OPEN YOUR EYES (BLIND I) - MUSIQ SERIES PART 2

20. CRUMBLING *TW

TW: After the cut the chapter talks about abusive behaviours, although nothing explicit is shown. Skip to the next chapter if needed.

"What do you want to talk about?" Heejin asked him, throwing her empty coffee cup to the bin before sitting down on the couch.

"About how you have been avoiding me these past few days, to be quick and simple," he immediately answered, shocking Heejin with how direct he was since he barely ever was like that. "It was pretty obvious."

"I haven't been actively ignoring you. I've just been... taking some alone time to think," she admitted. "I'm sorry. I just haven't been in the best mood lately, but don't worry."

"You can't just expect me to not worry; I always worry. I don't want to be the person you go to just when you are feeling okay. I want to be there for you when you are feeling low, even if the reason you are feeling low is me. I want you to always tell me." He sat down next to her and held her hand. "I know it is hard, believe me, but I want you to talk to me about these things more. I have been trying to open up to you, but I want it to be the other way around too."

"I just find it hard sometimes," she admitted, leaning her head on his arm. "Especially this time."

"Are you like this because of the comments and all?"

"Half of it is that, yes. Just before, when I was buying the coffees for Haeil, Hiraku and Dara, some fans were telling me I was now going after Hiraku after going for Haeil and you. I know it's a lie and Hiraku even told them we were just friends, but it still doesn't feel nice to hear those things. I feel like I'm only surrounded by hateful comments ever since I released «Jam Jam». I don't know if debuting will actually be good for me anymore. It feels like the public doesn't really like me."

"That's nonsense! They just haven't gotten to know you yet. Other than in the athletic championships they haven't seen you before, and that time they only showed you when you were playing. The only other times they have been able to see you were the day when we performed together on stage because we were wearing matching outfits and on my birthday livestream, and you didn't talk much in any of those. They don't hate you, Heejin, they are just jealous."

"Even if that were to be the case, Alix told me the other day I'm not ready to debut and they won't let me do so until they think I'm ready," she finally confessed.

"What do you mean? Aren't you ready?"

"Back when I refused to debut solo, the CEOs decided to try to plan a group I could be a part of, but they don't think I'm mentally prepared to debut and have halted the plans because of it. Simply put, I'm ruining other people's chances of debuting."

Right when she said that, the door burst open and Minako stepped inside the room, followed by Xia and Lihua.

"What did you just say?!" Minako exclaimed as the other girls tried to hold her back. "Are you telling me I'm still training because of you?!"

"Wait, I can explain! It's a misunderstanding!" Heejin said, standing up to try to talk to her but backing away as soon as she tried to launch towards her while screaming.

"You were offered a solo debut and never told us and now you are jeopardising other people's debut?! How can you explain that?!"

Once again, Heejin felt her vision going blurry from Minako's yelling and aggressiveness, which Axel quickly sensed. He decided to take action and stepped in front of Heejin protectively, but that only seemed to anger Minako even more.

"Do you think you will solve anything by yelling?" Axel told her.

"Minako, calm down!" Xia and Lihua pleaded.