8 days

“Remember 2011?” Donghae whispered, unusually subdued.

The members were all gathered around the living room. A movie had been playing but after it ended, no one wanted to leave the comfort of the room and the satisfaction of being together.

Everyone fell silent, thinking back. Leeteuk especially felt a tug in his stomach as he flashbacked.

2011

“Teuk, can I talk to you?” Heechul indicated towards the leader, an unusually serious face masking his intentions. Curious, Leeteuk followed him out of the noisy room where the rest of the members were staying in.

“What’s up?” Leeteuk asked once they were alone. He noticed how fidgety Heechul had been the past few days, but had let it go, knowing that if it was anything serious, the member was going to talk to him about it.

Heechul stayed silent for a minute before taking a deep breath and looking at Leeteuk straight in the eye. His hands were slightly shaking, he looked a little pale, and his eyes were wide with fear, but he steadied himself.

“Leeteuk, I’m enlisting.”

Leeteuk had felt his world shatter. The wind was knocked right out of him and he couldn’t speak for a second. “Wh…what?”

Seeing the leader’s shocked reaction, Heechul seemed more hesitant. “I’m…I’m enlisting, Teukie.”

Leeteuk was quiet, so quiet for so long that Heechul started getting nervous. “H…hyung?”

Leeteuk looked at the usually hyper and bubbly man. Though he was trembling and had unease written all over his features, his eyes were determined and set. There was no changing his mind.

“When?” The question came out as a whisper, the one word laced with worry, concern, and fear.

“Not for a bit. But I thought I should tell you first.” Heechul confided, looking down at his hands, his words mumbled.

Leeteuk looked at him and his eyes softened. “Heechul.”

Heechul didn’t look up, instead seemingly caught up in something in his hands.

“Heenim, I wish you luck.”

At this, Heechul’s head snapped up and he stared at Leeteuk in awe. “T…Teuk.”

Leeteuk smiled slightly, amused at the shocked expression on Heechul’s face. “What, did you expect me to yell at you? No, of course not. Let’s enjoy the time we have together right now, okay?”

Heechul nodded earnestly. Thankfulness was written all over his face. 

Leeteuk got up to leave but before he could, a hand clasped his shoulder.

“Hyung?”

“Oh, Siwon?” Leeteuk let out weakly, still not fully recovered from the previous shock.

Siwon shared a glance with Heechul before the latter gave a sad smile and got up. He seemed to want to say something to Leeteuk, but on second thought, he only brought the older into a hug. “Thanks.”

As soon as Heechul left, Leeteuk turned to Siwon with a nervous and ominous feeling in his stomach. Siwon on his part seemed anxious also.

“Hyung, I need to tell you something…”

“Don’t tell me you’re leaving, too?” Leeteuk cracked a smile, his heart pounding against his chest in irregular rhythms.

Siwon in a quick breath, his eyes widening. “I…I…”

Leeteuk held his breath, balling his hands into fists, waiting for Siwon to deny it. Please.

“I’m sorry,” Came the whispered reply.

With that, Leeteuk’s heart dropped. He closed his eyes. This couldn't be happening. No.

“Hyung, it’s…only for the rest of the promotions. I…I’m coming back! I promise! It’s just that this drama is getting to me and I can’t…I can’t leave it. Hyung, please understand.”

Leeteuk warily opened his eyes and saw Siwon looking at him with a pleading gaze. Like Heechul, he was terrified as to what the leader would say.

Leeteuk realized there was no way he could change Siwon’s mind. And more than that, he realized he didn’t have the right to tell him not to go. It was Siwon’s life, not his. He couldn’t dictate s’ decisions.

“Good luck, then,” Leeteuk said, a small smile on his face.

Siwon looked surprised. “Wh…what?”

“Good luck on your drama. We’ll watch it every week when we have time. Remember to stay healthy, too, okay? Don’t stay up too late. Eat healthy…call us when you—“

Siwon interrupted the leader’s speech with a bear hug. Leeteuk wrapped his arms around the younger man and grinned. As long as he was happy.

“Thank you hyung. You don’t know how much this means to me,” Siwon whispered.

When Siwon left, Leeteuk took a seat on the couch. Damn those kids for deciding to tell him on the same day. He smiled. They knew where their lives were going. They had a dream. But Leeteuk did too. He was not going to let Super Junior die. They could do it, with fifteen members or 8. It didn’t matter, because he knew that in all their hearts, they were there with each other, always. It wasn’t a matter of numbers. It never had been and it certainly wasn’t going to be an issue now. They were going to continue, because they were Super Junior. They were a family.