[One-shot] Yet Another Year

Jan 01, 2010 23:38

Title: Yet Another Year (YAY)
Type: One-shot
Author: presstoreset 
Rating: G
Genre: Friendship
Characters: Super Junior
Summary: The last day of 2009.
Disclaimer: I do not own Super Junior.



Happy new year everybody! :D
This is for fellow midnight spazzer, random poker and evil stalker twistedlives who reminded me of a conversation we had of Sungmin.
Have fun reading~!!^^
& happy birthday Sungmin! <3

The night was free of turbulence and the many cars whizzed past on the roads. The streetlights cast pools of golden yellow on the slate gray concrete, the beacons of light shining a guided pathway to safety.

It was quiet where he was but he did not mind the silence one bit. He sat along the window sill and gazed down at the whispering trees and darkened streets. He had his knees tucked close to him and his arms were looped gently around his knees. He leaned against the hard, whitewashed wall, welcoming the comfortable chill seeping through his dark blue hoodie and onto his skin.

Lee Sungmin continued to watch the streets but his mind was elsewhere. The year was coming to an end in just a few hours. And in those few hours, he would be another year older.

A year had passed. A full year with three hundred and sixty-five days. Or almost.

From his position, he could hear the customary babble of voices from outside the room.

An ordinary conversation with occasional laughter from Eunhyuk’s room as he chatted with Donghae. Soft plinks; Ryeowook would be tinkling around with his keyboard. Yesung humming as he read his book. And of course, not to mention the trickles of noise which would be loud enough to be heard through the ceiling. Leeteuk’s unusual, raucous laughter and Heechul’s occasional snorts. The scraping of chairs against wooden floor. The sounds of pots and pans clanging; Hankyung in the kitchen perhaps.

It was just like any other night.

If not for the calendar and the presence of so many Gayo Daejun performances, Sungmin would’ve thought that it was just another day. Of course, it was not.

Because today was different, as with all the previous nights before the year ended.

As he leaned against the tall window pane, he could feel the cool chill on the crystal-clear glass but he welcomed it, his face warm right next to the coldness. He let out a sigh and condensation appeared on the glass just for the briefest moment.

He cast his mind back to one year before when he was sitting in the exact same place and in the exact same position….thinking about the exact same things.

His mind lingered on the past but swiftly went through time like a sharp knife cutting through melting butter.

Sungmin remembered the times when he would simply throw himself into practice, into bettering himself as Super Junior prepared for their third album. He remembered thinking, “This is it. This is going to be huge. Let this comeback propel us to conquer 2009 with Sorry, Sorry!”

The many retakes and individual shots for the music video were worth it. As he stood amongst his fellow members and watched the recorded clips play back on the computer, he could not help but feel really proud of all of them and their efforts.

Even now, he could still remember the feel of Ryeowook leaning slightly on his right, the feel of Kyuhyun’s blazer under his fingers ad he leaned forward to watch the recorded clips, the weight of Donghae’s arm slung around his neck and the ticklish feel of Yesung’s breath across his skin as the elder strained forward to watch.

When they had their comeback, he had thought that the word nervous was not enough to cover that feeling. The backstage was literally trembling with anticipation, excitement and extreme nerves. Some members ran over their lines, some practiced certain dance moves….

It was so tensed but Sungmin had felt confidence burst inside him in full-force when they piled their hands together.

Sungmin could still remember the sound of their voices echoing around the waiting room as they shouted, “Hwaiting!”

He remembered the many sapphire blue balloons waving infront of his eyes and the chants streaming from ELF’s mouths.

Then there were those nights when he would spend hours with Ryeowook. They would hole themselves in Ryeowook’s room with stacks of music sheets, a keyboard and a guitar.

According to Eunhyuk, they could even hear their laughter, plinks from the keyboard and the guitar strumming from upstairs. Of course they guy would know; Leeteuk and Donghae would’ve let it slip once or twice.

They had spent a long time on the song and when it was finally ready, the other members had filed into the recording studio, not knowing what to expect. Sungmin could still remember the smiles on their faces when they first heard the instrumental music of Love U More. He could still remember the satisfaction and pride when the two of them showcased their work.

