[SJFF] Stuck With You - Chapter 31
Title: Stuck With You
Characters: Zhou Mi, Sungmin, OC
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Drama, Comedy
Type: Novel
Summary: What happens when you suddenly get pulled out of a band that you've known for years, just to be placed with a trainee and is expected to help her rise to fame the fast way?
~ * ~
Chapter 31
She sat in front of the television set in the living room, watching he screen closely as she anticipated for a particular live broadcast to take place. Her legs were squeezed shut and her hands were clamped tightly from the nervousness and expectations, wondering what she would find out from the broadcast.
Her intense amount of concentration was momentarily shattered when the shouts of rowdy children who were playing outside the single-storey house was registered in her senses. A brief smile flashed across her expressions, as she relished the much-missed joyful atmosphere which she was basking in.
That was when the sound of a foreign language blared from the speakers and pulled her attention back. It was a language that felt so alien to her now, after not hearing it at all for the past month or so. She wasn’t even sure whether she could understand it perfectly now without having to look at the subtitles.
Her head shot up in surprise when a hand gently squeezed her shoulder, though the astonished looks on her face was promptly replaced with a tight-lipped smile when she realised who it was. She scooted over a little on the sofa to make some space for the older woman, whom took note of her intentions and settled herself comfortably on the newly-vacated cracked leather surface. The younger woman reflexively wrapped her arms around the other’s waist, snuggling into her mother’s bosom in search of the tranquillity she greatly craved.
A few moments of silence and hair-stroking on the older woman’s part passed by as they watched yet another commercial roll by, then - a sigh. “Sweetheart, you shouldn’t keep yourself cooped up indoors. It doesn’t bode well for your health,” her mother had said, in the clear, crisp Mandarin language that defined the both of them.
It reminded her how this was the place she truly belonged in, not the superficial world bustling away on the television screen.
She vaguely wondered why she hadn’t seen that coming, despite the many warnings given by a multitude of people, some working in the industry itself.
Ignoring the dull ache in her heart that had been plaguing her ever since the day she had selfishly left it all behind, she shook her head. “I’m fine, ma. I made sure to get some fresh air into my system every morning. You shouldn’t worry too much about me; your health should come as a priority,” she mumbled, gently inhaling the faint scent of her mother’s body wash which she had known and loved all her life.
“You know that’s not what I meant, Ying,” came the reply, and she could hear the frown in the older woman’s intonation. “Shouldn’t you be there?”
Huiying shook her head again at the question. “I have no rights to be there, ma. There’s no way I can make it up to the both of them, especially for embroiling them in this situation along with me. They don’t deserve to be hurt in such a manner.”
She knew she was selfish to be stringing them along, but this was the perfect opportunity for her to stop being self-centred for once in her life. She had to step down on her own accord instead of waiting for others to pave the way for her - it just wasn’t the way life worked. Letting go was the first step she had to take, regardless of how reluctant she was or how painful it is for her to do so.
She could only hope that she was able to receive their understanding, however minute it may be.
“That’s what happens when you fall too deep in both ways, sweetheart,” her mother whispered. “But you can’t choose who to love. You can only decide on what you should do after you realise and come to accept your feelings.”
“What if I don’t want to make a decision? I can’t make a decision for the sake of my own happiness, especially when it involves hurting either of them. This is the best way I can think of to settle everything, ma,” she said quietly, wiping away the silent tears that collected in the corner of her eyes. If anything, she was thankful that the Chinese media had not caught on to the news in Korea - not yet, at least. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how the situation would be if they did.
Then again, that did not stop her from wondering why that was the case. The Chinese media was usually more efficient than this in digging up celebrity gossips.
“If that’s what you think is the best solution for the mess, then it’s entirely up to you,” the older woman agreed.
Ever since the day she had allowed her daughter to participate in the auditions to become a singer, she had promised herself to always trust in her daughter and support her decisions. There was only so much she could do to ensure that Huiying stayed safe, and preventing her from doing anything she liked wasn’t going to get her anywhere. One needs to make mistakes in order to learn and to grow.
“Are you sure you want to watch the press conference, though?” her mother said again when the girl remained silent. She noticed how Huiying visibly choked back her emotions, taking a large gulp when the question was posed to her. She decided not to comment on it.
