Love Me Like This: Jeongyeon X You Fic

              “It looked so much easier in the video. My hips just don’t want to do the thing,” you grumbled as you collapsed to the floor of the JYP dance room, exhausted, defeated, upset, hungry. You pushed the hair out of your face and stared at yourself in the mirror, entranced by how the sweat trickled down the side of your temple. While this state was not usually considered gorgeous, you were proud. This was the first time you had attempted a dance practice in months after being hospitalized for an injury. You had taken it slowly, had cursed your body for doing all it could and now, you were ready to push the limits of your human potential. If she could do it almost every night—especially now during the last few stops of the world tour—you could—would do it, too. If only your hips would cooperate.

              “And what is the girls’ manager doing in here all by her lonesome?” an all too cheerful voice greeted you. You could tell by the accent who it was quickly approaching you without having to lift your head up to see in the mirror. “Looks like you could use one of these,” Bangchan beamed as he sat almost impossibly close to you and handed you an ice-cold water. Your breath hitched and you weren’t convinced if it was because of the close proximity or the fact you were parched beyond belief. Nonetheless, you nearly snatched it from him desperately with a nod and a soft smile, afraid to look into his eyes for more than a brief second. You would be lying if you said you hadn’t dreamt of such an interaction before. You remembered how sweet he had been to Jeongyeon and all the girls during their early debut years, going so far as to smuggle them food and drink despite their impossibly strict diets. He was a godsend, to say the least, but now, in this state, you half wanted to send him away—not that he would listen. “So, how long have you been in here?” he inquired, leaning back and taking a sip from his own bottle. You glanced at the mirror, relishing how relaxed and broad his frame was as he sat next to you before glancing up at the clock. You could swear it had only been 5 p.m. half an hour ago, not three hours before. You hung your head in defeat, although you knew most of the time was dedicated to being distracted with reels and rewatching music videos… for science.

              “I guess I came here when the girls left. Since it’s a domestic concert, I figured Sooyoung and the other managers could handle the girls. I’ve been worn out after the American leg of the tour. It’s been such a ride that I forgot I even knew English,” you sighed, recalling how you had missed several of the translations during their concerts. Surely, you were multilingual at this point, having been their manager for well over five years now, but your attention was one-track as it always lingered back to her, her smooth round cheeks, how her eyes turned to crescents, still sparkling in the moonlight and open air, her giggle.

              “Well, you sound fine to me. Heck, even Felix and I forget we know English,” he related. “Speaking of, if you need some help, I could always call the missing member of NMIXX, Changbin, to come help you out. He’s been slaying on the tiktok challenges, you know,” he offered sincerely. He chuckled as your eyes grew wide at the thought. Though you were wildly inspired by Changbin’s charming and unapologetic brand of masculinity, learning from him would cause more panic than the dance was worth. Additionally, this was your pride on the line. It had been so long since you had moved and adored your body, so you wanted to do this for you. Once you had perfected it, you could greet her with it and express everything you wanted to tell her through dance. You wanted to see her cheeky smile and hear her soft laugh. You wanted to see the blush paint her face as she danced along with you with the smallest gestures. You wanted her to enjoy you as much as you enjoyed her these last few years, especially on this Ready to Be Tour. Just as in dance, you wanted to move more with her, wanted to advance beyond your status. You would start with something simple like “Love Me Like This” and then, hopefully, with time, patience, and willpower, you would work your way up to a difficult Twice song and learn it directly from the source—or internally combust at the thought of it. You’d handle that when you got there.

              “No, no, it’s fine. I’m just taking my time. Thank you, though,” you refused politely.

              “I know it must be hard,” he sighed, placing his hand so close to your thigh that if you shivered at the thought, you were sure he’d be able to feel your goosebumps. “We all really appreciate having you back. The girls are the luckiest, of course,” he added, “Jeongyeon was especially troubled by your absence,” he pointed out, trying to hide a subtle smirk creeping onto his face.  “The girls wanted to host a party for you when you were discharged, but you knocked out on the way home. Jeongyeon put so much effort into the decorations and planning. I ended up carrying you to bed that night and we invited the fellows over so that her hard work wouldn’t go to waste,” he explained. You froze, unsure if you were more disappointed that Jeongyeon’s efforts had been nearly in vain or if you were petrified at the thought of being not only touched—but carried—by Bangchan. “But, you’re back now and we can all be happy for that,” he chuckled, suddenly springing to his feet. “I’m sorry, I’ve distracted you enough. If you need some more help, just give me a call. Our schedules for the day are cleared out, for once,” he shrugged nonchalantly, as if he wasn’t one of the masterminds behind the never-ending promotions and hits the boys had been slinging out for the last year.

              “I think you need a rest more than I do.  You work too much,” you tsked halfheartedly, finding yourself too glued to the ground to stand.

              “I do it so managers like you don’t have to. You guys work too hard, having to keep up with us all the time,” he countered cheerfully, reaching down to grab you by the wrist. He helped you up with such ease, you were nearly concerned he would simply sling you over his back.

              “Do you really think so? Do you really think I do a good job?” you asked, seeking validation though your interactions with him and the rest of the group were often limited since, as he mentioned,  keeping up with Twice was no easy feat.

              “Of course! The girls don’t ever shut up about you. They love talking to you and being with you, Jeongyeon especially. You’re like a safe space for her, especially with everything that has gone on lately with her medicine and weight gain. She feels comfortable speaking with you in ways that the other girls just can’t relate. You see, you’re not just there for the girls physically to keep them on track, but you’re there for them mentally and emotionally. I hate to admit it, but I’m a bit jealous. The industry just doesn’t work that way, you know, with normal people doing extraordinary things with their extraordinary hearts and minds. We could use a manager like you over with us, but Jeongyeon would have my head if I even tried to make a move,” he elucidated, painting you in a larger than life light though you thought nothing more of yourself as a cog in the machine for the world’s biggest girl group. You had started as an intern, having studied abroad and miraculously landing a spot with a promotions company based in Korea. You had fallen in love with the culture and the workings of the industry that you knew had to have more than only two shades to it. You had seen it all—the overworking, the momentous wins, the deadly diets, the spectacular stage production, the tight schedules, the lap of luxury and you loved it all, even if you couldn’t partake in the spotlight. You were more than content to work behind the scenes, managing paperwork, visas and schedules, all while making sure the