THE ZOO [FF NCT AESPA]
The Part 15

Hendery regained his senses after daydreaming in light of his failure to apply for the opening of the band's club. Without Taeyoung's questionnaire, the band club did not open in the second half of last year. But his efforts were not entirely in vain. After a long discussion, Hendery's proposal was finally accepted. The band club officially opened in the new school year in April, the school will also provide a club coach if the club members number 5 or more. The conditions given by the school are also still the same; the value of band club members should not go down. The school realizes that the band club has the potential to have many members and does not want the mass drop in value event to happen again.

But all the expectations of the school were very inversely proportional to what happened. The band club is no longer in demand. Rumors regarding the fate of ‘sial’ were also a barrier factor in the recruitment process of club members. After the club opened, Hendery still remained the same, he still wanted Taeyoung to be at his club. Playing music with the former club chairman was fun, Taeyoung used to be a warm and very understanding person. He even had a special time with Hendery to teach him to play guitar.

From the beginning of the new school year until now, Hendery is still trying to get Taeyoung into his club again, but not as often as he used to. He only met Taeyoung on a certain day, Hendery even deliberately did not close the door of the band club room meetings so that Taeyoung who did literary club activities on the same day as the band club, the band, I can hear the band sound.

This afternoon Hendery walks past the sports hall behind the school. His head was facing the open hall and there was a loud noise from within. Hendery saw the karate club doing training there. Hendery walked until he attached himself to the door of the hall. He saw two karate club students fighting and another sitting on the edge of the arena cheering them both on.

“Oy,” heard a voice from behind Hendery.

Hendery turned his head and looked at Yuta in a karate uniform and was eating ice cream in a fairly cold air today.

“Oh, Hendery!” Yuta's fierce face turned cheerful again. “Wae? Now you're interested in karate?” Yuta asked the 2nd grader who was peeking at his club activities.

“Ah, aniyeyo sunbae,” replied Hendery rather panicked. “just look around,”

Yuta nodded in understanding. “how is your club? I heard you wanted to perform at the school anniversary show huh?”

“Ne!” Hendery's voice was excited as usual. “There were 1st grade students who helped us become vocalists and guitarists,”

“Woow...cool..” praise Yuta while pulling the ice cream stick from inside his mouth.

“Yuta hya!” Johnny calls Yuta from the school park. As usual, he came with Taeyoung. “mwoya, you skipped training?” Johnny asked who caught Yuta relaxing outside the hall.

“Hya aniya!” Yuta Yuta did not accept. “See, grade 1 child is sparing. My turn is done,” replied Yuta who pointed to the activities inside the hall with his ice cream stick.

“Taeyoung ah, you know? They will be performing on the school anniversary,” Yuta now points to Hendery who is standing next to him.

“O. I told you,” Johnny interrupted Yuta.

“Hya why didn't you tell me?!” Yuta Protests.

“Aigoo, it's done. You're the one who didn't listen,” Johnny narrowed his eyes staring at the cynical Yuta.

Hendery laughed awkwardly. His mind is still setting the sentence to invite Taeyoung back to the band club, “We will perform two songs,” Hendery said without asking. “A..I return to drum position,”

“Mm,” nod Johnny who already knows the formation of the band Hendery. “because there is already Giselle and Jeno, ‘kan,”

“If hyung...” Hendery takes the word slowly. “whyung want to appear with us?”

As he was used to hearing Hendery's invitation, Yuta and Johnny exchanged glances ready to wait for Taeyoung's reaction. This time Taeyoung's reaction was different than usual. He didn't go ignore Hendery. Taeyoung sighed and crossed his arms. Taeyoung lowered his eyebrows and put on a astonished face at Hendery.

“You... never lost a friend, huh?” Taeyoung said this time looking at Hendery without feeling upset.

“Hya,” by Yuta.

