Leader | Seongjoong ✔️

19

Attention

I was biding my time in the recording room. It feels like it's been ages since I was gifted this room, and to be honest, I didn't feel like using it anymore. I remember how happy I was then, my excitement and joy when looking around, thanking him hundreds of times. It feels so long ago. I really wanted to just go back to that time.

The times where my only problem was Seonghwa...

"Sorry I'm late," he said as he walked in, brushing a hand through his black locks. I glanced at the digital clock to see that it was six minutes past eight.

"Don't worry about it," I said, gesturing for him to sit.

"So..." he started, looking at me. "Do you know what you want to get out of this?"

"Not really... in fact, Mr. Hwang put me up to this," I said sheepishly, scratching my nape. "I guess I'll just make use of the opportunity."

"Oh well," he chuckled. "How much do you know?"

We spent about half an hour of him listening to what I could do. Anything I did wrong, he corrected me. He was generally a really nice guy... better than I expected anyways. He seemed so impressed at the little things and smiled a lot - lifting my mood tons.

'I could actually get used to this' I thought. It felt like an escape from my problematic reality. One where I could do something I enjoyed without any distractions.

"Well that's it for today," he said, looking at his watch. "It's getting kind of late... I suspect your members will be waiting for you."

I looked down at my lap when it dawned on me that I'd have to go home to an empty room. No one to welcome me, or ask me about my day. No one there to cook for me... or annoy me.

"Not really," I smiled sadly, looking at him. "I live on my own now."

"Oh? I thought that the company supplied groups with apartments for them to bond and get used to each other..."

"They do- I mean they did, but I'm not part of a group at the moment."

"He let you leave?" Eden asked, spinning around to look at me. "Just like that?"

I nodded, even though I knew that it was a lie. I'm definitely paying the price for being stupid and petty, but he didn't need to know that.

"Uh... okay," he said, scratching the back of his head. "I'll see you around." He collected his things and left the room. I left shortly after him, navigating my way through the almost empty company, back to my empty home.

The next two weeks moved in exactly the same way; the usual practice and usual lessons, meeting up with Eden twice a week and the occasional visit from Mr. Hwang.

Yet... there was still no sign of the boys. I haven't even seen them around in the hallways. God knows what happened to them. In fact, it worried me a little. I just wanted a way to know that they're fine. Even if it was through one of Wooyoung's unhelpful comments, or Yunho and Mingi's bickering... or one of Seonghwa's snide remarks.

Even if they just came to say that they prefer to not help me. That they don't want to be involved in this situation. That they don't want to support me.
I think I'd actually be okay with it if they just told me directly. Instead, their disappearance and silence killed me more.