In the End
Chapter 1
Seoul, SBS building
The bright lights flow down from their fixtures overhanging the stage, beckoning to those who wished to stand on the pinnacle of performance hopes and dreams. Dark eyes scan the empty stage, taking in every corner and crevice of the structure. It was only a few years ago that he had lost his chance to make this stage his own, and now, it finally was. It still felt surreal to him, despite the throngs of fans that had screamed as he and his fellow members had made their way inside.
“Hyung, it’s time to get our makeup and outfits done.” Hyungwon’s voice drew his attention, and Shownu straightened up from where he had been leaning against the wall.
“I’m coming.” His gaze darted around to take in the SBS building as he walked, his eyes falling on a particular poster hanging from the ceiling. Eight girls posed in barista uniforms, bright smiles filling their faces as they leaned against one another and the table behind them. Their name spiraled elegantly over their heads in golden font: 8forfate. JYP’s newest girl group, touted to be the next national girl group after Twice. A small smile turned up the corner of Shownu’s mouth as his gaze landed on one of the girls on the poster before he let the smile slip with a soft sigh.
Jiwon...
It had been three years since he had seen her, on his last day of practice at JYP when she had bid him goodbye. Her radiant smile was still engraved in his mind, fresh as if he had just seen it the day before.
“See you tomorrow!” She had said. And while Shownu had returned the phrase, he knew by then that it wouldn’t be happening. The day after that, he left JYP after being cut from the debuting trainee team without her knowledge, and never saw her again.
I hope you’re doing well, Jiwon-ah.
Seoul, SBS building parking lot
“Argh!!” A female voice yelled in frustration as she raked slender fingers through her light brown hair, her eyes searching in a panic for the exit that was supposed to be just around the corner. Yet, the minute she had turned said corner, there was no exit in sight.
“I’m going to be late for rehearsal!” She wailed, cursing her inborn lack in a sense of direction. Turn right and then left that way, her manager had said, and the door to enter the building will be in front of you. She had assured him that she could find it on her own before he had driven off to find a parking space.
“Who am I kidding?” The girl groaned. Jinyoung was definitely right; she needed a personal GPS no matter how little a distance she was traveling!
“Is it this way? That way? I’ll never find my way like this!” The girl whined to herself. As she took a step forward in what was hopefully the right direction, a hand suddenly came to rest on her shoulder, and a male voice spoke.
“Are you lost?” He asked. She blinked, collected herself for a moment, then turned around with a well practiced smile.
“Yes, can you tell me-?” Her voice cut off as she took in the man standing in front of her. His eyes widened with recognition, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. At last, she managed to find her voice.
“Hyun Woo oppa?” Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke his name, “Or should I call you...Shownu sunbae?”
Shownu, SBS building parking lot
This was not what he had been expecting when he had offered to get something from the van that he needed. The girl had been clearly lost, frozen in place as she ran panicked fingers through her hair. Clearly, she was a rookie that didn’t know where she was going. And as a sunbae, it was Shownu’s job to help her. But of all the people…
Her dark brown eyes widened as she recognized him, and he felt his heart jump in his chest as she finally spoke.
“Hyun Woo oppa?” She finally said, “Or should I call you...Shownu sunbae?” Shownu swallowed hard and pressed his lips into the tiniest of smiles.
“Whatever you like. It’s been a while, Jiwon-ah.” He managed to return the greeting.
Good, don’t act like you’re shaken.
They stood awkwardly there for a moment before he continued.
“Congratulations on your debut.” Shownu ventured, “I saw the MV, it looks good.” A little sparkle entered Jiwon’s eyes as she nodded excitedly.
“Filming it was so much fun! And I really like the song!” She paused as she blushed slightly, “Sorry. It’s just all so new and exciting.” Shownu’s gaze softened as he patted her on the head.
“I understand.” He replied. After all, that had been his position not long ago. Jiwon dipped her head at his touch, and Shownu tilted his head as he felt her body tremble.
“Jiwon?” He ventured hesitantly. For a moment, she didn’t speak, and after another heartbeat, she took a step forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, her head resting on his chest. Shownu felt his body tense, his heart leaping in surprise.
“Jiwon? What’s wrong?” He asked. Jiwon shook her head and tightened her grasp, a soft sniffle escaping her.
