The green room at Club Buska is always too cramped, but this is one of the clubs that frequently let them play.  Chanyeol's in his own world, headphones on and plugged into his electronic drum pad.  Eyes closed and head thrown back, he's driving hard into his drumming and driving Minseok crazy.  Polishing his bass, Minseok tries to relax before it's their turn on stage.  The place is already too loud as the stage is right above them, but Baekhyun manages to make it louder by warming up his throat with obnoxiously loud scales.

"Shove off!" Jongin yells.  "in' give it back!"

Sehun holds the whammy bar out of Jongin's reach after wrestling it from Jongin's hands. 

"Make me" Sehun taunts.  "in' make me!"

A determined set to his lower lip, Jongin grabs Sehun's crotch, causing Sehun to yelp and drop the whammy bar.  Except that the whammy bar drops right on Chanyeol's head.  Chanyeol screams and jumps, both from the pain and from the surprise.  But the drummer is all long limbs and too tall for the crowded room.  Bumping his head on a low rafter, he falls backward, kicking his drum pad machine to the floor and sending his headphones flying.  The headphones smack Minseok in the face and when they do, Minseok lunges on instinct, trying to catch them midair.  But when he does, Minseok falls as well, losing his balance.  He reaches out instinctively and accidentally catches Baekhyun by the elbow.  However, Baekhyun's too busy pacing the room to be solid enough to catch Minseok that suddenly.  Baekhyun screeches as Minseok takes Baekhyun down along with him. 

The end result is this:  Chanyeol on his back, clutching the back of his head, with Minseok's face buried in his lower belly and Baekhyun's pinning down Chanyeol's legs.

Sehun and Jongin are holding each other's arms, cackling as they are somehow allied again over the others' pain.  When Minseok tries to scramble up, his legs get tangled in Baekhyun's and his face slips lower down, lips scraping against Chanyeol's belt buckle.  Luckily, his arms grip the floor and wall paneling to prevent further contact with Chanyeol's .  This isn't the time for that, after all.  

"Are the walls spinning?" Chanyeol asks Minseok, still clutching his head.  "Why are the walls spinning?"

"That's just the writing on the walls" Baekhyun reassures him, brushing dust off his body dramatically.  "Dust it off and let's get ready for the show!"

Amazingly, Baekhyun's still in high spirits despite the fall and Minseok suspects it's something that he's mixed in his preshow drink.  Minseok narrows his eyes at the two youngsters who are at the root of all this.  He opens his mouth to scold, trying to inspect Chanyeol's drum machine for damages, when the stage manager pokes his head in.

"Five minutes" he shouts.  "No time for sound check."
 

The energy changes in the room as if a switch has been flipped.  Even Baekhyun's usual cavalier attitude has morphed into something resembling charisma.  Chanyeol grabs his drumsticks while Baekhyun takes one last swig of his drink, grabbing a fresh water bottle.  Minseok holds his bass close, making sure it doesn't bump into anything along the way.  Sehun and Jongin both strap their electric guitars to their bodies.  The traverse the narrow hallway and stomp up the stairs.  Before they go on stage, Minseok brings them into a huddle.

"Play hard" Minseok says. 

"Lose Control" Baekhyun and Chanyeol chant.

"And come out alive!" Sehun and Jongin shout.

They toss their hands down and singe file onto the stage.  The crowd cheers with some whistling and cat calls.  Baekhyun grins cockily and faces the audience as the others set up.

"What's up Itaewon!" Baekhyun screams micless.

The audience cheers and laughs, some more drunk than others.

"We're gonna start off with a song that's gonna blow your minds!"  Turning to Chanyeol and then to the others to see if they're ready, Baekhyun nods briefly at Chanyeol, gripping the mic.

"One two.  One two three four!" Chanyeol counts them off and the sound blasts from the sound system, amps at full blast.

 

It's almost scary how in sync they are - frightening how well matched they are with their instruments.  Steady Minseok, who only sometimes defaults as the band's leader due to his age, is on the bass.  Wild and free, Baekhyun sings his heart out and handles the crowd so well, they're eating from his palm by the end of the night.  Jongin and Sehun get high off the music from their electric guitars with Jongin on lead and Sehun on rhythm.  Chanyeol, the backbone of their sound, is a mix between crazy drumming skills and constant beats, knowing when to switch from the two extremes and when to ride the line in between.

And as they all move to the beat and jump at the rests, stomping on the floor when the down beat hits, they all have one thought in common.

 

 

 

Backstage in this small pub is only reserved for staff and artists.  Still, after a show, somehow the groupies find their way to the back.  There's a tall waifish girl hanging off of Chanyeol's shoulder, leaning her cheek at the peak of Chanyeol's deltoid with stars in her eyes.  Her lips are painted a pretty, pretty coral orange and Minseok catches Chanyeol's eyes flickering down to the girl's mouth more often than not.

There are other girls and boys, hanging onto the door way, peeking at Minseok and Baekhyun - too shy to hold a proper conversation.  Minseok furrows his brows and pretends not to see them through the clouds of cigarette smoke, but Baekhyun's -eating grin gets wider and cockier as he purposefully leans into their personal space.

"So, did you like our show?" Baekhyun asks in a low voice specifically reserved for their fans.

Sehun and Jongin stand side by side, trying to look cool and aloof.  But Sehun's leg is jiggling - a dead giveaway that he's on edge and hungry.  Jongin's eyes are directed on his phone screen, avoiding eye contact with the groupies at their periphery on purpose.   He shrugs one arm of his leather jacket off, tongue peeking out of his lips.  He turns to Sehun, lips pressed against Sehun's ear, way too close.