“I have to, ma,” came the younger woman’s resolute answer after a split moment’s consideration. “I know they’re expecting me to.”
* * * * *
The confident smile on his face nearly froze his facial muscles in position, considering the fact that he had it plastered on his expressions for at least fifteen minutes - and counting. Although he wasn’t really in the mood to put up the slightest smile in the face of their current predicament, he had no choice. The cameras were clicking away in a frenzied manner, and it was his obligation to keep up a professional appearance.
He sometimes hated this - having media personnel and the public scrutinise his every move, down to the finest details. He vaguely wondered why he hasn’t suffocated from all the intense perusal as he sent a dazzling smile in the direction of a reporter who called for his attention.
He blinked slightly when the camera flash momentarily blinded him, though his eyes immediately went in search of the other man who was supposed to be with him. Said man was seated a small distance away, as was arranged by their management company. They were, after all, the only two people who were supposed to be there, in addition to another higher-ranked official from their company. The latter was strategically placed between the both of them, acting as the chairperson for the event.
Sungmin was oddly emotionless in the face of the looming press conference, Zhou Mi noted. In fact, he was way too calm and collected to the point that it made the Chinese man wonder what was really going through his mind. Despite the fact that they saw each other on a daily basis during choreography practice, neither of them really talked about the scandal at all.
Zhou Mi refocused his attention to the crowd of reporters in front of him in the hall when the company’s representative tapped on the microphone as a sound-check measure. He subtly manipulated his own breathing pattern, trying to calm himself down when he felt that his heart noticeably started to race. It was somewhat nauseating that he had to step out to clarify about his relationship status - why couldn’t he do as he pleases?
The Chinese man turned to look at the representative with a confused look on his face when the other person nudged him under the table moments later. Only when the official mouthed the words “It’s your turn to speak” to Zhou Mi did he realise that he had completely zoned out during the opening speech. He shot a quick glance at Sungmin, though he frowned again when he saw the indifferent look on the latter’s face.
“I apologise for my slight inattention,” Zhou Mi finally said seconds later, his voice booming through the speakers and resonated throughout the hall. It was nothing he wasn’t used to by now. “Anyway, it’s just like Mr. Jung had said previously. The main reason why Sungmin-sshi and I are present here today is to address about the love triangle that we were supposedly embroiled in with my duet partner, Lin Huiying-sshi. I would like to maintain that we are strictly partners in our project group, and nothing else as was reported.”
“Then Zhou Mi-sshi, is your relationship with a certain Fu Jingxi-sshi true? Your photos were included in the article as well,” a reporter asked the moment Zhou Mi had stopped talking, knowing full well that he had to grasp every opportunity to get a big scoop out of the press conference.
Zhou Mi’s eyes narrowed a little at the question, as he disliked other people bringing up about his already-ended relationship, especially people whom he wasn’t even related to or friends with. However, he also acknowledged the fact that he would have to answer it eventually, albeit begrudgingly. There was only so much he could do to skirt around the query.
“Yes, that is true,” he therefore admitted, sighing ever so slightly when the room was promptly enveloped in muffled murmurs. “But the relationship had ended not long ago,” he added.
“Was it because of Huiying-sshi’s presence?”
“No it was not,” Zhou Mi replied curtly, trying his best to control his annoyance. These reporters were still extremely persistent in making him admit that he and Huiying had a private fling, despite the fact that he had denied it numerous times. “It has ended on strictly personal grounds which I unfortunately cannot elaborate further on.”
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but whatever Zhou Mi-sshi has said is true, and I can vouch for it,” Sungmin suddenly spoke up, earning everyone’s surprised looks - including Zhou Mi’s.
The Chinese man didn’t know whether he should be relieved that Sungmin had parried away further questions for his sake, however. His gut feelings told him that something wasn’t quite right. his friend seemed rather impatient to finish off the press conference, a vast contrast from the calm demeanour he had earlier on.
“If that is true, Sungmin-sshi, then what about your relationship with Huiying-sshi? Are you dating each other in secret? Also, why is she not here at today’s session?” Yet another reporter questioned.
