Heeseung x manager!reader
The dorm was quiet for a change.
No members shouting over a game in the living room.
Just soft rain tapping against the windows and the dim yellow light above the kitchen counter where you sat with a schedule book open in front of you.
The preparations for the comeback had everyone running on barely three hours of sleep, and as the group’s manager, it felt like every problem ended up on your plate.
“Tomorrow’s rehearsal got moved,” you muttered to yourself while jotting down notes.
A sleepy voice responded from behind you.
You looked up to see Heeseung standing in the hallway in loose gray sweatpants and a black hoodie, his dark hair messy from sleep.
Your chest tightened a little.
He always looked unfairly pretty at night.
“You should be asleep,” you told him softly.
He walked over slowly, dragging his feet until he reached the counter beside you. Without asking, he leaned against your shoulder, warm and heavy.
“You’re crushing my arm.”
“But you’re comfortable.”
That was the problem with him.
He made it hard not to smile.
Over the last two years of working with Enhypen, you learned all their habits.
Jungwon got quiet when stressed.
Sunoo needed reassurance after harsh evaluations.
Ni-ki became clingy when tired.
Heeseung became affectionate.
Dangerously affectionate.
At first, you thought it was harmless. He was naturally touchy— an arm around your shoulders, leaning against you during van rides, resting his chin on your head while you checked schedules.
But eventually, you noticed something different.
He only acted like that with you.
And only when other members were around.
Sunoo came running into the practice room during break, throwing himself onto your back.
“I’m starving,” he whined. “You said snacks were coming an hour ago.”
“They are coming,” you laughed. “The delivery driver got lost.”
Sunoo groaned into your shoulder.
Across the room, Heeseung stopped dancing.
His expression flattened immediately.
“Oh no,” Jake muttered under his breath.
Sure enough, Heeseung walked straight over without saying a word.
He didn’t even acknowledge Sunoo.
He simply slid between the two of you, wrapping an arm around your waist possessively.
“You said you’d watch the recording with me,” he said flatly.
“You could’ve just asked?”
You stared at Heeseung suspiciously. “Why are you glaring at him?”
Sunghoon snorted from the floor. “Sure.”
Heeseung shot him a death stare.
The members exchanged knowing looks.
It got worse during promotions.
Long schedules meant less sleep, which made Heeseung clingier.
And lately, he’d been following you everywhere.
“You already checked the van twice,” you told him one morning.
“So why are you still standing here?”
He blinked lazily at you before lowering his head onto your chest.
“You can’t just use me as a pillow.”
His voice was muffled against you.
Behind him, Jungwon nearly choked on his coffee.
Jay turned around to hide his grin.
Meanwhile, Heeseung looked perfectly content, eyes closed as if he belonged there.
“You’re acting weird lately,” you mumbled quietly.
At that, his expression shifted.
You caught a flash of hurt before he covered it with a pout.
“That’s not what I said.”
“Then why do you sound disappointed every time I touch you?”
If you admitted the truth, everything would change.
Because you liked it too much.
Because every small act of affection from him stayed in your mind for days.
Because somewhere along the line, you stopped seeing him as just another idol you managed.
You gently pushed his shoulder. “Go rehearse.”
But he walked away upset.
For the rest of the day, he barely spoke to you.
It should’ve made things easier.
Instead, it made your chest ache.
You noticed every little thing.
How he stopped sitting beside you.
How he answered your questions with short responses.
How he laughed with everyone else but grew quiet around you.
You were supposed to keep boundaries.
So why did his distance hurt so much?
That night after filming, the members went inside the dorm while you stayed behind to organize the next day's itinerary in the van.
The door suddenly opened again.
Heeseung climbed back in.
Neither of you spoke for a moment.
You kept your eyes on the papers in your lap.
“You’re avoiding me,” he said quietly.
His voice wasn’t teasing this time.
“You pull away every time I get close to you.”
“I know I’m being obvious.”
He finally looked at you then.
His eyes were soft. Exhausted. Honest.
“I know the members notice,” he continued quietly. “I know you notice too.”
The air felt suffocating.
“But you never say anything.” His laugh was hollow. “You just keep pretending.”
You stared at him speechlessly.
Pretending you didn’t notice the way his eyes followed you.
Pretending you didn’t feel nervous whenever he touched you.
Pretending your stomach didn’t flip every time he rested against you like you were the safest place in the world.
“You shouldn’t like me,” you whispered.
“So this ends badly for both of us.”
“Do you know how frustrating you are?”
“I spend months trying to show you how much I care,” he murmured, “and every time you look at me like you care too, you run away.”
“You deserve someone easier.”
His voice cracked slightly, and somehow that hurt more than anything.
Rain against the windows.
Your pulse roared in your ears.
He laughed softly, almost embarrassed.
“Probably since you yelled at me for skipping meals on tour.”
You groaned. “That was two years ago.”
“You still made me lunch afterward.”
“That’s when I realized I was done for.”
You stared at him helplessly.
For the first time in months, you stopped trying to deny what was happening between you.
Heeseung stepped closer carefully, like he was afraid you’d disappear.
When you didn’t move away, his shoulders relaxed.
he rested his forehead against your chest again.
Your fingers hesitated before sliding into his hair.
The breath he let out sounded shaky.
“You're really unfair,” you whispered.
“Because I was trying very hard not to fall for you.”
A tiny smile appeared against your shoulder.
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