A Point of View
Title: A Point of View
Fandom: NU'EST
Pairing: JR/Minhyun
Rating: G
Word Count:1765
Summary: The progression of Minhyun's rapper and JR's vocalist.
“Hwang Minhyun.”
“Kim Jonghyun.”
--
They were awkward from the first time they met. The two boys would avoid each other, speaking only to exchange curt comments on their progress in the practice room or to ask if the other would pass the rice at mealtimes. They danced on opposite sides of the room and sat on opposite sides of the table.
The older one was flashy. He was smaller, but had the spotlight on him as soon as he walked into the room. Every movement he made was a performance on its own. He was too cocky, Minhyun thought, acting as if the distance between their looks and skills was as large as the distance they kept between each other.
The younger was aloof. He had his head in the clouds, yet girls giggled with their hands over their mouths when he walked by. He put himself above the rest of them, Jonghyun thought, with his height and his attitude. He sported his god-given talent the same way he sported his perfect, makeup-less face: as if he didn’t care.
--
“Hey… Nice job.”
“Yeah? You too.”
--
The five of them began living in close quarters, but most of their time was spent in a room counting steps or repeating verse after verse. The two of them saw each other every day, slowly realizing that they had quickly turned from coworkers to teammates living under the same roof. And slowly, they began to watch each other, while the other wasn’t looking.
Their choreographer favored Jonghyun, who got the dances the quickest, learning each move perfectly in quick succession. They would always run through it once together, but none of them could get it after that first time besides their leader. Minhyun would watch him, trying to get his own long limbs to move with the same precision and speed, but would end up slipping up, not sure if he was watching himself or JR more. In the end, the speakers would quiet and the choreographer would make her comments, pointing out their mistakes, though were her notes rarely for JR. Minhyun would glance at him, but he would simply be sipping water in the corner, facing the wall and moving his feet to some rhythm only he could hear as the music replayed in his head.
Jonghyun tried to focus as much as possible to their music director, although he wasn’t paid nearly the same amount of attention. He learned the chorus and the melody, but he felt as if he was only filling up the seconds in the song; he rapped as coolly as possible, but it would quickly pass. Though he would never say anything, he found himself getting lost in the song when Minhyun did his part. They all would look a bit dazed when Minhyun sang; his voice was gentle, his tone rising and falling with ease. When the music started, he would voice a perfect melody with little effort, hardly even thinking. Their director would rap her pencil on her notebook, calling on JR, to get them all to snap out of it. Jonghyun would blush, embarrassed, and glance at Minhyun, who would always be looking down at his sheet music, not realizing the spell he had cast on the room.
--
“You know, I think that you have the best aegyo…”
“Ah, you’re hilarious, aren’t you?”
--
Their first album was released, and suddenly everything felt rushed. They had something to film at one studio, then a few more hours of practice before a performance at a different studio on the other side of Seoul. They promoted with tiny impromptu appearances in various places around the city and held fanmeets more and more often.
The event coordinators would rush them into their seats at that long table as the line snaked around the corner, and a lot of the times the two of them would hardly notice they had been placed next to each other until they sat down.
JR was cute; it was ridiculously undeniable. He would wave with both hands, puff up his cheeks, make a heart with his fingers and blow kisses through it. Anything to make the fans squeal behind their cameras, but Minhyun knew all he had to do was flash them a grin. His eyes would change completely, and the fierce dancer would transform into a slightly shy young man fumbling with the cap on his marker, his fiery rapping turning into sweet words aimed at every person who approached the table. Minhyun could feel it, the bubbliness. It kept spreading to him. He would feel compelled to scrunch up his face with a playful “Aing!”, and he caught himself doodling hearts and smiles and swirls on the things he signed. But JR would always have him beat. Minhyun got used to his fan service, so much so that he wondered if it was fan service at all. Minhyun would comment on this, telling JR how much it looked like he was enjoying the event after observing him for a while. Then the boy would turn to face him, still with that gigantic smile on his face, and for some reason, Minhyun would feel himself smiling back.
Minhyun… was silly. There was no other way to put it. JR could say he was funny, but that wasn’t quite the word. His humor was strange, and when he performed his little acts and told his little jokes, JR and the fan he was addressing would either be laughing loudly with their heads thrown back or looking at him with a puzzled look on their faces. He would change voices and play with the balloons. Once he had almost attempted to juggle, but a coordinator put her hand on his arm before he could get any of the pens in the air, to Jonghyun and the fan’s disappointment. “Four-dimensional” he had heard some of his members put it, and before, Jonghyun would have agreed, but that wasn’t it. He was reaching out with something different than his voice. Everything he did was a deliberate way to entertain, to get some sort of reaction, and there were few times when he didn’t succeed. JR would flinch when he felt confetti being sprinkled on him or a weird accessory being placed atop his perfectly arranged hair, but would relax when he heard Minhyun’s quiet laughing. And when the taller boy arched his arm up to form part of a heart, JR would be quick to provide the second half.