Zhou Mi was tempted to cut in and answer the second question, but Sungmin was a step ahead of him. “I have no idea where she is,” he admitted, receiving surprised gasps from the crowd and an expression of horror from the Chinese man.
“I’m sorry, Sungmin-sshi was just trying to joke-” Zhou Mi quickly amended, trying his best to salvage the situation. In fact, he wanted to shake some sense into his friend; this information wasn’t supposed to be shared with the mass media, let alone when there’s a live broadcast of the press conference going on.
However, Sungmin was adamant at telling the whole story, for he shot a sharp glare at Zhou Mi and cut him off. “I am by no means trying to make a joke out of my comments. Huiying-sshi had indeed gone missing quite some time ago, and no one knows where she is right now,” he reiterated. “Also, I do not have any intentions of lying about my relationship with her, and I am sorry to any party who were upset when the news broke out. I had no ill-intentions in concealing my relationship with her, but I’d like to announce right here and now that I am no longer dating her,” Sungmin had continued.
At that, another round of heated discussion broke out in the banquet hall. No doubt, most of the reporters were confused by the sudden announcement on Sungmin’s part. Zhou Mi, on the other hand, was livid at his friend. He couldn’t believe that Sungmin could actually say such things on a whim without consulting anyone else - at least not someone that he knew of.
Nevertheless, the moment Zhou Mi was poised to stand up from his seat in order to confront the man, Sungmin had muttered a quick “Thank you for your time and have a nice day” into the microphone, before abruptly taking off. The Chinese man could only stare at Sungmin’s fast-retreating back in pure disbelief while seething with rage deep within.
He thought that Sungmin was out of his mind.
* * * * *
The young man peeked into the dark room inquisitively, sighing softly when he took notice of the shape of a lone figure seated on one of the beds. Judging by the slight gleam that rebounded off what he thought was the figure’s pupils, he deduced that the former was probably still wide awake.
Leaning against the wall immediately adjacent to the door, Kyuhyun studied his roommate’s tired expression in the now dimly-lit room thanks to the light source streaming in, though he did not feel particularly bothered to switch on the lights of the room at all. After all, he wanted to have an opportunity to talk to the man without any external interruptions. As it was, the rest of the household was in a particularly high-strung mood after what had happened earlier.
The man seated on the bed glanced up in Kyuhyun’s direction when he finally realised that the light source from the living room had infiltrated into his place of solitude. “Feel free to hit me, Kyu. I know you want to, as is the case with everyone else in the group,” he chuckled dryly, spreading his legs on his bed as he assumed a rather arrogant posture.
Kyuhyun snorted. “Damn right you are, but that’s not part of my intentions right now. I would’ve done it the moment you got home if I wanted to,” he said nonchalantly. He noticed how his roommate was still in the outfit he had donned for the press conference, and that their shared room was drenched in the smell of alcohol.
“Then what are you doing here? Why are you talking to me when you probably hate my guts now?” Sungmin chuckled again as he ran a hand through his still-slicked hair. He had been in the same position ever since he had returned the dorms, never once stepping out of the comforts of his own room to perform his usual activities.
“Don’t jump into conclusions as you please, Sungmin,” the younger man growled disapprovingly, promptly dropping all forms of honorific use. “While it’s true that I can’t stomach what you did on the press conference, that doesn’t mean I don’t know why you did that.”
“Do you think that you really understand me that well?” Sungmin asked cynically, a mirthless smile playing on his lips. Kyuhyun clenched his fists by his sides, telling himself repeatedly that he shouldn’t react brashly. If he gave in to Sungmin’s taunting, he would be playing right into the older man’s plan.
He didn’t want to hit his friend, mainly because he knew Sungmin was already bashing himself up deep inside.
“You need to stop being so harsh on yourself sometimes, hyung,” Kyuhyun therefore said quietly. He noticed how Sungmin glanced at him at the statement, the questioning look flashing across his features before that smirk took its place again.
“Why do you say so?” the older man asked again, the smile still playing on his lips.
Kyuhyun finally rolled his eyes at Sungmin, knowing full well that he was going to keep denying about his true intentions. “Whatever, do as you please then. I just hope that you won’t regret this,” he said, before closing the door behind him.
