Don't forget my song
Sing it louder, my love

-          Cages by Emma Louise

Glasses clinked, a signal for the grand toast, the main actor of the series grinning softly as he pulled from his conversation to intake the praise the secondary lead would surely rain upon them all. Considering they had been friends of several years now, Kim Jongdae refrained from applauding his former group member, instead coyly teasing him in what should have been his moment of glory.

A swat of his hands had Jongdae sit in his chair before he unveiled mortifying secrets of the charismatic giant. Gathering his wit, he stood calmly among friends and co-workers, thanked them for their hard work and for allowing him to be a part of this journey. The hoarse tint to his voice had seized the attention of the women around him, each sighing along to his statements. Slyly, the bastard winked, stated the dinner was on him and met with the happy cries of saved wallets.

“Jongdae.”

“Oh, don’t take that tone with me. I did you a favor, seeing as you didn’t want her for yourself, “Said man muttered with a dramatic roll of his eyes. “I have never seen a woman so desperately send out signals to a man too dense to catch on when she is the epitome of appeal.”

Kris sighed, slipped out his carton of cigarettes. “I haven’t dabbled in love. Could you blame a guy with zero experience?”

Jongdae snorted, “Certainly. Especially when he’s thirty-three, handsome, and talented to boot.” As recompense for deviating the eager female’s interest from the lavish Kris Wu to a more moderate substitute, Jongdae stole the cigarette popped in his friend’s mouth. Scrambling for the lighter, the diminutive man took a long drag to the envy of his friend. “I’m sorry, was it the last one?”

He brushed his fingers through his hair, fighting the urge to curse his life-long brother to hell. “It’s a nasty habit, anyhow.”

“Who are you fooling?”

A golden-brown brow arched, demanded respect and received defiant cackles. Ah, how he missed the days where he could intimidate his band members into order effortlessly.

Jongdae imitated Kris’s pathetic attempt at controlling him and they fell into laughter.

Without distancing himself from his idol lifestyle, Kris Wu pursued the acting business, the only talent he possessed that he could polish, refine, and shine in. The road was long and difficult, moments met him where he wanted to give up, where he wanted to tear off his smile and call it quits. But, his boys stood by him, encouraged him to go after his dream.

He did.

Now, more than several years into the acting gig, he had successfully established himself as a relatively popular and well-known theatrical performer – his sweat and tears had paid off. His status was rising with each film and series he starred in, posing as a potential candidate to carry the torch had by the flourishing idol-turned-actor Choi Seunghyun. Fellow label mate Jongdae fell into similar steps, expanding his range of talents beside his leader.

Here the idiots were in commemoration of their wonderfully received drama series, the highest ratings for the network yet. Dinner had been supplied by the producing company at an upscale, velvety restaurant in the city. EXO had run their course of success as fickle children and young adults, and managed to continue it into the period they matured as men – yeah, despite doubt from the public, they pulled a Shinhwa, lasting well beyond their youthful, carefree days.

And through it all, he had not found time for intimacy, relationships an archaic thing he had no desire to partake in.

Not that he hadn’t lived without his fun.

“A woman of exquisite taste has expressed her interest for me, do excuse me. Maybe the performances of the night can keep you cozy?”

Kris waved him off. “Try to remember her name this time, you idiot.”

Jongdae grinned, shrugged his shoulders. “A guy can only recall so much beauty in his lifetime.”

“She’s going to rip you to shreds.”

“They always do.”

Laughing, he tossed his friend his coat, and proceeded to settle in his chair, his eyes on the layout of the stage before them. A few indie and jazz bands had occupied the area, filtering the room with their music. Nostalgia filled him as he glanced at the floorboards – he had seen many a stage in his career. Gently cracking his joints, he supposed he could spend a bit more of his time with the crew considering he had nothing else to fill his schedule with.

Lights dimmed, ensnared his flighty interest, the next performer arriving on stage with an all too familiar strut.

Stunned, he sat forward, pupils dilating rapidly in earnest.

