La La Lost You | Yoon Jeonghan

Chapter 3

Fun by Coldplay

https://open.spotify.com/track/7fJFDK6XjYsXcMKNHESbot?si=NAoE6S0iTomqgCncp4px3g

True to his words, even if he and the other members had a hard time detaching him from his boyfriend, Jihoon was able to wrap that day up before the clock hit midnight. Their seventh full album had thirteen songs, to which the three hyungs were able to hear the incomplete recordings from the members when they'd visit them in the military.

Songwriting was handled well months ago, Jihoon made sure the three remained involved even through small talks, revolving on their decade anniversary theme as they talked about everything in their journey for the past ten years: hardships and challenges from attention and criticisms, sacrifices and countless leaps in the dark, gratitude and love towards their fans, a side of love poems and passages they didn't let the world know, yet.

All of the songs had the voices of everyone except for the three. They've known the tune and rhythm for a couple of months now, so the recording could've been a walk in the park. But they were singing their hearts out; every line of lyrics spoke volumes of their journey together as a team for more than ten years, with each resonating through their hearts, so it was inevitable for them to feel a little emotional along the way. That made the three older pillars—mostly Seungcheol, the baby that he is—very sappy. A few tears were shed secretly and wiped away quickly soon after, and the four corners of that recording studio knew all the reasons for each.

The following days were tough. The three of them had to cram learning all the choreographies for all the stages, not to mention keeping up with the pace and stamina of the nine younger members. Major preparations and shooting schedules for music shows and programs for the comeback show kickstarted, the week passed by in a haste when in reality, each day spent in the practice room dragged on for Jeonghan. Must be my age, he thought.

Though he'd admit this kind of tired will always be something he won't grow tired of. The military trainings and activities dried him out to his core, which was understandable because it's something he's not passionate about. Like what he and the rest of the members had been saying for the past decade, what they do as a group had been the most meaningful thing in their youth, and they meant every single word and string. Every drop of sweat and count of ragged breath were not in vain for they were dedicated to the fans and their passion for what they do, so it was all worth it.

Work in the military was no joke, twenty months of it was definitely not a piece of cake. It required too much from Jeonghan from physical labor to his mental stance. So he'd also admit that feeling half as tired from dance practices numbed him as well, in a way that helped him endure the loneliness he would constantly feel. These addicting physical exertions were his way of escaping his mind that itched to wander around—to wander back to places too painful to visit.

The numbness consumed him the moment they finished with the last choreography pose. Members thanked and bowed on Hyelim and other mentors, and grabbed their water bottles and towels. Soonyoung and Chan cleaned a bit before joining those who decided to head home right away. It was past 3 AM and everyone just wanted to take a hot shower and sleep. Jeonghan laid on his back and stared at the creamy white ceiling of the practice room. No thoughts flowed in his head as he evened out his breath, beads of sweat covered his face and seeped through his hair. He didn't realize how long he was in that position until Seungkwan snapped his fingers over the older friend's face.

"Earth to Jeonghan?" Seungkwan looked down to his hyung and gave him a faint smile, "I'm checking up on your supplements."

Jeonghan blinked and snapped back to reality, meeting Seungkwan's eyes and accepting his hand to help hoist himself up, "Right."