Chapter 35

“Without even knowing, Why is my heart pounding? When people said they met like destiny…Wherever, however, whoever said that, I never believed it – Pour/Pouring”

Japan was the first of many overseas travel for Momo with the boys.

The next few months went by faster than a shinkansen ride, with events and activities lined up at no intervals in between.

It started with the release of Day6's first full album and announcement of their official fandom name, My Day, followed by fan meets in the neighboring south east asian countries.

In the between, the boys had to appear on local music shows and continue with their regular radio appearances.

Another spinoff to their on going promotions, was the on slought of invitations for mazagine shoots – which in turn gave them even more visibility.

The Everyday6 project was proving to be successful.

Korea and the world were slowly discovering the hidden gems JYPE has.

At the same time, preparations and productions for the other half of the year have to be done.

Day6 was under immense pressure to produce new songs.

Kings of No Bad Songs.

That was what the listeners call them.

Be them fans or not.

This included their growing followers amongst their fellow idols. Other more popular Korean groups started to sing their praises on the social media and were scrambling for tickets to their monthly concerts.

This again gave them credibility as a band to look out for.

But how long can they keep the momentum up?

Their listerners and followers expected nothing less than perfection from them.

The JYPE investors have also approved to put in more money on them for the second half of the year.

And the boys were afraid they will let their investors and fans alike, down.

Afraid they will run out of steam.

Having monthly releases the whole year long seemed like such a good idea at the beginning.

But now looking back, having two songs per release, may seem a bit ambitious.

But the boys persevered, and worked their asses off, at the expense of sleep and rest.

So, after two full weeks of confining themselves in the practice room and studios, they finally awarded themselves to a day of rest at home.

And Momo celebrated their off day with a full spread of Korean and Japanese delicacies, all painstakenly prepared since dawn.

It was nearly lunch time when the boys finally emerged from their rooms, and gathered at the dining table.

But instead of looking fresh and alive, they were the epitome of dead men walking.

And for the longest time, they simply stared at the food, not even touching them.

Well, at least Dowoon looked like he wanted to dig right in, but for the respect for his hyungs, he refrained.

“Ok, that’s it,” Momo suddenly got up. “Do-onii-chan, please help me get some food containers. Let’s pack everything up. Piri-kun, can you check when the next bus to Jung-gu arrives. Jae-ssi, you and Brian-san, please help with the coats, masks etc. Oh, and a picnic blanket.”

Whirlwind Cordi Momo was at her organising best, Young K sleepily mused.

“Sungjin-oppa, grab your guitar on our way out, ok?”

At the words oppa and guitar in one sentence, Sungjin perked up instantaneously.

“How come she never calls me, Oppa? I’m the eldest here,” Jae grumbled, unintentionally showing that Momo’s words and actions do matter to him. “And Jae-ssi seems so cold.”

Momo stopped packing the food, surprised at Jae’s words.

“Ok,” she smiled sweetly up to his face, esentuating her small frame, “if it’s all right with you, can I call you Jae-nyan, then?”

“As in the cat sound?” Anime lover Jae automatically knew the meaning.

“Uhuh.”

“Why?”

“It’s because of that cat aegyo you were all forced to make on ASC. While everyone tried their best to look cute, you just went ‘Meow’. But in truth, you were the cutest and most kitten-like there,” Momo laughing thinking back.

At her happy animated face, Jae could not help but to smile in return.

“Jae-nyan, huh? Ok, I can live with that.”

“I still think Do-onii-chan is best,” Dowoon smirked. “The cutest name ever. It means Big Brother Do.”

“Yeah, yeah, we know what it means, don’t have to be so cute about it,” Jae-nyan brushed his maknae off.

“Noo... Piri-kun is cuter,” maknae wanna-be Wonpil just had to barge in.

Young K shook his head at his brothers’ blatant fangirling over Momo.

It has been like that since they got back from Japan.

“Ok, enough, stop it!” he bellowed.

He did not complain over the ultra polite Brian-san name, now did he? When by right, he was the one Momo should lavish all the endearments in the world on.

“Whatever she chooses to call you, she’s MY Mochi, get it? Don’t anyone else dare call her by that name.”

“Mochi, Mochi, Mochi,” Dowoon sang in his off keyed voice, sticking his tongue out at Young K as he passed his hyung on on his way out.

***

“How did you get pass the guards?” Sungjin asked.

“I used to work at the bookstore, remember?”

“Oh, that’s right.”

“I used to sneak out here with my lunch, and loved looking out to Dongkook's gardens.”

Momo had taken them to the rooftop above Dongkook's bookstore.

What she did not tell them was that this was her look out point for Young K, the student.

Though she never did catch him coming in or out of school, she did not tire trying.

But that was such a long time ago, and never did she imagine she would one day be working and staying with him and his boys.

It was nearly August and has already been 10 months since she has been with them.

While Young K will always be her favourite, all the other boys have their respective special place in her heart too.

Looking around at their now relaxed faces, it ached her thinking of the time she finally has to leave them.

Suddenly realizing her pensive mood, Young K did was he loved to do lately, in the private gathering of his trusted family.

To lay his head on Momo’s lap, as they finally chilled and enjoyed her food.

