Fireworks | ATEEZ story

12 - Wooyoung

Mars looked at Wooyoung and Mingi with sad eyes. "Judging from your expressions, the world you used to live in was way better than this one, right?"

Hearing it directly from a runaway citizen of Strictland, Wooyoung's heart began to feel heavy for him.

Mars put his head in his hands. "It's all thanks those Black Pirates that we were able to escape... but at what cost? What's our purpose if we can't save Strictland.... it all feels meaningless and useless. They should have saved their last breaths for themselves, yet they wasted it on us. I failed....we failed."

Wooyoung stayed silent throughout his whole story, he was beginning to be drained from his injuries as well as Mars' confession. They couldn't comfort him, they didn't experience what they have been through, it was inappropriate.

Mingi walked from Wooyoung's side to Mars' and laid a hand on his big shoulder. "...You weren't born to do certain things or live up to anyone... please, Mars. If you help us get the Cromer back, you and Kyung-Hu can come with us back to our world. Abandon this place, and continue living for yourself. Don't you want that?"

Mars sniffed as he stared at Mingi.

But he continued. "Doing certain things or being something doesn't make you any more or any less a failure. As soon as you were born from this world, you're already something valuable... even if someone else makes you think otherwise... trust me, I know." Mingi then reached out to Wooyoung's hand and squeezed it tight. Wooyoung hesitated for a moment before squeezing back.

"Thank you for reminding me of that, Woo-ong." Mingi smiled.

Wooyoung turned his head to look at Mingi from his bed, and when he saw his eyes, there was a hint of gratitude and sincerity; but also love, with this look, Wooyoung felt a pang of guilt.

Mingi turned back to Mars. "There's a chance that we might be stuck together for a while, so how about we work together and form a team? You and Kyung-Hu know this place better than anyone."

Mars only continued staring at Mingi, his face unreadable yet confused.

"?"

Mars turned red by this. "Ah- sorry... It's been a while since anyone has ever told me that... I'm not used to it, I apologize."

Mingi squeezed Wooyoung's hand harder, but it wasn't out of anger. "Haha... it's okay. I'm pretty sure that whatever you're doing, small or big, the Black Pirates are still proud of you."

Mingi's eyes turned serious, and looked down. "And I'm sorry you and your sister had to go through that... I can't imagine what you guys have been through to forgo this luxury of simply living..."

Looking at Mars at first, he was a bubbly character who was light and high-spirited, by the sole mention of their past, all of that turned quickly dark. Wooyoung almost felt guilty for bringing it back up.

After quite some silence from Wooyoung, he finally spoke up. "Mars...I'm...you're..."

Mingi turned his full attention back at Wooyoung. "What is it?"

"I... I don't know what to do... we didn't know what to do... so thank you so much..."

Mars looked at this vulnerable person on the bed with an expression that was of pity, "Hey... you were only in trouble...there's no need to thank us for doing the bare minimum."

After all the trouble the boys have been through, it was a gratitude that they all surely wouldn't take for granted. Even doing the "bare minimum" touches the boys hearts deeply, maybe to others it's such a simple ordeal, but they have always believed that humbleness and modesty was the best route to becoming a fruitful person.