Backstage | Kwon Soonyoung

22.

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"Soonyoung stop!"

Hoshi pressed on the brakes as hard as he could to stop just before his manager standing in front of him, outside the building. Dishevelled and in a hurry the man stopped Hoshi before he could leave the premises. Frowning, Hoshi stepped out, slamming the car door behind him, "Hyung, what are you doing? I need to go!"

The man shook his head, "You can't. No way. You get seen in public with Yoon Mina and our image goes down in a flash. I can't let you make this mistake, Hoshi-yah."

Hoshi was frustrated. He didn't care about things like this and he didn't want to understand or listen at the moment. All he knew was he needed to get to Mina already. Immediately. Before anyone could hurt her, he needed to be by her side, to protect her.

"Hyung, move out of the way." He spoke resolutely, looking at his manager with his hands clasped into a fist. "I'm going to her one way or another."

But the manager didn't move an inch, "You are not going anywhere, Soonyoung-ah. We'll fix this. Leave this to us."

"No, hyung." It would be too late by the time the company takes any action. Mina would be beyond hurt and Hoshi could not let it happen. "Manager-nim, please move."

"Let the company handle this, Hoshi. Think of your members."

It was like being told to choose between your parents. Mina or Seventeen? He loved them both but this was not a decision for someone else to force on him. "No! You can't make me." They had their agency to look after them but who? Who was going to save Mina when the reporters would crowd in when people would publicly treat her as a criminal? Who was going to save Mina? No one.

No one but him.

"Move away, Manager-nim. I'm not changing my mind." Hoshi walked to his car and started the engine, driving past the manager.

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Mina was about to leave when she heard a crowd of reporters walk towards her office from far away. Realising that they were here for no one but her, she turned around and walked out through the back door, running down the emergency stairs when she stopped the moment she heard other sounds.

"Go up the emergency stairs. She might escape from that route." Someone spoke as steps going up suddenly became a lot more clearer. Mina sucked a large breath in, panicking.

It was a group, Mina realised as they discussed, "This is the craziest news we've ever gotten!" Mina looked around, going a floor down and trying to open the connecting door.

The floor was under construction and the door was jammed as Mina continued to struggle. "Yeah, finally a scandal on Seventeen. We never found anything no matter how much we dug but who knew, it was right there all along in front of us?" The lady laughed, walking up, their voices getting louder by the second.

They would catch up to her any second, Mina feared as she angrily struggled with the door lock. It just wouldn't budge!

The footsteps stopped just then as a loud voice spoke, "Hey, do you hear that sound? I think someone's there, right up!"

Mina was doomed. She was just fucking done. Closing her eyes tightly, Mina pulled at the door with all her might and it still wouldn't turn. It was locked, rusty and stuck! It was over, really it was, Mina wondered as the footsteps neared with every second and a duo with a camera and mic came into video.

Mina gasped, as they pointed to her in realisation and said, "Its her! That's Yoon Mina, the girl who's dating Seventeen's Hoshi!"

And just as they neared her, the door in front of her clicked, the lock opening from the other side and a hand shot out, pulling onto her sleeve. Mina was flung headfirst around the door and onto the soft fabric of someone's suit jacket, warm protective arms, holding over her as they hid behind the door, locking it so no one could follow her any longer.

He'd saved her.

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Seungcheol paced around the room filled with members as more piled in, everyone called back and asked to stay at the dorms. Hoshi was missing, having run away before Seungcheol had a chance to stop him.

"What's going on?" Jeonghan asked as he walked in through the door, "Why has everyone been called back? What's the emergency? I have to leave amid lunch with my sister."

Seungcheol sighed, glad to see him. "Its the same for everyone. Joshua's parents came to visit after a year but he's on his way back here too. Seungkwan's on a schedule but they're rushing him the minute he's done."

Sitting down on a chair, Seungcheol massaged his head in stress. It was a mess. Jeonghan gazed at him with worry, "Why? Is everyone okay?" He looked around, counting numbers. Dino, Dokyeom, Wonwoo, Woozi... "Where's Hoshi?"

Seungcheol sighed, "That's the problem. Dispatch broke out news on Soonyoung and Mina. He rushed out before anyone could stop him and the company's banned us all from going out in case we run into any sort of media."

"And Hoshi?"

"They're after him. The managers, company, media, everyone. It all depends on who finds him first. If the company does, Mina becomes the target and if the media finds him, we're it."

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