(for wuxiing) Your words, My song part ii
part i
jongin
“Okay, you,” Jongdae points to him, “You need to shut up and stop turning down all our ideas.” Jongdae takes in lungfuls of air as Joonmyun goes to his side to try and calm him down.
Jongin raises his hands in defense, one hand clutching the notebook. “Look, all your ideas are great but we have to find the most foolproof one so we can find D.K. without a hitch.”
Chanyeol groans, burying his head in the sofa’s pillows. “Come on, man. You’ve rejected all the ideas. It’s been like two days!”
“But all the things I’ve pointed out makes sense. If we use Twitter and take pictures of the journal, everyone will have an idea of what could be inside and using fliers is just stupid,” Jongin defends, ignoring Sehun’s ‘Hey!’ as soon as he mentions the fliers.
“Okay, enough,” Joonmyun says. It’s the tone that gets all the members to stiffen despite the fact that everyone towers over him. “Jongin, I think it’s best that you stay in your room while we discuss the best possible way we can find your mystery guy.”
Jongin sputters, but one look from Joonmyun has him trudging to his room, tightly clutching D.K.’s journal in hand.
Seething, Jongin plops on his bed and turns the pages in D.K.’s journal. Having read nothing but this for the past few days, he’s gotten most of the pages and poems memorized. He stops once he finds the poem he’s looking for.
Fire burns in my veins,
Every time they tell me
that I cannot love
who I love.
They just don’t know
that you mean the world
to me.
They just don’t know.
Jongin closes his eyes as he recites the words in his mind. This is exactly how I feel, he thinks as he lets the words circle in his mind before going to the next poem.
When anger goes away,
All that’s left is the sinking feeling
that maybe they were right.
But
a part of me believes
that I have
just as much right
as any other
to love you,
to hold you in my heart.
I’m not wrong,
I tell myself.
And with those words,
I can feel better.
And it is exactly those words that help make Jongin feel better. He smiles wryly to himself, wondering how such a man can hold such meaningful words and how Jongin can’t seem to find this part of himself. Before he knows it, he’s perusing the notebook once more, going over memorized poems and feeling all the same things he did every time he reads them.
He finds himself stopping over a certain page, somewhere closer to the end of the notebook.
I love you.
I love you.
I love you.
I love you.
I love you.
I love you.
I wish I could tell you.
Jongin’s heart throbs. He finds that a lot of the poems relate to a certain someone, someone D.K.’s in love with.
“I haven’t fallen in love in a long time,” Jongin says to himself as he reads the other poems, almost mirroring the one he just read.
You’re like a bright star,
Shining, shining, shining.
Like a bright star,
far far far away.
Like a bright star,
I can’t look away.
A bright star,
who holds my heart
and not just my gaze.
“Is this what it means to love?” Jongin asks himself, turning over in his bed. He’s read these poems a hundred times but it still draws the same questions out of him.
Because love is you.
Love is looking
right at you
and feeling my body
thrum with the music
that plays in the background.
Love is not hearing this song
because all I can think of
is you.
Love is you.
“I wish this was about me,” Jongin finds himself saying, letting go of the words before he can even properly think of what he’s saying. He stops reading, thinking, stunned at what he’d just said. It takes a while before it dawns on him what the feeling in his gut actually is, what feeling the questions he asks are born from.
“Love is you,” Jongin reads aloud, words heavy with meaning, heart so full with emotion.
(♧◑ω◑)☞♡☜(◐ω◐♧)
Jongin lands on the last written page of the journal at last. The same heaviness settles in his chest as he reads the poem over and over again. It reminds of that night with D.K.
I look at you
And find myself drawn to the beauty
Of your silhouette.
The lights of the night
Showering your skin with stars,
It leaves me breathless.
I look at you
From where I sit
And resist the urge to cry,
Because with the small distance
between us,
I can feel the cold slap of reality
That this is not what forever means.
I look at you,
At the cold and harsh lines
Of your beautiful back,
And think to myself
That this is the last time
You're going to hurt me like this.
"Is this about me?" Jongin asks the quiet in his room. He traces the last line with a finger, feeling where the ink embeds on the paper. The pang in his chest is unmistakable and he knows it's not only due to the emotions the poem holds.
