Chapter 29: Burn

The backstage bustle at the Hot Box welcomed Chanyeol with open arms - a veritable jungle of wires, gear, and rigging. Darkness cloaked a winding staircase, blacklights led up into the rafters where the VIP lounge awaited them after their set. A season had passed since they'd played the intimate venue. Such ruminations filled his head as he patiently endured Ga In's fluttering and insistence that a light dusting of shimmer on his cheekbones would make him look better on video. A classmate of Tao's had volunteered to film their set so they could promote themselves online and have something to send around.

Ga In pushed Chanyeol into a chair, muttering something about giants as she leaned over him, dusting the tops of his cheekbones with the light powder. "Hold still or I'm not going to be held accountable if you lose an eye," she warned cheerfully.

"Since when are you a makeup artist?" Chanyeol frowned at her, only to have her press two delicate fingertips to the center of his brow. "No frowning. Looks bad on camera." She smiled. "Since you needed one? I've done my own makeup for more years than you can count. Which makes me better at it than you." With that, she brandished an eyeliner pen and went for an eye. "Close your eyes. No, don't squeeze them closed! Just lightly."

"No! Go do Kai and Tao, my hair is going to be in the way anyway," Chanyeol batted her away before she could line his eyes. If he did it once, she'd make him do it again and again - it was best not to start.

"Alright alright~" She sing-songed. "You're so difficult." She sighed, blowing her bangs out of her eyes with a huff, and rounded on Kai. "Next!" Tugging on the vocalist's wrist, she pulled him over to the chair. "Out, you," she said to Chanyeol, kneeing him out of the way. "Sit," she told Kai.

The vocalist was energized, a lit fuse, upbeat. Though he and Chanyeol hadn't exchanged a single word throughout the evening - their set list was communicated by their neutral third, Tao - he seemed to be in high spirits and constant motion. His hands bounced and tapped a rhythm on the arms of the chair as Ga In tried to maneuver a dark line of kohl around his eyes. "New contacts, babe?" she mused at him. Wide-blown pupils lent the vocalist's dark gaze an unusual allure. A sheen of perspiration dappled his features  - which Ga In mourned would make him shiny under stage lights. "You need blotting papers and powder."

"But you were just putting shiny on Chanyeo--Ow!" he said as she jabbed him in the eye. "Trying to blind me, noona?"

"My hand is perfectly steady, you're twitching and moving too much!" She scolded. "Hold still!"

"Ya! Let me do it myself then!" Kai stole the eyeliner and darted over to the mirror. Ga In peered around to watch him - biting her lip and frowning as he drew a shaky line across one eyelid then the other. "No-- agh-- you should-- Kai! You should use shadow instead for that part--" she tittered. 

"Don't worry noona, everything will be fine," Kai smirked at his reflection, eyes eerily dark. "Here. Go help Tao." He shoved the eyeliner back at her and bounded off up the stairs before anyone could stop him.

"But Tao knows how to do his own eyeliner," Ga In sighed. "Taozi!" She approached the tall Chinese boy. "Lemme look at you." Pressing a cool hand to his cheek, she scrutinized his face.

"Uhhh, hi noona?" Tao tilted his head.

"Just checking," Ga In smiled. "Sometimes I think you're the only sane one around here."

Tao chuckled and caught her in a bear hug. "You're not the only one," he muttered with a laugh. "Are you going to tell Yue how to film us, too?" He teased the elder girl. "You should've just been our manager."

"Chan thinks you don't need a manager," Ga In stuck her tongue out at Tao. "Or I would be." Dissolving into a pretty smile, she gave Tao a squeeze. "Ok, I'm going to go... Yes. I will go check on Yue," she said resolutely.

Tao laughed, the boyish sound echoing in the small space. "You're cute when you worry noona. Like a mother hen, checking on her chicks."

Ga In's eyes widened and she huffed. "Ya, just because I'm your noona doesn't mean I'm old enough to be anybody's mother around here." Elbowing him, she extracted herself from his arms and tottered off on skyscraper heels.

"We'll be on in about ten," Chanyeol informed Tao as he strode up in Ga In's wake. His gaze was unreadable, tense and faraway. "Round up Kai, he can face with Kyungsoo later." Dropping a hand briefly to Tao's shoulder, he moved past him to do a last minute check on their gear.

