Left Out Friend

11

It was a quiet Saturday afternoon, yet the atmosphere inside the dorm was anything but peaceful. With their upcoming comeback just two weeks away, every member was buried under a growing mountain of schedules, practices, and expectations. After their latest meeting, everyone let out a collective sigh before dispersing. Sunoo, however, had something on his mind.

Spotting Jungwon lounging on the couch with his eyes closed, Sunoo hesitated for a moment before approaching him.

"Jungwon," he called softly, nudging the leader’s arm.

Jungwon hummed in response, not bothering to open his eyes.

"Do you still remember?" Sunoo asked, his voice tinged with anticipation. "That night when you all went to Heeseung's cousin’s party? You promised that we’d go out together with everyone. I was really looking forward to it."

Jungwon finally opened his eyes, but instead of the warmth Sunoo hoped for, there was only indifference.

"And?" he responded flatly.

Sunoo forced a smile despite the uneasy feeling creeping into his chest. "Since the manager won’t be back with the new song demos until later, I thought maybe we could take this chance to go out and have fun together! Just for a little while."

Jungwon exhaled sharply, sitting up. His gaze locked onto Sunoo’s with something unreadable. "Why are you always so eager to go out? Isn't staying here with us enough for you?"

Sunoo blinked in confusion, but before he could say anything, Jungwon continued.

"Besides," he scoffed, running a hand through his hair, "you’ll just end up posting it online, dropping hints about who you’re with, and then the whole fandom will go crazy. ‘Oh my god, I ship them!’ ‘They look so good together!’ ‘New ship name when?’” He rolled his eyes. "It’s exhausting."

Sunoo stood frozen, a cold, sinking feeling spreading through his chest. He clenched his fists, his lips slightly parted, but no words came out. Jungwon didn't wait for a response—he simply walked away, leaving Sunoo alone with his thoughts.

The realization hit hard.

They don’t like me.

Swallowing down the lump in his throat, Sunoo spun on his heels and stormed out of the dorm. His vision blurred as he walked down the hall, his footsteps growing unsteady. He wasn’t even sure where he was headed—he just needed to get away before the tears fell.

By the time he reached the practice room hallway, his legs had grown weak. He tried to hold himself together, but his emotions crashed over him like a relentless wave. His breath hitched. His body trembled.

"Sunoo?"

The familiar voice made him lift his head.

Without thinking, without hesitation, he threw himself into the person’s arms, his face pressing against their chest.

Eunwoo.

The older idol instinctively wrapped his arms around Sunoo, gently stroking his back in slow, comforting motions. "Hey, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?"

Sunoo sobbed against him, his fingers gripping Eunwoo’s sweater as if it were the only thing keeping him together. Between shaky breaths, he poured everything out—his doubts, his pain, the way the other members treated him, the gnawing insecurity that had taken root in his heart.

Eunwoo listened in silence, his jaw tightening with each word. His grip on Sunoo's shoulders firmed. He was angry—not at Sunoo, but at the way he had been made to feel so small.

"They’re being jerks," Eunwoo muttered under his breath, barely able to contain his frustration.

Sunoo sniffled. "But it hurts, Eunwoo. It really, really hurts," he whispered, his voice breaking. "They don’t like me. I make them uncomfortable just by existing."

Eunwoo sighed deeply, his expression softening. He gently cupped Sunoo’s face, wiping away the tears with his thumbs. "Listen to me," he said firmly. "People will always talk. They’ll always have opinions. But none of that defines you. You worked hard for this—you earned your place here. Don’t let them make you feel otherwise."

Sunoo bit his lip, still trembling.

Eunwoo studied him for a moment before a small smirk tugged at his lips. "Alright," he said, leaning in slightly. "How about this—I’ll buy you a massive three-scoop mint choco ice cream… if you stop crying right now."

Despite himself, Sunoo let out a small, choked laugh. "Three scoops?"

"Three whole scoops," Eunwoo confirmed with a playful wink.

A few minutes later, Sunoo found himself walking back toward the dorm, a cup of mint choco ice cream in hand. The cold sweetness melted on his tongue, soothing him in a way that words couldn’t. Eunwoo’s words still echoed in his mind, but more than that, the fact that someone truly cared about him warmed his heart.

At least I have him, he thought, a small smile tugging at his lips.

As he reached the elevator, he was so lost in thought that he bumped straight into someone.

"Ah—I'm so sorry!" He quickly bowed his head in apology.

"Sunoo! It's okay!"

That voice—

He lifted his head and blinked in surprise.

"Wonyoung?"

The girl smiled, seemingly relieved to see him. "Perfect timing! I was actually looking for you," she said. "I wanted to get your number. I think they forgot to add you to our group chat."

Sunoo tilted his head in confusion. "Group chat?"

Wonyoung nodded. "Yeah, a bunch of us from the company have one. I was about to text the group, but since I also had to give this back to Sunghoon, I figured I’d just ask you in person." She held up a black cap. "He left this in the recording room."

Sunoo took it from her, nodding slowly. "Ah… I see."

"Here, let me add you to the chat," she said, pulling out her phone.

Seconds later, Sunoo's screen lit up with a new notification.

[CEO KIM'S ANNOYING KIDS]
Wonyoung added you to the group chat.

Sunoo stared at the screen, his hands tightening around his phone.

As he scrolled through the list of members, realization dawned on him.

They had a group chat.

Almost everyone from their company was in it.

Even Eunwoo’s members.

And yet—

They had never added him.

A lump formed in his throat as he stared at the screen. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, but he didn’t type anything.

How long had this group existed? How many inside jokes had they shared, how many conversations had happened without him?

It was such a small thing. A tiny notification.

But somehow, it hurt more than he could have imagined.

***

@eunwoo🥀 posted a photo – 1 min ago
"Ice cream is the best comfort 💚🍨"

4,654 likes | 334 comments

***

Sunoo blinked down at his phone, his heart twisting.

He wanted to believe Eunwoo’s words.

He really did.

But right now, as he sat in the dorm staring at a group chat he had never been a part of…

It was hard to believe he belonged anywhere at all.

To be continued...