Golden flames danced along her head, caressing her slick jawline, her bare shoulders, the implication maddening. Her slender, curvy figure was encased by nothing short of luxuries, of white silk and golden bands, gracing the floor with her aura. Teasingly, she scanned the crowd, her manicured fingers tight on the microphone, charisma oozing from her pores, and he wondered why he had been the sole figure in the restaurant to behave accordingly.

It was as if the others had not recognized her immeasurable command of the stage, her charm that had on occasion dominated concert arenas.

Narrowed irises flickered over to his direction and he could swear time had come to an abrupt stop.

There was no mistake about it.

“Chaerin.”

Regardless of his status and wealth, he had been denied access to the fiery soul, her special request to be left to herself backstage granted to the very end. Heaving from his rush to catch her off stage, Kris wiped the sweat from his brow.

Lee Chaerin, CL, leader of the widely successful idol group 2NE1, had been the altruistic entertainer of the night, playing on the mellow, chill vibe of the night. While it had been odd to witness the blonde refrain from tearing up the stage, it had not been unpleasant to hear her soothing vocals wedge their way into the hearts of the crowd. The more up-beat musical number she followed up seemed reminiscent of her former headstrong, reckless persona.

Even sans her screams and hype, she owned the attention of every individual in the vicinity.

Determined, he resolved to catch this simmering queen lest she vanish from his sight once more.

Previously powerful rookies on the heels of beloved seniors, 2NE1 quickly became a force to be reckoned with. Park Bom, Sandara Park, Gong Minji, and Lee Chaerin led the battle as female warriors in the bubblegum-pop sea of idols, triumphing over their adversaries prior to a year following their debut. Boasting an image of strength and ferocity, they earned their rightful titles as ‘Queens’, lingering below the utmost influential female idols Girls’ Generation. They served as the main role-models in the eyes of their youthful audience, securing a spot in history in the music industry.

Due to their constant promotions colliding, he saw her often on music shows, rarely on variety, though. She had been on her own that fateful night he saw her, actively performing her title track ‘The Baddest Female’ and his attention had not wandered from her. The girl was stunning, sure, charismatic, definitely, but what sealed his fate was their stint on a cable-network broadcast.

Kris had come along with four other members in contrast to her one companion, Sandara. They drew the interest of everyone in the room, glowing with a force that could not help but captivate their audience. Petite, beautiful, dorky, Dara had the most eyes scrutinizing her every move, absorbing her antics. Chaerin no doubt struggled with variety, trying her best to not simply be removed from the edited version they were to air. Although, he could see that she was determined to hone her skills and refuse to be the dead weight when it came to these matters. Rather than be part of the final cut, Kris served as a catalyst for s, choosing to let them glow instead. From a first glance, she interested him, her aura overflowing with power, her feline eyes teasing, her smile mesmerizing, her laughter unique.

He really enjoyed the sound of her laughing.

Of course, he became tangled in the nonsensical conversations, his lack of proficiency in Korean stunting his contribution to the issues at hand. In fact, his inability to communicate efficiently at the time served as a cruel joke for a good 15 minutes. He didn’t mind, anything to have his group noticed.

However, she did mind.

She made that perfectly clear when she came to his defense and noted that such jokes were unrefined, tasteless – the fact that he had learned another language proved his intellect and dedication. Had they added another language to their database?

Nervous chuckles had met her, possibly ruined the sweet, tactless image they had projected of her, but he didn’t care. When she chose to side with him, she connected with his baffled gaze, burning her into his heart.

Unusually so, he could not tear his attention from her.

Unlike their predecessors, 2NE1’s run in the entertainment world reached its end, the girls ultimately retiring from their positions as CL, Bom, Dara, and Minzy. Their brief farewell to the industry was unsatisfactory, and raised many questions, but the girls declined, slipped into the shadows. He had tried running after them, tried catching them on a few shows – their lack of participation on variety broadcasts the bane of his existence in those moments – and yet, they retained unattainable. No matter how hard he worked, how far he stretched his hand, he could only graze them, graze her.

