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

Ch. 31: The Fun About Dating Rumors

Minho steps out of the hospital room, head hanging and heart heavy after the conversation he had with Nayeon. Thankfully, the girl had already managed to go to sleep, but now, Minho can't seem to feel like sleeping at all himself.

The quiet halls of the hospital stood dark at both his sides, completely silent except for the distant sound of a busy street. Though, it doesn't take long before that silence is broken by light steps coming towards where Minho stands.

"Minho."

The young man turns, and he soon meets Doyoung's eyes as she approaches him, smiling softly in reassurance. It's strange, yet familiar. Almost as if he just knew that Doyoung would always be there if anything troubled him. But right now, what exactly can Doyoung even do? The problem now is with Nayeon's situation, something the both of them seemed not so aware about. It could be too late to do anything that could help her. In the end, the smile that Doyoung had worn to assure Minho didn't really have an effect, nor did it last on the young woman's face before she looked on at Minho with a worried expression.

"She'll be fine. I'm sure she will-"

"No, that's not..." Minho cut her off, scoffing sarcastically before biting his lip and stepping away. His eyes refused to look anywhere but Doyoung, but maybe that was because he knew that if he looked at her... he might actually believe her. "That's not... gonna work on me this time. We both know this isn't okay. Nayeon literally fainted and her members are still fighting, she knows that her own leader hates her, and the hate comments are still coming for her, so how is... how could you even say that it's going to be okay?"

"Minho-"

"None of that is okay!" Minho's voice echoes, much more than he had hoped it would. It bounces through the hospital hallways, repeating themselves over and over again until realization falls on him. When it did, his eyes widened, and he froze before looking at Doyoung to see that her eyes had widened, too.

"Oh... I... I did it again?"

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's okay," Doyoung cuts him off, smiling, but it does nothing to assure Minho as he stepped towards her.

"Doyoung, don't say that. I'm sorry, I overstepped my boundaries again, and I-"

"It really is okay, actually," Doyoung insists, shaking her head and assuring Minho before her smile becomes more... guilty-looking?

Her reaction is definitely strange, but other than that, why does she look like she has something to say. An idea, perhaps? That's what Minho thinks, at least, but while he still doesn't know, it just causes him to furrow his brows and look at Doyoung in confusion.

"W-what are you..."

"Minho," Doyoung calls out his name, and somehow, that sets him aback for a moment, causing him to freeze as his heart starts beating rapidly all over again. Well, she just said his name, but somehow, did that really already have such an effect on him already? What about her idea, then? "I think... I have an idea on how to get the media to leave Nayeon alone... And I need your full cooperation to do it."

"... What? What do you mean?"

Doyoung's smile once again, faltered with her nervousness, as she breathed in deeply before continuing. "Lee Minho... Let's prove the dating rumors right."

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The end of the month had come around again.

For idol trainees, it can either be the best or the worst day of their lives depending on how their monthly evaluations go. As for Sunoo, it would always, and no doubt always, be the most nerve-wracking period of his life. Had he proven himself this time? Or will he have to face disappointment again? Or worse... what if he failed so badly he'll actually get kicked out of the company this time?