BGM:

Taemin, Criminal

Namjoo, Bird

———————

Seoul. Sep, 2020.

“Unnie, thank you for coming today.” Namjoo smiled gratefully and embraced Naeun lightly. 

“No worries. Perform well for your stage, ok?” She patted Namjoo’s back in encouragement. 

Namjoo nodded with tear-rimmed eyes. “I will unnie.” She sniffled, then paused. Her lips curled to a light snicker as she muttered lowly. “Did you check on Taemin sunbaenim yet? He’s in the room on the other side.” 

Naeun rolled her eyes. “I was planning to stay for longer, but if you want me to leave, I can leave.” Naeun turned to the door, but Namjoo caught her arm and begged. “No, no unnie. I was just joking.” She smiled sheepishly. “Stay as long as you want, unnie. I’m lonely, so I need you more than Taemin sunbaenim.” She whined to Naeun. 

Naeun’s lips curled up behind her mask, but she asked with a bland voice. “You’re both soloists, why do you need me more than him?” 

“I’ve just newbie who debuted for a week, unnie… don’t leave me yet.” Namjoo said with puppy eyes. 

Naeun suppressed her laughter. “Fine then, I’ll stay for a bit longer — until you go for prerecording.”

Naeun sat on the sofa as the makeup artist fiddled with Namjoo’s face. They spoke for a while until Naeun asked. “Namjoo-ah, were you really surprised when I came in?”

“Of course, unnie! I wasn’t expecting any of the members to come!”

Naeun thought for a moment, then asked hesitantly. “If…you didn’t expect me to come, and I pretended to be your stylist, would you notice?”

Namjoo answered honestly. “I probably wouldn’t. I’m already out of my mind today because of all the preparations and stress. Plus, everyone has a mask on anyways. ”

Naeun nodded as if in deep thought and their conversation ceased. 

Namjoo stared at Naeun for a moment, as if absorbing her words, then widened her eyes in shock. She glanced around to ensure no one paid attention to them, then she walked over and whispered to Naeun with widened eyes. “Wait. Unnie, you’re planning to do that to Taemin sunbaenim?”

—————

Chuckles echoed in the backstage, while he laughed with his dancers. The director and staffs were in their last stage of preparation.

Taemin was glad that his dancers and staff helped cheer him up. Years of performing alone made him grow, but the pressure from a long awaited performance was still enough to harden his expression.

He glanced at his tied hands and shuffled his wrists briefly. With his mind on the choreography, he shuffled his feet and wriggled his shoulders. He ran through the newest, hardest moves and hummed the melody. Suddenly, a thin arm stretched into his sight, and he smelled a familiar scent. He felt a light tint on his cheek as the woman, probably a stylist, added another brush to his makeup. He felt a tint of familiarity, but when he looked back, the woman, with a black cap on, turned away quickly. 

“Taemin-ssi, we’re ready.” The PD notified him and he regained his senses. 

He climbed up the stage, knelt in the centre of dancers and lifted up his arms.

Lights clicked off. 

He heard the sound of the director speaking through the mic. 

3.

He closed his eyes briefly. 

2.

His face contorted and his smile faded.

1.

He opened his eyes again, but they turned dreamy and mesmerising.

The singer, performer Taemin —

is on. 

—————

“Destroy me more.

So elegant, a criminal who hurts me...” 

Naeun stood behind the cameras. She watched how his body move gracefully across the stage, with smooth turns and powerful steps, as he twirled and turned, creating a visual masterpiece beneath her eyes.

It reminded her of the times when she saw him right below the stage 7 years ago, when she watched him perform Everybody with his teammates. She knew he was talented, hardworking, and she knew he shone on the stage. His aura, his performance is something that makes her mesmerise, no matter when she sees it. Though they may be lovers, but Naeun feels she has a lot to learn from him too, how he grasps the attention of the audiences, and how he controls the stage. 

As an idol herself, she is always willing to learn how to become a better performer, and her boyfriend is a perfect example of it. She is proud of him, of course, as she knew how much he loved his job, and how much effort he has spent on it. The fans see this side of him and love this side of him, a