Everything You Wish For

Jiyeon x Taeyong (NCT): What's my Name?

Requested by: aynasafia

July 2017 T-ara finally made their comeback. Despite promoting with four members, the support their fans showed made them really happy and helped them gain energy while promoting for three weeks. Today from early morning they were filming their comeback stages for MCountdown and it was rather hectic as many other groups were having a comeback. Being popular and trendy was everything in the industry and the girls knew it the best. The reason their filming began the earliest was too obvious they didn’t even need answers.

After rehearsals and filming they were stuck in a resting room – some time to rest or just get bored. Jiyeon was hyper and she got bored too easily. While her members were tired and couldn’t bother with her, she wanted to chat with someone or even just get out the room, which felt too stuffy.

She grabbed her phone with the powerbank and said to the members and managers that she would go and watch the rehearsals. Around this time, not many people were in this part of the building therefore, she had no one to talk to. Jiyeon actually knew some staff who didn’t mind talking with her because she was rather easygoing. That was the reason she was going to watch the rehearsals of other idols – to get rid of the boredom hopefully and not think much about their comeback without Soyeon and Boram.

T-ara has been so active through the years Jiyeon knew the building all too well, she would be fine walking with her eyes closed. She couldn’t help but smile remembering how many times she would talk with her idol friends and staffs in the hallways while waiting for the live performances. Those halls were currently empty. She hurried to the elevator and walked in. She pressed a button without glancing a second time and as the doors were closing a hand appeared and they opened. Then a person walked in a pressed the same button.

Jiyeon glanced at him from the corner of her eye but couldn’t see much of him. The only thing she knew was that he was an idol from his obviously outstanding outfit and his pink hair.

A few moments passed and despite the fact that the doors closed, the elevator didn’t move. Jiyeon looked around the elevator and sighed. The emergency button was missing (Jiyeon remembered last year some staff broke it somehow – she wasn’t sure who they were working for but it was rather dramatic). Then she checked her phone and as she expected there was no signal. She let another sigh and after plugging the powerbank to charge her phone she started playing games on her phone.

She was all too aware of the person standing next to her; although it was quiet she couldn’t really hear his breathing which shocked her because she was sure he would be able to hear her breaths. Then after the awkward silence in the emergency moment the person spoke. Jiyeon guessed he also knew that unless someone wanted to use the elevator there would be no chance that they got out of here.

“Are you seriously playing games now?” he asked in a rather desperate voice. From the corner of her eyes, Jiyeon noticed that his body had slightly turned towards her.

Jiyeon stopped her game and after sighing, again, she looked up at the boy. Now that she had seen his face, he was quite familiar yet at the same time a stranger. “There is no signal.” She said calmly and then looked at her phone screen.

“Oh… sorry.” The person mumbled.

Then Jiyeon looked at him and noticed that there were headphones hanging from his neck. “You should have checked your phone first.” She muttered in a rather negative tone.

“The thing is that I don’t have a phone.” He said mimicking her tone.

Jiyeon snorted. “But you have headphones hanging around your neck.” She laughed shortly.

“It’s better than draining my battery life while playing games while the phone is charging.” He said to respond to her. 

Jiyeon rolled her eyes and then noticed that he was actually looking at her. She raised an eyebrow at her. Normally she was not like that – she thought to herself. She would usually mind her words and not speak too much, especially not in such manner, but today at this moment, she was rather irritated as obvious. She was sure the boy in front of her was younger than she was and had debuted later than her, but she wasn’t quite sure of his name to call him out and end this small talk and wait in silence until someone comes to help them.

“Well, it’s too bad that it is bugging you.” She replied shortly.

“It’s not bugging me. I simply pointed it out as advice to help you.” He said smugly while looking at her.

Jiyeon chuckled. “It would have been helpful if tomorrow while waiting in the waiting room I didn’t do the exactly same thing that I do right now. Just admit it is bugging you and end this conversation here.” She said and looked at him.

This time he rolled his eyes. “Alright, Jiyeon sunbaenim, I will admit it was bugging me.” He said and then added. “Although it is not true.”

Jiyeon chuckled. “Well, at least it’s amusing.” She muttered.

“Do you by chance know what my name is?” he asked.

Jiyeon thought for a moment, and then looked up at him. She shook her head and saw him nod in response. “You won't tell me?” she asked after a while.

He smiled and shook his head. “It would be better if you searched it up. It’s not fun if I tell you, right?”

Jiyeon narrowed her eyes at him. “You really are not kidding.” She said and then returned to play games on her phone. “It’s fine for me.” She added quietly.

After another moment of long and awkward silence, Jiyeon heard Taeyong shifting and noticed he sat down on the floor. Jiyeon sighed; her legs were also rather tired from the standing, especially since she had forgotten to change her heels.

“Why don’t you sit?” he asked her. “I won't mind if we share my headphones while someone comes.” He said and looked up at Jiyeon.

Jiyeon puffed her cheeks and carefully sat down, and then she took of her high heels and placed them next to her. She could feel that the boy was smiling at her.

