Stolen Moments | Yang Jeongin

Twenty-Five

By the time I stepped out of the building, the weight of the day pressed down on me like a ton of bricks. I was exhausted, but more than that, I was furious. I spotted Jeongin waiting by the entrance, leaning casually against the wall with his hands stuffed into his pockets, his face brightening the moment he saw me.

"Jagiya!" he called out, jogging over to me. "How was your first day?"

I let out a sharp breath, the frustration I'd been holding in all day finally spilling over. "It was a disaster. An absolute mess."

Jeongin's expression shifted instantly, concern flickering in his eyes as he wrapped his arms around me. "What happened?"

I pressed my forehead into his chest, my voice muffled as I started to vent. "The boys—Taejin, Dohyun, all of them—they're amazing, seriously, but the company? StarForce is doing nothing for them. No plans for their debut, no stages, no music video, not even a proper name until I asked for one. It's like they don't care! They have a debut set in two months and they're acting like it's some far-off fantasy."

Jeongin rubbed soothing circles on my back, letting me get it all out. "That's ridiculous," he muttered.

"Right?!" I pulled back slightly, my voice rising as the frustration bubbled over. "And when I went to Soojin to ask what the hell is going on, do you know what she said? She basically told me, 'If you care so much, you plan it.' She just threw it all on me like it's nothing! No support, no guidance, just—'handle it yourself.' What kind of company does that?!"

Jeongin's jaw tightened. "She really said that?"

"Yeah! And I can't just sit back and let the boys get thrown into the void like this. They deserve a real debut, with proper promotions, and the company is doing nothing. It feels like they promised them the world and then just... forgot about them."

Jeongin shook his head, his voice firm. "That's messed up, Minji. I can't believe they're doing that to you—and to the boys."

"I know!" I groaned, pressing my palms against my eyes. "I've seen this before with other groups. And now it's happening all over again, but this time, I'm responsible for fixing it."

Jeongin gently pulled my hands away from my face and tilted my chin up so I'd look at him. "You're not alone in this. You know that, right? You've handled way bigger challenges than this. You made it through with us, and you'll do the same with Dazz It."

I sighed, the knot in my chest loosening just a little at his words. "It's just... so much. I didn't expect to be thrown into this mess on day one."

"I get that," he said softly, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "But you're not just anyone, Minji. You've got this, even if the company's being useless."

I managed a small smile, leaning into his touch. "Thank you. I needed to hear that."

Jeongin smiled back at me, his eyes warm. "You know I'm always here for you."

After a beat of silence, he straightened up. "Come on," he said, taking my hand. "The boys are waiting for us at the restaurant. You need food, and they're dying to see you."

I raised an eyebrow. "The boys?"

"Everyone. We figured you'd need a good meal after a day like this."

A soft laugh escaped me. "You guys are too much."

Jeongin grinned. "What can I say? We know how to take care of our own."

As we walked toward the restaurant, the frustration from earlier still lingered, but it didn't feel as heavy now. I wasn't fighting this battle alone. I had Jeongin, and the boys, and somehow, I'd figure it out.