Aiven barely slept. Every time he closed his eyes, he felt Raze's lips on his again, warm and soft, too perfect to be real. But instead of calming him, the memory made his heart race and his stomach twist. What if Raze regretted it? What if Aiven ruined everything? What if he wasn't good enough?
So he hid.
He stayed in the guest room all morning, pretending to be asleep whenever anyone knocked. He skipped breakfast, skipped talking, skipped breathing whenever he heard footsteps approaching his door. And most importantly… he avoided Raze entirely.
In the living room, Raze sat on the couch with his hood over his head, staring at the hallway like Aiven might appear if he wished hard enough. Kazé threw a pillow at him, frustrated.
"Stop suffering like a drama queen and talk to him!"
Nova whispered, "Aiven's ears turn red every time he hears Raze's voice…"
AsTryx rolled his eyes. "He's shy. But running away after kissing someone? That's too dramatic, even for him."
Raze didn't respond. He just sighed, rubbing his thumb across his palm like he was trying to erase the memory of Aiven pulling away from his kiss. Zenith sat beside him and placed a careful hand on his shoulder.
"Give him time. He's overwhelmed."
Raze whispered, "I didn't want to scare him."
Hours later, Aiven finally left his room to get a glass of water. His phone vibrated in his hand, and he checked it casually—only for his blood to freeze.
Unknown Number:
"Cute kiss yesterday. Want us to leak it?"
Another message came instantly:
"Stay away from Raze or we show the world. We're watching."
Aiven's heart hammered. How—who—were they spying on him? Did someone follow them during the escape last night? His hands trembled so badly he dropped the cup, the sound echoing too loudly in the quiet kitchen.
Raze appeared in the doorway almost instantly. "Aiven? What happened?"
Aiven stepped back like he'd touched fire. "N–nothing. I just— I need to go."
He rushed back to the guest room and shut the door before Raze could take another step.
Raze stared at the door, jaw clenching, and something inside him snapped.
An hour later, Raze marched into Velric's office with Zenith chasing behind him. Velric didn't even look surprised.
"Ah. My troublesome star."
Raze slammed Aiven's threatening text on the desk. "This is happening because of you! Because you let the fans go crazy! Because you're trying to control everything!"
Velric slowly stood, expression twisted with amusement. "You're blaming me for a scandal you created? Raze, Raze… you're a product. You don't get to choose who you love."
"Don't," Raze growled, "call Aiven that."
"So you admit it."
Raze clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. "If anything happens to him, I'll ruin you. I don't care about the consequences."
Zenith grabbed his arm. "Stop. You'll get punished—"
Velric smiled calmly. "We'll see how brave you are when your contract renewal arrives."
When Raze returned to the dorm, the tension among the members had thickened. Aiven had just stepped out of his room when Astryx approached him. Instead of scolding, his voice was tired.
"I owe you an apology," Astryx said. "I was angry yesterday. But not at you."
Aiven blinked. "You were jealous."
Astryx looked away, embarrassed. "I liked him first. But he looks at you like you're… everything."
Aiven's chest tightened. He didn't know what to say.
"Just don't hurt him," Astryx muttered, then walked away.
Minutes later, Raze appeared at the door of Aiven's room and knocked softly. "Please… don't run from me anymore."
Aiven hesitated before slowly opening the door. Raze's voice was low and gentle. "Are you scared of me now?"
Aiven shook his head quickly. "No. I'm scared of myself. I don't know how to handle… these feelings."
Raze moved closer, his expression softening. "Aiven… about the kiss. I meant it."
Aiven swallowed hard. "I did too. B-but that doesn't mean we should…" His voice trembled. "People will get hurt. You could lose everything. I don't want to be the reason—"
Raze placed a warm hand over Aiven's. "I'll take everything slowly. But don't shut me out. Not like this."
Aiven looked up, eyes shiny and scared. But he nodded. "Okay… I'll try."
Just then, his phone rang. Draven Myles.
Aiven answered nervously.
Draven's voice was furious.
"Aiven? Where the hell are you? Your house is all over the news—fans wrecked everything!"
Aiven covered his mouth, shocked.
"I—Draven, I—"
"I'm coming to get you," Draven snapped. "Right now."
"No, wait! I'm safe—"
"Safe? With an idol?"
His voice hardened.
"We're talking in person. I'm on my way."
The call ended.
Aiven lowered the phone slowly, heart pounding.
Raze stood beside him, eyes darkening.
Draven was coming.
And things were about to explode.