Chapter 1
The day had begun wrong.
There was no particular reason anyone could point to, nothing dramatic enough to explain the strange heaviness hanging over the building, yet everything felt unsettled. The sky outside was pale and colorless, the kind of gray that made the city look as though it had forgotten how to breathe.
Staff moved through the corridors with hurried footsteps and lowered voices.
Doors opened and closed.
Phones rang.
People whispered, then stopped the moment someone walked past.
Even the familiar walls of the company building seemed colder than usual.
It was the kind of day that carried a bad omen without announcing what it was.
And somewhere in the middle of it all, Heeseung stood alone in an empty meeting room.
The room was too large for one person.
A long table occupied the center, surrounded by chairs that remained untouched. The glass windows reflected the gray afternoon outside, and Heeseung could see his own reflection staring back at him.
His hands were clasped tightly together.
His fingers had gone cold.
Across the table sat a middle-aged man, his expression unreadable.
"You have one option," the man said. "Choose it."
Heeseung stared at him.
For a moment, he genuinely couldn't understand the words.
"One option?"
His voice trembled.
"Why do I have to choose one? Why can't I have both?"
The man didn't answer.
Heeseung swallowed hard, trying desperately to keep his voice steady.
"I don't want to leave the group."
His eyes were already beginning to burn.
"Heeseung, that's not up to you to decide," the man said calmly. "You have a choice. Go solo. That way, you can build your own career independently, and we can replace you in the group with another artist."
Heeseung's face fell.
Replace.
The word echoed inside his head.
Replace him.
As if the years he'd spent with them could be erased with a single contract.
"As a soloist..." Heeseung whispered. "You mean I can have my own career?"
"Yes."
"I want that."
The answer came immediately.
"But not like this."
His voice cracked.
"I want to go solo someday. I want to grow. I want to show people what I can do. But I don't want to do it by leaving my group."
He leaned forward, desperation beginning to overtake his fear.
"I want to be part of ENHYPEN. Please reconsider it."
The man remained silent.
"Please."
Heeseung's eyes filled with tears.
"You're just using me to make more money out of me and then pushing me away when you don't need me anymore, aren't you?"
His breathing became uneven.
"I don't want this. I don't want to choose between my career and the people I love."
The man's expression hardened.
"You have time until this evening."
He stood.
"I want your decision by then. Choose the solo career, or the group will face the consequences of this choice."
Heeseung's head snapped up.
"What does that even mean?"
But the man was already walking away.
"Please."
The word came out broken.
"Does any of this make sense? Why are you doing this?"
The door opened.
"Please..."
A staff member approached him.
"Heeseung-ssi, you need to leave."
"Please."
He barely seemed to hear them.
"Just reconsider it."
The staff member gently but firmly began pushing him toward the hallway.
The door closed behind him.
And the moment it did, whatever strength Heeseung had been holding onto disappeared.
He stood in the hallway with his head lowered.
A tear rolled down his cheek.
Then another.
He quickly wiped them away with the sleeve of his shirt.
People were walking past.
Some looked at him.
Some pretended not to.
Nobody stopped.
Nobody asked.
He kept walking.
One step.
Then another.
Until the company building disappeared behind him.
---
When Heeseung finally returned to the dorm, all the members were waiting.
The moment the door opened, Jay stood up.
"What did they say?"
Heeseung didn't answer.
He simply stood there.
His eyes were red.
His face looked exhausted.
It was obvious he'd been crying all the way home.
Jungwon immediately took a step toward him.
But Jake quietly raised his hand.
Don't.
Jungwon stopped.
Jake looked at Heeseung for a moment before forcing a small smile.
"Want to eat ramen?"
The other members looked at him.
It was such an ordinary question.
Almost painfully ordinary.
Heeseung lowered his eyes.
"Hmm."
It was barely a sound.
The members exchanged glances.
Nobody asked again.
One by one, they quietly disappeared into their rooms.
