Anime: Idolish7

Requested by: @MUSLIADINM

(Y/n)'s POV

~Flashback~

"Get off the stage!"

"You're such a failure!"

"How can you even show your face?!"

"What an arrogant show-off!"

I stood frozen on stage as these insults kept attacking me, wounding me from within. None of my fans believed in me...at least not anymore. Their behaviour just made me question whether I really had their support or not...

Soon, security guards ushered me off the stage, away from all the food being thrown in my direction. My manager forced a smile as we made our way back to the studio in depressed moods.

Once we were inside, I was told to sit down. This just made me feel worse, for I knew what this 'talk' was about. I faced him head on as I sat in front of him, ready to take on the fact that I had desperately tried to push away.

"(Y/n)," he began.

"Yes?"

"I think you know what I'm about to say but...your career as an idol is going to end very soon if this keeps up."

"I...understand."

"I'm honestly really sorry about that fake scandal. *sigh* The media can be scary."

"I'm sorry for putting you through all this trouble."

"No, it's not your fault. Don't let them bring you down. The fact that they are trying to only means that you are above them, don't forget that."

"Yes...sir."

"Well then, I don't know if we'll be able to schedule anything for you so just be prepared for..."

"...I understand."

~Flashback end~

I pulled the hoodie on tighter over my head as I hurried along the busy streets, trying to get home. Suddenly, some ruffian pushed right past me, making my hoodie and sunglasses fall off.

I immediately reached out to grab them but something was thrown my way, hitting me on the arm. A rotten tomato...how the hell did they get these anyway?!

"It's (L/n) (Y/n)!" someone yelled.

"Omg, that cheater? Geez, how many boyfriends has she had?"

"Wow, I can't believe she has the nerve to come out in public."

I quickly retracted my arm and pulled the hoodie on. What felt like an egg was thrown at my back, making me walk faster. I wanted to escape, to run away but there was nowhere to go. They had blocked off my path in all directions.

I shut my eyes to try to keep my tears back. I couldn't and wouldn't show weakness now. I wouldn't let them get the satisfaction they wanted.

Unexpectedly, I felt a jacket being draped over my shoulders as the mysterious person began leading me away from the massive crowd. He shielded me from the incoming food before leading me around the corner, into a dark alleyway.

"Hey, are you okay?"

I looked up to find myself looking at Idolish7's Rokuya Nagi.

"Why did you help me?"

"Oh, is that even a question you need to ask? I'll help any damsel in distress."

"Well, I'm not a damsel in distress."

"Don't I even get a thank you?"

"T-thank you but I suggest you leave me alone. Your reputation will get ruined."

"My reputation? That doesn't matter if it means I can help a lady."

I felt myself staring at him in pure amusement. He would throw his reputation away just to help a lady? My reputation was everything to me. This just made me realise how different we really were.

"Come on, you can stay at our place for a while. Your home is probably crowded with reporters, right?"

I didn't even have the time to process what he had just said before he began leading me to his dorm. His larger hand found my smaller one as he gently took me away.

~At Idolish7's dorms~

I had gratefully accepted Idolish7's hospitality as they offered me a new change of clothes and permission to use their bathroom. We were now sitting down in their lounge. No one had spoken a word yet.

"Come on, guys. We need to cheer her up. That false media report has ruined her career-"

"Nagi! Don't put it that way!" Riku exclaimed.

"No, it's fine. I've already had a talk with my manager."

"So? Have you given up just like that?" asked Iori.

"H-hey, be nice. She's had it rough, you know," Mitsuki said.

"But she can't expect to be pampered all the time-"

"Oi! That's enough!"

"Hey, why don't you try to find another job?" Tamaki asked.

"Nobody's accepting me."

I looked between the seven members who were currently arguing about my dire situation. They didn't even know me yet they were still willing to help me with my next step.

Nagi looked over at me and smiled. I clasped my hands together as a strange feeling filled my chest, something that I had long forgotten in my journey as an idol. An eternal friendship...

Before I realised it, Nagi had placed his hands on my shoulders as he announced what we were going to do.

"Let's include her in our next concert," he exclaimed happily.

"Eh?! You guys will get a lot of bad-"

"No, that actually sounds like a good idea," commented Yamato.

"Yeah, let's do that. I'm sure we'll be able to, seeing as how we got Trigger's fans to cheer for us at the end of that one concert," said Riku.

"What do you think, (Y/n)?" Nagi asked.

I looked at all of them before turning my attention back to Nagi. As they waited eagerly for my answer, I smiled broadly and thanked them.

"Thank you so much! I'll be sure to repay you someday!"

I stood up and bowed deeply with tears of joy dripping onto the table. Nagi passed me a tissue, which I gratefully took. He pulled me into a tight hug, seemingly as a friendly gesture but I felt myself blushing.

"Oi Nagi, I don't think you're supposed to hug girls so randomly. See, look? (Y/n)'s a blushing mess," Riku pointed out.

"H-hey!"

"Aww, now she's embarrassed," said Mitsuki.

"Oh, am I really that handsome? I guess I won't need to work on my abs for a while if my face is already enough to make a lady fall for me," Nagi exclaimed.

Iori immediately covered my ears while they yelled at Nagi to 'not talk about those kind of things'...well, assuming that I read their lips correctly.

I couldn't help but laugh as they continued to argue about pointless things. They stopped to stare at me before joining in. Nagi winked at me and blew a kiss at me, to which Mitsuki deflected with a punch.

"*gasp* My love is destroyed!"

"Tch, you shouldn't be such a womaniser," replied Mitsuki.

"But we got to hear (Y/n)'s laugh."

"...eh? My laugh?"

"Yes, it was first time I saw you really light up. I want you to smile more for me."

To...smile more for him? I could already feel a small grin creep onto my face as I nodded happily. I had been let down by my fans but the fact that Nagi had told me to smile was filling me with a warmth that I would never forget.