37th

The next day dawned with an air of unease as rumors began to swirl throughout the city. Minho, a rising idol known for his pristine image, and Jisung, an ordinary student, were at the center of it all.

Whispers of their forbidden romance spread like wildfire, fueled by the incriminating photograph that had found its way onto the internet.

It wasn't long before the news reached Minho's manager, whose voice crackled with barely concealed anger over the phone.

„Come to the office. Right now Lee Minho."

Minho's heart sank as he listened to the tirade of reprimands, his mind reeling with confusion and fear.

How had this happened? And what would it mean for his career, his dreams?With a heavy heart and a sense of impending doom, Minho was summoned to his agency's headquarters without delay.

As he made his way through the bustling streets, his thoughts raced, trying to make sense of the chaos that had suddenly engulfed his life.

Arriving at the sleek, modern building that housed his agency, Minho was met with a flurry of activity.

Reporters clamored for a statement, their cameras flashing relentlessly as he was ushered inside by his manager, who wore a stern expression that brooked no argument.

"Minho, do you realize what you've done?" his manager's voice was sharp, cutting through the chaos of the office.Minho swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry.

"I-I didn't mean for this to happen. It was just a moment, I didn't think anyone would..."

"Anyone would what? Catch you breaking every rule in the book?" His manager's tone was incredulous, bordering on furious."I'm sorry, I truly am. I didn't mean to cause any trouble," Minho pleaded, desperation creeping into his voice.

"Sorry isn't going to cut it this time, Minho. You've jeopardized everything we've worked for," his manager snapped, shaking his head in disbelief. "You need to clean up this mess, and fast. Your career depends on it."

"Minho, I need you to listen to me very carefully," his manager's voice was grave, eyes fixed on Minho with a seriousness that sent a chill down his spine.

"This scandal has put your career in, as I said already, jeopardy. If you want to salvage any semblance of it, you need to make a choice."

Minho's heart pounded in his chest as he waited for his manager to continue, a sinking feeling settling in the pit of his stomach."You have two options," his manager continued, each word heavy with significance.

"You can either leave the agency and bid farewell to your career as an idol, or you can break all contact with Jisung."

The words hung in the air, suffocating Minho with their weight. Leave his dream behind, or sacrifice the person he loved most in the world?

It felt like an impossible choice, tearing him apart from the inside out."But... but I love him," Minho whispered, the words barely audible over the tumult of his racing thoughts.

"I understand that, Minho. But you have to understand the gravity of the situation," his manager replied, voice softening slightly but unwavering in its resolve.

"Your career is on the line here. You have to decide what's more important to you."Tears welled in Minho's eyes as he struggled to come to terms with the ultimatum before him.

How could he choose between his passion and his heart? How could he live with the consequences of such a decision?

As the weight of his manager's words settled over him like a suffocating blanket, Minho realized that no matter what he chose, his world would never be the same again.

Caught between love and ambition, he stood at a crossroads, his future hanging in the balance. And as he grappled with the impossible choice before him, he couldn't help but wonder if there was any way to find redemption in a world that seemed determined to tear him apart.

"Minho, I need you to understand something," his manager's voice was tinged with urgency, breaking through the heavy silence that hung in the air. "This scandal isn't just about you being in a relationship. It's about who you're in a relationship with."

Minho's brow furrowed in confusion as he looked up at his manager, searching for answers in the depths of his weary gaze.

"People aren't just angry because you've been caught in a dating scandal," his manager continued, voice grave with seriousness. "They're furious because it's with another boy."

A chill swept through Minho as the weight of his manager's words settled over him, a cold reminder of the harsh reality that awaited him outside these walls.

"In Korea, homosexuality is still largely taboo," his manager explained, each word heavy with the weight of societal expectations. "And the entertainment industry is no exception. This scandal has the potential to destroy not just your career, but everything you've worked for."Minho's heart sank as he absorbed the full extent of his manager's words, a sense of despair washing over him like a tidal wave.

"So what am I supposed to do?" Minho's voice was barely a whisper, choked with emotion as he struggled to comprehend the impossible situation before him.

"You have to make a choice, Minho," his manager replied, gaze unwavering as he met Minho's eyes with a sense of solemnity.

"You can either sacrifice your career, or you can sacrifice your relationship with Jisung. But know that whatever you choose, the consequences will be far-reaching."

