Title: A picture is all it takes
Prompt-#: 100
For: @TypeYourAnswer
Pairing: les!jongyu (Eunsook/Junghee)
Author: taender_kisses @ twitter
Word count: 1627 words
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Summary: Eunsook the singer and Junghee the novelist discover that they are fans of each other. Fangirling ensues.

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A/N: no Instagram username was owned at the moment of submission

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Sudden clatter was heard upstairs, very much akin to someone falling from their bed, followed by hard thumping on the hallway. Minjung paused her game and waited for Junghee to come storming in.

“Minjung, Minjung, Minjung, you’re not gonna believe this!”

“You found someone shorter than you?”
Junghee’s only response was to stick out her tongue.

“No, you tree. Eunsook posted this on her Instagram!” Junghee stood in front of the armchair and shoved her phone in Minjung’s face. Minjung took it in her own hand and looked at the post. It was an artistic picture of a couple of Junghee’s novels, accompanied by a cup of tea and fairy lights. “Can you believe it?! Actual Lee Eunsook read my books! How is this possible? Hold me Minjung, I will faint.”

“For starters, could you please stop being so dramatic? But holy , she really did!”

“Now I must be careful of what I write! I can’t give her the wrong impression!”

junghee948 and 55372 others liked this.

sookie.fan: wooah new additon to my reading list!

tae_yeong: what if they met? that would be really cool

“Boonie?”

“Hm?” Gwiboon didn’t look up from her magazine.

“Boonie, this is important.” Eunsook’s voice was barely a whisper.

“What happened?” Gwiboon asked, looking her friend in the eye this time.

“Junghee liked my post, that’s what happened! Can you believe it? I mean, I didn’t even tag her! How did-”

“Whoa, whoa, easy with the shouting. Are you sure it’s her and not a fan account?”

“Absolutely positive!”

For the following month, Junghee’s productivity skyrocketed. The thought of her favourite singer reading her books motivated her to write even more, and to improve as much as she could. Minjung hadn’t seen her so entranced by her own work since she had gotten her first job at the local newspaper. She had to bring Junghee dinner in her room on more than one occasion because she would not get up from her laptop. At least she had gotten out of her writer’s block.

“Delivery for Kim Junghee?” the young man at the door asked, holding a small package.

“I’ll call her,” Minjung replied, turning slightly towards the hallway and taking a deep breath. “JUNGHEE, YOUR PACKAGE IS HERE!”

Junghee was at the door in three seconds, panting. “Yes, ah, me,” Junghee said, bent over her knees and trying to regain her breath.

The delivery boy was holding back a smile. “Could you please sign here?”

A few minutes later, Junghee was ripping pieces of cardboard in the middle of the living room.

“I was going to bring you some scissors, but I see you don’t need them.”

“Look! It’s the pink version!” Junghee started jumping around, clutching the album to her chest. “Pink, pink, pink, like my love for her!”

Minjung smiled fondly at her friend. She knew nothing could bring Junghee back to Earth when she was listening to Eunsook’s albums, especially when she had just received them.

Her passion for the singer went far back, before Minjung had even met her. She had stumbled upon one of Eunsook’s videos by accident one day, and it was love at first listen. The slow beat of the ballads, the swing vibe in some of the songs, the angelic voice tying everything together, not to mention the heartfelt lyrics on top of it all. Junghee had promised herself to attend one concert and listen to Eunsook live at least once in her life.

Eunsook closed her eyes as the make up artist touched up her lipstick. She had done countless concerts and performances, yet she was always feeling nervous before she went up on stage.

“Breathe deeply, Sookie, it’s going to be okay. Your concerts are always amazing!” Gwiboon did her best to encourage her best friend.

“But what if I slip? What if I forget the lyrics?” Eunsook began pacing around the room. Gwiboon got up and put her hands on her friend’s shoulders, looking her in the eyes and trying to calm her.

“How many times did you slip until now?”

“I haven't yet.”
“Have you ever forgotten the lyrics?”

“No.”

“Exactly! I could wake you up at 2am and you could still sing every song perfectly!”
A smile appeared on Eunsook’s lips. “After I punch you for waking me up!” She began laughing, and her worries were melting away.

“That’s my girl!” Gwiboon exclaimed and laughed too. “Now go there and be amazing! I believe in you!”