He looks up from the notebook. He can hear his band mates discussing and he lets their chatter lull him into a daze. Jongin thinks about that night in the club, the small stature of a man holding him. He tries to picture what the man looked like but nothing comes to mind.
Jongin groans as he comes up empty handed. He has tried going back to each and every memory he has of the stranger but he can never recall anything of use. All he can remember is the smooth paleness of his skin as it shone under the moonlit night.
"Hey!" Chanyeol greets as he opens the door and Jongin sits up on his bed to address the elder. "We finally have something that will work."
"Finally!" Jongin exclaims as he excitedly gets off the bed. Chanyeol just shakes his head as he follows after Jongin.
"Okay," Jongdae begins. "Since you've shot down every bright idea we've had so far, we came up with one we thought was ‘foolproof’."
"We thought, maybe we could come up with a riddle during our gigs," Joonmyun continues. "That way, we don't have to reveal what the lost item is and we can be as cryptic as possible in a way we can't do on Twitter."
"And because we're going to be cryptic, our fans are sure to catch on and spread it around themselves and if your guy is really a groupie, he's bound to hear about it," Chanyeol says from beside him. "Better than passing out fliers. That way only our fans know what's going on."
"Besides, D.K. could be looking for his journal," Sehun adds in. "And this will only heighten his suspicions on where his journal could be."
Jongin absorbs all that they've told him and looks at the journal in his hands. There is a chance that even if the stranger approached him, he won't be able to remember him. This was the only way, to be able to find him, his song.
"Okay. Let's do it."
"Yes!" Jongdae exclaims, giving out high-fives to the other members. "This had better be worth it."
Jongin nods and gives them a soft smile, brushing his thumb softly on the leather. The many poems he's read swirls in his mind and he can't help but whisper, "It will be."
(♧◑ω◑)☞♡☜(◐ω◐♧)
Jongin cranes his neck and flexes his hands before going on stage. The screams of fans outside are deafening but he's used to it. As soon as they stand on stage and play their song, the only thing he will hear will be Jongdae and Joonmyun's voices, the soft blending of guitars with the drums, and the occasional piano. He immerses himself with these thoughts until he stands on stage and hears the actual melody of their lineup for the night.
It isn't until the last notes of the penultimate song leaves his ears that Jongin returns to reality. Jongdae's voice still echoes in the club but he doesn't sing, instead, he talks.
"Tonight, we'd like everyone to listen to a special request of ours," Jongdae announces as the crowd goes wild with yeses. Jongdae smiles excitedly and hands the mic to Jongin.
"Good evening! For our last song, we'd like for everyone to listen very carefully to the melody. This song doesn't have any lyrics yet because I'm still looking for person who holds the right words." There's a commotion of whispers that floods Jongin's ears but he keeps talking. "If you hold them right now, then you're the one I'm looking for. All you need to do is tell me what they are."
As if on cue, Joonmyun starts playing the melody Jongin walked home to the other day. Jongin gives Jongdae the mic back and closes his eyes. He waits for the drum beats before joining along with his own chords.
When the song ends, the crowd goes into an uproar and a bouncer leads them back to their dressing rooms. There's already a queue of boys and girls screaming their names to call their attention. Somehow, as Jongin gazes at each one of them, he knows none of them are the one.
(♧◑ω◑)☞♡☜(◐ω◐♧)
The word spreads quickly, even more quickly than Jongin had thought. The news travels around school and comes back to Jongin and his band mates ears every day for the past week. It's become one of Jongin's routine to stand in front of a spazzy fan with made up words, none of which are what he wants to hear. Since most of them turn out to be girls, Jongin doesn't wait for them to speak before turning them away with a quick, 'You're not who we're looking for.'
It's the last day of the school week and Jongin throws himself on the couch, groaning as the kinks in his body make themselves known.
"I officially hate you," Sehun mutters as he sits on Jongin's back. Jongin groans but doesn't move to push Sehun off. "I swear, if you had just tweeted this, it would so much easier to deal with."
"Ugh," is all Jongin replies.
"How are people supposed to know they're supposed to give the first and last poem in the journal anyway?" Chanyeol mutters as he trudges in the living room, sitting down on the loveseat.
"Whatever," Jongin mutters, barely audible as he still has his head trapped between his arms and the couch. "I'm sure if D.K. heard our song it would hit him how well it fit the first and last poem."
