❄ Cold Relations ❄ [SEVENTEEN] ✓

Chapter 36: A Light Show at Night (i.e. Mingyu's & Dino's Trip Thru Nostalgia)

Everyone sat in a circle on the wood floor. It was the first time they'd gathered in this fashion for weeks.

S.Coups spoke first. "We should have come here a long time ago. The practice room is the one place that connects all of us. A result of entrapment in frozen time was a steady loss of memory for all of us. It came and went—some days we remembered some things, other days nothing at all. But now that we're here, seeing this place with our own eyes, I find myself reminded of the times that our knees bled out from practicing. Our voices raw from belting out our sunbaes' songs. Most nights, we didn't reach the dorm until 3am. But one thing that was certain was we moved as a team. No one went home until everyone was finished practicing. If someone was having difficulty with a certain line or move, we buried our exhaustion, put on a smile, and stayed back to assist them. What I'd like to know is... just what happened to that comradery? In just one day, we gave up on everything we'd ever promised each other, everything we'd ever believed in. When, back in the pre-debut days, if there was a crisis, we wouldn't even think about splitting up—we'd face it head-on as SEVENTEEN—not thirteen individuals but thirteen moving as one.

"Looking back on normal circumstances—which don't seem half as tiresome as what we're facing now, I might add—we were still breaking apart. It took this harsh a reality to teach us the true meaning of friendship and what it is to work together as a team, where tolerance is the most important word." S.Coups had a hard time stopping himself from tearing up. "It feels like just yesterday that I had the honor of debuting with all of you. And I don't want to lose everything we've worked so hard to achieve just because of some silly arguments and foolish mistakes. I love you guys too much to watch this go on. We must all agree to put our differences behind us and move on before anyone leaves this room."

The other ten boys bowed their heads. Jeonghan served as the medium through which flowed the voices in all their hearts. "If we've learned anything at all... we promise not to make the same mistakes in the future. And as for all the pain we've caused each other... we couldn't be sorrier."

Heartfelt apologizes surged through the room until everyone had a chance to lift the burden from his chest. And then, there was Wonwoo; the glare from the window hid his features in shadow; yet, his voice provided context with its monotone, low and deep, laced with grief. "I'm sorry I wasn't a better friend to Mingyu. I regret not being able to lead him down the right path. I should have tried harder. And I'm even more sorry that he can't be with us right now."

"Where's my guitar?" Woozi said arbitrarily.

"Really, Woozi?" Hoshi was fed up with his friend's insensitivity to others' feelings. "Is this really the appropriate time for that?"

Sometimes Woozi just liked to pick fights. "And what, listen to another sob story? I've heard enough of those today to last me a lifetime. Anyone seen my guitar?"

Joshua stiffened. "Are you going to hit someone?"

"What? No—"

"Come on, Woozi, was my apology that weak?" Seokmin whined. "Isn't resorting to violence a little extreme in this case?"

"Would you let me finish? Wait a second... I think I lost it." Woozi hummed the remnants of a tune—one they'd never heard before—and extended the melody a few notes. "Ah, that's it. I can hear it all coming together. Quick, Joshua, the guitar!" Jisoo jumped up and took off for Woozi's studio. Still humming, Jihoon motioned for Joshua to hurry before the tune escaped him.

Woozi and Joshua sat facing each other in two chairs, since it was far more difficult to play guitar while sitting on the floor. Jihoon bounced ideas off Jisoo, and the two worked diligently in composing the new song. Woozi handled the lyrics, and Joshua worked on the arrangement—all in all, they made a pretty good match.