Chapter 1:

 

Minseok grew up watching my mother’s performances on TV. There was always mixed feelings of being enamoured, embarrassed, and amazed when he watched them (considering they were from 15 years ago and his mother aged). One would never be able to find the charismatic person in his mother that he saw from the television screen. Her actions often made her one of the most embarrassing people to be around.

    

    She was one of those mothers that couldn’t actually do much. Her cleaning skills were laughable at best, her cooking wasn’t edible, things like gardening ended up with funerals for her plants, and her athletics was at the level of tripping on her own feet as she walked down the street. Though, even with these faults, she was one of the most caring, compassionate, and supportive mothers.

 

    So his mother was often a klutz, but she always gave the shoulder to cry on or the person that kissed to make things better. She’d make sure there was always food on the table (even if it was fast food she picked up on the way from work). She would play soccer with him even if the only thing she ended up kicking was wind. She was always there, and that’s why he’s always had such a loving relationship with my mother.

 

    Whenever Minseok was home alone, he liked to watch the tapes that his mother would hide in her rooms. Most of them were from when she was younger and she was a performer. Though some of them were of her and his father. His father was also a performer, but it was ill fated when he died in a plane crash on the way to a performance in Indonesia.

 

    At first when his mom had seen these videos being watched by Minseok, he was heavily scolded. There were just so much love and energy watching these videos that they were one of the things he would disobey his mother about. Eventually, she wouldn’t feel hurt about seeing them, but look back on them with a warm smile on her face. She might throw in the occasional:

 

    “Your mother looked so much better back in the day.” while looking particularly embarrassed, and Minseok couldn’t stop himself from complimenting his mother.

 

    “You’re always pretty momma!” Minseok would always smile at his mom, because she always would smile if he would smile for her.

    

    [---]

 

When news came out that Girls’ Generation was going to have a reunion concert, Minseok was invited to go watch it on the first day. He couldn’t help feeling excited to see his mom how he saw her years ago, but at the same time it was his mom, and she was like 40.

 

    The hustling and bustling of the backstage of the concert was full of tension. There were people doing makeup, talking into mics, fixing outfits of the other ladies that were performing with his mother, and a lot more. He weaved through the busy traffic of backstage, trying not to disrupt anyone, and heading to the room that said his mother’s name, Taeyeon.

 

    At first glance, one would say that his mother was nervous. However, when you looked in her eyes, you could see this hue of confidence under the layers of  nervousness. The ladies around her were putting some of the finishing touches on things like her makeup and hair, making sure the curls were perfect and the mascara wasn’t smudged. One of them giggled to herself.

 

“Taeyeon, you’ve done this for years. You should relax a little bit.” When Minseok glanced at his mother, he saw her shoulders stiffen at the comment.

 

“I’m pretty sure if you haven’t performed on stage for 12 years, you’d be nervous also.” my mother replied giving the stylist a playful glare.

 

“Even if you did something wrong, they’d still love you. After all, they’re your fans.” Another one of the ladies had said.

    

“A little anxiety often makes people do better. Plus, I have some people that I have to impress today.” His mother shifted her gaze to make eye contact with Minseok, and gave a little wink. Unconsciously, Minseok’s heart skipped a few beats.

 

“You’ll do terrific, mom.” He gave a smile to his mom to which was answered with a smile on her own face.

 

“She won’t if she doesn’t get her good luck kiss.” she refers to herself in third person, and makes a slight pout.

 

“Mom, I’m 12. You can’t do this.” Minseok’s gaze shifted to the ground, anything to avoid her gaze that probably resembled a kicked puppy dog.

 

“I guess my baby doesn’t love me anymore, he never even hugs his own mother anymore.” his mother said woefully and dramatically (possibly with a hint of sarcasm that was undetectable by Minseok).

 

Feeling the churning of guilt in his stomach, Minseok mustered enough courage to ignore the embarrassment that flooded his cheeks as he gave a quick peck on the cheek to her.

 

“Knock em’ dead umma.” The words escaping more like a mumble than anything else, but he knows his mom heard them.

