wasn’t in bad enough shape to scar anyone, but… “I don’t know. He–uh… Are you okay?”

     Gongchan growled, and then snapped out of his trance. “I’m so sorry, but I have to go! I’ll call you sometime to catch up!” He darted out of the funeral home as fast as he could. 

     Shinwoo remembered why he didn’t go out of his way to contact Gongchan. The maknae acted very strange at times. Shinwoo always suspected that he had a weak immune system, and every few weeks, he would get sick. After knowing him for a couple years, Shinwoo realized it was definitely something else. 

     Gong Chanshik was definitely hiding something.