Twenty-Four

                                    

                                          

A/N:
Slightly earlier than usual post, just because tomorrow's a little busy for me :)
Anyway, enjoy!
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"You're not stupid, no?"
Minho clenched his jaw, deciding against giving Jakob the reaction he wanted. Everything in him was exhausted and embarrassed.
"Right. So you know that I'm really sorry about yesterday—right? I just wanted you to listen and keep up because none of that would've happened if you had," Jakob explained, "You understand, right?
"Right...but I did listen to you. I just—," Minho tried to find the words, but they got jumbled in his brain. The pressure of standing up to a manager somehow crumpled every cohesive thought he'd ever had.
"—didn't think to oblige?"
"No, i-it's not that. I couldn't," Minho sucked in a deep breath, "I couldn't move or breathe—everything was so...so um..."
"I know what a panic attack is," Jakob stated, "But you're not understanding me."
Minho blinked, trying to wrap his head around the thought. Panic attack. Him. No, that couldn't be right. He didn't do that.
"That's not normal. The reason all of this is happening, is because you're not normal," Jakob reiterated, "You're more overwhelmed than others. You don't play along as well as the others. You don't act like the others."
"I'm not though—I don't even have anxiety. It was just once. Also, I'm not the only one who—," Minho paused, recalling that management didn't know about any of the other queer members. They'd only trusted each other, and Minho was starting to understand why, "—who has issues."
"You're not?" Jakob cocked an eyebrow, "Did the other members break down in the airport?"
Minho didn't say anything. He couldn't give him the satisfaction.
"Are the other members causing slurs to be thrown everywhere we go?" Jakob questioned again, noticing Minho's determined gaze on the floor, "Oh. Now, you're quiet. Don't feel like arguing when we're actually talking about facts?"
"That's not it—,"
"It's not?!" Jakob raised his voice, making Minho flinch slightly. 
"How are you not seeing this? You're on probation, and you're sitting here arguing with someone trying to help. Does that sound like a team player? Someone that management can rely on? Why do you think I'm the only one on top of you?! I'm the only one who hasn't given up on you!" Jakob yelled, and the idol briefly wondered if this was a prank. Sure, management could be strict, but they never yelled. Jakob didn't stop, "I'm frustrated with you because I care for you! I'm rooting for you like any other manager, but you refuse to see when you have an issue!"
Minho pulled back slightly in shock as Jakob stood up to tower over him, refusing to turn his head up.
"You're the problem. Han has anxiety, but he's not the one losing his shit in the airport. Changbin has a strict workout regimen, but he's not the one with the most comments on his weight. Felix dresses like a girl 50% of the time, but he's still not the one making the group be called gay all the damn time!" Jakob cursed, before lowering his voice to a serious tone,"I'm trying to help you. Do you know you don't stick out in this group in any good capacity? The maknaes outsing you as a vocalist; hyunjin and felix outdance and outperform you on charts; and the members are much closer without you!"