 

He quickly fled the room to avoid the stylists coos that went along the line of ‘how adorable is your little boy’ (he wasn’t a little boy! He was 12 like really). Making his way through the crowded backstage, he scanned left and right, making sure not to miss anything. He always wondered was happening back here, because on the tapes the only thing you saw was the stage.

 

He reached the point of backstage where you can join the seating area, and at that point Minseok froze in amazement. Watching the videos were nothing like actually being at the concert hall, because only seeing the stage is only a sliver of the experience. If the backstage was fascinating, then the seating area was mind-blowing.

 

Pink. Minseok could only describe the image as an ocean of pink that was waving over the 40,000 people in the arena right now. The screaming of the fans were intoxicating, and it made Minseok want to rush to in his own seat to join them too. His seat was placed in a VIP area where he wouldn’t be harmed (because his mom would be worried otherwise to let him come somewhere with 40,000 people).

 

[---]

 

“This song is dedicated to my late husband, may he be resting in peace today.” A soft smile played off of Taeyeon’s face.

 

“Sometimes I feel lonely that he’s no longer by my side, but through these years, I’ve learned that he’s always been right next to me. People told me that I should move on and forget, and in a way, I moved on. However, I’ll never forget these memories. There’s a boy out in the audience, and he makes everything in my life easier. He reminds me that my husband is still with me. Sometimes it’s in the way he smiles at me, or the way he looks like him. This song is dedicated to both of them, my husband and the son I love.”

 

My Love~ I love you, I love you

Are you listening?

My Love~ Please don’t forget

Please don’t erase

Our love

Everyday I love in longing

I live by longing

But where are you?

I’m so sorry

I’m sorry because I can’t forget you

My Love~ Please come back

Don’t leave

My side please

 

Minseok looks up at his mother, because he’s never known that this is the way she feels sometimes. He only knows the mother that’s a klutz. The mother that is always there for when he’s crying. Watching how his mother is watering up on stage, and about to cry almost crushes his heart. His mother is smiling though, and if his mother is smiling, he has to also.

 

“This song still makes me tear up every time. Who knew it would be so true today?” His mom says as she wipes the water going down her face.

 

There’s always a magic in the way his mother sang, making everyone feel what she was feeling. The magic of making people feel through a song is something every singer has.

 

[---]

 

“RUUUUUUUUNNN!” the voice echoed through the stadium, and Minseok knew it was his mother. No wait, Minseok knew it was Taeyeon, because the person on stage wasn’t anything like his mom anymore.

 

Taeyeon was wearing all black, a style that he’d never seen on his mother before. Her regular wardrobe consisted of many comfortable pastel colored shirts and sweatpant with the occasional slacks thrown in. The person on stage was wearing leather pants and a black scarf made of feathers (which was ridiculous to Minseok, but the crowd was going crazy).

 

The fans were going crazy for her, and honestly Minseok was cheering for her too. Her voice on top of the electric guitar rifts were so intense that it easily riled up the crowd.

 

“Devil’s Cry~~~~!” were her last notes of the song. Everyone was going crazy, and then Minseok heard the crowd start to chant something. It was mumbled and unsure at the beginning, but it continued to grow louder and louder until one can easily heard what they were saying.

 

“Kim Taeyeon! Kim Taeyeon!”

 

[---]

 

That was probably when it started.

 

It’s often stereotypical that the children of a family of something would become that something also. A family of doctors would continue their legacy, and the children would grow up to be a doctor. People would sneer at Minseok that he wanted to become a performer when his parents were performers. People would tell him that he was nothing like his parents. People would tell him that the same thing that happened to his father would happen to him, but Minseok’s mind was set. He could already hear it.

 

“Kim Minseok! Kim Minseok!”

 

This was probably the start of his dream.

 

---

 

A/N

 

So I edited the first chapter (because when I reread it in my google docs it was gramatically terrible). I'm pretty sure I know where I want to go with this fic, but I don't know how long it will be. Please tolerate it!

 

I also editted out the Luhan in this chapter, because it felt out of place. Though, you will get to know Luhan sure enough!

 

Love, Evee :3