Saying goodbye

Leaving NCT

He received the news a couple days earlier but the moment kept replaying in his head. It was all he could think about. NCT had been his dream. He worked so hard for years he poured his heart and soul into being a member of NCT just for it to end like this. It wasn't fair to him or to Sungchan. Despite this he was trying to be positive, maybe the new group will work out.

The day he found was supposed to be a happy day All 22 of the members were going to have a meeting about NCT 2023 and their whole group concert as well as what was happening with NC Tokyo now that Shohei had to leave

That morning he and Sungchan sat at the breakfast table excitedly talking about the meeting later. "Hey Taro hyung, what do you think will happen in the meeting?" Sungchan had asked "I hope they are going Officially announce Our Unit with Eunseok and Seunghan. "

"Me too. It 's disappointing that Shohei hyung won't be with us. I really liked him. Plus it was nice to have another Japanese member other than Yuta hyung. Now I can't gossip in Japanese." Shotaro lamented.

"You can gossip with me!"

"You are what we gossip about"

"Hey! "

"Don't worry it was only good things babe"

"Anyway Taeyong hyung said he heard a rumor that the new boy group is being scrapped or at least changed a lot"

"Really?!"

"Yeah apparently some of the trainees who were supposed to debut got pulled for some survival show"

"Huh? They will probably tell us today."

The sound of someone knocking on their door halted the conversation. Sungchan opened the door to see their manager waiting. Smiling brightly, Shotaro put on his shoes and followed their manager down to the car waiting for the two of them.

The whole ride their normally chatty manager said nothing in fact he would not even look at either of them. This look of guilt was etched on his face and the whole can ride over to SM. As their car pulled up to SM their manager turned to Sungchan and Shotaro and said "No matter what happens it will be okay. Both of you are so talented and don't deserve what is happening."

That was the first clear sign that something was wrong. Confused Sungchan and Shotaro exited the car and headed to the entrance.

As they entered the conference room Yangyang ran up to them pulling Shotaro in to hug "I missed you so much!" Yangyang declared squeezing Shotaro.

Shotaro laughed "You saw me last week"

"And that was too long ago, I need my daily dose of Shotaro to function"

Groaning Shotaro pulled away to walk to his seat between Taeyong and Sungchan.

"Attention everyone, let's get this meeting started!" Someone from Management shouted from the front of the room. "For the meeting we are starting with NCT 2023 then NCT 127, NCT Dream and Way V before an announcement about the final sub unit."

Hearing that Shotaro was filled with excitement this was it. SM was finally announcing a permanent unit for him and Sungchan after 2.5 years

After breezing through the plans for NCT 2023 which were packed for

the end of the year with a whole group album and concert. Margaret moved on to talk about NCT 127 and Shotaro felt himself zoning out on occasionally understanding words like comeback and international "And now NCT Tokyo" Shotaro immediately snapped

back to attention. This is it! This is what Surgchan and he had been working so hard these last few years.

"As I am sure you all know Sungchan and Shotaro are meant to be in NCT Tokyo. Due to some unforeseen circumstances we have decided to change Directions. NCT Toyo will instead head survival show and neither Shotaro or Sungchan or the rookies will

be in it. Instead the four will be our new boy group"

Shotaro felt like a bucket of ice was poured on him. What did this mean? He has been told that he would be NCT Tokyo. He has spent years of his life working toward this and now it is gone just like that. He was pulled from his thoughts by Taeyong's voice asking, "What do you mean by new boy group I thought that NCT Tokyo was the last of NCT units"

"As of today Shotaro and Sungchan will no longer be a part of NCT."

Just like that, Shotaro felt his world crumble with just that sentence; everything that he and Sungchan had worked for and on was gone. He could feel tours prickling in his eyes but he could not cry not here not now not when he could see Sungchan crying next to him desperately trying to wipe tears away. His ears were buzzing and his head felt fuzzy like it had been filled with cotton. "What does this mean for us?" He heard Sungchan's voice cutting through buzzing and other members who had been shouting and protesting fell silent before turning to management .

"The two of you as well as Seunghan and Eunseok will be getting a new different group that is to be promoted in Korea. We have already written new contacts for both of you and will be fast tracking the debut so hopefully it will be this summer. We as well as SM lawyers will reach out to both of you after the meeting with the specifics. That is all. Meeting adjourned."

As soon as that was announced chaos erupted in the group. Shotaro just sat in stunned

silence. He felt a pair of arms around him pulling him close. "It's Okay Taro. It will be Okay," Taeyong whispered. He felt another person pulling him into a different set of arms " I'm so sorry. This isn't fair. I don't want other Japanese members. I want you" Yuta whispered to him in Japanese " You were supposed to be in NCT and then they do something like this after all your hard work "

That was what broke the dam and Shotaro started sobbing in Yuta's arms. What happened next was a blur in Shotaro's mind; he remembers crying and being told over and over again that it would be okay and that the members loved him and that they still cared for them.

Two days later Shotaro is sitting on his bed thinking back to that moment while looking around his packed up room in a daze. The sound of knocking gets his attention. Sungchan is standing in his open doorway with a backpack slung over shoulder. "Are you ready for our new beginning hyung?"

"I hope so" Shotaro replied, standing up and grabbing his bag to follow Sungchan out and to their new dorm pausing to look sadly at the now empty room.