Jake went into the kitchen.
Fifteen minutes later, he returned carrying two bowls of steaming ramen.
He placed them on the table.
Heeseung was sitting on the carpet beside the couch, staring blankly at the television.
Jake looked at him.
Then at the carpet.
Then back at Heeseung.
With a quiet sigh, he picked up both bowls.
He carried them to the floor.
"For you, I'm breaking the rule about not eating on the floor."
He chuckled softly.
Heeseung didn't laugh.
But he picked up the chopsticks.
And started eating.
Jake sat beside him.
Neither spoke.
The television played quietly in the background, filling the silence neither of them knew how to break.
For a while, the only sounds were chopsticks touching bowls and the occasional noise from the television.
When they finished, Jake took the bowls away.
Then he returned and sat beside Heeseung again.
He didn't immediately ask anything.
He just sat there.
Close enough to make sure Heeseung knew he wasn't alone.
Eventually, he spoke.
"Are you okay enough to tell me what happened?"
Heeseung stared at his hands.
"Go solo..."
His voice was barely audible.
"Or the group will face the consequences."
Jake went completely still.
He didn't know what to say.
Then he heard it.
A quiet sob.
Heeseung covered his face.
Another sob escaped.
And then another.
Jake immediately pulled him into his arms.
"Hey."
He rubbed his back.
"Let it out."
Heeseung clutched the back of Jake's shirt.
"I know it's hard on you, so let it out."
"Why?"
The word came out broken.
"Why do I have to choose one between you guys and my career?"
His voice rose as the tears came harder.
"I want both."
Jake tightened his arms around him.
"I want to share my success with you guys. I want you to be there when I achieve things."
His shoulders shook.
"I don't want to become successful alone."
Jake slowly rubbed his back.
"Don't think of it like that."
Heeseung didn't respond.
"You're not choosing between us and your career."
Jake pulled back slightly so he could look at him.
"You're choosing between being part of a group and having an individual career."
He smiled sadly.
"We'll always be the same. We're not going anywhere."
"I don't want it."
Heeseung shook his head.
"I won't choose solo."
He wiped his tears with trembling fingers.
"I'll stay with you guys."
"Heeseung."
Jake gently held his shoulders.
"You deserve to shine."
Heeseung looked at him.
"You deserve to shine more than us. You deserve this solo career."
Jake's voice softened.
"Think about yourself. Think about your dreams. You always wanted to become the brightest star you could be."
He gave him a small smile.
"Maybe this is your chance."
"If it comes with sacrificing you..."
Heeseung's voice broke again.
"I don't want it."
He hugged Jake tighter.
"I don't want to be the brightest star."
His face disappeared against Jake's shoulder.
"I just want to shine with you."
The words were enough.
The other members had heard.
Jay and Jungwon came downstairs and sat on the couch.
Sunoo, Ni-ki, and Sunghoon stood quietly in the hallway.
Nobody wanted to interrupt.
Jay finally walked over and placed a hand on Heeseung's back.
"Heeseung, it's not like we'll become strangers just because you choose solo."
He smiled despite the tears in his own eyes.
"We're family."
His hand gently moved across Heeseung's back.
"Nothing can change that."
"Heeseung, our most precious hyung..."
Sunoo's voice trembled.
"We'll be ENHYPEN forever. Together."
Heeseung finally pulled away from Jake and looked at all of them.
Jungwon wiped his own eyes before forcing a grin.
"And even if you leave and the company doesn't allow us to see each other..."
He paused dramatically.
"We'll still meet."
He pointed at Jay.
"Look at Jay. He went to meet his secret girlfriend."
Jay's eyes widened.
"She is NOT my girlfriend!"
Everyone stared at him.
"My cousin," Jay corrected immediately. "We were planning my mother's birthday."
Jungwon shook his head.
"I don't believe you."
For the first time that afternoon, a small laugh escaped the room.
Even Heeseung smiled.