"I don't even know how it fits our song," Sehun comments with a groan. "I swear if we don't find this 'D.K.' guy, we're going to make you trash this idea."
Jongin sighs but nods. All throughout the week, he's gotten the same complaints from all his friends. After all, they experience the same thing Jongin does-spazzy fans every second and still no D.K.
"Alright," Jongin finds himself relenting. He knows it's unfair to impose on his band mates such a selfish wish. He turns on the couch so he's facing the ceiling. Sehun moves to sit on the space by Jongin's legs. "Alright. If he doesn't appear by next week, we can give up the search."
Joonmyun chuckles as he walks inside the room with Jongdae in tow. "Come on guys, it's not so bad."
"You guys are so fucking lucky," Chanyeol groans out. "Your public displays of make-out sessions make you guys unapproachable. You don't deserve to say anything." Chanyeol groans again as if to add more to his point. Sehun flings a throw pillow at the couple as they laugh at the truth behind Chanyeol's words.
"But I think we'll find him soon," Jongdae adds as he sits on the couch armrest. "If word has spread around so far, our fans are probably telling each other we're looking for a boy poet. Won't be long now 'til he shows up."
Jongin listens on quietly as his friends talk about the many comical encounters they had throughout the week. He hopes Jongdae's right because more than writing a song, the need to find the person behind D.K. becomes the priority as each day passes.
kyungsoo
Kyungsoo ignores Baekhyun as he occupies the seat beside him. He knows that if he so much as greets his best friend then he will use it as an opportunity to talk about his Jongin issue.
"So?" Baekhyun starts even though Kyungsoo's doing so well pretending he doesn't exist.
Kyungsoo contemplates for a second the pros of answering Baekhyun. There's a paper due at the end of the week regarding the book he's currently reading. He reads the current line he's been on and realizes he's read it five times since Baekhyun's arrived. He takes a deep breath.
"So what?" Kyungsoo asks, turning his attention to his best friend. Baekhyun has a cheeky grin on his face which only makes Kyungsoo feel guilty for ignoring his book.
When Kyungsoo doesn't seem to get his question, Baekhyun rolls his eyes and spells it out for the other male. "So, how's the Jongin-I mean, journal search going?" Baekhyun smirks as if expecting positive results. Kyungsoo sighs because there are none. Ever since Kyungsoo told Baekhyun everything that happened the other night, Baekhyun has gotten the idea that maybe something more could happen with Kyungsoo and Jongin.
Kyungsoo returns to his book but replies. "I haven't talked to him yet."
"What? Why not?" Baekhyun sounds a lot more put out than Kyungsoo feels.
"Because," Kyungsoo starts. He tries to think of the many reasons that's stopped him from approaching Jongin. "He's always surrounded by fans." Baekhyun opens his mouth as if to protest but Kyungsoo cuts him off. "Even more so than before." Kyungsoo shakes his head and begins to read the line where he stopped in the book, for the sixth time. "Plus, he seems to always be talking to someone whenever I find him."
Baekhyun clicks his tongue. "You give up so easily." Kyungsoo can feel Baekhyun roll his eyes beside him and he shudders. "It's almost as if you don't want to find your journal."
Kyungsoo bristles at Baekhyun's tone. There's a little bit of teasing in it that irritates him but also a sort of truth thrown inside that should make Kyungsoo uncomfortable. Kyungsoo glares at Baekhyun.
"Of course I want to find my journal," Kyungsoo harshly whispers at Baekhyun. "I just can't find the opportunity to talk to him!"
Baekhyun smirks at Kyungsoo. "Are you sure part of you isn't avoiding him? The other day you were telling me how much you wanted to quit the fandom just because Jongin slept with you."
Kyungsoo flinches and he pulls back the argument he was about to hurl out. He bites his lip and tries to ignore the sudden pain in his chest.
"You don't understand," Kyungsoo breathes out, tightening his hold on his highlighter.
"What don't I understand?" Baekhyun asks but his tone is no longer harsh and biting, which means Kyungsoo looks as pitiful as he feels.
"I just don't want to get hurt again," Kyungsoo finally admits. Baekhyun gives him a sympathetic look as he runs his hand up and down Kyungsoo's back.
