Dancing King

Chapter 5

I'm on vacation right now. It's been fun.

...

Junmyeon's POV

...

Friday night. The nights usually reserved for spending quality time with Mom over dinner, maybe inviting Kyungsoo or Baekhyun over and binging old episodes of Star Trek. But this Friday night I felt restless and wound, itching for something I couldn't have.

Without telling Mom I threw a coat on over my sweater, pulling a hat low over my ears. I watched my breath puff in front of me for a few moments before I began the familiar walk, my feet guiding me of their own accord. I passed decaying buildings and advert signs long abandoned, their products outdated or missing altogether. Occasionally a car would pass by, its headlights illuminating the forgotten world around me. I approached the entrance to the tunnel, running my fingers over the bricks and metal that made the doorway, passing over graffiti and handwritten messages.

I descended the staircase, continuing my adventure. As my head disappeared below ground level, I was hit with a wave of emotions. This year would be my last year to do this. To frequent the tunnel in Saturday nights and see the dancers I'd grown so fond of. My last year of true freedom before I was sent out into the world to make something of myself. Unburdened and unbothered by adult problems until they inevitably became my reality. I was going to miss this place, and the memories it held.

I would miss Jimin, with his quirky personality and his knack for making everyone around him smile and feel so good about themselves. I would miss Luhan and his excitement and enthusiasm. I would miss Kai and the mystery and cold aura that surrounded him. I would miss J-hope and his way of running our private little show, and the care and concern he showed for not only the dancers under his watch, but his loyal fanbase as well. And I would miss Lay, with his calm voice and persona and powerful yet graceful moves. I would miss it all when we moved on.

Sighing, I wandered around the dark tunnel, guided by a little circle of light from my phone and sheer memory. The dance floor, recognizable only by the wood that marked the border, felt cold and empty without everyone here. This place always felt lively and energetic when I came down. Was this how it felt before the crew came, breathing life and light into it?

"Hey." I jumped as a voice spoke, whirling around. I had nothing but my bare hands to defend myself with. Don't fail me now, five years of kiddie martial arts lessons. But my jaw dropped when my eyes adjusted and I finally made out who it was. Black beanie and white mask in place, dressed in blue jeans and a thick padded jacket. "Hey Junmyeon," Lay greeted. "What are you doing here?" He sidled closer, and goosebumps broke out on the skin on my arms, a little shiver travelling down my spine.

"I couldn't concentrate," I admitted. "Semester finals start next week, but for the life of me I can not seem to focus on my studies. Everything just seems..." I grasped for the word. Lay stuffed his hands in the pockets of his coat.

"It's going quick, isn't it?" he asked me, gazing at a point off to our left. "In May we all graduate. Some of us will stay here in Seoul. And others..." He trailed off, side eyeing me. "Some of us will leave. This will be our last year together, as a group." A lump unexpectedly formed in my throat, closing it off to any attempts at proper speech. I wasn't sure if I was fully ready to leave this all behind. Not yet. But it was happening. Maybe if I didn't stray far, I could come back once and awhile, coming back to watch Taeyong and Ten and Jisung and Yugyeom.

"What brings you here?" I asked once my voice finally decided to work again. Lay turned to me, an unreadable expression on his face (or what I could see of it). He glanced around, a quiet sigh leaving him after a few moments of silence.