brat // bang chan

chapter thirty-seven

troublemaker

lee miyeon

i was running late for the concert, the night prior having completely exhausted me. i wasn't sure how chan managed to get out of bed and make it to sound check on time. as i arrived, i couldn't help but notice the amount of eyes on me from the staff members, it seemed as if they were giving me annoyed looks. but i shrug it off, bowing to a couple of their security guards as i head into the hectic dressing room. my ears immediately filled with noise from the kids, from minho and seungmin's vocal warmups, to changbin's giggle as he terrorizes a sleepy hyunjin.

"oh, hey troublemaker." minho stops his warmups for a moment to greet me.

"miyeon's here?" hyunjin mumbles, yawning as he sits up from his laid position, pushing changbin away from him. "hey miyeon." he waves at me, instantly laying back down.

"hi? what's with the nickname?" i cock a brow at minho. he only smirks, sending me a wink. i furrow my brows, looking over to felix and jeongin for help. felix only rolls his eyes and jeongin begins chuckling. "okay then..." i trail off, pushing hyunjin's legs off the couch so that i could sit. he sends me a glare, scoffing as he brings his legs back up, placing them on my lap. "where is chan?" i ask.

"oh, you really don't know?" seungmin speaks up. i only send him a confused glare. "he's getting chewed out by the manager."

"what? why?" i question.

"all those hickeys you gave him." jisung tells me, shrugging as if it was the most casual thing ever.

"what? the makeup artists can just cover those up. what's the big deal?"

"well they did cover them, but not before the manager saw. and he's already been upset with chan, so that was like, the cherry on top." changbin says.

"god i hate that guy." i roll my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest.

"i'm assuming my idea worked?" changbin speaks up again, wiggling his brows at me.

"something like that." i shrug, not really wanting to dive into all the details in front of everyone.

"so are you guys done fighting?" jeongin asks.

"god, i hope so. i don't know how much more of it i could handle." hyunjin groans. i roll my eyes at him pinching his calf. "ow!" he yelps, sitting up to look at me with a glare.

"great, now that she's not bickering with chan all the time, you're gonna take his place." felix groans to hyunjin.

"definitely not. i'm not into all that." hyunjin grimaces.

"no, you're worse." seungmin speaks up, gaining everyone's attention. but before anyone could ask questions, chan practically stomps into the room, everyone falling silent as we watch him.

"what?" he question's grumpily, seeing everyone's eyes on him.

"you good?" minho asks.

"fine." chan shrugs.

"once a big bad wolf, always a big bad wolf." i chuckle, earning a laugh from hyunjin and changbin, but surprisingly, chan stayed silent, not even bothering to look over at me. i quickly brush it off, as he had just gotten chewed out, and wasn't in the mood for jokes. i knew i would find him later to check up on him.

-

"hey, i've been looking for you." i giggle, peaking into the door of chan's studio. the final concert in japan ended rather hectically, the team wanting to get the boys back to korea as soon as possible, so they took a separate flight back, while staff, and myself had to wait for the commercial flight. ever since i'd gotten back, chan had been impossible to find, but of course, he was in the last place i checked.

"what's up?" he mumbles, not turning around in his chair as he worked on his computer.

"just wanted to check on you." i shrug, making my way into the studio, quietly shutting the door. "you were upset earlier."

"i'm fine." he mumbles. i roll my eyes as i use the opportunity of his back being turned to me to wrap my arms around his neck. he tenses up from the touch, but doesn't move.

"well whatever the manager said to you, just ignore it. he's all talk, just likes to get under your skin." i comfort, placing a light kiss to his cheek.

"miyeon, could you just... go back to the dorms." he gently removes my arms from him, finally turning around in his chair to face me. i furrow my brows at him.

"what?" i question his sudden hostility. seems awfully familiar.

"i just... have a lot of thinking to do right now. and i can't do it with you in my ear." he snaps.

"don't tell me you're pushing me away again." i snap back.

"no... i just... need space." i scoff at his words.

"so you're pushing me away. got it. what did i do this time? was it the hickey's that you asked for? they're just too much for you to bare?" i rant, clearly pissed off. things just could not go well for us for longer than a day it seemed.

"i just can't do this right now." he waves me off, seemingly unaffected by my outburst.

"can't do what? talk to me or commit to me?" i cock an eyebrow at him. the question seeming to have stumped him as he stares back at me blankly. i let out another scoff. "right. got it." and with that, i turn around, roughly yanking open the door to his studio. i half expected him to call out for me, to stop me from leaving, but he never did.

tears streamed down my face as i made my way back to the dorms. i felt so idiotic for thinking things were different, for thinking we could be in a real relationship. chan was very open about his commitment issues, yet i pressed, and pressed, and pressed. and here i was, being pushed away yet again. i could only do so much. it was truly draining, this back and fourth, and his lack of understanding or care for my point of view was my last straw.

i couldn't— no— wouldn't do it anymore. so as i made my way back into the dorms, i had one goal on my mind.

it was time to go back home.