After a week of waiting, the company had called for my final answer.

I headed to the company with heavy feet as a crowd of girls waited on the outside for the newest group that SM had debuted just a year ago. None raised their camera as I passed because to them I was just another passing face they didn’t care for.  I was not familiar with the newest addition to the company, only knowing a few of them personally being I mentored them in dance. They were our company’s newest toy.

“Annyeonghaseyo, Kim Jong In shi!” A loud cry was heard from a few feet in front of me and there stood they stood bowing respectfully with eager young eyes and bright smiles. I bowed back and greeted them a little less warmly, I could see from the looks of their gaudy outfits they were on their way to another schedule. I passed them without another word and could hear as they exited the excited screams of the girls that waited for them.

The room where we were to hold our final meeting was only a few feet away from me but the walk seemed endless. Though, soon enough, I found myself in the room sitting at the table with eleven other guys waiting for me. There were no snarky remarks this time at my late arrival. No one even looked up. Each with their head down the room was somber like a death had just occurred. I looked to each of their faces, and noticed the dark shadows and bloodshot eyes. We were all shaken up by the sudden decision but none of us could bring about the words that we all knew we were feeling.

The doors opened again but this time Lee Soo Man came in alone. We all stood up and greeted him half heartedly as he motioned for us to sit down. He smiled at us but his smile meant nothing as it soon turned to a serious expression of business, “So? Have you all made your decisions? Luhan? Kyungsoo? Sehun? Kai?”

I eyed the members unnamed and could see them scoff and turn their heads away from the conversation. They were the ones already out of the picture according to SooMan. I too turned away not wanting to speak up when Luhan spoke first, “I won’t be signing back with you, I’m going back to China with Kris, Lay, and Tao.”

I could hear Sehun gasp and his mouth opened to say something but Suho held him back. I eyed his reaction and saw that he was hurt by his friend’s decision, I on the other hand understood. Soo Man said nothing more to him, disregarding him like yesterday’s news and turned to the remaining three. I looked to Kyungsoo who nervously fiddled with his fingers on the table while Sehun looked to Luhan still in shock.

“I won’t be resigning.”

I stated loudly and clearly. I could feel a weight lift from me at my own words, finally admitting out loud what it was that I wanted. I turned to Soo Man to see that he was disappointed. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down nervously and he shunned me from his vision as he turned to the remaining two members, “And you boys?”

Sehun and Kyungsoo turned to each other. Their eyes reading that their decision was mutual, they said in unison, “We won’t be resigning.”

~*~

The others were long gone and the meeting long over. Soo Man was disappointed at our decisions to not resign with the company but he left it at that and said that it was a pleasure working with us. He was done with us, his worn out and withering group of aging men. We were no longer the new shiny toy that brought him the money he wanted but he tried his best to hold onto the ones he knew could still squeeze out a few more drops of money to his bank account.

I walked around the company, eyeing the trophies that had our names on them dating back to 2012. I smiled even laughed at the memories back then and moved on to the next as posters and records of our past CDs were framed on the walls next to other groups.

Nothing but our past remained…

Off in the distance, I could hear the sound of our music being played in one of the rooms and smiled as I could make out the lyrics to History. The familiar tune ran through my veins and my arms and feet ached to dance the steps to the song. Every move was etched into my mind.

“No, no, no it’s right and then left.” I could hear someone yell from the room where the music was coming from when I looked through the window on the door to see that a group of young trainees were practicing with the instructor at the head of the dance room.

Sweat sticking to their skin and pained expressions of exhaustion, I watched as they continued to dance to our song. Their movements robotic, they didn’t care for the dance and wanted to stop. I sighed at their lack of passion and thought back to the kids at the dance studio I had seen just a week ago. They were eager to dance and were the exact opposite of what I was looking at now. They carried the passion and desire while these kids did not, but then again I had the best of both worlds and knew what both sides were going through.

“Take five!” The instructor yelled out and bodies soon dropped to the ground.

My own training period flashing in my eyes I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Suho stood beside me with a blank look on his face as he stared into the room of trainees that were now all on the floor breathing hard with fatigue, “We were trained longer than we were actually a group, did you know that?”

I looked down at the only person that trained as long as I did in EXO when he turned to meet my glance, “We fought hard for a short battle we knew we were going to lose.”

“What does that even mean?” I shook my head at him but he only smiled at me and patted my back.

“I’m going to miss you Jong In shi.”

~*~

The lights in my apartment were still on, but I found JongMin passed out on the couch with books by his side. I smiled as I set my keys down and tugged the blanket from the top of the couch, placing it over him. I closed the books he had in his arms and set them aside as I sat beside him and the hair from his face. He stirred a bit but settled down as I took my hand away and let him be.

I headed for the kitchen to grab a beer when the phone beeped a couple times catching my attention. I had one unheard message.

My fingers grazed over the buttons when I finally decided to hit play.

“Kim Jong In shi, this is your doctor calling back about your inquiry about your next appointment…”

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This story will end soon ^.^

Exo fans should watch this video...Your heart will hurt but in a good way.