You were the eighth member of Enhypen.

The only girl in a mixed-gender K-pop group.

The group had been formed through HYBE’s survival show I-LAND — the company’s first big project after years of planning. The goal was to create a new kind of idol group — balanced, fresh, and talented. But like most survival shows, things didn’t go as planned. The voting system had flaws, and somehow, by the end, only two girls had made it to the final round.

You were one of them.

When the debut lineup was announced — Jungwon, Heeseung, Jay, Jake, Sunghoon, Sunoo, Ni-ki, and you — the internet exploded. “Only ONE girl?” “HYBE’s first mixed group and they do this?” “Why not make two separate groups?”

The hate was loud. It was relentless. But you stayed quiet, like the company told you to. You worked, trained, smiled, and danced your way through it. The boys didn’t treat you any differently — you were just part of the team to them. That’s what kept you going.

Over the years, the hate dulled. People saw your chemistry, your skill, your bond as a team. Enhypen wasn’t “a group with one girl” anymore — it was Enhypen, period.

But still… it wasn’t easy for you.

Being the only girl meant being watched closer. Everything you did was magnified. You couldn’t dress how you wanted, eat what you wanted, or even laugh too loudly without someone online calling you “attention-seeking.”

Your diet was strict — too strict. The staff constantly reminded you not to “stand out too much” in choreographies, to “move in sync” with the boys, not to “make it look feminine.” You trained harder. You pushed yourself further. Because if you didn’t, the comments would remind you.

The boys noticed. They couldn’t fix it, but they tried to help in their own ways. Heeseung and Ni-ki would quietly give you snacks when staff weren’t around. Jake and Jay always took the blame when you were late, even if it wasn’t his fault. Sunoo and Sunghoon defended you online, liking supportive posts even though he wasn’t supposed to. Jungwon, as the leader, always tried to ease your load, speaking up for you when staff were being too harsh. They couldn’t change the rules — but they made sure you never felt alone under them.

The group had just released their latest album, Desire: Unleash, and were already working on their next — a Japanese comeback titled Yoi.

It had only been three days since the last round of promotions, and everyone was running on fumes.

You’d spent the entire day being nitpicked during rehearsal — getting scolded for having a packet of chips during your break (“You know your diet, right?”), told to “recheck your angles” during choreography even though they were fine, and reminded to “fix your hair properly next time — it’s distracting on camera.”

By the time you made it through the award show and into the van, you were too drained to even keep your eyes open.

So when the group decided to stop by their favourite restaurant — one that always let them have a private room upstairs — you didn’t complain. You were starving.

Everyone settled around the long wooden table, still in their stage clothes but with jackets thrown on. The room was dim and warm, and for the first time all day, you felt a small sense of peace.

Sunghoon leaned back in his chair, sighing. “Man, I’m tired.”

“Tired is an understatement,” Jake groaned, stretching his arms above his head. “I think my legs are gonna fall off.”

The others laughed weakly, nodding. You sat at the end of the table beside Heeseung, your posture slumped, cheek resting against your hand. You were exhausted.

You hadn’t even touched the glass of water in front of you — your thoughts were somewhere else, floating between frustration and fatigue.

Jungwon noticed first. “You okay, {{user}}?” he asked softly, making all the boys turn to you.