ShinWoo woke up early and got dressed quickly. He got to the breakfast table as TaeKyung did. With an intense rehearsal schedule for their album, new music, and the upcoming concert, MiNam and Jeremy were already eating breakfast. The boys were quiet and thinking about their day. The days that had passed had been a whirlwind of activity.

MiNam looked around and then left first. He found spending time with SoLin and Randy grew him plenty each day. He wanted them to stay but knew it was an impossible wish. Of all people, he knew SoLin wanted to go him, as did her Americanized husband. TaeHyun seemed okay with being in South Korea or America, but TaeJin wanted to go home. To be honest, he liked being with her a lot. She was very friendly and kind. Most of all, she was blunt and whenever she disagreed with something, she said it straight to him.

That morning, he found her already in the orchestral hall. She had her equipment assembled already and was sitting at the side. TaeJin wrapped her hands carefully, enjoying the cooling effect of the menthol patches she had on her arms, back, and legs. She was sore and tired, but she knew it was the home stretch before the concert. She needed to be ready for everything and take it easy just before the concert. It wasn’t that she had overworked herself, but TaeHyun had the habit of overworking her.

When she saw MiNam she smiled and he frowned, “Are you okay?”

TaeJin smiled, “Yeah, just a bit sore. Nothing out of the ordinary, if you think about it.” And then she asked, “What about you? Tired?”

MiNam shook his head, “It’s been a while since I’ve worked so much. I enjoy it. Is it always this busy for you in America?” he asked, watching her wince as she stretched.

TaeJin shrugged, “The first two weeks bac, we’re going to take it easy, just to rest up. The band is resting now and will take a few more weeks off before we start practicing again. We also need time to write music,” she added, looking around to see the orchestra members arrive slowly.

MiNam nodded, “it will be lonely without you guys here.” And then, out of the blue, he confessed, “I think MiNyu should go with you guys.”

TaeJin smiled, “Yeah, well, she just might. Mom will ask her once more after the concert. I think,” she added, “Mom is leaving her an open-ended ticket.”

MiNam nodded, “Good for her.”

“Dad’s leaving you one, too,” she added softly. MiNam turned to look at her as she added, “He wants you both with us. Family is family,” she added. She stood as TaeHyun entered, greeting everyone. “Restroom,” she stated and hurried out of the rehearsal hall.

MiNam walked over to greet TaeHyun. ShinWoo waited in the waiting room before he watched for TaeJin. Sure enough, as she waked back from the restroom, she walked through the series of smaller rooms just outside the rehearsal hall, so as not to disturb everyone. And when she walked into the one closest to her practice space, Taejin turned and saw ShinWoo standing just in front of her. One arm above her head, he pushed the door shut behind her and then sniffed inches between them. He frowned and asked, “Are you injured?”

TaeJin looked away and replied, “I was sore so I put them on.” And then, she turned hard eyes on him and asked, “Is it true MiNyu is choosing to stay because of TaeKyung?”

ShinWoo took a step back. He remembered her recent look of uncertainty and carefulness around TaeKyung. He wondered if she really wanted to stay. However, to TaeJin, he replied, “They still have to talk about it.” And then he asked, “What do you think about it?”

“She should accept the spot in Smooth Edges and come with us, of course,” TaeJin stated.

ShinWoo smiled. He liked that frankness about her. She wasn’t dainty. She wasn’t reserved. She was blunt and very precise with her choice of words. “When will you come back?” he asked, unwilling to let her move, not that she tried.

TaeJin sighed and replied, “Maybe next year?”

She side stepped him, seeing that he wouldn’t move. “I can wait for you,” he stated, rather wistfully.

TaeJin swallowed and stayed facing away from him, “I can’t ask that of you.”

“I’m offering,” he stated.

TaeJin turned and looked at him, rather hesitantly. “Will you take me out after the concert? Just for a few hours?” she asked.

ShinWoo felt his breath catch, and then he nodded, “Where do you want to go?”

“Anywhere,” she replied, “as long as it’s with you.”

ShinWoo nodded again. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

TaeJin nodded and then turned to the door. “It’s a date, then,” she replied and opened the door.

She didn’t listen for his response, for the sounds of instruments tuning was loud enough to cover it. But, had she really tried to hear, she would have heard, “It’s a date.”

***

When MiNyu was with SoLin and Randy, she was happy and very carefree. With TaeHyun and TaeJin, she laughed and even joked with her cousins, very comfortable and carelessly. With ShinWoo, Jeremy, and MiNam, she felt a bit more reserved and careful, knowing how they saw her and wanted to keep that façade going a bit longer. It was when she was with TaeKyung that she was the most careful.

