10 PRETTY BOY
Lee Taemin Superstar10 PRETTY BOY
(Setting: Singapore)
Taemin’s first gig in the city is actually an SM Town event, which gathers many popular SM artists.
After which he is scheduled for two solo concerts as part of his tour. Three events in a weeklong stay in Singapore is tantamount to a little free time for Taemin and his entourage.
The early call-time for the SM artists gives Taemin just enough time to check in the hotel and get ready for the show. While getting his hair and makeup done, Jonghyun informs Taemin that there are last-minute changes in the song lineup. Taemin is supposed to perform two songs, “Danger” and “Drip Drop”. It’s been decided, however, that he will also perform “Pretty Boy”, which is a duet with EXO’s Kai.
“Taeminah, it’s been a while since you last performed Pretty Boy so you’ll need a run-through. Problem is EXO’s running late so you might not have time to rehearse with Kai. Let’s just practice together, but I need to take care of some things first… well, manager stuff. Anyway, practice on your own for now. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Kibum, please hold onto the lyrics sheet.”
Jonghyun was gone before Taemin could even react. The entertainer glances nervously at Kibum.
“I can’t rehearse this without anyone covering Kai’s part. It’s the only way I could recall all my vocal nuances aside from the singing parts. Jinki-hyung, manager told me you got great vocals. Could you possibly be familiar with the song?”
Jinki smiles below his bunny cheeks. “If you’re asking me to rap with you, you might as well ask Lee Sooman to dance with you.”
“I’ll do it.” Kibum pulls out his iPod from his bag and starts disentangling the cord of his earphones.
“I know the song a little and I have the lyrics here. Just give me twenty minutes to go over it.”
Taemin and Jinki look at Kibum as if he just said he’s moving to North Korea.
“What? I want to be useful! And have you forgotten that I work for you, Taemin? Twenty minutes. I’ll just be at the garden outside.”
---
Jinki plugs the speaker into Jonghyun’s laptop and puts the track on cue. “Okay, Taemin. You’re up first. Key, you know when to go in.”
Since he’s already aware that Kibum is a good dancer, Taemin isn’t surprised when the interpreter’s body starts moving along with the beat the second the song played. Taemin then lets his stage spirit inside him and starts singing the verse.
Seeing Taemin in his element excites Kibum like no other. But this is more thrilling since it feels like performing with the superstar, albeit backstage. Kibum tells himself that he will do his best in their rehearsal so that Taemin will nail the performance.
However, Kibum ends up disrupting Taemin’s performance-mode practice when he starts rapping.
Eyes closed, Kibum doesn’t see Taemin stopping completely and staring at him with wide eyes. Not until it’s time for Taemin to sing and Kibum only hears the audio track.
Jinki interrupts them. “Uhm, Taemin? Sorry, guys, I’m stopping this. Let’s start from the top, shall we? Taemin, are you ready?”
Taemin seems to snap out from a trance. “Hyung! Wow, you can rap!”
Kibum blushes. “Oh come on, Taemin. It’s just like reciting the lines over music. Anyone can do it.”
“I can’t.” Jinki exclaims, his voice sounded like he’s smiling but Kibum sees that his face is serious.
“Well, I’m sorry I stopped. You caught me by surprise, hyung! Anyway, let’s continue. I’m ready, Jinki-hyung.”
On their third try, Taemin and Kibum perfected the song. Jonghyun walks in right in the middle, mouth open wide and looking at them, including Jinki, with all the excitement his face can produce.
He couldn’t help clapping and whistling when the song ended.
“What on earth just happened here?! Damn, that was good! You sounded good together!”
“Taemin’s great, as usual. And the song’s just really nice, Jjong.” Kibum says shyly.
“Why, thank you, Key! I wrote it.”
“Oh! I didn’t know that! You did a wonderful job, Jjong.”
“And so did you, Key! Well, Taemin, turns out you aren’t doomed if EXO doesn’t make it here on time. Key nailed the rap and even the background vocals.”
“Key-hyung, let’s do a couple more as soon as EXO arrives. I want to annoy Kai so bad!”
“And that is Taemin indirectly complimenting you, Key.” Jonghyun winks at Kibum.
Jinki, infected by his boyfriend’s enthusiasm, says, “Well, everyone in our school called him the Almighty Kibum.”
“Stop it, guys. I’ll be so over-confident that I might march up the stage later.” Kibum chuckles.
“You actually can, hyung. You’re idol material.”
It is Taemin’s compliment that finally burns Kibum’s cheeks, so he ducks and pretends to be searching for something inside his bag before the boy can spot his fiery blush.
---
Just as Taemin had hoped, Kai arrives while he was in the middle of practicing with Kibum.
Confusion is evident in Kai’s face for the first few minutes, especially when Taemin looks at Kibum and gestures with his hand that they keep going. But before the song even ends, Kai looks like he is ready to cheer for his friend and the attractive stranger who is doing his own parts in the song like a pro. Who is this guy?
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