"One, two, three, big breath... and let's go love," Jongin breathed next to his girlfriend's ear as her hand trembled in his.

It was hard to reassure her when even his own heart felt like it might burst right out of his chest. Regardless, Jongin needed to stay composed for her sake. Smiling down at her, he nodded once, leading them both out of the door, straight into the hoard of flashing cameras and pushy reporters.

~

Jongin stretched backstage, preparing himself for one of EXO's most important concerts ever: their first solo concert in London, right before they  were to begin working on their new album in the musically-talented city. While most of the other members sang their scales, loosened their vocal chords, rapped their verses or played around to release stress, Jongin obsessed over every last dance move. He'd never forgive himself if he made even the smallest mistake tonight. Leading the members, being at the front of every dance routine, having his every move picked up by the fans' phones from every possible angle... there was simply no room for mistakes tonight. Jongin continued to agonise over every move, tiring himself out before the performance even began.

"Kim Jongin!" a familiar voice scolded, throwing Jongin off balance in the middle of his pirouette.

Turning with hesitation, Jongin was met with the frustrated face of his manager.

"Y-yes, manager hyung?" Jongin asked politely.

A fond smile broke across his manager's face as he rested a fatherly hand on Jongin's shoulder.

"Relax. Don't wear yourself out already. One of the stylists will have to fix up your hair again."

Smiling at the passion of this kid, the manager left to look for a stylist to do the last minute touch-ups. Jongin collapsed on a nearby chair, only now feeling how sore he'd made himself. Closing his eyes, he began to knead his knuckles across his shoulders, loosening the tense muscles. The sound of someone timidly clearing their throat next to him made Jongin jump for the second time within five minutes. Jongin opened his eyes at the interruption, only to be met with a pleasant surprise. The stylist in front of him was a young woman he'd seen several times that night, rushing around backstage. A rosy smile was always on her lips not matter how hectic things were, and her chocolatey eyes matched her skin perfectly. Her curly caramel hair swayed behind her like a sheet of silk every time she moved. Flirting was not Jongin's forte, so he simply kept out of her way. But now that she stood expectantly, right in front of him, awkwardly tousling her hair.... Jongin couldn't help but wonder if it felt as soft as it looked... That's when Jongin jolted up for the third time that day, realising that he'd been staring at her for far too long.
"Hi, wow... I, uh..." Jongin mumbled, raking his brain for any traces of the English he'd studied in high school.

"It's okay, I work with SM for a reason, you know," she answered brightly, in fluent Korean that left Jongin's jaw slack.

~

Jongin fell faster for her than he ever thought possible. She was quick-witted, always there whenever he got nervous. She cared for him, forcibly dragging him to bed whenever he had practiced for too long. She made him laugh harder than even Baekhyun or Chanyeol could. And she was practically the only person who had never remarked about his skin. He was used to people pointing out how tanned he was, as if he hadn't noticed it himself. He was even used to people teasing him about it, or suggesting that he should stay out of the sun for a bit. There were also those people who would endlessly tell him how y he was, as if the very tone of his skin defined who he was. Jongin wanted to shout out that his skin wasn't a problem that needed to be fixed with bleach, nor was it all that there was to him. It was simply there. And that's exactly how his angel treated him, how he treated her, and how London treated the two of them. But Jongin knew that things would change when she came back to Seoul with him as one of SM's leading stylists, and also as his very public girlfriend.

~

Their first public appearance as a couple had not gone well. The second they stepped out of the door of the SM building, their hands nervously clutched together, the media and fans devoured them. All the questions and comments were directed at Jongin, some asking why he couldn't date a Korean actress instead, some joking that he'd finally found someone darker than himself.

"She can understand you," he deadpanned, shutting up the bustling crowd with his stern expression.

That night at her apartment, all he could do was hold her as she cried in his arms. She knew no one meant any harm, but the curious stares and whispered comments still made her feel like she was different... like she wasn't at home. Jongin ran his fingers through her hair, which he discovered really was as soft as it looked, attempting to soothe her but struggling to find the right words. 

"Jagiya," he cooed, tilting her tear-stained face towards himself.

All the reassuring words he'd just put together disappeared as soon as he was met with her breathtaking features. It angered and confused him to think that there was only one face of beauty in Korea.

"They're missing out on so much," he sighed, almost to himself.

Feeling uplifted, she suddenly grinned at him and beamed "We'll show them what they're missing out on then."