𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: Both of your PR teams have come up with a masterplan to raise the public's interest: a fake rivalry between you and Tamon. In this situation, with lovers being disguised as "enemies", the sensitive pink-haired boy can't help but spiral.
𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: Tamon Fukuhara x gn! idol! reader
"So tell us, how do you find F/ACE's latest single? Although all members are going all out for its promo, Tamon seems especially confident on the song being the ultimate tune to charm the fans and bring that award home"
Every single member in the audience leaned forward in their seats, waiting expectantly for your answer. Your media training allowed you to fill in the gap in the most satisfactory way possible: a teasing answer that's not offensive but which clearly shows the tension between you and the other idol, only to finish with a swift deviation of the topic towards your own projects. Simple, yet elegant and most importantly, effective. Quick whispering erupted in the room, which later on spread like the plague on social media.
After filming some more interviews and the finals scenes of your daily vlogs, the other members of your group left for the dorms while you stayed behind. Once your phone recognized your face, you wasted no time on the thousands of notifications and opened the messaging app to check on your boyfriend; just like you, he had much filming scheduled for the day.
you: how was your day?
tamon <3: I've appeared on a bunch of talk shows and I've had to say things I don't mean about you.
tamon <3: I'm tired and I feel like trash.
you: I know, baby. Hold on a little longer, you're doing great.
tamon <3: You must hate me more each day. I'm so pathetic.
you: don't be silly, I love you. We're okay and you're the most amazing boyfriend I could ask for ;) see you soon
You locked you phone once again and sighed as if, by exhaling deep and slow, you could rid your muscles of all the strain in them. This whole make-believe friction imposed by the agencies was taking a toll on you, but not as much as it did on Tamon. You were more than aware of how he projected a persona onto the world, only for the mask to fall once offstage. This dichotomy was initially shocking, not because of the act itself, of course (you, as an idol, are not 100% yourself while at work either), but because of the extreme shift from self-confident heartthrob to sad self-loathing puddle on the floor.
Ever since you became a couple, you tried to be gentle about it, reassuring him about your feelings and giving words of affirmation for him to repeat. Unfortunately, this stupid ploy was throwing away all progress being made and it was seriously pissing you off.
He chastised himself for not fighting back, but he could not be blamed for wanting to keep on growing as an artist along his bandmates and to make fans happy. If advancing towards his dream meant obeying some menacing big fishes, then so be it. You were not particularly happy about it either, but this is one of the disadvantages of the job.
Thanks to your mediating with the managers, both of you would have to go along with it only until the Idol Awards gala; then, you would be free to present your relationship in a more amicable light. This agreement may sound bizarre for an idol to achieve against such influential enterprises, but both agencies were terrified of your strong-willed self and your team was especially worried about losing you the moment you detected a slightly higher level of coercion.
The days began to pass by and the F/ACE member seemed sadder by the minute. His internal monologue played self-deprecating messages nonstop about how the fake hatred you presented to the fans was starting to become real and how sooner than later he would find himself all alone once more while you fell in love with some better guy with whom to laugh at him. The worst part is that he wouldn't even blame you for it, it was simply the natural course of things in his understanding.
The breaking point was reached when you were sent to host some random internet games in which other artists participated as well. The challenges consisted in a series of mini competitions of both physical ability and intellect; some excelled because of their strength and brought a comical tone to the thinking activities with their cluelessness and vice versa. The man you had been paired up with being described as flirtatious was not the half of it! He was relentless in his never-ending attempts at seducing you, yet you remained professional while trying to keep your distance. At some point, seeing the little success he was having in his endeavor, he devised a new plan: criticizing Tamon so you would have something to bond over.
Your face then contorted in a way that is simply unexplainable. And that's when he knew. He'd fucked up.
Back in Tamon's place, the poor cleaner was trying her best to do her job without looking towards the depressed youngster laying on his futon, completely covered in blankets. Jealousy, poor self-esteem and work stress were all running through his head; the following day he had to perform live and he was in no mood to give his best to the fans. You haven't had time to see each other so he was running on sporadic text messages and occasional videocalls. The stream had ended almost two hours ago and he had not heard back from you-
*BANG*
"TAMON FUKUHARA!"
Never in his 18 years had he gotten up as quickly as when you screamed his name after having opened the door with a herculean strength you normally did not possess. You eyes were fuming and your loud stepping did nothing to appease him.
"YOU-"
Oh dear, here you went. "The end of us" he thought to himself, the end of him more like.
"-ARE-"
He pressed his eyes shut, as if he were to collide with a meteor at full speed.
"TOO CUTE FOR YOUR OWN GOOD!"
"...huh?"
"I thought you were having some trouble handling the whole rivals thing but I did not think you were eating instant ramen only again or that you were thinking such awful things about me, about us."
"wait, how did you know?"
"the lady helping you with the apartment, I gave her my number in case anything happened and I was not here for you. And thank goodness I did! She heard you sobbing about the guy from the internet show and I. HE'S A JERK! The moment he opened his mouth to talk shit about you, I told him to fuck off and that I was perfectly happy by your side. So oopsie I guess! hahaha. Don't worry, we'll get out of this unharmed. Pinkie promise."
"Yknow, I've tried to approach this in different, clearly unsuccessful ways. Now I know exactly what you need."
Completely dumbfounded he stayed in place in order to receive what you had deemed as the remedy to his situation.
"AGRESSIVE AFFECTION!" the announcement was followed by a barrage of kisses which covered his entire face. Simultaneously, your arms had assumed their usual position around his shoulders; your hands intertwining behind the neck momentarily before delving into his pastel pink hair with caresses.
"You are a god for all those girls, never doubt their loyalty. And most importantly, never think twice about whether I will leave you for anyone or anything, because the answer will always be: no. I melt for that grin and those kisses you throw towards the bleaches when you're singing with that angelic voice, but I adore you just the same when we get here and your true self comes out. I. love. you." Your foreheads rested against each other and the message seemed to go through.
You thought you saw a single tear slipping through his left cheek when, all of a sudden, he was all over you making the both of you fall. His troubled breath began to fluster you, but you had no chance to act on it, for he then lifted his gaze to meet yours. Oh god, he was ready to eat the stage. He was ready to devour you.
"I need you in the audience tomorrow. I'll dedicate every song to you. My sweetheart, always knowing exactly what their man needs..."
You could not wait for that concert, or perhaps you were feeling even more restless for what would come after. That's a secret between you, him and the backstage walls.
