Camp Heartbroken | TXT Novella

Chapter 28 - Taehyun

All Taehyun sees when he returns to the Camp Heartbroken house is a frantic Taylor. With widened eyes, he peers out the passenger's window toward the scene that mimics something out of a romantic drama. She rushes out with her two cats in carriers, heading into a tinted van with tears dripping down to the pavement. Huening Kai chases after her for a bit, but stops as if held back by an invisible force. Perhaps the force is Taylor's determination, which adds a heavy weight to the lungs of those watching.

TOMORROW X TOGETHER is left to stare at each other, standing in a lopsided circle in the living room. "I'm calling an emergency meeting," Soobin decides, slamming one fist against his palm. He points to the stairs. "Let's head up to my room and talk."

Taehyun beholds the mess they've made of Soobin's room. Just by sharing it for a few nights, the floor has turned into a medley of clothing—both clean and dirty—empty water bottles, and ripped pages from composition books. "We need to clean up after—" Then Taehyun stops himself. He realizes that the surroundings are quite appropriate for the situation they're going through. After all, without Taylor they might just turn into a catastrophic mess. "Never mind."

Yeonjun shakes his head, fluffing his hair to defy gravity. "We didn't even get to talk to her. Why is Taylor suddenly acting like this? She reminded me of myself, the day after I lost my memory."

Huening Kai, with grim features that don't match his usual youthfulness, tells the bare bones of what's happened. Taylor is now heartbroken. The one she thought she'd marry has left her. She feels as though she's unable to continue the camp, being that she's become so weak.

"I should've fought harder," Kai says, after a collective sigh. "I felt as though I had a chance to change her mind, but I couldn't really think straight in the moment."

"Let's not get caught up with the should'ves and could'ves," says Taehyun, flipping his hair back as if it'll help him think. He attempts to breath deeply despite the cramped space. His parents always praised his intelligence, his ability to think rationally. Their belief in him was what gave him the confidence to gain straight As in school and end up on almost every honorary award. He can hear his mother's voice now, as gentle as wind through a tree's lowest boughs. Taehyun, you have an amazing brain. I can tell that when you grow up, you'll be able to make decisions that will bring you joy and fulfillment.

"What are we gonna do?" Beomgyu says, turning frantic by the moment. "We don't have a counselor now. That means we don't have a leader to help us follow through with all our plans. Plus, Taylor is the reason why we were making so much progress. I mean, I miss her already. Who is going to give us advice when it feels like our hearts are exploding?"

Taehyun listens to his roommate, the person he's become the closest to over the past month. He understands the worry, as the same fears are repeating in his own brain. If he was in the same state as in the beginning of summer, he would collapse against the carpet and cover his head with two pillows. He wouldn't be able to problem-solve or believe in the possibility of a hopeless situation turning a little more manageable.

So he decides to step in the center of the group. Soobin gives him a little nod, as if encouraging the younger one to speak his mind.

"Guys," Taehyun starts. "We've come so far. We've carried Beomgyu down a mountain with his hurt shoulder, we've been through mazes and sand crabs and Kai's gruesome jellyfish sting. We've learned so much about each other. We've become true artists. Yes, maybe our healing wouldn't have been the same without Taylor. But at the same time, the five of us made the choice to attend Camp Heartbroken.

"That means we have the ability to make our own decisions—to see what's best for us and our dreams. So even if Taylor has left us for the moment... we can still become the TOMORROW X TOGETHER that we want to be."

Soobin blinks hard, drawing his lips to a thin line. "We're going to have to work twice as hard. We'll still have a bit of help, but we've lost one of our own. It's like carrying on as a team with one less member."

Taehyun summons every ounce of willpower and tries again to be the team's motivation. "But we're going to do it, right? We're in this together, just like our name says. Don't tell me we've spent four weeks building up our hopes for nothing. This is the time to use the strength Taylor's helped us build. This week, let's head right back to recording our lead single. We have one month until our debut, so let's make every hour of practice count."

There are no voices of dissent from his team. At the same time, no one affirms him. Soobin nods with a heavy head, but no one else gives any input.

But on Monday, Taehyun's smile widens upon seeing his four teammates enter the music room. It looks like they've all rolled out of bed—uncombed hair, sleepwear, and yawns—but their presence shows guts. It shows Taehyun that they still have a fighting chance.

A/N: What are your guesses of how the boys will do without Taylor? I'm excited that the story is already nearing 30 chapters!