As the weight of his manager's words settled over him like a suffocating blanket, Minho realized that no matter what path he chose, his world would never be the same again.

Caught between the expectations of society and the desires of his heart, he stood at a crossroads, his future hanging in the balance.

And as he grappled with the impossible choice before him, he couldn't help but wonder if there was any way to find solace in a world that seemed determined to tear him apart.

"Please, there has to be another way," Minho pleaded, his voice trembling with desperation as he implored his manager for a lifeline in the midst of the storm.

His manager sighed, the weight of the situation etched into the lines of his weary face. "Minho, I wish there were. But you know as well as I do the reality of the industry we're in, the expectations we're held to."

"But I can't just give up on Jisung," Minho insisted, his heart aching at the thought of losing the person he loved most in the world. "He means everything to me."

"I understand, Minho, I truly do," his manager replied, his voice softening slightly with empathy. "But you have to understand the gravity of the situation. This scandal has already spiraled out of control, and if we don't act fast, it could destroy everything you've worked so hard to achieve."

Tears welled in Minho's eyes as he struggled to come to terms with the impossible choice before him. Sacrifice his career, or sacrifice his love? It felt like an impossible decision, tearing him apart from the inside out.

"Please, there has to be something we can do," Minho pleaded, his voice barely above a whisper as he searched his manager's eyes for any sign of hope.

His manager hesitated for a moment, weighing his words carefully before finally speaking. "I'll do everything in my power to help you, Minho. But you have to be prepared. The road ahead won't be easy, and there are no guarantees."

Minho nodded, determination flashing in his eyes despite the overwhelming uncertainty that lay before him. "I'll do whatever it takes. Just please, don't make me choose."

As they sat in the dimly lit office, the weight of their shared burden pressing down upon them, Minho and his manager knew that the road ahead would be fraught with challenges.

But with hope in their hearts and a determination to defy the odds, they vowed to face whatever lay ahead together, united in their quest to find a way to navigate the storm that threatened to tear them apart.

"Minho, I've been thinking," his manager spoke, breaking the heavy silence that had settled between them like a suffocating blanket. "In order to mitigate the damage from this scandal, we need to take some drastic measures."

Minho's heart sank as he braced himself for what his manager was about to say, a sense of dread creeping into the pit of his stomach."I think it would be best if you stayed away from Jisung for a while," his manager continued, each word heavy with the weight of their implications. "At least until the scandal dies down and the public's anger subsides."

"But why?" Minho protested, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Jisung has nothing to do with this. Why should he have to suffer because of me?"

"Because the truth is, Minho, people are angry," his manager replied, his tone grave with seriousness. "They're angry that you were caught in a scandal with another boy. And whether it's fair or not, Jisung's involvement only adds fuel to the fire. Jealousy is a bitch."

Tears welled in Minho's eyes as he struggled to come to terms with the harsh reality before him. "But I can't just abandon him," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "He needs me."

"I know, Minho. And I'm not asking you to abandon him," his manager reassured him, a note of empathy softening his steely resolve. "But for now, we need to prioritize your career. And that means taking steps to protect your image, no matter how difficult they may be."

As the weight of his manager's words settled over him like a heavy shroud, Minho realized that once again, he stood at a crossroads, faced with an impossible choice.

Sacrifice his love, or sacrifice his career? It felt like an impossible decision, tearing him apart from the inside out.

With a heavy heart and a sense of resignation, Minho nodded, knowing that for now, he had no choice but to heed his manager's advice.

But deep down, he vowed to himself that no matter what the future held, he would find a way to defy the odds and reclaim the love that had been torn from him by forces beyond his control.

Minho's heart ached as he wrestled with the agonizing decision before him. "If it's what's best for Jisung," he finally whispered, his voice barely above a hoarse whisper, "then I'll do it."

His manager's expression softened slightly, a flicker of empathy shining through the steely resolve in his eyes. "I know this isn't easy for you, Minho. But sometimes, the hardest decisions are the ones that need to be made."

With a heavy heart and trembling fingers, Minho reached for his phone, his hands shaking as he composed a message to Jisung. "I'm sorry," he typed, each letter feeling like a weight pressing down on his chest. "We need to take a break for now. It's for your safety."With a shaky breath, Minho hit send, his heart breaking with each passing second as he watched the message disappear into the digital void.

„I'll keep an eye on you."

