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It’s been a long day
Without you, my friend
And I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again.
Hello, it’s Woojin.
Screaming, chants everywhere. Some of the lightsticks were already turned on, singular lights waving in an ocean of fans.
So…that’s what it felt like for STAY to attend one of their concerts.
Woojin smiled, looking around in the stadium and standing up to walk forward until he could lean his palms against the glass separating the lounge seats from the other ones outside.
I really want to say thank you to our fans for their love and generous support for Stray Kids’ Woojin.
He looked towards the stage as the music began. Side Effects.
It must only be a matter of time for them to come on stage.
Woojin looked towards the stadium, taking another sip of his coffee. He knew they were busy and most likely had to drive back to the hotel very soon, but after texting Chan that he had attended the concert and would be waiting outside, the leader had agreed – with an enthusiasm that Woojin could taste through text, don’t ask him how Chan managed to do that – to meet up.
He had expected Chan to see him, maybe Minho and Changbin – but what he wasn’t prepared for where eight grown men running towards him as soon as they caught sight of him.
Woojin laughed, standing up from his chair and awaiting them with open arms, catching Felix readily as he jumped into them, clinging to him like an oversized koala.
“Hyung!” Felix nuzzled his face into his neck and Woojin barely had a chance to answer as the rest of the maknae line tackled him in a group hug. He huffed out a laugh. He wasn’t used to that anymore, getting tackled by so many young men at once – but he would be lying if he said he hadn’t missed it. After all, it now had been a few weeks since he had been able to meet up with them.
“Let him go, you’re suffocating him,” Minho chuckled, locking eyes with Woojin and smiling his warm cat-smile. “Hey, hyung.”
Woojin smiled at him, opening one arm as soon as Jeongin and Seungmin let go of him. “Hey, Minnie.” Readily, Minho darted forward to melt himself against Woojin’s side, sighing happily.
Chan laughed, ruffling Seungmin’s hair as the younger came to him and hugged him instead. “You look surprised.”
“If I’m being honest…” Woojin stopped as he helped Felix back to the ground again, Hyunjin and Jisung now letting go of him too so he could hug Changbin and Chan too.
Chan was the last one in his arms and probably stayed the longest.
“…I didn’t expect all of you to come outside.”
Chan scoffed in indignation, hugging Woojin even tighter. “When I told the kids you were outside, they didn’t want to hear a thing about staying back. They all wanted to see you.”
Those words almost brought tears to Woojin’s eyes – only almost.
He swallowed, pulling back from Chan’s embrace to smile at him, gripping his shoulders. “How are you all? You were amazing, you did so well. I’ve cheered a lot for you.”
“Really? I think I messed up in Double Knot once…” Hyunjin chewed on his lip, fiddling with the sleeve of his jacket. They all still were wearing their stage outfits and suddenly, Woojin wondered if anyone knew they were outside and talking with him.
It looked like them to run outside and don’t tell anybody where they went.
“If you did, Jinnie, it was nothing I could see – you did great.” Softly, Woojin ruffled his hair before turning to Chan, one eyebrow lifted. “Does the staff know you’re here?”
Chan’s eyes widened, exchanging a look with Minho. Woojin could see something that wasn’t there a few weeks before when he left – a bond of understanding towards each other, a similar bond to the one he had with Chan.
“I…the only thing I had in mind was Woojin-hyung when you said he was outside…” Minho’s cheeks were tinged pink.
Woojin huffed, amused but also touched that they had missed him so much they came running the moment he was close.
Chan sighed, pinching his nose. “I think it would be better if we went inside again then.”
“Hyung!”, the others immediately protested, Felix and Jisung pressing themselves against Woojin’s side again. He smiled at the gesture, putting an arm around them both.
“We’ll meet again soon, I promise. You should get going now before somebody misses you.”
“I don’t care,” Felix grumbled, hiding his face.
Changbin laughed at the cute display, coming closer to attempt to pull Felix back again. “Come, Lix, hyung is only a text away, you know that.”
“But it’s the first time we’ve seen him in weeks!”, Jisung butted in.
Chan sighed. “Kids, please. Let’s just go back inside, I don’t want to get scolded by the staff again because I can’t keep you under control.”
