SeolHyun's POV

It's the day of our debut and I'm completely stressing out. We've come such a long way and it's already here now. It's gone by so fast, for all of us. Today we aren't practicing or something like that, no. We spend all morning preparing and sitting in chairs. It's making me very sick, not being able to practice anymore. 

We're doing a showcase today and Music Bank tomorrow. We've also started a series on the V app for potential fans. A lot of people actually watched us being us and it's fun to know we already have some people who like us. I'm so nervous, the other girls too, but me more. I'm the leader of this team and they deserve a good one. They deserve someone who'll get them prizes and a lot of fans. I don't want to be a flop. You hear it all the time: girls groups that flop and have to be disbanded. It makes my heart ache to think about these girls having to disband because of me. 

"It's going to be fine Seol", MiJin comments and sits down beside me, taking my hand in hers. Hair and make-up have all been done already. We're even already in our outfits. It's something between very y and still classy. The shorts are not too short and the top is covered by a bomber jacket, all in different colours. Mine is red, of course, my favourite. They remembered. 

"Calm down", SooMi sits down with us and takes my other hand. 

"I know, but still. I want us to be good", I choke out. They both look at me with concerned looks. I know I'm freaking out, but still. 

All of us gather together and they calm me down enough to focus on the day. Still I'm missing something. Someone is a better phrase for that. Somehow Wonho hasn't called yet. Not even a single text even. He promised me he was going to try to win my trust, but now he is nowhere to be seen and it hurts in a very familiar way. It shouldn't, but it does. That's what really has me on edge today. 

We go on stage for the last time to practice the routines. We're doing a few songs to surprise the people. A few album and music video teasers have gone out in the past week. People seem to be liking them. The mini album is actually up for sale as soon as we start performing the songs. It's weird to think that it'll be our album out there soon. We've all written some pieces of the album so it's kind of our little baby. 

The routines go well and our singing is very steady, which pleases me a lot. It puts some of these insecurities to rest. Seventeen can't come today since they have their own fangsign, but we skyped a good while back and they told us not to worry. It's a big consolation coming from them. They've won so many prizes already and have a whole fanbase surrounding them. 

"SeolHyun! Come quick! MiNa has fallen!" YeonA suddenly calls out to me and I run backstage to help MiNa immediately. It's only when I get there that I see she is fine and someone else is with them. Well, a total of 3 people. Wonho, Shownu and Jooheon have come to greet us here. So that's why he hasn't called... 

"Happy debut!" The three of them call out in unision. I chuckle a little and when I near them I see they have a cake for all of us.

"We prepared it just for you guys", Wonho brags but I don't believe a word of it. Wonho? Cooking? Don't make me laugh. Their dorms would be burnt down to the ground already. 

"Stop lying to impress the girls", Jooheon slaps his back and Wonho shoots him an angry glare. 

"Fine, we bought it fair and square with our own money", he admits and I roll my eyes at him. "Do not dare to roll your eyes at me again, missy!" 

I roll them again and he's in front of me in mere seconds. He's grinning and looks devilishly hot. Yes, I said hot. I do have eyes. He drags me outside while the rest of them yell 'oooooh'. Little kids they are. When we're behind the building Wonho releases me and looks at me with crossed arms. 

"What?" I ask a little confused.

"Nothing. I just needed an excuse to get you alone", he says while pulling out a little box. "This is for you." He hands it to me and I just stare at it. "Open it please?" He seems very desperate for me to do so. 

"What is it?" I ask, a little dumb if you may ask me. 

"If you open it up, you'll see", he comments matter-of-factly. 

"Right", I let out my breath while opening it. It's a beautiful silver necklace with a music note in the middle. It's stunning and not too big. 

"I know it's not much but I thought you should at least have some kind of present. I bought it with all the money I have, had, when I saw it in the store", his hand goes up to his neck to scratch it nervously. He's cute when he does that.

"It's the most beautiful present I've ever gotten, Wonho, don't degrade yourself. And you didn't have to", I comment while getting it out of its box. He walks over and takes it from me to put it on. I lift my hair so he can reach it better. I'm so happy to have the jacket on though, he might've seen. 

"I know, but I wanted to", he whispers into my ear when he's done. It causes some shivers to run down my back. I try my best to conceal it. A heavy blush creeps on my cheeks while I stare at my feet. He moves away from me and I just pray he doesn't see the redness in my cheeks. Maybe I can blame it on the make-up? 

"That's very nice", I say once my voice is stable enough again. It kind of moves me when he's like this. It makes me thing of how close we used to be and he wants to be again. 

