**T/W: Mentions of suicide ideation. Please read at your own discretion; thank you!**

~~A Week Later…~~

Yi-an blankly sat in the middle of his dim bedroom, the curtains drawn shut to prevent the sunlight from spilling inside. He listened to the slight tinkering of glass in the kitchen and the quiet murmurs of his parents echoing against the walls of his home. Closing his eyes, the idol leaned against the headboard before letting out a deep, heavy sigh. Who would have thought he'd be hiding away like a criminal?

It had been a week since the idol’s life was thrown into complete chaos after the publication of the scandalous article. His diverse fandom became divided– arguing ferociously whether he had robbed another trainee’s opportunity. It was all a waste of time, though... The truth held no weight over the preposterous lies of the media. Overnight, the once-famous singer had become nothing more than an easy target for his haters.

Yi-an had thought he was immune to the scandalous allegations; after all, he was a seasoned singer with eight years of experience under his belt. But as the days passed, the crushing realization of his new reality began to terrify him. What was he going to do after this? The idol never went to college or pursued other interests and skills... So how was he supposed to find a job to pay his bills and put food on the table?

A timid knock sounded at his bedroom door, breaking Yi-an away from his thoughts as he lifted his head and listened to the gentle, soothing voice of his mother.

“Yi-an. Can we come in?”

Untangling his limbs from his bed, Yi-an shuffled towards the door but hesitated as he tightly clenched his fists. It was his parents' last day in Korea and who knew when he'd be able to see them again? Yi-an desperately wanted to beg them to not leave him alone but what good would that do? Gritting his teeth, the idol let the door slowly creak open.

"... Yes?"

“Yi-an, we need to leave soon for our flight. I....” His mother paused, struggling to stay composed as she tearfully gazed at her eldest. "We just–" 

“... I’m sorry."

"Huh?"

"I'm sorry for disappointing you both.”

“Why would you say that? We've never once been disappointed in you! Never!" His mother cried, her tears trickling down her cheeks. "You did nothing wrong, so don't you ever say that you're sorry!”

Yi-an's deep brown eyes wavered as his parents pulled him into their warm, loving embrace. He had been so sure that they would be disappointed with him... Why were they not angry? Why were they hugging him so tightly like this? His heart thumped lightly against his chest as he forced himself to pull away. No, he couldn't get weak in his resolve now.

"... You should get going. I'm sure Yi-kyung is waiting for you guys back at home... Don’t worry about me, and have a safe trip."

His parents glanced at each other before his father held Yi-an's hand. "We can always delay our flight. Yi-kyung's in high school now; he'll be able to take care of himself–"

"What about work? I'm sure you both barely got any time off... Besides, I promised that I'll go back home once I tie things up here, didn't I?" Yi-an pushed his parents towards the front door, his heart panging in guilt as he lied through his clenched teeth. "I'll join you guys soon, okay?"

Yi-an could feel their worried gazes on him but couldn’t bring himself to look into his parents’ eyes. It had been years since he last met his parents, and Yi-an had wanted to make them proud… So why did they have to witness his downfall and uncertain future? Yi-an gritted his teeth and swallowed back his tears, hoping to stay strong until his parents left.

“Stay strong, my son. We'll be waiting for you, okay?”

"Okay."

~~~

Tick, tock. Tick, tock.

Yi-an stared at the clock in his living room. It was already 2 am, yet, the singer was still wide awake. Biting his lip, he fidgeted with his phone when he felt the slight buzz of the incoming call in his hand. 

“Yi-an, I just sent the files to the reporters like you asked. Don’t worry, CEO Lee will be the most hated man by tomorrow morning!”

“Thanks again for doing this for me, noona.”

“Geez, did you forget my promise already? Stop thanking me!” Gina’s voice was sweet and gentle while Yi-an sadly smiled, his heart tightening with sadness. 

“When are you planning on returning to Vancouver?”

“I’m not sure yet. I’ll… probably be leaving soon, though.” Yi-an responded, his voice strained as his throat closed up on him.

“Oh. Well, you better let me know when you leave!”

“Hey, noona... Take care of yourself, and no matter what, promise me that you’ll be happy.”

“Pfft, what’re you saying?”

“Just promise me.”

“... All right, I promise. Yi-an–”

Quickly hanging up the call, Yi-an turned off his phone and silently sat for a few minutes. Guilt washed over him as he glanced out the window. For the past few days, while spending time with his parents, the idol couldn’t get rid of the layer of doubt that weighed heavily on his heart. Yi-an had always made an effort to be humble and kind to everyone around him since his success was largely due to his supporters and fans. But what if the article was right? What if he unknowingly took another person’s chance to debut? Yi-an shook his head as anxiety and dread seeped over him. 

Rising from his seat, the singer staggered towards the terrace for some fresh air. 

The night air was cold and silent as Yi-an gazed at the breaking news flashing across the billboard sign opposite from his place. Just what had he done to deserve all this…? There was never a day when he didn’t work himself to the bone to get to the top of such a grueling industry. Yi-an had sacrificed everything, yet, the career he had painstakingly earned for the past sixteen years had gone down the drain with one single article. 

Nothing about his situation was fair. A bully? A menace to society? How could he be any of those things? All Yi-an did was work tirelessly to become a star, just like he had promised… So why? Why was he getting so much hate for something he never did?

“WHAT THE HELL DID I DO?! Just what….”

His frustrated, trembling voice echoed across the empty courtyard below, ringing more clearly than ever. The ensuing silence was so much harder to bear– it was as if he had already been abandoned and forgotten by everyone. What if it was that easy for people to forget about him?

Stumbling back into his living room, Yi-an fixed his eyes on the shelves of trophies and awards magnificently displayed against the wall. A slight, dry chuckle erupted from his lips as he slowly plodded towards them. Picking up one of his crystal trophies, Yi-an stared at it for a moment before he smashed it onto the marble floor. 

The heavy stillness in his home was soon replaced by a series of shrill pitches of shattering glass. One by one, all the accomplishments he had gained throughout his career came crashing down to the living room floor. Huffing for breath, Yi-an stared at the shattered crystal and glass pieces surrounding his feet. He had wasted sixteen years of his life for something that could be broken so effortlessly. What a sick joke.

“...Ha. All of those accomplishments don’t even mean anything in the end. Just what have I been doing…?”

Bending down, Yi-an picked up the biggest piece of glass he could find, not minding the stinging pain tickling the bottom of his feet. As a matter of fact, it felt nice to feel something different for a change. 

“I wonder if I’ll feel free if I do this…?”

Pressing the sharp shard onto his wrist, Yi-an watched the scarlet stream pool against the clear glass. He was about to swipe a clean line on his wrist when a loud thump sounded at his door. Flinching in surprise, the glass fell from his fingertips and exploded into tiny pieces. Dazed, Yi-an glided across the living room to the front door leaving a trail of blood-stained glass behind him. Before he could grab the door handle, the door burst open with a loud bang as Yi-an fell into the intruder’s embrace. 

“YI-AN…!”