Tracklisting Alternatives (2/7; Kaisoo; 758w)
Summary: There are many might-have-been's in Kai's life spinning out like a CD on repeat.
A/N: A series of casual drabbles on Kaisoo. Because comeback feels and Kaisoo feels do not mix well together.
Track B: At the peak of their idolage, EXO-K is forced to disband when, in a firestorm of accusations and national scandal, Kai and Kyungsoo’s relationship is outed.
“How could you have been so stupid.” It is not a question. Kyungsoo must have heard this statement over ten times in the last hour, and so all he does is shrug. Joonmyun looked like he wanted to reach out and punch him, but behind him Chanyeol touched his shoulder to restrain him.
“Do you realize what this means for us, do you even care?” Baekhyun was practically spitting, his face tensed in angry lines. Chanyeol reached out to touch him lightly on the shoulder, too.
“I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo whispered. It was all he could say. Jongin was still being interrogated by their manager. Kyungsoo had faced the same inquisition himself two hours earlier.
They could deny nothing. The pictures were there in the full pore-exposing HD quality that only seemed to come from the lenses of sasaeng cameras. It was impossible to claim that they had been photo-shopped. Jongin and Kyungsoo, kissing in a car. Jongin and Kyungsoo, locked in an embrace that not even the familiar idol phrase of “skinship” will explain. It had been all well and good when “Kaisoo” was just a fictional, fan-conjured pairing that the company could exploit. They might have even survived if it was just the pictures that had been published, given how popular they were as a fan pairing.
It was the accusations that ruined them. That they had had an indecent relationship with other members of the band. That they had infected each other with STDs. That Kyungsoo had taken advantage of Jongin. Endless pages of libel that could not be forcefully denied because along with them were the pictures, endless variations upon the same theme. Sehun had not come back to the dorm since the first wave of articles were released.
The accusations were all fake, wrong, but the pictures were undeniably real and so how could anyone not believe the words printed alongside them? The gossip rags had a field day. International fans were split in outrage and support. Domestic fans had far less of an even split. Album sales plummeted, and so did the sale of merchandise, almost overnight. Companies pulled their sponsorships. Kyungsoo was informed that someone else had been found to be “more suitable” for his role in Cart. CFs were pulled from the air. Music shows and variety programs suddenly found other groups to fill EXO-K’s slots.
EXO-M, in China, were implicated, but with far less severity. After all, they had been doing split promotions for quite a while now and none of the Chinese members had ever engaged in skinship quite as readily. They continued their album promotions, all the while trying to passively deflect questions about the rapidly sinking boat that was EXO-K back in Seoul.
Jongin returned from the managers’ with a pale, shaken face. And Kyungsoo knew that they were over.
“EXO-M is to continue promotions, but we are to announce that we’re disbanding,” Jongin muttered. With a cry of outrage and disgust, Joonmyun was out the door. Baekhyun stood still for quite some time and slowly turned away, slamming the door on his departure with a viciousness that struck deep into Kyungsoo’s heart.
“I don’t blame you,” Chanyeol said tightly, glancing at their interlocked hands with a grimace. “You couldn’t have meant for it to come out like this. But that doesn’t stop me from not wanting to see you ever again, understand? You’ve ruined yourselves, and all the rest of us with you.”
“Chanyeol,” Jongin said plaintively, but it was too late. Chanyeol, too, simply turned away and strode out the door, which clicked shut with a sort of desolate, empty snick that said everything they had ever worked for was over.
“Do you regret it, Jongin?” Kyungsoo asked. Jongin kept his lips pressed together, and stared firmly at the door, as if at any moment the rest of the members would come filing back in, the manager on their heels, to announce some magical solution to the issue.
“I see.” Kyungsoo nodded, and detached himself from Jongin’s arm. With a heavy heart, he went towards his room to pack his things. Jongin followed him in a few seconds after. He stood by the door, looking pained, a hand on the small of his back that said his old injury was acting up again.
“I’m sorry, hyung,” Jongin finally whispered. Kyungsoo looked at him and pushed his lips up into his best imitation of a smile.
“It’s okay,” he said, fervently hoping that if he just said it enough times it would be true. “It’s okay.”