And as he deleted Jisung's number from his contacts, a sense of profound loss washed over him like a tidal wave, leaving him adrift in a sea of uncertainty and regret.

But deep down, Minho knew that he had made the right choice, no matter how much it hurt.

For Jisung's sake, for his own sake, he had to let go, at least for now.

And as he braced himself for the storm that lay ahead, he vowed to himself that one day, somehow, he would find a way to reclaim the love that had been torn from him by forces beyond his control.

—

Jisung sat on the edge of his bed, his phone clutched tightly in his trembling hands. Beside him, his best friend Seungmin watched on with a furrowed brow, his expression a mirror of Jisung's own turmoil."What does it say?" Seungmin asked, his voice soft with concern as he reached out a comforting hand to his friend's shoulder.

Jisung swallowed hard, his throat dry as he read and reread the message that had appeared on his screen. "He... he wants to take a break," he finally managed to choke out, the words tasting bitter on his tongue.

Seungmin's eyes widened in disbelief as he processed the weight of his friend's revelation. "But why? What did you do?" he asked, his voice tinged with confusion and frustration.

Jisung shook his head, his mind reeling with unanswered questions and unspoken fears. "I don't know," he whispered, his voice barely above a hoarse whisper. "He just said it's for my safety."

As the weight of Minho's message settled over him like a heavy shroud, Jisung felt a sense of profound loss wash over him like a tidal wave, leaving him adrift in a sea of uncertainty and regret.

"He wouldn't do this without a reason," Seungmin insisted, his voice firm with conviction as he reached out to comfort his friend in his time of need. "We'll figure this out together, I promise."

With a shaky breath, Jisung nodded, his heart heavy with the weight of the unknown that lay ahead. And as he braced himself for the storm that was sure to follow, he knew that no matter what the future held, he would find a way to reclaim the love that had been torn from him by forces beyond his control.

As Jisung sat in his room, a while after his best friend left to talk to his, now crush, his mind swirled with a tumult of conflicting emotions.

Doubt gnawed at him like a relentless beast, whispering cruel insinuations that Minho's actions were nothing more than a ploy to cast him aside.

But amidst the chaos of his thoughts, a glimmer of hope flickered to life, a beacon of reassurance in the darkness.

He closed his eyes, his fingers tracing the delicate contours of the promise ring that adorned his finger, a symbol of the love and commitment they had shared just the day before.

The memory of Minho's tender words and loving gaze washed over him like a warm embrace, banishing the shadows of doubt that threatened to consume him.

"No, he wouldn't do this to me," Jisung murmured to himself, his voice barely above a whisper as he clung to the fragile thread of faith that bound him to Minho.

"He promised me forever, and I believe him."With renewed determination, Jisung vowed to himself that no matter what challenges lay ahead, he would hold fast to the love that had blossomed between them, a beacon of hope in a world fraught with uncertainty.

And as he stared down at the promise ring that adorned his finger, he knew that no matter what the future held, their love would endure, unyielding and unwavering, a testament to the power of their bond.

As the weight of uncertainty pressed down upon him, Jisung turned to the one of the solaces that had always been there for him in times of need: music. With trembling hands, he reached for his guitar, its familiar weight a comforting presence against his chest.

With each strum of the strings, Jisung poured his heart and soul into the melody that danced through the air, his voice rising in a haunting lament that echoed the tumult of his emotions.

"You go and I stay," he sang, his voice raw with emotion as he poured his heart out in song.

"It's always right person and wrong way. I hate to be right, please, tell me I'm wrong. Please, tell me I'm wrong."

Tears welled in his eyes as he continued to sing, each word a poignant reminder of the pain and longing that gnawed at his heart.

"'Cause it's on again, off again. Love you like oxygen," Jisung's voice wavered as he struggled to keep his composure.

"I don't know what to say or do. On again, off again. Love you like oxygen. You don't know what I'd do for you."With each note that reverberated through the room, Jisung found a measure of release, a fleeting sense of catharsis in the melody that poured forth from his soul. And as he sang of love lost and love found, of heartache and hope, he knew that no matter what the future held, music would always be there to carry him through the storm.

As the final strains of the song faded into the silence of his room, Jisung felt a wave of overwhelming despair crash over him like a tidal wave. Tears welled in his eyes, blurring his vision as he clutched his guitar tightly to his chest, the hollow ache in his heart threatening to consume him whole.

