#askopen

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Eight pairs of eyes were staring at it. Eight people who could not explain if this was a bad joke. Mingi.Seonghwa, Hongjoong,San,Yunho,Yeosang,Jongho and Wooyoung sat on the sofa of their dorms and looked at the girl in front of them. She had dark blue long hair, which was light in her face. She had a headband, a pile of jewelry and a black tank top. She also wore pants with the Ateez print of the Thanxx performances. Her black boots dangled over the edge of the armchair where she sat and looked cheekily around.                                                                                                              

 "So again you are THANXX?" Hongjoong asked for the third time and still couldn't believe the girl's crazy story. There was nothing in his head that fitted in with what the girl said. The blue-haired girl nodded again and put her head back into his neck.

"I have said so many times before " She stroked a loose strand of hair from her face and looked up at the ceiling. Hongjoong looked at Seonghwa who only pointed to his cell phone. Should you call your manager? Finally a stranger was sitting there. She might as well lie and be a crazy fan. The whole thing with her being Thanxx and managing to break out of the song world was probably made up. Seonghwa stood up and picked up his cell phone as Hongjoong nodded to him. He left the room and called her manager.Seonghwa entered the room again a little later and explained that the manager wanted to talk to the girl.

"So let's go then," Yunho asked when the blue-haired girl did not move. "Why? Don't you trust me? I'm telling the truth" she changed her position in the old brown armchair and looked at the boys.

"Well, it would be nice if you would just come with me." Yunho tried again and fell silent when he saw a big grin on the girl's face. " Shall I prove to you that I am real?" she asked and rose from the armchair.

"Go ahead," Yeosang said, rolling his eyes. If that psycho fan tried to hurt them, she would see what she got out of it.The girl stood in front of San and continued to grin. " I know you always waver between insecurity and confidence on stage. You admire your Hyungs and envy that they sometimes look so carefree while performing. You think that when Mingi and Hongjoong rap the parts of me, they have the best charisma and you would like to have that charisma too.” Everything she said was true.She continued with Seonghwa, Hongjoong, Wooyoung, Jongho, Mingi, Yunho, and then Yeosang, revealing the thoughts and feelings they had on stage. These were things that the boys never wanted to betray. They were embarrassed.

"So you are really our song ? You are real?" Hongjoog asked again and the girl nodded. " How many times?! YEEEES I have said it a thousand times " " We should go to the manager " And with this realization, the new people headed to the KQ Entertainment building. Your manager should take a look at this. Maybe they were all on drugs." And this is supposed to be real ?" asked her manager and the boys nodded slapped. After Thanxx had proven that she was real and not a crazy fan, they had to convince their manager that she was no longer a danger. While the boys talked to him, Thanxx walked around the room and checked everything out. She seemed to be especially interested in the pictures on the wall, which showed different musicians.

"I told you she was real. I don't know where she comes from, but she is our song and I think we have a responsibility for her. We can't just throw her out and ignore her," Hongjoong said, shrugging. He found the whole thing curious and fascinating at the same time. This creature in front of him was something he had done. Something he had created and formed. It was a strange feeling for him.

"And how do we know that she means you no harm? I mean, she could be faking it all and-""How do you pretend to perceive feelings, thoughts and impulses that only take place within yourself?" asked Seonghwa and looked at the manager in a challenging way. He put two fingers on the spot between his eyes and sighed, "Well, if you think it is harmless, it can stay with you. But I want you to get in touch with me if anything happens and I'll come and check on you in between," said the manager and a soft clapping was heard as Wooyoung and San high-fived and giggled. The two chaotic people had already taken Thanxx to their hearts and were looking forward to the coming time with the girl.

"Okay, I think it would be best if the three of us" Seonghwa pointed to himself, "Mingi and Hongjoong" would go out and buy food and Yunho Yeosang and Jongho would tidy up a bit. San and Wooyoung, can I trust you with Thanxx?" asked the elder and examined the two boys who seemed to be planning what to do with the girl. They all nodded and agreed with Seonghwa's plan.

"So let's go to the studio?" San asked and Wooyung nodded "Thanxx come on let's go dance" Thanxx turned around and her blue hair blew like a cape behind her. "Dancing ?" her eyes lit up and the two of them led her to the small dance studio in her basement. The one at KQ was of course bigger and professional, but here the guys could really relax. They had covered one of the walls with mirrors and the floor was taped in some places. In the corner was an old sofa, which had been lovingly furnished by Yeosang with some blankets and pillows. A few chairs stood next to the sofa. On a small cupboard in the corner was a music system with large speakers.

Thanxx liked the design down here. It looked slightly professional, but had something more relaxed than the studio they had seen when they left KQ Entertainment. "It's best to sit down while we warm up. We want to try something out" Wooyoung grinned at her and she did what they wanted. The two guys warmed up a bit and then played one of their songs. Thanxx smiled at them. They danced to her. But they broke out of the usual choreo and just let themselves fall.

Thanxx couldn't resist when she noticed how carefree they were, she had to join them and dance along. The songs kept changing and the three of them relaxed and let the music guide them. San was really surprised how well she could do it. Thanxx moved with an elegance that San would not have thought she could do. Because of the vibes she radiated, San didn't even notice that she had already stopped moving to the music.

