Not Too Late | Choi San

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

sometimes i still
have to take a
big breath, and
remind myself
that not everyone
will break me like
you did.
-unknown.

•••

        the CEO watches as the trainee's face starts to pale as he quietens down, his hands clenching at his sides and his body starts to quiver. the older male isn't sure what to do, and when the boy starts chanting the same words again and again about having no rights and obeying his father, the older male quickly stands up. he walks to him hesitantly but stops when he starts panting, struggling to breathe. the CEO is paralysed in place, not knowing what to do, and when he finally regains his senses and tries to go help the boy quickly, the boy has already passed out.

he checks his breathing then runs to the phone.

"hello sir, good morni—"

"find me one of KQ fellaz and send them to my office right now!"

he hangs up and looks at the boy anxiously, haven't expected him to just pass out on him like that. it was so unlikely for a trainee to have a panic attack in their boss' room and even pass out, so he wasn't sure how to act. but after what he got to know about the boy, he thinks it's only understandable that he breaks down when trying to talk about his past.

he sits anxiously in his chair until Mingi walks into the office with wide eyes, and they get even larger once he sees the passed out boy.

"what happened?" he quickly goes to check on San's breathing, sighing when he finds him breathing pretty fine. "why's he passed out?"

"we were having a talk and he started panicking and passed out," the manager explains vaguely as he doesn't know how much Mingi knows about San, and although he doesn't like how the boy isn't trusting his members enough to tell them, it isn't his place to tell.

Mingi carries San to the couch on the corner of the room, taking a perfume bottle from his backpack and spraying it on his hand then sticking it close to San's face, San soon starts to stir.

the troubled boy opens his eyes weakly as a headache starts to form behind his eyes.

"M-Mingi? what happened?" his voice comes low and scratchy as he slowly sits down, scratching at his head to ease the headache forming there. "why are you here, do-don't you have school?"

"yeah i do— but that's not important right now, are you okay?" San nods.

"Mingi i tried, but i couldn't," San looks down, feeling ashamed of himself for not being able to do something as simple as to admit his past to his boss. it isn't that hard. my father abused me, got killed by one of his clients, and i ran away. oh, and my deceased dad is this group's sponsor who's surprisingly still alive!

San feels stupid for not being able to say those few simple words, feels weak because every time his father is mentioned his mind always wanders into dangerous places.

"it's okay, you've done great," Mingi hesitantly goes to hug him, but he stops. San notices that, and this time he isn't sure whether he would've pushed Mingi away or not had he hugged him.

the CEO (who San forgot was there all along) clears his throat, bringing the two males' attention to him.

"San, i'm sorry i pressured you into talking about something uncomfortable to you," the man says as he stands up and goes to sit down on a chair near the couch. "but the reason i need to know is because being an artist isn't easy, it requires mental stability because you'll be subjected to a lot of hate and such things."