PRODUCE 101 | c.s + j.wy

XVII

"The eliminated are...

Yang Jeongin.

Na Jaemin.

Choi Yeonjun."

A dark light covered the stage.

Wooyoung was in shock. Did he hear right?

Did they eliminate Yeonjun?

Yeonjun seemed incredulous, too. His eyes wandering around, meeting his apparently fellows of elimination.
They shared an intense gaze. Jeongin immediately started crying, covering his face with one hand. That's when Yeonjun lost it. Some tears fell from his eyes, too. Silent tears. He stayed still, not able of saying a word, a dead expression on. The only living things were his unstoppable tears.

And that's when his eyes met Wooyoung's.

No.
It can't be.

Wooyoung shook his head in response. No, I refuse to believe this.

Yeonjun's crying became louder, making Wooyoung to run in his direction and forcing him in a tight hug. Yeonjun stayed still, again.

They stayed that way for what looked like hours, but it was just a couple of minutes. Then they were forced to leave the stage, leaving the other trainees alone.

Wooyoung wasn't sure of what happened just after.

The judges told them something he couldn't catch. Something about their luck but also their talent. "You will not be safe forever. You better work on your next performances."

Nothing but a jelly body walking unsurely on his feet, Wooyoung came to the backstage, and meet all the other trainees. Here he hugged Yeonjun again, not caring a single gram about everyone else, honestly. He didn't have enough energy to cry, he was still in shock.

Seonghwa came, too, to comfort Yeonjun, whereas Yeosang and the others were talking to a louder and more desperate puffy-eyed Jeongin.

Wooyoung seemed more desperate than Yeonjun himself. He couldn't figure out how to deal with the rest of the program without his best friend besides him.

___ • ___

Soon after, they came back to their room. Yeonjun had to leave immediately.

It'd be wrong to say that he'd accepted the decision but there was no choice. He just stopped crying and silently recollected his stuff, under the eyes of a devastated Wooyoung, sitting on his side of the room. He watched the other placing everything messily into the bags. You're always so messy. This has always disappointed me.

His eyes now tickling.

When Yeonjun had finished, he stepped in front of Wooyoung, whom still have that blank look on his face.

"Woo, get up. Let me..." his words cut by the sudden intense hug. The head of the shorter guy embedded in the crook of the other's neck.

"They were f-fucking wrong. You should stay here. You're good!" he didn't know why he was acting like the other was about to go to war. Probably, he was letting the rush of emotions to come out all at once, differently from his usual behaviour of bury in deep his feelings.

"Wooyoung, I'll be fine. This means I wasn't good enough, so I need to train more.
Make sure you win this fucking competition, ok? I know you can do it. Text me if you can, I'll watch every episode but I want to know the details!" Yeonjun responded this time with a little grin. Even this time, he was trying to help Wooyoung to get over it. He'd have time to cry once he got home.

On the other side, Wooyoung was trying his best to hold back tears in front of the older. He blocked him in one more emotional hug before letting him go, waving a little.

He then remained alone in the sudden silent room. The last sound had been the loud slapping of the door.

He stayed still for long. Then, he forced himself to shower and brush, and sank his face into the pillow. That's when he burst into silent tears.

___ • ___

The day after, Wooyoung's mind was absent.

The other guys training with him didn't seem to complain. They were all upset after the first elimination.

"So, Seonghwa second line, Bangchan third line, Wooyoung last line of the verse, then I go as center in the chorus. Get it?" San was reading his plan on a scribbled sheet. This week, they were split in teams again, and had to focus on a singing performance. Of course, San was acting as the leader. Wooyoung hasn't had enough time to figure that he was in team also with San, who he still couldn't like at all. But the others were among the best ones in the raking, so it wasn't a bad setting at all. Indeed, San being so good with leadership made everything easier for him, since he had enough alive brain cells to keep it on for that day. He still felt devasted for Yeonjun's departure.

The pink-haired ranked #1 again. Their rankings didn't change at all, during the first week. In his mind, Wooyoung wanted to focus about making sure to be noticed, but, in reality, he could just think that he wasn't sure anymore he wanted to debut. Not without Yeonjun. What was the point of debutting with people he didn't feel comfortable with? People he wasn't in a close relationship with.

Seonghwa was slowly brushing his shoulder, before San resumed the music. They all sang their own parts with the lyrics under their eyes, while San was shifting his gaze to every member, making sure they do the right way. Of course, since it was just the very first day, he wasn't expecting a perfect result.

His gaze stayed more on the black figure of Wooyoung. Everything about him screamed insomnia: large comfortable black hoodie, messy hair pulled back by a little headband, glasses. What worried him the most were his puffy and reddish eyes. It couldn't be just for the lack of sleeping: the guy had cried. And he must have been a huge crying session judging by his appearance.

Honestly, San just wanted to stop everything and give the shorter a bone-breaking hug. He wanted to cuddle him and tell that everything was okay, that he could take the day off to rest. Wooyoung was too cute for his sanity with that looking. But, of course, he couldn't do anything of that.

He sang his part nicely, despite his terrible mood. San smiled seeing that he could handle his emotions back and still being focus on working. I wish I was that strong.

After the singing session, Wooyoung was involved in a little chat with Seonghwa, when San reached them.
Actually, it was more a Seonghwa's monologue next to a lost Wooyoung.

"Hey, are you okay?" San whispers brushing Wooyoung's arm. That contact must have been too much, because Wooyoung winced a bit. That caused San to lower his gaze.

Do I look like I'm okay?

This is what Wooyoung thought in his heart. But he was too tired for being also petty, so he just answered San with unemotional voice.

"Not at all, but I'm still here." He didn't even try to fake a grin.

Seeing San and Seonghwa standing closer made his mind to run fast. That's when he realized: they were the opponent group who won the challenge. They had put Yeonjun and the others at risk of elimination. Not that they were properly guilty for that, but probably if they weren't that good, if San wasn't the best living trainee so far, the match could've been easier to win.

Wooyoung took a deep breath and just walked away from them. He didn't want to act rude, but he wasn't sure he could handle their presence at the moment. Staying alone was everything he needed. Better if in a dance room.

"He just needs some time. Don't worry." Seonghwa muttered to San, squeezing his cheeks a little, causing the shorter to melt into a cute, dimpled smile.

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another short one 😭 i wrote this supposed to be one piece with the next, but it came out too long and it was impossible to split it in the same length 

by the way I KNOW YOU'RE HAPPY TO SEE WOOYOUNG WEAK THIS TIME, I'M WATCHING YOU ALL 👀👀