𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐀𝐓 [𝟏] 𝐃𝐞𝐣𝐚 𝐯𝐮 || 𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟕

POV Shizuka

Damn it. How did I fall asleep?

In Minho's bed.

I run a hand through my hair, sitting on the edge of my bed. An empty bed. It bothers me, but it shouldn't. I stare at the floor, breathing heavily.

We watched a movie together. Like friends.

Minho is a very good friend. I hope this won't create any awkwardness between us. It would be a shame to ruin our friendship over this.

Blinking, I think of the dancer. His blond hair, brown eyes, and mischievous smile.

His hand brushing mine.

Damn, what's happening to me? Why am I thinking about him? Why does this night matter so much to me? I've already slept with Changbin when Chan kicked him out as a punishment for deleting files. In fact, I do the same with Lyca, but that's beside the point. It didn't mean anything. We're best friends, with zero ambiguity.

Why is it different with him?

My eyes widen when a voice in my head, like an echo, says what I fear.

It's not true, I don't agree.

I'm not in love with him.

It's too soon, too fast, too impossible.

Too difficult.

I admire Sumalee and Yeonjun. It's strange, admiring someone because they're a couple, but in this industry, few dare to do it.

Would I be capable of daring? I'm not sure.

Anyway, I don't love him. There's nothing between us, problem solved.

And that's just fine.

▪︎▫︎▫︎▫︎▫︎

I sit next to Ha-yoon. We're in the studio to discuss a potential tour. Sumalee is late, but that doesn't surprise me anymore.

- "Have you talked to Daiyu?"

- "Why?"

She looks at me, disillusioned, as if it's obvious. She claps her hands, sarcastic, and speaks up to clarify:

- "About her behavior."

- "She's only eighteen. She's still a child."

- "First, she's an adult tomorrow," she says, counting on her fingers. "And second, I debuted at sixteen, and I never insulted the members."

I nod, agreeing with her despite the fact that Daiyu is still the second youngest in the group.

- "Everyone makes mistakes."

- "And everyone should apologize and learn from their mistakes."

We look at each other, and she was about to add something, but the door bursts open.

- "Calm down, Sumalee, a door is expensive."

- "I'm rich, I don't care."

From her tone, I understand she's angry, and so does Ha-yoon because she says nothing. We look into each other's eyes, and the blonde silently mouths a few words: "Anger, don't talk, imminent risk." I stifle a laugh between my pinched lips and inquire:

- "Is there a problem?"

She watches us for a few seconds before shaking her head.

- "No."

▪︎▫︎▫︎▫︎▫︎

- "Today, we welcome the group Sunmic!" exclaims Yeonjun, MC alongside Sumalee, who is looking at her script.

I do the group greeting, and Yeonjun adds:

- "So, how are the promotions going? Your album is very popular!"

I grab the microphone he hands me, and we start talking one by one. We get to talking about the different dances and challenges.

- "Do you want to do the dance?" Sumalee asks, looking at Yeonjun.

The fans cheer, and Yeonjun agrees.

- "What a beautiful couple dance," declares Daiyu after they finish.

A nervous laugh escapes Sumalee's lips, and Mi-cha discreetly kicks the Chinese girl.

- "Let's move on," announces Yeonjun, but Daiyu adds:

- "They're embarrassed, it's cute."

An awkward silence falls in the room, and a fan shouts:

- "Are they really a couple?"

I glare at Daiyu, but she gives a thumbs up, completely ignoring me.

The fans exclaim. Some with excitement, others with disagreement. But the fact remains that this information was supposed to stay confidential for at least two months.

Now, it's a mess.

▪︎▫︎▫︎▫︎▫︎

- "Shizuka, do you know where Daiyu is?" Soobin asks, approaching me with a man, probably his manager.

- "No, she's nowhere to be found."

- "If I find that brat," hisses Sumalee as she passes by me, so only I can hear.

I say nothing and approach Yeonjun, a sorry expression on my face.

- "I'm sorry, I thought she would keep her mouth shut."

- "It's not your fault, I don't think we'll have big problems."

He's trying to convince himself, I know it, and he knows it. Our groups won't have many problems, but he and Sumalee are likely to face some hate.

I see our manager in the distance, furious, and the members complaining about the missing Chinese girl.

Damn it, why did you become like this, Daiyu?