(Heo Youngji from KARA and Jung Hoseok (Jhope) from BTS are characters in this chapter! warnings: mentions of The Lover, jackji, anti-fans angst and scandals LOL) 

Play With Me promotions were long over, but Takuya’s here as a special MC for the next two weeks.

“Heyyyy man! I’m Hoseok!” Jhope introduces himself when Takuya walks into the prep room. Oh, he’s the smiley dancer from Bangtan Sonyeondan.

Takuya bows and settles into the chair in between Hoseok and the other MC, Youngji. Just as he takes out the programme script, Youngji leans over.

“I watched your drama The Lover. It’s cute!!! You’re more handsome though, in real life, and more…”

“Less gay,” Takuya finishes for her.

“More manly,” Hoseok corrects. They’re smiling too much for this conversation, Takuya thinks. They’re smiling too much in general.

Youngji bursts into laughter. So I’m stuck between Sunshine 1 and Sunshine 2…

“Takuya-ssi, you look really good with Lee Jae Joon in that drama! And I was wondering if uh,” Youngji starts, eyes going all sparkly and big. Takuya winces. Here comes the inevitable question.

“I mean, do you, swing that way?” she asks, nudging his shoulder. “I won’t judge, I promise!”

“I don’t… I don’t like guys.”

“Oh really? Hmm I guess you must be really good at fanservice…” Youngji sighs wistfully, “but you know, if you guys get together-”

She pauses mid-sentence. Takuya guesses it’s for suspense because it has Hoseok leaning over to catch the big news as well.

Youngji bends towards and shifts her seat nearer to Takuya and Hoseok. “I know it’s an unpopular opinion on SNS, but!” she giggles and whispers scandalously, “I think you would top.”

Hoseok and Youngji explode into guffaws. Takuya flinches, but male ego works in weird ways and he’s kind of relieved at that comment.

Hoseok pats him on the shoulder. “It must be hard, everyone here says Joontak instead of Takujae.”

“Yah, the PD-nim says international fans call it Takujae!” Takuya retorts, pouting slightly.

“No diff, they still think you’re on the bottom,” he says and Youngji laughs. Again. She’s slapping her thigh and is wide open. Hoseok goes on about how fangirls have a thing for labelling the top and bottom in every gay ship there is.

 “At least I top in Takushin,” Takuya catches himself saying. Sigh, why am I even arguing about this?

“Well, it depends on the person you’re paired with, I guess. Anyway, fans can only see the outside, the character you portray, the image you have,” Hoseok explains, sounding like some sage in the methods of media play in the entertainment industry. (Takuya will treasure and meditate on his advice though, Hoseok was forced to kiss with smeared cheap lipstick on national television, so it’s experience enough.)

“Fans are thirsty,” Youngji says, “and our job is to feed them.”

The door opens, and the assistant PD’s head peeks inside. “You guys are to be on standby in 15 minutes!”

“No problem!” Youngji chirps from her seat. They all get ready, getting their scripts and rising from their seats.

“Anyway, I think you’re straight,” Hoseok says when the assistant PD leaves. “Word is, you’re ing Jeon Hyosung.”

“Seriously?” Youngji’s eyes turn as wide as saucers.

“Nah, we’re just very good friends.”

Youngji nudges his side as they walk in the hallway towards the rehearsal stage. “With benefits?”

“I swear we’re not like that!” Takuya protests, raising his hands in surrender.

“It’s okay, you can tell us. We’re the nicer idols around here. Among celebrities, almost everyone knows everything about everyone,” Hoseok assures. These kids.

“See, Jackson from GOT7’s my boyfriend. He’s also my best friend. Everyone knows,” Youngji says causally and smiles at  some random girl group member as she passes by.

Hoseok adjusts his mike as he walks, bowing to practically everyone he sees. “Don’t worry, the fans don’t know anything. Yours are crazy about Joontak, and Hyosung… she’s hated by many so they can’t even bother with ships,” Hoseok explains, and Takuya winces. “But the fans either pair her up with people in BAP, I don’t know, because they can, and many are still hung up over shipping her with Kikwang from Beast.”

“I know but… how do you guys know everything?”

“It’s like that,” Youngji tosses her auburn hair over her shoulder. “Anyway, it must be fun right? I heard Hyosung-ssi’s really nice in real life.”

“I am!”

Hyosung bounds down the hall, clad in her sheer outfit and clutching her gold-ish sports jacket for the performance. She slings an arm over Takuya’s shoulder and all he can think is wow she’s really pretty. He makes her slide on the jacket and pats her head.

“It’s my goodbye stage for Into You!” she says excitedly. I guess it’s good that we aren’t awkward after yesterday’s conversation.

“Yeah, I know! Go and get them uncle fans excited!” Takuya cheers and he can feel Hoseok and Youngji’s eyes on them.

Hyosung laughs and fistpumps the air. “Gotta catch them all!”

Hoseok is making wiggly eyebrows at them. Hyosung sees it and turns around immediately.

“Oh hello! I’m Hyosung but you all probably know that.”

“Hi, I’m KARA’s Youngji! Nice to meet you.” Youngji bows immediately, going into obedient maknae mode. She’s still fresh and all in the end, and despite her being chummy and dropping formal language with Hoseok(Takuya guesses Sunshine 1 and 2 must have been friends from before), Hyosung is nonetheless a sunbae.

“Eyy, just call me unnie. I heard you’re a professional rollerblader? And hi J-hope, I