Work Text:
The vacation is long overdue for the infamous spArk.
They have been so busy for the comeback songs, composing the Side B track, the promotions, the jobs for acting, modelling, reality shows, TV and radio appearance kept on coming to the company's email. There's even a day where they couldn't even met the whole team together due to a different schedule.
It's been 7 years they've been together. From the up and down in the idol industry, lace with the scandals and controversies. They have been through most of the challenges and has become one of the top sought idol.
People might think the personalities would become rougher and arrogant as more years has come by, but the team member's bond has become tighter than ever.
Especially towards their eldest, Kim Iwol.
Ever since he had woke up from a coma caused by a sudden cardiac arrest, they have been protective over him, even though 2 years has passed by. They would always make sure he eats right, sleep well and rest enough.
And now, the company has booked a whole villa with a private pool for the members to rest and having fun for a week. They also make sure to let the members know there'll be no self content during the vacation. The staff knows the members well enough that they might trying to work while on break, which they were trying to protest, just like they predicted.
Lee Cheongyeon open the sliding door that connects to the private pool with a big smile on his face and a big yellow floaty on his arm. Kang Kiyeon was by right his side carrying a beach ball as both of them already wearing shorts.
"Gi-yeong ahh! It's a big pool!"
"Let's go!"
"Don't run aigoo! Wear your sunscreen!"
Kim Iwol is wearing a blue short and white short hoodie yells from the inside. He is putting on a sunscreen on Choi Jeho's back while Jeong Seongbin do it on Park Joowoo's.
"We did! Can we go now?"
They didn't even hear the whole 'Yes' from Kim Iwol but the splash water can be heard, making Kim Iwol yells again for them to not jump into the pool. Jeong Seongbin just chuckles and ask Kim Iwol to take it easy for them today which cause him to get nagged for neglecting the children's safety.
Kim Iwol pats on Choi Jeho's back and ask him to look after the kids, making the another eldest to scoffs.
"What?"
"They are an adults. They can take care of themselves."
"No. They are still babies in my eyes. Can you say that when you see Kiyeon's adorable cute face? Or can you say that when you see the sparkly shine jewels on Cheongyeon's face?"
Choi Jeho's eyebrows frowns in disbelief but he still stands up and go towards the pool with Park Joowoo follows on the back. They can hear the maknaes calling the newly appeared members, asking them to join right away.
"Iwol, let me put the sunscreen on you."
Kim Iwol raise up his hand and shakes his head.
"It's okay Seongbin, I'm not going to join in the pool. I will just put it on my exposed skin."
"Why not?"
"Well.."
"..."
A hand could be felt on Kim Iwol's back shirt as he turn to see Jeong Seongbin's face become serious.
"You promised to tell us anything that discomfort you."
"I did.. It just."
"Is it because of your back?"
"Yes.. I don't want you to touch it, it looks horrifying and disgusting."
"Do you hate it if I touch your back?"
"No I don't. I just don't want you to be disgusted."
"Take your shirt off."
"Pardon?"
A hand quickly grab on the lower hem of the shirt as he quickly trying to push it down. Another extra hands suddenly grab his wrists and raise it up. It's Choi Jeho.
"What are you doing, Choi Jeho?"
"I heard everything you said."
Jeong Seongbing quickly raise up the shirt and expose half of the large scar on the back as Kim Iwol trying to shrink his face on between the cloth.
"Iwol ah."
"..Yes?"
"You're one pitiful soul."
"..I'm sorry, you must be horrified."
"I'm neither disgusted or horrified, Iwol. I'm wondering if you can still feels any pain on this."
A sudden finger touch the rough skin making Kim Iwol flinch in surprise.
"Kim Iwol?"
"I'm sorry, I was surprised. No, I don't feels any pain, but the scars kind of making the skin more sensitive."
"There's no reason to hide it, you even exposed it when you were acting on drama before. What's wrong with it?"
"I know, it's just.. when I rethink about it again, I don't think people would like this kind of stuffs."
