SBS Gayo Daejun, 2021.

                Daehyun gave you and your friends free tickets to that. He said it was from the whole of B.A.P.

                Yes. It’s 2021 and you finally got 5G (they couldn’t  develop this any further due to radiation). You’re still managing the final touches of your project assignment in Seoul Arts University; your own cubicle, before you take the tickets and backstage passes to the concert area. You have three hours left till the concert starts. B.A.P. has come a long way since then. They’ve renewed their contract and are at the top of their game. Since 2013, their 3 straight wins with the 1004 album, they’ve been winning alternately ever since. They’re at the level of SHINee now, and will be performing last. You’re excited for you and Daehyun. He says this is what he’s been waiting for, to perform with fulfillment, and for you. You shake off your goosebumps, pack up the cubicle(you’re the only one left).

                You reached the concert venue and from a distance away you could already see your friends waving frantically and jumping up and down. They look like morons, but you understood how they felt anyway.

                You take out the tickets and passes from your bag and get ready to read the row of seats you would be seated at, but your friend snatches the tickets before you can. Another friend ushers you into the crowded area and you kept asking whats happening and where we would be sitting, but they all ignore you.

                “Seriously, we got this,” One of them puts her hand up, and tries to reassures you.

                They drag you to an unknown seat in the middle of Cat 1. It was close, but it wasn’t too close to the mosh-pit. It was comfortable, there were chairs, and an excellent view. V.I.P.? Nah, Daehyun wasn’t competent enough to promise them free tickets in that kind of section. You turn your head around to look for Daehyun’s family. You’ve met them a couple of times briefly, and wouldn’t want to be rude if they were nearby. He did say over 30 family members would be here…

              Amidst the buzz and the hype, the announcement blares over the speakers. “Welcome, everyone, to SBS’s Gayo…” The lights dim, the screens spark up and your attention, along with everyone else’s, were stolen. The cheering, the fanchants, the loud music…

                Rookie groups… Bands… Ballad groups… etc. , ZEA:A… AOA… Rain… IU… U-KISS, T-ARA, Girl’s Day, A-Pink, KARA, GOT7, Seventeen, SISTAR, BTOB, PSY,  JYJ, Shinhwa, MBLAQ, B.E.G. ,  BTS, B1A4, VIXX, TS’s new girl group, Secret…  Block B,EXO, the YG family… SHINee, …then it was B.A.P.’s turn.(SNSD was last and will always be.)

                B.A.P. performed 4 songs. That was a lot compared to the past when they only performed a cut version of One Shot. You know the lyrics by heart, you know the dance too. You can’t get up from the chair though, this is a foreign country and people might pummel the out of you. So you just headbang and scream a little. Your friend was digging for her camera.  You stop after awhile. All of this has gotten a little tiring since you’ve gotten older. So much has happened, even you couldn’t believe it. Your gaze shifts from Daehyun to every member, then back to Daehyun. He looks focused, and was about to hit his high note-yup, there he goes. You wonder if he sees you.

                Soon their performance ends. Your friend starts whining about how she didn’t get to take enough photos and another friend was rambling about how she was going to get their autographs later. They were hyperventilating and smiling so hard all at the same time. You look at your phone. 12:49am. No wonder you feel so tired.

                Your friend shakes your shoulders and gestures for you to look at the stage.

                B.A.P. was giving their congratulatory speeches one by one and they had to keep it short for each member. You always saw these on music programs, but this time, only Youngjae spoke:

                “You all already know who we want to thank, so Daehyun will take care of all our speeches this time,” he laughs, and the fans laugh along, whispering excitedly.

                Daehyun looked nervous. It was weird. He took the microphone slowly and took a deep breath. Smiling, he stuttered, “H-hello, everybody,” he stops for a second and laughs in embarrassment. “T-today, I have something special to announce. Thank you so much for SBS for giving me this honor to do it here. To those of you have not known, I have a woman whom I really love and cherish. She's perfect to me. I don’t know how as well, but,” he clears his throat, and you frown. Is he talking about his mother?

                “I talk a lot of nonsense,” B.A.P. all agree and slap Daehyun on the back, “and she always gives me a face, it’s a face I will never want to live without. She is always there for me no matter what; when I’m happy, sad, depressed or angry. She was always there for me even though I quarreled a lot with her about all the petty things.” His voice starts to quiver. It was really nice that he was giving his congratulatory speech to his mother like that. He often told that to you, and you told him to tell HIS mother and not you; he just tells you that she knows, and looks at you weirdly.

                “I feel sorry for her because she endured a lot just for me. She endured all the hardships of us being together, her studies, her life back home. I've been together with her for years now,” Cheers from the crowds were heard, “so I hope that everyone can support both me and her. I know there are people out there that ‘hate’ her but I promise you, she’s more than what you think she is. As my fans I hope you can all accept us; and I promise that I will protect her from any harm that comes in her way."

                Harm?…Wait, what the heck? You were paying attention half-heartedly… You know that Daehyun usually rambles on but what’s really going on here? 

                Then suddenly, the screen shows a video clip of Daehyun writing, composing, practicing and then walking to a familiar place. The place… Seoul Arts University… he enters the room of your cubicle and your colleagues look aghast in the video. You didn’t even know he was there. He introduces your work to the world. He leaves a post it note in the video. The post it note you saw last week. It said, “I hope you’re ready for next week~”

                You thought he meant a new restaurant. Or the free tickets to SBS Gayo Daejun.  .

                Nobody noticed that Daehyun was gone from the stage and the rest of B.A.P. was cheering and calming everyone down. The atmosphere was so messy. Shouts…of him running to the seating areas…looking for his girlfriend… fangirls screaming, staff scouting for you with a photo in hand. Cameras turning left and right just to find you. Your friends shouting and laughing, pushing you out of the row and asking you to go for it. It was so loud… so strange, everything happened so fast. Then,  Daehyun saw you, looking lost. He ran past the staff, and personally escorted you up the main stage.

                What are you supposed to feel?

                In silence amidst the noise, he grabs your hand and pulls you up.

                He puts the microphone to his lips. He looks into your eyes. You look at him, and look at the vast audience of maybe, worldwide, a few million. Nervous? Maybe. Your mind goes blank. You look at Daehyun.

                "You… there are so many things I want to say to you. You might think I’m not serious, but I’ve already said so much since just now…and what I really want to tell you here and now..." He turns around and holds something, and swivels it to you. Roses. The audience goes wild. The cameos of idols are epic and B.A.P. and your friends go nuts.

                 "Now and forever… “

                Daehyun sings a song. You’ve never heard of it. Of all the ballads you heard, not a particular one stood out for you. Not until you heard this one. Was this the one he composed? You hear the song lyrics. A compilation of his and your memories. The crap you talk about. Some weird, little things you don’t notice about yourself. Some cold jokes. Some of everything and when it all added up, it all made so much sense. You think you saw Himchan and Yongguk cry, and Youngjae shedding a tear. Jongup and Zelo were doing a little waltz with each other to the song. The cameos showed EXO and Block B tearing up, and some of the girl groups squealing and holding their hearts.

                Daehyun pulls out a ring box of his pocket while singing. He gets on one knee as the song come to and end, the last line of the lyrics were:

                “... Will you marry me?”