It Will Always Be Us - Prologue
Eight young men sat in a tight circle on the gymnasium floor. Some had already known each other previously, while others introduced themselves to the newly formed group.
Each man brought unique energy and emotions to the group. Nerves on full display, nonchalance, half aloofness and half interest, excitement beyond the comprehension of the common folk. Nevertheless, they were a group now. And they needed to come up with a name for themselves.
“Anyone got some good ideas?” Jongho, the youngest in the group, broke the silence. He glanced at the others, who were all thinking in their own ways.
San raised his hand. “How about ‘The Extraordinary Eight?’” A few of them nodded in agreement.
“It's a contender, for sure,” Yeosang said. “This one might knock your socks off: ‘We Have No Idea What We’re Doing!’” A round of sighs and facepalms could be heard around the circle.
Wooyoung glared at his best friend. “Not helpful. I suggest ‘The Eight Weirdos.’”
Seonghwa let out a slight chuckle. “Weirdos? Absolutely not. Not that my ideas are any better. I offer ‘Nervous Wrecks.’”
“Nervous wreck? Couldn't be me.” Yunho grinned. “How about ‘The Incredibles?’”
“Nah, that's unoriginal,” Mingi countered. “I feel like we should be called ‘The Dudebros.’” A round of sighs and facepalms could be heard around the circle.
“We're so creative,” Jongho said sarcastically. “Unfortunately, I'm not any better. Best I've got is ‘HongSeongYunYeoSanMingWooJong…’”
“That's funny, but that won't do,” Yunho said. “We’ve got one last shot at this name thing. Got anything good, Hongjoong?”
Seven heads turned simultaneously to the spiky-haired man that had yet to speak. He had a gleam in his eyes.
“I've got it, y’all,” Hongjoong said. “But hear me out first. Let's call ourselves ‘The Pirates.’ One, because I think pirates are cool. Two, because it's our best choice. Three…” He shook his head. “Because it just sounds cool!”
A murmur of agreement rippled through the group. Yunho gave Hongjoong two thumbs up.
“I’m sold,” Yeosang said. “It describes me perfectly. I couldn't pay for a thousand streaming subscriptions.”
“It's good, I guess,” Wooyoung muttered, failing to hide his smile.
Hongjoong grinned. “Alright, cool! So we're ‘The Pirates.’ Let's go tell the orientation leader.”
Thus, ‘The Pirates’ were born. At the end of orientation, the eight freshmen exchanged contact information. A group chat was formed. It was rarely used, as they underestimated how busy and stressed they would be in their first year of college. Summer went by similarly, with work getting in the way and a hang out scheduled every month. Before they knew it, freshman year had come and gone, along with the following summer.
It Will Always Be Us - Series | 2026 | by loafietiny
