My Star | Im Changkyun {COMPLETE}

Chapter 44

FINALE

This was it. They'd prepared for their final group comeback under their company, knowing they weren't going to renew. They did it. Somehow, their title track had blown up, peaking on the charts. Mode-L were about to receive a Bonsang award. At that moment, they'd been hit with a flashback to the first time they greeted the stage; the day they debuted.

"Mode-L!" A staff member called out, causing the members to step forward out of the line.

"You're on stage in 10, you have 15 seconds from then to get into position before the lights turn back on. Good luck with your debut." The staff member then did the count of 10 on his fingers before ushering them onto the stage.

As they entered the stage, a member from the previous stage came off the wrong way, accidentally bumping shoulders with Hyebin, whose ankle rolled over due to the impact of his shoulder and the heels she was wearing. Luckily, he grabbed a hold of her wrist and managed to keep her up before she could fall and injure her ankle severely.

"Sorry," Hyebin whispered before, pulling away from him and hurrying into her position with 4 seconds left and a slightly throbbing ankle.

That was the moment she encountered Changkyun for the first time, fate striking like lightning.

Hyebin's heart was racing, though, it wasn't due to nervousness. She felt at home, being on stage singing, dancing, rapping... hearing their fans and even fans of other groups chant for them was filling her heart with so much joy. This was a moment she would remember forever...

The feeling was still the same as the first time she'd prepared herself to step on stage. Euphoric. There was no feeling that could beat the way these past few years had made her feel. It was a rollercoaster. Stress, pain, excitement, passion. It felt as if they had made it.

That night, after accepting their award, they returned to their dorms. It was official. All of the members had moved out. Now all that was left was for them to leave the keys behind, so they wanted to spend their last night there. It was a monumental moment. The place where they'd spent all their younger years together. A place so full of life, now empty and bare, ready to start fresh.

"Ah this is too hard," Hyebin bit her lower lip to stop her from letting out a sob. It was heartbreaking to think a chapter of their lives was closing. "I really loved you guys like my own family. We'll always be close, right?"

"You couldn't get rid of me even if you tried," Subin retorted, making them laugh and easing up the tense atmosphere that would have ended in tears.

"Do you remember eating ramyeon in the living room late at night after our busy schedules?" Jiyeon pursed her lips, pointing at the couch. "All of us on the floor while Sooyeon took up the entire sofa..."

"It's not my fault I'm tall," Sooyeon defended herself, suddenly feeling an arm wrap around her waist.

As she looked down, Youngji was holding onto her tightly, burying her head into her shoulder and bursting out crying.

"You were a second mother to me," Youngji cried out. "How am I going to let you go?"

Mirae gave Hyebin a sad smile and headed over, beginning to speak in a low voice. "You weren't my first love but you were the most memorable. Thank you for never giving up on me even after I confessed. I'll miss my first ever roomie."

Hyebin pulled Mirae into a comforting hug, feeling her tears dampen the back of her shirt just as Hyebin's were dampening hers. If they didn't get out soon, their tears were going to flood the room. 

There were just so many memories that bombarded their minds, trapping them in this place.

"Who wants to do the honours?" Jiyeon asked, pointing over at the door.

"I think we should leave the way we came..." Hyebin suggested, glancing over at Sooyeon. "With our leader."

The girls huddled together, reluctantly shuffling out the door into the corridor and staring in at Sooyeon, who stared inside the room one last time, taking a deep breath. Turning around, her finger lingered on the light switch not wanting to accept that once they switched off the light and closed the door, that was it. The end of this chapter of their lives.

"Goodbye," Sooyeon croaked out to the apartment, trying to keep a brave face for the rest of the girls as she flipped the switch. 

Dark ate up the entirety of the apartment, making it hard to make out anything. She couldn't lift her feet so she settled on shuffling out of the apartment, hearing the door click behind her and a short beep from the keypad, that signalled the door was locked completely.

"Beep!"

"This was Mode-L."