Chapter Two
Jaebum (JB) POV

(bold=english)

It was GOT7's comeback stage for their song You Are. This may be their more than 10th comeback since debut and also being a four year idol but comeback stages still make him antsy. It’s always because it’s a new song and he always hopes for the best response from everyone but what makes it this time a more nerve wrecking moment is that this time GOT7's title track is his song.

JYP pd-nim actually gave them free reigns to produce and write their own album this time. So most of all the song composition, arrangement and productions are all the members. Though by anonymous vote the members chose his song as the title track and was immediately approved by JYP pd-nim.

So yes, it’s just like GOT7’s debut stage… and now he is feeling just as nauseous as if it was the JJP debut stage or Girls, Girls, Girls era.. At least he can control it better now, than he was a rookie.

He was in the restroom staring at himself at the mirror. He looked pale even though he was wearing full makeup. He could see the heaviness in his eyes, a sign that he couldn’t sleep at all last night but an hour. He was glad for the empty comfort room because this silence is what he needed.

He could have used the bathroom in GOT7’s dressing room but s had gotten too loud and rowdy that their noise was making him more nauseous and suffocated more than anything.

He heard a soft cough in one of the cubicles followed by a gagging sound.

He knows that sound all too well. He had experienced the same thing as well since their debut. He’d always end up running out to the farthest bathroom to hide and throw up what little food he ate before their live performance.

Only Mark and Jackson knows where to find him and also about this habit that he does when he gets too nervous to control everything. Being the leader of the group has its burdens, keeping a straight expressionless face is one of those despite his heart probably jumping out of his chest or stopping all together is probably what he hates the most as a leader. He has to look out for everyone first because if they see that their leader is a wreck it might burden everyone else. Though there are also advantages to it that he still loves being the leader.

When he heard the noise getting louder, as if he was already dry heaving. He wanted to knock at the door to try and help out this Idol. The poor fellow is probably on their first debut stage thinking that in Mcountdown is where most everyone does their first live stage like what GOT7 did for Girls, Girls, Girls.

Maybe a couple encouraging words would help, as it did him that time when Eukwang-hyung of BTOB heard him in the bathroom during his JJP Bounce debut, with Jinyoung.

He had heard that there are 4 groups debuting today, two girl groups and two boy groups. They had already met one of the girl groups early on today, Mint.

“Leadahh-nim!” The front door opened wide making JB freeze from his steps and turning towards the entrance of the bathroom door instead. There, he found Jackson Wang standing by the door with stupid grin on his face, happy that he had found his leader. “Im Jaebum!” he closed the door behind him. He had a knowing look in his face as if he figured out he was here the whole entire time.

Jackson who is the mood maker of their group, can actually be a burden if you aren’t ready for his energy. “What is up?”.

JB subconsciously looks over at the compartment where that other person would be at and then secretly hoped that Jackson’s loud entrance didn’t make the young fellow more nervous. “Shikoro.” (You’re too loud.) JB frowned at Jackson.

Jackson looked hurt at first and clenched his fist on his chest dramatically. “Hyuung, whegure…” He whined like a little child.

Jb wasn’t in the mood to play around really. If Jackson is looking for mean that only means that their live performance is going to start pretty soon. At least he doesn’t need to hide his true expression from Jackson. Jackson knows why Jb is hiding out here.

“You do realize there is a bathroom in our dressing room, right?” Jackson raised an eyebrow, he tested his leader. When he was trying to search for the leader awhile ago and didnt find him, he didn't even hesitate for look for him in this exact spot. He'd be more surprised if JB isn't here.

Jb rolled his eyes. Later on when Mark is around he is going to mention this. That kid can never skip a chance of teasing Jb if there is a chance. “You know the traditions.” Jb replied instead even though he wanted to hit Jackson now. “Besides, I felt a bit suffocated.”

Jackson just nodded knowing that he can be one of those reasons why it gets loud. It’s his way of reliving his stress and also helping out everyone else around him. Then his bright aura suddenly dimed into a serious one, “Honestly hyung, you really don’t have to worry about anything. The song is like beyond amazing and you’ll get the recognition that you deserve.”

Jb wasn’t expecting this from him and he certainly felt the hairs on arms stand by how cheesy Jackson just sounded. “Aist, you certainly know how to kill a mood.” He now wants to throw up and decides that pushing Jackson was a better choice.

“Arrggg…” Jackson said dramatically and threw himself at the door, and stuck himself to the wall, with his chest hands and face glued to the wall as if he was some lizard.

“Aishh,” Jb pretended that he was about to jump attack Jackson.

Jackson yelling his lungs out again running out the door. “Merong…” he stuck his tongue out at JB before shutting the door behind him.

Jb smiled and he knows that Jackson got satisfied by his action because it brought a smile on his face. “aigoo," he mumbled under his breath.

Then the toilet flushed.

He froze in his spot. Totally forgetting that he wasn’t alone in the room. He now recalled how he was about to knock at the door. He then decided to walk to that cubicle to ask how the young idol is feeling. He had his hand up ready to knocked when he noticed the door opening.

But the words got caught in his throat when he saw that it was a guy in girl’s clothes—well no… It’s a girl since no male idol would leave their dressing room wearing that unless the special stage is next because it’s too embarrassing.

Right now, Jb is confused because if he is sure that she’s a girl. So now he is wondering what he was doing in the girl’s bathroom… then he remembered. No, he was in the male’s.

The girl then finally turns and sees Jb standing there awkwardly watching her in a flustered expression. She widens her eyes and points at him accusingly.