“I missed you so much.” She whispered, “I missed you so much Hyun Woo. You didn’t contact me once since you left JYP. I thought we were friends!” Shownu chuckled softly despite her tears that he knew were coming.
“Sorry, I couldn’t bare to face you after I got cut. I thought I was on top of the world then.” He gently patted her head. Jiwon raised her head and sure enough, Shownu saw her eyes glassy with tears as she pouted.
“You’re so mean! I cried with Jinyoung oppa when I realized you had left without saying goodbye!” She whined, giving him a light smack on the chest. Shownu smiled apologetically and gave her a gentle shove.
“I really am sorry, Jiwon. Forgive me?” He asked hopefully. Jiwon thought for a moment and then nodded grudgingly. But when she looked up at him, her tears were drying and a smile was back on her face.
“Alright, I’ll forgive you. Just promise to keep in touch now that we’ve both debuted. I don’t have a phone, but I have an email. I need to know about everything that you did since you left JYP.” She said as she held up a pinky finger. Shownu chuckled as he slipped his pinky around hers like they had done in their trainee days when they had promised to work hard together towards their dreams.
“I promise.” He agreed.
“There you are!” A new female voice interrupted them, and Shownu looked behind Jiwon to see a young woman hurrying over to them. Jiwon smiled in delight.
“Hwayoung unnie! You found me!” She cheered. The girl, Hwayoung, shook her head as she took Jiwon by the wrist.
“Honestly, your sense of direction is the worst. Who gets lost in a parking lot of all places?” She chided. She bowed quickly to Shownu and began pulling Jiwon in the way she had come.
“Now come on, or else we’ll be late for rehearsal!” Jiwon paused briefly as her fellow member pulled her away. A little smile turned up the corner of her lips, her eyes sparkling the way they did whenever she was delighted with something.
“Oppa?” She called. Shownu smiled gently at the endearment.
“Yeah?” He called back. Jiwon grinned and lifted her hand in a wave.
“It was nice seeing you again!” She called before getting pulled around the corner and disappearing from his sight. Shownu chuckled, suddenly feeling content.
“It was good to see you too, Jiwon-ah.”
The bright lights flow down from their fixtures overhanging the stage, beckoning to those who wished to stand on the pinnacle of performance hopes and dreams. Dark eyes scan the empty stage, taking in every corner and crevice of the structure. It was only a few years ago that he had lost his chance to make this stage his own, and now, it finally was. It still felt surreal to him, despite the throngs of fans that had screamed as he and his fellow members had made their way inside.
“Hyung, it’s time to get our makeup and outfits done.” Hyungwon’s voice drew his attention, and Shownu straightened up from where he had been leaning against the wall.
“I’m coming.” His gaze darted around to take in the SBS building as he walked, his eyes falling on a particular poster hanging from the ceiling. Eight girls posed in barista uniforms, bright smiles filling their faces as they leaned against one another and the table behind them. Their name spiraled elegantly over their heads in golden font: 8forfate. JYP’s newest girl group, touted to be the next national girl group after Twice. A small smile turned up the corner of Shownu’s mouth as his gaze landed on one of the girls on the poster before he let the smile slip with a soft sigh.
Jiwon...
It had been three years since he had seen her, on his last day of practice at JYP when she had bid him goodbye. Her radiant smile was still engraved in his mind, fresh as if he had just seen it the day before.
“See you tomorrow!” She had said. And while Shownu had returned the phrase, he knew by then that it wouldn’t be happening. The day after that, he left JYP after being cut from the debuting trainee team without her knowledge, and never saw her again.
I hope you’re doing well, Jiwon-ah.
Seoul, SBS building parking lot
“Argh!!” A female voice yelled in frustration as she raked slender fingers through her light brown hair, her eyes searching in a panic for the exit that was supposed to be just around the corner. Yet, the minute she had turned said corner, there was no exit in sight.
“I’m going to be late for rehearsal!” She wailed, cursing her inborn lack in a sense of direction. Turn right and then left that way, her manager had said, and the door to enter the building will be in front of you. She had assured him that she could find it on her own before he had driven off to find a parking space.
“Who am I kidding?” The girl groaned. Jinyoung was definitely right; she needed a personal GPS no matter how little a distance she was traveling!
