OUR FAMILY | SVT [✓]

DK

I'll be with you to the finish line. Even if it's a long and tough road. Wherever that is, I'll walk with you until the end.
-

Four months had passsed since we had started practicing for Caratland. Everything was now perfectly schemed, our performances and other activities were prepared and soon enough, the day was going to arrive as well.

But most important of all, I can finally say that we were ready as well.

At least we won't break down on stage too soon. Some moments would shatter us, I just know but now we knew how to deal with it.

You know, the phase of acceptance? Yeah, we were going through it.

We had accepted our fates. We had now learnt how to cherish those two souls without their presence with us.

Yes, we still missed them.

Yes, if any one of us gets a chance, we were so ready to exchange our lives with them.

Yes, we still wanted them to be with us.

But, it is what it is.

The point of life, where you learn to live with whatever you have, where you learn to say goodbye, we were standing at that point.

The only thing that mattered was the fact that we were together in this.

"3...2.. 3 2 1 go!" Hoshi hyung's voice echoed. He was also doing fine, nowadays. He was over that guilt now. Finally!

All of us had finally regained our smiles. Yeah, they might not be that genuine but hey, we were trying. Everything that was coming our way, we were accepting it gladly.

Currently, we were together practicing our performances. Everything was in its final phase.

Earlier, we were scared to face the crowd but now we couldn't really wait to go on stage.

Personally, I couldn't wait either. I wanted to experience those wave of emotions we would feel after seeing our fans. I wanted to assure them that we were fine and they did not have to worry for us.

I wanted to tell them, we might look incomplete, physically but mentally we were always complete.

No one had left us. We just needed to feel their presence within our hearts.

Fate could take away their lives but never their souls away from us.

Did I forget to say this? We had together created a lot of albums, frames and special crafts with the wholesome memories of our two eldest hyungs.

They were too far away from us but we could still feel their eyes on us. We could still tell how they would have reacted to a particular situation. We could still understand what they would never want us to do.

We were coming back strong for them, for us and for the millions of fans who never lost trust on us.

I was really shocked to know that the fans were still waiting for us but I loved it. Now was the time to show everyone the magic of Team Seventeen.

I'm glad that we didn't give up. Or else, I would have regretted it so much.

We can at least fix what's in our hand, right?

Right.

"You all, stop lying around like you're homeless or something." Woozi hyung rebuked the few of us who were sticked to the floor.

"Yeah, let's resume practicing." Jun hyung added, "Enough rest was given."

I got up along with Joshua hyung, Seungkwan, Minghao and Vernon. We messed around with each other for a while after which we got into our formation for Don't Wanna Cry.

The song started as we focused on it and monitored ourselves through the mirror.

And then that part came where Coups hyung and Jeonghan hyung would cross paths amidst us.

All the other parts of them in every song were being covered by a specific person but we had left this part empty. No one was going to cover it, no one was going to walk in place of them.

Only the background music would play and we were hanging our heads low.

This road that doesn't feel unfamiliar, feels unfamiliar
Asking me once again if this is a road I know of

Could that person, be looking for me
I'm looking for you

We had decided this after a brief discussion. There was a huge meaning behind this decision.

We wanted to depict how we were physically incomplete. But during this part, even if no one was singing, we could feel the lyrics in our minds. Similarly, we could feel them in our hearts too.

A void, will always remain a void. But instead of calling it empty, we were set to call it a beautiful chapter of our life.

We wanted to show, every person holds a unique place in our lives. No one can replace anyone but we can search for happiness in what remains with us.

We were worn out, scarred, hurt and at the verge of giving up. Why? Because we weren't valuing what we had. We were too focused on what we had lost.

What would have happened to all these beautiful things if we wouldn't have mustered up the courage to remove the darkness from our eyes?

There was a time, when we would stumble down during the practise and think like we won't be able to perform this anymore.

But don't they say? A bright morning awaits after every dark night.

So we just ran. This time, not away from our fears but towards our goals.

It felt like we were in our trainee days. A question mark always prevailing above our heads.

Will we be able to make it, again?

We will, right?

After the song ended, everyone went silent. This wasn't a new thing, our hearts were always heavy.

I gulped the lump in my throat, "Y'all did well! The practise was so smooth."

I looked at the small forced smiles on their faces. I honestly wanted to cry but this was definitely not the time.

"Thank god, no one bumped into one another and began a war." I sighed jokingly.

"Yeah? Say that to yourself, no?" Mingyu retorted.

"Hey, I messed up only once." I whined.

"That was the only time it was messed up, hyung." Dino patted my shoulders.

"It hurts when you betray me like this." I acted sulky as Dino laughed.

Hearing Dino's soulful laughter, everyone broke into small smiles. Some were adoring each other while some were being grateful for this moment. Either way, no one was carrying the weight of dejection.

That's how we were fighting against all odds, everyday.

I was glad that we had that kind of understanding between us.

We didn't need to talk much to tell what we were feeling. Our eyes were enough to depict what we were actually going through.

And while crying on each other's shoulders, our denial had finally turned to acceptance.

We had promised on our rings, to never lose trust in this beautiful name, Seventeen.