10 days

It was a cold night. Leeteuk stood, alone outside, watching the lighted streets of Seoul. He leaned against the railing, letting the coolness of the night wash over him. He watched the lights dancing and flickering in the dark, putting on a special show for him. The members were out; Leeteuk had nearly kicked them out of the dorm, telling them they deserved some time for themselves. When that hadn’t worked, he had admitted that he wanted some time alone. The members had immediately understood and stopped protesting. One by one, they all left silently, each of them giving the leader a concerned glance. He had smiled at them, reassuring them he was all right.

Now though, he regretted sending everyone away. He felt so alone. So isolated from everything. So useless. He wasn't sure where he stood anymore. Deep thoughts filled his mind. Would the members even miss him when he was gone? Would the ELFS wait? But the thought that haunted him the most…what if they didn’t need him?

He sighed, his hair ruffling in the wind. A bittersweet smile appeared on his face as he flashbacked to two years ago, when dark thoughts had been on his mind too. That time though, he had nine other people to share his worries with.

Bonamana promotion period had been hard on everyone. Down to 10 members for the first time since debut, no one knew what to do. The fans had been waiting though, and everyone knew they couldn’t keep off a comeback. So, they decided to go ahead without Kangin, Kibum, and Hankyung. It was a choice that changed Super Junior forever.

During that period, everyone was stressed. All the members were missing the other three who were not with them. Leeteuk remembered how they had frequently called meetings just to make sure that everyone was still there, that they weren’t going to leave, that everything was going to be okay. It had been a rough time for all of them. Days were tormented with past memories and nights were lonely times to cry.

Yet, they had pulled out of that. They had succeeded, gaining more fans and more recognition. Leeteuk had been so proud of his fellow members. They had gone through so much but with their friendship, their mutual understanding, and their teamwork, they had been able to use their disadvantage and had managed to turn it into a positive force that made their bond even stronger.

Even now, two years later, Leeteuk could remember every hardship they had to endure. The members still talked about it sometimes, when they needed cheering up. He shook his head; these thoughts would only depress him more and he didn't need that. What he needed, he realized, was the love and care he usually received and had come to expect from the members.

“Hyung,” A soft voice called out, bringing Leeteuk back to the present.

Leeteuk turned around quickly, surprised. “Wh…oh.”

Standing in the doorway were all the members. They had smiles on their faces and they were all looking at him.

“You don’t have to go through this alone. We’re all here for you,” Another voice spoke up. Leeteuk squinted against the darkness to try to make out faces.

“Hyung, come in with us. Let’s talk about it.”

“Yeah hyung, what are you doing in the cold?”

“Must be getting old, forgetting his jacket.”

“Shut up, Kyuhyun.”

Leeteuk grinned at all of them, eyes suddenly b with tears.

“Is he crying?”

“Shut up, Kyuhyun.”

Leeteuk laughed, wiping the tears away. He stepped up, finally able to see his precious dongsaengs’ faces. They looked so perfect in that moment, all smiling at him.

“You guys are the most amazing people on this earth,” Leeteuk said, grabbing the nearest people in a group hug.

“Really? Even better than your—”

“SHUT UP, KYUHYUN.”