The year passed smoothly.

Each day was the same yet different at the same time.

From waking up in the morning to making his way to the dance studio to practice his dance moves, from practicing his vocals to making his way back to the dorms again, it was all so familiar to Sungmin.

Of course, one would remember the awesome performance put together by members from 2AM, 2PM, SHINee and Super Junior.

Sungmin still remembered clutching his stomach in laughter when 2AM’s Jokwon started to dance his infamous ssanti dance and when they first saw their coloured skinnies, the group of males had a great time laughing at each other in the dance studio.

I would never ever look at Gee the same way again, Sungmin had mused.

Definitely not. Why?

Sungmin had wondered why he was doing this as he waited for his turn. Heechul had held auditions to pick the best nine members to perform Gee during their Super Show 2 concerts.

(Kangin’s eyes almost popped when he heard, “AUDITION?! We need to have an audition?!”)

So for the rest of the year, he really did not look at Gee the same way again. Especially when he had to wear those green skinnies and that wig.

It was fun though, to run around the stage with those props. It was where he could almost let loose and let out the inner kid in him.

Sungmin reminisced about the long-needed vacation….it was the first time they had been so relaxed with everybody present. To him, it felt like home again.

Waves crashing onto the sandy shore…the random shouts of laughter as someone or other was doused or splashed with seawater…

Sungmin smiled as he traced random patterns on the cool window.

Akilla marked a turning point in his career after that.

He had never been in a musical before and one month of prancing and belting out high and low notes as Ro had taught him a lot. Not to mention the intense training and practices before. Even though it was grueling and it can get pretty tiring, he had enjoyed himself, always striving to do his best, even if it meant staying back for another extra hour.

Sungmin almost jumped when he was rudely jerked from his reverie by someone….actually, it’s not a someone per se; apparently, Heebum had let out a particularly loud meow which could even be heard through the ceiling.

His lips curved into a small smile as he thought of his own Hyaku.

His cyworld had rained with so too many comments and replies to count when he posted up pictures and animations of Hyaku.

He closed his eyes and leaned back, his head resting against the wall and his mind wandering.

[+]

“Hyung! Who’s going to do it?!”

“Wait wait! Sshhhh! Where’s Hae?”

“I’m here but Teukie hyung went to get the camera.”

“We already have one here!”

“No no, the camcorder! We’re going to record it remember?”

“Just don’t dirty the place! I don’t want to have to clean up so much mess!”

“Smear it?”

“Hae! Are you going to do it?”

“Ask Kyuhyun, it’s his room.”

“Kyuhyunnie~!”

“Sshhh! Keep quiet!”

“No no, let’s get him out of the room!”

“Hyung! Yesungie hyung, you okay back there?”

“Oh Teukie hyung’s back!”

“Force him, hyung!”

“Carry him? There are 14 of us here anyway!”

“Let’s go in and do it. He can’t complain anyway!”

“Sungmin ah~!”

Leeteuk knocked on the door, his hand already twisting the knob. He slipped in and shut the door, hoping the rest could not be seen.

He got his wish.

“Ah hyung, it’s you...what’s up?” Sungmin slid his legs off and allowed them to dangle from the edge of his seat.

“Nothing much…what’re you doing in here alone anyway?” Leeteuk settled down on the edge of Sungmin’s bed and watched the younger male.

“Just thinking…” A ghost of a smile played across Sungmin’s lips.

“Kyuhyun’s opening a bottle of wine, why don’t you join us for a while? It’s the new year anyway!”

For a split second, Leeteuk frowned for he noticed that Sungmin stilled for just a moment, hesitant and unsure but he visibly relaxed and flashed his trademark fox-like smile.

Leeteuk did the same in return, his dimple prominent against his pale skin. He stood up and waited for Sungmin to do the same before leading the way towards the door.

[+]

“Now what..?” Donghae worried his lower lip unconsciously as he thought about how they should proceed with the plan. He could feel twelve pairs of eyes on his and for once, he felt a wee bit uneasy.

Then, it clicked.

“Come on, let’s hide out in the kitchen; they’ll be coming out after all. Switch off all the lights!”