The concert went smoothly, and Eunsook’s performance was flawless. As soon as the lights , the fans began cheering and all of her worries disappeared completely.

Now she was looking through some of the fantaken pictures posted online and reading fan accounts, always wanting to give her fans the best experience she could. But among the images of herself, a particular set caught her eye. They weren’t of any of the performances. Not even of the venue lit up in the color of her lightsticks. They were a couple blurry shots of someone in the audience, cheering as best as they could. She would have recognized that face anywhere. The one whose novels and stories managed to keep her glued to her seat, absolutely mesmerized by the characters and feeling as if she was really there, witnessing the action unfold right in front of her eyes. Junghee. She couldn’t believe it.

“I still can’t comprehend that you managed to get those tickets. It’s surreal. I was there. I was actually there and I actually saw her in person. Can you believe that? Am I dreaming? Pinch me, this can’t be real.”

Junghee rambled the entire ride home, and Minjung knew better than to interrupt her.

It hadn’t been difficult getting the tickets. She knew that what Junghee was worried about was the money, but that was the least of Minjung’s concerns. She wanted to give her best friend the experience of seeing her favourite singer live, and she had been saving up for it. It was her way of showing her gratitude for the things Junghee had done when Minjung had no one to turn to.

When Junghee stopped her excited chatter to drink some water, Minjung seized her opportunity.

“What about the signing? Won’t you be tired tomorrow?”

“Tired? What tired? I’m gonna go off this energy for a month!”

She didn’t.

When Minjung brought her the biggest coffee she could find in a two mile radius, Junghee couldn’t have been happier. The dark circles under her eyes were enough proof that she had spent all night thinking about Eunsook. But a long line of people was waiting for her, and she did not want to disappoint her fans.

About five hours after her first autograph and two since her wrist started feeling sore, Junghee began noticing that the people coming had grins larger than usual. Not that she didn’t want her readers to enjoy seeing her in person, but there was something she couldn’t quite catch in their smiles, a hint of a mystery she wasn’t able to figure out.

But it all became clear when one girl stepped aside and a familiar face greeted her, leaving Junghee stunned. It was none other than Eunsook herself, in flesh and bones, at her booksigning.

Junghee wasn’t even able to squeal, as she imagined she would react.

“Hello!”

“H-hi...” Junghee managed to stutter. Eunsook offered her the book, opened on the first page, with a pastel pink post-it stuck there. Junghee read the beautiful cursive and felt like she could faint. Thank you for coming to my concert. She signed the first page, hand trembling, and scribbled as fast as she could on the post-it. Ten digits.

All Junghee could do was pace around the living room, making up crazy scenarios and mumbling to herself. What if Eunsook finds it weird? What if she'll never read her books again? Had it been wrong to give her the number?

Minjung offered to give her a shoulder massage, in an attempt to ease her stress, but was brushed aside in favour of gummy bears.

Suddenly, a small tune came from the coffee table. Minjung had never seen someone jump so fast for a text message.

Hello, this is Eunsook. I really liked the book! I think my favourite character was Santo. Thank you for writing it!

“Minjung, do you know who this is?! Do you have any idea?! This is huge!” Junghee yelled, and Minjung thought about the wave of complaints that were sure to come from the neighbours.

“See, there was nothing to worry about, after all.”

Junghee threw her best friend a glare and returned her attention to her phone, squealing again. “She actually texted me! How do I respond?” She began pacing back and forth in the living room. “I don’t want to be lame!”

“You could try-” Minjung attempted to suggest pleasantries, but Junghee cut her off.

“I’ll ask her to go out!”

“Don’t you think that’s a bit too...soon?”

“You’re just jealous,” Junghee retorted with fake annoyance. Minjung just giggled and left her to her own devices.

Minjung was right. She couldn’t just ask Eunsook out, but she was going to try her luck nonetheless.

Thank you so much! It means a lot to me! Your latest concert was amazing! Would you like to meet up one day and talk some more?

Her heart was beating faster as she pressed the send button. Won’t Eunsook think she’s creepy? Maybe it was a mistake to ask her so soon.

Yet after what felt like the longest minute in her life, her phone rang again.

I would love to! I know this cute cafe downtown, when would you be free?

Junghee’s heart leaped. She couldn’t have been happier.