Mino smiled as his other band mates flooded around his favorite Byul

Im TaeByul – the girl who puts on a smiling mask everytime when she’s around people.

Mino knew what she was going through, how she had suffered these 8 long months. How she’d break down so suddenly, how she’d laugh at the silliest thing, how she’d pretend she was okay.

“Song Mino AH~~~” she said as Mino opened his mouth

“Missed it” Byul said popping the candy into

“Taehyun has been teaching you too many tricks” Mino chuckled as Taehyun proudly smiled

“God bless you, daughter” Taehyun said making Byul chuckle

“Thank you harmoni” Byul said bowing before Taehyun and quickly ran behind Mino

“Mian MAIN!!!” she laughed

*It’s great to see her laugh…at least once in a while*

                                                        ________________________________________________________

Seventeen’s press conference:

The conference had been going on for some time. The place was filled with reporters and cameras. The Q&A session had been going on for some time

“Okay, now we have an interesting question” the MC said

“Apart from our Mingyu here, is there anyone else who are maybe interested in a relationship?” the MC asked

“No! No! we are all single!”

“The fans are our girlfriend!” the boys exploded at once making the MC laugh a bit

“Yaaa~ they are really honest” the MC laughed

“When we are still talking about this, have any of you been in a relationship before?” the MC asked

“SeungCheol hyung has been in one” the maknae pointed out

“Ah~ jinjja?” the MC asked as SeungCheol chuckled embarrassed

“Chan-ah, meet me at the dorm” S.Coups said as the boys burst out laughing

“Aniya, we dated for a few months when I was in the 8^th standard…just that. But I haven’t been in a serious relationship yet” SeungCheol said

“How about you WonWoo-sshi?” the MC asked

“Nan? I was thinking if I should say this…” WonWoo paused

“Do tell us…now your fans are going to be so curious” the MC laughed

“There’s a girl, I was her first love…she confessed to me a few years back…maybe 5 years back?” WonWoo said

“I was like –‘let’s just be friends, that way we will never break up or grow apart’” WonWoo said as the boys gave an ‘ah~’ reaction

“I actually had no bad intentions in mind but she told me – ‘oppa, if you are rejecting me then just let me know…why lie?’”

“I was like – ‘a-ani, I didn’t mean that’ but she took it the other way around…I’d just like to apologize to her for that day…” WonWoo said

“Ah~ so you want to tell her that you actually liked her but you didn’t want to lose her so you said that but she took that as rejection?” the MC asked

“Neh…” WonWoo nodded

“The news will be all over the internet tomorrow” Jeonghan laughed when

“There’s something I need to say to everyone here too” Mingyu suddenly said

“Mingyu-sshi? About your first love too?” the MC asked excitedly as the boys looked at Mingyu

“About me and Yeri” Mingyu said

“Our Mingyu here is very smart…I was thinking of how to bring that question in here” the MC laughed as the boys gave unsure laughs

“You might have noticed, we never meet outside apart from photoshoots and performances, apart from those photos leaked months back, there is no evidence of our dates…so I just want to tell everyone here…” Mingyu said as SeungCheol looked at him

“me and Yeri…we never dated” he said when there was silence

“Mingyu-sshi, what are you talking about?” the MC asked confused

“It has all been a misunderstanding, me and Yeri…we are not dating. We met only a few months ago…I’m sorry if this causes confusion, disgrace or anything…I am ready to take responsibility” Mingyu said when the manager ran to them

“We’ll be wrapping up the conference now…we’ll let you know” the manager said and told the boys to get backstage

“You may stop taking pictures” the manager said as the security controlled the mop

*What was that?!*

The boys listened to the manager talk to them in the dorm

“Have you read the news? Just why did you tell them that?! Everything was going on alright!” the manager sighed as Mingyu sat quiet when the CEO walked into the dorm

“Kim Mingyu please explain” the CEO said with an annoyed expression

“Why did you do that? And why didn’t you stop them on time?” the CEO asked looking at the manager

“SeungCheol, you are also responsible for this situation, as the leader—”

“If there’s anything you want to say, say it to me” Mingyu said as the CEO looked at him
“Yes the culprit. Do you know how this will affect both you and Yeri’s reputation?”

“Are you only worried about that? Money and reputation? Do we mean only that much to you? Months before, I told I won’t do it but you never listened…” Mingyu said
“Bwo?” the CEO muttered

“I’d rather give up my dream rather than live in guilt all my life…because of you my girlfriend left and ever since then I have been leading a miserable life…potraying as a fake couple with another girl…And what about me? Don’t I deserve to be happy too?!” Mingyu said

“Mingyu, calm down” SeungCheol said as Jeonghan gave Mingyu’s shoulder a pat

“I wont just sit back…do you guys even know how much I have suffered? How much Byul has suffered because of me…? How much longer do I have to watch that Mino take my Byul away?!” Mingyu shouted

“Aigoo…what am I hearing?” the CEO muttered

“Sir we will—” the manager said when

“Meet me in my office I’ll think of something” the CEO said walking away.

The boys looked at Mingyu as he walked into his room and slammed the door

“Mingyu” SeungCheol said knocking on the door

“Kim Mingyu, open the door” SeungCheol said only to be answered by silence.

Mingyu sat on the floor as he looked at his picture with Byul – that day when they did the laundry together.

I remember it all too well…what Byul said…those words –

“But just the fact that I can see you every time you get a day off, just the fact that I am your girlfriend, and the memories that we make while doing everyday things…it all makes me happy”

Everyday I go through this…fans ask – ‘Mingyu used to smile a lot…what happened to him?’

I don’t know what happened to me…my heart is heavy and I am always sad. I don’t care about what the world says or thinks anymore… I want to fight for my own good. I don’t want to break the promise I made to haraboji… I don’t want to leave her alone, not anymore.

I don’t want to see the girl I love with another guy. I don’t want to see her with Song Mino….not anymore….

In the end of the day I realize that I am dreaming a beautiful nightmare… that nightmare where you and I are so in love. Unlike the harsh reality, those emptiness that doesn’t seem to pass…