“Jackson we’re going to be late.” Youngjae groaned. “You’ve been in there for over an hour.” Today was the first official band meeting.
“Alright I’m coming!” Jackson shouted from the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later he emerged.
“Oh my god, we’re only going to Jaebum’s! Why are you so dressed up?”
“I’m not dressed up!”
“You’re wearing eyeliner!”
“So? I regularly wear eye liner.”
“Only when- never mind we’ve got to go.” Youngjae sighed, flat sharing with Jackson was difficult.
“Do I look good though?”
“You look great now let’s go.”

After a short bus journey, they arrived. Jaebum answered the door.
“Sorry we’re late.” Youngjae apologised.
“Hey Jaebum, miss me?” Jackson said, fluttering his eyelashes exaggeratedly. The other man just raised his eyebrows.
Jaebum’s house quite reflected the man himself. It was simple, maybe even sparse, but strangely fashionable.
“Okay, so the band.” Jaebum began once they had all sat down. “what kind are we?”
“Rock, of course.” Jackson answered.
“Yes, but what kind of rock?” The others stared at him blankly. “Like alternative, metal etc.”
Jackson shrugged.
“Well, who’s the song writer?”
“There’s no official song writer.”
“You haven’t got much sorted.”
“Well that’s what this meeting’s for.”
“You mean you haven’t got any idea what you’re doing?”
Jackson looked at him, annoyed. “Like I said, that’s what this meeting is for.”
Jaebum sighed.
“Anyway I want to see you play the drums.”
“Why?”
Jackson shrugged.
“I guess we should all show our ‘skills’.” Youngjae cut in.
“Jackson should go first then.” The drummer suggested. The other man looked at him for a moment.
“Fine, I’ll go first.” Despite making lots of mistakes and the melody not quite flowing perfectly, Jackson wasn’t bad. There was a feel to the way that he played which was very…beautiful, Jaebum thought, and something about him made it difficult to look away. When he was finished they heard Youngjae sing, whose voice was heavenly and Mark play base, who was definitely improving.
“Right, now Jaebum’s turn.” Jackson grinned, honestly he had been looking forward to this a lot. “Where’s your drum kit?”
“Downstairs.”
They followed him into the basement.
“Don’t be too nervous! You’ll still be in the band if you up; you can play the triangle.” Jackson grinned.
“How nice.” Jaebum smiled sarcastically before starting to play. And when he said he was good, he wasn’t lying. It was like he played with his whole being. He never missed a beat.
“Do I pass?” he raised his eyebrows when he was finished, noticing the others impressed expressions.
“So you’re more than just a pretty face, good.”

“Next time, we’ll start playing together then.” Jaebum said as they were leaving. Youngjae, Mark and Jackson walked to the bus stop, feeling oddly tired.
“, I’ve forgotten my jacket, wait for me.” Jackson exclaimed and he ran off back towards the house.
“What is it?” Jaebum answered the door, surprised when he saw Jackson there.
“I forgot my jacket, if you would be so kind to let me get.” 
“Oh right. Come in, where’d you leave it?”
Jackson found it on the sofa.
“Got it, thanks.” Jackson said as Jaebum saw him out. “I’ll see you next time, oh and Jaebum, your drumming really blew me away.”
“Well, didn’t I say it would?” he smirked.
“Seriously though, you’re extremely talented.” Jackson then smiled warmly. Maybe Jackson was imagining it, but Jaebum seemed to blush very slightly.
“Yeah, you’re pretty good too…”
“Really?!” the other man grinned.
“But you need a lot of practice.” Jaebum said quickly.
Jackson grinned wider.

They started having band practice three times a week. At first, things didn’t go so well.
“Jaebum I think you’re playing it too fast.”
“No I’m not, you need to keep up with me.”
“No. Anyway, this song is wrong.”
And so it went for the next three weeks. They would try a song; it wouldn’t feel right.
“Maybe I was wrong, maybe this just isn’t going to work.” Jackson mumbled at the end of a practice session as they were packing up. Youngjae looked at him, feeling sad about Jackson’s drop in mood lately. He wanted to comfort him.
“D-”
“You can’t be like that. This is only our third week, are you going to give up that easily?” Jaebum interrupted, staring challengingly at Jackson. Jackson turned in surprise to look at him. “Well are you?”
“But it’s not-”
“Not what?”
Jackson cast his eyes down. “Can we really do this?”
“Not with that attitude.”
Jackson looked up at Jaebum then, shocked at the force in his voice.
“We’re going to keep practicing until this works, and it will work, okay?”
Jackson just nodded, he hadn’t realised he felt this passionately about the band. Jaebum turned to Mark and Youngjae then, both also nodded, a tiny bit scared of him but also weirdly inspired.
And then at the next practice, right at the end, right before their last run through of a song, something happened. Suddenly their instruments blended together. Suddenly they were no longer four individuals doing their own thing; they were one band.
“See I told you.” Jaebum said.
Jackson just smiled.

As band practices continued, the four members grew closer, but what was particularly noticeable was Jackson and Jaebum’s relationship. Both had a talent in irritating the other, yet they seemed to enjoy each-others company rather a lot.
“Today was good.” Jaebum said, at the end of one practice session.
“Yep, you weren’t so bad today.” Jackson grinned.
“Ha thanks.” The other replied dryly. “Anyway I was thinking…” stuttering as he turned to look at Jackson, just as he was taking off his sweaty t-shirt.
“You were thinking?” Jackson smirked, noticing him staring.
“Um yes uh, maybe next time we could try out some of our own songs, all of us seem to have some.” Now avoiding looking at Jackson’s bare torso.
“Sure, that’d be good.”
“Great, okay.” Jaebum hesitated for a moment before turning to walk away.
“Uh Jaebum, did you perhaps want to go for a drink with me sometime? To talk about band stuff…” Jackson muttered the last part.
The drummer paused. “When?”
“Whenever you’re free.”
Another pause. “I’m free tonight.”
Jackson tried not to smile too widely and nodded in agreement. Their eyes connected then and Jackson felt as if all the air had been knocked out of him. Then came a knock on the door.
“Shall I get it?” Mark said, already walking to the door. A few seconds later he returned.
“It’s your girlfriend.” He said. A pretty girl followed him into the room. Jackson looked at Jaebum, suddenly feeling ill.
“Hey babe.” The girl walked towards Jaebum and kissed him, although his expression remained strangely blank. “Is everything okay?” The girl frowned.
“What? Yeah of course.” Jaebum mumbled. A silence followed.
“Well aren’t you going to introduce me?” she smiled at the other people in the room.
“Yeah, uh this is my band. You already know Youngjae, that’s Mark and this, this is J-Jackson.” He stuttered. “Guys, this is Yunseo…my girlfriend.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” She held her hand out to Jackson. “I’ve heard loads about you, he never shuts up about you actually.” She laughed and smiled cheerfully. Jackson shook her hand, forcing a polite smile, briefly glancing at Jaebum. After introductions she turned back to Jaebum.
“Um, we better be leaving soon.”
“Why?” Jaebum blinked.
“We have a dinner reservation.” She frowned.
“Oh right, I forgot.”
He looked at Jackson then, a strange expression on his face.
“Another time." Jackson tried to smile "You should go get ready, you’ve got a date, it was nice to meet you Yunseo, have a good evening.” Jackson said before hurrying out of the house, dragging Mark and Youngjae with him as they shouted their goodbyes.
“Of course he has a girlfriend.” He muttered to himself whilst waiting for the bus. A pretty, sweet girlfriend. This complicated everything.