Presents
Title: Presents
Pairing: Changmin/Sooyoung; Kyuhyun/Younha; Key/Nicole
Rating: G
Genre: Drama, Humor, Fluff
Changmin/Sooyoung; Japan
Choi Sooyoung got into a few months before 2001 ended. A lively, bouncy girl with long limbs and lots of hair. Only a few hours after stepping into the SM building and she already named at least twenty-three trainees as friends.
Shim Changmin caused a stir the first day he walked through the trainee hall. He withered in front of the scrutinizing gazes of the other trainees as he made his way to the back of the room. It was during the two days after the start of spring in 2002. The same day of Choi Sooyoung’s first flight to Japan.
Chosen out of the thousand of girls who auditioned for the Korea-Japan Ultra Idol, Japan has been her home for almost a year. Learned a new language, made new friends. She was allowed to return every three months; spend a week with her family and friends before going back there again. Her trainee friends sent her prayers and good tidings. With tears and an invulnerable bubble of optimism, she became the surrogate achiever of their hopeful dreams.
But Sooyoung returned to Korea sooner than expected. Japan is teeming with its native-bred stars and there is no place for her. The company tells her she can continue modeling and, maybe, be able to get her break one way or another. She refused to listen. Amidst her mother’s promises, of family friends in the industry, strong connections to the higher ups in the celebrity world, she stormed back at SM academy with head held high and signed herself as a trainee. Again. Long gone was the little girl easily attracted by flickering lights. She is determined to hold her star. She is determined to take her place among them; even if the way is long. Even if it burns her.
TVXQ debuted a day after Christmas. December 2003. Changmin was nervous but not more than what the other four were feeling. For them, it was the fulfillment of a longtime dream. For him, it is but another achievement to make his mother proud. He doesn’t want much of the cheers but he learned to like it anyway. And even if it didn’t bother him at first, his heart sinks a little bit lower whenever he is placed last among his brothers. He has gotten the hang of it and soon realized its weight. So when an SM staff accidentally let it slip that the management is planning to send them abroad, to Japan, he decided it would be his time.
One who returned after a failed attempt and one who decided to finally make an attempt, at least.
Their paths crossed one Sunday. Junsu dragged her with much effort into the TVXQ practice room. She shied away from her friends - now sunbaes - and stared blankly at the floor. Yoochun started singing a lower-pitched version of START! (earning him a kick on the shin) and it was then did she realize that nothing else has changed. It’s as if Japan didn’t happen and Dong Bang Shin Ki isn’t one of the emerging legends of modern Kpop. It was only when she was about to leave that they remembered to introduce her to the shy sixteen year old who had been watching them all the while.
Six long years have passed. A lot of things have changed.
Changmin watched as Sooyoung walked towards his direction with the rest of SNSD behind her. He raised his hand and grabbed hers effortlessly. He wasn’t sure if she still remembers (he, himself, forgot until that Come to Play episode) the first day they’ve met. Even though few words were spoken then, he had long known who that girl was. He didn’t tell anyone but he oftentimes practiced his Japanese by listening to some of her songs and that it was her story, the will of a twelve year old dreamer thrown into a strange place, which inspired him. And here, in front of the largest Japanese audience to ever gather, Tokyo Dome, she finally got hold of her dream. She has returned. To a place special to both of them. For different purposes, yes, but special all the same.
He felt her squeeze his hands and a secret smile made its way to his lips. No words are spoken yet they both understood. The meaning of the moment, and perhaps something so much more. Just like the first day they’ve met.
Kyuhyun/Younha; Melody
It is the nth time they apologized to him.
Sorry for the short notice. Sorry your partner isn’t here yet. Sorry there are some technical difficulties we need to attend to first.
His ear is starting to ache from all the recurrent apologies and he feels his practiced smile starting to wear off by the minute. He tries to argue objectively with himself in favor of the staff.
The holiday has just ended and the work has piled up. Nobody’s fault.
He tells himself he should be happy. That it is work who is running after him and not the other way around. Yet, he can feel every passing moment in this bare-faced waiting room more annoying than the next.
