THE BOY NEXT DOOR (Reader x Exo Chanyeol Fanfic)

11. Trouble

(Chanyeol's POV)

  The trouble didn't die down after a few days. In fact, it was just getting started. Two days after the first photo started circulating on social media, someone (probably the sasaeng) had released a photo of (Y/N), claiming that she was the girl with me.

  We were in our practice room when Sehun came running to me with his phone. "Hyung!! Look at this!"

  "Oh no," I said looking at the picture of (Y/N) with the caption 'The (girl) stealing our oppa'. (It had a stronger word than 'girl' if you know what I mean..) 

 The other members surrounded me, peeking over my shoulder at the picture and the nasty comments beneath it.

 "I think you better call (Y/N) and tell her about this, if she doesn't know about it already," Suho hyung said "Tell her to be careful since her face is all over the internet. And tell her not to panic"

 I called (Y/N) and she picked up after a few rings.

 "Yeoboseyo? Oh, Chanyeol"

 "I have bad news. Did you go on social media this morning?" I asked

"No. I hate seeing all those nasty posts about you," she replied "Wae? What's happened now?"

 "Don't panic, but your face is all over social media and gossip sites," I said "They've recognized you".

 "Andwae! What do I do? I'll never be able to step out of the house," (Y/N) said with a hint of panic in her voice.

 "What is she saying?" asked Xiumin hyung trying to listen in. I put (Y/N) on speaker mode and everyone gathered around the phone. "(Y/N), you need to lie low for a bit arasso?" Suho hyung said.

 "What about you guys?" (Y/N) inquired "This will be very bad publicity for you"

 "We'll have to lie low too. I expect our schedules will be cancelled as well- at least for a few days," said Luhan  hyung "You need to be careful. If you want to leave the house, ALWAYS make sure you wear a cap and a mask"

 There was a moment of silence at the other end. "I hate having to hide like we have committed a crime. All we did was fall in love..." (Y/N) sounded like she was on the verge of tears. "I'm sorry we caused this mess"

  "Yah are you crying?!" asked D.O in alarm. (Y/N) sniffed. "I'm trying not to," she said.

  My heart broke to hear her sound so helpless. I hated not being able to go to her and comfort her and I hated feeling so helpless myself.

 "Hey don't blame yourself for anything arasso?" Tao said "None of this is your fault. Neither is it Chanyeol hyung's" He flashed me an encouraging smile.

  "Yeah noona! We've got your back!" Sehun said and the other members nodded their agreement. "I've got your backs too" (Y/N) said.

  "Forget about all this and don't go near your phone. You don't need to see all those hateful comments," Baekhyun said "I want you to get yourself your favourite snacks and watch some comedy movies arasso?"

  "Arasso," (Y/N) said with a small laugh. "I'll hang up then. Annyeong." 

   We all said goodbye and just before she hung up (Y/N) whispered "Saranghae Chanyeol". Usually the members would have teased me no end about it, but today, they didn't, knowing that I needed to hear that single word. The tight feeling in my chest that had been there for the past two days lifted slightly.

  But that feeling of relief didn't last long, as once again, the pure fear of what would happen to me and (Y/N) , to EXO, in the future, threatened to crush the life out of me. 

 Just then we heard a commotion outside the building. Chen hyung walked towards the window and looked out. To our surprise, he went pale and quickly swung the curtain across the window saying "It's nothing...just some labourers protesting for a pay raise"

  " Labourers? Why would they be protesting outside the SM building?" asked Kai, his brow furrowed. This is the least of my concerns I thought, starting to turn away but I saw Chen hyung slightly shake his head at Kai's question. A sudden feeling of dread washed over me and I strode over to the curtain, flinging it aside.

  Down at the entrance, a group of perhaps 20 people were holding up cardboard signs, struggling to get inside the building. I felt like someone had pushed a knife into my gut. Most of the signs they held were cutouts of my face with a big red cross drawn over it. Others had the words "Apologize!" and "We want Chanyeol out of EXO!" written in red lettering.

  I stood frozen, as I watched my fans protest to have me thrown out of Exo and try to push their way past the guards at the entrance, my heart feeling like it was being pressed against shards of glass with each beat. Someone caught hold of my arm and gently pulled me away from the window. It was Suho hyung.

  "Hyung " I whispered, pouring all the fear, hurt and pain I felt into that single word.

 "I know, I know..." he said, rubbing my back in slow, soothing circles "Everything's going to be alright..."

(Y/N's POV)

 "Ugh just look at that (girl) I don't know what Chanyeol  oppa sees in her"

"She probably threatened him to go out with her...she looks like a sasaeng"

"He should have got the guts to say no. Well this seems like the end for him and exo"

"I knew he'd be a flop. He's so proud too...he hasn't even apologized for hurting his fans"

"I took a lunch break! Has Chanyeol committed suicide yet? No? Well he should."

"If I ever see that (girl) on the streets I'm throwing a bucket of acid at her. She's-

  Omma plucked my phone out of my hands. "Why are you reading all this?" she asked sternly "I told you not to". Then seeing my grief stricken face, her face softened and she sat next to me. "I know it hurts but you have to keep holding on. If the two of you can get through this, you can get through anything"

 "But they hate us omma..." I said, my voice cracking "They hate him. It'll ruin his whole career. All because I said yes to him. I shouldn't have done that"

 "Hey, don't blame yourself. Show them how strong you are," omma said "And didn't Chanyeol say that he would always be by your side? That's how you must overcome this. Together."

 "Komawo omma," I said as she squeezed my arm and got up to leave, taking my phone with her. Sky rested his head on my lap like he understood how I felt. 

  The feeling you get when your face is all over the internet and people you hardly know hate you, was hard to describe. I felt trapped and I was hurting so much that I couldn't breathe. I was just a normal girl from a normal family and now I was slap bang in the middle of one of the biggest scandals of kpop. And all I did was to fall in love...

 (A/N) This was a very slow- moving, uneventful chapter I know. I wanted to show how idols are affected by these "scandals" and "controversies". Speaking of controversies, Chanyeol's alleged "ex girlfriend's" claims that he cheated on her for 3 years is just ridiculous🙄. The photos are so obviously photoshopped. People seem to be really jobless these days lol. Anyway see you guys later!