Jake was very worried and his concern grew when he heard Hee sniffling "hyung whats wrong? lets sit first.... I'll bring you wat-" he stopped when Hee wrapped both of his arms around Jake, stopping him from doing anything
Slowly Hee's sniffling tur...
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Protective Jake is scary
Enhypen's album released yesterday and the response they received is crazy, in two days they will officially promote their album on national television
Heeseung's alarm buzzed promptly at 7 AM, just like every other day, he pushed himself up from his bed and started getting ready for the day
Today is the practice day, they'll practice all day in order to make no mistakes on stage
Even though they know the choreo and lyrics by heart but still this is a part of their curriculum to insure a great performance
Heeseung arrived at the practice room and stood besides Jake, they shared a knowing glance and smiled at each other, as usual Jake's looks put himin a good mood
But even before the practice started, Heeseung couldn't help but feel a sense of unease
"What happened hyung" Jake asked when he saw a frown on Heeseung's face
"I don't know, for some reasons the staff seems to be exchanging secretive glances, their smiles are also strained" Hee wondered if something was not right
He is not the only person feeling this way, all the other members including Jake also noticed the silent yet weird stares of staff
As he tried to focus on his dancing, he overheard snippets of hushed conversations, and his instincts told him that something was wrong
"Hyung did we do something wrong" Niki asked Jay, to which he has no answer to
After the first practice session, Jungwon, asked Heeseung to stay back concern etched on his face when he saw his manager's furious face
Jungwon said, "Heeseung hyung, there's a rumor going around about you I don't know if it's true, but it's affecting the group"
"Affecting!! Do you even know, the show producers are thinking to cancel you guy's performance" their manager snapped
Heeseung's heart sank, he had worked so hard for this album, not only him but the members and staff too
The thought of a rumor ruining everything he had work so hard for made him feel helpless and frustrated
This will not only destroy his image but the team's image as well
Jake on the other hand was worried as heck for Heeseung, he didn't know what was wrong which was scaring him even more
While eatimg with his members in the cafeteria he noticed the hesitant glances exchanged between the lady staff and a few other employees
Sensing that they were hiding something, he decided to follow their movements closely
He overheard their muffled conversation
"I can't believe our plan worked so perfectly," the lady staff whispered to her accomplice
"Heeseung's reputation is ruined, and the group is in turmoil they'll never know it was us"
The accomplice, a young intern, looked nervous but also excited "I just hope we don't get caught," he replied
Jake's heart raced with anger and determination now he had a lead, and he couldn't let them get away with it
To find the evidence he decided to tail the intern in the breaks
Because to Jake he seemed like a sloppy guy
He discreetly gathered evidence, taking photos of their suspicious conversations and actions
He even managed to obtain a recording where they discussed their devious scheme in detail
Later that evening, as the group was preparing to leave for the day, Jake approached Heeseung
With a serious expression, he motioned for Heeseung to follow him to a quiet corner
"Heeseung hyung I think I've found out who's behind the rumor," Jake said, his voice firm but gentle, filled with drtermination
He handed over the evidence he had gathered
Heeseung's eyes widened as he read through the messages and listened to the recording
Shock and anger coursed through his veins "I can't believe someone would do this to me, I never did wrong to anyone" he whispered
He felt betrayed and hurt
Jake placed a comforting hand on Heeseung's shoulder "We'll get through this together hyung, don't worry" he said firmly
"Jake how did you find all these" Heeseung asked
To which Jake replied "I was just lucky"
"We won't let them destroy our group's image or our unity."
The next day, Heeseung and Jake asked Jungwon to arrange a private meeting with the group's manager and other higher-ups along with group members
He presented the evidence he had collected, exposing the truth behind the rumor
Jake discovered that a lady staff member, who was once an die heart fan of the group
held a grudge against Heeseung for an imagined slight because of jealousy and resentment, she had spread the rumor to sabotage his reputation
With the evidence, Jake confronted the lady staff, who broke down and confessed her actions
The culprits were questioned, and their guilt was undeniable the lady staff's attempt to destroy Heeseung's reputation had backfired
The company took immediate action, dismissing the lady staff and reprimanding the intern
The rest of the staff was reminded of their responsibility to support the group members wholeheartedly
---
"Okay Enhypen be ready you guys are next" the staff announced and everyone got ready with their mics
Heeseung looked at Jake and mouthed "Thank you so much my love" making Jake flustered with his words
Jake got shy and covered his face with his hands
Heeseung chuckled at his cute reaction
Everyone got up from their seats and did a group chant before going on the stage, for the one last time before the performance started Heeseung said "this is what I was born for"
