Rumours
Leader X Maknae: A Series of JiTzu OneshotsSummary: When bullying rumours are taken to heart.
Who does she think she is? Everyone knows that Tzuyu is much prettier than she is.
I know she's pretty. I've always found her pretty too.
She thinks she's pretty? How did she even become an idol? She's so fat.
I know I'm still lacking. I promise I'm working hard on it.
Poor Tzuyu. She doesn't deserve to be treated like this.
I know she doesn't. She only deserves the best.
I always knew she was a bully. Don't worry Tzuyu, she's just jealous.
Of course I'm jealous. Tzuyu's amazing. But I would never hurt her.
Not only is she a bully, she's racist too.
No, I'm not. STOP SPOUTING LIES!
I slammed the laptop shut, but the damage had already been done. Their hurtful words were carved into my eyelids, mocking me, calling out my incapabilities. Of course I knew that Tzuyu was prettier than I am. Heck, to me, she was the prettiest person in the whole world. It was just a show. It was all an act. If they believed it, this would mean that I am a good actress, wouldn't it? Apparently not.
This isn't the first time they had come after me because of her. Just a week ago, I learnt how a simple set of photos could have caused a ridiculous bullying scandal. A picture is worth a thousand words they say. However. those words could always be misinterpreted. They twisted my words, changing its meaning all together. They don't understand, they never will. I'm not racist, I'm not a bully. I would never hurt her.
Nonetheless they believed that I did, that I had used my 'leadership privileges' to harm her, that I've mocked her for being different. They said that I took my jokes too far. No, that's how we display our affections. I had said it for the laughs, a spur of the moment sort of thing, to make the show more interesting. I'm not racist. I only read a comment from a fan worried for Jeongyeon's health. I've always found her dark skin beautiful.
I would never do anything that would make her the slightest bit uncomfortable. The so-called proof however showed otherwise, the slight hurt on her face was evident in each and every shot. The more I went through the alleged videos, the more I began to believe their words. Is it true that I've only thought about myself and never about the others? The words that haunt me come to mind again.
This is not how a leader should act.
You don't deserve this position.
You only hurt her Jihyo-yah.
And I cry alone in the darkness of the night, curled up in a corner where no one could hear me. My heart ached, my throat burned. The stress, the pain was too much for me to bear. What if she really did hate me? I don't think I can bring myself to let her go. No one, not even she knew how much I loved her. But as the saying goes, if you love someone, let them go. Thus I decided:
I won't let her get hurt anymore.
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I kept my distance to avoid hurting her.
I'm just tired.
I'm not hungry.
I'm not feeling well.
Those excuses were just part of a list of methods I had used to avoid her. When she went left, I went right. When she stood at the head of the group, I lingered far behind. The seating arrangements in the car were altered so I wouldn't have to sit with her and feel her rest against me. Conversations consisted of maybe two or three words and a curt response before I disappeared. Meals were skipped so I could avoid being so close to her. Even our usual showering arrangement were changed, I couldn't bare to look at her body without touching her.
It wasn't easy at first, we shared a dorm, we had the same schedules and I naturally had a soft spot for the younger girl. But as time went by, it just kept getting easier and easier. Lying no longer left me guilty inside. I've learnt to ignore the urge to hold and protect her, only silently watching from afar as she smiled. It didn't matter how much pain I would suffer. As long as she was happy I would be fine, even if I wouldn't be a part of that happiness.
But my actions did not go unnoticed. I've seen the way the members looked at me, the way she stared at me from afar. Perhaps it was the sudden silence that ticked off their senses — their usually noisy leader had become unusually silent. Or maybe it was the sudden weight lost, my body feeding on itself from the lack of meals. Whatever it was the members were concerned and Tzuyu was definitely well aware that I was avoiding her.
Honestly, I too could feel myself becoming isolated from the members. The constant avoidance leaving a pretty awkward patch in my relationship not only with her, but with the other seven girls as well. They could feel the awkwardness between the maknae and myself. Thankfully, none of the eight had said anything about it for a while. Only a week later, when I started getting dizzy spells that Tzuyu decided to take matters into her own hands.
She had approached me one day, wanting to know what wrong had she committed. No love, it isn't you; it's me. But I couldn't bring myself to say it. Mind your own business, I told her. The words slipping past my lips like water. Never had I ever heard such cold words leave my lips. Never have I ever seen her flinch from my harsh response. The pained look on her face tugged at my heartstrings but I merely walked away. I'm sorry Tzuyu, but it's for your own good.
The members had caught word of it and had been trying to get me to explain, constantly pestering me to get some sort of an explanation for my behaviour. Their actions weren't at all surprising — Tzuyu was their precious maknae after all. I managed to dodge the question for a few hours, but it wasn't until Jeongyeon, whom had just returned from the jungle due to an injury, pulled me aside to interrogate me. That was when things got a bit out of hand.
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"What the hell is wrong with you!"