"Not me. Not the other members."
Kim Iwol's overthinking and mental health instability is not new for them, but they have a make a system for him or any members to speaks out loud if there are any problems with their daily thoughts. However, some old habits die hard. Once in a while, Kim Iwol would still hide things from them, even though he thought it's not a problems, but a normal daily things.
Jeong Seongbin couldn't help but sighs out loud.
"Come on Iwol, we already told you that we are not disgusted by it. Take off your shirt and we will go have fun in the pool. Together, no exception."
An order came from the leader. They know Kim Iwol won't say 'no' to their leader. He raise his arms up for Choi Jeho pull the shirt off from him. He hugs himself while showing his large scars on the back towards the two members.
He tries to makes himself as small as he can.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm embarrassed."
"Pfftt..."
Jeong Seongbin and Choi Jeho couldn't help but chuckles while looking at Kim Iwol's red ears. Jeong Seongbin then proceed to uncap the sunscreen bottle cap and begin the process slowly.
The scars are so huge, even though this is not their first time seeing the scar, it would always makes them upset. They would never say it in front of Kim Iwol's face but the scar reminds them of how no one ever try to protect the child Kim Iwol.
The child who survived by his own.
The child who suffer alone.
The child with no childhood.
A lonely, unloved child.
"Iwol ah.."
"Yes, Seongbin?"
"Do you still remember how you got this scar?"
"..."
"You don't have to say if it's too painful for you."
"I did remembered a few of it, but it becomes blurry with more time I spend, with all of you."
"Really?"
"I swear it's true."
It really does. Between Kim Hyoil and Kim Han's pasts, both have the same painful actions during that certain timeline. The difference between the two was Kim Hyoil has his sister that brought him to the hospital right away, making the scar smaller than it is, while Kim Han suffers by his own, bleeding excessively until he passed out. That's what Kim Iwol has deducted on the difference between the two timelines.
He could feels the lotion being apply to his shoulder, the tip of the scar.
"That's good, you shouldn't have anymore bad memories with you. Just create a happy one with us instead."
"I will, Seongbin."
"Even so Iwol ah, the memories might fade but the scars inside of you might won't."
"..."
"If anything like this or something like PD Yoo Hansoo ever happens again, we will protect you. You won't be alone this time, Iwol ah."
"Seongbin.."
"Okay, it's all done on the back."
Choi Jeho open his hand to ask for the sunscreen from Jeong Seongbin. When Kim Iwol ask why he need the sunscreen, Choi Jeho nonchalantly answer.
"You haven't put it on your front."
"I can do it by my own, thank you very much!"
As Kim Iwol snatch it from Choi Jeho's hand.
ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅇㅡㅡㅡㅡ
"Ayy hyung, what are you guys doing? Brewing the lotions?"
Lee Cheongyeon yells out loud when the three members come out from the sliding door. The yells stop midway when a water being sprayed to his face. When Lee Cheongyeon asked who did this to him, he can see a big grins coming from Park Joowoo and Kang Kiyeon, both are holding a water guns.
Choi Jeho jumps straight into the pool, causing a big splash on every members with the ones in the pool screams from it. Jeong Seongbin carefully dips himself from the corner of the pool before he gets closer to the other members.
Sunrays hits Kim Iwol's eyes as he looks up to the blue clear sky. It really is a good day for a swim.
"Iwol ah"
"Kim Iwol"
"Iwol"
"Iwol Iwol"
"Iwol"
The members calling for his name as he slowly looks over.
Someone cares and would protect him now.
He looks over on every sparkling and bright smiles of the spArk members.
This could only happens because of one wish.
Even though he finally reunite with his sister Yeo Hana, he would always remember Kim Wonju.
Thank you noona.
Kim Iwol use the pool stairs to get into the water and steps closer to the members that kept calling for his name.
The scars exposed behind his back would never brings him back to the past, ever.
No matter how large the scars are.
His newly found family's smiles would always heals it.