With you

Chapter 28: Kinda forced

Xiumin pov

"Why are we here again?" Everyone is faced towards Kris. His smile is too bright. Very suspicious.

"Hi guys! So as you know we will be returning to Korea in T-minus 4 days. I thought we could all get to know each other a bit better before we leave." Chen laughs and abruptly stops as he realizes that Kris is serious.

"This is weird, why didn't we do it before, like say the first day when we all made awkward eye contact and never talked to each other again except for choreo and photo shoots." Well damn that was rather straight to the point. cant say I didn't appreciate it though.

"True I may have not have been the best at all that leadership stuff but what matters now is that we all bond and become super close and have like emotional connections and stuff." Please tell me he tried sounding cringy?!? I do feel extreme second hand embarrassment as everyone gets up to leave. Before I can stop myself I clear my throat.

"You guys I think that Kris is right. If we are going to be a group we need to have some level of friendship." Surprisingly, they all sit down to listen. I flush at this act of respect. As the oldest some level had been given already, but it was after we came here that things really took a turn for the better. I thought to myself, enough is enough. It tired me, all of the stares and the teasing. I broke down the night I was told that as a visual I didn't look good because of my weight. This business was harsh, I had already known that. Who cared if you could sing and dance if you weren't good looking right? That was the day I told myself that I would never bear that humiliation again. I cut out the foods I liked so much and started working out everyday. The change was slow, but their was change. Slowly the fat I had turned into muscle, I wasn't as tired during workouts, and I felt better about myself. The path was hard but it also taught me discipline. Goodbye dumplings. I think that the rest of the members saw this struggle and really started respecting me then. Luhan especially ever caring and ever understanding made a good friend in my time of need. Not to mention my adorable dongseng Lay. They are the too I was closest too in the group. Chen's conversation mostly included teasing but I suspect it was him coping. Another thing that had been hard for me was learning Chinese. How even?! Chinese to Chen came naturally though and for that I really admired him. And then Kris and Tao stuck to each other or stayed alone. That was pretty much our whole stay in China.

5 minutes later...

"Well that was fun but im going to leave now." Chen got up, cutting off the painfully awkward silence that we all had to suffer through.

"Wait!" Kris looked desperate now and was losing his cool city guy sheen. Taking in a breath as if he was going to say something painful, Kris exclaims.

" Lets get food, its all on me!" The shift was almost comical. Everyone got up straight away and starting hooting and chanting for Kris. Kris looked as if he had been condemned.I guess you really cant force these things right? All I know is that there is a difference, and thats sometimes all we can hope for. Baby steps right? So its okay if we arent friends today or tomorrow or ever. From what I can see, all of us are pretty decent people and whatever comes, so be it.