"It's hot back here" Jongin explains unncessarily, hot and breathy against the other boy's ear.  The fans lap it up.

"So Sehun-ah, what are you going to go eat?" one lithe and smokey eyed boy asks.  His short fingermails are painted black and they rake across Sehun's sweaty chest.

Sehun shrugs, but smiles at the shorter boy.  "What do you think?  Do you recommend anything in the area?"

"How about the pasta at Michel's?"  The shorter boy's cheeks grow rosy with the attention and he flutters his lashes, peering up at Sehun.  "The carbonara is really-"

"I don't feel like pasta" Jongin interrupts, tilting his head so it rests on Sehun's shoulder.  He's stuffing his phone into his back pocket when he spies the long haired girl in the lilac summer dress.  With a free hand Jongin slides his fingers lightly down her bare arm absent-mindedly.  The girl titters and flushes a deep red all the way down to her collarbones at the skinship.  "I want pork belly" he says, eyes staring into the girl's wide, star-struck eyes.  His fingers entwine with the girl's causing the girl to squeak in a high pitch that hurts Sehun's ear.  "Don't you think pork belly is better than pasta?" Jongin asks her, feigning innocence - as if he doesn't know exactly what he's doing.

The girl nods vigorously, sending her hair flowing in waves.  Whether she is cognizant of the actual decision is up for question, but Jongin grins triumphantly up at Sehun's face, dropping the girl's hand immediately.

"Ha!" he says lightly, bumping his nose with Sehun's.

"Pork belly it is" Sehun chuckles deeply.

Minseok sighs, watching the two boys from further down the hall where he'd retreated after witnessing the sickening spectacle of Baekhyun serenading some of the groupies.  The keys to band's van are swinging around his right pointer finger.  He's about to open his mouth to scream at his band-mates when a hand claps on his shoulder.  Startled, Minseok whips around and just as he does, he hears the loud collective scream of a group of girls near by.

"Hello."  

Minseok blinks up to see one of the most popular actors of Korean day time television looking back at him.

"Hello?" Junmyeon says again.  "My name is Kim Junmyeon.  I'm a huge fan."

"You're-" Minseok manages to get out before Baekhyun , appearing out of no where, shoves Minseok aside, shaking the hand Junmyeon's offered.

"Hi! Wow, I've seen you on television!  I can't believe you came to our show!" Baekhyun's shouting.

Chanyeol too bowls into Minseok's back, causing him to sputter.  "Wow, Kim Junmyeon came to our show.  Wow.  Daebak."  And though Chanyeol's voice sounds a little soulless, there's this intense glow to his wide eyes.

Suddenly, Sehun pokes his long neck into the mix, peering quite rudely into Junmyeon's face.  "Wow, your skin is really nice" he observes.  "I'm Oh Sehun."

Junmyeon laughs, unfazed by the attention.  "It's nice to meet all of you.  I love your band's music, but... I'm actually a fan of Minseok's in particular."

Minseok starts in surprise, the reaction accented by the kohl his eye.  Not many people are fans of the bass player.

"Oof" Sehun grunts as Jongin dumps his whole upper torso onto Sehun's back.

"Hi" Jongin grins slow and purposeful.  "I'm Jongin" he purrs.  "I'm younger than Minseok hyung.  And I'm the lead guitar."

The implication is loud and clear and Junmyeon laughs awkwardly before clearing his throat.  The pristine beige linen suit he has on is a stark contrast to the dingy and smoke-filled hallways of Club Buska.

"Well, again, it's nice to meet you all."  Junmyeon rummages around his coat pocket and produces a tiny notepad and pen.  "Can I get an autograph?"

Junmyeon looks directly at Minseok with a little hopeful smile and Minseok can't help but melt a little inside.

"Of course!" Minseok squeaks, his previous annoyance washed away by Junmyeon's gentle manner.

Minseok doesn't catch Chanyeol scoffing as he turns his head.  He doesn't catch Sehun's face hardening nor does he see Jongin's pout.  But just as Minseok uncaps the pen, Baekhyun snatches it from his grip, taking the notepad shortly after.

"Who should we make it out to?" Baekhyun asks, unabashedly.  "Junmyeon-ssi?  Or just Kim Junmyeon?"

"Ah..." Minseok stares with a slightly open mouth.  "Byun Baekhyun, he asked for-"

Junmyeon meets the eyes of each band member, considering each with a neutral expression before curving his eyes into half moons.  "Anything would be fine."

The guys all take turns signing into Junmyeon's notepad, but when Minseok bows his head to scribble his own, something in the air changes.  The smiles on the rest of the boys' faces stiffen, staring hard at the newcomer, Junmyeon.  Junmyeon holds his own.  The genteel, mild mannered expression on his face dissipates and an omniscient look settles into a smirk.

"Here you go" Minseok says, holding out the notepad and pen after completing his signature with a little heart drawing.

"Thank you, Minseok-ssi" Junmyeon returns, eyes curving into crescents.   He bows and tells them that he's looking forward to their next set.

When Junmyeon leaves, they're silent for a second before Baekhyun opens his mouth.

"What a pretentious jerk" he laughs.

"Mmm... a two faced kind of person.  Hyung, don't talk to him again, OK?" Jongin asks, puppy dog eyes on full blast.

"He was nice" says Sehun, turning to Minseok.  "But he seemed fake."

"I know what you mean" Chanyeol agrees.  "I wonder if show business changes people."

"You jerks" Minseok says after a beat, turning to face the rest of the band.  "You're just saying that because he said he was my fan, right?"

The younger boys turn their heads, while Baekhyun and Chanyeol snicker behind their hands.  In the end, no one denies it.