He busies himself with the piece of paper he is holding. The song he will sing with the anonymous singer that will be his partner for the duet. His fingers trace the title of the piece and a resolute smirk passes his lips.
'Perfect Harmony'
He sniggers at the futile cheesiness of the song but scolds himself afterwards. He checks the time on the lonely wall clock and wonders about the identity of his mysterious partner.
"That person is a fan of you, Kyuhyun-ssi."
An overly-talkative staff tells him as she hands him the music sheet. His mind wanders on, creating an image of that person. He isn’t even sure if it would be a woman or a man.
He clears his throat and tries humming the first note when the door clicks open and time screeches into a complete stop.
“Annyeonghaseyo.”
He has always seen her face on pictures and he swears he can distinguish her voice from a crowd. Yet, nothing -- of her pictures saved in his computer, songs playing on constant loop in his player -- could prepare him for this moment.
“A-annyeonghaseyo.”
He stammers like a lovestruck fanboy. The girl smiles shyly and proceeds in silence towards the sofa opposite him. She takes out a book from her bag and reads silently.
Seconds tick by and he finds the moment more annoying than the impossible waiting he has undergone a few minutes earlier.
What are you doing here? Are you recording too? Are you going to be my partner? Why are you so pretty? Can I get an autograph? I LIKE YOU SO MUCH!
And the words continue to pile up in his useless tongue. He is itching to talk but he is kept together by the sudden shyness plaguing him at that moment.
Salvation comes in the form of a staff member. But his heart sinks when the newcomer turns out as a courier, fetching the girl he has been dying to talk to, to bring her to God knows where. He sits sulkily afterwards waiting for the world to end.
“Kyuhyun-ssi, sorry, you can go to the recording room now.”
The sound director tells him. He is still scolding himself for letting a precious moment pass by but consoles himself with the idea of meeting a fan. He drags himself to the recording room with his head down low and the door opens slightly to reveal a sight.
He thinks he could have been more prepared now than he should have been minutes ago, granting that he already had caught sight of her. But his tongue sticks back to the roof of his mouth and a silly smile starts to spread alarmingly on his face.
He doesn’t hear the rest of what the sound director was saying as he gazes back at her deep brown eyes looking at him.
"Kyuhyun-ssi, Younha-ssi, you will be partners for blah blah blah blah…”
Key/Nicole; Forever
In the SHINee household, there is a different way of accepting things. Random spurs of happiness from reasons unallowably mentioned in public are not uncommon. It happens most of the time, albeit on different time-frames. Onew to Luna, Jonghyun to Jessica, Minho to Krystal, and Taemin to Sulli. But they remained as they are: spurs of happiness. After which, a longer period of silent tears follow. Minho still has his hopes up, Taemin keeps his mouth shut, Jonghyun - half-hoping, half-tired, and Onew still stuck on that confusing crossroad of friendship and love. Each one is fighting their own battles as silently as they could. Yet, they are aware. Jonghyun silently prays that his other members be spared the heartbreak that he has long endured. The rest contenting themselves on being mere spectators, an eager audience for another story that is about to unfold.
Hence, when Key went back to their dorm one night with a lightness in his step, lingering happiness in his smile, and a brighter gleam in his eye; they knew. They noticed. But they do not tell.
As similar as they are to SHINee’s seemingly nonchalant nature, KARA actually is a lot closer than most people think they are. The past lawsuit may have scarred them but as all wounds, it heals. So when Nicole brought Key to their humble dorm on the night before Christmas, they knew it was a far different meeting from the two’s usual study sessions together. Key knew he had found friends in these five girls but on that night, he learned about them as a family. He had his smile stuck on his face longer than his most tiresome photoshoot as he felt the underlying messages of support from them.
He was standing outside the balcony of KARA’s dorm watching the evening snow fall gently from the sky when Nicole walks up to him. He wrapped his arm tenderly around her small body and closed his eyes in reverie. If this would go on to forever, he couldn’t ask for anything else in the world.
