Stigma ✔

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Jin

That day by the time I reached home, all six of them were huddled in the living room waiting for me in the pretense of watching a movie. I knew these boys were already informed of what was to come. The only people who know about this was the managers, my members, Mr.Seo and Bang PD-nim. 

They must have read my expression because they shut the TV off and start going back o their rooms with Yoongi following me to ours. I take longer time in the shower to get everything off mind. I can deal with my issue tomorrow when I wake up. Right now I just want to forget it all.

I stare at the mirror while drying my hair. It's not even a tough job, to be honest. I can act for a few dates, right? I have majored in acting after all. This should be a piece of cake.

With new found determination I walked into the room and was surprised to find Yoongi sitting on my bed. I knew he was again here to lecture me but right now I was not in a mood to talk to anyone.

"Yoongi-ah, can we do this tomorrow? Hyung is really-" 

He cuts me off by coming to stand in front of me.  He places his hand on my shoulder, eyes blazing and says, "Hyung we are with you always. You don't have to worry about anything. We are not angry at you. We know that even if it was a stranger involved you would have helped in the same way. I am sorry for misbehaving with you, Hyung." 

By the end of this comment his ears had turned red out of embarrassment and he scratched his head. "Okay now I am going to sleep. Goodnight."

My amused but slightly grateful eyes follow him all the way to his side of the room where he switched off his bed lamp and slipped into his bed. 

To be honest, I was stunned. Ofcourse, Yoongi had this side to him too. He was one of the first member to actually understand and support me. But I wasn't expecting him to be this understanding today. I guess, time does change people.

"Don't stand there staring at me. It's making me uncomfortable." He grumbles from under his blanket.

I laugh. Now this is the Yoongi I know. Oh if the boys get to know about just happened they will tease him till eternity.

"Don't you dare tell them anything, Hyung. I will deny it if you do." Comes the voice again.

I chuckle and throw a pillow at him. "Yah Imma, don't tell your hyung what to do!"

_______

The article of me and Irene dating was released two days after the company meeting. We were trending on Naver no.1 for an week and we were also given a ridiculous nickname, 'Jinrene'. Despite Red Velvet still being a rookie, they already had a huge fanbase known internationally. The reaction was half and half. While media were having a festival with their own content, our fans combined started editing and making  compilation videos where we were supposedly shows signs of being in a relation.

Not that I searched it up or watched the videos. Absolutely not. It was Jimin and Hoseok who were keeping me updated. 

The one thing that always tugged at my mind was the unopened letter on my bedside table. I couldn't bring myself to read and I regret it now because after that day we were hardly at the dorms except for sleep or eat.

The next few weeks it was as if everything was packed neatly in a box and pushed under my bed. Since our promotions were still underway we could not even sleep for more than three hours between fittings, pre-recording and then live performance on music shows.

We were so tired that we couldn't even eat properly and lived off energy drinks so the day we completed our promotions,  we were bursting with happiness. It was like finally getting off a treadmill we were running on for nearly a month now. We were so needy for a fresh breathe of air and a good long sleep that when it was announced we had a week break before the annual award shows season started, we nearly died of excitement. We needed that rejuvenation.

However all was ruined for me when I got a call from my manager nine in the morning on the third day of my break, asking me to dress up neatly as I was to go somewhere. Slightly annoyed that I wasn't even made aware that I had a schedule, I grumbled and got ready. 

At exactly ten o' clock manager Hyung picked me up and we are currently going to the place I was supposed to go.

Sipping on my coffee, I was enjoying the song being played on the radio when Hyung handed me a envelop from the backseat. I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Just go through it. We couldn't text you so we had to do it this way." He said.

Curious, I opened it and took out the papers it was holding. It read 'Profile: Bae JooHyun' on the first page.

"Bae JooHyun? Who is she?" I asked, doubtfully. "Is the company hiring a new manager or stylist for us?"

"No. It's not that. Just read the rest okay?" He snapped.

Slightly offended at his foul mood, I flipped to the next page and my jaw dropped. 

What the hell!

Bae JooHyun was no one but Red Velvet Irene! Why was I been given her profile? What am I supposed to do? Is for like knowing your partner in the crime before meeting her? But why now when I was going for  a schedule-

"Hyung! Please tell me we are not going where I think we are going!" I turned to Manager Hyung, almost begging. 

"Okay. We are not going where you think we are going." He calmly shrugged.

Oh I have been conned! I looked outside the window and my suspicion was correct. We are going to the SM.

 Oh shit.

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