"Anything for you", he says with a genuine, toothy smile. It makes me smile in return too since he's so cliché. 

"Let's get back, they'll wonder where we are and what we're doing", I chuckle and his hand brushes against mine for the briefest of seconds. For some unthinkable reason my heart skips a beat and I can't move. Two different kind of emotions are going through my body right now and they're competing with each other. He notices and eyes me suspiciously. 

"Anything wrong?" he asks while coming closer to me again. 

"No, nothing", I say before walking off. He can't come too close to me again. It seriously messes with my head when he does. 

We step back inside and find the rest of the group again. 

"You drag us all the way over here and then you run off!" Shownu complains while slapping Wonho's back. 

"Dude..." Wonho growls. That was definitely something I wasn't supposed to know. Meanwhile the rest of my group is staring at me. They're making sure nothing happened between the two of us and I shake my head to confirm it. God, they are so suspicious towards me and Wonho all the time. It annoys me since we're just friends. 

"We'll be in the crowd", Jooheon breaks the silence and drags the other two with him. 

"Good luck!" Wonho shouts before the doors close behind him. He's too cute, I swear he is. My head is swarming with all the feelings I have right now, I can't seem to place them. There is confusing because I felt my heart skip a beat. That emotion really conquers all. There's excitement and fear too. And on the other side there is this irrational belief that we're going to flop. Damn it. 

"Girls, the president is here. Please greet him formally", our manager tells us right before he walks in. We all bow 90 degrees while he walks over to us. We were expecting him since he also comes to our practices now and then, even when we were trainees. 

"Hello, girls. Are you excited?" he asks us and I straighten my back as the first and oldest one. 

"Yes sir, we're looking forward to debuting", I flash him my biggest smile and he returns it. President Kim Yeon-Soo is not a stranger when it comes to me. He's been someone who's really been there for me throughout the years. He acted like some kind of father I never had. 

Ever since he saw in what kind of condition I was in when I first came to the company, he's been watching over me. I never told him what happened to me specifically, but he always assumed. There's no way my parents would've let me go without getting a lot of money in exchange. And I expect he had something to do with it. Every now and then he takes me out for dinner and we talk about life with the girls. He's very interested in every trainee too. It's not just me, but he takes care of me the most of all. The others don't think it's weird since I'm the oldest one here and I've been here the longest too. But that's not the whole truth since he was already that way with me when the other trainees were still here. I just don't tell them to stop jealousy. At some point he even called me the 'daughter he never had'. The president never got married or had any children which is why he takes such good care of us all. 

"Good, I'll be watching you and I'll cheer you on! Fighting!" He tells us and we all smile and thank him. We're a polite bunch of girls so we bow again when he leaves. 

"That doesn't add to the stress at all." YeonA says with a big sigh. I crack up because she gets nervous from our president. Everyone else apparently gets very nervous around the guy, but I don't. From all the people I've known over the years, he's one of the few I actually trust. 

"Let's get going, you're on!" Our manager informs us and we get to the stage. There are a lot of fans actually in the room while our music starts playing. We're doing a song before introducing ourselves in front of the people. It goes smoothly since we've practiced uncountable times for this. No one makes any big mistakes and we end the song well enough. Then introductions begin. We start with the youngest again and make our way over to me. 

"Hello everyone! I'm SeolHyun and I'm the leader! I'm also the lead dancer! I really hope you enjoy our music and keep on supporting us. We've been feeling a lot of love from seeing your replies on V app and even seeing you here! The room is filled with a lot of people and it means the world to us", I tell the people and they cheer me on. My members clap when I'm done and we continue our showcase. 

I can see Wonho cheering me on in the back of the room and I try not to be too distracted. He doesn't make it that easy. Our showcase ends with a lot of cheers and us waving off our fans. After the showcase we have a high touch event with the people. Person after person sees us and they congratulate us with debuting. Some even tell me they love me and the way I look. There are a lot of girls here and even some guys. It warms my heart to see how friendly they are towards us. It makes me want to be eve better for them all. We end everything and the trio finds us backstage again. Who even keeps letting them in? 

"You were amazing!" Wonho says and embraces me in front of everyone. It's not that weird, the only weird is the length of the hug. He doesn't let go of me and I even have to wiggle my way out of it. My members try not to stare at us, but they're being not so obvious about it all. 

"Thanks", I shyly remark. 

"Let's go out for food", Shownu suggests and even calls in the other members of Monsta X. Wonho is being really weird today. He keeps on eyeing me throughout dinner. 

"I think he has a crush on you", MiNa suddenly remarks at the end of dinner. I'm throw off by all of that. Could it really be? No.