Not Like the Other Girls
Xiaoyu slumped in her seat, arms crossed, with her nose buried in her book. Around her, the stadium was insane. Girls were screaming like they were being chased by zombies or something, waving glowsticks and banners with words like "MARRY ME KION" and "X.CHAOS 4 LIFE!" written in glittery, bubble letters.
She flipped a page in her book (The Mythology of the Stars—not that anyone cared). She wasn’t here for this ridiculous concert. She was only here because her best friend Mei had begged her. Mei was one of those hardcore X.Chaos fans who cried during music videos and collected overpriced photo cards. Meanwhile, Xiaoyu had better things to do, like homework or literally anything else.
Especially since she couldn’t stand Kion.
Kion, the lead singer of X.Chaos, was everywhere. Every time she scrolled through her socials or went to the mall, there he was, smirking at her from posters, magazine covers, or perfume ads. He wasn’t even that good-looking. His hair probably took three hours to style, and who wore leather pants in real life?
The lights dimmed, and the crowd exploded in a deafening scream. Mei grabbed Xiaoyu’s arm and shook her.
“They’re coming out! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!” Mei squealed, practically jumping out of her seat.
Xiaoyu sighed dramatically and opened her book again, trying to tune out the music as the boys strutted on stage. She barely glanced up when the first note of “Chaos Unleashed” blasted through the speakers.
But Kion? He noticed her.
It was hard not to notice the only person in the crowd not freaking out. While everyone else was jumping and singing along, there she was, sitting with her nose in a book like she was in the middle of a library.
“Who’s that?” Kion asked his bandmate, nudging him during the chorus. His smirk deepened. She wasn’t like the other fans.
The next song ended, and the band grabbed water bottles while the crowd screamed their love. Kion stepped forward, sweat glistening under the stage lights, and grabbed the mic.
“What’s up, Chaos Crew?” he shouted. The crowd screamed louder. “You guys having a good time tonight?”
More screaming.
Then he did something no one expected. He pointed straight at Xiaoyu.
“Hey, you.”
Xiaoyu froze. No way.
Mei practically choked. “Xiaoyu, he’s talking to YOU!”
Kion tilted his head, his trademark smirk in full effect. “Yeah, you with the book. What’re you reading that’s so interesting?”
The crowd went wild. Phones whipped out, and girls were snapping pics of the random girl who caught Kion’s attention.
Xiaoyu blinked, her face heating up. Slowly, she stood, holding up her book like a shield. “Uh… it’s The Mythology of the Stars,” she said, her voice shaking slightly.
Kion’s grin widened. “Mythology, huh? I like it. But I think we’ve got a better story happening right here.”
The crowd screamed so loudly Xiaoyu thought her eardrums might burst. Mei was smacking her arm like her life depended on it.
“Xiaoyu, oh my gosh! He’s FLIRTING WITH YOU!” Mei shrieked.
“I didn’t ask for this!” Xiaoyu hissed, dropping back into her seat, her face practically on fire.
Kion winked at her, then launched into the next song, but he kept glancing her way the entire time. Mei was losing her mind, and Xiaoyu wanted the ground to swallow her whole.
When the concert ended and the band took their bows, a security guard came up to Xiaoyu with an envelope.
“This is for you,” he said, handing it over before disappearing into the chaos.
Mei snatched it before Xiaoyu could, ripping it open. Inside was a note written in messy handwriting:
Hey, Library Girl. Meet me backstage? I’d love to hear about that book.
—Kion
Xiaoyu stared at it, her jaw on the floor. Mei screamed so loud that people around them started looking.
“YOU HAVE TO GO!” Mei shouted, practically dragging her to her feet.
“I… I don’t know!” Xiaoyu stammered, clutching the note.
But deep down, she couldn’t help but think that maybe—just maybe—Kion wasn’t so overrated after all.
Misunderstood
Xiaoyu was NOT supposed to be here.