“What are you doing in the girl's bathroom?” she squealed at him in perfect english.

He was flustered at first since he wasn't expecting these words to come out. It took him a second to translate what she had said in Hangeul. Then he shook his head violently and said, “Aniyo—“

Then she looks around seeing the urinals and knew she was in the wrong. “Oh my god. What am I doing in the guy’s bathroom.” She ran back in the cubicle in embarrassment. She was mumblings some curse words in English as well.

This is when Jb noticed that she has an accent when she spoke in hangeul. He knocks on the door lightly, “Are you okay?” he asks nervously. He wasn’t comfortable speaking English all of a sudden. He had hoped Mark or Jackson was here to probably talk to her, well no, not Jackson but Mark. Jackson might scare her away. Jackson maybe the sweetest, most gentleman in their group (jb believes this) but Jackson can be burdensome to people who doesn't know him personally. That kid doesnt know what personal bubble means.

She moans in frustration, “I don’t know maybe disappear here and now....” she replied in hangul again this time which he is thankful for.

He just pursed his lips, “You might miss your stage if you do that.” He hasn't seen her before, despite being dubbed as a cold and distant being he does pay attention a lot and could tell which person is mostly in what group. She kinda does look familiar but he hasn't seen him around the music shows yet.

She stomped her feet and cried out, “How can I survive through this embarrassment?”

Jb sighs trying to make sure to use the right words correctly not to cause her more distress or burden. “It happens to the rest of us.”

She cried in agony then asked, “Did you end up running to the girl’s bathroom too?” she was rather hopeful.

"Aniyo," he said rather too quickly and he could feel his face turning red, even thinking about it is too embarassing. He coughed out realizing his question. “Not to that extent.” Then he immediately adds since he heard the hope in her voice, “But that anxious feeling that all you can see is black and white. And then no matter how cold the room is you are sweating too much. You can feel your body melting the closer it is to the time you’re going to perform. Then all of a sudden, what little food you ate all day starts crawling up to your throat that your final resort is to go find the farthest toilet just so you won’t get your members worry about you because you know they have their own things to deal with.”

He remembered what he felt on his first live stage as GOT7, it was a bigger pressure than JJP debut because people are expecting a lot from him since if their re debut.

He more nervous that people would look at him as failure because he debuted already as a duo but ended up in a group eventually. He does not regret going into GOT7 at all, he thought it was better because the team is now is family.

And like now, someone was there to talk him through it. Even until now, he was still thankful for Eukwang hyung. So when he sees someone with the same experience as him he’d always helps him out. Though this is the first time he helped a girl.
After what seemed like an eternity of silence, she finally unlocked the door. She opens the door, and with her head down due to embarrassment, she mumbles. “This is by far the most embarrassing moment in my life.”

He steps back from the door and pats her arm lightly once. “In a few hours that’ll change. Today will be one of the greatest day of your life. Everything leading to that will all be forgotten.”

She takes a deep breath, hoping he’d be right but right now all she can think of is how her pulse is beating heavily on her neck. She blankly stares at the door…

He follows her gaze and said, “I locked the door.” Which he did when she ran back to the cubicle. It would be more embarrassing for her if someone else walks in the bathroom.

“Thanks.” She answered finally raising her head. Her face was still bright red…

He just nods and said, “I’ll check if the coast is clear.” He walks towards the door and peeked his head out to see if anyone was around. This area doesn’t have much people walk by. Waiting for a couple more seconds, he then gestures for her to follow him and they both left the bathroom.

“You missed it by a door.” He told her as he pointed to the next door after.

She pouts and shakes her head. “I’ll remember that next time.”

Jb just offered a thumbs up and adds, “Don’t worry too much. You’ll do great. Fighting.”

She bows and mumbles incoherently, being complemented by a sunbae is always helpful but at the same time her situation was far too embarrassing to even try to remember this or even share it with someone. “Thank you again so much and I am so sorry for the hassle.”

He shakes his head, “It wasn’t any trouble at all.”

“Oh my god--.” She randomly said out of nowhere and for some reason she blushed and froze on her spot as if she saw something. If anything else she paled even more. “I have to—“ she said in panic not even finished her sentence but she bowed again in farewell and quickly turned to walk back to her dressing room. He was about to follow after her to see what was wrong when she got cornered by two girls, Kim Jisoo and Jennie Kim.

That was when it hit him, why she looked familiar. She's the fifth member of Black Pink, Jade. He now finally understands why she's feeling that way. She had joined a group that was already achieved awards on their own, she has to fill in a lot of expectations and prove that she belongs in the group despite joining a lot later. To the other Black Pink members, Lisa, Rose, Jennie and Jisoo it's their comeback stage but to Jade it's her debut stage.

Someone lightly hit his back making him jump, he turned and it was Mark standing next to him. “What are you looking at?” Mark asked curiously.

JB was glad that the girls had walked out or else he would never hear the end of it if he was found staring at a girl, or even talking to one. “It’s nothing.” Jb just shrugged.

Mark squinted at him, as if he knew what it was but didn’t want to ask. “Okay then,” he elongated the each syllable hoping JB would tell him.

And it was true at some point, to JB seeing people go through their debut, it always brings him to their Girls, Girls, Girls era or even their trainee days and how they had finally came to be able to perform freely, sing the songs they wrote and just basically share their talents to the world. Hoping that someday they would become someone’s role model and help them reach their dreams.

He was still looking forward to her future progress and growth as artists.

And with that, he wished her luck hoping that someday they’ll be able to keep living their dreams as it had finally began.

a/n

hehe :) kyaaaa! What do you guys think so far?lol