---
A/N: Belated happy birthday mekimigure ♥
Pairing: Changmin/Sooyoung; Kyuhyun/Younha; Key/Nicole
Rating: G
Genre: Drama, Humor, Fluff
Changmin/Sooyoung; Japan
Choi Sooyoung got into a few months before 2001 ended. A lively, bouncy girl with long limbs and lots of hair. Only a few hours after stepping into the SM building and she already named at least twenty-three trainees as friends.
Shim Changmin caused a stir the first day he walked through the trainee hall. He withered in front of the scrutinizing gazes of the other trainees as he made his way to the back of the room. It was during the two days after the start of spring in 2002. The same day of Choi Sooyoung’s first flight to Japan.
Chosen out of the thousand of girls who auditioned for the Korea-Japan Ultra Idol, Japan has been her home for almost a year. Learned a new language, made new friends. She was allowed to return every three months; spend a week with her family and friends before going back there again. Her trainee friends sent her prayers and good tidings. With tears and an invulnerable bubble of optimism, she became the surrogate achiever of their hopeful dreams.
But Sooyoung returned to Korea sooner than expected. Japan is teeming with its native-bred stars and there is no place for her. The company tells her she can continue modeling and, maybe, be able to get her break one way or another. She refused to listen. Amidst her mother’s promises, of family friends in the industry, strong connections to the higher ups in the celebrity world, she stormed back at SM academy with head held high and signed herself as a trainee. Again. Long gone was the little girl easily attracted by flickering lights. She is determined to hold her star. She is determined to take her place among them; even if the way is long. Even if it burns her.
TVXQ debuted a day after Christmas. December 2003. Changmin was nervous but not more than what the other four were feeling. For them, it was the fulfillment of a longtime dream. For him, it is but another achievement to make his mother proud. He doesn’t want much of the cheers but he learned to like it anyway. And even if it didn’t bother him at first, his heart sinks a little bit lower whenever he is placed last among his brothers. He has gotten the hang of it and soon realized its weight. So when an SM staff accidentally let it slip that the management is planning to send them abroad, to Japan, he decided it would be his time.
One who returned after a failed attempt and one who decided to finally make an attempt, at least.
Their paths crossed one Sunday. Junsu dragged her with much effort into the TVXQ practice room. She shied away from her friends - now sunbaes - and stared blankly at the floor. Yoochun started singing a lower-pitched version of START! (earning him a kick on the shin) and it was then did she realize that nothing else has changed. It’s as if Japan didn’t happen and Dong Bang Shin Ki isn’t one of the emerging legends of modern Kpop. It was only when she was about to leave that they remembered to introduce her to the shy sixteen year old who had been watching them all the while.
Six long years have passed. A lot of things have changed.
Changmin watched as Sooyoung walked towards his direction with the rest of SNSD behind her. He raised his hand and grabbed hers effortlessly. He wasn’t sure if she still remembers (he, himself, forgot until that Come to Play episode) the first day they’ve met. Even though few words were spoken then, he had long known who that girl was. He didn’t tell anyone but he oftentimes practiced his Japanese by listening to some of her songs and that it was her story, the will of a twelve year old dreamer thrown into a strange place, which inspired him. And here, in front of the largest Japanese audience to ever gather, Tokyo Dome, she finally got hold of her dream. She has returned. To a place special to both of them. For different purposes, yes, but special all the same.
He felt her squeeze his hands and a secret smile made its way to his lips. No words are spoken yet they both understood. The meaning of the moment, and perhaps something so much more. Just like the first day they’ve met.
Kyuhyun/Younha; Melody
It is the nth time they apologized to him.
Sorry for the short notice. Sorry your partner isn’t here yet. Sorry there are some technical difficulties we need to attend to first.
His ear is starting to ache from all the recurrent apologies and he feels his practiced smile starting to wear off by the minute. He tries to argue objectively with himself in favor of the staff.
The holiday has just ended and the work has piled up. Nobody’s fault.
He tells himself he should be happy. That it is work who is running after him and not the other way around. Yet, he can feel every passing moment in this bare-faced waiting room more annoying than the next.
