This is QUEENDOM (Manager x Fictional K-pop Group)

Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Kim Y/N sighed as he walked through the grocery store. He really couldn't tell himself why he found solace in the most mundane of routines. Today, this happened to be his biweekly trip to the grocery store, a ritual that allowed him to calm his continuously racing mind. The aisles, with their neatly arranged goods and the rhythmic hum of the air conditioning, offered him a sanctuary from the cacophony of Seoul's streets. With each step, his thoughts, usually a tangled web of languages and ideas, settled into a serene stream. It was in one such aisle, between the rows of imported wines and local spirits, that his calm was unexpectedly disrupted.

As Y/N reached out for a bottle of red wine, a young woman with a mask and a cap, lost in whatever she was doing, collided into him. The collision sent a different bottle tumbling from her grasp, crashing to the floor with a sound that echoed sharply through the aisle. Liquid spread across the white tiles, shards of glass glinting beneath the fluorescent lights.

? – "Oh no, I'm so sorry!""

Y/N, taken aback but quick to recover, crouched beside her. "It's alright, accidents happen," he said, his voice calm, a gentle attempt to ease her panic.

"But I've made such a mess, and this—" She gestured helplessly towards the broken bottle, her frustration unmistakable.

Y/N looked around, then back at her. "Hey, let's calm down, okay? Let's clean this up first. Can you grab some paper towels? I'll start picking up the glass."

Minutes passed as they worked together in silence, the initial awkwardness dissolving into a shared task. Once the mess was cleared and the last of the glass disposed of, Y/N turned to the shelf, selecting a replacement for the broken bottle.

"Please, you don't have to do that," the woman protested, watching him.

"Don't worry too much about it," Y/N insisted, offering a small smile. "Consider it a peace offering for the little accident."

They stepped outside. Taeyeon hesitated, then looked at Y/N with a spark of boldness in her eyes. "Um, I know this might sound strange, but would you like to come back to my dorm? I'd like to introduce you to my friends. Consider it my way of saying thanks for your kindness. I'm Taeyeon, by the way."

Y/N froze. Typically, he would typically find any excuse to avoid social interactions, but for reasons he couldn't explain, he felt an uncharacteristic pull of curiosity. Taeyeon's genuine demeanor, coupled with his own desire for something beyond the confines of his routines, nudged him towards acceptance.

"Sure," he found himself saying, a mix of apprehension and intrigue making his heart beat a fraction faster. "I'd like that."

Y/N followed Taeyeon through the bustling streets of Seoul, his mind a whirlwind of curiosity and hesitation. The idea of meeting new people would normally send him retreating into his shell. Yet, something about this impromptu adventure nudged him out of his comfort zone and he wasn't sure if he liked that or not.

As they entered the dorm, Y/N expected noise and chaos. Instead, they were met with... silence.

Taeyeon – "Girls? You guys' home?"

*silence*

"Guess not yet. Okay, um, well, this is where we live." Taeyeon gestured around her, inviting Y/N to look around. Immediately, Y/N stepped into the living room, which was giant, big enough to house a whole house on it's own.

Y/N – "How many people live here, exactly?"

Taeyeon – "Eighteen in total and that includes me. I know, it's a lot."