“They’ll be coming out there anyway, right?” Kibum asked, the gears in his mind clearly moving quickly.

“Yes. Teukie hyung said he’ll tell Sungmin that Kyuhyun’s opening a bottle of wine,” this time, it was Eunhyuk who replied instead of Donghae.

“I am?” The said male’s eyes widened in surprise.

Heechul eyed Kyuhyun as he wearily shifted Heebum in his arms, “Maybe later…”

“So…we are opening a bottle….right?”

Heechul frowned and nudged Kyuhyun’s ribs with his elbow. “Aish, you’re too noisy. C’mon, let’s turn off the lights.”

There were shuffles and whispers as everybody finalized the plan and hurried into position, sometimes bumping into each other or stepping onto each other’s foot as they groped around in the dark.

As Yesung and Donghae herded the rest into the kitchen, they shared a glance when they heard Leeteuk’s voice and the unmistakable sound of the door knob turning. Donghae’s breath hitched and Yesung’s heartbeat almost skipped a beat.

From the corner of his eye, Donghae saw Yesung send a nod and a thumbs-up in his general direction, and he nudged Kangin’s side.

It’s time.

[+]

“What the…”

Sungmin never got the words out of his mouth for Leeteuk had nimbly flipped the switch and they were both propelled into darkness.

It took Sungmin a while for his eyes to accommodate but during those precious seconds, he felt a pair of cold hands pin his wrists together. Of course, he struggled on instinct.

“Hyung! What do you think you’re doing?!”

Sungmin managed to force out the words before he felt someone’s hand clamp over his mouth. This one was larger and just slightly coarser. He could hear Leeteuk scrambling behind him as he rummaged through his pockets. He tried to twist his arm to release his wrists but whoever was holding on to them relented.

“Youngwoon..Youngwoon! Wait..don’t move so much.”

Youngwoon? What’s Kangin hyung doing here!

Sungmin caught sight of his hyung’s face before he was hurled rather rudely into the darkness when something soft fell over his eyes.

Leeteuk tied a neat knot at the back of Sungmin’s head and helped Kangin hold onto the youngest male’s wrists.

“Hyung, what’s going on?” Sungmin’s voice was clear.

The series of clicks resounded in the room and the tension in the atmosphere rocketed.

“Hyung, talk to me. What’s going on!?” Now, Sungmin’s voice had a tinge of panic in it.

Now isn’t the time for a guilt trip, Leeteuk thought as he leaned close to Sungmin’s ear.

“Sungmin..Sungmin, listen to me. Youngwoon and I will be guiding you, okay? Do you trust hyung?”

Sungmin jerked away when he felt Leeteuk’s breath ghost along the shell of his ear; it tickled.

Do I trust hyung? Do I?

Sungmin’s tongue darted out to wet his dry lips before he answered.

“Yes.”

[+]

Yesung held open the door as Leeteuk and Kangin guided a nervous Sungmin out into the hallway. He glanced at their retreating backs in amusement before settling in step right behind them.

From where he was, he could hear Leeteuk encouraging Sungmin gently and he could see the amusement plain in Kangin’s eyes as he fought to keep silent.

His part was done. Or almost.

Right now, it was Donghae’s turn.

[+]

“Hyukkie, turn it on.”

Donghae glanced over as Eunhyuk pulled out the camcorder and worked on it. He turned back and focused his attention on the scene in front of him.

It was pretty funny, really.

After all, it’s not everyday you get to see your hyung being blindfolded and handcuffed by the group’s leader and his close friend.

He caught Yesung’s eye and gave a grin. The said hyung gave a thumbs-up and moved forward to help nudge Sungmin along.

Gee, who would think that pumpkin boy would be so hard to move!

But the journey to the kitchen was short and in no time, Sungmin was already standing in the midst of all fourteen members, feet shuffling nervously and all.

Donghae motioned for Siwon to light up the candles. Sungmin twitched at the click of the lighter.

Leeteuk turned the key and unlocked the cuffs around Sungmin’s wrists. He almost had a heart attack when Sungmin’s hands shot up immediately to his blindfold but Kangin was quicker and he pinned them down again, much to Sungmin’s aggravation.

