EXO's Manager (EXO Xiumin fanfic) (COMPLETED)

19 // "I feel like we should start over"

I walked into their dressing room two nights later, and saw that it was filled with the Exo members all dressed in leather jackets and just amazing outfits in general. It was hard for me to not find them all attractive. Except Kai was having another bad hair night.

"I just wanted to let everyone know that there is no rehearsal before the show," I announced to the group. "When you go out there, that's it."

"Hey, let's talk," Xiumin said to me, walking my direction and grabbing my arm and pulling me into the hallway. "We're good, right? Last night you seemed upset with me."

I shrugged. "I'm over it."

"Good. I regretted it when I went to bed, rethinking the conversation. I'm just trying to survive the week, and I'm insensitive to everyone except myself," Xiumin said.

"Are you okay?" I asked him.

Xiumin laughed. "I'll make it."

Even though Xiumin was smiling, something was off about his eyes. Looking into his eyes, I knew he wasn't okay. I wrapped my arms around his body and hugged him. "I'm trying to take care of you."

Xiumin hugged back. "I know you are. I know."

I heard footsteps down the hall and pulled away from Xiumin to see it was another manager. "Get the band on stage," he told me.

The boys got on stage, and I stayed backstage watching the camera shots. "Wait," I said out loud, loud enough for another American manager named Luke to hear. He walked over to me and joined me. "Somethings wrong," I said.

It didn't take him long. "What's wrong with Chanyeol?"

"He looks dead," I said. "He...is he okay?"

Luke continued to watch. "This isn't good. He looks about as expressionless as he is during practice." Luke looked at me. "You told them this isn't a rehearsal, right?"

"Yeah," I said. "Did he forget?"

"I don't know, but the others are doing very well tonight," Luke said. But then it got into the bridge and Baekhyun started singing. "Oh no," Luke said as I cringed at Baek's flat notes. "If you don't write that down I will."

"I will," I said, but in reality I wasn't. Hopefully Kim J wouldn't notice Baekhyun going flat vocally during the bridge.

Then Chen came in, not reaching his notes like he usually does. "Write that down too," Luke said.

The performance ended, and the boys all came back in. Luke stopped Chanyeol. "I don't care how tired you are out there, you have to hide it," Luke said.

Chanyeol rubbed his face. "What?"

I joined them. "Luke, leave him alone. I'll talk to him."

"Talk to me about what?" Chanyeol asked.

"You bombing the performance," Luke said.

"Luke." I said. "Leave."

Chanyeol looked confused. "Wait..that wasn't a rehearsal?"

"I walked in...and said that this was it," I said.

"That must have been when I went to the bathroom," Chanyeol said. His hands went to his head and he ran his hands through his hair. "Oh my gosh, I hate myself!"

"Chanyeol, it's okay," I said. "It happens. Don't worry about it."

"No, you don't get it. I was saving my energy for a performance that didn't exist! And now you have to write me up. Kim J obviously saw that. If you don't write me out, you'll probably get fired."

"I'll take care of it," I said. "Just be easy on yourself, okay?"

"It's hard to do that under SM Entertainment," Chanyeol said.

He looked so upset. "Hey. It'll be okay," I said, giving him a hug. Surprisingly, he hugged back, very tightly. "You need a break, everyone does. Just a few weeks."

"Right," Chanyeol said, still hugging me.

Down the hall, I heard someone clear their throat. For sure it was Kim J, I immediately stepped back, but it was only Xiumin.

I glanced back at Xiumin, and he looked like he wanted to talk. "Hey, really. Everything will be okay. See you later Chanyeol."

"See ya," Chanyeol said, joining the other boys.

Xiumin and I started walking around in the hallways again. "You did a great job," I told Xiumin.

"Really? Because it sounds like you were really concerned with Chanyeol," Xiumin snapped.

I looked at him, shocked. "What?"

"I just feel...that there's something between you two. Or was. I don't know. Just a feeling."

"There isn't," I said. I thought about when Chanyeol and I kissed. I couldn't tell Xiumin that. It was a mistake that felt forever ago. It was in the past. "How do you feel like you all did?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

"I will never say I feel like we all did great, you know," Xiumin said. "Managers always find something wrong with a performance. And you need to learn to do that too."

"Minseok...I know that," I said. "I'm just trying-"

"To help, I know." Xiumin shook his head.

"Hey, what's going on?" I asked. "You're acting different, and I don't know why."

"I just feel like we need to start over."

"What?" I asked. That was so blunt. What did he even mean by that?

"I feel like you only like me because I'm Xiumin from EXO, not liking me for me. And others are going to think I just have a fling with a manager," Xiumin explained.

"Do you really think that?" I asked.

"No, of course not. I actually really like you. But I don't even know you. I just know you have good intentions and you have a good heart."

I smiled. "So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying...I want to get to know you. And not on a business level. Don't take it personally if we sneak around, if I come to your room at night to talk to you. We have to ease into this or everyone will freak out."

I was still smiling, I couldn't help it. "Minseok, you need that time to sleep."

"I'll be okay." Xiumin smiled. "Can I hug you?"

"We've kissed...I don't think you have to ask me for permission," I said.

"I'm just trying to show you that I respect you," Xiumin said, and pulled me into a tight hug.