Long Journey || ATEEZ

Wooyoung's Choice

2014

Wooyoung was thirteen when the new government came into power. He was only thirteen, when his dreams were crushed.

Ever since he was younger, Wooyoung had always had a passion for the arts. As a holin, he was expected to become a singer at the very least; due to the specialty holin had with their voices, he could imitate and repeat any sound he heard, and had extreme versatility with his voice.

However, Wooyoung had always shown far more interest in dance. The very act of moving one's body to the rhythm of a song fascinated him, and ever since that sunny summer's day when his mother took him to a public dance display, he had made up his mind: he was going to become a dancer – whether society liked it or not.

But then a dreadful war began, in the cold and dark year of 2009, against their neighbouring country Wian. It raged for a good three years, and all the way through it Wooyoung didn't know whether he and his mother would live to see the next day. His father and brother had already fallen victim to it; his older brother as a soldier in an unfair conscription system, and his father on an off-chance piece of stupidly large shrapnel that had pierced his warm, loving heart. It had left a deep scar mentally, and he wondered whether it would ever heal.

Thankfully, the war ended when Wooyoung was only thirteen, and Wooyoung believed that things would only get better. The 'Golden Government' – as they liked to call themselves – came into power when the great country of Signeria was in shambles, and promised peace and prosperity; the hopeless peoples of Signeria could finally find hope. To the citizens of Signeria, the Golden Government looked like a pillar of light; an all-powerful blessing that would haul them out of the darkness of poverty.

And it really looked like it would happen.

Until January the 3rd, when the Golden Government banned all form and display of the arts. No dancing. No music. No art. Entertainment was forbidden. Art galleries were burned. Instruments, pieces of art, and other such things were taken away and locked up in various warehouses dotted all over the country. Anyone caught displaying or doing any one of those prohibited things...would be executed.

Wooyoung still remembered clearly when the leaflets were handed to every citizen of Signeria, and the posters were put up.

PROHIBITED

The following acts are strictly prohibited:

Art

Dance

Music

These acts are considered as disobedience of the government, and punishments will not be distributed lightly.

After this, the government revealed their true colours; corrupt, greedy individuals who wanted nothing but power, power, power. There was even talk that they would overpower Wian and take over it. There was talk that they would take over the world.

But all that aside, Wooyoung's dreams had been crushed over the resolve of a political group, and for a while, he found himself wandering the possibilities of what his future would become. He walked aimlessly amongst the many many jobs he could have, but still, the melodic ring of 'performer', 'dancer', 'music artist' beckoned to him. It was a passion and dream he could not leave behind.

* * *

Lo and behold, one day, hope found its way to Wooyoung – and many others – and took up a place in his heart. Alas, a group who called themselves 방탄소년단: Bulletproof Boy Scouts, appeared and made their names known.