Seonghwa
In the morning of the next day, it took double the effort to get off my bed.
I wasn't ready for today, because I knew it's the last day for this journey.
"Seonghwa, you aren't going to get up today?" Hong Joong jumps on the bed, almost perforating an organ of mine.
"Ah! You're squishing me!" I exclaim with annoyance.
"But you still love me." He giggled, sitting on top of me.
"This is getting weird, Hong Joong. I don't see you in that way." I grumble, just making him laugh harder.
"Get off, man." I groan, flipping myself so he's under me, which looked even stranger.
"You're the one who is making it weird now." He snickered, and we both froze when the bedroom door opened.
"What are you two doing? Should I be worried?" San asked, and ran to land on my bed as well, joining in this awkward scene.
"What is this? " Yunho laughs, staring at us with a wide mischievous smirk.
"It's not what you think." I try explaining.
"I'm jealous and so is Yeosang. I want some of that, too. Come on." He says to our angel. Oh no.
I'm all of a sudden under all of them, like an avalanche of good looking young guys.
"Get off!" I whine frantically.
"That was so you can get yourself out of bed. It's almost 10, hyung." Hong Joong tells me, gently making the youngsters get out.
I take in air, since I felt I was going to suffocate with so much weight on top of me.
"Alright, I'll get off. Damn." I mumble, reluctantly standing and dragging myself to see what I'll wear. I honestly don't feel like dressing up, or fixing my hair.
But since I'm obligated to, I take out some random pieces of clothing and the underwear, to go take a shower. I'd rather turn into a raisin by staying inside there until I wrinkle up.
After I took my shower, Hong Joong is the one who did my hair and even my makeup.
"If I were a girl, I'd totally date you." He says, observing with pride at his work.
"Sorry, but my heart feels for somebody else." I sighed, staring at myself in the mirror.
"Ah, that's too bad." He chuckled.
"Are you going to go with Yunho to pick Sandra up?" He then questioned me.
I shook my head, "I'll be in the meeting room."
Before he could protest, I grab the shoes I'd wear and leave the room.
Sandra
I'm with Yeosang and Yunho, the ones who picked me up. Seonghwa hadn't accompanied them. I figured that would happen. Since I cried practically all night, I was too dry to even cry about this.
I had put on a plain burgundy V-neck and black skinny jeans with my Vans.
My hair was fixed at an early opened salon, that did my makeup for free because now they know I was on the ATEEZ reality show. If it weren't for the stylists, I would have gone with a bare face.
I enter the room, with hands trembling. I'm stuck between Yunho and Seonghwa, and Yeosang that sat by Yunho.
I kept running both my hands through my hair because I was very anxious.
Yunho took one of my hands and held it in his. He sensed my nervousness.
With snacks in the middle of the table, the talk began.
"Sandy, tell us how you found this reality. Did you like it a lot? Would you change something?" Hong Joong asked first.
I exhaled and with a shy smile, I answered. "I loved it. Being able to just get to know all of you, my favorite group. That's a dream come true. I wouldn't change a thing. I had a lot of fun. Maybe asking if the person can tolerate scary stuff or roller coasters." I laughed, and the guys also did.
"True. We'll consider it on a future occasion." Hong Joong replied.
Everybody really got into this conversation, but Seonghwa wasn't speaking too much. I saw he was just sad.
Yet I know it's only because he'll have to get back to his regular routine after this over.
"Right, Seonghwa? That Sandra looked like Rambo on that day?" Wooyoung was saying to him, but it's as if Seonghwa was somewhere else, he seemed distracted.
"Ne. Mjmm." That was all he uttered.
Hong Joong scowled at him because of his lack of participation.
I'm not even going to protest, and instead I'll joke around with Yunho.
"Yunho was Rambo, hiding in bushes and crawling on the ground like in a war. Did you get any bugs on you?" I tease him.
He snickered and answered, "I thought it was a spider, but it was just a leaf."
I snorted a laugh, smirking at him.
Then I randomly told the members something I had practiced and learned, even if I was worried I'd mess up in front of them.
"I learned a little bit of the dance for Promise."
"Oh! Show us!" Jongho exclaimed excitedly.
I got off my seat and went to where the door is. I played the chorus part on my phone and then did the choreography.
I was concentrating very hard not to mess up.
"I want to do it too!" Yunho hopped from the chair and ran to where I am.
"Me too!" San also hurried over to me.
No one will take me down, because I won't think about sad stuff.
With cute gestures, the three of us did the chorus dance.
Jongho joined in, but there wasn't too much space for all of us.
"Let's move to the bigger room." Yunho suggested.
So someone took the camera to transfer over to where we'd written letters.
"Okay, now we can dance better." San said, going to stand at the front of the room.
"Let's all do it. It be more fun." Wooyoung tells us.
"Yeah, good idea." Hong Joong agrees, and I saw a serious Seonghwa stand on my left.
Since Wooyoung had a Bluetooth speaker, he connected my phone with it, so the music sounds better.
"We'll teach you some more of the song. Follow our lead." Hong Joong says to me, and I'm slowly taught on the other choreo.
I felt like a midget but I ignored the height difference and went with the flow.
I really got into the song, and was captivated by my visuals of Seonghwa and San.
"That was so fun." Yunho said happily, heading to the desk to get a water bottle and drank some.
I tasted some of the spicy chips, and my tongue was on fire!
"Oh my God, that is so spicy!" I gasp out, running to chug some water to put out the burning.
Some of the guys were laughing at me, and I didn't blame them. That's what happens when you know you can't take spicy things and still eat it.
"Poor Sandy. Are you better?" Mingi asked me, laughing out loud when he sees me fanning my tongue.
