If I Were You (Stray Kids Lee Know X Female OC)

Ch. 8: Rumor Has It

"Miyeon-noona!"

Hyunjin bursts through the doors of the studio, a panicked look on his face as he ran to his colleague's manager. At the same time, the young woman turns to him, and upon seeing his panicked expression, her own panic shows as well as she questions him.

"Hyunjin! Have you seen Doyo-"

"Can you believe it? I got onto another scandal!" Hyunjin whines, before falling into a dramatic cry as he grabs Miyeon by the shoulders. And immediately, that brings a confused and annoyed expression to the young woman's face.

"Wait, what?"

"Why does this keep happening to me?!" Hyunjin only continues crying, completely oblivious to Miyeon's unimpressed expression as he cries onto her shoulder.

That is, until the young woman grabs him by his shoulders and pushes him back. "Now what the heck are you on about? I'm saying Doyoung's gone missing! She was supposed to be in her studio but she's not!"

"Oh, but you know she's definitely just run off somewhere again. What about me, Miyeon? I'm literally caught in a death trap made up by someone all because I ran into another idol at a sweets store!"

"Now, wait a minute! Did... Did you just say," Miyeon pauses, holding her palm up infront of Hyunjin's face to make him pause as well. Then she looks him in the eye as she confirms, "You met with an idol at a sweets store?"

Hyunjin remains paused for a few seconds, and then his eyes widen as he seems to realize something, and his gaze suddenly goes everywhere as he tries to explain himself in a flustered state. "W-well- I mean- Hey, I didn't actually meet up with her. I just ran into her-"

"At. A. Sweets. Store. You ran away from your manager?!"

"I-I didn't mean to! I was hungry!"

"Yeah, right. I bet you just went there because the store looked pretty."

Hyunjin falls silent, but then a moment or two, he speaks. "Well, yeah... Gah!" And he recoils when Miyeon scolds him.

"Hey-! Gosh, no wonder you and Doyoung are the best of friends. You're just like her!" Miyeon exclaims, now sounding stressed as she turns away from Hyunjin just to massage her temple. "Ugh, where could she have gone..."

Meanwhile, Hyunjin creeps behind Miyeon cautiously. While the young woman remains preoccupied by where her own idol had gone to, this idol with her is still focused on getting help. From the wrong person, too, apparently. "Hey, noona?... So, will you help me?"

"Ugh, go to your manager!" Miyeon swats him away, and Hyunjin lets out a yelp as he steps back.

"Alright, alright... But what if he kills me-"

"I'll kill you if you don't stop bothering me."

"Alright, I'm going!"

▪■▪

Well...

While Doyoung definitely still took her time to get back to the company, with how nervous Hyunjin felt as he walked to his manager's office, one could almost bet he was just about to leave it.

"Hyung..."

"Let me guess. You got victimized by a paparazzi again. And once again, it's Soyang?"

If Hyunjin had a tail, it would be hanging between his legs by now. And his head remains hanging low as he approached his manager. "W-well, I didn't mean to... How was I supposed to know that they were following me, and I swear, I made sure to check before I entered the shop!"