Slowly, Kai stepped to a bench at the corner of the waiting room. He took a seat right in the middle, obviously not sharing the bench with anyone. He can hear the loud cheers from the crowd even though the room he is in is quite far from the stage.

He took a deep breath as he leans against the wall, closing his eyes.

“I need a break,” he whispered to himself as he counts his heavy breath.

Kai is now in a phase where ‘resting’ can only be in his dreams. If he has the times to sleep, that is, which is usually not the case. Being an idol isn’t easy. Being EXO’s Kai is even more a bigger burden. Who would have thought he would gain this much popularity within such a short period of time?

“Jongin-ah, where are you?!” a sudden shout from the PD noona shocked the young buy and he automatically stand on his two feet, his eyes opened wide.

“Everybody is looking for you, aigoo this kid!” the noona in charge of the EXO kids that day is blabbering about all sort of things from Kai’s messy hair to Sehun being a lazy bump, lying down on the floor, burying his face when no one is watching as she fixes Kai’s jacket.

“He’s not a lazy bump, noona,” he finally utteed something.

“Shut up, Jongin. If he’s not a lazy bump, that what is he?” and the noona keep on blabbering about some of the boys who sometimes give her headaches when they suddenly disappear once in awhile.

Kai knows Sehun is tired, that’s why he lay down on the floor. Just like Kai, who chose to be in an abandoned waiting room so he can empty his mind and breathe normally. So he can stop faking smiles for the cameras.

His other group members too. Everything is new to them. They are not used to being so popular. They are not used to sacrificing their sleeping hours for dance practices. They are not used to be away from their parents for their ambition. Ever since their debut stage, all of them are working their sweats out. Once in awhile, when they have a few minutes for themselves, why is lying down on the floor is called ‘lazy’?

“Cruel,” he muttered, more to himself. Ignoring the annoying noona.

“Go to the backstage with the other members, now,” the noona said as she gave the tall boy a slight push on his back.

“Yeah, yeah,” Kai responded lazily but suddenly the noona grabbed him by his arms and forced him to face her.

“Even your make-up, aish this kid!” she blabbers again as she wipes some dusts on Kai’s cheek, he probably got them when he leans on the dirty wall just now. A scene where fangirls will be flipping off tables and what not if they ever saw a female is touching their precious Kim Jongin.

It was then when suddenly Taemin appears out of nowhere.

“Noona, I’ll take care of him. You can go and check on the other members. They’re going to perform really soon,” he offers, smiling as sweet as always.

“Thank god you’re here to help! Please handle this kid!” the noona said as she picks her leather bag from the floor and rushes to somewhere else, looking for the other EXO members.

Kai looks into Taemin’s eyes for awhile before he walks to the bench again.

“What is it..?” Taemin asked as he took a seat right besides that dongsaeng of his.

“I don’t know what is freedom anymore, hyung. I was shoved here and there, everyone is asking me to smile everywhere, touching me here and there as if I am their doll,” he said after he took a deep breath.

Taemin smiles as he ruffles Kai’s hair.

“You don’t even have the time for yourself. And when you sit even for a minute, someone will come and shout at you, calling you lazy ,” Taemin said, and Kai quickly turned to him.

“Exactly! Exactly, hyung, how did you know?!”

“Pabo, I’m in the industry way earlier,” Taemin chuckles.

“Ah, neh..” Kai responded awkwardly. Of course. SHINee had been around for almost four years in the KPOP industry.

 “You see, this is just the beginning. More and more thorns will be coming in your way. I’m not trying to sound like an adult here. I’m saying this through my experiences. And to overcome those thorns, you only need one thing,”

Carefully, Kai listens to the magnae of SHINee word by word.

“A strong heart,” Taemin said as he gives Kai’s chest a light punch.

“Which I know you already possessed,” Taemin continues, smiling at the same time.

Deep inside his heart, Kai really looks up to Taemin. He’s only older by a year, but is a sunbae of almost four years. The way he looks at Kai’s situation is totally different, and he just changed Kai’s way of viewing his surroundings too.

“We are no dolls. We are human beings. I am Lee Taemin, and you are, for God’s sake, Kai of EXO!” Taemin stressed the word EXO, and Kai is gaining so much energy inside as this favourite sunbae of his talks.

“If being shoved everywhere is a doll, then what am I? Don’t you see the wig they gave me for Sherlock’s music video?” Taemin asked, causing Kai to laugh a bit.

“And let’s not talk about the photo teasers,” Taemin rolled his eyes and this time both of them laughed.

“Hyung, komawo..” Kai said as he took Taemin’s hand in his when they’re done laughing.

“So what are you waiting for?” Taemin said as he feels  the younger boy’s cheek with his palm.

“I’ll go now!” Kai said as he stood up.

“Go! And inspire!” Taemin cheers for him as he gives Kai a light push.

With that, Kai runs out of the abandoned waiting room, and he found his group members in no time. He smiles as soon as the first camera moves and records them as they were about to climb the stage.

No, he is not faking a smile this time. And he will never be.

Like Taemin said, he is Kai of EXO. And he possessed a strong heart. All he needs to do now is work hard for his career, and work hard for the fans who makes him the Kai today.

The End

Jajang! I suddenly wrote a Kai OS, lol. Thanks to my friend, Eredia. She shared this picture [see below] and asked if any authors are inspired by this. Since a female suddenly Kai’s cheek, people are flipping over tables everywhere XD. So I thought if Taemin is the one touching his cheek, no one will flip over anything XD. That’s why this OS is here ^^, keke.

So yeah, the theme of this OS is probably .. motivation. Yeah, I talked too much as if I’m an idol, LOL forgive me if I gave Taemin cheesy lines XD. I’m never in the industry, and I know nothing. This is only what I think it is XD. Since this is a fiction, just let me go and pretend as if this is true, LOL.

And this OS is a bromance, and is nowhere near . Why? Because as much as both of them are my biases from both groups, I can never ship Taemin with someone else other than Minho. 2MIN ftw XD LOL.

Sorry if this boring XD. Bye bye!

~ PYNK