Momo smiled down at him and tapped his chest in tune to Sungjin’s guitar strumming, while the other boys chatted, laughed and sang.

And at the end of the outing, the team felt fully recharged and were ready to face their on coming challenges.

***

She woke up thirsty that night.

And went out to the kitchen to get something to drink.

She could see lights from the living room and walked over to switch them off.

At the sight of Young K, sitting on the floor with a cushion and laptop on his lap and books strewn all around him, stopped her in her tracks.

His had his ears plugged with ear phones and hence did not hear or see her at the threshold.

Her heart both swelled and sank at again how hard Young K was working – juggling both his career and student assignments.

So Momo went back to the kitchen to make him a mug of steaming black coffee.

She knew he needed the caffein, as his dissertation submission date was drawing near.

She walked towards him silently to place the mug by his feet.

It was odd, but he loved studying that way, instead of at a desk.

Probably to stretch his long tired legs as he did so.

Young K was surprised to see her there.

It was already close to 3am.

But as she turned around to go back to her room, he called out to her.

“Hey, where are you going? Come keep me company.”

Momo was just going to leave him to his work, but at his invitation, she smiled and happily settled in beside him.

“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked her.

“Just suddenly woke up thirsty.”

“Stay a while, huh? I only have one or two more pages to go.”

“Sure,” she nodded.

Young K grinned gratefully.

It was comforting to have her by his side at that wee hours of the morning,

But then again, it has always been comforting to have her by his side regardless the time of day.

He pulled out one ear piece and put in her ear, so that she would not be too bored sitting with him.

It was his easy listening collection, mainly old British and American hits like Yesterday and Hey Jude.

Such music calmed him whenever he studied.

They stayed that way for around an hour.

Once done with his school work, he leaned back to look at Momo fondly.

“So, are you gonna choose another name for me?”

“Huh?”

“Like you did with Jae and the others?”

“Oh,” Momo smiled. “You don’t like Brian-san?”

Young K pouted and shook his head.

“Young K-ssi?”

“Nope.”

Momo grinned.

“Just Brian?”

“Try again.”

“Yobo?”

And Young K spewed the coffee he just sipped.

“Ewww..” Momo laughed.

“Gahd, woman! Don’t spring me surprises like that,” he scolded her, wiping his books with his hands.

“What then?” she giggled, bending sideways towards the coffee table for a box of tissues.

“Molla,” Young K grinned, accepting the tissues Momo handed him. “But then again, I don’t really care, just as long as you call me.”

Once done with his wiping, he pulled Momo into his arms and rocked her as he used to do.

They sat like that for a few good minutes, before Young K spoke.

“Sukidayo,” Young K said softly in her hair. The very words he wanted to say to her at her Hakuba balcony a few months ago.

Momo stiffened slightly and pulled away.

She looked up at him questioningly.

“Honto?”

“Neh,” Young K replied seriously, “I’m just so crazy about you.”

His eyes belied all the sincerity in his words. He did not now when or how it happened, but to him, it needed no explanations.

Momo cupped his cheek, not believing the scene was real.

“Chincha?”

“Neh, chincha,” Young K grinned, baffled that she would ask him twice.

She should know by now how much he adored her.

But like him, he guessed Momo was unsure too.

For Momo, though she once was eager to date and experience love, life has taken a different turn for her.

She was experiencing new things, doing things that was out of her comfort zone, but loving what she termed as an adventure of a lifetime.

When she met Young K back then, he was just another person she wanted to help and take care of.

Yet they struck a beautiful friendship instead. 

And although she was intrigued by his life and background, and had rashly tracked him down, it was beyond her wildest imagination to be living and being part of his life this time around.

It would naturally lead to love, one would think, but again, Momo had never thought of more than just helping Young K in this life too.

But at last, she concurred.

“I really like you too.”

That was the first time any girl has ever said that to him.

None of the girls in school ever did.

And now that Day6 was gaining popularity, he heard infinities of ‘I Love Yous’ from the fans.

But Momo’s single ‘I Like You’ settled at the pit of his stomach like a tonne of bricks, releasing a cageful of butterflies fluttering in its small confines.

And all handsome ‘Mr Steal Your Fans’ Young K could do, was to stare at his lady love and gulp.

Until a semblance of sense took control and pushed his head towards hers for the most beautiful, the sweetest and the longest of kisses.

***

Dowoon ambled sleepily into the living room searching for his phone that morning.

As he found it by the television, he also stumbled upon Momo and Young K sitting on the floor.

Sleeping.

Momo had head on his shoulder, while Young K had his on her head.

Her hand in his two large ones.

Books, mugs and laptop abandoned all around them.

“Awww,” Dowoon grinned, “cincha kiyeopta.”

And he could not resist taking a picture of the two friends to show the others later.

Foxi’s Notes – The Japanese generally don't express their love openly. They believe that love can be expressed by actions instead. Sukidayo literally means ‘I (really) Like You’. But since you can hardly hear the Japanese say the ultra formal Aieru (I Love You) in any context except for in the books, the much modern and preferred Sukidayo or Sukidesu often translated as I Love You. 😊

'Mr Steal Your Fans', that's how Jae introduced Young K at the very first time the latter co hosted with him at AFC 😊