So the video above is of a Stray Kids performance. The guy it focuses on is the youngest member of the band, I.N. The other guy on the right is Bang Chan, also called Chan. Something common (sadly) among K-pop producers/managers is that they basically starve the singers, who are called idols. In the video, I.N. was so exhausted from performing, he fainted. He is 21 in the video above, but some idols, like Jungkook, were recruited at 15 or younger. The K-pop industry is pretty bad, and it’s even worse with the girl groups, with the girls being starved and bullied for their weight and fainting more often than the boy groups.
I saw this video, and I got inspired to have Nico be I.N. So, here we are! So Nico and Will are in a band called S7VEN, with the following members and positions.
Frank – drums
Nico – electric guitar
Percy – vocals, dancer, visual
Jason – bass, visual
Annabeth – vocals
Piper – vocals
Will – vocals, dancer, visual
And here we go!
——
Nico’s breathing was heavy and ragged. His stomach screamed in hunger. Will looked over and saw him with his head down, resting it in his arms on the table.
“Neeks, are you okay?” They were just about to perform a show, and Nico really wasn’t looking good. Nico looked up and blinked.
“Yeah, I’m…I’m fine,” Nico lied.
“Here, eat something. I know how nervous you get before a show.” Will pushed a plate of food toward him. Just as he was about to reach for it, Octavian shoved it away.
“He can’t. He’s on a diet. Did you workout earlier?” Nico nodded. “Good.”
“Octavian, you can’t starve him,” Will said angrily.
“It’s not starving. It’s dieting. And he can take it. Calm down and get ready for the show.”
—
Nico was extremely lightheaded. He was panting. He set down his guitar on the stand, and clutched his chest, trying to breathe. He fell to his knees.
“Will…Will? I don’t…I don’t feel so good.” Nico slumped and fell on his side, passed out. Will ran to him and checked his pulse. He had fainted of exhaustion, dehydration, and starvation.
“Percy! Call 911! He fainted, and his heart rate’s too low!” Will yelled. Percy felt his pockets.
“Shit,” he said, remembering he doesn’t have his phone when he’s onstage. He turned to the audience and jumped offstage. He ran to a girl in the front row. “I need to borrow your phone, I have to call 911, he’s not okay.” The girl handed her phone over unlocked. Percy quickly dialed the emergency number as he ripped off his mic.
Will checked Nico’s forehead, which was hot. His pulse was slow. “Hang in there baby, please.”
—
Nico’s eyes fluttered open. He looked to his right and saw Will holding his hand. Will was asleep in a seemingly uncomfortable position on a chair. Nico looked to his left and saw an IV in his arm and a heart monitor clipped on his finger. Nico wondered how long he’d been out. He looked back at Will. His face was fully relaxed, and he looked peaceful. His head slumped against the back of the chair, and Nico just watched as he slept. Suddenly, Will began to twitch and shake in his sleep. He began shaking even harder and whimpering.
“Will, wake up!” Will’s eyes shot open and he leaned forward, head in his hands, panting.
“Amore? Are you alright?” Will turned at the sound of Nico’s voice.
“Neeks! You’re awake! Do you feel okay?”
“I’m…alright. My stomach and my head hurt. And I’m kinda achy everywhere. Are you okay? You seemed to be having a nightmare.” Will shook his head.
“Don’t worry about me, I’m-”
“No, I’m gonna worry about you all I want. What was your nightmare about?” Will’s sighed and dropped his head.
“You.” Nico furrowed his eyebrows. “I dreamed that…that I didn’t save you. The rest of the members, they all blamed me for your death. Neeks, I was so scared, I-” Will broke down in tears, laying his head on Nico’s hospital bed and Nico squeezed his hand.
“I’m sorry. But look, I’m here now. You saved me. I should’ve listened to you earlier. It’s just…Octavian. He threatened to dock my pay, and I knew we were trying to save for the wedding later. He already keeps so much of it, and we get basically nothing so I just did what he told me. I should’ve listened to you.” Will looked up and wiped his face.
“It’s okay. We…we fired him. We’re going to court.” Nico gasped.
“Why?”
“He almost killed you, Nico! And Annabeth and Piper! The girls are currently getting fluids and nutrients. The guys and I decided to take it to court. He stole so much from us, too. He’s not a good person, much less a good manager.”
“Will…what all happened to me?” Will sighed.