Characters: Zhou Mi, Sungmin, OC
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Drama, Comedy
Type: Novel
Summary: What happens when you suddenly get pulled out of a band that you've known for years, just to be placed with a trainee and is expected to help her rise to fame the fast way?
~ * ~
Chapter 31
She sat in front of the television set in the living room, watching he screen closely as she anticipated for a particular live broadcast to take place. Her legs were squeezed shut and her hands were clamped tightly from the nervousness and expectations, wondering what she would find out from the broadcast.
Her intense amount of concentration was momentarily shattered when the shouts of rowdy children who were playing outside the single-storey house was registered in her senses. A brief smile flashed across her expressions, as she relished the much-missed joyful atmosphere which she was basking in.
That was when the sound of a foreign language blared from the speakers and pulled her attention back. It was a language that felt so alien to her now, after not hearing it at all for the past month or so. She wasn’t even sure whether she could understand it perfectly now without having to look at the subtitles.
Her head shot up in surprise when a hand gently squeezed her shoulder, though the astonished looks on her face was promptly replaced with a tight-lipped smile when she realised who it was. She scooted over a little on the sofa to make some space for the older woman, whom took note of her intentions and settled herself comfortably on the newly-vacated cracked leather surface. The younger woman reflexively wrapped her arms around the other’s waist, snuggling into her mother’s bosom in search of the tranquillity she greatly craved.
A few moments of silence and hair-stroking on the older woman’s part passed by as they watched yet another commercial roll by, then - a sigh. “Sweetheart, you shouldn’t keep yourself cooped up indoors. It doesn’t bode well for your health,” her mother had said, in the clear, crisp Mandarin language that defined the both of them.
It reminded her how this was the place she truly belonged in, not the superficial world bustling away on the television screen.
She vaguely wondered why she hadn’t seen that coming, despite the many warnings given by a multitude of people, some working in the industry itself.
Ignoring the dull ache in her heart that had been plaguing her ever since the day she had selfishly left it all behind, she shook her head. “I’m fine, ma. I made sure to get some fresh air into my system every morning. You shouldn’t worry too much about me; your health should come as a priority,” she mumbled, gently inhaling the faint scent of her mother’s body wash which she had known and loved all her life.
“You know that’s not what I meant, Ying,” came the reply, and she could hear the frown in the older woman’s intonation. “Shouldn’t you be there?”
Huiying shook her head again at the question. “I have no rights to be there, ma. There’s no way I can make it up to the both of them, especially for embroiling them in this situation along with me. They don’t deserve to be hurt in such a manner.”
She knew she was selfish to be stringing them along, but this was the perfect opportunity for her to stop being self-centred for once in her life. She had to step down on her own accord instead of waiting for others to pave the way for her - it just wasn’t the way life worked. Letting go was the first step she had to take, regardless of how reluctant she was or how painful it is for her to do so.
She could only hope that she was able to receive their understanding, however minute it may be.
“That’s what happens when you fall too deep in both ways, sweetheart,” her mother whispered. “But you can’t choose who to love. You can only decide on what you should do after you realise and come to accept your feelings.”
“What if I don’t want to make a decision? I can’t make a decision for the sake of my own happiness, especially when it involves hurting either of them. This is the best way I can think of to settle everything, ma,” she said quietly, wiping away the silent tears that collected in the corner of her eyes. If anything, she was thankful that the Chinese media had not caught on to the news in Korea - not yet, at least. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how the situation would be if they did.
Then again, that did not stop her from wondering why that was the case. The Chinese media was usually more efficient than this in digging up celebrity gossips.
“If that’s what you think is the best solution for the mess, then it’s entirely up to you,” the older woman agreed.
Ever since the day she had allowed her daughter to participate in the auditions to become a singer, she had promised herself to always trust in her daughter and support her decisions. There was only so much she could do to ensure that Huiying stayed safe, and preventing her from doing anything she liked wasn’t going to get her anywhere. One needs to make mistakes in order to learn and to grow.
“Are you sure you want to watch the press conference, though?” her mother said again when the girl remained silent. She noticed how Huiying visibly choked back her emotions, taking a large gulp when the question was posed to her. She decided not to comment on it.
