Aiven had barely survived Suri's screaming phone call and Velric's threats when his phone buzzed again.
He expected another lecture from Suri.
Instead—
It was a notification.
Then another.
Then twenty.
Then a hundred.
He opened one.
His heart stopped.
#ProtectRazeFromTheRumors
#RazeIsNotGay
#ECLYPSEUnderAttack
#ThatBoyIsRuiningRaze
Aiven's hands shook.
Comments flew across the screen, too fast to read all at once. But every few lines burned into him:
> "Raze is NOT gay. Stop spreading lies."
"Who is that nobody? Remove him."
"I won't accept a gay idol."
"If he's really dating that guy, I'm leaving the fandom."
"This Hale boy is disgusting."
Aiven swallowed hard.
His throat felt clogged, tight.
This wasn't just scandal anymore.
This was hatred.
Real, ugly hatred.
---
Raze Walks In
Raze entered the room quietly, just as Aiven lowered his phone with trembling fingers.
Raze's eyes immediately sharpened.
"What happened?"
Aiven tried to smile.
"Just… comments."
Raze took the phone gently from his hands and saw everything.
The hashtags.
The threats.
The "Raze is not gay" trending worldwide.
Raze's expression slowly darkened—not sad, not angry.
Cold. Furious. Controlled.
He whispered, "They don't get to decide who I am."
Aiven shook his head.
"Maybe they're right. Maybe this is too dangerous. Maybe I should—"
"Aiven."
Raze's voice snapped like lightning.
"Stop."
Aiven blinked.
Raze stepped closer, eyes burning with something fierce and unbreakable.
"First, you didn't cause this."
His tone softened.
"Second, I don't care what they accept or don't accept."
Aiven's breath hitched.
"You'll lose fans."
"Then those fans were never mine," Raze said calmly.
"I want people who love the real me. Not the version they create."
Aiven stared at him, speechless.
Raze reached out and brushed Aiven's knuckles lightly.
"They can't scare me away from you."
---
The Disaster at the Company
Later, Raze and Aiven were summoned urgently by Velric.
The CEO was pacing with red cheeks, throwing tablets onto the table.
"These," he bellowed, "are ALL hate messages! Overseas fans are FIGHTING. Korean fans are SPLITTING. Sponsors are messaging me. This is a disaster!"
He glared at Aiven like he was a fire that needed extinguishing.
"Fans will NOT accept Raze being gay," Velric said sharply.
"And they will never accept you."
Aiven lowered his head, heart sinking.
Raze stepped in front of him.
"Then they'll have to learn."
Velric exploded.
"Do you WANT a career suicide?! Do you WANT ECLYPSE destroyed?!"
"They're my fans," Raze said with icy calm.
"And if they can't accept me loving someone, they never loved me in the first place."
Aiven's breath caught.
Loving?
Velric slammed his hands down.
"The company will release a statement. A fake one."
Raze tensed. "What statement?"
"That you and Aiven are just acquaintances," Velric said firmly.
"And that you are NOT gay."
Aiven felt something inside him break.
Raze's jaw clenched.
"No."
"Raze—"
"I won't lie about who I am," Raze said.
"And I won't let you use Aiven as a shield."
Velric stared at him like he was insane.
"This isn't bravery," Velric snapped.
"It's suicide."
But Raze didn't back down.
And Aiven…
Aiven started to understand something terrifying.
No matter how much hate came,
no matter how many fans refused to accept him,
Raze was choosing him anyway.
---
Astryx's Growing Jealousy
As they left the office, Aiven caught Astryx watching from across the hall.
But this time—
it wasn't dislike.
It wasn't annoyance.
It was frustration.
Jealousy.
And fear.
"You think you can handle this?" Astryx said quietly as he walked past Aiven.
Aiven froze.
"Raze gets more hate than any idol I know," Astryx whispered.
"Fans barely accept him being human, let alone gay."
Aiven's heart tightened.
"Astrex… I didn't want any of this."
Astryx stared at him.
For once, his mask of pretty-boy confidence cracked.
"I know," he said quietly.
"And that scares me even more."
---
A Night of Vulnerability
Later that night, Aiven sat on the balcony again, scrolling through comments he wished he'd never seen.
Raze joined him without a word and slowly took the phone away.
"Stop reading."
"I just… wanted to know what they think."
Raze shook his head.
"No. You're only reading the loudest people. Not the real ones."
"Raze… they hate me."
"They don't know you."
Aiven swallowed. "They hate you too."
Raze's voice softened to a whisper.
"I can handle hate.
But I can't handle losing you."
Aiven froze.
Raze leaned his head gently against Aiven's shoulder.
"Let them scream," he whispered.
"I'll drown it out with the truth."
Aiven's eyes stung.
His chest tightened.
The world felt terrifying…
But Raze beside him felt safe.
For the first time, Aiven whispered:
"Don't leave me."
Raze answered instantly.
"I won't. Not even if the world burns."