Diamond in the Rough (Seventeen and Bangtan Fanfic)

32: A Montage of Goodbyes

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"Mingyu-ah, chakkaman (wait for a while)"

"Neh eomoni?" 

"Can you keep this safe for eomoni?"

"Igeh bwoya? (What is this?)"

"Just keep it safe for me and give it to my daughter if anything happens to me, neh? I know it might be sudden but you're the first chingu Rika has ever brought to eomoni, and I know I can trust you."

"Neh, of course, eomoni." 

"Cha, Rika is waiting for you outside."

"Kamsahamnida eomoni."

"You don't have to thank me for anything, child. I have to thank you for taking care of my daughter. You're a very handsome and good boy."

"Ani, your daughter is the one that has been taking care of my group and we're all very grateful to have known her. Kamsahamnida for giving birth to her. I'll be going now. Please rest well eomoni." 

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Rika's POV

"Mingyu, I forgot—ani, I didn't tell you all something."

"Call me Gyu first," the boy nudged the me cheekily.

"I'm talking about something serious, Mingyu-ah." 

"Gyu."

"Aish, Gyu," I paused, waiting for him to look at me, and when he did, "I'm not going back to Pledis anymore." 

"Bwo? Waeyo?" his face lost his playful grin, just as I expected it to. My heart fell the moment the words left my lips seeing his disappointed face. I wanted to see him, and Jun, and all the Seventeen members again, but that place was unliveable for me now. 

"I got...accepted into BigHit as a trainee." I tested the waters carefully. 

"Oh."

I bit my lip, rebellion slowly blowing up a storm in me.

"But then I won't have to deal with all of Hyorin's crap anymore. I'll get to live my life, Gyu-ah. I'll get to sing, dance, perform, like you guys! Can't you...be happy for me? Even as a friend?" I burst suddenly, disappointed that he couldn't say something more than 'Oh'. It was unreasonable of me, but...it happened. 

"I am happy for you, Rika. But...can't you consider staying? For me? For Seventeen?" He looked at me, eyes yearning and hopeful. A part of me melted, wanted to give in so badly, and yet another part of me grew angry, stubborn. The latter took over of emotions and my eyes grew darker, the walls closing up around me quicker than they ever had. 

"I need to live my own life for once too, Mingyu. Goodbye." I said quietly, before walking off quickly and leaving him behind in the darkened corridors of the hospital. 

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Mingyu's POV

Pabo, pabo idiot. 

How could you be so selfish? 

Getting out of that hell, that torture, that shame for her, it means the world to her, Mingyu.

You pabo, pabo.

She deserves to go. She deserves to go somewhere better.

You need to let her go.

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Jun's POV

I'm alright with her leaving us for BigHit.

I am.

I really am.

I'm not, 

but I am. 

How could I not be, when she finally gets a chance to live her life?

A girl like her doesn't belong to the life she's been living at Pledis. She needs space to grow, spread her wings, fly. She's not one to be trapped in a small place like this. 

I'm alright with that. I told her to show me a different her when I got back. 

I'm proud of you, Rika dongsaeng, even if this is going to break my heart. 

But what I'm not okay with is her not saying goodbye at all. How can she just leave me like that, so dignified, spreading her wings and soaring away without even turning her head back once? 

Do I mean so little to you, Rika? 

But never mind, I'll find you again someday, I promise. 

Let's just be fabulously where we are and who we are. You be you and I'll be me, today and today and today, and let's trust the future to tommorrow. Let the stars keep track of us. Let us ride our own orbits and trust that they will meet. May our reunion be not a finding but a sweet collision of destinies.

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Rika's POV

Saying goodbye to Mingyu was hard enough. I almost changed my mind. I nearly, nearly changed my mind. 

That's why I can't— I cannot bring myself to speak to Jun. I won't. I won't allow myself to even look at him practice through that glass mirror before I leave. I won't. 

So I'll say my goodbyes here, Seventeen.

Goodbye, goodbye, and goodbye.

To you, Jun, I've already said goodbye a thousand times in my heart.

And a million times more will I say, farewell, farewell, and farewell. 

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"This was a really short chapter— montage of goodbyes— but I needed it to tie up this arc. This is my favourite song of all time, EVER, and I'm feeling tingly sharing it with you guys. I hope you'll enjoy this song :) 

Its not even that emotional of a chapter, but I'm crying with the song playing. 

<3 RinaYumi"