REWRITING!!!!!! PROMISE (Ateez/seongjoong fic)

Prolog: Before It Began

However many years ago it may have been, a group of 8 friends existed. They were an odd bunch. they all came from different backgrounds, families, schools, homes, financial situations, but they all had one thing in common. None of them felt as if they belonged. This feeling was especially true for their leader, Hongjoong.

When Hongjoong was 15, he ran away from home after arguing with his drunken parents. He has not seen, nor spoken to them since that night. His mother is dead now, and his father, naturally, was arrested for her murder. Hongjoong doesn't like to think about his family much, anymore. Especially since he found his new one. He was the first to find The Warehouse after deciding it would be his new home, so he wouldn't have to go into the system again.

Next to come was Yeosang, the oldest son of his family. No matter how hard his father and mother tried, Yeosang was never interested in taking their company over, and wished they would focus that energy on his younger brother who was more than happy to take over. He stumbled into The Warehouse after stealing an expensive bottle of his father's liquor out of spite.

Third was Mingi. Mingi came from a pretty average home, his father was an accountant, and his mother a seamstress. They lived a normal life. At least, that's what everyone else saw. They didn't see Mingi's mother using all that make-up to cover her bruises. They didn't see the broken glasses or plates or pictures shattered. They all just assumed Mingi was violent for the hell of it. Mingi found The Warehouse after beating up some kid who looked at him funny.

Fourth to find their home-away-from-home was San. Contrary to the rest of the group, San never had his parents to begin with. He was abandoned on an elderly couples doorstep, and taken in by them. He never had many material things and he spited his birth parents for that. If they had kept him maybe he would have been able to afford all the normal things a kid should have growing up. Maybe he would've eaten 3 full meals a day. Maybe his adopted parents, whom he loved very much, wouldn't have to suffer so much because of him. After failing an attempt on his own life, he ran away from home, too ashamed of himself to face his parents, he found The Warehouse.

After San was Wooyoung. His story isn't as tragic as the others, but his friends cherished him all the same. His whole life all he has wanted to do was dance on the biggest stage, and be with the people who care about him. At home it was evident he would never achieve either of those dreams. After he met San, he felt the latter might change. After he met everyone he was certain of it. Wooyoung still remained hopeful of the first, and made everyone dance with him in The Warehouse. They were all good. He was beginning to be content with his life.

6th in line was Yunho. When he was just a boy, his parents were mugged and murdered in a back alley, leaving him in his brothers care. They lived like that for a good 6 years. A happy 6 years. That is, of course, until Yunho's brother was hit by a truck on his way to pick him up from some stupid after school club he didn't care to be at anyway. Yunho never forgave himself for how his brother died. Similar to Hongjoong, he ran away to the warehouse to seek asylum and hide away from the system until he was legally old enough to care for himself.

Jongho was 7th. A a star athlete, destined to go all the way to D-1 in basketball. A star athlete whose dreams were crushed, right along with his leg. After the accident, his parents gave up on him. He wasn't outstanding in school, so basketball was his ticket into college, and his ticket was gone. Defeated, and barely walking, he managed to meet people who cared for him with or without sports in The Warehouse.

Finally, the one who would become the captains right hand man, Seonghwa. He was the oldest of them all, So he was already working straight out of highschool. Working a job he hated. He saw everyone around him contented working minimum wage 40 hours a week. He could never. He saw the people around him falling in love. He wanted that, too. Feeling melancholy one day after work, he decided that he would take a walk, he found himself at The Warehouse, too.

After a year of learning each other, dancing with each other, and being each other's family, they all left. One by one.

Yeosang finally resigned to his parents will. He accepted his role.

Mingi left after fighting with Jongho. He couldn't imagine apologizing, so he never came back.

San found an aunt to stay with. One related to his birth parents, who he learned, had both died. A joint suicide after they left him with who he considered his parents.

Wooyoung kept in contact with San, even after everyone left. He missed everyone else, too, but no one else attempted to keep in touch. He had auditioned for one of the most infamous and prestigious dance companies in the country, and got in. He would go to sign the contracts in about a week.

Yunho put himself in therapy after suffering all that loss. He picked up on his brothers old music, too.

Jongho decided to put more effort into school, he spent more time in tutoring and less time with his friends. Until who was left didn't see him again.

Seonghwa met a girl. He was sure he didn't love her, but she seemed contented with him, and he accepted that was how his life would be. Never really happy.

Hongjoong, however, never forgot his friends. He kept a photo of them in his wallet, hoping that one day, maybe, they would all be together again. He never left The Warehouse, forever heartbroken by the loss of his second family, and unable to move on.

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WORD COUNT: 1037

A/N: lookin good for some background knowledge, yeah? 😻 Loving this for me. Shoutout to my bestie for helping me decide how to word everything. Everyone say, "Thank you, Dzidzi! :D"