Like, seriously. She didn’t ask for this. Her brother, Mingxi, was the one who dragged her to the company building. He was a trainee at the same company as X.Chaos, but she was just trying to mind her own business. She had way better things to do than hang around a bunch of screaming fangirls. But Mingxi was all like, “You should come with me, it’ll be so much fun!” and she was all like, “Ugh, I’m going to die.”
Still, she was here now, and she didn’t want to get caught being that girl. You know, the type who waits in the hallway hoping to get a glimpse of her bias.
But then… it happened.
She was texting her best friend Mei (who was totally flipping out over some new X.Chaos stuff on Weibo) when, BAM, she ran straight into someone.
She looked up, and her heart stopped.
KION.
Kion from X.Chaos. He was literally the last person Xiaoyu thought she’d ever bump into. His hair was perfectly styled like he had just walked out of a K-drama, and his smirk was just everything.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” Xiaoyu gasped, her face instantly burning red. She almost dropped her phone. She was so embarrassed.
“No problem, it’s fine,” Kion said, flashing a smile that made Xiaoyu’s knees go weak. He handed her her phone like he was some kind of prince, and for a moment, she was too stunned to even breathe.
But then, as if the universe wasn’t trying to kill her enough, she turned around and saw him—Minhyuk.
MINHYUK.
The one guy she actually liked in X.Chaos. The one she’d stalked on social media, watched in every variety show, and had a major crush on. And now? Now he was looking at her like she was the worst person on the planet.
“Xiaoyu?” Minhyuk asked, his voice so cool, it made her feel like she was being sprayed with ice water.
“Oh, uh, hey, Minhyuk!” Xiaoyu said, but her voice came out way too high-pitched and squeaky, which she was 100% sure made her sound like a dying hamster.
Kion smirked again, like he knew something Xiaoyu didn’t, and that was when he dropped the bomb.
“So, are you a sasaeng fan or something?” he asked, loud enough for Minhyuk to hear.
Xiaoyu’s jaw hit the floor.
A sasaeng fan?!
She wasn’t a stalker! She wasn’t. She wasn’t the kind of girl who followed them around and took pictures of their lunch or hid under their dorm windows. She wasn’t creepy like that! She was just here because her brother was a trainee, and she had nowhere else to go!
“I’m not a sasaeng!” Xiaoyu said, almost too loudly, but Kion didn’t seem to care.
“No need to act all innocent,” Kion said, his tone a little too smug. “I mean, we see fans like you all the time.”
Minhyuk just stared at her, his expression unreadable. His eyes were narrowing like she was some kind of threat.
“I’m not following you!” Xiaoyu cried, but nobody was listening. The damage was already done.
Minhyuk turned to Kion. “I didn’t know we had fans like this around,” he said coldly, glancing back at Xiaoyu like she was some kind of scary monster.
Xiaoyu’s heart felt like it was shattering into a thousand pieces. How could he think she was some stalker?! She wasn’t. She wasn’t!
And then—oh my god—they just walked away, without saying another word to her. Kion winked at her in the most superior way possible, like he had just won some stupid contest.
Xiaoyu stood there in shock.
She felt like she had just been hit by a truck. No, worse—like she had just been run over by a whole parade of trucks. Minhyuk had looked at her like she was a creepy, obsessive fan. And Kion had called her a sasaeng like it was no big deal.
Her life was over.
The next day, Xiaoyu spent a whole 24 hours thinking about what happened. She replayed the scene over and over in her mind like the worst kind of torture. Every time she thought about Minhyuk’s face—his eyes narrowing, his mouth set in a frown—her heart broke into little pieces. How could he think she was like that?
She was so mad at herself for not saying something sooner, for not defending herself. She had to fix this. There was no way she was going to let Kion ruin everything.
She had to talk to him. She had to talk to Minhyuk.
So, after class, she put on her most determined face and walked straight to the company building. Her hands were shaking, her heart was racing, and her brain was screaming, This is going to be so embarrassing. But it didn’t matter. She was doing this. She wasn’t going to let them think she was some creepy stalker forever.
