performing with rumors

""Oh my god Erta'h 🗡 get up already I'm bored"" Jeongin whines as he starts messing up your blankets and sheets annoyingly.

As you stand backstage with the rest of the members, your heart is pounding with nerves. You feel a sense of unease knowing that the rumors about you and Minho are still circulating. As you steal a glance at Minho, you can see the determination in his eyes, but you also notice that you've been avoiding him lately.

Minho senses your distance, and he pulls you aside before it's time to go on stage. "Erta'h 🗡, what's going on?" he asks, his voice tinged with concern. "You've been avoiding me, and I don't know what I've done wrong."

You take a deep breath and look into his eyes, about to respond when our manager counts down from 5, indicating that our que to get on stage is in 5 seconds. I'm not able to respond to him before we get lifted up from under the stage, in our positions.

As the music starts playing and you and Minho perform your duo dance, you can feel the tension between you. But instead of engaging in the planned interaction, you decide to walk away, leaving Minho behind.

Minho's expression turns confused and hurt as he watches you leave his side. He continues with the choreography, but there's a visible shift in his demeanor. The rest of the members also notice the change, their gazes flickering between the two of you.

The group choreography begins, and you join the other members without acknowledging Minho's presence. Your mind is filled with conflicting emotions, unsure of how to handle the situation.

The stage lights dim as the performance comes to an end, and the crowd's enthusiastic cheers fill the air. Normally, after a comeback performance, you would stay on stage to interact with the fans, but today, the weight of the rumors and the emotional turmoil within you becomes too much to handle.

Unable to hold back the tears any longer, you swiftly make your way backstage, desperately needing a moment of solace. As you reach the privacy of the backstage area, you find yourself in a secluded corner, feeling the overwhelming emotions welling up inside you.

Your heart pounds in your chest as the tears stream down your face, a mix of frustration, sadness, and exhaustion consuming you.

Minho and Han are the only ones who notice you run off the stage. Minho looks at Han, wanting to go see if you're ok, Han gives him a nod, indicating that he should be there with you.

Little did you know that your mic, that is wrapped around your head and close to your mouth so you don't have to hold it while dancing, is still turned on and the whole venue can hear your quiet sobs, even though you're backstage.

As your sobs echo through the venue, an eerie silence settles over the crowd. The fans, who were once filled with excitement and adoration, now share a collective concern for your well-being.

Minho's heart sinks at the sound of your cries reverberating through the speakers. Ignoring the bewildered stares from the staff members backstage, he hurries towards you without hesitation.

Finding you in the corner, Minho gently reaches out, his hand hesitantly touching your trembling shoulder. "Erta'h 🗡, what's wrong?" he whispers softly, his voice laced with worry and affection.

The vulnerability in Minho's voice causes another wave of tears to cascade down your face.

You say quietly, your voice cracking as you do "I can't deal with these rumors, I don't know what to do. They think we're dating "sob" b-but I would never date any of you "sob" you are all my brothers, I love you guys like a family "sob"" He totally forgot to tell you that your mic was still on, so it stays on. Everyone in the venue can hear you.

As your words reach the ears of not just Minho, but also the rest of the members and the fans in the venue, a hushed silence falls over the space. Each member exchanges glances filled with a mix of concern and understanding.

Minho's grip on your shoulder tightens slightly as he pulls you into a comforting embrace. "Erta'h 🗡, we know," he whispers gently, his voice filled with sincerity. "We know how important our bond is to you, and we feel the same way. We're all here for you, always."

You start to cry again, burying your face in your hands. When you do this, the mic gets pushed closer to your mouth, making your sobs and words more clear from over the speakers. "I-im sorry that I've been avoiding you... i-i just don't know how to handle it"

Minho's soothing touch and reassuring words provide a small sense of comfort, but the weight of your emotions continues to weigh heavily on you.

With tears streaming down your face, you take a deep breath and wipe your cheeks with trembling hands. Looking up at Minho, you offer a faint smile through your sadness. "Thank you, Minho. I appreciate your understanding."

Minho gazes back at you, his eyes filled with empathy. "You don't have to apologize, Erta'h 🗡. We understand that it's overwhelming for you. But remember, we're not just a group, we're a family. Lean on us whenever you need support."

"Let's go back out to the stage okay? Thank the Stays (Fandom name) for supporting us, okay?" He says as he holds my hands, making me stand up. I move my mic out of the way to clean up my face but I see the blinking blue light, indicating that it is on, and connected to the speakers out in the venue. "Oh my god Minho, my mic was on the whole- "I turn it off, the people in the venue can only hear the first part" time." I say shocked. "T-they heard what I was saying, and that I was crying. I'm not going back out there" I say as we're about to walk back on stage.

Minho's eyes widen in realization as he hears your confession about the microphone mishap. He immediately reaches out to stop you from walking back on stage.

"Erta'h 🗡, it's alright," Minho reassures you, his voice calm yet urgent. "I understand that you're feeling overwhelmed right now, but remember that our fans are there to support us no matter what. They'll understand."