“I have to, ma,” came the younger woman’s resolute answer after a split moment’s consideration. “I know they’re expecting me to.”
* * * * *
The confident smile on his face nearly froze his facial muscles in position, considering the fact that he had it plastered on his expressions for at least fifteen minutes - and counting. Although he wasn’t really in the mood to put up the slightest smile in the face of their current predicament, he had no choice. The cameras were clicking away in a frenzied manner, and it was his obligation to keep up a professional appearance.
He sometimes hated this - having media personnel and the public scrutinise his every move, down to the finest details. He vaguely wondered why he hasn’t suffocated from all the intense perusal as he sent a dazzling smile in the direction of a reporter who called for his attention.
He blinked slightly when the camera flash momentarily blinded him, though his eyes immediately went in search of the other man who was supposed to be with him. Said man was seated a small distance away, as was arranged by their management company. They were, after all, the only two people who were supposed to be there, in addition to another higher-ranked official from their company. The latter was strategically placed between the both of them, acting as the chairperson for the event.
Sungmin was oddly emotionless in the face of the looming press conference, Zhou Mi noted. In fact, he was way too calm and collected to the point that it made the Chinese man wonder what was really going through his mind. Despite the fact that they saw each other on a daily basis during choreography practice, neither of them really talked about the scandal at all.
Zhou Mi refocused his attention to the crowd of reporters in front of him in the hall when the company’s representative tapped on the microphone as a sound-check measure. He subtly manipulated his own breathing pattern, trying to calm himself down when he felt that his heart noticeably started to race. It was somewhat nauseating that he had to step out to clarify about his relationship status - why couldn’t he do as he pleases?
The Chinese man turned to look at the representative with a confused look on his face when the other person nudged him under the table moments later. Only when the official mouthed the words “It’s your turn to speak” to Zhou Mi did he realise that he had completely zoned out during the opening speech. He shot a quick glance at Sungmin, though he frowned again when he saw the indifferent look on the latter’s face.
“I apologise for my slight inattention,” Zhou Mi finally said seconds later, his voice booming through the speakers and resonated throughout the hall. It was nothing he wasn’t used to by now. “Anyway, it’s just like Mr. Jung had said previously. The main reason why Sungmin-sshi and I are present here today is to address about the love triangle that we were supposedly embroiled in with my duet partner, Lin Huiying-sshi. I would like to maintain that we are strictly partners in our project group, and nothing else as was reported.”
“Then Zhou Mi-sshi, is your relationship with a certain Fu Jingxi-sshi true? Your photos were included in the article as well,” a reporter asked the moment Zhou Mi had stopped talking, knowing full well that he had to grasp every opportunity to get a big scoop out of the press conference.
Zhou Mi’s eyes narrowed a little at the question, as he disliked other people bringing up about his already-ended relationship, especially people whom he wasn’t even related to or friends with. However, he also acknowledged the fact that he would have to answer it eventually, albeit begrudgingly. There was only so much he could do to skirt around the query.
“Yes, that is true,” he therefore admitted, sighing ever so slightly when the room was promptly enveloped in muffled murmurs. “But the relationship had ended not long ago,” he added.
“Was it because of Huiying-sshi’s presence?”
“No it was not,” Zhou Mi replied curtly, trying his best to control his annoyance. These reporters were still extremely persistent in making him admit that he and Huiying had a private fling, despite the fact that he had denied it numerous times. “It has ended on strictly personal grounds which I unfortunately cannot elaborate further on.”
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but whatever Zhou Mi-sshi has said is true, and I can vouch for it,” Sungmin suddenly spoke up, earning everyone’s surprised looks - including Zhou Mi’s.
The Chinese man didn’t know whether he should be relieved that Sungmin had parried away further questions for his sake, however. His gut feelings told him that something wasn’t quite right. his friend seemed rather impatient to finish off the press conference, a vast contrast from the calm demeanour he had earlier on.
“If that is true, Sungmin-sshi, then what about your relationship with Huiying-sshi? Are you dating each other in secret? Also, why is she not here at today’s session?” Yet another reporter questioned.