It was then he fully understood their untouchable status, their seclusion from other humans.

And as they receded from the limelight, he matured, he carved his own path, and cast aside childish wants and desires. Certain she would never reappear in thirst of stardom, he let her go.

Although, she was always an unpredictable sort.

Unafraid to stand before a crowd, she helmed the stage, cried her name – Chaerin. CL had been shed during her hiatus from the brutal industry, opting to show the onlookers her softer, true persona. She did well to cover her appearance, to have the public sway with her vocals, her hips. Albeit frightening, she had this ability to bewitch those around her, a flicker of her eyes, a swipe of her hands undoing them completely. This stage was outdoors, a warm-up to the actual concert to be due in another hour. Sweat-slicked, she managed to still look desirable, even if she hardly moved compared to her idol days. And she never failed to make his heart flutter.

Quick on his feet, he found her, the woman watching the rest of the concert from afar. As he approached her, she tensed, prepared to go on the offensive on this peculiar stranger. Anxiously, he knocked aside his hood, his golden-brown hair and deep-brown eyes striking a chord. Angrily, she flung her bag towards him, his arm shielding his face from the impact. Thoroughly agitated, she refused to give him a minute of her time, and stalked off in a different path. Huffing, he snatched her bag and followed after her, the silence unnerving.

Seeing as he would not take the hint and leave, she whipped around to his surprise, her face shoved against his nose. “What the is your problem? What do you want?”

Her sudden question puzzled him, fumbled his response. Brashly, he asked, “Do you remember me?”

She furrowed her brows in concentration. “How does the whole country not know you?”

Oh.

Ignoring the sting of her reply, he introduced himself properly and breathed easily when she had the courtesy to do the same.

“You know who I am, don’t you? Why else would you approach me?” She muttered.

Kris frowned, “That’s true, but-“

“Please, just go.” Chaerin stated firmly, her gaze quieting his stubborn response. “I don’t want to be reminded of my former image.” Calmly, she grabbed her bag, left before he could stop her.

His hand painfully curled into a fist.

When he could, he supported her at her new gigs, sets, her irritation upon sighting him fueling his desire to cheer her on. For some reason, she was colder, motivated to craft a new career in music – struggling so, even with all her talents. There was a wall surrounding her, isolating her from the world, the presses, the public – from him. He would tear it down.

It wasn’t without blows, however.

Rudely, she called him on his , demanded why he was so hellbent on following her everywhere. Supportive? She could laugh. It had rubbed off creepily, to his dismay. Snappish, he fought head to head with her, knocked her down a couple of notches, his words digging into her heart. Loyal, he kept a tab on her, trying to assist her the best he could when she was downright childish about interacting with someone who knew her a decade ago.

“Is it so wrong to help an idol I once admired?”

She laughed. “Once?”

“Let me help you.”

“I don’t need your help.”

He kept this up till the end of the year, chasing after her temperamental self. Kris may not have caught her, but he selfishly loved this. She was his to freely pursue and she hadn’t truly rejected him.

They had a breakthrough on the eve of her December performance, Chaerin sobbing in a temporary room backstage. Aghast, he was instantly by her side, coaxing her to tell him what occurred – did someone harm her?

And then she froze his heart.

Weeping, she latched onto him, wrapped her arms about his wide shoulders. Hysterical, she groaned, they didn’t want her, they never did. Why was she so stupid? She should have kept her identity a secret.

Frantic, Kris prompted her to continue. “What do you mean? What happened?”

Delirious, she laughed, tore at her hair. “They always want her. They never want me. What’s so wrong with me? Why am I never good enough?” Perplexed by her statement, he soothed her, patted her back - it was then he whiffed her scent, a touch of alcohol reeling from her lips. “I hate her. I hate ‘CL.”

“Chaerin-“She silenced him with her hand. 

