A Tale of Shorts

One Sided Conversation

San & Wooyoung from Ateez

As we walked along the beach together, our shoes in our hands and feeling the sand below us, we stayed quiet- embracing the calm sounds of the waves drifting onto land and the slight breeze passing by us. I looked up to the sun as it began to set. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" I said to my best friend beside me. He sighed in response. 

He hasn't been that talkative these days.

I let it slide. Maybe he had something on his mind. We continued to walk quietly, I looked around and watched as birds flew overhead, chirping their angelic melodies and hoping that one day I'd look over to the water and see a dolphin jump out, showing off its majestic skills. "It's been really quiet these days." San finally said. I looked over, he seemed quite out of it as he dragged his heels in the sand and looked at the ground as if something was destroying him from the inside out. I nodded. It had been but that's because he doesn't seem to talk much anymore. 

We fell into another silence as we found ourselves at the end of the beach and cleaning our feet to put our shoes back on. "The sun is starting to set." San stated to me as he stood up, looking around above us at the clear sky. I stood up, too. "Yeah. Won't be long before dark arrives." I replied as he let out another sigh and turned to leave. We walked down the path together and he stopped by a flower stall, buying a single rose from the old lady. He smiled and thanked her before continuing to walk again. I was confused but decided to not question it. He'd explain later.

We continued walking through the streets until we reached a field. We ventured up the path of freshly cut green grass with daisies peering out every so often. I was so invested in the area surrounding us I hadn't realised San had stopped. He had his back to me now. I looked around, smiling. 

"This place feels so familiar.. Why do I remember it?" I thought out loud.

"We used to come here a lot together, Woo." San started. I stopped looking around and turned to face him but he still had his back to me, looking at something. "We came with our friends all the time. We had dreams.. Big dreams.. We wanted to form a band together, become famous and travel the world as eight." San explained. I looked down at the grass below me, confused. 

How could I not remember this?

"You said you'd be by my side forever." San's voice croaked slightly, as if he were on the verge of tears.

"I always have been? I'm right here San." I replied, baffled at his sudden burst of emotions.

"Why did you leave me? Why did you leave all of us?" He continued on.

I was still staring at the back of his head, confused. I kept waiting for him to turn and face me but he never did. "San? I never left?" I softly told him as I walked toward him. I walked to his side, looking at his tear covered face. I then turned my attention to where he was looking and time stopped for a split second as my heart dropped. It was a gravestone. 

Here lies Jung Wooyoung.

I backed off slightly, my eyes glued to the writing on the stone. "You didn't have to leave us like this." San put the rose down in front of the grave, now he was crying. I tried to touch his shoulder, to comfort my best friend but my hand only went through his body. He continued to cry, mourning the death of his friend that stood right beside him. 

"Well.. To update you. We made it. We passed the auditions. The seven of us are trainees now. I wish you could see us now, Woo." San sobbed as he covered his face with his hands, pouring his heart out to the stone in front of him. I tried to place my hand as accurately on his back as possible so that I didn't phase through him and listened to his life updates. I found myself crying alongside him. 

"I'd never leave you. I'd never leave any of you." I cried next to him but to him, my words were nothing more than a slight breeze in his ear.