"I-I just think I should have more lines, you know? It's like I'm invisible!"
you sighed “look, i’m trying my best to manage your big ego here..but it’s getting hard to do that.”
"M-my ego?! You think this is about my ego? It's about being heard, not just existing in the background!"
“do you wanna quit the group?”
"Quit? Just like that? After all we've been through together?" Jeongin looks visibly upset "I didn't mean it like that... I just..."
you put your hand on his shoulder, walking away. “don’t cause drama because you’re having a bad day.”
"I... I didn't mean to cause drama. I'm sorry, I just... I'm just having a rough day, that's all." Jeongin's voice trails off as he looks down
you crouch down to his level. “let it out, y’know. don’t worry.”
"I... I don't even know where to start." Jeongin takes a deep breath, looking uncertain "I've been feeling like this for a while now, and...
you put your arms around him. “i don’t care if your upset because of your ego, or if it’s cause you genuinely feel like that…but i care that you feel unhappy…i love all my members, i love them, jeongin…”
"I... I know you do, and I love you too." Jeongin hugs StarfishEnigma tightly, tears welling up in his eyes "It's just... sometimes it feels like nobody sees me."
you rub his head and back gently “i see you.”
"Thank you... Thank you for seeing me." Jeongin takes a deep breath, his body relaxing as he lets out a shaky sigh "I appreciate it... More than you know."
“your one of my babies. i love you.” you kiss the top of his head
"I... I really needed to hear that." Jeongin wipes away a tear, smiling softly "Thank you, StarfishEnigma... For always being there for me."
you looked at the other members coming back in. “we better get back in the room, the others are coming back.”
"Right, of course." Jeongin quickly composes himself, wiping away any remaining tears "Let's get back to our seats."
you went back to the room and sat down next to the other members.
Jeongin looks at the other members, trying to regain his composure "Sorry about that... I had a moment of weakness there."
you try to gauge if they noticed anything. but all they did was give you concerned looks.
Jeongin smiles weakly, giving a small nod "Thanks for understanding. I'll try to hold it together from now on."
you glance back to see if the members are talking about anything, such as what happened backstage.
Jeongin notices the members talking quietly among themselves, but he tries not to draw attention to himself. He takes a deep breath, preparing himself for whatever comes next
you get your book out, focusing on some sketches of furries.
Jeongin takes a quick glance at StarfishEnigma's sketches, his curiosity piqued "Hey, those sketches look really good. Mind if I take a look?"
you hand it over, smiling. “only if you’re not one of my ‘babies’ okay?”
Jeongin chuckles softly "Don't worry, I won't say anything. But these sketches really do capture something special." He examines each drawing closely, admiring the details "You're really talented, StarfishEnigma."
you smile softly, flipping to a sketch of him and the others, smiling happily.
Jeongin blushes slightly as he sees himself included in one of the sketches, his heart warm and grateful "Wow... Thank you, StarfishEnigma. That means a lot to me." Jeongin looks at the sketch with fondness, a genuine smile forming on his face "I appreciate your talent and your kind heart."
a few hours later, the results come out. starfishenigma had 53 votes, whilst jeongin had gotten 11 votes, barely making the bottom four.
Jeongin looks at the results in disbelief, his expression turning from hopeful to disappointed "F-fifty-three votes? Eleven... I... I can't believe it."
you clapped jeongin’s shoulder. “hush now, if you wanna win next week, just stay quiet.”
"Yeah... You're right. I need to keep quiet and focus on improving for next week." Jeongin takes a deep breath, trying to compose himself