2PM was getting ready for their next act (which wouldn’t be for at least 4 minutes since Junsu would be performing his “Alive” solo next) when they heard a commotion in the audience.  Of course, the crowd has been going wild and crazy ever since the beginning of the concert, but the crowd really got into a frenzy this time and it seemed like the aim of their shouts and screams and cheers was in the audience itself. 5 2PM members and other assistants tried to peak around and discover the source of the commotion.  Only the oldest member, Kim Junsu, remained cool and on task.  He took a deep breath and made his way to center stage.  This was it…

              Kim So Eun tried to shield herself as she kept from slipping into the cold, very shiny floor.  Though she successfully ditched her hanbok, she couldn’t exchange her silken shoes for something more practical as her getaway was very hurried and last minute.  She didn’t think that she had to use the train just to go to a concert, but she had no choice. Then again, she also didn't anticipate the very raucous and very ardent welcome she got once news of the arrival of their beloved Emperor's beloved (or so the rumors say) spread like wildfire.  Crowds of Hottest tried to gather around their petite moving target, but she was the slippery little thing.  She expertly weaved in and out of the throng as she tried to find a friendly face. 

            Junsu didn't even notice that the attention of the audience was only halfway his.  All he knew was that his brain was speeding just as his heart tried to keep up with the tempo of his song's introduction.  Everything was unimportant and irrelevant except for the electricity crackling around him and the music already playing in his heart.  Slowly, the audience's attention diverted back to the very charismatic Daegu native.  He always had that effect.

           Where were her friends anyway?  She was growing more agitated by the minute.  Her best friend, Go Ara, already texted three times while she was on the train to hurry her behind, but there was no sign of anyone from the entertainment industry where she found herself in. She tried to evade the hands that suddenly tried to make a grab for her as bodies pressed all around her, too close for comfort, when she heard the sound of the new performance start.  The introduction was a lone violin until a sort of orchestra infused with techno and choir joined and everything, even So Eun’s heart, stood at a standstill.  She has never heard this song before….

                  Unlike his other performances of “Alive”, Junsu chose not to have any backup dancers.  It was a split second decision he made the day before, but he knew, he just knew, that it was the right thing to do. Junsu felt the pulse of adrenaline that slowly spread throughout his body in time with the orchestral beginning of “Alive”.  This was just the right amount of rush, of emotion and power, that Junsu felt whenever he would perform anyone of his own compositions.  He liked Jin Young-hyung’s compositions enough, but music was what he lived for and the lyrics and the beat and all the feelings behind it must come straight from the heart.  Junsu’s songs always held a little bit of himself inside each of them, as if he endowed them with their own hearts, and, though he was never selfish, each of his songs can only be adequately and wholeheartedly performed by him.

                He closed his eyes and allowed the music to envelope him…

                Finally sure that the current performance has pulled the audience’s attention away from her, So Eun finally dared to spin around and watch the stage.  Decorated in black and red, it all screamed very masculine to her, but the dark magnificence of the giant stage was dwarfed by the performer in the middle.

                Though reeling from the passionate reaction of the crowd to her arrival and still pretty wary, So Eun still made a split second decision to let her guard down, ignore the shouts all around her, and finally absorb the charisma of the lone 2PM member onstage.

                It took a split second for Junsu’s eyes to land at the lone dark figure not lit up by the multiple glow sticks waved by thousands of other fans and it took a split second for So Eun to slowly move closer, as if beckoned by some force, in order to see and hear clearly this one person who was performing this one song that seemed to touch her so deeply.

                It took a split second… for their eyes to meet.