Chapter Text
"How did the audition go?" Yeosang asked eagerly, hurrying over to his best friend outside the tiny company building.
"Went okay, I think. It was really... tense. They didn't seem quite sure if they even wanted me, especially for this lineup."
"I'm gonna be honest with you. The upcoming boy group lineup is almost set, the 7 of us in it are a very solid team. The next boy group won't get to debut for another 5 to 6 years. If anything since we are around the same age, they are probably thinking of putting you in our group. I told them about your dancing skills and I'm pretty sure they were very impressed with what you showed," Yeosang chimed in.
Wooyoung only nodded as a heavy feeling settled on his chest. He knew how this industry worked. With only two to three years left before companies might not consider him for their debut teams, he realized that if KQ was truly committed to the current seven members, there might not be a spot for him in this company.
"Let's grab some lunch. That kimbap restaurant I've been telling you about is just a 4-minute walk from here," Yeosang interlocked his arms with Wooyoung.
.
"Sangieee?" Upon entering the kimbap restaurant, a slender man, almost as tall as Wooyoung, dashed toward Yeosang and enveloped him in a tight embrace.
"Hi San- ah. Didn't know you'd be here. This is my best friend, Wooyoungie. Youngie, this is San, one of the members of KQ fellaz," Yeosang introduced the two boys.
Wooyoung felt genuinely pleased that Yeosang has found many friends at his new company. However, the underlying fear of being replaced unsettled him as he observed his best friend so at ease and relaxed in the company of San.
"Nice to meet you. Yeosang told me all about you," San smiled but Wooyoung could tell there was a hint of judgement laced in his voice.
"Nice to meet you too," Wooyoung kept it short and turned to Yeosang, hoping that is the end of their conversation, "Let's go?"
"Yeah. San, you want to join?" Yeosang asked, not picking up the subtle discomfort between his two friends. Wooyoung was hoping San wouldn't want to intrude.
"Sure," San said, making direct eye contact with Wooyoung.
Oh, for fuck's sake.
They settled into a booth and each ordered their desired items. Yeosang assisted Wooyoung by explaining the taste and flavor of each dish to help him make his selection.
They made some small talks about their lives in different agencies. During their conversation about their experiences in various agencies, Wooyoung couldn't help but notice a subtle tone of passive aggressiveness in San's remarks about BigHit Entertainment.
Wooyoung quickly picked up the fact that San did not like BigHit. He couldn't exactly blame the guy as there were many things unpleasant about the management of the company. However, he found it puzzling why San directed a particular level of hostility towards him, considering Wooyoung was merely a victim of a larger company's actions.
"Youngie actually auditioned today," Yeosang brought up towards the end of their meal.
"For the next group? That's gonna take a while," San said.
"No, for ours."
"I'm pretty sure I heard Hongjoong hyung saying we 7 are set to debut within the next year or so. No offense to you, of course," San sent a short smile Wooyoung's way.
Wooyoung didn't respond and stuffed the last few bites into his mouth. He has had enough of this humiliation. He already knew he wasn't going to make it.
The words he had once promised Yeosang about making it together now hung in the air, surrounded by a cloud of disappointment.
He wanted to make it into KQ. He understood that working at a smaller company meant he'd have to put in a hundred times more effort. Wooyoung was aware that the payoff would not be as substantial as it would be at BigHit.
But, God, he wanted it so badly.
"I think I should head back to the dorms now. I have dance practice later today," Wooyoung said, getting up from the table, "It was nice meeting you, San and it really nice seeing you, Sangie. I'm glad you're doing well here and you seem to have a lot of friends. It's a relief. I'll let you know what the company says when they get back to me."
Wooyoung didn't really wait for Yeosang or San to say anything before he hurled out of the restaurant. Before he could even take 5 steps, Yeosang have seemed to catch up to Wooyoung.
"Hey," Yeosang grabbed Wooyoung's wrist before he could walk any further, "Is everything okay? You kinda rushed out. I thought we were gonna go for ice cream?"
"I think I should get going. I just realized I'm not gonna make it at KQ. I have to practice really hard if I want to even make it at BigHit."
Wooyoung was aware of the long battle that awaited him at one of the biggest companies in the industry. He was determined to succeed. It was evident that he wasn't welcomed here, and he understood that he had to strive harder to establish himself at his current company.
"Don't say that. You will make it. We will make it together," Yeosang reached out, holding Wooyoung's hand to convey his sincerity.
"Sangie, listen to me. Everytime I went in for an audition, I could tell they were looking at what I can offer. This audition was the first one where it felt like they already had what they needed and was just testing the waters for the next run. I'm too old for their next group. This is gonna be a rejection. I'm sorry I couldn't keep the promise I gave you. I'm sorry I won't be there when you finally debut. But I promise you, I will keep working hard and debut one day. I promise okay? But I need you to promise that you will be okay. I need you to take care of yourself and stand upto anyone who doubts you. I need you to debut and do everything we planned to do. Okay?"
Tears streamed down Yeosang's face as he nodded vigorously, unable to articulate his emotions into words. Wooyoung meant the world to Yeosang, and when he first departed from BigHit, he hadn't expected Wooyoung to consider following him, as he wasn't fully aware of how much Wooyoung valued their friendship.
"Hey, no crying okay?" Wooyoung wiped Yeosang's tears away, "We will be okay."
"You will debut right? You won't give up right? You promised," Yeosang rushed out.
"I promise, Sangie. I will debut. And I promise we will be on the same stage together even if we aren't in the same team."
Wooyoung pulled Yeosang into a tight embrace, both feeling the somber realization of not achieving their shared goals settling heavily in their hearts.
"You take care of yourself, okay? Call me if anyone is ever mean to you. I will come running."
Yeosang smiled at the comment, memories flooding his mind of Wooyoung defending him against countless trainees and staff in BigHit. Yeosang realized he truly didn't know how he would have made it without Wooyoung by his side.
The two boys bid their farewell as Wooyoung got into the bus to head back to his dorms. He took a glance out the window to catch Yeosang meeting San a few feet away to head back to his own dorms.
Despite the pang of hurt in his chest, he smiled, finding solace in the knowledge that his dear friend now had other people to look after him. He wasn't needed anymore...