And something in Chan’s tone made them all look at him and obediently walk back to his side.
Woojin chuckled. It seemed like Chan was growing well into the role of being the eldest now.
The two locked gazes before Chan turned to Minho. “Please take them inside again, I’ll be coming soon.”
Minho narrowed his eyes, looking like he wanted to object, but another look with lifted eyebrows rendered him silent and he started to herd the other six members back to the stadium.
A chorus of “Bye, hyung!” and “See you soon!” and “We love you!” echoed back to them and Woojin waved, his heart full. He had missed their declarations of love.
He turned to Chan as the others were out of sight, tilting his head. “You wanted to talk to me alone?”
Instead of an answer, Chan stepped forward and hugged Woojin again, body relaxing with a sigh as the tension melted from him.
Woojin frowned as he hooked his chin over Chan’s shoulder. “Channie?”
“’m fine, just needed one of your special hugs,” Chan murmured, turning his head to the side to lean his forehead against Woojin’s neck.
The words made Woojin chuckle warmly.
“How’s it going? How do you manage?”, he asked softly, hand coming up to card through Chan’s hair.
Chan huffed, eyes closing at the contact.
“Sometimes good, sometimes bad,” he admitted. “It’s going better now at least than-“ He stopped himself, shaking his head. “It’s…we manage. It’s difficult from time to time, but we get through it. We miss you though.” He squeezed his arms around Woojin’s waist.
Woojin sighed. „I miss you too. It’s so-“, he laughed. “It’s so quiet at home – I’m not used to not being around eight children anymore.”
Chan pinched his waist, making him yelp. “Don’t call me a child, Woojinnie,” he threatened before pulling back and looking at him with a soft smile. “But enough of us…what are your plans now? Did you sort everything out?”
A huff and Woojin buried his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “I’m living with my parents currently – it’s cool to see them again and be able to see them again more often, but…” He shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, I’d still like to sing if I get the possibility…but I don’t know if I’ll manage to get back on such a big stage…not in the next months at least.”
“No one’s forcing you, Wooj.” Chan’s smile became even softer. “Just remember: go at your own pace. This is your race – I’m so glad we got to run along with you for a while, but…” He looked away, biting his lip. “Now it seems that you have to find your way.”
“Don’t worry about me, Channie.” Woojin stepped forward again, sensing that Chan was about to cry at any moment and enveloping him into a hug again. “I just want to let you know: you’re doing great. I know I’ve left you with the burden of being the eldest in the group and having to take care of them – but please know that they’re your team. You can fall back on them and they will catch you. Okay?”
Both men pulled back again and Woojin cupped Chan’s cheeks to look him in the eyes. “As Changbin said before – I’m only a text away. I may not be around all the time anymore, but that doesn’t mean I don’t support you anymore. Now more than ever, most likely.” He chuckled. “And hey – I get to experience what STAY are raving about online all the time from their point of view, how our concerts are always an ‘experience from out of this world’.”
Chan laughed quietly and they stared at each other again, not wanting to say goodbye again.
But the ringtone of Chan’s phone interrupted the peaceful silence and Chan pulled the device out of his pants, sighing in reluctance. “I have to go…they miss me already.”
Woojin smiled. “Well then, captain – time to get back to your team.”
A flinch, Chan’s smile became strained. He hesitated before surging forward and hugging Woojin for the last time, the latter huffing because of Chan’s strength.
“I’ll see you around!” Hurriedly, Chan turned around and took off in the direction of the stadium again.
Woojin watched him go with a fond smile, pulling his leather jacket tighter around himself.
He was glad they were doing fine. He hadn’t expected anything less of them being able to pick themselves up again, to let the wound heal that Woojin’s departure had left in their middle and form a stronger bond between the rest of them.
The constellation of nine was broken, but more than ever, Woojin was determined to become a star on his own, to shine brightly and lead the way for the new constellation of eight.
I will continue to think about good music and sincere songs until I stand in front of you again! Please watch and support us even if it takes a while.
I’m truly grateful and I love you.
Woojin.
We’ve come a long way
From where we began
Oh, I’ll tell you all about it when I see you again.
-“See you Again”, Sam Smith