"Look, you're just going to ask him if he has your journal. There is literally nothing else he can do to hurt you even more." Baekhyun looks so sure as he says this that Kyungsoo almost falls for it.
"You don't know that," Kyungsoo argues. "For all we know, he could probably have thrown away my journal because he realized that it was all about him." The horror is clear on Kyungsoo's face and Baekhyun sighs as he shakes his best friend back to reality.
"Kyungsoo," Baekhyun calls out. "Your journal, how important is it?"
"Very."
"Then get it back!"
"But how!?"
Baekhyun rolls his eyes as he turns Kyungsoo's face forward. Kyungsoo's heart stops beating at the sight in front of him. On the opposite table, sitting all alone is Jongin sleeping. The afternoon sunlight from the window behind Jongin catches on his skin. It reminds Kyungsoo of that night, when it was the moonlight that bathed Jongin.
Kyungsoo swallows as he feels Baekhyun grip on his arms soften. "Now, all you have to do is walk over there and ask about your journal."
"But he's asleep."
Baekhyun gives him a pointed look. "He's not. Trust me, I know. He's probably just pretending because he's been swarmed by fans since the week started."
"How?"
Baekhyun rolls his eyes. "Don't underestimate a fan's skills. Please. Now go and get your journal."
"But-"
"How important is your journal again?"
"Very," Kyungsoo repeats with a sigh.
"So you want it back very much, right?"
"Yeah."
"Conversation over. Now go over there!" Baekhyun pushes Kyungsoo out of his chair.
Kyungsoo stumbles before he regains his balance. He curses Baekhyun to the heavens and promises to be just as mean to his best friend the next time a situation like this comes. Before he knows it, his ranting about his best friend has gotten him right before Jongin.
Kyungsoo takes several deep breaths and just looks at Jongin. He walks a little closer until he's right beside him. Without thinking too much of it, he places a hand on Jongin's shoulder, shaking it slightly.
"Excuse me?" Kyungsoo starts out softly. "Jongin-ssi?"
When Jongin pierces him with a cold hard stare, Kyungsoo retracts his hand as if Jongin's skin burned him.
"What?" Jongin almost growls. Kyungsoo trembles from where he stands and swallows.
"I just wanted to ask," Kyungsoo starts but Jongin shakes his head.
"Look, unless you've got the words I'm looking for then I'm not interested," Jongin mutters, folding his arms.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Kyungsoo admits in a soft voice. Jongin's scary demeanor has him cowering just the slightest.
Jongin rolls his eyes. "Then please don't waste my time." Jongin closes his eyes and proceeds to ignore Kyungsoo.
Kyungsoo stands there stunned. He bites his lip and fights the pain that comes with the slicing of his heart. He can't wait to prove Baekhyun wrong.
(♧◑ω◑)☞♡☜(◐ω◐♧)
"I'm done," Kyungsoo whispers to himself as he begins to take out his collection of fan shirts that he designed himself. An hour has passed since the incident and while Kyungsoo sat in the library pretending to study, he finally made up his mind. If he was all talk the other day with Baekhyun, now he's sure. "I'm quitting the fandom."
"Kyungsoo," Baekhyun calls after him as he throws shirt after shirt into the pile on his bed.
"This is all your fault, you know that?" Kyungsoo answers back.
"It's not," Baekhyun argues. "You and I both know that you had to talk to Jongin for your journal and-"
Kyungsoo shoots Baekhyun a glare that shuts him up. "Don't even start with me, Byun Baekhyun. You don't even know what happened. Don't talk as if you know everything."
After Kyungsoo finishes clearing out his closet, he moves to the posters above his bed. Baekhyun panics and he rushes to grab his best friend's hands away from the posters.
"Stop!" Baekhyun yells, tackling his friend to the bed. "Tell me what happened before you do anything you regret."
"Let go of me, Baekhyun!" Kyungsoo shouts as he starts fighting back Baekhyun's hold.
"No! You're going to regret this if you continue to destroy everything you love!"
"I will not regret this! If the things I love the most will hurt me this bad, I might as well forget about everything!"
"Kyungsoo!" Baekhyun shouts so loud that Kyungsoo stops fighting back. Baekhyun huffs as he loosens his hold on Kyungsoo but keeps his hands tight on his wrists. "Just tell me everything that happened and then we'll think about throwing your 5 Directions things away, okay?"
