Entitled (Beomgyu X Reader)

5

"I think I'm gonna do something stupid."

"Sure. Screw common sense to the sticking place," Kai replied sarcastically rolling his eyes. He was helping you send meals to the other waitstaff to deliver to the tables.

  "I don't really think this is something that common sense can sort out," you told him, attempting to be vague.

  "Go with your gut," he shrugged.

  "I sure hope my gut is right," you sighed.

  The previous night you hadn't caught a wink of sleep. You read through the terms and conditions that were set, as well as reading about what you would receive and what the company would do to protect you. It seemed like a good deal, and for the pay you would receive, it was practically a steal.

  On your lunch break you slipped outside to the back door and pulled out your phone, finding the number of the manager who had previously contacted you. You dialled the number and waited for him to answer.

  "Hello, Choi Soobin speaking, how can I help you?" He asked after answering the phone.

  "Uhm. This is (L/N) (Y/N). I've made my decision regarding the contract I was provided with yesterday."

  "Perfect. I have appointments all day today, so how about we meet tomorrow around this time?" He asked.

  "That sounds good," you responded, saying thank you and goodbye before hanging up the phone.

  Soobin looked at his desk, void of any work to do. He was glad that you bought his white lie. He simply wanted to give you more time to think on it. It had been less than 24 hours and he was worried that your decision was not thought about enough. He wanted to spare you of more media attention so you could live a mundane life. He did this because he wished he had taken ample time to consider the consequences of signing his own contract.

  Back when he was part of the social media team, he could go to work in a hoodie and sweatpants and no one would care. He could walk out of the building easily and live comfortably without anyone knowing his face. When he was handed the contract for a promotion to be the manager of a new artist, he truly felt unworthy of such an offer. Of course, his major in university was business, and he did have the knowledge to manage an artist, but his lack of professional experience led him to feel grossly unprepared. Nevertheless, he knew the opportunity that this presented to him so he signed the contract. He had no clue that this would entail his face being plastered on the internet when spotted with the new artist, and it would entail a work suit and fancy clothes everyday, no longer being able to go home peacefully, no set hours, and other things that changed his life.

  He knew how this would go if you signed the contract, except he was certain that it would be worse. Women are criticized in the media so much harsher than men. You would face more hate and criticism than Beomgyu ever would for this situation. He hoped you would change your mind about the situation, though the chances of that were slight.

He sighed, gently rubbing his temples as he swivelled in his chair, drowning in his thoughts and without another moment to spare, he stood up, making his way to the practice room where Beomgyu would no doubt be preparing for his next performance.

When he entered, Beomgyu was wandering to the side of the room with sheet music in his hand, practicing his singing. His voice grew hoarse and gravelly after a long day of harsh singing, but he insisted on continuing, as he always did. He cleared his throat before starting again, trying to make a large leap that led to his voice cracking. Beomgyu's fist clenched around the paper, crumpling it slightly as he cleared his throat once again, sounding like he was on the verge of tears.

"Beomgyu," Soobin interrupted before this could continue. Beomgyu turned to face his manager, frustration evident on his face. "Let's take a break."

Beomgyu cast one glance to the sheet music before he put it down on a table, meaning to come back to it later and he followed his manager to the cafeteria in the building, where Soobin ordered warm tea for him.

As the two sat down, Beomgyu sipped at his warm tea, soothing his scratchy throat. He looked at the lid, holding the cup with two hands, avoiding the disapproving look from his manager who sat across from him, sipping at his own drink.

"The waitress from the hotel has contacted me again," Soobin mentioned, swirling his drink gently.

"And?" Beomgyu asked, his voice coming out hoarse.

"It did not seem as though she was going to refuse the offer," Soobin replied, pressing his lips together in a thin line.

"Hmm," Beomgyu mumbled, nodding gently.

"I know you're not very happy about it, but Yeonjun... CEO Choi," Soobin corrected himself. "CEO Choi says that it is a good publicity stunt for you. Just bear with it for a few months."

Beomgyu was sure that you were nice, but he wasn't sure about confirming that a dating controversy would be the right move. He had been so careful to avoid controversy in the past, going as far as allowing for space between him and any other female, training himself to distance himself from anyone who may be seen as a romantic interest to him. He had been touch starved for years to create such a perfect career only for his undoing to be a natural kind deed that his company turned into a publicity stunt.

  He had given up on countless friendships and relationships and forced himself into a lonely isolation for his career and for it to come down to this was unbelievable to him. It made him feel as though his efforts and suffering were all for naught.

  "I can do that," Beomgyu sighed his eyes remaining on the lid of his warm tea. He sought solace in it, hoping that the warm liquid would soothe not only his throat, but his aching heart and racing mind as well.

-

  "Have you done the stupid thing yet?" Kai asked, as he placed down a tray full of dirty dishes.

  "When I do the stupid thing, you'll know," You told him, completely sure that it was something he would immediately know. Kai seemed to have a great wealth of knowledge that included current gossip.

  "Well, I've been trying to figure it out all day, but you keep doing stupid things. I can't tell which one is the one that you're worried about," Kai shrugged, moving the dishes to the counter beside the sink.

  "Maybe you've never gotten a girlfriend because you insult everyone you meet," you told him with a raised brow as you glanced at him before turning your attention back to the dishes in front of you.

  "No, just you," he smiled, blowing you a kiss as he left the kitchen, going back to his work.

  You could admit, you had been doing stupid things all day. Because your mind was occupied, you found yourself in a general state of absentmindedness which led to constant mistakes. You had allowed a dish to slip from your hands and splash water with a strong cleaner into your face. On your way out of the kitchen to go for your lunch break, you stubbed your toe and stumbled, nearly falling flat on your face. These were just a few of the things you'd done.

  You'd been scripting your future conversation with the idols manager all day, planning to bring up the fact that you wished to keep your job at the hotel. The original contract had the requirement for you to quit your job, and as far as you understood, it was in order for your own safety. However, you wished to keep your job. You didn't know if you would be able to find any other job afterwards. You wished to keep this job as long as you could.

  You knew that this would ruin a lot of chances for you in the future, however you needed the money to keep your grandmother, who raised you, in the place where she would receive the best care. When it came to your grandmother, you would do anything. You were going to give away a great deal of your freedom for a woman who couldn't even remember your name and you had never been more willing to do anything in your life.