Prompt 19: Cordial 1,218 Words

Gazing at the whole arena, he is standing on the stage as he finishes his final concert, one last time for a long time. He did everything they planned and even got a few surprises, and even his family and a few friends came to see his concert. In that night, he does not want to end the concert. He wants it to go on and on up to his last breath and strength. With a heavy heart with tears that keep rising, he does not want to bid his fans goodbye. He does not want to show them his tears, but his heart is swelling up.

He is perspiring. He is spent, but he is electrified with energy throughout his body. 

Looking at the crowd, he asks himself, 'Can he get back on this stage? Is there a stage for him to get back on? It's bound to change.'

With one voice they keep shouting his name, it's ringing in the whole place, "KIM JAEJOONG, KIM JAEJOONG, KIM JAEJOONG!!!" 

He wants to say in a most cordial way possible his heart felt love and thanks to his fans, but looking at them, he is choke up inside. He bows his head several times. He knows he is facing the unknown, and he has no control over it. He is thinking of too many things that are running in his head at that moment, but he almost could not say a word, capping his hands to his lips, he could not speak, he could not say to them what he really truly feels, as if no words are adequate enough at that moment. 

He tries again, capping his hands to his lips. Thinking on what to say, he'll just say simple words that's from his heart, it's his sincerest words he could say, "EVERYONE, MY THANKS TO YOU, AND I LOVE YOU!!!"

His tears are threatening to burst once again, and he could not say anything anymore, and he turns his back for the last time, and with heavy steps he walks off from the stage to the backstage. He can hear his fans calling his name as he walks away.

Loud voices calling his name, 'KIM JAEJOONG WE LOVE YOU, KIM JAEJOONG WE LOVE YOU, KIM JAEJOONG WE LOVE YOU!!!" 

He keeps walking, bites his lower lip and allows his tears to flow freely. Their voices ringing in his head. He gulps for a few fresh air. He grabs a towel and wipes it, but it keeps coming. Not looking at anyone, he sits on the sofa with a bowed head and covers his eyes with the towel with both hands. He is gathering himself together, before he faces anyone. As he sits there, he tries not to think. He tries to empty himself. 

He then feels air going to his wet heated skin and scalp, and he just wants to slump down on the sofa to rest. He slowly pulls the towel down to his thigh and raises his head and sees her fanning him with a board paper. He looks at her in the eyes, and she's looking at him with concern, she gives him one long blink with a tiniest of a nod,  and continues to fan him. He notices some glistening in the corner of her eyes. At that moment, regardless of the place and the people with them, he wants to grab her and hug her really tight. 

No one is paying attention to them. Everyone knows her as one of the staff. She is facing him and her back to the others, no one can see her face. She stops fanning him for a second, his eyes following her movements, she takes a bottled water from the table, opens it, and offers it to him.  

Returning his eyes looking her in the eyes, he takes the bottle from her and holds her hand a few seconds longer. After taking a few sips, he then puts the bottle down on the table. 

She returns back to fanning him. 

He is being careful with his action, knowing that other people might be watching him. With a pout, he squints his eyes a tiny bit at her, gives her one long blink, and squints his eyes again. 

She raises her right eyebrow at him, and continues to fan him. 

He stops squinting with a tiny smile appearing on his lips, and gives her another one long blink. 

She rolls her eyes at him, looks back at him, and still continues to fan him. She looks at the corner of her eyes to see if anyone was closeby, speaks, "Come on, you better change, and have some new clothes on. You might end up with a bad cold. Your family and friends are waiting for you."

He stands up, steps closer to her, wiping his face, and whispers, "Come with me."

She smiles, and whispers back, "I'm alright. Don't worry. Go."

He is looking at her thinking what to do, and looks down on the floor. 

She reads him, and says quietly, "There is a right place and the right time, and this is not it. I will not be far away, I'll be somewhere nearby. So, go, do what you must."

Not looking at her, he blinks one long blink, wiping the left side of his neck, inhales one long breath, wiping the right side of his neck, exhales slowly, whispers, "Afterwards.."

A quiet tiniest nod, "Yes."

He wipes his face again, glances at her.

She smiles at him, one long blink and a nod. 

He caps one hand to her ear appearing to whisper something, but he kisses her cheek, and whispers,  "I love you, Sweetheart."

She moves back a little, smiles at him, whispers, "Me, too." 

He glances at her and gives a tiniest of a nod, walks off to change his clothes, and then meet his family and friends. 

She only follows him with a glance, changes her glance to the objects before her, and thinks to herself, 'I like his hair color right now, I don't know, if I can watch him have his haircut. I want to hold his hand while he does it. For his sake, but mostly for my sake. I don't know if I can send him off. I probably will burst into tears, all the while." Taking deep breaths, tears are at the brink of coming, but she tries to hold it in. Talking to herself, like a mantra, "Afterwards..I have all the time..afterwards.." She continues in taking deep breaths. 'It's going to be a long wait, but I am good with waiting. I had some practice. I'll just keep busy, and try not to notice the time.'

She pulls a beer from a basket on the table, smiling with the irony, and says, "He loves these stuff, and I'm allergic to these stuff." She places it back in the basket, and starts to walk off to get some things done before they leave the place. She stops for a second, and eye the wines. 'Maybe, I could buy some wine. Get some blueberry cheesecake or something. Not a bad idea.Hmm Some very good coffee. or change that to ice cream. hmmm Not a bad idea.' She walks off smiling.