ATEEZ 9th Member AU

What Was That?

Everyone reacts to Nari's stunt

Nari was thrown forward as Hongjoong threw the door open. "KIM NARI! WHAT IN THE HELL WAS THAT?!" He screamed and Nari flinched, looking up at him from the floor. Seonghwa sighed, walking in behind him and helping her up, guiding her to the couch. He was just as confused as everyone else, but he wasn't going to talk to her while she was on the floor.

The others slowly trickled in; everyone except Wooyoung and San. Nari was internally beating herself up. She was convinced she had just fucked up literally everything. "ANSWER ME." Hongjoong screamed again and Seonghwa flinched beside her, narrowing his eyes. "You can be mad, Joong, but stop yelling. Please." Hongjoong took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Well, I think that was badass." Yeosang smiled, leaning against the wall and Hongjoong sent a glare his way. "Badass that she just insulted someone we could have possibly worked with in the future? Badass that she spent the whole night being rude to her?! Badass that she just kissed San out of nowhere?!" Nari averted her gaze to the floor. She knew she messed up, big time. "I-I don't know what came over me." She said, feeling hot tears well up in her eyes.

"But why did you kiss him?" Jongho asked and Nari couldn't form a straight answer. Why did she kiss him? Was it just the jealousy? A spur of the moment? Or did she feel more for San than just a friend? "Dove," Yunho said, sitting next to her and she looked at him briefly before looking back at the ground. He sighed, rubbing her back comfortingly. "Nar, are you aware that San does have real feelings for you?" He asked and Nari snapped her head towards him. "What?"

"WHAT?!" Mingi yelled and Seonghwa groaned, rubbing his temples. "Mingi. Please." Mingi smiled sheepishly, apologizing. "Does that mean you have feelings for him?" Mingi asked, still very confused that he had no clue at all any of this was happening. Nari sighed, leaning back into the couch and hugging her knees to her chest. "I don't know, oppa." She said quietly and Hongjoong narrowed his eyes even more.

Hongjoong loves Nari with everything he has; he loves all his members with everything he has. But he was not about to let anyone play with their feelings, no matter who it was, group or not. "How don't you know? You kissed him in front of everyone." Yunho said and she groaned, closing her eyes. "I-it's new. I didn't think I did, but maybe I do. I haven't thought about it. Or I ignored it." Hongjoong glared at her. "Well you need to figure it out, Nari. You can't lead him on like that."

She narrowed her eyes at him and Seonghwa sat up straighter. A fight was about to break out. One bigger than any of them were prepared for. "I'm not leading him on." She said through gritted teeth and Hongjoong laughed sarcastically. "Of course you're not. You just kissed him, in front of all of us, plus another group but you don't know if you have true feelings for him while he does for you. That's not leading him on at all." She huffed, sitting up straighter and putting her feet on the floor.

"Hyung," Yunho said, looking warily between the two who were now in a stare down. "I'm just not sure of my feelings, Hongjoong." She said and he rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "Are you ever?! We never know what you feel because you don't tell us and now it seems that you don't even know yourself!" She stood up, eyes blazing with a fire but Hongjoong didn't falter, keeping his fiery glare right on hers. "I would never lead any of you on. Or him. Or anyone else. I need to figure out what I'm feeling."

Hongjoong scoffed and Seonghwa stood up, stepping between the two and facing Hongjoong. "I think we should leave it right now. Wait till we get home." Nari snorted, turning around and grabbing her bag. "Don't fucking bother." Seonghwa narrowed his eyes at her choice of language and Yunho stood up, ready to step in. "I'm not going home." Yunho and Mingi's eyes widened and Yeosang finally stepped forward, blocking her path. "Don't be stupid, Nar. Just come home. We'll figure it out."

She stepped to the side, moving around him and towards the door. "I'm not being stupid. I need to go find myself." She said, venom dripping with her words and she stormed out, to where, the boys didn't know but no one went after her. The air was tense and everyone seemed frozen in place until their manage came in, quirking and eyebrow. If he knew anything, he didn't say anything, just asking everyone to go to the car to go home. A still fuming Hongjoong stomped out of the room and Seonghwa sighed. "Yunho, you and Mingi should try and find her. She shouldn't be alone."

Nair walked down the hallway, keeping her head high and not letting the emotions inside her take over. She could do that later, when she was alone. Her eyes red the name tags on the doors and she stopped in front o IZ*ONE's, taking a deep breath before knocking. She heard a faint "come in," and she entered. The others looked at her awkwardly, Eunbi refusing to make eye contact at all. "I-I want to apologize." Nari said, fiddling with the hem of her hoodie.

"I-I freaked out and I shouldn't have said those things and I was rude to you all night and you had no idea and I'm sorry. You were just trying to be nice." Eunbi smiled slightly, standing up and walking to her, wrapping her in a hug. Nari froze for a moment before hesitantly wrapping her arms around her. "It's alright, I forgive you. We can start over?" Eunbi said, pulling away with a smile and Nari smiled back, nodding. "I'd appreciate that." The other girls smiled, relieved that the drama was over. "You only get one chance though," Eunbi said, jokingly and Nari let out a half-hearted laugh. "I won't mess it up, promise."

She turned to leave, letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding as the door closed and then her manage appeared in front of her. "Ready?" He asked and she nodded, following him out. "I know you said you wanted to go alone, but I'm sorry. I couldn't make them leave." Nari looked at him, about to ask what he was talking about until she saw Mingi and Yunho waving excitedly from the car. Nari groaned. Of course, her dear leader wouldn't let her go alone. "It's not your fault." She sighed and got in, ignoring the two.

She leaned her head against the window, trying to keep herself together until she got to the hotel room. Then she could break down.