“Is it this way? That way? I’ll never find my way like this!” The girl whined to herself. As she took a step forward in what was hopefully the right direction, a hand suddenly came to rest on her shoulder, and a male voice spoke.
“Are you lost?” He asked. She blinked, collected herself for a moment, then turned around with a well practiced smile.
“Yes, can you tell me-?” Her voice cut off as she took in the man standing in front of her. His eyes widened with recognition, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. At last, she managed to find her voice.
“Hyun Woo oppa?” Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke his name, “Or should I call you...Shownu sunbae?”
Shownu, SBS building parking lot
This was not what he had been expecting when he had offered to get something from the van that he needed. The girl had been clearly lost, frozen in place as she ran panicked fingers through her hair. Clearly, she was a rookie that didn’t know where she was going. And as a sunbae, it was Shownu’s job to help her. But of all the people…
Her dark brown eyes widened as she recognized him, and he felt his heart jump in his chest as she finally spoke.
“Hyun Woo oppa?” She finally said, “Or should I call you...Shownu sunbae?” Shownu swallowed hard and pressed his lips into the tiniest of smiles.
“Whatever you like. It’s been a while, Jiwon-ah.” He managed to return the greeting.
Good, don’t act like you’re shaken.
They stood awkwardly there for a moment before he continued.
“Congratulations on your debut.” Shownu ventured, “I saw the MV, it looks good.” A little sparkle entered Jiwon’s eyes as she nodded excitedly.
“Filming it was so much fun! And I really like the song!” She paused as she blushed slightly, “Sorry. It’s just all so new and exciting.” Shownu’s gaze softened as he patted her on the head.
“I understand.” He replied. After all, that had been his position not long ago. Jiwon dipped her head at his touch, and Shownu tilted his head as he felt her body tremble.
“Jiwon?” He ventured hesitantly. For a moment, she didn’t speak, and after another heartbeat, she took a step forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, her head resting on his chest. Shownu felt his body tense, his heart leaping in surprise.
“Jiwon? What’s wrong?” He asked. Jiwon shook her head and tightened her grasp, a soft sniffle escaping her.
“I missed you so much.” She whispered, “I missed you so much Hyun Woo. You didn’t contact me once since you left JYP. I thought we were friends!” Shownu chuckled softly despite her tears that he knew were coming.
“Sorry, I couldn’t bare to face you after I got cut. I thought I was on top of the world then.” He gently patted her head. Jiwon raised her head and sure enough, Shownu saw her eyes glassy with tears as she pouted.
“You’re so mean! I cried with Jinyoung oppa when I realized you had left without saying goodbye!” She whined, giving him a light smack on the chest. Shownu smiled apologetically and gave her a gentle shove.
“I really am sorry, Jiwon. Forgive me?” He asked hopefully. Jiwon thought for a moment and then nodded grudgingly. But when she looked up at him, her tears were drying and a smile was back on her face.
“Alright, I’ll forgive you. Just promise to keep in touch now that we’ve both debuted. I don’t have a phone, but I have an email. I need to know about everything that you did since you left JYP.” She said as she held up a pinky finger. Shownu chuckled as he slipped his pinky around hers like they had done in their trainee days when they had promised to work hard together towards their dreams.
“I promise.” He agreed.
“There you are!” A new female voice interrupted them, and Shownu looked behind Jiwon to see a young woman hurrying over to them. Jiwon smiled in delight.
“Hwayoung unnie! You found me!” She cheered. The girl, Hwayoung, shook her head as she took Jiwon by the wrist.
“Honestly, your sense of direction is the worst. Who gets lost in a parking lot of all places?” She chided. She bowed quickly to Shownu and began pulling Jiwon in the way she had come.
“Now come on, or else we’ll be late for rehearsal!” Jiwon paused briefly as her fellow member pulled her away. A little smile turned up the corner of her lips, her eyes sparkling the way they did whenever she was delighted with something.
“Oppa?” She called. Shownu smiled gently at the endearment.
“Yeah?” He called back. Jiwon grinned and lifted her hand in a wave.
“It was nice seeing you again!” She called before getting pulled around the corner and disappearing from his sight. Shownu chuckled, suddenly feeling content.
“It was good to see you too, Jiwon-ah.”
