Chapter 30

“I will always wait for you; Right here calmly; No matter how much time would pass – Sing Me”

The three of them were huddled on the sofa in their JYPE dressing room.

Their heads competing for the best look at the iPad.

It was the maknae line in session – Wonpil, Dowoon and their latest addition, Momo.

“Gosh, the poor girl,” Dowoon said.

Girlfriend of well known idol slashed in the face by sasaeng fan - the headlines said.

While the fan was caught and taken into custody, the incident caused a trauma and permanent scar for the girlfriend.

“Why do they do that?” Momo asked.

“Too obsessed with their star, I guess,” Dowoon replied. “There are so many horror sasaeng fan stories out there.”

“Oh, oh,” Wonpil said excitedly. “Remember when CNBlue’s Jonghyun found a girl in his closet.”

“Aieee…” Momo shrieked in horror.

“Or the time Suho’s fan put up a sign saying ‘ Me’,” Dowoon enacted the scene with an imaginary placard held up in the air.

If the idea was not scary enough, Momo would have actually laughed at his antics.

“Or the time that girl group member nearly got dragged off stage.”

“Off stage? During a performance?”

“I know, I know,” Dowoon said, “Taeyeon, GG!”

“Yeah.”

“That’s so scary,” Momo said, horrified with such accounts. “As much as we love our idols in Japan, I don’t think there’re ever cases like these before.”

“We had a similar happening to Day6. Though not a sasaeng,” Wonpil said.

“Your other member, Junhyeok.”

“Yup,” Wonpil nodded. “We’re not allowed to date, at least during our initial years.”

Momo remembered her conversation with Young K on this before, immediately.

    Are you in the army, or something? She had asked him.

    Something like that, was his answer.

And now she knew what he meant.

“So hyung dated her quietly, but…,” Wonpil continued.

“… the silly girl went on to brag about it...” and Dowoon finished off for him, with a snort.

“... causing hyung to feel bad and quit,” Wonpil said again.

It was so cute to witness the banter and conversation flow between the two youngest members of the band.

“So he quit, he was not fired?”

“No.”

“He knew we’ve all worked hard for Day6,” Wonpil related their history. “He didn’t want to drag the band down, ‘cause his sasaeng fans got angry with him and were vocal about it whenever we performed in public.”

“So desu ne…”

“Sasaeng are the worst,” Dowoon explained. “But if you have them, it also means that you’ve made it in this business.”

“Yeah,” Wonpil nodded. “So, we are destined to be without girlfriends for quite a while. And even if we do have someone that we like, we have to pretend that we don’t.”

“Especially if want to protect her,” Dowoon added.

That statement was a loaded one, making her think back at Young K’s actions towards her since she started living with them. Speaking or approaching her only when when they were alone. Keeping their acquaintance a secret, even from his brothers.

She supposed he did not want a repeat of the Junhyeok case.

“Do you guys have any sasaeng fans?”

“Oh yeah,” Dowoon said in his deep voice. “Brian-hyung and Jae-hyung has many. And they can be quite crazy too. Sungjin’s tend to be more polite.”

“What about Piri-kun and you?” Momo asked Dowoon affectionately.

“Oh, Wonpil-hyung has loooottsss. They always say he’s chic and cool, but if they can see how dorky he truly is, I believe my sasaeng fans will surpass his,” Dowoon scoffed.

“Hey!” Wonpil leaned across Momo, to hit his maknae on the head. “Dork is the new cool, don’t you know that?”

And the banter continued, trapping Momo in the middle, simply grinning at their childish behaviour.

***

They were at the Choi’s, visiting Cordi Kim and the baby.

The manager-cordi couple invited them for dinner, as a break from their normal routine.

“What was the reason Young K-ssi gave President-nim to let me stay at the dorm,” Momo asked when she found herself alone with Manager Choi in the living room. The baby was fast asleep in her father’s arms.

Cordi Kim has gone to the kitchen with the other boys.

“Payback. He said he wanted to take care of you, like how you took care of him.”

Momo went quiet.

“You know how strict Hyung-nim is with the dating rule,” at Momo’s nod, Choi revealed, “and for a girl to be living at the boys' dorm .... is totally unheard of."

Momo nodded again at Choi's pause.

"Younghyun-nie… He went on his knees for you.”

“He did?”

Choi simply smiled.

"He even cleaned Junhyeok's room himself."

Momo has never felt like a gnat before, and at that moment she did.

For all the ill thoughts she had of Young K.

“Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you.”

Momo’s thoughts were interrupted by the birthday song, with the boys traipsing into the room with a cake.

“Happy Birthday to Mo-chan, Happy Birthday to you.”

“How did you know?” Momo half laughed and half cried after blowing out the candles.

Her heart bursting with love for her newfound family.

Yes, that was how she has gotten to think of them.

“Oh, Choi-hyung told us.”

What Wonpil did not know, was the fact that Young K prompted the manager to do so.

But as Momo’s eyes met Young K from across the room, she knew.

***

Manager Choi made his special Jjambbong, a spicy Korean seafood noodle dish.

“Aieee... Chincha karai. Oishi but karai.”

“Karai?” Dowoon asked.

“Oh... spicy,” Momo translated, laughing and waving away the steam that came out of .