Hearing Jeongyeon unnie's loud voice, I looked up from my book and saw my roommates do the same. It was odd for any of us to shout like that. Sure, we weren't exactly the most silent people, but the anger in that voice had been unmistakable. Something's not right and from the looks Dahyun unnie and Chaeyoung were having, I wasn't the only one who felt that way. More shouts came, Jihyo's loud voice cutting through the silence of the dorm, her words unclear to my ears.
A loud thud resounded through the room sending the three of us running, only to be greeted by the sight of the older members holding Jeongyeon unnie back as a stunned looking Jihyo sat shocked on the floor, a hand on her reddening cheek. Jeongyeon unnie had an arm raised, making it clear that both girls had just fought. Seeing us, the older of the two shrugged the members' hands off her and grabbed her crutches before making her way out of the living room.
"You know what Jihyo, you're right," Jeongyeon unnie sneered, shoving past Jihyo unnie as she walked towards her room, "you don't deserve to be our leader." The door slammed behind her and the silence that came after was deafening, the only sound being the drumming of raindrops against the windowsills. The rest of us stood frozen in the room, faces all full of shock. We had never expected that any of us would ever criticise Jihyo unnie's leadership skills. And neither did she.
Our eyes met as I turned to face her, her eyes mirroring the brokenness of her soul as it shattered into a million pieces. "Jihyo unnie," I felt my lips unconsciously call out, and she flinched, looking as though she had just snapped out of a trance. Noticing the seven pairs of eyes that watched her with concern, she quickly bowed, whispering an apology before she ran out of the dorm and into the cold outside.
"Unnie, wait up," I moved to chase after her, but a hand clutched my wrist, pulling me back and preventing me from following her. "Leave her be Tzuyu-ah," Nayeon unnie said as she ushered the three of us back into our room. "She needs some time to straighten herself out." I shook my head in protest, my eyes pleading for her her to let me go. "She's going to freeze to death out there," I argued but Nayeon unnie wasn't having it.
"Then the others will go after her. Don't worry about it," she tried to reassure me, but I didn't feel so at all. "I'm going to go check on Jeongyeon. The three of you will stay here," she said sternly and when she received zero response from us, she took her leave walking over to the next room. The three of us went back to revising, although nothing really went into our heads as we waited patiently for the news.
But as I stared out the window, watching the lightning strike outside, my heart thumped with worry, hoping that she'll be safe.
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I was beyond worried. It was past midnight and there was still no sign of Jihyo unnie's return.
An hour after she had left, the older members returned, with no clue to where our leader could be. She wasn't at the practice rooms or the roof or any of her usual spots. Nayeon unnie, after much deliberation, dialled up Jihyo unnie's parents but to no avail; she wasn't there either. Jeongyeon unnie was concerned too, her eyes shining with regret when none of us could find her. Soon after, Nayeon unnie sent us off to bed, promising to get help if she doesn't return soon.
Tossing and turning, I tried my best to get some shut eye, only to fail miserably. I sat up on the bed, hugging my knees and staring out of the window beside me. Snores came from the bunk bed beside me, signalling that my roommates were fast asleep. Outside the rain continued to pour, soaking the streets of Seoul. Accepting the fact that I wouldn't be asleep anytime soon, I snuck out into the living room, taking a seat on the sofa, sitting in the darkness as I stared at the main door.
The sight of a small light blinking from our laptop caught my eye. Someone probably had forgotten to shut it down again. Shaking my head at the older members' irresponsibility, I picked up the laptop and opened it up, wanting to properly switch it off. But as the screen lit up and the password was typed in, I finally found what's was looking for; an explanation for our leader's odd behaviour.
'Twice's Tzuyu Bullied By Leader?'
The headline read. It was an article on one of those internet forums, the pictures showing screenshots some scenes from our skit on Knowing Brothers and V Live. It was the netizens comments however that caused my blood to boil, each one being another lie used to slander Jihyo unnie's reputation.The more comments I read, the more disbelief I felt. Angry tears began to well up in my eyes which I quickly wiped away as the sound of the door creaking reached my ears and I turned to face the intruder.
Jihyo unnie stumbled into the dorm soaked to the bone, leaning against the wall for support as she moved towards the bathroom. I switched off the laptop and stayed quiet, watching her wobble with each step that she took. Something wasn't right. "Jihyo unnie?" I made my presence known as she neared where I was seated. She tensed slightly but continued to walk away. Grabbing onto her arm, I stopped her before she could go any further. She stared up at me bleary eyed before lurching forward and collapsing into my arms.
I grunted slightly, catching her as she passed out, shaking her slightly to wake her up. Getting no response, I placed my hand against her forehead. Her body was unusually warm despite just returning from the rain, the back of my hand burning as I touched her skin. She wouldn't stop shivering and she was sweating despite the cold weather, her face unnaturally pale. Panicked, I cried out for the older members, rousing them from their sleep.
Mina unnie ran out first, her eyes widening as she saw the unconscious leader in my arms. The rest of the members soon followed with Jeongyeon unnie being the last, limping as she moved. "Shouldn't we bring her to the hospital or something?" Dahyun unnie asked, her voice quavering. Nayeon unnie shook her head. "It would draw too much attention from the paparazzi," she explained before turning to me. "Do you think you can carry her to our room?"