Taeyoung doesn't care about Yuta's light snaps. He was still staring at Hendery who looked shocked by what he had just said. “My color, someone lost his life. Because of me, the Hansol family lost their only son,”

This time Johnny calmed down by holding Taeyoung's shoulder. “Taeyoung ah, why are you talking like this? It's not all your fault,”

Taeyoung smiled by raising one end of her lips. “Hhhh.I'm the head of his band, and I destroyed everything. And now... You're asking me to come back? Back to the club I destroyed myself?” His words were still focusing on Hendery.

“Mwoya?! Stop!” Yuta sounded more emotional. “I told you it wasn't your fault! Why don't you understand?!” he said furious, making Hendery afraid of the quarrel of the two seniors.

“Aniya, Yuta hya,” Taeyoung tries to control his emotions by making a quiet voice. “you who do not understand,”

Taeyoung said his last sentence, he turned around and walked quickly away from his friends. Unfinished Yuta convinces Taeyoung that he was not the cause of the incident a year ago, running after Taeyoung who began to enter the school garden yard with flowers that were well cared for by school guards. Yuta's move accelerated until the wet soil in the park was slightly scattered by Yuta's footsteps. Hendery was still speechless staring at the two backs of his seniors who were away. His mind is still mixed. He then ventured into chasing Taeyoung with Johnny who also started walking behind him.

Hendery begins to see Taeyoung and Yuta. Taeyoung is still undaunted by walking quickly after Yuta manages to pull his shoulder and turn Taeyoung around.

“Hyung!” Hendery yelled out to Taeyoung. “I understand, hyung!” He raised his voice.

Johnny who followed Hendery from behind stopped his steps. “Hendery ah,” Johnny speaking softly.

Taeyoung and Yuta also fell silent to Hendery's loud screams. Taeyoung and Yuta turned his body to look at Hendery.

Hendery walked slowly towards Taeyoung. Yuta then removes himself from Hendery's presence so that the two members of the band's club can talk face to face.

“I understand...” reset Hendery this time with a quieter voice. “Just like hyung, I'm sad too. I lost Hansol hyung too. It was Hansol hyung who taught me to play drums properly. We are both also close, hyung.”

Hendery issued a sentence that he had been silent because Taeyoung always ignored him. Hendery's face looks reddened because it suppressed the anger and sadness that is now one. He sees Taeyoung speechless listening, something Taeyoung has never done before.

“Then the accident..” continued Hendery. “what hyung caused the accident to happen?”

Johnny held onto Hendery's shoulder like he was trying to control his emotions. For an entire year, Taeyoung's friends had never once talked about the bad accident.

“I invited them,” replied Taeyoung while pointing at him. “aku who invited them to the race in Paju City,”

“Hhhh...!” Hendery who really looked annoyed randomized his side hair. “Aniya! That's because you guys want to try until the end, right?!” Hendery raised his voice. “Club will be closed soon, the school gives so many conditions and starts not supporting the club activities, but hyung still wants to try until the end, ‘kan?! Hyung and the other hyungs, all want to prove that our club can boast of the school, hyung even tried to raise the value!” He said with a gasp of breath. “about the accident, hyung is only there at the wrong time..”.

Johnny lowered his shoulder from Hendery's shoulder. He totally agrees with his words. “True, Taeyoung ah. Stop blaming yourself,”

“Hyung.” Hendery immediately continued his sentence. The cheerful smile he used to put on his face was completely invisible again today. Hendery's angry face slightly intimidated Taeyoung. “aku invites hyung back to the club not to add members so the club gets a coaching teacher,” Hendery walked closer to Taeyoung who had not warted earlier.

“Hendery ah,” call Johnny who was not hugged by Hendery.

“I brought hyung back, because it still feels clear that hyung still wants to play guitar, that hyung still wants to be in the band club, that he wants to be in the band,” he said with a fairly close distance to the former head of the band's club. “but if my guess is wrong, you've. I don't have to take hyung anymore,”

Taeyoung stepped back his legs. Taeyoung's round eyes were still wide open with his mouth closed, not knowing what to react to Hendery's on-target guess. Hendery stopped the cold conversation today with a bow of respect and turned his back to walk away from Taeyoung, Yuta and Johnny.

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