I'm here. I can't wait to see you on the stage. I know you'll do an amazing job. Fighting!

Yesung read the message from his father on his mobile before putting it down with a deep sigh, looking at his reflection in the heavily lit mirror. His father had never missed any of his performances in Seoul and the latter’s usual messages right before Yesung went on stage were his lucky charm. This time he told his father not to come as he knew he hadn't been well for the past week.

He can see how he has come a long way in the past ten years and become the star that he is today. Oftentimes he wonders, was it all worth it? The price he paid with hard work, sacrificing personal time and relationships, just to stand on that grand stage and have fans screaming out his name. He question himself every single time before walking towards the stage yet he'd always end up being clueless.

For people looking from the outside, he is a star who has everything that he could ever ask for. They are almost right, except for the fact that it's not true. He wishes he could show how much of a mess his life truly is. Being famous isn't for everyone. He learned that when he lost the one person he thought would never leave him. He still remembers the day he saw the person walk out on him, eyes full of resentment and spewing words full of hatred. Thinking back on it, he believes he probably deserved it.

But Yesung knew he was born to be on stage. His stardom was not something he stumbled upon; it was something he had worked hard for. His twin brother, Jonghoon was the one who encouraged him to pursue music and he was also the first fan he'd ever had. He loved Yesung’s music; they would sit on the rooftop of their humble abode with Yesung singing and Jonghoon listening to him all night. Jonghoon was also the one who took Yesung to all the auditions and was always there when they didn’t go well. He could still remember how Jonghoon used to buy him his favorite food, “dak bal”, just to cheer him up. Jonghoon had always been Yesung’s cornerstone and the anchor that held him to the ground he stood on. 

But that was in the past and there isn't a day when he wishes he could go back in time and do things differently. However, seven years had passed ever since Jonghoon walked out of his life. Yesung had tried, every single day, to reach out to him. He messaged him, invited him to his concerts, and always mailed the first ticket to Jonghoon, but the envelope would always come back unopened. 

“Still hoping he would show up?” asked a voice behind him, jerking him back to reality.

Heechul stood behind him, leaning against the door frame, his eyes full of concern and understanding, as Yesung turned around to look at his cousin. He couldn’t imagine how he would’ve survived in the industry without him. Heechul had always been a part of their lives but he became more so after Jonghoon left. Heechul was the only connection to his brother, other than his father.

“You know I won’t stop, hyung. We share the same DNA, remember?” Yesung said with a heavy sigh. He began to check his hair and jacket in the mirror, pretending to busy himself with last-minute touch-ups before going on-stage.

“I know, Yesung-ah, but don't stress about it too much right before the performance. If you mess it up, remember that Kangin won’t shut up about it, and we all know how annoying he is if he starts complaining,” he said with a smirk. He came forward to rest his hands on Yesung’s shoulders reassuringly. Heechul gave him a soft smile as an attempt to comfort him.

“Annoying, huh? Look who's talking. Are you even qualified to call someone annoying, Mr. ‘hand me my disinfectant to use on the person next to me who breathes the wrong way’?” A familiar yet annoyed voice cut in. “Also, why am I annoying? Hyung, why did he call me annoying?” Kangin who just entered the room turned to ask Yesung who was smiling at them fondly. He was amused at their bickering. He was about to tell them that they were both annoying but managed to stop himself when he looked at Heechul who shrugged at him with a smug expression that clearly said, “I rest my case.”

“Did something happen? Is it because of Jonghoon again?” Kangin asked suddenly after quickly reading the atmosphere, causing the smile to disappear from Yesung's face.

“It’s alright Yesung, don’t let it get to your head,” Kangin added with the same level of concern Heechul had a minute ago, wanting to comfort Yesung in his own way.

“I’m fine, Kangin-ah. Let’s kill them all today,” Yesung assured him with all the enthusiasm he could muster, turning to look at Kangin with a consoling smile that was magazine front cover-worthy.

Yesung, however, could tell that the smile didn’t convince Kangin but if he had any more concerns on his mind, he didn’t want to let them show for his sake. That was something Yesung was very grateful for.

Kangin had been his manager ever since he joined the company but Yesung regarded him as a friend and a brother rather than a manager. Since they were more like a family than mere colleagues, that fact alone entitled Kangin to share everything with Yesung, even if he sometimes wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about knowing it.

Yesung should have known that wherever Kangin was, his boyfriend Leeteuk would soon follow. That was how, when the door of his dressing room opened again, he knew it was Leeteuk hyung without even turning around. Kangin would always bring Leeteuk Hyung around for concerts just because he wanted to be a sweet boyfriend.

“Yesung-ah, you ready?” he asked with a cheery smile that somehow always gave Yesung strength whenever he saw it.

“Oh Teukie, you’re finally here,” Heechul called out from the back. “Do you mind removing your boyfriend from here? He’s annoying.”

Heechul had such a knack of pushing everyone’s buttons. Over the years, he even became a pro at it. However, Leeteuk was one of the rare specimens of humans who was immune to that aspect of Heechul. Sometimes, he was also the only one who could handle Heechul perfectly.

Their relationship never ceased to amaze Yesung. They’d been best friends for as long as Yesung could remember. Heechul was like a whole different person whenever he was around Leeteuk. Yesung always had this feeling that there wasn’t a thing Heechul wouldn’t do if Leeteuk was the one who asked him.

“Ignore him,” Leeteuk hurriedly told Kangin, sending Heechul a “don’t start, consider this a warning” look. He then turned to Yesung. “You. Ignore them both and go do what you do best, okay? Fighting!” Leeteuk cheered, patting Yesung on his shoulder. “And by the way, your dad texted me that he’s already in the arena, don’t worry about him. We’ll both be cheering for you the loudest, so put on your best show ok?” he added with his trademark grin.

“I will, hyung. Please tell Dad to go home after the concert and that I’ll see him tomorrow for lunch,” Yesung said, reaching out for his hand.

Leeteuk gave him a swift hug in return and gave a two-finger salute as an answer. After that, he began to drag a yelling Heechul out of the dressing room before either he or Kangin could kill each other. 

“Ah hyung, I wasn’t done with him yet!” Kangin called after Leeteuk who only increased his pace, dragging Heechul away by his collar.

“Pfft… Teukie hyung takes all the fun out of things,” Kangin muttered in mock exasperation, turning to Yesung who was now ready with the last-minute touch-ups.

Once his mic and earpiece were in place, he turned to Kangin. “Isn’t that why you love him though?” he asked with a smirk.

“I love him for a whole other reason that I would rather not tell in public, Yesung,” Kangin responded with the smuggest smile on his face, causing Yesung to cringe so hard that he had to run out of the dressing room. 

They waited backstage just before the arena was lit with a flood of lights. The sound of the fans screaming thei