She found Kion standing near the entrance, looking all cool and casual like he didn’t just ruin her life yesterday.
“HEY!” Xiaoyu yelled, too loudly. Kion looked up, surprised. “I need to talk to you!”
“Oh?” Kion raised an eyebrow, his expression turning smug again. “What about?”
“I’m not a sasaeng!” Xiaoyu blurted out, all the words coming out in a big rush. “I didn’t mean to follow you guys around! I was just visiting my brother! He’s a trainee here! I wasn’t stalking you—I swear!”
Kion stared at her for a moment, his expression unreadable. “Hmm. Okay, okay. I get it now. I was a little too harsh yesterday.” He gave her a small shrug. “But you have to understand, we get crazy fans sometimes.”
Xiaoyu sighed in relief. “So, you believe me?”
Kion grinned. “Yeah, I do. Sorry for jumping to conclusions. I wasn’t trying to make you look bad.”
“Thank you,” Xiaoyu said, her voice cracking a little with the stress of it all.
“I’ll even talk to Minhyuk for you,” Kion added, like it was no big deal.
Xiaoyu’s eyes went wide. “Wait—really? You will?”
“Yeah,” Kion said with a wink. “I’ve got your back.”
The next time Xiaoyu saw Minhyuk, he was a lot more nervous than usual. He walked up to her like he had something to apologize for.
“I… I’m sorry,” Minhyuk said quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn’t look as confident as he usually did. “I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.”
Xiaoyu blinked, her heart suddenly doing a weird flip. “It’s okay. I understand.”
But deep down, she knew things were gonna be okay. She wasn’t just a fan. She was Xiaoyu, and no one was gonna make her feel bad about it.
The Cracked Mirror of Us
The trainee building was cloaked in a sterile, artificial light, casting shadows that stretched and warped like the remnants of a memory fighting to be seen. Xiaoyu stood just beyond the doorway, her breath shallow and uneven as her gaze locked on the tableau before her. It was a cruelly perfect picture—Kion leaning casually against the wall, his posture dripping with the ease of someone unburdened by the weight of the past. And beside him stood Yiyeon, radiant, laughing with a melody that pierced the quiet like a sunbeam slicing through frost.
For a moment, Xiaoyu could do nothing but stare, her heart thudding against her ribs in a rhythm both frantic and heavy. Every beat seemed to whisper traitor, traitor, traitor, as her mind replayed the countless nights she and Kion had spent in a cocoon of shared jokes and secret confessions. Nights where his voice, soft and teasing, had been her compass in a world that often felt too vast, too lonely.
But here he was now, the boy who had once been hers in some small, sacred way, pouring that same easy warmth into someone else.
Her chest tightened, the ache sharp and unforgiving, as if her ribs were caving in under the weight of it. Yiyeon’s laughter was too bright, too carefree, a dagger twisting deeper with every note. It wasn’t fair. How could Kion stand there so effortlessly, as though the thread that had once bound them hadn’t frayed into nothingness?
She didn’t realize she’d been spotted until Yiyeon turned, her expression soft with unassuming friendliness. “Oh, hi!” she said, her voice as light and airy as spring petals falling to the ground. She took a step closer, her head tilting in a way that could only be described as charming. “You’re Mingxi’s sister, right? Xiaoyu?”
Hearing her name on Yiyeon’s lips felt like a slap, the casual familiarity of it a cruel reminder of how much had changed. Yiyeon was perfect—too perfect, with her wide eyes and easy smile, the kind of person who could fit into any story, any circle, without effort. She was the opposite of Xiaoyu, who had once fought tooth and nail to carve out her own little corner of Kion’s life.
“Yeah,” Xiaoyu replied, her voice thin and brittle.
“It’s so nice to meet you! Mingxi always says the coolest things about you. He’s so proud of you.”
The words should have been kind, comforting even, but to Xiaoyu, they landed like blows. She forced a smile, her lips trembling under the strain. “Thanks.”