The smile was tiny.
Fragile.
But it was there.
"I haven't even left yet," Jake said, "and you guys are already trying to take my things."
Heeseung pointed at him.
"I won't leave a single pin here for you to take."
Jake laughed.
Sunoo suddenly pouted.
"Heeseung hyung, who's going to save me from Sunghoon after you leave? He'll kill me with his teasing."
"You have another hyung," Jay said.
"Unfortunately, he'll save you."
"Unfortunately?"
Jay looked offended.
Sunghoon rolled his eyes.
Heeseung laughed quietly.
"I'm leaving the group, not dying."
He wiped the dried tears beneath his eyes.
"And Sunoo, if Sunghoon teases you too much, call me."
He pointed at Sunghoon.
"I'll teach him a lesson."
Sunoo immediately ran forward and hugged him.
Then Sunghoon joined.
Jungwon followed.
Ni-ki stood at the side pretending he wasn't affected.
Heeseung looked at him.
"Stop being the fake emo and come here, little boy."
Ni-ki immediately rushed over.
Jay joined last.
Soon, all seven were tangled together in one enormous hug.
Nobody spoke.
They didn't need to.
For a few moments, there was no company.
No contract.
No choice.
No future waiting to tear them apart.
There were only seven boys holding onto each other as though their arms could somehow stop time.
Eventually, Heeseung pulled away.
"You guys are going to kill me before my departure."
"That was actually the plan," Jungwon said.
Everyone laughed.
Even Heeseung.
And for a little while, they pretended nothing was changing.
---
The afternoon passed like that.
They talked.
They argued over food.
They teased each other.
They remembered old stories.
They laughed at jokes that weren't even funny.
And every once in a while, the laughter would suddenly stop because everyone remembered why they were doing this.
But nobody said it aloud.
They didn't want to ruin the illusion.
By evening, the dorm had become quiet.
Heeseung was lying on the couch with his head resting in Jake's lap.
Ni-ki was lying beside him, one arm wrapped around Heeseung as though he were afraid that if he let go, Heeseung might disappear.
Heeseung had fallen asleep.
His face looked peaceful.
Almost like a child.
Jake gently ran his fingers through his hair.
Then-
The phone rang.
Jake looked down at Heeseung.
The name on the screen was enough.
"Manager"
His fingers trembled.
Heeseung slowly opened his eyes.
"Pick it up, Heeseung."
Jake gently rubbed his hair.
Heeseung stared at the phone.
His breathing became shallow.
"I'm afraid."
It was barely a whisper.
The others gathered around him.
Sunghoon crouched beside the couch.
"Don't you trust us?"
Heeseung looked at him.
"Do you think we'll change after you leave the group?"
"No."
His voice shook.
"Then don't be afraid."
Heeseung stared at the phone for several seconds.
Then he sat upright.
Ni-ki, who had been half-asleep beside him, woke up.
Everyone watched.
Heeseung looked at their faces.
Seven years of memories seemed to pass through his mind in a single second.
The practice rooms.
The dorm.
The stages.
The birthdays.
The fights.
The laughter.
The tears.
Every moment.
Every person.
His family.
His home.
His dream.
And suddenly he understood something.
Maybe there had never really been a choice.
Not one that he could make without losing something.
Heeseung took a breath.
Then he answered.
Nobody could hear what was said on the other end.
But they could see the moment something inside him broke.
His eyes closed.
His hand tightened around the phone.
And when he opened them again, there was a strange calmness in his expression.
He ended the call.
Silence filled the room.
He looked at the members.
His voice was quiet.
"I'll go solo."
The words fell between them like glass.
Nobody moved.
Then all at once-
They rushed toward him.
Arms wrapped around his shoulders.
Someone grabbed his hand.
Someone buried their face against his shoulder.
And Heeseung started crying again.
Because this time, nobody was pretending.
They all knew.
This was the beginning of goodbye.
