The loud sound of hip-hop music blares through the radio system in Seungyoon's car. Mino, who is sitting in the passenger seat, bops his head and taps his fingers along the furious, heavy beats of the song playing right now. 

 

"I'm really curious about tonight’s event. What’s so special about it?"

 

The slim, long fingers freezes in mid-air and the tanned young man throws a puzzled look over at his friend who is driving right now.

 

"Oh come on, it's a valid question. You are famous for being a hermit and you practically hate crowded places. Honestly, I was really surprised that you, out of so many people that I know, actually invited me to a concert."

 

Mino laughs a little bit too loudly in that raspy low voice of his while tightening his grip on the crumpled up tickets in his hand. “Well, in case you’ve forgotten, I do work in the music industry. Attending a concert is a good way to find out what people out there listens to. Besides, I got today's tickets for free. And who the hell says that I’m a hermit? I’m out of the house now, aren’t I?”

 

Hearing that from someone who only comes out of the house once a month makes Seungyoon unable to contain himself and he starts to laugh loudly in that high-pitched voice of his.

 

Frowning, Mino adds in,” Whatever, you bastard. Anyways, thanks for coming today. It really means a lot to me”.

 

"Hey, don’t thank me. That’s what friends are for, right? Besides, I can’t possibly leave you alone in that cave of yours on your birthday", he jokingly replies as he lightly punches Mino’s shoulder, his eyes still fully concentrating on the road ahead.

 

Mino smiles back awkwardly. His insides are churning with anxiety and he doesn’t feel like talking anymore or he’s going to be sick. He rolls down the window just to feel the spring breeze and to put a full stop to any further conversations. His nerves are killing him and he suspects that he isn’t going to feel any much better as the day goes by. He feels the cool air outside lightly caressing his face, which manages to calm him down a little. Spring is definitely in the air right now because Mino can taste the sweet smelling fragrance of the cherry blossoms just like that night two years ago.

 

 

xxxx

 

-Flashback-

 

The road was illuminated in the dark by the bright orb up in the sky, helping to shine a light on this late night for the two young men who were walking back to their dorms. The cherry blossom trees were in full bloom and the petals sparkled like diamonds in the moonlight. It was a beautiful and quiet night, the exact opposite of the excitement-filled concert that they had just attended.

 

"Hyung, one day I am going to stand on my own stage and sing for everyone. A solo concert by Nam Taehyun."

 

Mino chuckled. He knew that the concert had left a deep impression on him. It was a concert by their senior in the company where they were trainees at. Taehyun was mesmerized throughout the course of the entire concert and he couldn’t stop talking about the performances even during their late supper together.

 

"If that happens, then I, Song Mino, will be your fansite masternim for one day. I’ll be there to take lots of pictures and fancams for you."

 

"Really?!! You promise?"

 

"Yes I promise. Make sure you get me a VIP ticket, ok?" He replied with a cheeky grin as he ruffled the younger man’s soft hair with his hand. It was a habit that Mino had picked up back when they were still two very young trainees, working hard together in the packed practice rooms. At that time, Taehyun was always too tensed and stressed up. The older boy thought that he could use some help in loosening up and all he could think of was to mess up his perfectly-parted hair.

 

The first time he did it, Taehyun had swatted Mino’s hand away angrily and then magically pulled out a comb and mirror out of thin air and proceeded to style his hair back to perfection again; all the while giving Mino stares full of daggers and a lengthy lecture on why he should not mess with his glorious mane. But that bad idea of his remarkably worked wonders in relieving the pent-up tension in Taehyun because he became more relaxed and did better in practice after that. Mino of course was confident that the anger-venting part must have helped a lot. So, it started to become Mino’s own peculiar way of showing his affections towards the younger man.  Slowly, Taehyun got used to it and now whenever Mino ruffled his hair, he would just pout with that clearly annoyed look on his face but still allowed his hand to do the thing that he liked.

 

With that familiar pout on that fair face, framed messily with his fluffy soft hair, Taehyun looked at Mino with a glint in his eyes and said, “Of course. Just make sure you are there to watch my show. I’ll make you bow down to my perfection.”

 

-Flashback Ends-

 

xxxx

 

 

Song Mino is in awe.