Yiyeon’s smile faltered just slightly, a flicker of confusion passing through her eyes, but she pressed on, oblivious to the storm brewing beneath Xiaoyu’s calm exterior. “Are you okay?”
Before Xiaoyu could answer, her gaze shifted to Kion. He was watching her now, his expression unreadable, his posture less relaxed. Something in his eyes flickered—recognition, hesitation, maybe even regret. But it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough.
“Do you two know each other?” Yiyeon asked, glancing between them with innocent curiosity.
Xiaoyu’s heart stuttered, a painful throb that echoed through her entire body. She turned fully to Kion, her gaze locking onto his, silently daring him to acknowledge what they had once shared. Say it. Tell her. Remember me.
But when Kion finally spoke, his voice was steady, his tone maddeningly casual. “No.”
The word hit her like a thunderclap, reverberating through her chest and shattering the fragile hope she hadn’t even realized she was holding onto. No. Not “we used to,” not “it’s been a while.” Just no.
Her stomach dropped, her pulse pounding in her ears as the air seemed to thin around her. She wanted to scream, to claw at the walls, to demand why he had erased her so easily, so carelessly. Instead, she straightened her spine, forcing steel into her voice.
“Actually,” Xiaoyu said, her words slicing through the air, “we did know each other. Back when he wasn’t too busy for the people who actually cared about him.”
Kion flinched, the subtle movement almost imperceptible, but Xiaoyu caught it. Good. Let him feel it. Let him feel a fraction of what she had endured.
“Xiaoyu,” Kion said, his voice low, warning.
“What?” she snapped, her anger boiling over. “Am I not allowed to talk about it? About how you just… disappeared? About how you didn’t even bother to explain why I wasn’t enough anymore?”
Yiyeon’s smile had vanished, replaced by a look of awkward concern. “Maybe I should—”
“No,” Xiaoyu interrupted, her gaze fixed on Kion. “Let her stay. She should hear this, right? Since you’re so comfortable telling her everything.”
Kion’s jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides. “That’s not fair,” he said, his tone clipped.
“Not fair?” Xiaoyu echoed, her voice breaking. “What’s not fair is watching you replace me like I never mattered. Like everything we had was just… disposable.”
Her words hung in the air, raw and aching, as tears began to spill over, hot and relentless. She didn’t bother to wipe them away. Let him see. Let him see what he’d done to her.
“I didn’t replace you,” Kion said finally, his voice quieter now, tinged with something that sounded almost like regret. “I just… I didn’t know how to hold on.”
The admission was like a slap, not because it wasn’t true, but because it was. He hadn’t known how to hold on, and she hadn’t known how to let go.
“I hope she’s worth it,” Xiaoyu whispered, her voice trembling as she took a step back. “I hope she’s everything you wanted, Kion.”
And with that, she turned and walked away, her tears blurring the sterile walls and cold light into a hazy, painful mess. Behind her, she could hear Yiyeon’s uncertain voice—“What just happened?”—and Kion’s silence, heavier than words could ever be.
She didn’t look back. If she had, she might have seen the way Kion’s shoulders slumped, the way his eyes followed her retreating figure with something dangerously close to longing. But it wouldn’t have mattered.
The damage was done. And some cracks, no matter how deep the love once was, could never truly be mended.
why does this always happen 2 me???
xIaoyu’s hands were sweaty like GROSS sweaty as she stood outside kion’s dorm. it was his BIRTHDAY and she was here like a TOTAL LOSER holding this dumb little box like it was the answer to all her problems. SPOILER ALERT: it wasn’t. but she couldn’t just NOT give it to him. she’d bought the PERFECT gift for him months ago when they were still FRIENDS (u know, b4 he forgot she existed) and she just HAD to see this thru or she’d die thinking about it forever.
she knocked on the door all quiet bc honestly??? she was hoping he wouldn’t hear and she could just chicken out and leave. but OF COURSE the universe hated her and the door opened IMMEDIATELY.
there he was. kion. standing there looking all cute and sleepy like some kind of stupid k-drama prince or whatever. his hair was messy but like in a hot way that made her want to cry and he was wearing THE hoodie. THE ONE. the hoodie that used to mean something but now probably smelled like stupid Yiyeon’s perfume or something.