And, though she tried her best not to show it, he noticed. He was sure she simply would change once her extended family left, but felt a bit unsure when he noticed the difference when he once bought drinks at a café, picking it up himself, he saw her with TaeJin and SoLin, laughing and talking. He saw her talk to SoLin with so much self confidence, TaeKyung felt himself grow in attraction towards her. He wondered why she was only this way with SoLin, and waited a bit to see that she was quite conservative with the members of his band.

So, after dinner together, one night, he drove her to the edge of town and turned off the lights in the car. They stared at the night lights and then he asked, “Are you happy?”

MiNyu turned to TaeKyung and frowned, “Oppa, why do you ask that?”

TaeKyung turned to her and looked her over. She seemed healthy, content, and well-kept. But the smiling and laughing confident young woman he saw with SoLin and TaeJin was not the one with him. So, he thought carefully, “Are you happy you met Lee SoLin and her family?”

MiNyu felt the question behind his question and her eyes fell. It was hard to keep things from him. Even harder if the truth was so obviously different from what she tried to keep telling herself. “Oppa, I love you. I want to be with you. But, when I am with my aunt and cousins,” she stopped talking, tears in her eyes, choking her voice.

TaeKyung reached out and pulled her to his chest. “Go MiNyu, I think you should go with them.” When she looked up at him, he dipped his face to hers and she held onto him.

***

The day of the concert came and when A.N.Jell arrived at the performance hall, they were surprised to see so many White and Black people there. TaeHyun’s team of experts, naturally, had flown in from America, and were prepping the concert hall for their concert. It wasn’t just adding some colors to the audience area, but also adding sounding boards on the sides and ceiling of the performance hall so as to accentuated their sound.

As they fitted the boards, Jeremy asked, “Is it really necessary to add all this extra equipment?”

TaeHyun laughed, “Of course. We want the audience to remember this performance, even if it’s the only one they see in their lives. Each of my concerts are different and very memorable. People remember my concerts more than they remember those of Beyonce and Taylor Swift for a reason.” He winked and stepped onto the stage, calling out instructions as he did so.

Jeremy frowned, nudging TaeJin, “Why does he care so much about all this? Isn’t the sound more important?”

TaeJin smiled, crossing her arms, “You’ve never been to his concert before, have you?” When Jeremy shook his head, TaeJin walked onto the stage and dragged Jeremy along with her. “Say something,” she instructed.

Jeremy frowned, “Like what?”

“Louder!” TaeJin shouted.

Jeremy took a deep breath and then shouted, “WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY?!” Jeremy ducked, surprised to hear his voice carry to the back of the room and then back to them on stage. “That’s too loud!”

“Imagine a room full of bodies, Jer,” TaeHyun shouted from the terrace. “Bodies absorb the sound, so these extra boards make it so everyone’s listening experience is as enjoyable as those in the front row.”

Jeremy nodded, “I get it.”

TaeJin took a deep breath and sang out, “Thank God I found you, I was lost without you.”

From backstage, SoLin sang the next line, and then Randy sang out, “You brought the sunlight to me, made my while life complete –”

But TaeJin laughed out loud and shouted, “Wrong lyrics, Dad!”

Jeremy stood and watched TaeJin catch one of the cables passing by her head. She held on as it rose into the ceiling and then, someone helped her climb onto the overhead walkway before her parents saw. TaeHyun, however, ratted her out, “Do that again and I tell Mom and Dad!” he shouted.

And from somewhere up in the rafters, they heard, “Tattle-tell!” The room chuckled at the bickering of the Tae-Twins, as they affectionately were dubbed long ago. And when preparations were complete, they waited for the orchestra to take their seat before moving to adjust the boards accordingly.

During TaeHyun’s rehearsal, the orchestra started softly and then grew louder as they became more accustomed to the sound of the performance hall, much louder than they had anticipated. For TaeHyun, he had forewarned them of the sound difference. He, only, kept motioning for them to play louder.

When A.N.Jell stepped onto the stage to run through their set, MiNyu sat in the front row, watching them. TaeJin dropped from the overhead walkway, using a cable line to drop onto the stage next to TaeKyung, her guitar in front of her. The guys of TaeHyun’s team applauded and hooted as she did so, and she laughed, very merrily amongst friends.

She avoided ShinWoo’s eyes and kept the harness on as she fell into beat with TaeKyung. When they finished their set, she turned to them and stated, “Not sure when I’ll drop in, but this was just a random test run.” She turned and walked off the stage.

MiNam smiled, finding it hard to be annoyed with her. TaeKyung put his guitar aside and walked to the edge of the stage. “Was that good?” he asked MiNyu, who stepped up to the stage.

She reached up and kissed his cheek bravely. “Very good,” she replied.

TaeKyung smiled and they talked for a bit longer as Jeremy rearranged his drum set to his liking. MiNam checked his keyboards and then walked off stage. ShinWoo pulled off his guitar and hurried to the nearest ladder. He climbed up and walked along the walkway until he found TaeJin. He smiled and asked, “Will you play with us tonight?”