Kyungsoo seethes but Baekhyun's hold on his is unrelenting.
"Tell me," Baekhyun coaxes and with a deep sigh, Kyungsoo gives up.
"Fine."
Kyungsoo tries not to think about the pain gripping his heart as he relays to Baekhyun the exact conversation that went on. Once Kyungsoo finishes, Baekhyun finally lets go of his hands.
"What do you think Jongin meant?" Baekhyun asks as he brings out his phone.
"I don't know," Kyungsoo shrugs. "It might be his new way of throwing off fans."
Baekhyun scrunches his eyebrows as he opens his Twitter. "I don't know. It feels a bit too legit. I'm going to check out what's going on with 5D. You. Stay. Put."
Kyungsoo lies back down on the bed, too tired to even bother continuing his plans of throwing everything away. He looks around his room, the walls covered with posters of 5D, their faces ranging from serious to smiles. Jongin looks especially handsome on the poster on the ceiling and it tugs at Kyungsoo's heart strings. He put it there for a reason after all.
"I got it!" Baekhyun says just as Kyungsoo begins a daydream.
"What?" Kyungsoo asks sitting up so Baekhyun can thrust his phone into his line of sight.
"Look here," Baekhyun shows him a conversation of tweets he had just started with mutual friends.
Peter Pan's Girl @superjmfan
I can't believe they're looking for guys! @jdsminemine you should try!!! ᄏᄏᄏ
Minseokkie @jdsminemine
@superjmfan I already did ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
BBH @daebaek_
@jdsminemine @superjmfan what are you guys talking about?
Peter Pan's Girl @superjmfan
@daebaek_ @jdsminemine BAEK BAEK BAEK!!! I can't believe you don't know yet! 5D is looking for some guy poet!!!
Minseokkie @jdsminemine
@superjmfan @daebaek_ YOU AND KYUNGSOO SHOULD GIVE IT A SHOT! It might even be one of you guys ᄏ
BBH @daebaek_
@jdsminemine @superjmfan what? why are they looking for a guy poet?
Peter Pan's Girl @superjmfan
@daebaek_ @jdsminemine beats me. but it's been the talk of the fandom for the whole week. it seems that it's a guy since girls (like me :() get rejected asap.
Minseokkie @jdsminemine
@superjmfan @daebaek_ ᄏᄏᄏᄏᄏ I had to make up a poem on the spot tho! But I wasn't what they're looking for. ㅠ
BBH @daebaek_
@jdsminemine @superjmfan :o i see~ thanks guys! kyungsoo and i will check it out.
Peter Pan's Girl @superjmfan
@daebaek_ @jdsminemine good luck!
Minseokkie @jdsminemine
@daebaek_ @superjmfan Go baek and soo! You can do it! 화이팅!
"I think they're looking for you!" Baekhyun exclaims and Kyungsoo looks back and forth at his friend and his phone.
"Why?"
Baekhyun groans, grabbing his phone as if to throw it at Kyungsoo's face.
"Because you lost your poem journal. They're looking for a guy poet. Come on Kyungsoo. THINK!"
Kyungsoo's jaw drops. "But, when I was about to ask, Jongin said I wasn't what he was looking for," Kyungsoo tries to reason even though bits and pieces of the puzzle in his head begin to make sense.
"It's probably because you did it wrong. Look, Wendy and Minseok told us there was some kind of procedure that we had to do." Baekhyun points to the following tweet and Kyungsoo reads it.
"So all we have to do is go to a gig and we'll find out how?" Kyungsoo asks, looking up at his friend's mischievously bright eyes.
"I guess."
(♧◑ω◑)☞♡☜(◐ω◐♧)
The next 5D gigs fell on the Saturday of that week. Kyungsoo finds himself donning, what he hopes to be the last time, one of his favorite self-designed 5D shirts. It was also the same shirt he'd worn when Jongin picked him up.
"It might help Jongin remember you!" Baekhyun points out as he fixes his eyeliner.
With a resigned sigh, Kyungsoo folds the sleeve of his shirt, hoping to show off a little more. His skinny white jeans, ripped around the the thighs, just don't seem to cut it for him. He tops the whole outfit with a black trench coat that will keep him warm while they walk to the bar.