“Well, you were exhausted, dehydrated, starving, and you got a concussion when you fell onstage,” Will explained. “If only I got to you faster, I could’ve caught you.”
“Hey, don’t blame yourself. I don’t blame you.” Will smiled.
“Wait…what happened to the audience? Hold on. Just give me a play by play of what all happened. Start from me fainting.”
“Ok, well….”
——
The audience screamed. Will looked over at Nico, expecting to see a wild grin on his face matching Will’s own. Instead he saw Nico taking off his guitar and placing it on the stand beside him. Nico fell to his knees, holding his chest, and panting.
“Will…Will? I don’t…I don’t feel so good,” he heard Nico say. Will ran to Nico as he fell to the stage. Will felt Nico’s neck for a pulse.
“Percy! Call 911! He fainted, and his heart rate’s too low!” Will yelled. He saw Percy run to the audience and borrow a girls phone. Annabeth and Piper ran to Will, kneeling and trying to fan Nico. Frank tried to keep the audience under control.
“Okay, audience. Please shut up and listen!” Frank yelled into a microphone. The audience immediately got quiet. Frank blushed. “Sorry. But I need everyone to stay where you are, and stay quiet. Nico fainted, for those that don’t know. I’m not afraid to say that it’s the fault of our manager, Octavian. Please, stay here, stay where you are, and stay quiet. We can’t continue performing, we have to get Nico to a hospital.”
Percy jumped back onstage. “I called 911, they said they’re on their way.” Percy knelt down next to Annabeth. He put a hand on Will’s shoulder. “He’s gonna be okay. Don’t worry. No matter what, we’ll save him.”
Tears clouded Will’s vision and he hastily wiped them away. He didn’t have time for tears.
Nico had to be okay first.
~
Will gripped Nico’s hand tight in the back of the ambulance. The paramedics worked swiftly, attaching an IV drip with a needle. Will was praying to every god he knew, praying that Nico would survive, that Nico would be okay. Will didn’t even know the last time he ate. And he didn’t see him drink any water all day either. Will couldn’t help but think it was his fault. He should’ve been a better boyfriend, and actually looked out for Nico and protected him.
Protected him from Octavian.
~
Will sat next to Nico, who was asleep on the hospital bed. People were alarmed, and news of his fainting spread fast. Everyone was posting with the hashtag “S7VENmanagerabuse” and people were giving Octavian some serious shit, which he fully deserved. Annabeth and Piper decided to open up on abuse they endured under Octavian’s management, and even the guys talked about the strict diets and workout plans they were forced to undergo. Nico had been injected with a sedative and had been asleep for the past couple of days. Will was so scared. He just wanted Nico to wake up.
——
“Can I make a video for our fans? I want them to know I’m okay!” Will dropped his head and chuckled.
“Ever worried about the fans. Even in the hospital.”
“I just want them all to know I’m okay. I want to explain what happened.” Will thought for a little.
“Yeah, okay.”
Will opened his phone and started a video.
“Hello everyone. Look who’s finally awake!” Will said, handing the phone to Nico.
“Hi guys. So I’m so so so sorry to all the fans who were at our concert. It must’ve been really disappointing to have to leave only one song in. I just wanted to come on here and explain what happened. Our old manager, as you may have heard, was abusive, and we had to go under strict diets, and workout plans. Specifically the girls and I, we had to basically starve ourselves, or else Octavian wouldn’t pay us. We barely made anything, he kept most of the money from each show. I ended up passing out from exhaustion, dehydration, and starvation, I currently have an IV drip in my arm, and a feeding tube going straight into my stomach. I’m sure you’ve heard that Beth and Piper both are in my boat. I also have a confusion, because I fell on the stage and hit my head. But I want you to know, I am okay now, and I love you all! Bye!”
Nico ended the video and posted it to all of their socials. He turned back to Will.
“You know…maybe it’s a good thing I fainted.”
“No! Nico, don’t say that, I was so scared!”
“But it brought us the pressure and attention we needed. We were too scared to fight Octavian. Even when he…” Nico and Will both shuddered. “I’m just saying, we need this. We need to be free of him.”
Will kissed Nico’s head. “I love how much you care about others.”
“I love you,” Nico said, squeezing Will’s hand. Will smiled.
“I love you too.”
——
Fuck Octavian
Lemme know if you want a part two explaining the court case
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