After almost six years of training, Hanuel is finally debuting as a solo artist. While overcoming obstacles of mistreatment and financial strain she has worked hard to prove her determination and dedication to her craft. Also wants to give back the...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Falling into the seat of my fancy and overly expensive car, I rub at my neck to ease the tension from all the stress of this past week. Bang Si-Hyuk had his team shutting down any article that popped up about me. The guys have also been helping reporting articles and thankfully PD-nim shut those down as well. I smile as I think back on all the help that they have given me.
Even with a company's worth of people, literally, it was tough. Keeping track of all the articles. The press is carrying this on longer than usual. Especially with no official announcement from Big Hit Entertainment, Me or even Yelloworks. Like someone is pushing this to be heard, not wanting this to die down just yet.
But with all that, the hardest part was the restriction PD-Nim set. I couldn't visit Haneul for the whole week. I wanted so badly to go and apologize to her myself. In person. For bringing ARMY against her, for stealing her comeback, for plagiarizing her proud work.
Quickly shutting that train of thought down I tug the seatbelt over me and grip the steering wheel. "No. Blaming myself isn't going to help her. I need to see her," I say to myself proudly with as much confidence and assurance as I can muster "I need to apologize. Gotta remember what Yoongi-ah said." Checking all the mirrors and leaning towards the back window I pull out of the Big Hit parking lot.
I pull a smile on my face as I head to the girl that hasn't left my thoughts all week. Maybe for longer than that if I'm to be honest. And of course I play her new single all the way there, with a few other songs mixed in, proper streaming style. Gotta get her views up.
~~~
"I hope she's actually here," I turn down the narrow road where her agency is located. Passing the tall apartment building that shadows the small building I see the company sign. Well what I know used to be. It was now covered in red paint and profanities. Worry surges in my veins and my body goes cold.
Driving closer I see more litter the building and a familiar car in one of the two available parking spaces "Oh no." Pulling in, Parking, and turning off the ignition took 0.5 seconds as I flew out of the car.
Swinging the damaged door open it slams hard on its hinges. Making a loud crashing sound that scares whoever is farther in the building "Hello? Hanuel?" I saw her CEOs car here but there's no way to tell if Haneul is here since she walks everywhere. "CEO Mae?" running down the short hallway I glance in the office. Nobody was there and it didn't look harmed. It's as clean as it was last time I saw it.
Passing the bathroom over I head to the room at the end of the hall, the practice room. I open the door and see CEO Mae standing in the center. She spots me in the mirror as she turns to face me and I bow "Hoseok-ssi! What are you doing here ?"
"Looking for Hanuel. I was hoping she was here," I look erratic as I try to calm my breathing and smoothing out my clothes in the mirror.
"Ah..." She looks at the floor and laughs an empty laugh "Wanting to continue what I interrupted a few weeks ago?"
Confused on what she was talking about at first but quickly remember and give a half laugh of my own. "Well, ah," I cleared my throat looking at the wood flooring "No. But I did come to apologize. So sorry about that. Um nothing happened-" I look up and see the window behind the CEO. "What happened here?" I rush to it and look at the continued profanities on the window.
I turn to her for an answer and she just looks both sad and pissed off "I don't know. But trust me I will get to the bottom of this and punish them fully."
"Good luck. Sasaengs are cruel and don't know when to stop," I say clenching my fist. They won't get away with this. I won't let them hurt her.
"Yea kinda like the press after a huge scandal," I flinch from her tone "A scandal big enough to break an inbound career." I definitely deserved that one. "Big enough to set a whole fanbase on someone that has but a few." I lower my head again, rubbing at my neck in frustration. Feeling her protective glare stare a hole through me. I know. It's just hard to believe that this was the outcome. The press. The Sasaengs. It's all too much. But I will fix this somehow.
"Yea..... my company is doing everything it can to stop the articles."
"Of course Big Hit is. I know Si-Hyuk wouldn't let anything bad happen to you boys. He cares about you too much," she says matter of factly.
"You know Bang Si-Hyuk-ssi?"
"We hung out a few times," stating with a firm tone that I don't think to question further. For fear of maybe losing what little ground I have left to stand on.
"Well he is also shutting down any that involve just her. I asked him to protect her as well," She hums and nods.
"And how's that going?"
"Not well. The harder we push for them to be taken down the harder they pop back up. Like some force is pushing them up out of the woodwork."
"Hmm. I see. I'll look into it." She steps to the red window "In the meantime you should go find Haneul. She called me right before I arrived, which was only 25 minutes or so ago. She sounded a bit freaked out but she didn't sound hurt."
"Ok well glad she's not hurt. Where does she live? I'll go check on her," I pull my car keys out of my pocket.
"She wouldn't have gone home. Think where her safe space is, Hoseok-ssi." She pauses giving me time to think "While you go apologize and set things right with her I have some people to talk to and some sasaengs to hunt down. I won't let anyone get away with hurting her." Her last part she says with a stressed tone making goosebumps appear on my skin. I don't want to know what she has in store for me. Turning towards the door with more anger in her stride she opens the door "Oh and please be gentle with her," she winks and leaves with a smile.
"Okaaaay?" I am so lost on her opinion of me. I look around and grab some of Sagwas's things that were left. I may need them.
Putting everything in my trunk I head towards the best dog park in town.