"Okay," Baekhyun says as he puts his eyeliner back in his pocket. "Let's go."
Kyungsoo allows Baekhyun to drag him along, still not feeling up to it. There's still the sadness deep within his gut when Jongin rejected him. Even though it's been days since it happened, Kyungsoo just can't forget it. He finds himself still thinking about the incident when Baekhyun stops dragging him.
"What?" Kyungsoo asks out of his disoriented state as he looks around the dark and cold streets.
"We're here," Baekhyun says as he pulls Kyungsoo inside the warm club.
They're just in time for the opening act to start. Baekhyun looks around but Kyungsoo keeps his gaze low, not wanting to meet anyone he knows. Baekhyun seems to notice his obvious discomfort and decides to stop looking around.
"Just this once," Baekhyun shouts as the loud rock music fills the club. "We're not gonna mingle."
Kyungsoo sighs in relief as he allows Baekhyun to pull him to the front of the dance floor. The place isn't as packed as they'd thought it to be, and they're lucky that they get a good spot to view the rest of the band as they play. Baekhyun tries to make Kyungsoo dance along to the song, but Kyungsoo just shakes his head. He really just wants this night to end.
"Suit yourself," Baekhyun relents, giving Kyungsoo a sad smile. Kyungsoo almost feels apologetic but half the reason why he's even in this mess is because of Baekhyun.
Baekhyun continues to dance to the opening act before he stops and stands still. The announcer has just introduced 5 Directions and the crowd closes in on the two. Baekhyun clings to Kyungsoo and begins to shout as loudly as possible. The crowd shouts along with Baekhyun. With a sad smile, Kyungsoo looks up and muscle memory has him looking for Jongin first.
Kyungsoo finds Jongin standing under a mix of colored spotlights, his hair artfully mussed up. His clothes look casual enough but cling to him like a second skin and Kyungsoo swallows the lump in his throat. The moment Jongin strums his guitar, Kyungsoo finds himself captivated, falling once more into the depths of Jongin's melodic music. It doesn't take long before Kyungsoo's closing his eyes and listening to the songs with his heart. It doesn't matter how much Jongin's burned him, Kyungsoo's home is this band-Jongin's music.
When Kyungsoo opens his eyes, he sees the happiness painted on Jongin's face and he knows that, despite all the pain, he will always, always love Jongin.
Tears stream down Kyungsoo's face as 5 Directions end their song You and You. Jongdae has just started talking, a new feat in their line-up Kyungsoo supposes. Baekhyun grips his arm tightly and Kyungsoo thinks it's probably just his fanboy self going crazy over Jongdae.
"Good evening fans and people of Jive. Thank you for having us tonight. Before we end for the night, I'd like to give the mic to our lead guitarist, Jongin."
Kyungsoo swallows as uncertainty floods him. Baekhyun's grip on his arm tightens.
"It's been almost two weeks since we began the search for the person with the right words," Jongin begins. Kyungsoo thinks he hears desperation in his voice. "Today is the last day we'll be looking for you, so if you're out there, I want you to listen to this last song we're playing. There are no lyrics to this song yet because I haven’t found you. If you're here, holding the words to this song, please sing them to me backstage. All you need to do is give me your first and your last."
Kyungsoo holds his breath as Jongin returns the mic to Jongdae. The soft piano fills Kyungsoo's ear but all he can think about is his first poem in his journal. There's a mix of brightness and sadness in the melody Joonmyun plays. When Jongin starts strumming his guitar, all Kyungsoo can think of is to match his poem line by line with beat per beat.
Kyungsoo's breath gets caught in his throat.
jongin
The crowd goes wild again with 'It's me! I'm the one you're looking for' but Jongin ignores them, sole intention on playing this song with his whole heart. When the song ends, the last notes of his guitar drifting off into the audience, Jongin gives them a sad, desperate smile. Let me find him, please, Jongin prays.
Before he knows it, the staff of Jive leads them away from the stage and right back to their dressing rooms. Some of the bouncers for the club's entrance stand guard by the barricade that separates the door from fans. Jongin finds himself looking at the crowd that's gathered there, looking for something familiar.
There's a staff gently guiding him back with his band mates and Jongin, in his defeat at finding nothing, allows him to.