"Earth to San" she said and turned around in front of his eyes. He jumped out of his rigidity and looked into her dark eyes. "Sorry, did you say something?" he said and she giggled.

" YES I said if we want to go slowly? Seonghwa makes dinner he said and I don't want to be late" San nodded and rose from his seat next to the door. She was right and they should really leave now. The three of them went back upstairs and the smell of food came up to them. Seonghwa, Mingi and Hongjoong must have been back again. The last one was preparing a room. He moved the beds in his and Seonghwa's room a little and set up a camp bed. Thanxx could sleep with them. Mingi had joined the others and talked to them while they did something. Seonghwa was standing in the kitchen doing something in a pot and Thanxx left the two boys and crept into the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" She asked Seonghwa and he winced briefly "I'm making the sauce for dinner" " And what exactly are you doing? "The boys wanted spaghetti," he said and she nodded. "Shall I help you?" He nodded and told her she could set the table. She asked him how exactly to do that and that made him smile. He explained it to her and she set about carrying out the task. The evening was very loud and fun. The boys showed Thanxx some games and made her feel good with them. When she lost she was quite angry and demanded a revenge. This made her laugh more than once. The boys' distrust of her became a little fainter, but it didn't go away. After many hours of playing everything was ready for bed and Thanxx borrowed some clothes from Yunho.

When Yunho asked her why, her answer was astonishing for him. "The clothes will be very big on me and therefore comfortable and I like the way you smell. You remind me of my home" He lay awake even longer and thought about what their home was like. He decided to ask her tomorrow. As Thanxx lay in Hongjoong's bed that evening, Seonghwa grinned from the cot he was lying on. "We have a fan meeting tomorrow... I bet she wants to come?" Seonghwa just nodded. Surely she would not be stopped. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

" Thanxx stop it!" Yeosang hissed and pressed her hand down again. She waved to the fans for the thousandth time. It had been a stupid idea to take her to the fan meeting. But they had no other choice, Thanxx refused to stay at home and threatened to burn the dorm down if they left her alone. They really couldn't use broken things anymore. He leaned back in his chair. In front of the glass door were a bunch of fans of the group waiting to take their places. Since Thanxx was sitting right behind them, she also attracted a lot of attention. Yeosang could not blame the fans for their curiosity. Even after the few weeks that Thanxx was with them, he still had a hard time processing that this was one of their songs. Now a being of flesh and blood.

"Okay, guys, as discussed. If anyone asks who she is, let's say she's my cousin," Hongjoong said and everyone nodded. The doors opened a moment later and the fans took their seats. Well, that could be cheerful. The first half hour of the fan meeting was relatively quiet. Thanxx sometimes talked to them and also to the fans and the fans asked her questions from time to time. The boys then told the story that Hongjoong had suggested. The fans seemed to be curious and some took a picture of her. Thanxx also posed with the boys once. After another half hour, some fans asked if it was possible to have the guys dance a little bit. Not averse to the request, Yunho, San and Mingi quickly stood in front and waited for music. The staff played a kind of random dance from Ateez songs and the boys had fun. When the song Thanxx was played, a girl called out to one of her friends that she didn't like the song and they talked a bit about why Inception is better than Thanxx. Thanxx just rolled her eyes. It was clear that there was still a fight about whether her brother or she was better. Inception was the quieter of the sibling couple and was also the one who was preferred more often. But that was only because he was older. At least Thanxx told himself that.

After the boys continued to interact with the fans, Thanxx realized that she urgently needed to use the toilet. She went to the back and did so too. As she washed her hands, she noticed that a girl was staring at her through the mirror the whole time, she didn't think anything of it. The girl had come after her and probably just wanted to use the sink. Thanxx was drying her hands and wanted to leave the bathroom when the girl grabbed her by the shoulder and punched her in the face. Surprised by the unexpected blow, the blue-haired girl staggered backwards and fell to the ground. She held her nose and looked up at the girl with the black hair and braid. What was that about? "I want you to stay away from the boys, whether you are Hongjoong's cousin or not. You have no business being with them, you're worthless anyway," she said and stepped into Thanxx. Slowly, Thanxx understood the situation and tried to sit up. Her side hurt and her nose was still bleeding. The girl wouldn't hurt her again, would she? Yeosang hadn't heard Thanxx say anything for quite a while. He turned around to check on her and realized that she had disappeared. He thought nothing of it and continued talking to the fans in front of him. When she was still gone after a good ten minutes, it seemed strange to him. He apologized briefly from his members and from the fan. He had such a queasy feeling and he should be right. He searched for Thanxx in different rooms and in the end only the toilet was left. Carefully he knocked on the door and entered the room. The door next to Thanxx was opened after a gentle knock. And just in time. The girl had intended. Cut her hair and dragged her across the sink. In her hand she held a pair of scissors that she had pulled out of her backpack. Yeosang could not believe his eyes as he looked into Thanxx's frightened face. Blood was on her face and she seemed to be in pain. "What are you doing?" he asked the girl who was holding Thanxx and she let go immediately. Silence followed his question and the girl seemed to not know what to say. "Thanxx come here," Yeosang said and reached out his hand. Thanxx followed his instruction and the girl looked distraught. Did Yeosang just call her Thanxx? Her head had to play a trick on her. Yeosang opened the door and called for a staff member. This staff member took care of the fan and also of Thanxx. Yeosang explained that he had to go back, but he would come to her immediately after the fan meeting was over. Thanxx nodded and was left in the care of the staff.

