(Happy birthday Laura ♡)

Part 3

Minho was a difficult guy when it came to allow new artists in his bar, however he also was the demanding kind regarding his selection criterions. If one received a proposal for a performance at the Blue Night, for sure it meant talent was there ; for a long time, people who were aware of his relationship with Jinki had thought the bartender was blindly favouring the singer. Since the latter could easily have his show once every two weeks, it wasn’t wrong of them to think that way, but the thing was…

“It’s not my fault if he can sing so well.” The tall man grumbled, changing gear with one hand holding the wheel. “The audience likes him anyway.”

“I’m not saying you’re doing him too many favours.” Kibum retorted on the passenger seat, lowering the sound of the radio to be heard. “I just think that dude from the States should have more performances at the bar. He’s quite good, I like his voice.”

“You mean Eric ? He’s having a few auditions lately, he wants to try getting accepted in an agency. I guess if he succeeds, he won’t have time anymore for the Blue Night.”

“That means you’ll have plenty of evenings for my target !”

“Come on, you shouldn’t wish for one’s dismissal. The station is near, let’s see if we can park somewhere…”

As the events planner had expected it, his best friend had had to admit the few videos of the subway singer were showing a talented guy. However, he had decided he needed to see a performance with his own eyes to really make his own opinion ; no sooner said than done, Kibum had quite forced him to pick him up at his place so they could go together to the station where the stranger sang. It took them a few minutes to find a spot to park the bartender’s car, everything being almost taken on a Sunday.

In the end, they would have to walk a bit to reach their destination but they didn’t mind considering what kind of prize was waiting for them at the end of the path. The oldest of the two was heading to the station hastily, his heartbeat growing faster as he approached the subway’s outdoors staircase. He completely ignored Minho calling to tell him to go slower, that they weren’t in a rush and he would eventually hurt himself by falling in the stairs or something like that.

“Are you even sure he will welcome us warmly ?” The tallest of them asked as he bought a quite useless ticket, which would only serve to allow him on the platform. “From what you said, he rejected you last time.”

“Just because he didn’t believe me.” Kibum replied, his voice tinted with hope. “But if you, the bar’s owner, is here with me, he won’t be able to accuse me of being a liar again.”

“Aren’t we a bit rude here ? I mean, the guy had enough of scammers and told you off because you were too straightforward, and now we’re literally hunting him.”

“You’re so making a fuss over nothing… we’re going to politely meet him, not assault and kidnap him or whatever.”

“Still, I think we could have done it differently. Anyway, I guess you’re the boss so just don’t whine at me if he punches you.”

Rolling his eyes, the event planner pressed his friend to buy his ticket faster, the other one retorting he couldn’t wait faster for it to be printed. Once the machine finally gave him his due, Minho had just the time to catch it before he was grabbed by his arm and pulled towards the gates. He refrained himself from snapping at Kibum, knowing that as soon as the latter had something in mind, it was better for him to not put a spoke in his wheel. And after all, this situation could also be beneficial for him…

When they eventually made it to the platform, it was obviously almost empty : not a lot of persons had to take the subway on a Sunday, even the trains themselves didn’t come and go as frequently as on a weekday. The display was announcing the next one in a bit less than ten minutes instead of the usual two to three minutes of spare time. But what was more surprising for both men was the fact that they could have thought about it earlier : why would an artist sing in an empty subway ?

The singer wasn’t there. 

Kibum frowned and approached the corner where the guy habitually took his place, with his guitar’s case and his foldable stool. But the floor was clean as a whistle, nothing to hint that there might have been someone standing here in the past few hours. Had they come too early ? Or too late ?

“Well, I guess you scared him away.” Minho laughed. “Looks like he found another station.”

“That’s not possible…” The event planner muttered to himself before he took his phone, trying to look for a potential video that could have been posted earlier that day. “There is no trace of him.”

“Let’s just go home and come back on another day. The bar is closed on Tuesday, what do you think ?”

“No, I’m working until too late. Excuse me ?”

The bartender cocked an eyebrow as he watched his best friend being so desperate that he was asking random people about the subway singer. He somehow felt bad for him, it wasn’t in his habits to care so much about someone, to the point he looked really affected by the aforesaid person’s absence. He didn’t even know that guy, he might be a crush on him but was all of this truly necessary ?

“Kibum, you’re making a spectacle of yourself.” He stepped in when the other man asked a fourth person. “Just forget it.”

“Why does it have to be me every single time ?” The brown haired man sighed. “Can’t I have an ounce of luck in my life ?”

“You’re overdoing. Let’s just come back on another day and you’ll see your singer.”

“Are you looking for Jonghyun ?”

Both men turned towards the voice that had just spoken and were surprised to see a little girl holding her mother’s hand, the adult frowning at her child’s sudden behaviour. She was barely six years old, yet she seemed to know exactly what she was talking about. Before Kibum’s lack of tact could scare her, Minho smiled and crouched to be at her level.

“Hello, sweetie.” He softly said, kindly dismissing her mother’s apologies. “It’s fine. You said something about us looking for someone ?”

“Yes, Jonghyun.” The girl nodded. “The man with white hair who sings here sometimes, his name is Jonghyun. You’re looking for him, right ?”

“I think you’re right, do you know why he’s not here today ?”

“No, but I think he sings really well ! He sang the song of Queen Elsa for me once.”

The events planner couldn’t help but sigh with disappointment, earning a glare from his friend who thanked the little girl anyway and stood up.

“He sings here on weekdays only.” The mother suddenly said, her daughter’s hair. “He still needs an audience so he opts for main lines stations on Sundays.”

“Oh, really ?” The bartender smiled. “Thank you, madam, I think you just made my friend’s day.”

“It’s nothing, I can see he’s a bit disappointed. Try going to Yongsan, last time I returned from a business trip on a Sunday, he was singing there.”

“Thank you a lot, have a good day. You too, princess.”

The little girl giggled at the nickname and both men watched her leave with her mom to wait for the subway. Minho waved at her before he turned towards his friend, crossing his arms on his chest and shaking his head.

“You really need to take lessons to improve your communicating skills.” He commented. “You’re an events planner and that’s how you accost people ?”

“It’s easier on the phone, I don’t see their faces.” Kibum shrugged. “I guess we’re off to Yongsan then !”

“You are. I can drop you off there but it takes half an hour and I have an appointment.”

“You’re abandoning me ? An appointment, my . Just say you got a date with your boyfriend in some cheesy cafe where you’ll eat a same ice cream sundae together.”

“You know, you won’t be able to find yourself a boyfriend if you keep acting like that. Who do you share your sundaes with ?”

“I don’t share my food. Don’t avoid the topic.”

“You’re the one avoiding it but well. Yeah, I have a date with Jinki, happy ? I’m proposing to drop you off but you can also take the subway.”

“Come on, you can’t do that to me… Ming…”

“Practice your puppy eyes, it st