[oceans] | a txt imagines book

[huening kai] • painting

"You were definitely sculpted and loved by a god."

Kind words can be a lot coming from a friend.

But even more, coming from a stranger.

It's weird. You don't know them, they don't know you, but somehow their words feel like medicine.

It was a mediocre morning. Everyone was feeling how they normally felt. Just waiting for schedules to come and looking forward to what the day had to offer.

Huening Kai had a bit on his mind though. He would never be the one to say it because he knew how much his members worry about him. He was feeling alright, but he was also very aware of himself. He was aware of how he looked. He was aware of the comments he was getting about his appearance. And he was trying his best not to let it get to him, but it's not so easy especially when you're riding on a free schedule.

Nonetheless, he kept it cool and like always, he kept it to himself.

As they were all waiting in their dorm room, the doorbell rang.

"I'll go check who it is," Soobin said as he stood up from the dining chair to check who was at the door.

It was a manager of theirs who appeared to have something quite large in his hand.

Soobin immediately opened the door, slightly curious.

"Good morning. I've sent you your schedules already. Oh, and this is for Huening Kai." The manager said as he handed Soobin the large package.

"What is it?" Soobin asked, curious but also concerned.

"If you're worried about its contents, you don't have to. It was checked by security and they said that it was all good. About what it is though, I'm not sure. The director just said to give it to Huening Kai because it was made for him." Their manager explained.

"Anyway, you guys should get ready. We have a lot to do for the week." He said enthusiastically then he left.

"Alright. We will. Thank you so much!" Soobin said before closing the door.

"What is it?" Yeonjun immediately asked as soon as he heard the door close.

"I'm not really sure. He just said it was for Kai." Soobin replied as he went to find Kai.

As Huening Kai heard that, he looked at Soobin and the rest of his members with a little bit of confusion.

"For me?" He asked.

"Yeah," Soobin replied, also curious and confused. He then gave the package to Kai.

"Well, I'll check it out later. We should get ready." He said as he stood up and brought the package to his room.

•••

Later in the day, when he finally got home after his schedules, he saw the package again and was immediately reminded of its existence.

The curiosity in his mind spiked again and he wanted to know what was inside.

So slowly, he opened the package. He didn't know what to expect. The interiors of the package had no name or anything. It was quite suspicious, but his gut feeling told him that he should open it.

The suspense was killing him. There was so much tension between him and the amount of tape that he had ripped out from that package.

And when he finally opened it, he didn't know what exactly to feel.

It was a portrait of himself. It looked so intricate and masterful. Every proportion, every angle, every color, it looked so well-thought-out. To Kai, it was touching and amazing. He didn't even know who it was from, but the way it was painted made him want to tear up.

There was an envelope that was attached to the portrait. He thought that it may be what may give him the answers that he was looking for.

So he opened the letter and after a few seconds of reading his heart melted. If his soul had gone cold from everything that he kept to himself and if his heart froze from all the lack of warmth that he got from the world, it would seem like this freezing sensation melted into tears he rarely poured out.

To Huening Kai,

I'm a fan who has been supporting you a month before you even debuted. I watched your first performance, and a part of me was healed by being able to hear you sing.

I don't really know what I will achieve by writing this letter and painting you this portrait, but I did this with the intention that it would remind you of how the sun shines brightly every day. That at times it may be covered with clouds, and it may even be replaced by rain, but it's what lights up the sky during the day, I guess even at night. What I mean to say is that some people are awful. Some people will be the clouds and the rain on your sunny day, but like the sun keep shining.

For a long while, until now, you were the sun that reminded me to get up in the morning. That despite how hopeless life can get, there will be a ray of sunshine waiting to wake me up in the morning. That kept me alive by my choice. You kept me alive for so long and I'm sure you've done so for many people.

However, this time, I hope you shine brightly for yourself. Even if I don't know you personally, I know you're a great person. You love your members very much and you always consider how they feel. But please, love yourself too. Despite what others may say about the way you look, please know that you are so beautiful that you can make even the tearless cry. You were definitely sculpted and loved by a god. And I can't do too much to keep reminding you that, but I hope that if this painting reaches you, it will remind you every day that there are people who support and love you. That there are people cheering you on during the days you feel alone.

Thank you for everything. I've lived a full life because of you.

Shine brightly for yourself the same way you shine brightly for everyone else around you.

-Y/N

As Taehyun walked into their shared room, he was immediately concerned as he saw Huening Kai crying. He wailed so loudly and that was something he had never seen. Definitely, they've all seen him cry, but right now his emotions were fully flushed out. This was so untouched and raw.

Taehyun then realized how much weight Huening was carrying all by himself, and as he cried he was just there right beside him, just as he always was.

•••

Following that event, Huening was generally interested in the person who sent the package so he did end up looking for its source.

He then discovered that it was from a fan who passed away recently from a generational illness. It made him sad as he was now able to understand why the message was written in the way that it was. But he felt in a sense fulfilled, that he was able to become even a small reason for someone to live a full and happy life despite fate's heavy hand.

Since then, it was a little easier to deal with the dispassion of the world. People don't change. But he knew he can change his mindset about a few things. He became a little bit more trusting and confident in himself. Most importantly, he became a little bit more open with his members.

Sometimes, words from a stranger can feel like words from a friend. Sometimes, they might not be the medicine to your crises, but they can lead you to different windows of solutions.