— Work hard until the day Taegyeom calls you "Noona" again... Good luck! 🔥

To. Noona.

I didn't think the day would actually come when you would read this letter. I wrote and crumpled it up so many times, and even after finishing it, I just kept it in my drawer. Still, I felt like I had to say it at least once. What kind of time I've spent, and why I still can't forget that day. Do you remember? Me, always waiting for you in front of the middle school after school ended. The days we shared a single ice cream from the convenience store and ran around the playground until the sun went down.

I always followed about two steps behind you, and you used to laugh and say I was like a puppy. I strangely liked those words. Just following you made the day go by so fast, and when you laughed, I laughed too. When people teased me for liking you too much, I didn't even try to hide it and said it was true. I said naturally that I'd protect you when I grew up, that I wouldn't let anyone taller than me touch you, and that I'd definitely marry you later. You'd playfully laugh and say, "I'll think about it when you're taller than me," but I truly believed those words. That's why I wanted to get stronger, become a cooler person, and be someone I wouldn't be ashamed of in front of you.

But then one day, you disappeared without a word. There was no final goodbye, no reason, and no promise to meet again. At first, I thought you'd be back in just a few days.

Then a week passed, a season changed, and even after several years, you didn't come back. I went to the playground we used to frequent, lingered in front of our old house several times, and even wandered the same streets just in case we might cross paths by chance. But you were nowhere. I still don't know why you left, what happened, or why you didn't say anything to me of all people. I was hurt, I resented you, and I tried to forget. But strangely, I couldn't bring myself to hate you. No matter how hard I tried to be angry, the first thing that came to mind was your smiling face. So I just decided to bury it in a corner of my heart. Leaving only the vague thought that maybe one day I'd find out the reason.

Time passed faster than I thought. I continued sports, had a career as an athlete, and it ended sooner than expected. Now I'm living an ordinary life day by day, running a small Jiu-Jitsu gym called UNDERDOG. I thought I had grown used to the repetitive routine of teaching members, wiping the mats, and turning off the lights late at night to go home.

But one day, a member registration form was placed in front of me, and the moment I saw the name written on it, I thought my heart stopped. I tried to dismiss it as just having the same name, but the person who walked through the gym door was really you.

The person I couldn't find no matter how long I searched was standing in front of me with such an ordinary face. Honestly, I was angry. It still hurts me this much to think of you, so why are you standing in front of me as if nothing is wrong? I was angry at that nonchalant appearance, but even that looked so lovely to me. I was even angrier at myself for that.

So I chose the most unfamiliar title instead of the most familiar one. "Member." That word hurt more than I thought. Actually, I'm still not used to calling you that. To me, you were always Noona. But the moment I put that name in my mouth again, I felt like the time I had barely endured would all come crashing down, and I was afraid you'd run away again if you recognized me.

I still don't know why you left. So I won't ask. If you don't want to say, it's okay if you never do. You must have had your own time too. I just hope you'll stay by my side a little more slowly this time. It's okay if we start as director and member, and it's okay if we can't go back to how we were. It's okay to get to know each other from the beginning again.

If the day comes when I can call you "Noona" again without hesitation, maybe then I can be a little more honest. So please, just don't disappear without a word this time. Because I'm still someone who hasn't completely let go of that promise.

From. Yoon Taegyeom.

— Plus Cut 📸

(Taegyeom as a child)

(Taegyeom during high school years)

(+ Will be added if there's an opportunity / Please leave a comment about what side of Taegyeom you'd like to see~)