Tao nodded and sighed. How were they supposed to play a successful show when two thirds of the band were at odds? Harmony would not be theirs tonight. "Kai," he said as he poked his head into VIP, spotting the vocalist on the nearby couch. "Ten minutes."

"Mm," Kai waved two fingers in Tao's direction. Kyungsoo was not with him, but the lightspeed at which Kai's fingers were flying over the screen of his phone suggested he was texting with the elder man, the small screen illuminating his features with an unnatural glow.

Tao frowned. "You ready for this?" He asked, slipping into VIP and settling on the couch next to Kai. 

"Why wouldn't I be?" Kai replied airily and continued texting. "It's like any other show."

"Yeah but..." Tao exhaled and shook his head. "Cool. Let's own this place, yeah?" He held out his hand to fist bump Kai, which earned an upward tick of Kai's lips.

"Fighting!"

The stage lights were blinding, hazy and hot. They sailed up from the dark like headlights in the night, plunging them into the pulsing spotlight. Chanyeol could not tell if his eyes were open or closed and it didn't matter. Throaty bass met terse snare met subtle scratches of guitar as they launched into a crowd favorite and easy opener. It warmed them up, kindling heat and heartbeat alike. Kai commanded and sashayed at center stage just within his peripheral vision. Chanyeol breathed, exhaled, inhaled, and launched into the chorus, powering through chords as Kai's voice soared and crackled. Applause rose like a roar from the tightly packed club. The energy suffused his veins, a rush of adrenaline.

Seamlessly they segued into the next song, a slower, ier bass-heavy crowd-pleaser. Kai had his hands up in the air, hips snapping, fingers curling, slowly beckoning the audience with rolls of his wrists. Kai's voice was rich as butter, low and trembling as he breathed his way through the first stanza. Then he soared, sinking to his knees, folding over forwards with the microphone clutched in his hands. Shattering high notes countered low breathless purrs as he reached a hand out to the crowd before he belted the prechorus, voice taut with tension.

As the chorus swelled, he climbed the mic stand like a tree, clinging to it white-knuckled - eyes flung wide as he stared into the lights, chest heaving. He opened his mouth to sing but his cue came and went. Trembling, he dropped back to his knees. A measure passed but he didn't rise, and his voice failed to join them.

Chanyeol flipped his hair out of his eyes and trained an eye on the vocalist for cues about his improvisation. It was then that he noticed Kai clutching at his chest, no longer gripping the microphone. His breathing appeared labored and he wasn't looking at the crowd. Glancing towards Tao, he caught the bassist's eye and the unease mirrored in his gaze. Just then Kai doubled over, shaking hands pressed to the floor, the mic rolling away from him.

With an atonal crackle and a horrible screech of feedback from the speakers, Chanyeol threw off his guitar and darted to center stage, blocking Kai from the audience's view. A baffled clamor rose from the crowd as chaos swelled around them. Chanyeol was deaf to it. 

Hunched over, Kai seemed to be having trouble breathing, his eyes wild and frantic as he looked up at Chanyeol. Tao was at his side in an instant and Chanyeol barked at him to get the stage lights turned off.

", Kai! What's wrong?" He touched Kai's head and shoulders and tried to get the vocalist to look at him, but he continued to shake violently, hunched over as he nearly dry heaved. Chanyeol cursed colorfully as he couldn't tell what the problem was - and by the looks of it neither could Kai. "Kai. Talk to me. What's going on." 

"I--I dunno--" Kai managed to stammer, teeth chattering violently as if he were freezing cold. Glancing around, Chanyeol slid an arm under Kai's and helped he vocalist up, and in forgiving darkness stumbled towards the wings. They were met by a wide-eyed Kyungsoo who took one look at Kai and set his lips in a grim line. A crowd of worried onlookers, roadies and staff, had gathered around - Chanyeol barked at them to back off. Tao came racing down the stairs and joined them, taking over the duty of placating worried onlookers and diverting them away.

Helping Kai down to the floor as he couldn't seem to stand on his own, Chanyeol watched helplessly as the vocalist drew ragged, tight breaths that didn't seem to be helping him. "Hurts--" Kai eked out, "m-my chest-- feels like I'm h-having a heart-t attack." His teeth chattered audibly as his limbs trembled.

"! We need to get you to a hospital."

"No." Kyungsoo interjected firmly. "I'm taking him home."

"Are you out of your ing mind?" Chanyeol yelled in his face "He needs medical help!"