"Tongue technology!" Hong Joong says in a funny voice.
"No, it's not." I chuckled, finishing the bottle.
"Eat these. They are sweet and help you take out the other flavor." Yeosang had a bag of honey butter chips in his hands and gave it to me. Bless your sweet soul, Kang Yeosang.
"Awww, thank you Yeosang." I murmured with a big smile, taking the bag and grabbed one or two chips to alleviate the burn.
I held it out for him to get some too, and we end up sharing the bag.
"That's all for the moment, we will be back later. Annyeong!" Hong Joong said to the camera and turned it off.
What are we doing later? Hmmm?
◇~◇
So, we hung out practically all day and ate lunch together as well. When the sun had set, ATEEZ takes me along with them to I didn't know where yet.
I followed them to what looked to be a two floor house from the outside. I saw stairs on the side, and wondered where we were.
It kind of looked like where Song and Chanwoo went in episode 2 of iKON TV, to a rooftop with a large canopy tent there. Could it be?
I walk silently with Yunho, and my curiosity was killing me.
Even the climb up was similar to the one in iKON.
"Where is this?" Jongho asked out loud, and then all the boys were marvelled by the cute spot on this rooftop.
Two pairs of a long cord of dangling lights were strung up from a post to another. There was a white tent that looked like a large canopy in the middle of this roof.
"It's so pretty up here." Hong Joong breathed, as we entered one by one into the tent, which had a circle of wide pillows or cushions and chairs on another side.
Prepared food and refreshments were on two mini tables. I also saw a small stove.
We all commenced to remove our shoes and put them in a corner where they aren't in the way.
I saw tteokbokki when I crawled onto a cushion area.
"Oh, I'm suddenly hungry." San laughed, checking out the dishes.
"Are you hungry, Sandy?" Yunho asked me.
I shook my head and tell him, "I don't eat strong stuff at this hour."
"Not even soda?" Wooyoung questions with surprise.
"Soda, yeah." I chuckled.
He grabbed a Sprite bottle and gives it to me.
"Gamsamnida." I thank him, slowly twisting open the cap.
Everybody except me and Seonghwa, quickly began serving themselves food.
I was laying back, loving how comfortable the pillows were.
There weren't camera directors, but in some way we'll be recorded because we had the microphone attached again.
I feel somebody touching my hair that I had spread out behind me. I tilted my head back to see who it was.
Seonghwa was the culprit.
He silently passed his fingers inside my hair, and sighed quietly after.
"Your hair is very long when it straight." He commented, as I stare back again at him. His tiny smile was disarming me.
We stayed quiet for a while until everybody eating had finished.
"Sandy, we have something for you." Hong Joong announced to me.
I tiredly push myself to sit up, and look curiously at the leader.
"You do?"
"Here." He hands me a medium size wrapped present.
"What more do I need, after spending the best days of my life with ATEEZ?"
I carefully unwrap the present, and see it looked like a book or maybe photo album?
The cover seemed like their CD albums are, with the same great quality.
It said in their logo design and colors: ATEEZ & ATINY
Then under this, I saw my name as well.
Opening the book up, I saw that it really is a photo album of memories with the boys. The pictures were so beautiful, and a caption on the opposite page that contained date and time. Some had aegyo decoration on our faces.
I stopped at the one where I had gotten a photo taken with Seonghwa. His bright and perfect grin and mine that showed my euphoria.
The caption said: Sandra w/ her bias Seonghwa.
I grinned and held back the tears at the same time.
"I'm photogenic when I'm next to Seonghwa." I giggled softly.
"Not only then." He protested, giving me a gentle smile.
I blushed as I continued to see pics of me either with the group in the different days and activities, or selfies with the members.
When I get to the last page, I saw the autographs of each of the guys, and I read aloud what was written: Memories that ATEEZ will cherish forever, thanks to you, Sandy. Our sweet ATINY. We've enjoyed so much these 2 weeks, very much. We love you and wish you all the best things in the world.
Tears now slid down my cheeks, as I kept my head down.
The guys got closer to touch and say sweet words of comfort for me.
Yunho hugged me, Yeosang and Hong Joong too. Everyone except Seonghwa, but as soon as I'm free, he wrapped his arms around me as I cried hard.
When I'm finally able to speak, I said: "I love you guys so much. This was a dream made reality. To enjoy time with all of you, it's the biggest blessing for me. I'm so thankful and I appreciate that you and KQ, and Mnet made it possible. Thank you so much." I looked into the eyes of each member, and especially kept them on Seonghwa the longest. His saddened expression was tearing me apart.
This was the concluding of the filming, because we received a signal from out of the tent.
I was so happy and devastated at the same time. Happy because I met ATEEZ at another level, and sad because it finalized. It's over with now.
Seonghwa kissed the top of my hair, and quietly stood up to leave the tent.
I stared with a heartbroken gaze at the opening of the tent.
◇~◇
After a meeting with me in it as well, of discussing with the people who worked on this show, I was taken to the hotel.
Our farewells were long and you could feel in the atmosphere that they didn't want to leave. But they had to...
Seonghwa quickly left to go down to the van, and the others except Yunho, they reluctantly went down too.
"Aren't you joining them?" I ask him, confused as to why he hadn't moved from his spot.
"I have to do this first." He whispered, and embraced me tightly.
When I hear him beginning to cry, I literally felt that my heart was in agony.
"Yunho, if you cry, I won't be able to take it." I exclaim, holding him by the waist.
"I'll miss you, okay? Let me hug you for another minute." He pleaded, not releasing me.
I was dying now, and I was helpless to stop it.