He busies himself with the piece of paper he is holding. The song he will sing with the anonymous singer that will be his partner for the duet. His fingers trace the title of the piece and a resolute smirk passes his lips.
'Perfect Harmony'
He sniggers at the futile cheesiness of the song but scolds himself afterwards. He checks the time on the lonely wall clock and wonders about the identity of his mysterious partner.
"That person is a fan of you, Kyuhyun-ssi."
An overly-talkative staff tells him as she hands him the music sheet. His mind wanders on, creating an image of that person. He isn’t even sure if it would be a woman or a man.
He clears his throat and tries humming the first note when the door clicks open and time screeches into a complete stop.
“Annyeonghaseyo.”
He has always seen her face on pictures and he swears he can distinguish her voice from a crowd. Yet, nothing -- of her pictures saved in his computer, songs playing on constant loop in his player -- could prepare him for this moment.
“A-annyeonghaseyo.”
He stammers like a lovestruck fanboy. The girl smiles shyly and proceeds in silence towards the sofa opposite him. She takes out a book from her bag and reads silently.
Seconds tick by and he finds the moment more annoying than the impossible waiting he has undergone a few minutes earlier.
What are you doing here? Are you recording too? Are you going to be my partner? Why are you so pretty? Can I get an autograph? I LIKE YOU SO MUCH!
And the words continue to pile up in his useless tongue. He is itching to talk but he is kept together by the sudden shyness plaguing him at that moment.
Salvation comes in the form of a staff member. But his heart sinks when the newcomer turns out as a courier, fetching the girl he has been dying to talk to, to bring her to God knows where. He sits sulkily afterwards waiting for the world to end.
“Kyuhyun-ssi, sorry, you can go to the recording room now.”
The sound director tells him. He is still scolding himself for letting a precious moment pass by but consoles himself with the idea of meeting a fan. He drags himself to the recording room with his head down low and the door opens slightly to reveal a sight.
He thinks he could have been more prepared now than he should have been minutes ago, granting that he already had caught sight of her. But his tongue sticks back to the roof of his mouth and a silly smile starts to spread alarmingly on his face.
He doesn’t hear the rest of what the sound director was saying as he gazes back at her deep brown eyes looking at him.
"Kyuhyun-ssi, Younha-ssi, you will be partners for blah blah blah blah…”
Key/Nicole; Forever
In the SHINee household, there is a different way of accepting things. Random spurs of happiness from reasons unallowably mentioned in public are not uncommon. It happens most of the time, albeit on different time-frames. Onew to Luna, Jonghyun to Jessica, Minho to Krystal, and Taemin to Sulli. But they remained as they are: spurs of happiness. After which, a longer period of silent tears follow. Minho still has his hopes up, Taemin keeps his mouth shut, Jonghyun - half-hoping, half-tired, and Onew still stuck on that confusing crossroad of friendship and love. Each one is fighting their own battles as silently as they could. Yet, they are aware. Jonghyun silently prays that his other members be spared the heartbreak that he has long endured. The rest contenting themselves on being mere spectators, an eager audience for another story that is about to unfold.
Hence, when Key went back to their dorm one night with a lightness in his step, lingering happiness in his smile, and a brighter gleam in his eye; they knew. They noticed. But they do not tell.
As similar as they are to SHINee’s seemingly nonchalant nature, KARA actually is a lot closer than most people think they are. The past lawsuit may have scarred them but as all wounds, it heals. So when Nicole brought Key to their humble dorm on the night before Christmas, they knew it was a far different meeting from the two’s usual study sessions together. Key knew he had found friends in these five girls but on that night, he learned about them as a family. He had his smile stuck on his face longer than his most tiresome photoshoot as he felt the underlying messages of support from them.
He was standing outside the balcony of KARA’s dorm watching the evening snow fall gently from the sky when Nicole walks up to him. He wrapped his arm tenderly around her small body and closed his eyes in reverie. If this would go on to forever, he couldn’t ask for anything else in the world.
---
A/N: Belated happy birthday mekimigure ♥