TOUCH | Nakamoto Yuta

41 |

"We've come to a decision,"

Yuta takes a deep breath as his hands clench into fists atop his knees as he wait to hear what they have to say. It's been a while since the last meeting, and his group mates are coming back tomorrow. To say he hasn't been anxious about it would be a lie; he's spent his fair share of time pacing around the dorms and nervously ranting to Sicheng about his decision and whether or not he should've even ask it of the company.

"We have decided to accept your proposal. We've had our lawyers draft up the new contract."

His eyes are wide as he holds the small stack of papers he's handed. It worked? They actually— I'm not fired... His eyes sporadically look over the words on the paper as the older man keeps on talking.

"We understand you can't perform or work at the moment, so we're going to take you out of NCT, we can't afford to keep you in NCT without participating in any content. However, we can offer you to debut solo within the next four years, but if you're not up to start preparing to debut within the next four years, I'm afraid we will have to drop you completely."

Four years... okay, I can do that. "Yeah, yeah absolutely, I can't do that." He takes a big, deep breath. "Thank you so much for this opportunity."

"We'll make the announcement of your departure from the group tomorrow morning."

"What!?" Shocked, he looks up. "Isn't that... too soon?" He wanted to tell the members about it himself.

"In your eyes, perhaps. But in the eyes of the public you've been been out of their eyes for over a month without any statement, and they're dying for any word about you. At this point anything about you would be still be considered 'not soon enough'. The sooner we get word out the better it'll be."

"Ah... I see..." he nods, bitting his lip. That makes sense but... he sighs. "I'll be on my way then. Thank you so much, and, have a good day." He bids farewell. He walks out the building with hands in his pocket, deep in thought, sadden, but... feeling relief.

🎭

"What did they say?!" "Are they going to keep you?" "What did they s—"

He startles as multiple voices greeted him upon opening the door to the dorms. "Woah- You guys were not here earlier..."

"Yeah, but we wanted to hear what the company said!" Xiaojun reasoned.

Kun popped his head out from the kitchen. "Sorry Yu, they outnumbered me.... And offered to entertain the twins and I'm not saying no to any help."

He shrugs as he steps into the dorm. "Fair enough." He swats the others away as he takes off his shoes.

Taking his bag from him, Hendery asks him, "Well, what did they say?"

"Geez, let me sit down first!" He ignores the groans around him as he leave the room to wash his hands before he finally sits down at the dinner table just as Kun serves up the dinner he made.

He waits until they're halfway through the food, when everyone is restless, even Kun who always seems to have eternal patience looks as if he wants to ask him. He clears his throat. "Well, I talked with the company and it's been decided;" everyone instantly leans in, dropping any utensils they had in their hands- or mouth, a lot clattering earns several stares as Yangyang's chopsticks fall to the floor by accident. "Anyways... I am leaving NCT."

"What!?" "No!" "Are they out of their minds?!"

"BUT- BUT!" Yuta has to shout over the six voices in order to be heard. Once he finally gets order in the court, he's looking at six devastated faces. "I am being taken out of NCT, which... I'm not happy about but it's, it's understandable, I won't be able to participate in the group comebacks or content and such for a while, or even consistently... but we did come to a conclusion that I can make a solo debut as long as I'm willing to prepare for it at some point within the next four years. So... I won't be able to work with you guys, but... I won't be giving up everything I've work so hard for at least."