Junhong is nothing but a kid with a YouTube account, a passion for rap and a crappy webcam.
So when he enters a cover contest, which is held by one of his favorite artists, he doesn't think much will come of it.
It doesn't because he doesn't even make it past the first round.
He tries not to let it get to him too much, it's all because his webcam is old and the pictures are blurry and the sound is scratchy and there's this annoying beeping in the background.
He would have made it if only his dad had bought him a new one.
Yes, those are good reasons for his failure much better than a possible lack in talent.

Some badass looking guy with dreadlocks has won, Junhong really isn't sure whether he likes his skills or not or if he's just pissed he never even got a decent chance.

What he doesn’t expect after his disappointing failure, is to find a message in his inbox a couple days after the contest is over.
He's just a YouTube no-name, with only 10 subscribers on his channel one being his best friend Jongup, one Jongup's little brother, one is some girl who's head over heels for his looks and the rest are probably just people posting ads for enlargement all over the channels.

Junhong's heart flutters when he sees the new message and it comes to a halt when he reads the words.

- Hey kiddo! Feel like doing a feature on my next mixtape? Hit me up! Jepp -

He reads the message one time, two times and more until it sinks in.
That's Jepp Blackman asking him to do a feature.
That's the guy who made Junhong join the whole rapping game in the first place, the person he's idolized and dreamt of meeting since he twisted his tongue in his first pre-matured rhymes.
For a moment Junhong has to snicker as a thought crosses his mind.

-There you go Zico!-
A boastful voice snickers in his head.

Let that guy have fun with his autographed snapback because the next song he's going to die to cover is a Jepp Blackman feat. Zelo track!

***

"You didn't reply?" Jongup is shocked to say the least, the rice drops off his spoon and back onto the plate as he stares at Junhong with his mouth agape.
"I don't know what to say." Junhong says poking his food with the fork lazily, eyes fixed on the cold vegetables as he speaks.
"Well -Yes- Obviously! That's Jepp Blackman asking you to work with him. It's like the pope just called you up and invited you to have dinner together!"
"What's with the pope?... and maybe he hadn't planned to ask me. Maybe he's send the message to the wrong user..."
Jongup just rolls his eyes and takes the yoghurt off Junhong's plate.

Junhong is not even capable to complain.

The elder is inhaling his friend’s dessert while Junhong's goes all quiet, obviously off somewhere in his own tangled world of thoughts.
The spoon is sticking out the side of Jongup's mouth when he snaps his fingers in front of Junhong's face a while later.
"At least reply with something! Just ask for an autograph and die happy or something." The elder muses.

Junhong sighs but nods.
He's got no idea how to reply to that person.

***

Junhong writes three different messages before he finally hits the send button.
The first one makes him sound like a fan boy squealing in front of his laptop and that's basically what he is but Jepp doesn't need to know about it.
The second one sounds like he's swallowed a etiquette guide, his words are formal and dripping of respectful phrases and suffixes, he kind of sounds like his own dad.
The final version he types down sounds pretty dope, cool, laid back, at least he hopes it does.

-Ok! Sounds cool!-

He's not quite sure anymore as soon as the message is send.

***

If his dad has ever gotten him anything useful it would be his smart phone, not a fancy one, not the newest model but one that "does his beloved internet" as his dad had put it on his birthday when he gave it to him.
And internet is what Junhong needs at the moment because his anxiety and nervousness threaten to get the better of him.
Every 2 minutes he refreshes his youtube channel, desperately waiting for Jepp’s reply.

Jongup is sitting next to him on the ground his ever present smile accompanied by a tad of annoyance.

"I thought you wanted to play some game..." the boy exhales and Junhong merely shrugs and grabs a random game out of the stack to his left shoving it into his friend’s face.
"This." he mumbles without sparing Jongup a look.
The shorter boy shakes his head but crawls towards the console anyway.
He's about to place the CD in when a loud yelp has him flinch.
"What the hell Junhong!?" he questions as he turns back to his friend who's holding his phone clasped in both hands, his eyes wide open, staring at the screen.
A word flood of -Oh my god- drops repeatedly from Junhong's lips and Jongup has to snatch the phone away to be let in on what has his friend act so out of his character.
He turns the phone and reads with a breathy exhaled -Oh - leaving his lips.
 