"Jongin!" For some reason, Jongin returns his gaze back at the people by the barricade. Jongin's heart stops as he sees the black fan shirt, with the silver print on it. He unconsciously pulls away from the staff's guiding hand and straight into the barricade.
A man with wide eyes and tousled hair stands behind the barricade, looking trapped as the crowd presses him against the metal. There's a pained look on his face and Jongin immediately tells the bouncers to let him through. Before the fans can follow the wide-eyed man, Jongin pulls him along backstage, running away from the screaming fans.
As Jongin finds himself coming back to reality, he realizes that the man standing and panting before him is the same person who approached him at the library a few days back. He takes a deep breath and tightens his hold on the hand in his. Jongin opens his mouth but the man cuts him off with heart shaped smile.
"The sky is blue, the leaves are green, the day is supposed to be, as beautiful as it seems, but deep within, deep inside of myself, there is a blackness that makes the day dim," the fan recites and Jongin's heart thunders in his chest. One more poem.
The pale-skinned man looks at the ground and takes a deep breath. Jongin squeezes his hand, urging him to continue.
"I look at you, and find myself drawn to the beauty, of your silhouette. The lights of the night, showering your skin with stars, it leaves me breathless." He pauses and looks up at Jongin's eyes. "I look at you, from where I sit, and resist the urge to cry, because with the small distance between us, I can feel the cold slap of reality, that this is not what forever means."
With the person standing before him narrating his own words, Jongin feels the words pierce him harder than when he had read them for the nth time.
"I look at you," the person begins with a tremble in his voice and Jongin swallows the lump in his own throat. "At the cold and harsh lines, of your beautiful back, and think to myself, that this is the last time, you're going to hurt me like this."
Jongin gives D.K. a sad smile, wiping the tears that fell from his eyes as he spoke. "I've found you," Jongin mutters as he caresses D.K.'s cheeks. He memorizes every feature on this face, engraves it to memory so he will never forget. "I've found you."
"Ask him his name!"
"Ask him if he owns the journal!"
"That's such a stupid question to ask."
"Just kiss already!"
Jongin's band mates catcall from behind them. Jongin rolls his eyes as he turns to flip them all off. He turns back to a giggling D.K. There's a light hue of pink dusting his cheeks and Jongin's heart stops beating before racing again.
"This is such a stupid question," Jongin begins as he intertwines his fingers with D.K.'s. "But can I please have your name?"
"It's Kyungsoo. Do Kyungsoo," D.K.-or well, Kyungsoo-replies.
"Kyungsoo," Jongin whispers, loving the way the name fits on his lips. It feels like it's meant to be. "I've found my song," Jongin says just before he catches Kyungsoo's lips with his own.
(♧◑ω◑)☞♡☜(◐ω◐♧)
"That rhyme sounds really terrible," Kyungsoo comments at the lyrics notebook Jongin has sprawled between them. Jongin sighs in defeat.
"Okay, if you think you can do better, here," Jongin relents, handing Kyungsoo the pen.
Kyungsoo smirks from beside him. "Of course I can."
Jongin loathes to admit it but Kyungsoo does a better job at rhyming than he does. It doesn't take long before Kyungsoo has remedied Jongin's lyrics, making sense of his words like Jongin has never seen anyone do.
"See?" Kyungsoo points out with a triumphant smile, a smile that Jongin kisses straight off his lips.
"Thanks," Jongin whispers against his lips. The dreamy look on Kyungsoo's face is worth all the bickering they've done this afternoon, just writing poems and lyrics.
"Ew. As if Joonmyun and Jongdae making out in the other corner isn't enough!" Baekhyun whines loudly in the apartment.
Jongin and Kyungsoo laugh before they go back to occupying each other's attention with their lips-mostly, just to piss Baekhyun off.
"It's alright, Baekhyun," they hear Chanyeol say just as they pull apart. "You'll always have me to make out with."
Everyone aside from Chanyeol and Baekhyun laughs. Baekhyun glares at Chanyeol who looks incredibly disheartened at the implicit rejection.
"How about we write a song about them next?" Jongin asks, nudging Kyungsoo.
Kyungsoo laughs and nods. "It will be the perfect love song."
Jongin tsks. "Not as perfect as ours."
Kyungsoo begins to laugh but Jongin kisses it right out of him. Between them, the notebook remains open with the latest song they have written together.
This is You and Me.