“Do you have songs on your phone?” he asked and Jiyeon smirked while handing her phone to him.

“See for yourself.”

It took almost no time for him to find her music app and when he saw how many songs she had downloaded on her phone, he could not help but gape at her. “Over a thousand songs… there is no way you listen to all these songs.” He said loudly.

“Obviously.” Jiyeon replied. “I listen to few songs most of the time, but I like and enjoy all of the songs. I just have different moments and days when I look for them and listen to them.” She explained. “Pick any. I'm sure you will find something you can enjoy between those songs.”

“If I can't find something to enjoy between those songs it would be trouble.” He muttered and typed something at the same time.

“Are you seriously searching up for your own group?” Jiyeon asked, amused.

“Just checking.” He muttered. “After all you know my group.”

“Isn’t that something I can't avoid? We are even promoting at the same time.” Jiyeon said and he replied with a short ‘true that’.

After going through Jiyeon’s playlist a few times, he picked a song and then another and continued. While listening to them and sharing his headphones they chatted here and there.

“I don’t have any friends who have those songs in their playlists.” He muttered as they were listening to the next song, which, yet again, he had chosen. “It’s a compliment. I mean I also really enjoy these songs.” He clarified.

“I think I've liked those songs from the first moment I've heard them… actually I watched the videos on YouTube and I really liked them too. After that when I listen to the songs the whole video appears before my eyes and I feel like I've watched a movie, as if I've read a story.” Jiyeon spoke softly.

Normally when she hung around her friends, they spoke about the songs they liked and they discussed them and they enjoyed doing it so much, but sadly they didn’t have that much time and messaging didn’t give the same feeling. On the other hand, it was that they no longer bothered to do it the way they used to and it pained Jiyeon, but she was never one to say it aloud.

“I do that too.” He said. “I think many people tend to do that… I mean, as long as they enjoy music on that level.” He chuckled.

“On that level?” Jiyeon raised an eyebrow at him.

“I mean that not everyone enjoys music, some people just simply want it as background or some noise that doesn’t matter and such.” He explained and Jiyeon nodded her head, there were times she thought that way, but despite the conditions, the moments, and the way she used music she simply enjoyed it and her life was filled with it.

“But even if it’s background noise I think it’s still enjoyable. I used to study while listening to music, even now when I'm reading I listen to music.” Jiyeon said and saw that he thought for a moment.

“Anyways, you have some really good songs in your phone.” He concluded. “Still didn’t remember my name?” he asked with a playful smile on his face. He indeed looked quite young when he smiled like this.

“Next time I see you, I will manage to find it tell you I know your name.” Jiyeon said. It’s not that she was feeling apologetic that she didn’t know his name, but the opposite – it turned out to be a fun moment she shared with a hoobae.

He chuckled. “Then, I hope by Saturday you will find out what my name is.”

“You guys aren’t promoting on Music Bank?” she asked. However, didn’t wait for an answer. “Whatever, don’t answer. It was a stupid question.”

“Yes, we are not promoting on Music Bank.” He said and after that picked a song from her playlist and continued like that until someone actually came to help them.

--/---

“Hyung, you are really hyper today.” Mark said while smiling at Taeyong, who also replied with a smile at him. “You are not tired at all? We didn’t even sleep much.”

“I'm fine; I just have a lot of energy today. I don’t know why.”  Taeyong said simply. The members looked at him and laughed. All of them had their moments. Nevertheless, they were rather relaxed today as Music Core performances always went smoothly and no problems occurred. Everything was organized and things went according to the plan.

It was busy though – groups performed live, despite some of them being pre recorded – especially when idols were having comebacks. One group finished performing, another groups already was waiting for their turn backstage. In no time it almost time for the show’s end and slowly idols were gathering backstage in order to stand on stage as the hosts announced the winner of the week.

There were still good five minutes until they had to get on the stage. NCT 127 members were already waiting backstage and the T-ara members were walking in that direction. Since it was their comeback week they performed two songs – which were pre recorded and they simply performed it live in front of their fans. They were all smiley thanks to the loud cheers of their fans. They kept talking about it as they walked.

Once they were backstage NCT 127 members that saw them immediately bowed at them. For a brief moment, Jiyeon and Taeyong’s eyes met and they both ended up smiling at each other for a second or two but soon after the halls were filled with talks of many idols.

The time came. Everyone hurried to the stage to stand in a place where they would be noticed – that’s what idols aimed for. As expected, the popular ones got the best spots – the front. The hosts were at the centre at their right were the Seventeen members and on their left were – WJSN. T-ara members were behind Seventeen and while the cameras weren’t, still on the members bowed at T-ara a few times. The members smiled politely at them as since their debut Seventeen showed nothing but respect towards them and even gave them albums when they promoted. T-ara was a senior group however, the groups that actually respected them weren’t as many as one would think which the sad reality of the idol world was.

NCT 127 members stood behind T-ara and from the front it was impossible to notice both teams – Seventeen had some quite tall members. Taeyong knew that he couldn’t lose this