"YOU ARE GOING TO ANNOUNCE MY DEBUT? IN AN HOUR?" I screamed right into the phone, might as well have startled Mr. Lee
"Oh, Su? I was gonna call you, but I thought of notifying Chan first. It's gonna be in an hour...Congratulations " he said and cut the call, obviously in a hurry.
I muttered a little thank you, all my members were hyped up too, congratulating me and pacing all over the place, it indeed was a very happy moment for me, but I felt a pit of anxiety in my stomach, I had always been confident and relaxed before auditions and stuff so this was new, I really didn't know how the fans would react, will I be accepted? or would I have to leave jyp?
"Stop being so nervous" jisung said.
"Congratulations on your debut" hyunjin almost whispered by.
"I'll get us all more drinks" said jeongin
"You call that frootie jeongin..it's not *a drink*" Minho said typsy from all that wine.
"I'll go call mom and dad, give me a minute." I said grabbing my phone and walking out.
*About 40 minutes later* a notification popped in from the official site and it has been done
JYPNATION proudly announces the debut of the nineth member of stray kids, YOON SUYEON. The newest addition to stray kids has been selected after a chronological series of selection events and attentive discussions. The first performance of the group officially including member Suyeon is scheduled for the open mini concert in Seoul 2 months ahead, marking the release SKZ-RELOAD. We request you to welcome Su-yeon with open arms and anticipate her debut performance.
JYP NATION
I didn't look at the reactions of the fans right now, I knew they'd be mixed comments and there was no point upsetting myself before my first showcase and so I knew I had to work hard, hard as hell to prove myself and to prove the fact that I deserved this chance and there came in the 3AM motivation, I had decided to throw myself into it...train harder, wanting it to be perfect. The next day, I scheduled myself for the practice studio for whenever they were free. I went back and forth from the dorm to the jyp building like 4 or 5 times every day till the showcase. Not just me, but the whole team went through intensive training for 2 months..non stop switching between dance and vocal...everyone had put in their all.
*skz pov*
"Where's Su?" Chan asked.
"Practice studio" said jeongin
"AGAIN?" Chan said completely shocked...it was crazy how she still had the strength in her to stand up and train the next day...Su had been working very hard, she left the dorm earlier than everyone else and came back later around 2 or 3 in the morning. She hardly slept or ate a proper meal and it had me worried.
"she's gonna fall sick at this rate...all she does is either practice or sleep" Minho said trying to contact her.
"I need to talk to her when she comes back" Chan said and thus he waited till she arrived. Right there at the center table in front of the hallway, alarmed when he heard a click...he stood up and opened the door before she could. (It's been two months she obviously had the keys)
"Is this the right time to come back home, Su?" Chan inquired totally disappointed.
He took a brief look at her, she was covered in sweat from the top to bottom, her grey sweatshirt had a large blotch of sweat, that's how drenched she was. She looked pale and exhausted as hell, as if she's gonna fall over the next damn second.
"I was practicing" was all she said in a very low voice before limping back to her room.
Chan followed her determined to talk to her, but she had dropped the backpack right in front of the door and had fallen asleep right away...didn't even wash up or change...she was tired.
Chan removed her shoes and tugged her in a blanket, switching off the lights he took one peek again totally worried about his member's health and closed the door.
*THE NEXT MORNING*
*SU'S POV*
I woke up with a horrible headache and a runny nose, SHIT I cursed under my breath...I felt sick, NO! NO! NO! I've been preparing so hard for this...w freaking months...this shit can't happen right now...I am not supposed to be sick, I need to be practicing, PRACTICE? SHIT? That's when I looked at the clock.
IT WAS TEN ALREADY, PRACTICE STARTS AT NINE, I'M LATE...I OVERSLEPT AGAIN, THE SHOWCASE IS TOMORROW...WHY TODAY OF ALL DAYS FOR EVERYTHING TO GO WRONG.
I cursed so loud, I rushed to closet to pick some clothes. I took a quick shower and popped a pill into my mouth for the headache, not wanting it to be a distraction when I'm working.
I was rushing out to get to the car, calling Chan. He didn't pick up so I called Minho and he did pick up.
"I'm so sorry I overslept...I'm already on the way...really really sorry Minho" I said almost like i would fly to the jyp building if I could right now.
"Oh no its alright..we just did some light stretches and practiced the choreo once..Chan hyung told us that you came back very late last night so it's alright take your time" Minho said.
"I don't even know how I missed all my alarms" I said.
"Oh, no we turned them off...so you get in some sleep..can't afford getting sick one day prior to the show Su...can we?" I felt instantly guilty after hearing that, he couldn't afford to? I ALREADY WAS SICK.
"Also, why the hell do you use freaking 19 alarms dude? are you a toddler that you can't wake up with one?" he sneered obviously hinting how tedious it must've been to turn them all off.
I just hahaed my way out of that conversation not wanting to describe why I use more ten alarms.
"I'll reach in twenty minutes or so...see you" I said and cut the call.
