The New Managers

Chapter Forty-Five

Published: April 16, 2020
Word Count: 2531

The air in the room goes stale as her words sink in. "Because... of this?" Jimin asks quietly and the girls nod.
"SaeJin said that he trusts us and knows we haven't done anything against policy. Everything that's shown in the photos SaeJin and Bang PD knew about. But... the public won't see it like that, and that's why..." Mina tears up again, "That's why we're leaving."
SuHee stares down at the coffee table and bites her lip, the sound of her sister tearing up making it harder for her to avoid it. "They said we can still keep in contact...." She says, her voice barely above a whisper.

The boys all stare at her in shock. Taehyung is the first one to start crying. "you can't leave! We're in the middle of a tour!"
SuHee wipes away escaping tears and reaches over to grab Tae's hand. "Hey, it'll be okay, TaeTae. We can still talk to you guys and you'll do great on tour." she assures.
"But... you won't be there to cheer us on... or to come to when we need cheering."

His mood affects the others, and soon Hoseok and Jimin start crying. Yoongi rests his elbows on his knees and drops his head down. SuHee moves from her seat to sit between Tae and Jimin, hugging them both. "It'll... it'll be okay. We can facetime if you need cheering up." she assures, trying to make them all fell better.
Mina looks at Jin to judge his reaction to the news. "We're still going to be there for you guys as much as we can. We just can't be here in person."
Jin's expression is blank and serious as he stares at the table. He looks up and locks eyes with Mina. "I'll talk to PD-Nim and get him to change his mind!" he announces.
She looks at him, eyes softening a little as she shakes her head. "It won't do any good. He already knows we're innocent. It's for your own good and for BTS. If the fans think we're just floozies, you're going to lose popularity and people are going to be mean to you."
Jin sighs and moves to hug Mina tightly. "We'll keep in contact as much as we can! Are you staying in the states or going to Korea...?"
She hugs him back, struggling not to break down again. "We haven't decided yet... but we'll make sure to tell you when we know, okay?"

He nods and continues to hug her, quickly followed by Hobi. SuHee lets go of Tae and Jimin and excuses herself, stepping out into the hallway and letting herself cry, leaning back against the wall. Yoongi slips away from the group unnoticed and goes outside. He leans next to her without a word.

She looks up and sees him. "I'm sorry... I was trying not to cry..."
"Doesn't matter. Get it out." He says quietly. She bites her lip and lets out a slight whimper, covering her mouth quickly. Yoongi reaches across the small gap between them and holds out his hand. "It's okay to cry."
She shakes her head and takes his hand. "I'm not supposed to. I'm supposed to take care of Mina when something happens... I have to be strong..." as she says this her voice breaks into a sob.
He tugs her against his chest. "It's safe here."

She breaks down when he wraps her in a hug and sobs against his chest, unable to keep it back any longer. He doesn't speak, just rests his head against the wall and holds her, letting her get it all out in a safe place. After a long while, her sobs slow down and she sniffles, releasing her hold on Yoongi's shirt. "I'm sorry... I got your shirt wet..." He shrugs. When she looks up, she sees tear tracks on his cheeks, but he's looking at her with the same serious gaze as ever. She frowns and reaches up to wipe his tears. "Are you okay, oppa?"
He nods. "I may not show a lot of emotion, but I'll still miss you."
She pouts slightly and hugs him again. "I'll miss you too, oppa. Don't forget to text me, okay?"
"I will." he pats her head.
"Good. I can't lose my brother right after I got him." she whimpers and pulls away.
yoongi frowns at her. "Don't talk like that."
She sniffles and wipes her eyes. "It feels like everything is crashing down... we finally got where we wanted and then it's ripped away from us..."
"Yeah... I know. We've been waiting seven years for really good managers like you, and the media has to go and ruin everything." He sighs and stuffs his hands into his pockets. "This is what I don't like about being famous. You can't do anything without insane repercussions, even if there's nothing wrong with the thing you did. Just taking a selca can be dangerous in this world."
She sighs and smiles up at him. "Thank you, oppa. I should be the one making everyone feel better. Not the other way around."
"It's you who's going through this though. They can't fire us."
"I know. But you're the ones that have to keep performing."
"Just let us comfort you this time, ok?"
She hesitates for a long moment and nods slowly. "Okay... she whispers, tearing up again.
He pats her gently. "Are you ready to go back or do you still need space?"
She hesitates for a moment. "I should probably go back in. I just left Mina."
"No. For yourself. She has six people in there." He pokes her collarbone. "Are YOU ready?"
She shakes her head and looks down when tears start welling up again. "No...." She whispers.
"That's what I thought. You should think about yourself sometimes." He pulls her back against him and lays a hand on her head.