“uh, xiaoyu?” he said, his voice all low and confused like she was some random weirdo who just showed up at his door for no reason. which, OK, maybe she kinda was.
“hi,” she mumbled, shoving the box at him like it was on fire. “happy birthday. here.”
kion blinked at her, then at the box, like he didn’t even know what a present was. finally, he took it, and their hands brushed for like a split second, and it was SO STUPID bc it made her heart do that dumb fluttery thing even tho she was mad at him.
“you didn’t have to get me anything,” he said, but his voice sounded weird, like maybe he felt guilty or something. good.
“yeah, well, i did,” she snapped, bc she was NOT about to stand here and let him pity her. “so just take it, ok?”
she was about to turn around and LEAVE FOREVER when she heard the WORST POSSIBLE SOUND in the entire universe.
“Kion, who is it??”
NO. NOOOOOOOOOOO. Xiaoyu’s whole body went cold as Yiyeon walked into view, wearing THE HOODIE. HIS HOODIE. the hoodie xiaoyu had about and called ugly but secretly loved bc it was SO him. and now Yiyeon was wearing it like she OWNED IT. like she OWNED HIM.
“oh, hi!” Yiyeon said, smiling like a literal ray of sunshine that made xiaoyu want to throw up. “are you a fan? that’s so sweet of you to bring him a present!”
FAN. A FREAKING FAN. Xiaoyu’s face went SO RED it felt like her head was gonna explode. she wanted to yell “IM NOT A FAN, IM HIS BEST FRIEND—OR AT LEAST I WAS UNTIL YOU SHOWED UP!!!” but felt like it was full of rocks.
“She’s not a fan,” Kion said, his voice all serious and low. “She’s Mingxi’s sister.”
oh great. Mingxi’s sister. that’s ALL she was now. not his friend. not his gaming buddy. not the person who knew him better than anyone. just…Mingxi’s sister. cool. awesome.
“ohhh!” Yiyeon said, her smile somehow getting EVEN BRIGHTER like she was trying to blind everyone. “nice to meet you! i’ve heard about you.” then she turned to kion and giggled like a dumb disney princess. “i’ll leave you guys to talk!” and she disappeared back into the dorm like some evil villain who didn’t even realize she was ruining lives.
xiaoyu couldn’t take it anymore. “i should go,” she muttered, already turning to leave.
“wait,” kion said, grabbing her wrist. his hand was warm and soft and it bc it made her want to cry even more.
“what do you want, kion?” she snapped, yanking her arm away. “seriously, WHAT? you’ve got yiyeon now, so why don’t you just go back to laughing with her and forgetting i exist?”
kion looked at her like she’d just slapped him, which, honestly, she kinda wanted to do. but instead, she just stood there, waiting for him to say something. ANYTHING.
but he didn’t. he just stood there, holding the box like he didn’t know what to do with it.
“you don’t even know what’s in there,” she said, her voice cracking like the total LOSER she was. “you don’t know anything about me anymore.”
and then, bc she couldn’t stand there for one more second without totally breaking down, she turned and RAN.
she didn’t stop running until she was outside, her breath coming in sharp gasps as tears spilled down her face. she clutched the ribbon from the box in her hand, squeezing it so tight it hurt, but she didn’t care.
“happy birthday, kion,” she whispered, even tho he couldn’t hear her. but it didn’t feel like a happy birthday. it felt like goodbye.
chaos in the X.Chaos practice room lol
ok so like, Xiaoyu DIDN’T EVEN KNOW how she ended up in this mess. one minute she was bringing her brother Mingxi some snacks cuz he’s a trainee and she’s a good sister, and the next thing she knew, she was surrounded by X.CHAOS—her FAVORITE GROUP EVER (well, mostly Minhyuk, but still).