I apologized as soon as I saw all of them in the practice room and they were all fine with it, they were willing to take it slow if I was tired...I couldn't tell them about me being sick, I had worried them enough already and so I proceeded with the practice.
*SHOWCASE TIME HUEHUE*
I was fixing my hair before stepping up to the under-stage stair when I felt as if my legs had given in..I grabbed onto the chair to look for support immediately, I felt wobbly. SHIT, I muttered under my breath.
"You good?" asked Seung-Min who was getting his make-up done on the chair beside mine, and I nodded. I drank gaterode as if it was an immortality potion and with every ounce of energy, I performed, all night, even though I couldn't, I had pushed myself to all limits.
I was getting ready for the encore, the last performance but instantly my head spun..i closed my eyes not knowing what to do when someone caught on what was happening and held my hand preventing me from falling onto my face.
"ARE YOU OKAY?" I heard him scream; it was a familiar voice.
It was hyunjin. Hyunjin caught me.
SHIT AGAIN!
He made me sit on the nearest chair...everyone had their head turned this way...everyone was asking me if I was okay and I nodded...I was given ice and water to cool myself down, the paramedics were rushing over here.
"Su, slow down please...you've performed the whole night, you can skip the encore if you want to" Chan said clearly worried.
I nodded a no and stoop up with the bottle in my hand.
"You said I've performed the whole night, why does it matter if I perform once more, Chan...I don't want to disappoint the fans the very first time they've come to see me..moreover they've all paid for it..they deserve to see the nine of us" I said.
I was determined not to give up, I wore my jacket once again and stoop up, the members were all around me since the time I had lost balance...I looked at them...all of them clearly didn't want me doing this but I had to, I had to for the fans and for the team.
"Guys please, this is the first time you are doing this with me, together, as nine. We got rid of all that awkward air and got past our differences for this day...we've practiced months for this. Its just one performance, I'll be fine...pleaseeee trust me and give me a chance to prove myself please?" I looked at them with desperation.
they nodded still not fully convinced, we put our hands together in the center and chanted a little "let's do this" before we went up to the stage.
I gave it my all that day..the encore my pace was so darn hard, but I had decided to give it my all...By the ending ments , I was already leaning forward out of exhaustion..waiting to close my eyes as soon as possible, the members had kept it short so we could go back early and then finally when the lights went out, I stepped down and my knees gave in. I fell to the ground and jeongin who had been standing close, rushed to me.
I was taken to the spare room where the paramedics were already collected, expecting a member to be looked after.
I was passed out the whole time, I was being treated and when I woke up, I saw all of them, the nine of them hurdled around me obviously waiting for me to wake up.
I took a few seconds to adjust myself to the light when I heard "Are you good now, Su?"
I nodded,
"The doctor said you've drained yourself out, your body is physically dehydrated and weak from all that training...and because of that, you've caught a fever. Since you performed while your body had a high temperature, you passed out from all that heat which is why they've put you on an IV" Chan said, his eyes gleaming with disappointment, looking for an explanation.
"Why did you perform under all those complications?" changbin asked.
"I already told you guys...it was my first time performing with you guys...I had to prove myself" I said not even daring to look up.
"Yeah, and what did you get from that?" Jisung asked.
"I feel proud" I said chuckling with a stupid smile...they were mentally facepalming themselves right now I'm telling you.
"You're dumb...you know that?..it could've gotten a lot worse, Su...You should've told us"Lee-know said.
"I'm sorry...I did not want to worry you guys."
"Well you should have seen all of our faces when you passed out..if you had told us earlier, we would've taken care of you before letting all of this happen." changbin said.
"Well if not yesterday...You could've told me when I asked earlier" said Seung-Min.
"I'm sorry guys...I wanted to be responsible" I said really hinting the guilt.
"You become responsible by taking care of yourself, Su...not by putting yourself in conditions like that...I knew you were gonna get sick with all that extra training....I should've paid more attention...I'm sorry" Chan said.
"No, I'm sorry please.... the next time I'll tell you guys beforehand. I really am sorry" I said avoiding an unnecessary guilt trip.
"The next time, you won't train that hard" he sneered back.
and I chuckled and nodded.
"Alright...let's get back home and rest early today" said changbin.
"you guys proceed...I'll change quickly and follow" I said.
"I'll ask someone to wait outside in case you feel dizzy again," said chan.
"I'll take your bags and stuff...since your fever hasn't subsided yet" said changbin collecting my iPad and stuff.
"Should I order chicken or porridge?" asked Lee-know, looking at me as if I alone was gonna eat all of the food.
"Order both" changbin giggled his way out of the room and lee-know followed calling him out on his gluttony.
and one after the other, the members followed
"You shouldn't push yourself like that" I heard Hyunjin.
"I'm sorry" I said
"Do you need something else?" He asked
As I shook my head for a no.
I felt important that day as I smiled to myself thinking,
I AM OFFICIALLY STRAY KIDS NOW
*THE NEXT MORNING*
"WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL-" I heard jeongin, dropping the darn phone on my face, I paced my way out of the room to see what the heck was it that made him scream like a freakin monster at 10 in the morning on a Sunday.