-Yo Zelo! Good to hear you're in for the feature. How about you come to my studio and we discuss the details? I already got some drafts of lyrics I'd like to hear your opinion on. We'll make it so the both of us are good with the song no worries. Hit me up when you're free to come here! -
 

Junhong is visibly shaking and the smitten grin on his lips and absent gaze of his eyes are kind of scaring the out of his friend.
"Earth to Junhong. Hello? Anyone in there?" Jongup is kneeling in front of the younger, waving his hand in front of the blond's face.
A quite loud exhale of -Oh ing - leaves Junhong's lips and Jongup crinkles his nose at the choice of words and Junhong's mouth breaks into the biggest smile Jongup has ever seen on the other's face just seconds later.
He kind of reminds him of the Cheshire Cat.
"Pinch me or slap me... whatever! I must be dreaming!" The boy babbles and Jongup does.
His fingers reach for Junhong's arm and he pinches him hard until the boy whines in pain.
"What the , that hurts!" The younger yells and rubs the bright red spot on faint skin; Jongup just laughs and shrugs his shoulder.

There’s a moment of silence and Jongup can see, almost hear the gears turning in his friends head.
The corners of his mouth pull downwards slowly as a slight pout appears on his lips.
The elder knows it's not a good sign.
Junhong looks up to him, his big brown orbs full of frustration as he glances at him from underneath his bangs.
The boy sighs and fiddles with the hem of his oversized hoodie.

"I can't really go to Seoul can I?" He asks and Jongup gives him a hope crushing look.
The brown haired teen knows Junhong doesn't have it easy, he's not loaded, he's a single child in a single-parent household, his grades are average and he's underage as well.
The chances for his father to agree to a silly idea such as going to Seoul to meet someone he's never met before is close to zero, especially when the man’s bank account hasn't met black numbers in quite a while.

The gears in Junhongs head are turning again, Jongup can tell and the cunning smile that crawls onto the boy's features definitely tells Jongup to run fast and far because smiles like that never indicate anything but trouble for the elder.

"Jong-pup...my buddy...how much savings do you have?"
Junhong bates his lashes and the glint in his eyes indicates Jongup better helps him out here or Junhong cuts him off as a friend....for the next 1 or 2 weeks at least.
The shorter boy sighs.
"How much do ya need?"

***

He begs his dad to take him to Seoul every day over the next two weeks or so.
He’s literally on his knees begging and pleading until he sounds like a broken record.
He even tells him about Jongup's savings and promises to cover the expanses all by himself as long as his dad takes him to the capital.

Some days after the second week passes Junhongs dad finally agrees, not to take him to Seoul but to send him by train.
Junhong can't even grasp how lucky he's got because for once the fact his dad is too lazy to deal with him pays off.
He's going alone, no nagging, no questions and he's just all excited.
For a moment he actually thinks of asking Jongup to tag along but even though he really loves his best friend he just wants to do this alone.


***

It takes a lot more courage to type down the details for Jepp than to beg his dad though.
Junhong spends almost an hour typing, deleting and retyping the message.
He asks if anyone can pick him up, then deletes the request again.
He writes down the exact time and place of his arrival before erasing it again and simply putting the date.
About three times he asks for the suggestion of a hotel to stay at, two of those time he scratches the question but finally decides it's saver to ask because Jepp knows which places are close to his studio.

He doesn't want to sound like a kid going on a school trip or anything but he kind of feels like he does anyway.
After about 50 minutes and 3 cans of soda he's finally satisfied with his text and hits the send button before he gets to overthink the whole thing again and with that the waiting starts anew.

Jepp's reply comes so much faster than expected and Junhong is barely able to grasp that it's all really happening.
The elder sends him a couple suggestions for a place to stay and directions how to get there from the train station.
There's even a map attached with red circles marking the hotels, bus stops and the location of the studio.
The most amazing part of the message is a row of numbers at the end of it; Jepp Blackman's mobile number.

"Just in case you get lost"
 

Junhong thinks it's impossible to get lost with all the information the elder has sent him.
He closes his laptop and jumps to his feet.
There's a rush of adrenaline in his system and electric jolts crawling up his body from his toes upwards.
He softly slaps his own cheeks one time, two times just to snap out of it again but it doesn't really dissolve the excitement.
In a matter of seconds he's on the phone, the strap of his backpack in the other hand.
It rings for quite a while before he hears a breathed answer of "Yeah?" through the speaker.
"Jong-pup!!" Junhong almost yells into the device and he can picture his friend jolting at the other end.
"I'm practicing." The elder boy mumbles with a hint of annoyance but before Junhong gets to answer he adds:
"Something you should be doing with me right now."
Junhong can almost hear the pout in his voice, they've been dancing together for quite a while now and Junhong has barely missed any of their appointments but this time there are just more important things to focus on.
"I know...but it's in 3 days!" The younger’s voice turns from bashful and quiet to a high pitched hyper tone.
He's jumping from one foot to the other waiting for his friend to get the hint.
"What is?" Jongup asks and sometimes Junhong wants to strangle his neck for being slow.
"I'm going to Seoul in 3 days!"
"I'll be there in 10!" Jongup replies now sounding just as excited as Junhong feels.