 

This venue is one of the largest stadiums in the country and yet, it is filled to the brim tonight. Everyone is here for one single reason, or to be more exact, one young man, whose name is on everyone’s lips tonight. The atmosphere in this place is electrifying, giving him goosebumps as he listens to the roars of the loud chanting that is echoing throughout the huge space.

 

Nam Taehyun, Nam Taehyun, Nam Taehyun…

 

He breaks into one of his widest smile, unable to suppress the excitement and most importantly, the immensely growing sense of pride inside of him. He knows how hard Taehyun has to work to reach where he is today. The amount of sweat and tears shed is indescribable.

 

Seungyoon looks around with his mouth wide open and exclaims loudly to Mino, “Wow, Taehyun is sure damn popular.”

 

The tanned young man nods enthusiastically, unable to wipe off that silly grin off his face.

 

Can you hear this, Taehyun-nie? You have so many people here who love and support you. Tonight, this stage belongs to you. You who are born to be in the limelight, says Mino to himself as he listens to the sound of the cheers growing even louder as the clock starts its countdown towards the start of the concert.

 

 

xxxx

 

- Flashback -

 

They were lying in bed together, both caught up in their own minds after an exhausting but passionate round of love-making. The night was silent and all they could hear was the sound of each other’s heavy breathing and their heartbeats pulsing rhythmically against each other.

 

"Mino, what do you like about me?"

 

"Hmm, is this a trick question? Because if it is, then I have to think harder for that", Mino snuggled closer to Taehyun, breathing in his scent.

 

Taehyun sighed.

 

"The other trainees were talking behind my back and I heard them. Something about me being difficult to work with and that I’m always being cold towards them.I just--..am I really that bad? Why would you even like someone like me?"

 

Mino can hear the trembles in Taehyun's voice as he poured out his frustrations and his heart ached for him. He pulled Taehyun up to look at him in the eyes and proceeded to answer his question in that low,deep voice of his.

 

"You might not be the friendliest person in the room, but you are the most charming guy I have ever known. And who says you have a bad attitude? You speak whatever that is on your mind and maybe they just misunderstand you for that. People just need some time to know the real you and once they do, they will love you. "

 

“..Mino”

 

“I’m not done yet. You are unique and I love everything about you, the good and the bad together. I like that you have expressive eyebrows that dances whenever you are annoyed by me”, Mino leaned down to kiss a surprised Taehyun on the forehead between his eyebrows. 

 

“These eyes which sparkle with joy whenever you sing and talk about your dreams”. Mino left trails of kisses on both corners of his eyes.

 

“These lips that will form a sly smirk whenever you are bullying me”, Mino chuckled before he planted another light kiss on Taehyun’s lips.

 

“And did I mention how much I love it when you smile like a bunny?” Another kiss on Taehyun’s lips, deeper this time.

 

“You are being awfully cheesy, Song Mino”, said Taehyun, his hands pushing Mino away from him but there was a really wide grin on his reddish face.

 

“Ohh, you don’t like cheesy? I’ll stop then”, Mino pouted.

 

Taehyun laughed at his ‘so-called-sad’ expression. Changing his mind, he pulled Mino in into a tight hug and patted his head.

 

“You big baby”.

 

-Flashback Ends-

 

xxxx

 

Nam Taehyun’s heart thumps loudly following the beat of the fan chants. The concert is about to start in a few minutes and he is stealing a peek at the stadium from behind the red curtains. An overwhelming mix of feelings washes over him. The view in front of him is even more beautiful than he could ever imagine. The inside of the stadium is sparkling with the lights from the fans’ lightsticks, painting the place a beautiful indigo just like the stars up in the Milky Way.

 

This is it, he thought. Are you watching me, Mino?

 

His eyes sweep across the VIP section and he grins when he spots his family members sitting there, cheering for him together with some of his best friends in the industry.

 

“Taehyun-ah, are you ready? We are starting in 5 minutes.” Kwangsoo, his manager, asks.

 

“Yes, I’ll be there in a few minutes”, he flashes a smile to him, ignoring the faint ache inside of him. Nope, he is not going to let that one empty seat in the VIP section affect his special day today.

 

What was I expecting from someone who did not bother to keep in touch for 2 years?