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

Ch. 30: Pain In The Past

"How could this have happened?"

Standing outside in the hallway of the hospital, Minho covers his face with his hands as he hears arguing from inside the private hospital room. With every second that passes, it just becomes even more heated, and he worries that it might just wake up and disturb Nayeon who still lays unconscious on the hospital bed.

"How could I have not noticed the signs? Was I just too focused on my own problems that I never noticed that she was also struggling?"

Two voices, both female. One he recognized to be Kyungjoo, the first official member and leader of Melodine, and the other... he couldn't really quite make out. He never really knew all of the members of Melodine other than Nayeon and Kyungjoo... and Doyoung back when she was a part of it.

"Admit it. You did this to her," the muffled voice of the unidentified member came from inside as Minho sighed heavily while finally removing his hand from his face.

"Stop blaming me. You know the comments did this to her!" Kyungjoo argued, and Minho leans his head against the wall as the argument continues.

"You played a part in this, and you know it! You're our leader! It was your job to protect us all and make sure Melodine stayed together as a group! Even if you just saw Nayeon as your coworker, she's still a child!"

"So was I when she came in!" The words that Kyungjoo shouted stabbed Minho in the chest as he heard it. He knows full well what it was. "I have spent my entire life training, working hard, and facing cancelled debut after cancelled debut since I was in elementary. To see Nayeon just come into our group so easily after just a few months in training, what you think that was just easy for me to accept?!"

"None of that was Nayeon's fault."

"I know!"

Minho brings his hands to his face again as he feels his chest getting heavier with every passing second. He knows exactly what Kyungjoo feels. He's been in training for such a long time, too, after all. It had been difficult, facing every challenge and every expectation, hoping against all hope to debut only to be left disappointed all over again. Sure, Nayeon played a part in it, but he's never once hated her... Doyoung played a part in it, too, though...

Maybe that's also why he was so mad at her at first...

And to think that he ended up here, anyway.

"Maybe this is my karma for being so mad at Doyoung back then." With a heavy heart, Minho gulps back tears as a mix of regret, guilt, and despair mix inside him. "But why did Nayeon have to get involved? She's been so hardworking and kind to everyone all this time, too. Why..."

"... Minho." Minho suddenly hears Doyoung's voice coming from just right in front of him, and he removes his hands from his face to meet her eyes in the next second. Same with him, tears line her eyes as she looks back at him, perhaps from worry, perhaps from regret. Nevertheless, it was clear that they shared a lot of similar thoughts and emotions at the same time.

"... You're here." That was all Minho could say in the end upon seeing Doyoung.

Inside the hospital room, the argument seems to have calmed down now for most of them, as Kyungjoo had started sobbing. Not that Minho could tell if anyone was comforting her, but... he knows he needs that, too.

As if reading his mind, Doyoung holds her hand out to him in the next second, a faint smile forming on her face for just a split-second before she speaks. "Nayeon will be safe here. Soodam's inside, and she's assured that she'll stay with Nayeon. And well... I can see you need some time to process everything."