"How could I be so naive?" Jisung whispered to himself, his voice barely above a hoarse whisper as he chastised himself for daring to believe in a love that had proven to be nothing more than a fleeting illusion.

"How could I have been so blind?"His chest heaving with the weight of his sorrow, Jisung buried his face in his hands, the echoes of his own words ringing in his ears like a cruel taunt.

„I knew it wouldn't be so easy, but why did I believe it would actually be possible to make it easier?"

He had poured his heart and soul into a love that had never truly been his to claim, and now he was left to pick up the shattered pieces of his shattered dreams.

With a choked sob, Jisung let go of the guitar, its strings falling silent as it clattered to the floor, a harsh reminder of the emptiness that now consumed him.

And as he crumpled to the ground, his tears mingling with the bitter taste of regret, he knew that no matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise, the pain of his shattered illusions would haunt him for a lifetime.

„Please I don't want this to end so quickly.."

With trembling hands and a heavy heart, Jisung began the painful task of removing every trace of Minho from his sight.

Tears streamed down his cheeks as he carefully peeled the poster of Minho from his wall, the image that had once brought him so much joy now serving as a painful reminder of a love lost.

Next, he reached for Minho's hoodie, the fabric soft against his fingertips as he held it for a moment, relishing in the faint scent of his beloved that lingered there.

But as the memories threatened to overwhelm him, Jisung forced himself to set the hoodie aside, burying it beneath the pile of discarded remnants of their love.

„Please don't let me go."

With a heavy heart, he reached for the plushie Minho had bought for him on their first date, its once cheerful smile now mocking him with its silent reproach.

As he tucked it away beneath his bed, a sob escaped his lips, the weight of his grief threatening to crush him beneath its unbearable burden.

Finally, he turned to Minho's album, its cover adorned with the smiling face of the man he had once believed would be his forever.

With trembling hands, he flipped through the pages, each image a painful reminder of the love that had once burned brightly between them.As he hid the album away, his vision blurred by tears, Jisung felt a sense of emptiness settle over him like a suffocating blanket.

But amidst the wreckage of his shattered dreams, one thing remained untouched: the promise ring that adorned his finger, a symbol of the love that had once bound him to Minho.

With a shaky breath, Jisung clung to that final remnant of their love, vowing to himself that no matter how much it hurt, he would never let go of the hope that one day, somehow, they would find their way back to each other.

„It's just temporary.. I hope so.. I'll put everything back on it's place soon."

And as he buried the memories of their love beneath his bed, he prayed that one day, the pain would fade, leaving only the promise of a brighter tomorrow.

„Please have a good ending.."

As Jisung lay on his bed, his heart heavy with the weight of his sorrow, he reached for his phone with a sense of resignation.

With trembling fingers, he unlocked the screen, half-dreading what he might find there.

His heart skipped a beat as he scrolled through his notifications, his breath catching in his throat as he saw that there were none from Minho.

All of those were emails, live videos, but none messages from the person he wanted to talk to the most.

A pang of longing shot through him at the realization that the one person he wanted to hear from the most remained silent, their absence a stark reminder of the void that now consumed his world.

But then, amidst the sea of unanswered messages and missed calls, one notification caught his eye, causing his heart to lurch in his chest.

With trembling hands, Jisung opened the message, his eyes scanning the words with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

"Hey Jisung, it's been a while," the message read, the words a stark contrast to the silence that had surrounded him in recent days.

A sense of relief washed over Jisung as he realized that he wasn't completely alone, that there were still people out there who maybe cared about him, even in his darkest hour.

With a shaky breath, he composed a reply to his friend, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he felt a glimmer of hope begin to blossom within him once more.

As he lay back on his bed, his phone clutched tightly in his hand, Jisung knew that no matter how difficult the road ahead might be, he wouldn't have to face it alone.

JisungieHey Hun, it's really been a while. :)

HunnyMay I light up your mood?I assume you don't feel the best now..

JisungieYou know me the best, don't you?

HunnyYeah.. <3

———————————mon, 8th april 2024

hi lovelies, sorry for a bit late update. i may have not get any ideas how to continue haha.. kinda struggling still but i made up something that i hope i will stuck with until the end. :)

how are y'all lovelies? thank you so much for 14k reads, it really means a lot to me.<33 please take care of yourself well!

tyler xx