MIN LEELA// Stray Kids 9th Member

* Meeting *

   (Gonna get more aggravating here. I hope you guys will enjoy this)!

   It was now the next morning, and Leela just absolutely wanted to die. She had cried herself to sleep reading Tweets of Stays hating on her, destroying their photocards of Leela, and burning merch with her on it. Including merch Leela made herself that she treasured a lot.

   A little while back, Leela had learned how to crochet, and decided to make plushies for Stays. She gifted them to fans at the fanmeets as a limited edition item but then eventually decided to sell them on their official site. Many fans loved it and bought them. And now here they were, burning the plushies Leela put her whole entire heart and soul into.

   A manager came by ATEEZ's dorm to pick Leela up. The younger girl thanked the boys for letting her stay, but they told her they didn’t mind at all. Leela went to her dorm to change and get ready. Luckily, Jeongin and the rest were already gone by then to head to the building.

   Leela made it to JYP Entertainment with Chan, Hyunjin, and Felix by her side. The other boys were driven by Robert a little while before Leela got to the dorms. Of course, Robert was sticking up for them. Leela waited anxiously, trying her hardest to not cry. Hyunjin hugged her as they waited, feeling her shaking in his grasp. Chan and Felix didn't know what to do. They usually knew how to comfort her. But now at this moment, they were clueless.

   They were eventually called, and they made their way to the meeting. Leela felt glares burning into her, and it frightened her. The whole world was against her, she felt. The only ones were Chan, Hyunjin, Felix, ATEEZ, and maybe Angelina. It pained her more than anything to know that people switched up so quickly against her, including people who have known her for the longest.

   They walked inside the room and Leela was faced with the remaining boys, including Jeongin, who kept staring at her with the same angry and heartbroken expression. Leela wanted nothing else but to hug him and tell him everything was alright, that she loved him and never hurt him. But she knew he wouldn't believe her, which was painful. He has known her since the beginning and always trusted her. What changed?

   Leela sat across from Angelina, who was sitting between Robert and Terra. "Lina, you believe me don't you? You know I wouldn't do this right?" Leela whispered. She began hoping for her beloved sister-in-law to say something, but she didn't. Instead, she looked down on the floor, ignoring Leela. Leela's heart sank for the millionth time. "No. Angelina please, not you too!" Leela began to cry. Leela didn't have time to say anything else, as she felt a rough slap against her face. It was harsh enough to the point where it nearly made her fall. She looked up. It was Robert.

   "Shut the fuck up, you slut! Shut up!" Robert yelled. Angelina gazed at the two with a hurt expression. Tears brimmed her eyes when gazing at Leela before looking away again. Leela knew right away that Robert was forcing Angelina to ignore her. In a way she felt relieved that her sister-in-law believed her. But she still felt hurt that she was being forced to ignore her.

   Everyone in charge of the company, including Park Jinyoung, looked on at the commotion, not saying anything to stop Robert. Robert nearly slapped Leela again until Terra pulled him down. Chan nearly punched him until Felix pat his shoulder to settle him down. The whole time, the other boys didn't say anything. In fact, some of them were smirking, thinking Leela was getting what she deserved.

   "The rumors currently unfolding are obviously not great for both Stray Kids and this company's reputation. As of now, this company is being frowned upon for letting Leela in the group while Chan is being criticized for adding her." The CEO began. "The public wants Leela to depart from the group." Jinyoung added. Chan immediately glared at him.

   "Absolutely not. Leela is not leaving. She is gonna stay here and we are going to prove she didn't do anything." Chan muttered, his voice filled with venom. "Hyung, do you not care about me? She betrayed me!" Jeongin voiced, sadly. "Jeongin, I care about you so much so I'm telling you this. Leela would never, under any circumstances, hurt you in any way, shape, or form. She loves you." Chan replied. "She talks about you all the time. She mentions how much she loves you and wants to spend her whole life with you." Felix continued. "Never once has Leela ever considered dating someone else. Does that sound like someone who would cheat on you?" Hyunjin questioned.

   It was silent for a moment, with Jeongin gazing away from the three older boys in thought. He looked over at a heartbroken Leela, who's eyes were laced with hope that he would finally believe her. Tears threatened to fall from her icy blue hues. Anyone could see just how much Leela loved Jeongin, but everyone in the room who backstabbed her became blind.

   "It was clearly all an act, then." He muttered in anger, turning away from her. Leela let out a sob, looking down at the ground and covering her face. Jinyoung and the CEO began whispering to each other. For a moment, Leela started getting some hope that maybe, just maybe, they’d look into the rumors and realize Leela was telling the truth. They stopped whispering to each other, gazing at everyone in the room.

   "As of this moment, Leela will be put into an indefinite hiatus until further notice." The CEO announced. Leela didn't have the courage to look at anyone. She looked to the floor, hoping for it to open and swallow her up whole. She knew the hiatus was an excuse. "I'm not getting put into hiatus. You're gonna make me leave the group and convince everyone for months that I'm just on hiatus. Then you'll announce my departure. I know how this works." Leela uttered. She looked up at Jinyoung and the CEO. Then to Chan, who gazed at her in sadness.

   "I'm sorry I let you down." She whispered to him, standing up and leaving the room. She didn't know what to do now. She knew, no matter what anyone said, that she would no longer be a member of Stray Kids. That to her, was a fate worse than death.

   (Poor Leela. Told y'all it was gonna be aggravating. The rest of the chapters are gonna be depressing so stay tuned for that. See you soon! I hope you guys enjoyed this)!