I nodded and slipped my arms under her knees as I lifted her into her room. Laying her onto the bed, I stripped her of her damp clothes as Sana unnie walked in with a change of clothes and helped me get the sleeping leader dressed. Soon after, Chaeyoung walked in with a basin of water, the rest of the members followed closely behind. Dipping a small towel into the water, Nayeon unnie proceeded to wipe her down and placed another damp towel onto Jihyo unnie's forehead once she was done.
"What now?" Momo unnie asked as we watched her chest rise and fall with each breath. "We either wait or go back to sleep," Mina unnie answered. I her hair as I sat by her side and I suddenly remembered about my discovery from earlier. I told the other members about the website and the comments on it, sending the girls into silence. Sighing , Jeongyeon unnie told us to go back to sleep, knowing that we couldn't do anything else except wait.
"Let's hope her fever breaks by morning. She has a lot of explaining to do."
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Everything hurt when I gained consciousness.
My head throbbed slightly and my body felt drained of all energy, but I definitely felt better than I did last night. Weakly, I tried to open my eyes, but the sight of the world spinning forced them to shut, the headache intensifying, prompting a small whimper to escape from my lips. Beside me the mattress sank as someone took a seat by my side, a cold sensation could be felt on my forehead, causing the pain to slowly recede.
"Call the others. She's awake," a voice spoke and I opened my eyes once more. The world no longer spun and I could finally make out the face of the person beside me. Tzuyu? I held myself back from calling out, avoiding her eyes as she she gazed down at me. She opened to speak but was cut off by a knock on the door as the members came in to check on me. Each of them stood by my side and I waited for them to say something, to scold me or lash out at me. I deserve it anyways.
I involuntarily stiffened as Jeongyeon approached me. She raised her hand and I felt myself flinch, averting my gaze away from her. "I'm sorry," she apologised much to my surprise, bending down to face me and placed her hand on my head, ruffling my hair with a soft smile. "I shouldn't have hit you and I didn't mean what said. Will you forgive me?" she asked with arms outstretched, inviting me for a hug.
She must have seen me hesitate as her smile faltered slightly and her arms began to fall. Before she could fully retreat, I wrapped my arms around her, burying my face against her chest and letting her know that she was forgiven. Jeongyeon reciprocated the hug and I felt a few more pairs of arms join us. But I could also feel a pair of eyes staring blankly at me as I lifted my head to face her. Nayeon unnie must have sensed the tension between us. "I think you two need some time together. Alone," she said as she herded the other girls out of the room, closing the door behind her and leaving the two of us by ourselves.
We simply sat there staring at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Seconds became minutes before Tzuyu moved, making her way to my table and grabbing the laptop. Switching it on, she placed it on my lap and I froze as I glanced at the screen. She knew. "I saw the comments," she told me in a low tone. My face heated up, turning red from the embarrassment of being caught.
"You're an idiot," she muttered and I felt myself shrink away, wanting to get away from the situation."I'm disappointed. I can't believe that you would actually trust those idiots more than me." She stopped to take a deep breath before continuing. "I never thought that you were a bully, not even for a second. I thought you loved me enough to know that." Wait, what. I turned to her wide eyed and mouth agape, only to see her grin at me.
"Did you really think that I could hate you?" Tzuyu whispered as she took a seat beside me. "If you're a bully, what does that make me? All I've ever done is tease you and talk back to you. Heck, I've almost strangled in you on camera before," she ranted as her hand reached over and cupped my cheek. "The point is unnie; you really have no idea how much you mean to me," she gazed down at me lovingly and my heart fluttered. "I love you."
"You're going to get sick," I mumbled as she leaned forward to kiss me. "I won't," she said confidently making me giggle before she kissed me and the world fell away. The kiss was slow and soft, comforting in a way and melted away my fears and worries. We pulled away, foreheads resting against each other's, panting as we caught our breath. It was as though nothing else mattered and all I could see was her.
"And even if I did I know you'll take care of me."
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"ACHOO!" A sneeze rang throughout the dorm.
I sighed before reaching over to the tissue box on her table and pulling one out for her. Tzuyu accepted it with a mischievous grin, sniffling as her nose became runny. "I warned you didn't I," I nagged at her as she blew her snot into the tissue in her hand. "It was worth it," she replied, laughing as I rolled my eyes at her. "Besides, with my girlfriend taking care of me, I'll get back on my feet before you know it," she said, making sure to put emphasis on the word 'girlfriend'.
"Well, I am your medicine after all," I joked, referring to a past interview we once had together before lying down on the bed beside her. "Guess I won't be getting better anytime soon then," she said and I whacked her arm. "Bully! Save me!" she teased with a laugh as I shoved her away. "Shut up and go to sleep Chou Tzuyu," I told her but she simply embraced me, pulling me to sleep with her. "You're lucky I love you." "I know bully unnie. Now sleep with me." And we did, happily and peacefully, no longer caring about what the haters would say.
A/N: Here's the update as requested by seofanyluv. Thanks for the request and I hoped it was up to your expectations. Sorry that it took a while though.
Thank you for reading. Comment and subscribe and see you during my next update. :)
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