** DISCLAIMER: events detailed in this fanfic are not real events. For the Stray Kids survival show in this fanfic, pre-debut ITZY did not compete in it -- and it was just a survival show for SKZ ! Inaccurate to the actual survival show! **

[2016]

“Nin! Nin!”

Chan’s voice rang throughout the practice halls, calling the nickname that he called me so dearly. The urgency and excitement of his voice caught my attention immediately, and I looked up from the floor with a small smile on my face.

That day was one of the harder days that I had experienced during my trainee years. I had just come back from a dance class with the other girl trainees, where the dance teacher had berated me with harsh criticism on my inability to master the advanced dance combo with my lightly sprained ankle. That experience had put my mood in the gutter, so I had spent the previous hour wallowing on the floor of the practice hall. However, after hearing Chan’s voice, I felt the majority of my stresses dissipate.

“What’s up?” I asked, quickly wiping away any remnants of tears that may have streaked my face before he could see, “You look peppy today.”

He ran over to me, and I could see his eyes glisten with the fiery passion that told me exactly what I needed to know. Training had taken a generous toll on Chan, especially with his cheer and general friendliness put on the back burner for years. To see his eyes reflect a reignited passion meant that he may have gotten the news that every one of us worked tirelessly to hear.

“They told me. They told me about a new survival show.” He panted, out of breath from exhilaration.

I looked at him in confusion, “Right after Sixteen? Damn.”

“Nins, it’s a new survival show for the boys' project group. It’s going to be called Stray Kids, and they told me, ME, that I’m going to be the leader. I am going to hand-select the boys, and we will go onto the show, working to debut as a group,” he held onto both of my shoulders and knelt in front of me so that our eyes met, “All of my hard work. All of it. Will finally pay off. Nin, this is my dream.”

I felt his passions, his hurts, and his relief flow through his hands to me, and I felt my eyes water once more. I immediately embraced him, and for a moment, we just sat like that — entangled within each other’s arms — feeling our beating hearts and the fall of each other’s breaths.

“I’m so happy for you, Chan, you of all people, deserve this. You’ve worked so, so hard.” I felt my voice tremble for him. I knew everything that he had been through at this company, all of his hardships finally being noticed.

“Promise me you won’t forget about me when you debut,” I quietly spoke into his shoulder.

Chan held me even tighter, hugging me as if it was his last time ever doing so.

“You’re my best friend, Nin. Of course I would never leave you behind.”

He pulled away, grinning so that I could see the dimple on the right corner of his lips. He held up his right hand, wiggling the pinky that wore a black glass ring. “How could I forget when I never take our friendship ring off?”

+++

When he had left to go to another trainee class session, I let myself weep.

I was so happy for him. I truly was.

Chan was the first person to comfort me when I felt homesick while training. He was the first person that had become my friend. We spent so much of our teenage years together as a duo.

How come I felt so sad?

I’ve always known that he would debut before I could. It was in the cards for him, and JYP had been fixing to debut a new boy group for some time now. I think it was the fact that I was losing the one person I felt that I could rely on the most during training. Maybe I was scared that we would inevitably grow apart. Maybe I was a little envious of him.

— and then I remembered.

My glass ring broke earlier that day.

+++

Author's Note:

Love yall <3 

That's all. 

Xoxo, 

Exoexoverdose