"The fan did something?!" Hongjoog asked beside himself. Thanxx and Yeosang had told them the story on the way home. The leader couldn't believe that Atiny would do such a thing. But when he looked at the girl's face and the bruises she had, he had to admit that Atiny would do something like that. Thanxx seemed to be unaffected by all this. Inside she was annoyed that she had not granted herself against the fan. She had just let this happen to her because she was too shocked.

The whole evening the boys took care of her and also the days after, more and more attention was paid to how strong her pain was. The boys did not want her to feel bad. She awakened in all of them an instinct of protection with which they were all a little overwhelmed.

So it dragged on for a couple of weeks. The relationship between Thanxx and the boys got better and better. But at some point, the boys hardly had any time for her, because they had to train. Thanxx did not hold it against them. After all they are idols and have to work. She tried to take care of the dorm and the boys as good as she could. When they were too exhausted after training, she brought them food and made sure that everyone was happy. Hongjoong often needed someone to talk to,Seonghwa loved to show her new things,Yunho often played basketball with her,Yeosang and they liked to gossip,San and Wooyung often fooled around with her,Mingi tried many crazy things with her and Jongho loved to impress her. Just like Atiny and his members, she loved to share fruit with his hands. While the boys trained and enjoyed their time with her, Hongjoong became more and more silent.

He had to tell her. Say that he was working on a new song and she would probably have to leave. Inside, he was sad and scared about it. He had just taken her into his heart and now he should let her go again. He lay awake half the night and didn't really know where to take her. If he would not tell her, it would be treason. If he told her, she might get angry or try to prevent the new song from coming out. He was in a dilemma and he really didn't know what to do.

At the next rehearsal he talked about it with the others. Thanxx was preparing some food upstairs and he really wanted to know what the others would do in his place. The majority of them decided to tell her in the weeks before the release of the Mv. It took him all the trouble not to tell her, but he did his best to hide it from her. She made the days of Ateez livelier and also made monotony disappear. She had become part of the team and was essential to Hongjoong.

"Thanxx can we talk?" Hongjoong looked firmly into her eyes and they nodded. Thanxx rose from her place between Jongho and Yunho and went into the next room with the leader. They had one more week until the new MV would be released. Only one more week with Thanxx. "Now will you tell me why you are so funny?" Thanxx asked and leaned against the wall. She buried her hands in the pockets of her pants and then looked at him expectantly. Hongjoong took a few deep breaths in and out. "Thanxx we will upload a new MV next week and release the new song" Silence. Nothing but silence struck Hongjoong after he said the words. The seconds dragged on endlessly until Thanxx began to speak, "That's good for you" She smiled. Smiled at him and he could not believe it. She would have to leave her and then she would be gone forever and she smiled about it. "Aren't you angry with me about this ?" he asked her and stroked through his hair. She shook her head and hugged him. "No, I am grateful to be with you, but it was clear that this day would come. Of course I would rather stay here, but that is not possible. Your career has to go on and if I stay here it won't work" Hongjoong put his head on hers and nodded slightly. She was right.

They returned to the others and talked for a while. For the next few days, Thanxx didn't let on and didn't let on as they sat together in the living room staring at the laptop with the new MV. Today was the day. They would have to say goodbye. "On the table in the kitchen there is a letter I brought up this morning." The boys nodded, they didn't care right now. They didn't know what it would be like if Thanxx had to leave.  

"Goodbye" she said and smiled slightly as Hongjoong pressed the button to publish the next MV. As she started to dissolve slowly, Hongjoong heard a faint sob and saw Jongho spilling his eyes over the top of her head. When he looked around, he saw all the boys fighting with themselves not to cry or something. Also it was not easy for him to let the whirlwind out of their lives. The last months had been just too beautiful with her. When she was gone, Hongjoong stood up without a word and left the room. He closed the door to his and Seonghwa's room and let himself slide down the door in the dark. He slapped his hands in front of his face and cried. He had really sent her away. Had placed his group above the girl. Over a living being with feelings and a heart. What had become of him? He cried and cried until he heard a melody. It came from his cell phone and he stared at it. It was over but the melody of Thanxx came out of his smartphone. He realized that it was a quiet version of the song. Was it still with him? Did she want to comfort him? He pressed the phone to himself and sobbed again. He was already missing her.

When the boys later opened the letter they had to pull themselves together not to cry again. The letter was from Thanxx and it said:

I enjoyed the time with you very much. I'm not good at expressing myself by speaking, so I'm doing it this way. I have you dear boys and I want to thank you for the nice time with you. These would be the best months of my life and sometime we will meet again. Stay as you are

In love