Zhou Mi was tempted to cut in and answer the second question, but Sungmin was a step ahead of him. “I have no idea where she is,” he admitted, receiving surprised gasps from the crowd and an expression of horror from the Chinese man.
“I’m sorry, Sungmin-sshi was just trying to joke-” Zhou Mi quickly amended, trying his best to salvage the situation. In fact, he wanted to shake some sense into his friend; this information wasn’t supposed to be shared with the mass media, let alone when there’s a live broadcast of the press conference going on.
However, Sungmin was adamant at telling the whole story, for he shot a sharp glare at Zhou Mi and cut him off. “I am by no means trying to make a joke out of my comments. Huiying-sshi had indeed gone missing quite some time ago, and no one knows where she is right now,” he reiterated. “Also, I do not have any intentions of lying about my relationship with her, and I am sorry to any party who were upset when the news broke out. I had no ill-intentions in concealing my relationship with her, but I’d like to announce right here and now that I am no longer dating her,” Sungmin had continued.
At that, another round of heated discussion broke out in the banquet hall. No doubt, most of the reporters were confused by the sudden announcement on Sungmin’s part. Zhou Mi, on the other hand, was livid at his friend. He couldn’t believe that Sungmin could actually say such things on a whim without consulting anyone else - at least not someone that he knew of.
Nevertheless, the moment Zhou Mi was poised to stand up from his seat in order to confront the man, Sungmin had muttered a quick “Thank you for your time and have a nice day” into the microphone, before abruptly taking off. The Chinese man could only stare at Sungmin’s fast-retreating back in pure disbelief while seething with rage deep within.
He thought that Sungmin was out of his mind.
* * * * *
The young man peeked into the dark room inquisitively, sighing softly when he took notice of the shape of a lone figure seated on one of the beds. Judging by the slight gleam that rebounded off what he thought was the figure’s pupils, he deduced that the former was probably still wide awake.
Leaning against the wall immediately adjacent to the door, Kyuhyun studied his roommate’s tired expression in the now dimly-lit room thanks to the light source streaming in, though he did not feel particularly bothered to switch on the lights of the room at all. After all, he wanted to have an opportunity to talk to the man without any external interruptions. As it was, the rest of the household was in a particularly high-strung mood after what had happened earlier.
The man seated on the bed glanced up in Kyuhyun’s direction when he finally realised that the light source from the living room had infiltrated into his place of solitude. “Feel free to hit me, Kyu. I know you want to, as is the case with everyone else in the group,” he chuckled dryly, spreading his legs on his bed as he assumed a rather arrogant posture.
Kyuhyun snorted. “Damn right you are, but that’s not part of my intentions right now. I would’ve done it the moment you got home if I wanted to,” he said nonchalantly. He noticed how his roommate was still in the outfit he had donned for the press conference, and that their shared room was drenched in the smell of alcohol.
“Then what are you doing here? Why are you talking to me when you probably hate my guts now?” Sungmin chuckled again as he ran a hand through his still-slicked hair. He had been in the same position ever since he had returned the dorms, never once stepping out of the comforts of his own room to perform his usual activities.
“Don’t jump into conclusions as you please, Sungmin,” the younger man growled disapprovingly, promptly dropping all forms of honorific use. “While it’s true that I can’t stomach what you did on the press conference, that doesn’t mean I don’t know why you did that.”
“Do you think that you really understand me that well?” Sungmin asked cynically, a mirthless smile playing on his lips. Kyuhyun clenched his fists by his sides, telling himself repeatedly that he shouldn’t react brashly. If he gave in to Sungmin’s taunting, he would be playing right into the older man’s plan.
He didn’t want to hit his friend, mainly because he knew Sungmin was already bashing himself up deep inside.
“You need to stop being so harsh on yourself sometimes, hyung,” Kyuhyun therefore said quietly. He noticed how Sungmin glanced at him at the statement, the questioning look flashing across his features before that smirk took its place again.
“Why do you say so?” the older man asked again, the smile still playing on his lips.
Kyuhyun finally rolled his eyes at Sungmin, knowing full well that he was going to keep denying about his true intentions. “Whatever, do as you please then. I just hope that you won’t regret this,” he said, before closing the door behind him.