Overcome the fear
(A few days have passed since that night. Things feel different, but neither of them wants to acknowledge it. At practice, Leeknow keeps glancing at Seungmin, and Seungmin, as usual, acts like nothing happened)
Bangchan
[noticing] Are you two fighting again?
Hyunjin
[smirking] No, this is different. This is… [dramatic gasp] tension...
(Leeknow scoffs and turns away. Seungmin remains unfazed, but his ears turn slightly pink. Felix watches them both with knowing eyes)
Felix
Just confess already!
(Seungmin chokes on his drink. Leeknow throws a pillow at Felix)
(Later that night, Leeknow finds himself pacing in the dorm hallway. He stops in front of Seungmin’s room, doubting whether to knock. Before he can decide, the door opens)
Seungmin
[raising an eyebrow] You’re weird.
Leeknow
[caught off guard] What?
Seungmin
You’ve been acting weird ever since that night.
(Leeknow trys to argue, but Seungmin steps closer, voice quieter.)
Seungmin
Do you regret it? Holding my hand?
(Leeknow freezes. He doesn’t. But saying it out loud feels dangerous. Instead, he does what he always does—he diverts.)
Leeknow
[smirking] If I did, I wouldn’t do this.
(And before Seungmin can react, Leeknow pulls him in, resting his forehead against Seungmin’s)
Leeknow
[whispering] You’re not the only one overthinking.
Leeknow
(Seungmin’s breath stops. But before anything else can happen, a loud voice echoes from the living room)
Changbin
[yelling] IF YOU TWO ARE GONNA FLIRT, DO IT QUIETLY! SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO SLEEP!
(They immediately pull away, flustered, but a small, unspoken promise lingers between them)
(Things are getting too comfortable between them, and that’s when everything goes wrong.)
(A rumor spreads online—an article claiming Seungmin was seen on a “secret date.” The pictures are blurry, but the person beside him looks suspiciously like Leeknow.)
(The company orders them to “clear things up,” but their management suggests a safer route—Seungmin should be seen with a female idol instead to shut down the speculation.)
(Leeknow reads the message over and over, his heart sinking. He knows how the industry works. He knows it’s just PR. But that doesn’t stop the ache in his chest.)
(Seungmin walks into the room and notices the change in Leeknow’s expression immediately.)
Leeknow
[forcing a smile] Nothing. Just another rumor.
(Seungmin looks at his phone, frowning when he sees the message. His jaw clenches.)
Seungmin
So they want me to pretend.
Leeknow
It’s just for a while. It’ll blow over.
(He says it like it doesn’t matter, but Seungmin catches the slight hesitation in his voice.)
(A few days later, photos come across—Seungmin, walking side by side with a female idol. It’s innocent, but the media twists it into something more. Leeknow scrolls through the comments, feeling an unfamiliar sting in his chest.)
(That night, Seungmin knocks on Leeknow’s door, expecting some teasing or a sarcastic remark. Instead, he’s met with silence. When he opens the door, Leeknow is sitting on his bed, looking out the window.)
Leeknow
[softly] I have no right to be
(But his voice betrays him. Seungmin steps forward, sitting beside him. The silence stretches between them before Seungmin speaks.)
Seungmin
If I told them no, they’d make it worse. But I swear, I hate this just as much as you do
(Leeknow doesn’t answer right away. Instead, he turns to Seungmin, eyes filled with something unreadable.)
Leeknow
If it’s fake, then show me what’s real.
Leeknow
(The words are bold. Reckless. But Seungmin doesn’t hesitate. He leans in, slowly, giving Leeknow a chance to pull away. Seungmin kisses Leeknow in the forehead)
(Neither of them speak after, but they don’t need to. They both know this isn’t just some fleeting moment—it’s something deeper.)
(For a while, things seem perfect. But perfection never lasts.)
(A sasaeng fan leaks a private picture—an angle that’s too close, too intimate. It doesn’t reveal much, but the internet erupts with speculation. The company is furious. Management pulls them aside and gives them two choices:
Deny everything and stay distant.
One of them has to go on “hiatus” to protect the group.)
(Leeknow clenches his fists. Seungmin remains eerily calm, but his silence is louder than any outburst. Later that night, Seungmin finds Leeknow in the practice room, dancing alone, frustration evident in every movement.)
Seungmin
You don’t have to choose.
Leeknow
[laughs bitterly] You think I’ll just sit back and let them push you away?
(Seungmin grabs his wrist, forcing him to stop. Their eyes meet—anger, fear, love all mixed into one.)
Seungmin
I won’t lose this. I won’t lose us
(Leeknow’s heart races, but before he can respond, a door creaks open. Someone’s been listening.)
(Felix stands in the doorway, his expression unreadable.)
Felix
Then maybe it’s time you stop hiding.
(They exchange a glance. Maybe Felix is right. Maybe the only way to win is to stop pretending. But are they ready for what comes next?)
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