Do Kyungsoo stares at his reflection in the window, watching his own hands straighten out the silk bowtie around his neck. He triple checks his cuff links and moves a hair back into place.

He’s exhausted, but the layers of concealer and foundation have erased all the imperfections he isn’t supposed to show. He doesn’t show the depression pills, the sleepless nights, the days where he can’t eat a thing. He shows the image of perfection and professional grace Minseok tells him he’s supposed to have.

He’s supposed to be happy, Minseok nags for the hundredth time that night. So Kyungsoo does his best to put on a gummy smile and makes creases around his eyes to show that he’s beyond happy. Beyond excited.

But not so deep inside he feels the opposite of that. There’s an emptiness that lingers in his heart and his chest, it hurts to breathe, let alone sing.

But he can’t afford not to sing. Not when it’s the only thing that pays the bills and lets all his feelings of anger and grief and loneliness out.

He steps out of the limousine after Chanyeol and greets the screaming crowd with a wave and a bright grin. Cameras flash, girls scream. Not very different from previous red carpets. He looks out into the crowd, struggling to keep from shutting his eyes from the harsh lights. The waves of faces are always the same, Kyungsoo barely bothers to care anymore, but he scans the crowd anyway. Faces of wild joy, excitement, tears, shock. The faces all blur together and Kyungsoo supposes he’s just queasy from lack of eating.

It’s then that he thinks he spots a familiar face in the crowd. His eyes only saw it for a split second, and even shorter for his brain to process it. For some reason, he feels like he’s seen that man’s face before. Delicate features, small lips, doe eyes. But it doesn’t take long for the face to disappear once a security guard ushers him onwards, and once he looks back, the man is gone. Kyungsoo lets the thought leave quickly; he has other matters to attend to.

Chanyeol’s long, wiry arm drapes over his shoulder and steers him to the hotel’s main entrance. Last minute screams of fan girls and camera clicks echo in his ears before the doors close with a hiss.

They walk up to hotel’s bigger ballrooms, and Kyungsoo is starting to sweat from the oppressive heat. Chanyeol has been practically glued to his side the entire time, which doesn’t help the situation at all.

Kyungsoo’s not a fan of bit parties; he would much rather like to celebrate with some well deserved sleep or a night alone at the movies, but he smiles and pretends like he’s having an incredible time like he’s supposed to.

Looking out at the people dancing, drinking, grinning, with his face plstered on a banner and his voice being magnified far too loud on the nearby speakers, Kyungsoo wonders if it was a right thing. Coming back.

Minseok had told him how lucky and fortunate he was the company decided to take him back after the episode of ripping up his contract. What was even luckier is that the fans and press didn’t hear of it, and he was let back into the company quietly.

The cameras, the money, the fame.

This is what he wanted.

Right?

It’s just before midnight when he decides that he needs a breather, so he slips out before Chanyeol (who at the moment was exaggeratedly telling a story to some peers) notices. He takes the staircase instead of the elevator, because he’d rather avoid the press waiting just outside the front of the hotel. He slips out the fire exit and inhales the midnight air.

There’s a full moon out, but Kyungsoo takes more notice of the absence of stars. Seoul’s skies are rarely a true blue due to smog and other pollutants, but Kyungsoo’s just never noticed that the stars have gone too.

It’s during times that he feels the most alone that he thinks of Jongin. The very thought of his name closes his throat and makes his eyes red. Jongin always seemed to show up whenever he felt down and would always be there to make him laugh when he was on the verge of tears.

Kyungsoo doesn’t quite remember how long he stands out there, but soon the sound of approaching voices jolts his attention to the present. It’s quite dark out here and when he looks up he notices the lack of streetlights. Despite the numerous cars passing, their lights barely let him see his own hands.

The voices are of fan girls, whispering excitedly about hoping to catch a glimpse of Kyungsoo or Chanyeol exiting the building. Being caught out alone with fangirls is the last thing Kyungsoo wants right now so he hurries across the street and—

“KYUNGSOO!”

The voice registers in his head and he whips his head around because he would recognize that voice anywhere.

But it all happens too fast.

There’s a pair of bright lights, the sound of screeching tires, running feet, bones cracking, glass shattering, people screaming.

Kyungsoo feels an incredible force painfully slamming into his side, and the next thing he feels is his face impacting with the ground.

There’s the dull thud of a body.

---

A crowd gathers around the scene. Onlookers gasp, and several wretch. It doesn't take long for the paramedics and police to arrive.

Across the street, a well dressed man with a silver ring, burgundy hair, and a cigarette dangling off his perfect lips watches all the commotion from far away. He blinks, and his mouth parts a little in surprise.

Breath escapes from his lips.

He sure didn't expect that.