[ON HOLD] The Story of My Life

Voices

Third person's pov

What if they really are a thing? I wouldn't be surprised if they were actually dating, considering the amount of time they spend with each other. But if they were, they would tell us, right? At least Hyunjin would. That kid can't keep secrets.

Minho's mind was racing a mile a second and he can't seem to stop thinking about what Hyunjin and Yumi did yesterday. It was an act, he knew. But something in him was also saying it wasn't an act.

He staggered and fell forward with a loud screech. A jolt of pain shooting from his ankle, all the way to his brain.

"Fuck!" He gently grabbed his ankle and doubled over.

"A twisted ankle, great!" Minho muttered under his breath. Sitting up, he did some exercises that helps with twisted ankle, hissing occasionally. He moved backwards and rested his back against the wall. He was creating a choreography for his upcoming single and no one else was there in the practice room. He threw his head back, letting out heavy breaths.

I shouldn't be thinking about them when practicing, I can't risk my energy and time like this.

Minho kept repeating in his head.

He didn't notice when his own thoughts started to question his worth. Those horrible voices inside his head, which he hadn't heard in months, almost forgotten, had decided to visit him now, dominating his mind. Instead of his thought, it was now something else's, or maybe his own inner self's voice, howling all the kind of creepy things. Even with the music blasting from the speaker, the voice in his head was louder.

He covered his ears, clutching the hair on the back of his ears, trying to block those voices.

"No, no. Stop it. Stop it, please." He kept mumbling to himself. Drops of tears trickling down his cheeks.

Yumi closed her laptop after rechecking their schedule and got out of her office, walking towards the vending machine near the lobby. After getting drinks for herself and the boys, she walked towards the practice room.

Their new song, which is yet to release, could be heard outside. Realizing there wasn't any point in knocking, since no one inside would hear it anyway, she opened the door, only to find Minho inside, curled up into a ball, with his head buried between his knees, in the corner of the room.

For a moment, she saw herself in him. The way he was sitting, hunkered down, covering his ears, she knew what was happening to him.

Carefully, not to startle the vulnerable boy, Yumi placed the bag of drinks on the floor and walked towards the speaker and paused the music. She walked towards him and crouched down and placed her one hand on his shoulder.

"Minho." Her voice barely audible. Despite the head-splitting voice inside his head, he still heard her, as if her presence itself had an angelic effect on his inner demons. But he refused to look up. Minho hated someone seeing him like this and he have been succeeding at hiding himself this whole time. But now, someone he never wanted to see him in a such a helpless condition was there.

"Minho, look at me." Her voice becoming clearer in his head.

"Look at me please." She lightly squeezed his shoulder. Realizing there's no point in protesting, he looked up. Her own heart shattering at the sight of his blood shot eyes and tear-stained cheeks. She brushed her thump across his cheeks and pulled him to her chest, hugging him, her one hand on his back and other hand on the back of his head, slowly rubbing up and down.

"It's okay, it's okay. You're not alone. I'm here." She whispered. Minho hesitantly wrapped his hands around her torso.

"Whatever this voice telling you, it's not true. You're doing great. You have always been doing great. And you're loved by thousands. Those voices got nothing on you." Yumi kept on whispering. This is exactly how Claire used to calm her down whenever she got anxiety attack, and she was grateful that she could help someone. She could feel him physically relax in her arms. Her shirt was getting damped with his tears, but she couldn't care less.