“Sungmin ah, when I count to three, I will remove the blindfold okay?”

The younger nodded mutely, bouncing a little on the balls of his feet.

“One…”

“Two….”

Sungmin could not wait any longer but Kangin still held his wrists.

“Three!”

Sungmin was temporarily blinded and he thought the place exploded.

[+]

“You guys planned this?!”

All fourteen members nodded at him, flashing their famous smiles.

“How did…how did you plan this without me knowing?!”

“Hyung, maybe you were just too busy fawning over Hyaku to notice,” Kyuhyun’s eyes twinkled as he took a jibe at his hyung.

“Ha. Ha. Very funny, Kyuhyun. But I’m always around whenever you -”

Just then, Leeteuk’s voice rang out loud and clear in the little kitchen.

“Hey everybody! Let’s take a picture!”

Everyone scrambled into position with Sungmin smack in the middle. As the camera began to flash, indicating that the timer was on, Henry knew that phase two was about to begin.

It’s Donghae’s turn.

[+]

Henry was conveniently right behind Sungmin and he was also conveniently sandwiched between Yesung and Donghae. Donghae nodded perceptibly to Henry and Yesung, and as the flash from the camera went off, there came a particularly loud yell.

[+]

“Hyung, you didn’t have to help them.”

“I wanted to,” Yesung shrugged as he watched the leader making a beeline towards a pouting Sungmin. A very sweet, very creamy Sungmin that is.

Right when the camera went off, Henry, Donghae and Yesung had each reached over and plastered a large chunk of cake onto Sungmin’s face.

The picture taken afterwards was one to remember.

Kibum had promised to make copies of the picture for the rest of the members, causing Sungmin to glare at him but Hankyung had come to his aid and Sungmin could not rebuke.

“Sungmin ah, we could always post up the picture! The fans would love it!” Heechul smirked and looped his arms around Heebum, preventing the said cat from reaching the cake.

“No way that’s going to happen,” Sungmin threw a death glare in Heechul’s general direction before being tackled by the sneaky leader.

Just as Leeteuk bit off a piece of cake from Sungmin’s cheek, earning himself a yell, Eunhyuk snapped off another shot with his camera.

The rest of the night was spent teasing the poor birthday boy.

[+]

It was almost three in the morning before they cleaned up after themselves. The 12th floor members dashed back to grab a pillow or two before reappearing on the front steps of the 11th floor dorm; it was customary for them to all squish themselves into the largest room just for the night, sharing memorable moments, resolutions and the precious time they have together.

Like every other year, they would sit cross-legged or lie sprawled in the room. This year, Leeteuk had offered his and Donghae’s shared bedroom so there they were, all fifteen of them, in various positions. Some sitting on the edges of the beds, some leaning against the bed posts on the floor, some on the chairs with their knees tucked close to them, some even leaning against each other.

Sungmin could not help but smile at the sight of gather together in the room with naught but their own memories, bottles of water and boxes of tissue to share. Of course, they had practice the next day so soju, wine, and basically any alcoholic drinks are out of the question.

(Yes, Kyuhyun never got to open the said wine bottle that night.)

But of course, it would be a good thing for there would be no tipsy Heechul uploading any pictures onto his Cyworld....though Sungmin wasn't entirely sure if a sober Heechul would do so in the first place.

As Leeteuk started the ball rolling, the words seemed to flow and never end. So did the tears.

Everyone had something to contribute, whether the good or bad times, the quarrels or the dinners together, everything was laid out right in front of them that night.

As Sungmin snagged a piece of tissue and passed it to a crying and chuckling Donghae right beside him, he bit down a teary smile. He was thankful for everything. He was grateful for the surprise party and for this tradition.

But most of all, he was thankful for Super Junior and ELF, for deep in his heart, he knew that they would always be there for him, no matter what.

[+]

Outside, the moon hung high, not obscured by roving clouds, a smiling crescent illuminating the sky which was peppered with twinkling stars.

The stars shone bright and clear, like the shining dreams of fifteen men gathered together in a room with barely enough space to navigate.

Goodbye 2009.

sj: sungmin, sj: one-shot, super junior

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