TaeJin frowned, “Not too sure what TaeHyun has planned. Maybe,” she added, her harness being checked by a Black guy. She smiled and nodded to ShinWoo, “Gary, this is ShinWoo. He’s from the boyband,” she added.

Gary looked ShinWoo over and replied, “He should grow some muscles.”

TaeJin laughed and nodded, “Gary thinks you’re too small.”

ShinWoo smiled, “Too much power and I might break my guitar.”

Gary roared with laughter and waved them away, as he secured a number of cables. TaeJin smiled and asked, “Why are you up here?”

“I wanted to come find you.” ShinWoo followed TaeJin towards a downwards ladder and he added, “How will I find you after the concert?”

TaeJin replied swiftly, “I’ll find you.” Without a warning, she slid down the ladder, away from him, and out of sight.

ShinWoo swallowed and wondered how he’d say goodbye to her. He didn’t want to think about it, but he knew it was important. He needed it to last a year, so that she would keep thinking of him.

***

The concert started and TaeHyun stepped onto the stage to a standing ovation. He conducted gracefully and then TaeJin and SoLin landed on stage from cables from above. As they played, harmonizing and battling, TaeHyun held his own with his orchestra. No one had any complaints, for the added boards did their jobs affectively.

The added bands added to the excitement of the audiences. As A.N.Jell performed, both TaeJin and TaeHyun walked onto the stage, their electric sounds ripping through their set, forcing them to play defensively. ShinWoo joined in and added a few riffs of his own, but TaeJin and TaeHyun’s skills were unmatched.

Finally, SoLin and Randy played a duet as TaeJin and TaeHyun accompanied them. To everyone’s surprise, MiNam joined them on the piano and MiNyu joined them, singing confidently. From backstage, the workers agreed, “She has a hypnotic sound. Amazing,” they added and TaeKyung felt proud.

After the concert of almost 4.5 hrs, everyone kept wanting more but TaeHyun ended the concert and dismissed everyone. SoLin and Randy went out with old friends, laughing and talking about their old days. TaeHyun went out with MiNam and Jeremy, wanting to see the night life for the youth. TaeKyung and MiNyu went out on their own, careful to slip away unnoticed. And, as ShinWoo waited for TaeJin, he felt his head fall back and his eyes close. He thought about the places he would take her and couldn’t help but smile.

TaeJin found him and smiled. She walked over, as quietly as she could, and pressed her lips against his. ShinWoo reached up and held onto her head, parting his lips for her, but she pulled back and he opend his eyes. “Where are we going?” she asked, smiling, light make up on her face.

ShinWoo didn’t want to go anywhere, at that point. All he wanted to do was hold onto her and kiss her. He wanted to touch her, but he held back. He knew she expected a date, so he was determined to take her on one. How long it would last was up to her. But he wanted to make her happy. So, he took her to the bridge that sprayed water and they watched it from the rails.

He watched her carefully and, the moment she shivered, he wrapped his arms around her. She didn’t seem to mind and welcomed his closeness. He, then, walked her back to his car and took her to the café that opened late. They had warm drinks, talked about their hopes and dreams, as he knew they would, and then, he scooted closer to her and kissed her neck. His lips found their way up to her face and she returned his kisses. Just that night, he knew, she would let go of the hard and rough side of herself. She would, for all intents and purposes, be the young woman she wouldn’t let out often.

For just one night, she would be his girl.

He was thrilled and didn’t want to let go of her.

***

At the airport, TaeKyung kissed MiNyu and they parted. TaeHyun hugged Jeremy and MiNam before heading into the gate. Randy and SoLin hugged MiNam once more before heading off to the security gate. ShinWoo and TaeJin stood, awkwardly, and watched the board of arrivals change.

ShinWoo sighed and then asked, “Will you write me?”

TaeJin thought about it and then replied, “That’s highly unlikely.”

ShinWoo sighed and nudged her with his elbow, “Are you dumping me after our first date?”

TaeJin smiled and turned to him. “Thank you for that. My first date, ever,” she added.

TaeJin stood and picked up her carry-on. ShinWoo stood and wrapped his arms around her. “I look forward to our second date.”

“Are you telling me to plan it?” TaeJin asked, quite surprised.

ShinWoo smiled, “It would only be fair, since I planned the first one.”

TaeJin swallowed, “I guess, so, then.”

ShinWoo released TaeJin and took a step back. “I’ll be waiting to hear from you.”

TaeJin smiled and stepped towards ShinWoo. She kissed his lips and then walked off. She hugged MiNam and Jeremy, shook hands with TaeKyung, and then hurried to security with her family and MiNyu. TaeHyun draped his arm on her shoulders but she didn’t turn around to look back. So, as ShinWoo watched her leave, he couldn’t see the smile on her lips.