Title taken from Halestorm's Rock Show

Imagine Donghae eager to go to a concert; a rock concert. He’s so excited that he calls all five friends he has, an uncle and a cousin to join him. It so happens that none of them can accompany him tonight.

His best friend, Shinhye, recently moved to Germany.

Hyomin, his friend from college, is not fond of crowded places and people.

Tiffany, his only other friend from college, has gone back to her hometown for the weekend.

Minwoo, one of his flat mates, is too lazy to move his off the armchair.

Tao, his other flat mate, is not a fan of rock music.

Jiyong, his almost 30 years old uncle, is too tired from work.

And his younger cousin, Taehyung, ditches him in the last moment.

Now imagine Donghae in a cramped pub, struggling to breathe in the little oxygen left in the room — the rest is tobacco smoke. He’s surrounded by dozens of people, varying from teenagers to middle-aged adults, and yet he feels lonelier than ever. Because everyone is talking to somebody, telling stories and laughing, having a good time with their friends. And then there’s Donghae, standing alone, and a mix of a scowl and anxiety on his face; scowling because he’s pissed at his friends and relatives, and anxious because it’s the first time he’s alone in the middle of a crowd. He’s sure he looks pathetic as he waits for the concert to start — a “forever-alone” with only his phone as a friend.

When the band appears on the stage and starts playing though, Donghae forgets everything and lets himself get carried away by the music and the atmosphere. He sings along, screams with the crowd and dances with abandon.

As the songs intensify, the crowd goes crazier and crazier. Soon Donghae finds himself pushed from every direction; a girl’s long hair is constantly flicking his face, and someone keeps stepping on his foot; not to mention the cigar the guy next to him is holding is too close to his clothes for comfort. Still, in his 20 years of life, Donghae has attended a respectable number of rock concerts. This kind of scenario is not foreign to him, and so he ignores all the inconveniences and picks up with having fun.

A violent shove from behind almost sends his body toppling over, if not for a pair of hands taking a strong grip on his hips, steadying him. The person behind him, the same who collided with him, leans over to whisper in his ear.

“Sorry,” a soft, friendly voice says, quite amused. “They’re going a bit crazy back there.”

Donghae turns around, as much as he can, and spots a group of teenagers doing pogo in the middle of the room, crashing into people without a care. He quickly discards them in favor of looking at the guy behind him: a few centimeters taller than Donghae, looking around the same age and very handsome; he has short, jet-black hair, single lidded eyes, a cute nose and plump lips (perfect for kissing, Donghae thinks — and then gasps at his own inappropriate thoughts). He’s wearing a white tank top covered by a black leather jacket, and black leather pants.

“Sorry,” the guy says again, half laughing.

Donghae mumbles a rushed “It’s okay” and turns back to the stage before he starts drooling.

The pogo stops for a few minutes, while the band’s vocalist makes small talk, and then immediately starts again when the band plays the next song. After several pushes and pulls and elbows jabbed into him from every direction, Donghae considers going home. He absolutely adores concerts and coming alive in the middle of a crowd, but not this kind of bat crazy crowd.

As he turns around, ready to fight his way towards the exit, he meets the eyes of the hot guy behind him. The man takes in Donghae’s sour expression and leans to his ear to ask if he’s okay.

Truth is Donghae feels a little dizzy, the thick smoke and the commotion not doing him good. He hides it though, mouthing yeah, just going home.

The other frowns, clearly not convinced. He takes Donghae’s hand and walks away, pushing through the mass and stopping only when they’re standing by the side wall. There are tables pushed against it (Donghae didn’t even notice them when he entered the room), and the man sits on one of them, pulling Donghae after him.

“Better?” he asks.

Donghae can’t really see the stage from where he’s now sitting, but the air is clearer and no one is assaulting his body anymore.

“A lot better,” he replies, a grateful smile painting his face.

The guy gives him a thumb’s up, which Donghae returns with a blinding beam, and they resume enjoying the concert.

“My name is Hyukjae, by the way,” the brunette says when the vocalist starts talking again.

“Donghae. Nice to meet you.”

They shake hands, Hyukjae holding onto Donghae’s hand a moment longer than necessary and giving him a barely noticeable caress with his thumb before letting go. Donghae flushes and looks away, trying hard to hide the coy smile blossoming on his face.

They spend the rest of the concert together, singing and dancing, exchanging remarks about a certain song and making fun of the crazy teenagers jumping all over the place.

After the concert ends and they leave the pub, Hyukjae suggests they take a taxi together (it’s past midnight; public transportation is no longer an option). Donghae agrees without a second thought.

“How come you’re alone?” Hyukjae asks along the way.

Donghae hangs his head low. “I don’t really have friends … and the few I have couldn’t make it tonight.”

Hyukjae laughs, making Donghae even more embarrassed and having him question if the guy is really as nice as he had thought. But Hyukjae says “Neither do I. I just moved here a month ago … new kid and all” and Donghae realizes Hyukjae is not laughing at him, but rather at the comical situation: two guys in their early twenties, friendless and loveless, stumbling into each other at a wild rock concert. Donghae starts laughing too.

“It’s fate,” Hyukjae says, confident in his words.

Donghae wants to believe this, wishes for it to be true with all his heart.

When the taxi stops in front of Donghae’s block, Hyukjae gives him his number.

“Just in case there’s another concert,” he jokes, but Donghae knows Hyukjae can’t wait for him to text him in the near future.

And Donghae does text him — as soon as he wakes up next morning.