Seventeen saves me every single time

It's been a hard day for me. I've been crying a lot. I have a shoulder injury, everyone is saying hurtful words when they know that i have a sensitive heart, and depressed as f. I'm in my room, bawling my eyes out because of my mom's hurtful words and the pain in my shoulder. Then my hands started moving on its own and opened my spotify. The first thing I looked for, is my Seventeen playlist. I know that there's a hybe boycott going on, but a girl needs her comfort group on a hard day. I played the playlist, put it on shuffle, I closed my eyes and started to imagine things to relax myself.

First song, "Hug" by Vocal unit.

Everything about it is my favorite. It feels like they're a friend group of mine, like they're here circled around me while singing a song they made for hard days, as if they knew I'm having a hard time, and decided to sing this to comfort me.

All of their voices are my favorites. Whenever i hear DK singing, it feels like he's singing not just for my heart but also for the little girl inside me and my tired soul. Joshua's voice soothes my soul and mind, like he sings while embracing me. Woozi and Jeonghan's voice feels like they're singing a lullaby. They're like gentle moms. And as for Seungkwan, his voice sounds a but nagging, but in a comforting way. Like he's saying "Why are you doing this to yourself? Why are you so hard on yourself? Rest up, will you? You deserve it.

Song changes to "Kidult"

It feels comforting. In my imagination, all members are in my room this time. Giving me an acoustic performance while we all sit in a circle.

I feel like the ones that would be near me are Jun, Dk, S.coups, Joshua, and Mingyu.

Music changed to "Circles"

I'm imagining that we're all in a dark rooftop, with a fake candle in the middle and the stars are way more visible up there. We're all circled around, One of the members has their arm around my shoulders, I'm imagining it's Jun. On my other side, Wonwoo is crying with me, letting me know that I'm not alone. Seungkwan and Dk are singing dramatically to cheer everyone up.

I'm looking around me, look at them one by one, and I see them smile at me softly as if they're saying "it's fine, let it all out, we'll be singing for you until you feel better", and it makes me feel safe and loved.

Song changes to Hiphop unit's "Lean On Me"

In my mind, it's not just the four of them singing. Seungkwan is trying to sing Wonwoo's verse, but it sounds off. Dino is trying to make the music sound like Pi Cheolin's trot version. Everyone is laughing, smiling, and teasing each other.

I feel myself smiling again, slowly.

It feels like they're gonna tease me anytime.

I feel like the first to notice would be either Jeonghan or The8, and the first to tease me would be Hoshi or Joshua.

As I'm imagining myself getting up to leave and face the real world again, they stop me to sing more songs. And the next song is "Don't Wanna Cry" . This time, all of them get up, each of them giving me a pat on the back or on top of my head before going into their choreo positions. They're dping a surprise performance. Everyone, especially Hoshi, DK, and Seungkwan, are singing dramatically, too dramatic, giving their 200% just to make me laugh.

I'm just smiling and laughing, but tears are forming again. They're happy tears this time, because I finally feel loved, safe, heard, and comforted.

If was feeling sleepy, Jun would probably ask me to rest my head on his shoulder while Wonwoo pats my back to help me fall asleep while the Vocal Unit sings one last song, probably Habit, in an acoustic version as a lullaby. I'm imagining all of us, falling asleep in that rooftop, all together.

Having the Vocal Unit step up to sing Habit as an acoustic lullaby… it is breathtaking. Stripped of its usual power-ballad intensity, the song transforms entirely. Jeonghan’s soft whisper, Joshua’s sweet tone, Woozi’s pure melody, and DK and Seungkwan’s velvety, quiet harmonies drift into the night air like a warm blanket. It’s no longer a song about heartbreak; it's a song that says, "Loving you and protecting you is our habit."

​One by one, the chaotic energy completely fades. The teasing stops, the laughing softens into quiet sighs, and all thirteen of them begin to settle down right there on the rooftop with me. No one is leaving. No one is going back downstairs to the real world. We are all staying right there, wrapped up in the safety of the circle i built in my head.

My favorite group is all i needed.

I want to be with them forever. Just like they always say, "Seventeen will challenge Eternity."

Forever and always the number 1 group in my heart. Always 13, my 17.