“OMG it’s Minhyuk’s #1 fan!” Rio literally YELLED the second he saw her. like, for real, his voice was so loud the walls probably shook. before she could even say “hi” or “stop embarrassing me pls,” he was sliding across the floor on his knees like a drama king. “tell me, Xiaoyu, why do u only love Minhyuk?! am I not handsome enough?!”
Xiaoyu blinked, frozen, cuz WHAT WAS EVEN HAPPENING. “uhhh… no, I mean, yes, I mean—”
Rio gasped so loud it was like he was in an actual K-drama. “u don’t love me?? MINHYUK, how could u STEAL HER HEART like this?!!”
“bro, calm down,” Minhyuk muttered, looking SO DONE with Rio’s antics.
but before she could even breathe, WIN appeared out of nowhere with his trademark smirk. “Xiaoyu,” he said all smooth-like, “you’ve been watching us, huh? so why don’t u give me your number? for… official purposes.” he winked, and she thought she might die on the spot.
“i-i don’t think so,” she stammered, clutching her phone like it was her last lifeline.
“aww, why not?” Win teased, leaning closer like he was tryna melt her brain. “afraid u might fall for me too?”
before she could scream “THIS IS TOO MUCH,” Rio jumped back into the convo, throwing an arm around her shoulders like they were BFFs or something. “don’t listen to him,” he said with this big grin. “he’s just salty u don’t cheer for him. but don’t worry, Xiaoyu. I’m here to save u from boring ol’ Minhyuk.”
“I—WHAT?!” she squeaked, feeling her face go tomato-red.
Minhyuk just sighed again, probably regretting his life choices, while Aster sat in the corner like some mysterious anime character, staring at her like she was some kinda puzzle he was tryna solve.
and THEN, JUST WHEN SHE THOUGHT IT COULDN’T GET WORSE…
KION WALKED IN.
the door SLAMMED open, and he stepped in like some kinda dark storm cloud, his face looking all broody and mad. “what’s going on here?” he said, his voice all sharp and serious, and Xiaoyu’s stomach did like 50 backflips.
“oh, just meeting ur biggest fan,” Rio said with a smirk. “she’s totally here for Minhyuk, though. guess she doesn’t care about u.”
Kion’s eyes snapped to her, and OMG SHE WANTED TO DIE. his expression was… idk, like he was mad, but also hurt? but mostly mad.
“of course,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “because Minhyuk is all that matters.”
“wait, no, it’s not like that!” she blurted out, panicking.
but Kion just scoffed and turned away. “whatever. I don’t have time for this.”
before she could even PROCESS what was happening, Rio shouted, “jealous much, Kion?!” and Kion literally froze. like, his whole body tensed up, and the air in the room got SO AWKWARD.
“Rio, shut up,” Kion said in this low, scary voice, and then he stormed out, SLAMMING the door behind him.
everyone just stood there for a second like, “uhhh, what just happened?” but then Win, being Win, broke the silence with his stupid smirk. “soooo, Xiaoyu,” he said, “about that number…”
“OMG NOPE BYE,” she yelled, bolting out of the room before her brain could explode.
she ran all the way to the stairwell and collapsed on the steps, her heart pounding like CRAZY. she still had Kion’s birthday gift in her bag—the PERFECT GIFT she’d picked out weeks ago—and now it felt like some cruel joke. tears started welling up in her eyes cuz WHAT EVEN WAS HER LIFE.
her phone buzzed, and she looked down to see a message from MINHYUK.
“u okay? don’t let them bother u too much.”
her heart fluttered for like 0.2 seconds before another message popped up. this time from WIN.
“u can’t run forever, Xiaoyu ;)”
AND THEN—just as she thought it couldn’t get any worse—another message came in. from an UNKNOWN NUMBER.
“leave. you don’t belong here.”
she knew EXACTLY who it was from.
her hands shook as she stared at the unopened gift in her bag. she felt like she was in the middle of some crazy soap opera where everyone was out to break her heart.
“WHY IS THIS MY LIFE?!” she whispered dramatically to the empty stairwell, her tears falling like rain.
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