He gently cups your face with his hands, his gaze filled with sincerity. "You don't have to be afraid or embarrassed. We've shared so many vulnerable moments with our fans before, and they've always stood by us. They care about you just as much as they care about us."

As his words sink in, you find yourself torn between

your fear of being judged by the fans and your trust in Minho's words. After a moment of hesitation, you take a deep breath and say "I'm going to stay here for a second, start the song"

As the next song starts, Han opens up the song with his first line, Minho walks back on stage and whispers to Chan that I'm going to sit this one out.

As the song begins, Minho walks back on stage and leans over to whisper something to Chan. Chan's eyes widen in surprise as he glances towards you, then nods in understanding.

Meanwhile, the rest of the members continue with their energetic performance, giving it their all on stage. The crowd cheers and sings along, their excitement filling the venue.

You take a seat at the side of the stage, watching your fellow members perform with a mix of pride and longing. The music pulses through you, and you find solace in the familiar rhythm and melodies.

As the song progresses, the energy of the performance builds, and you can't help but feel a sense of belonging, despite not physically being on stage. The cheers of the fans echo.

You have been singing your lines from back stage but suddenly you remember that you have a solo dance in this song and turn your mic back on and run onto stage, just in time for your dance. You run right into place and execute the dance perfectly, despite coming in late. You continue the dance with the members the song finishes, for some reason, the camera man picked you to be the ending fairy.

As the song reaches its climax, you seamlessly blend in with the rest of the members, executing the choreography flawlessly despite your unexpected entrance. The energy on stage is electric, and you can feel the adrenaline pumping through your veins.

The crowd erupts into applause and cheers as the performance comes to an end. You catch your breath, still slightly dazed by the sudden turn of events. The other members give you playful pats on the back, teasing you for your dramatic entrance.

"Erta'h 🗡, you really know how to make an entrance!" Hyunjin chuckles, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "I guess being fashionably late runs in your blood!"

The camera is pointed towards me only and I am the only one on the big screen. I smile towards the camera but everyone notices the painful look in my eyes.

Chan notices the pain in your eyes and immediately walks over to you, concern etched on his face. He gently places a hand on your shoulder, his touch comforting.

"Hey, Erta'h 🗡, are you okay?" Chan asks softly, his voice filled with genuine care. "I know it can be overwhelming sometimes, but remember that we're here for you. You don't have to carry it all on your own."

His words resonate deeply within you, and you feel a wave of gratitude wash over you. Despite the camera still focused on your face, you can't help but appreciate Chan's attentiveness and support.

"I...I just had a lot going through my mind," you admit, your voice trembling slightly. "But thank you, Chan."

I look over towards Minho and immediately look away, I notice out of the corner of my eye that he tries to come up to me, to avoid an interaction between us, I quickly walk towards the edge of the stage and wave at fans. Before I know it, Minho slides his arms around my waist from behind me. I widen my eyes, shocked. I try to get out of his grip, not wanting more rumors to spread. He tells me to calm down and whispers in my ear "Erta'h 🗡 you've already proven us innocent. you were talking backstage about how you would never date any of us, not knowing your mic was on. Now everyone knows that we'd never date. You can stop avoiding me now. please."

You freeze at Minho's sudden embrace, your mind racing with conflicting thoughts and emotions. You struggle against his grip, feeling uncomfortable with the physical contact.

But as he whispers his words of reassurance into your ear, you start to calm down slightly. His tone is gentle and sincere, and you can't help but feel a sense of relief that the rumors have been cleared up.

Slowly, you relax in his arms, allowing yourself to be comforted by his touch. Your trust in him starts to build once again, despite the past misunderstandings and hurt feelings.

"Okay," you finally say, your voice small but steady. "I trust you, Minho. And I'm sorry for avoiding you."

He releases you from his grip

As Minho releases his grip, you take a step back, feeling a mix of emotions swirling within you. Uncertainty and vulnerability mingle with a glimmer of hope, as you try to make sense of your feelings towards Minho.

"Thank you for understanding," you say softly, meeting his gaze. "I guess we both had our own misunderstandings, but I'm willing to move forward and rebuild our friendship."

Minho nods, a sincere smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I'm glad to hear that, Erta'h 🗡. It means a lot to me."

You both stand there for a moment, the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air. You both make eye contact with each other, you can both see the pain and longing to be able to interact with each other again. Minho pulls you into a tight hug, not caring that you guys are still on stage. "I'm sorry" He mumbles. "I never should have kissed you, I just got caught up in the moment"

You tense up at Minho's sudden hug, feeling a mix of surprise and discomfort. But as he continues to speak, his words soothing the hurt feelings within you, you slowly begin to relax into the embrace.

"It's okay," you whisper back, your voice soft and vulnerable. "I forgive you, Minho."

As you pull away from him, you notice the sincerity in his eyes, and you can't help but feel a sense of hope stirring within you. Maybe there's still a chance that your friendship will stay the same: physical but platonic, no romance involved.

"Thank you for apologizing," you say, a small smile forming on your lips. "I appreciate it."

Minho returns your smile with one of his own, and Seungmin comes up to you guys.