Slurring her words, she pressed on. “But you have been there – for me. Never for her.” Woefully, she matched his concerned gaze. “Haven’t you?”

He crushed her in his embrace, his patience spent.

Years had passed since their idol days, she was at the bottom of the rung, while he was at the top.

A wicked twist of fate had her fall from glory, had her waste away and become nothing. On the other hand, he had risen from the criticisms set against him, he had become something. Desperately, she tried to stray from her given persona, CL, and rejected his prior advances in fear of his possible attachment to the blazing leader.
Frankly, she envied and detested him upon realizing where he had come from. Her group had the mishap of disbanding, her members weary of the idol field, Chaerin selfless in allowing them to decide to pull out everyone from the sphere she thrived in, while he, however, had the pleasure of continuing the name of EXO, alongside his eleven members, friends, brothers till this very day. There was a mold of CL that others could not see beyond, and she wanted to shatter it, to obliterate it from the physical universe.

She could not do it on her own.

After much consideration, he offered to help build her career as an artist, as Chaerin, without anything in return.

 “Nothing?” She stared curiously at him, fluffed her hair.

Smiling, he replied, “Don’t worry about payment. To be aiding you in your cause is more than enough for me.”

“Why are you going so far?”

Gently, he leaned over her, his lips brushing her ear. “Because you once stole the heart of this poor soul.”

Flushing, she shooed him aside, rambled on that he had secured her consent, but she would want to earn her respect as an artist. None of this easy business.

He laughed to her despair.

Kris Wu juggled his acting career and managing his diva, working twice as hard to establish herself in this new world. Without his encouragement, she pushed her body to extreme limits, hungry to reach the level that had only been attained through her alter-ego CL. He reprimanded her on those nights, reminded her to take care of her health, his hands rubbing her head clean of perspiration with a small, white towel.

“You can do it, but do it safely. Otherwise, what would be the point in barely scratching the surface after all your hard work?”

Chaerin huffed, “I know, I know. I just don’t feel I will be able to accomplish much in my current state.”

A little too friendly for her taste, he rubbed his nose against hers. “Your time will come.”

“What are you doing? Yah!”

Her personality softened as they worked throughout the new year, warming up to him to the point where she dropped by his work-place with homemade meals, willingly. Their arguments diminished in time, a reflection of the woman he was enraptured by resurfacing. Perhaps, she had never been lost.

Though, it was quite a pain to hide her from his snooping members. Jongdae was aware of the changes in Kris, sparking a dangerous curiosity that had the famous actor shiver. The fact that Jongdae could involve any other teammates into the picture stressed his mind out.

But to see her warm smile was enough to urge him forward.

The time of reckoning had come and would determine the route her future would take. She debuted as the person she wanted the country to see, to cheer for on the grand stage of the MAMA's. Cries following her performance assured Kris he had done his job.

Hurrying past staff members presenting her water and towels to freshen up, she found him sitting idly by the screen and launched herself in his arms. He watched her wordlessly.
“I don’t care anymore. I don’t care.” Chaerin murmured, burrowing into his chest. “I was given another shot to prove whether or not I could make it without CL. And I did. Thank you, thank you.” Continued success was a thing of the past, she had accomplished her goal. Alone, she tried to make it, and failed repeatedly.

A man that she had met some time ago in her conflicting years saved her, restored her balance in life.

Brushing the hair from her eyes, he said nothing further as she inched closer. “I lied. I did remember you from those days we shared a spot on a variety show. You were much more boyish then.”

He hummed.

“Thank you for not giving up on me all this time. Thank you-“

“Your incessant talking is wearing me out, Chae.” Forthrightly, he possessed her lips, pressed against them with a passion built up from a slew of years since he first laid eyes on her.

Laughing, she cried, “Thank you, you idiot.”

Thank you for not forgetting this fallen star.

A/N: waskrisalittletooobsessiveAHWELL. orz

/sobs/ Thank you for the support lovelies!

AlSO, LET ME HOLD YOU FOR SHIPPING THEM WITH ME. ;3;