Young K stood leaning against the kitchen door jam, just contented to observe Momo's happy flushed face.

Beginnings of sweat already forming by her temple as she enjoyed the noodle while trying to avoid getting her long hair in and food.

The boys all doted over her whenever they could, as how she mother-henned them at work and home.

After her tirade a few days ago, Young K kept a safe distant from Momo, not trusting his actions if he got too close to her.

So he simply watched them from afar, looking at how the boys fussed over her - getting her tissues, water and anything else she required.

She looked different that day, and Young K could not put his finger on it.

Until he realised what it was.

Her arms.

It was the very first time he saw her arms bare.

It was fair, smooth and slim.

It was close to spring and getting warm indoors.

And Momo was dressed simply in a short sleeved top, paired with a capri pants.

Fresh and carefree like her mood today.

They were all laughing and chatting away in a mad combo of English, Korean and Japanese.

He should feel jealous looking at the scene, yet he was not really.

Somehow he felt Momo deserved all the love and adulation she could get. For all her past and present hard work and perseverance.

And if his boys could provide it, why not.

Suddenly all laughter and conversation died.

And Momo froze in her seat.

All eyes, except for hers, glued on Young K.

As if out of a trance, Young K suddenly realised that he was at Momo's back.

Just finished tying her long hair back, away from her flushed face - as if it was the most natural thing to do.

He did not know how or when he got there.

And what possessed him to act so casually with her in front of the others.

Not when they did not really know who she was.

So, like hot coals, he dropped his hands, cleared his throat and moved away from her.

"Uhmm.... I'll just go take a leak for a while."

And off he scuttled away to the safe confines of the Choi’s bathroom.

***

She woke up in the middle of the night, needing to go to the bathroom.

That Jjambbong was a real killer, she thought.

Once done, she heard a slight ruffle of papers coming from the living room.

She slowly went to front, knowing exactly what to see there.

True enough, she found Young K, the student, sprawled on Jae's couch.

Sleeping with some notes clutched to his chest.

It was close to 3 in the morning, and Momo knew they were supposed to be up by 5.30 later.

She slowly kneeled beside the couch to look at his beautiful sleeping face, marred only with a slight frown.

My poor Brian-San, how could I think of you leading a student party life before.

You’ve got to be the most hard working person I know.

With him sound asleep, Momo was free at last to show her real feelings.

Of how proud she was of him.

Even when she was angry with him previously, which was almost gone now, her pride for her Brian-san has always been deep within her heart.

You need your rest, she smiled softly at him.

Please don't frown so. Dream of nice things. Write more beautiful songs with your wonderful brothers. You deserve all the fame and success in the world.

Momo left the papers in his hands, not wanting to disturb him, but she took the blanket from Dowoon's day bed to drape it over her sleeping idol.

As she turned to leave, she felt a hand grab hers to bring it to a hard warm chest.

The position was awkward, and she had to sit beside him again to make his hold on her more comfortable.

Clearly he was asleep, and she did not want him awake for them to start fighting again.

Momo now know it was just an act with him.

Only at moments like this, did the real Brian emerge. Soft and sweet with a slight worry on his shoulders.

Momo lay her head on the couch beside Young K's and patted her hand to lull him to sleep.

Rest well, Brian-san, she whispered.

And before long, she fell asleep herself.

***

Young K never felt so fully rested.

He has been getting only around 1 to 2 hours sleep the past week.

What with his exams coming up and lyrics to the new songs to be written, they finally took a toll on him last night.

He did not know the exact time sleep took over but he knew it was early.

But like an internal alarm, he woke up at exactly 5.30, knowing they had roughly an hour and a half to fight over the bathroom, get dressed, grab a quick breakfast, pack their gears and get into their van by 7 am.

But he had the sweetest dream last night, of an angel lulling him to sleep, making him extra fresh that morning.

As he tried to get off the couch, he realised he had his hand intertwined with Momo's.

His little munchkin sleeping soundly on the floor with her head on the couch.

Gosh, it must have been cold for her like that, before he realised the blanket draped over himself.

Leaving him no doubt as to who had covered him.

He simply stared at her serene face.

Her lips almost smiling at a secret dream.

It took every inch of his resolve not to bend and touch those lips with his.

But he did not have the heart to wake her.

Not ready for her to cast angry eyes on him again.

So instead, he slowly pried his hand out from her grasp and quietly got up from the couch.

Then, Young K gently scooped his Japanese doll up, and carried her to her bedroom.

She continued to sleep like a baby and did not think twice other than snuggling deeper into his hold.

He cuddled her a little longer, simply to give her warmth, before reluctantly leaving her in the cozy folds of her bed.

Foxi's Notes -

Day6 beautiful maknaes - Kim Wonpil & Yoon Dowoon - always the serious & chic musicians on stage, but the dorkiest boys off stage.

Here's a perfect example of bickering Wonpil & Dowoon 😊 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpO_5fZPILA&t=2s (parts 22:15 - 23:15)

Dowoon wasn't trained as a singer, but because of the fans, he is now taking vocal lessons. This is his first full (surprise) outing, singing with his fellow maknae. Listen to the crowd roar 😊     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqn7gB7Buxo