☂️43☂️
The next day, everyone was at the interview location. There was a tense atmosphere in the group, but they urgently needed to put it aside. That would be far too conspicuous.
As soon as the eight of them sat down, the recording began. They introduced themselves and answered the first questions. About the last album, whether a tour is coming up, what they currently like to do in their free time. The usual stuff.
Everyone seemed much more relaxed than at the beginning. While San was still nervously playing with his holes in his pants. Wooyoung, who was sitting furthest away from San, tried to keep his eyes on him and stared at his shoes.
"San?" the interviewer asked and San looked up, startled. "Yes?"
"Is it true that you and Wooyoung are in a relationship? The pictures, are they real?"
San stared at his counterpart and wanted to cry. Everything he would say now would be wrong. His words would be taken and twisted. They would be interpreted.
"Excuse me, but I hardly think that question was appropriate," Hongjoong intervened, while the interviewer looked at him in annoyance and asked another question.
San just wanted to get away. But he couldn't run away from this situation forever. It would show on his face. Seonghwa stroked San's thigh and smiled slightly at him. Somewhat reassured, San heaved a sigh of relief and just waited for the interview to be over.
After everyone said goodbye, San ran straight to the car and got in. Wooyoung followed him with distance and also got in followed by Yunho and Mingi.
"Sannie! Don't cry. No one will say anything," Wooyoung pulled him into his arms. "From my reaction alone, you can see what my response would have been."
Yunho and Mingi gently stroked San's shoulder and cheered him up a little.
"It's all my fault. You all have to suffer because of me," San sobbed.
"Don't say that. You couldn't help your ex. How do you know she's become so psychopathic? It's all her fault. The recordings all came from her," said Yunho, to which Mingi nodded.
"If you want to blame someone, blame Haerin," Mingi added.
"You heard him, Sannie. No one blames you. We all love you. We're your family." Wooyoung kissed San's temple and stroked the back of San's hand.
"Th-thank you really."
✄┈┈┈┈
After a week, all the boys received letters. Wooyoung opened his curiously and dropped it. Ran to Hongjoong and knocked on the door. "Hongjoong-ah, open up!"
"What do you want?" he replied, annoyed.
"You have to see this! Do you know about this?"
Annoyed, Hongjoong pulled open the door and Wooyoung saw Seonghwa in Hongjoong's bed, holding the blanket to his body and waving gently. Wooyoung smirked a little. "Did I interrupt something?"
"No. Now show me what's so urgent."
Wooyoung ran back and picked up his and Hongjoong's letter. The older man read it through, looking more shocked with every line.
"I-I'll call the manager. Wait a minute." Hongjoong disappeared with his cell phone to his ear. Shortly afterwards, the doorbell rang and the others came into the dorm, agitated. "Did you get the letter too?" San asked quietly.
Wooyoung nodded. "Hongjoong is talking to our manager right now."
"I'm so sorry," Wooyoung mumbled. "If only we had been more careful."
"It's okay, Wooyoung," Jongho patted his shoulder. "That's part of it."
"Yeah, but we got you all involved. What if they let the contract expire? We can't renew it?" Yeosang pulled Wooyoung into a hug and stroked him. "That won't happen. They need us."
"He's right," Yunho said now. "We'll make them the most money. Just having xikers won't be enough in the long run."
Hongjoong came back and everyone looked at him expectantly.
"The manager didn't expect the letters for our enlistment to arrive so quickly. He wanted to inform us today that the entertainment team has decided that we should take a hiatus to let the matter grow. But we'll be called up a few months later, in groups of four," Hongjoong explained and everyone nodded silently.
"And what about our contract?" San asked quietly. "We'll get a new one. After the military, we'll pick up where we left off. The first call-ups start next month. We're supposed to go and sign it today. They saw it as the last and only solution. They hope that nobody will pay attention to these recordings after that."
Hongjoong looked around the room. He started with a dejected expression on his face. Wooyoung and Sans were the most dejected. He couldn't blame them.
"Don't look like that. I know it didn't go so well, but we haven't lost anything. We just have to join the military."
"What about the fans?" asked Seonghwa. "Surely this will be a bit sudden. And also raise questions..."
"We'll make the best of our remaining time for Atiny. They will survive. I think, I hope," Hongjoong now said and became quieter and quieter.
Everyone nodded silently. "It's not the end of the world. We'll always be a team, a family. No one can break us up!" Hongjoong smiled encouragingly at his members.
"8 Makes 1 Team?" Yeosang breathed, smiling uncertainly. Hongjoong nodded proudly, so they all joined together.
"8 Makes 1 Team!"
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈
The penultimate chapter 🤓
Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top