Camp Heartbroken | TXT Novella

Chapter 29 - Yeonjun

Yeonjun sits in the doctor's offices with limbs that resemble the Portuguese man o' war that Huening Kai stepped on. He's always hated these visits, especially when the person behind the counter seems so bored in her endless typing. Why must they make him wait with a heavy soul, tortured by his own thoughts? The worries come in random spurts, but they all follow the same pattern of undermining his peace of mind. Most relate to his memory loss.

The doctor will tell you the same thing as always. There's nothing to hope for.

You're holding the team back with the state you're in.

Why are you hoping about that one stupid moment in Bellows?

After what seems like an hour, the nurse finally calls him in to meet Dr. Jeorge. "How are you doing, Yeonjun?" the doctor says, stumbling on the pronunciation as he always does.

Yeonjun distracts his hazy thoughts by admiring his doctor's salt-and-pepper beard. He's tempted to say The same as always. But the truth surprises him. "I'm good, actually. I'm training with a team to debut as singers."

Dr. Jeorge's eyes widen. "Oh! Finally pursuing the dreams you've so often mentioned."

Yeonjun lets out a nervous chuckle. "Our album comes out in the beginning of August. You should look out for it."

The doctor nods and looks at him with warmth, as if Yeonjun's body has suddenly transformed with the news. "Now, what made you call for an appointment with me?"

Yeonjun clenches his fists for a semblance of support. He recalls the moment that occurred at Bellows, when he suddenly recalled an old memory about his first camping trip. He mentions the shock that came with it, the sudden clarity, the feeling that a portion of his mind was unlocked.

"Do you think this means that more of my memories will return? Maybe even all of them at some point?"

The doctor pauses instead of answering immediately, so Yeonjun can tell the news isn't what he wants to hear. "More of your memories are likely to return," he says, the somberness not matching the room's pastel furniture. "But as I told you before, it's very unsure whether you'll remember everything. The case is different with every patient with your type of memory loss."

Yeonjun's fists unclench. He wishes he could slide down from the chair and melt into the floor. "So what's the most likely scenario?"

There's another pause before the final nail is hammered. "Yeonjun, it's most likely that you won't regain everything."

Yeonjun brought the four others for emotional support. As he walks back to Beomgyu's car, he waves his two hands and gives a sad smile. To his relief, his teammates don't question him when he enters the vehicle. Instead, Beomgyu starts up the engine and begins to play some of his original guitar recordings through Bluetooth. The strings begin a slow melody, but eventually they meld together to form a sound that resembles falling rain.

He realizes that a choice hovers in front of him. The easier one would be to sink back into depression. He could lie in bed the rest of the day and think about how sad it is to feel a void whenever he grasps for old times. On the other hand, he could have the summer of his life with his new brothers. It's a hard choice because effort is required, more positive thinking, but he takes the first step uphill.

"Let's go eat some Korean barbecue!" he shouts out.

Beomgyu changes lanes so quickly that even Taehyun yelps from light whiplash. A car from behind honks for two seconds, but Beomgyu jitters with glee. "I've never heard a better idea." One collective decision was deciding to starting their social media accounts early. Previously, Taylor mentioned keeping them off the grid until their official debut. But Yeonjun was the one to make the point that an early start could help fans find them easily once their album releases.

So as they eat, Huening Kai sets up his smartphone to record their meal. "I'll upload this on YouTube later. It can be called 'Pre-Debut Bonding Part One.'"

Soobin chuckles. "Good idea. I bet we'll reach a million views."

Yeonjun eats like he hasn't had proper food in ages. When he glances at himself on Kai's screen, he's surprised at how bright his eyes appear.

A/N: I need to hear a new Yeonjun rap soon! Who else is excited for a TXT comeback?