Everything Seventeen

Soonyoung (Hoshi)

I stood outside the Pledis Entertainment building, hesitating. I stared at the entrance. Should I go in? Should I say hi? I shook my head and turned away, continuing down the pavement. He was probably busy with practice. I should not be disturbing him. Also, it would hurt more to see him.

"Ya! Carat! Where are you going?" a voice rang out behind me.

I turned around to see my ex-classmate and long-term friend, Wonwoo smiling at me. He waved me over. I sighed and trudged towards him. I stopped in front of him, not bothering to smile. I stared at him until he started talking again.

He invited me to the practice room since I was there. That was the exact thing I tried to convince myself out of. I shook my head and made up a reason to not go.

"I need to feed my cat. It's probably starving and waiting for me," I smiled.

His face changed and he dropped his smile.

"But you don't have a cat," he eyed me suspiciously.

"N-no I mean my neighbour's cat. They're on a holiday overseas so I'm taking care of it for them," I covered up the hole in my lie with yet another lie.

He kept the suspicious look. Then it hit me. It was the beginning of the year. Who goes overseas? He knew too that my neighbour who owned a cat was a widow who worked in a restaurant.

"You just don't want to come up, do you? Did something happen or are you afraid you will disrupt our practice? You won't, you know. Or is it... Something else?" he asked me, looking at me intently.

He knew me too well. I could barely lie to him. I tried not to make eye contact but I could feel him staring a hole through me regardless of where I looked. I took up the courage to face him.

"Yeah, yeah. I don't want to disturb you hard working guys. Especially since your comeback is in a week," I rolled my eyes.

A small smile formed on Wonwoo's face. Instead of letting me off like before, he grabbed my wrist and dragged me into the building. We went down the stairs with him ignoring my pleas.

"We've been idols for years. I know we're a well-known group now but just a visit would not hurt. A visit from you would definitely relieve us. The boys will be overjoyed. Trust me," he mentioned.

I huffed and gave in. We got to the basement floor and he walked down the corridor towards the practice rooms. He reached a door that I had not been seeing often. I came to a halt and he stopped too. His grip on my wrist never ceased.

"Do I really have to? I am pretty sure this is not a good time. I should go. Like now," I persuaded him, getting ready to leave any minute.

He shook his head and he frowned.

"No. If you keep saying it's not a good time all the time, you'll never actually come and see us. It's been months since you've last visited us, Carat. It's just this once," he fought back.

He had an intense gaze in his eyes. It made me feel inferior. Nonetheless, I still felt unprepared to enter the room and see them again. I looked down and slowly shook my head. He held my chin up to look at him. A fire lit in his eyes and he grew furious.

"Look. I see no reason for you to not come and see the boys. We miss you. Soonyoung's energy levels have been low these days. He is looking like a depressed no-life kid in there because of you. If you still won't come in, then don't bother coming back," he scolded me.

He let go of me and entered the room swiftly, shutting the door.

"Hey, Wonwoo, why do you look so angry? Did something happen?" I heard the members in the room asking him.