Seulki deals with rumors being spread about her from someone she once considered close
Seulki sighed, reading the headlines of the most trending news:
BTS'S SEULKI OWES MONEY
CHOI SEULKI, BTS FEMALE MEMBER BRIBED BIGHIT
BTS'S MAKNAE WAS A BULLY?
SEULKI'S SECRET LOVE?
SEULKI USING BTS TO MAKE IT BIG?
Seulki sighed, closing her eyes. She felt terrible. Their first awards show was coming up and all these malicious rumors were popping up. New ones every day. She tried not to let them get to her, she knew they were just rumors and none of them true. None of the boys or anyone from the company had brought them up to her so she hoped no one has seen them. Or that they didn't believe them. She just hoped the fans didn't believe them and it wouldn't affect anything for their upcoming awards. She'd love for their first win,
She forced herself to get up from her bunk and climb down. She shivered at the chill in the air. The dorm was unusually quiet. She showered and put on her makeup, getting ready to head to her vocal training for the day. She walked out in the living area, which was empty. She frowned; the boys have never left the dorm before without saying goodbye. Jin always made sure she was awake at least so she wouldn't be late. Trying not to think to much into it, she pulled a light sweater over her head and headed out towards the company.
She entered the doors and was surprised to see that it wasn't as busy as it usually was. Something is off, she thought. The receptionist gave her a warm smile from behind the desk. Seulki gratefully returned it. "Sorry to bother you, but did the boys arrive already?" Seulki asked sweetly. "Yes, dear! They had a meeting with Bang PD this morning pretty early. They're still up there." Seulki nodded and thanked her, breathing a sigh of relief. She knew she was overthinking it. She made her way to the studio, greeting her teacher and warming up her throat. She noticed her teacher was quiet and rigid, acting awkwardly.
Seulki ignored it, getting through the training. She sighed after a while, unconsciously shooting a glare to her teacher. "Did I do something wrong?" She asked. The vocal coach stuttered, unsure of how much he could reveal. "N-no." Seulki crossed her arms over her chest, popping her hip out and rolling her eyes. He didn't even try to cover his lie. "What is it, teacher-nim?" The vocal coach sighed, looking down. "It's the rumors, Seulki." Her breath caught in her throat. They saw. "What about them?"
"Are you really just using us to get famous? Do we mean that little to you?" Seulki gasped, unsure of why anyone would choose to believe anything that was written in those articles. Maybe it was her fault for not say anything and clearing it up. "What are you talking about?! I would never!" She yelled, still flabbergasted. "Their source is one of your former members, Seulki. She said you were best friends. We didn't want to believe it, but it's hard. Excuse me." The vocal coach walked out and Seulki whipped her phone out, clicking on one of the articles and skimming through it.
She paused halfway through, tears coming to her eyes. There was Soojin's name, talking about her. Spreading things that aren't true. She sat down, letting her tears fall. She didn't think Soojin was that upset that she would do this. She composed herself, briefly fixing her make up to cover up the fact that she was crying. That has to be what the boys 'meeting' is about. She threw her sweater back on, grabbing her bag and marching down to the exit. She ignored the receptionist's goodbye, walking right out the door.
She kept walking, not sure where she was going. Her legs took her to the train and she absentmindedly got on. She found herself back in her hometown. She didn't realize she had been on the train that long or the fact that she didn't even know if her parents were home. She made her way to her parents' house, still always in awe about how big it was. She rang the bell and was relieved when her mom answered the door, a surprised look on her face. "How can-Seulki?" Seulki broke down into tears, wrapping her arms around her mom. "I missed you, eomma." Her mother was startled, Seulki rarely broke down. Let alone paid a visit without letting them know.
Her mom pulled her inside, closing the door with a soft thud. "What's wrong, salang?" Her mom brought her to the living area, gently pushing her on to the couch and leaving to make some tea. She returned a few minutes later, two steaming cups of tea in her hand. She handed one to Seulki who took a small sip. Of course, her mom was aware of the rumors, she keeps track of her only child. "Seulki, does your company know you're here? Your members?" She shook her head, looking down. "I didn't even know I was coming here. My legs took me. Besides, they wouldn't care anyways."
Her mom sat next to her, wrapping her arms around her daughter. "That's not true, Seulki. I know how much they care for you. Despite the rumors." Seulki's head shot up and her hazel eyes went wide. "That's exactly why they don't care anymore. No one does. Not Soojin. Not BTS. Not our manager. Not our company. It's over." She stood up, walking up the stairs to her old room and flopping down on the covers and pillow. She cried until she fell asleep.
