✓ NIGHT DRIVE ━ kim dongyoung

🌑 . . chapter fifteen.

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❝ have you ever felt so worthless for no reason? ❞

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩

( january 02, 2021. )

you see, the sloppiness seen in neotech's performances wasn't a one-time thing.

it shouldn't have been a big deal. i mean, they had two more vocalists to cover for him anyway, right? the loss wouldn't be so major.

but the amount of backlash it gained from fans themselves and clients (with some who even cut their pay due to the low quality of the music) under a week was inhumane.

the situation was getting out of hand.

taeyong knew he had to step up; be a better leader; solve their problems; solidify their bond.

thing is, he didn't exactly know how to execute it in a way appropriate to how doyoung was truly feeling.

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"what's wrong?"

the band decided to gather in doyoung's house to have the much awaited talk.

in between heavy breaths caused by oppression, doyoung replied, "i- i feel so.. invalidated so.... so overwhelmed and at the same time i'm... not ready. for anything."

"what do you mean?!" taeyong roughly asked.

"i don't know?"

"are you kidding me?!"

"well shit, do you expect me to know everything? are you that insensitive?"

"excuse me? aren't you the insensitive one here? have you thought about how impactful your sudden attitude is towards the band?"

"think of me for once too! i'm part of the band, aren't i?" the unexpected loudness that came out along with the vocalist's statement caused everybody to flinch, whether they were of far or honorably near. "let's go back to you. you're a hypocrite, honestly. why should i always be there for you with all the support and concern and care when you haven't even done an effort to do the same? what? you don't have the right to shut me up like that without hearing my side."

"i literally built this team with you. you're even the first member to trend to the public? you're the center of attention in all our songs. what more validation do you need? should we kiss your feet now?" the other fired back, the volume of his voice also heightening. "it's not that deep, bro. toughen up. get over it!"

"wow, sucks to think you have the audacity to call me your best friend when you just think of me as the emotionless singer you hired. much appreciated."

nobody even had the guts to stop it anymore. the other five stepped back from the thought that they could possibly make everything better and watched as both of what their minds consisted of crawled through the ways to their dominant thoughts.

"get out of my house. all of you."

the next thing he said was . . well it was enough to make their worlds momentarily stop.

"yeah, and while we're at it, get out of my band."

this gained complete, utter shock. the yells contradicting to their usual energetic ones said it all. the expressions were even more than enough. the overall atmosphere wasn't hard to distinguish either.

just when he thought he could fix it, everything just went downhill even more. it was spilled after impulse, but damn was it bad.

and the impulse blinded him a little too much.

"h-hey, taeyong!" sicheng interfered, still keeping the soft composure to avoid causing a bigger scene, "taeyong, perhaps you're going too far."

"no." he shook the grip off his arm. "you feel invalidated, hmm? we invalidate you and your oh-so fragile feelings? then leave. not like- not like anything's gonna change without you anyway."

he was so good at acting tough.

so good that doyoung took time to question its actual sincerity as they began to leave one by one, standing there with weak knees, watery eyes, and a bruised ego.

"okay then."

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