ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʟᴇᴀʀ ᴇɴᴇᴍʏ || ᴊ.ᴡʏ + ᴄ.ꜱ

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟎

Wooyoung hesitated with his fingers curled around the car door handle when the taxi he and his grandmother had taken rolled to a stop at the front of the gate to camp where he'd be dropped off for the last time. He grimaced at the sharp pang in his chest that brought about sentimental feelings that he wanted nothing to do with. 

Five weeks gone just like that, all of his hard work translating to nothing but a bitter aftertaste.

His grandmother looked over to him, eyes wet with small tears as she brought her hand out to squeeze Wooyoung's own.

"Are you going to be alright?" She was practically pleading for a positive response, and Wooyoung looked at her head-on and nodded, summing up as much conviction as he could manage.

"When haven't I been?" He answered a little too quickly, putting on an act of bravado before turning his head away when the eye contact became too much to bear.

"You don't have to be...I just worry so much."

Wooyoung hated the guilt he felt when he saw her tears. How much he wished he could be more like his old self, someone who didn't worry his poor grandmother just by existing. At least when he was back home he could make up for it by working hard and bringing home decent paychecks that kept them living a stable life.

He was what she relied on since she couldn't work anymore, only receiving a small pension each month that didn't come close to taking care of anything besides groceries for the both of them.

"Halmeoni I-" Wooyoung let out a long breath, unable to think of anything reassuring to say. He missed the comfort of living with his grandmother, of being able to be with his best friend every day and see for himself that she was getting by ok.

"And if someone tries to break past that wall you've built, promise me you'll try to have an open mind? Your eomma would hate to see you so lonely." She brought a hand up to his cheek, making a gesture to wipe tears away despite his eyes being dry.

Wooyoung couldn't find it in himself to deny her that promise.

But it wasn't that hard since the chances of that happening were slim anyway.

He squeezed her hand warmly as he told the taxi driver where to take her, paying with his phone before forcing himself out of the car and lifting his hand in a small wave as the driver pulled away with his grandma smiling a watery-eyed smile through the window.

...

With little greeting, the graduated recruits were instructed with a firm and tired out voice that if their room wasn't spotless by lights out they'd all be forced to wake up at the crack of dawn to run laps until it was time to leave.

San raised an eyebrow at Taehyung who looked crabbier than usual, jaw set tight as he watched the graduated trainees swarm around and frantically sweep and pick up askew items.

"What's up? Not happy we're leaving?" San teased, his voice a low whisper to not garner any attention their way. He wasn't sure how to best approach the other so he dove in headfirst with no game plan, deciding to wing it since he was dying to know what was on his cranky leader's mind.

San had a glow to his face that Taehyung noticed right away, admiration for his peers written all over it.

The younger didn't think anything could break his mood, feeling strangely content after reuniting with the guys after family day since they had pretty much become like his second family. He was proud of what they had all accomplished together and was feeling particularly grateful that he'd had the privilege of leading such ambitious and easy-going guys over the course of their five weeks together.