--
“Yeah, but there’s no one who really listens to me, though… You know, except-”
“Of course, it’s me, right?”
--
When the five of them circled up for a quick break during practice, the two boys began to find themselves next to each other more and more frequently, their knees touching while they sat cross-legged. They elbows would bump when they walked side by side down hallways. Commentary meant to be heard by the group soon quieted down to things only one person standing close could hear. Soon they were whispering into each other’s ears, both of them leaning in even when it really wasn’t necessary.
They would even stay up and pretend to be surprised when they met each other on some nights, alone, in their living room or kitchen.
Jonghyun would lie, claiming he could only go to sleep when all of the members-including Minhyun-had already gone to bed, to ensure that everyone got their rest. ‘As the leader,’ were the words he would use, the same words uttered by their manager, by their CEO, by their choreographer, by producers and by senior groups. JR liked hearing those words, because he felt trusted, responsible… but Minhyun knew he was anxious. Always, always anxious, but he would never admit it openly. Minhyun had only guessed, from the way Jonghyun sighed in relief when practice ended well, the way he almost held his breath whenever they were being interviewed, the incredibly grateful look he gave when Minhyun got the dorm mostly clean. So eventually, he did talk about it, but he would do so quietly, as if he was selfish to confess all of his worries to the other person, with his long legs spread out underneath their small kitchen table, sitting across from him. But then JR would only be greeted with a soft expression; not one of annoyance or panic or patronizing sympathy, but one of a friend who understood. It would make his heart feel light and heavy at the same time, empty of worries but full from the satisfaction given by the fact that somebody cared.
Minhyun liked to listen; it was when it was his turn to contribute that he felt a little off. He didn’t want to push his burdens onto anyone, especially JR, but the older boy would nudge and prod playfully until he said the things he thought would never pass his lips, the feelings and thoughts he had filed away that he never believed were that interesting. Although, the way Jonghyun leaned in when he spoke often made him think otherwise. Minhyun confessed everything, from his childhood memories to his wildest dreams. He had aspirations as a growing artist; he had doubts about their future in a harsh industry. Whatever he had thought would be ridiculous to say to any person, he said it anyway, because Jonghyun wanted to hear all of it. It would make Minhyun blush, the way JR would respond to even the simplest things he revealed. His reactions seemed almost exaggerated, but it was even more embarrassing when he realized that the other boy sincerely believed he was deeply involved in Minhyun’s life simply by hearing what he had to say. So Minhyun discovered, through a smiling kid with studs in his ears and hair in his face, that he also liked to be listened to.
--
“Someone who knows enough about me… who understands and accepts me. What about you, what do you think?”
“Something I like in a person? Like, an ideal type? I… I guess someone similar to yours.”
--
Soon interviews weren’t as much of a problem. All five of them began to lose their awkwardness in front of the camera, tried to speak clearly and look as relaxed as possible. So when this question-a simple question with an easily rehearsed answer-was asked, they would take only a few seconds, pretending to contemplate.
During those few seconds, JR would glance at Minhyun.
And Minhyun would glance at JR.
And they both know their answer.
A/N: Wow, sorry about that "summary" at the beginning... and as long as I'm apologizing... that ending, too... Thank you for reading, if you got this far, you honestly have no idea how much I wrestled with this fic, argh.
Fandom: NU'EST
Pairing: JR/Minhyun
Rating: G
Word Count:1765
Summary: The progression of Minhyun's rapper and JR's vocalist.
“Hwang Minhyun.”
“Kim Jonghyun.”
--
They were awkward from the first time they met. The two boys would avoid each other, speaking only to exchange curt comments on their progress in the practice room or to ask if the other would pass the rice at mealtimes. They danced on opposite sides of the room and sat on opposite sides of the table.
The older one was flashy. He was smaller, but had the spotlight on him as soon as he walked into the room. Every movement he made was a performance on its own. He was too cocky, Minhyun thought, acting as if the distance between their looks and skills was as large as the distance they kept between each other.
The younger was aloof. He had his head in the clouds, yet girls giggled with their hands over their mouths when he walked by. He put himself above the rest of them, Jonghyun thought, with his height and his attitude. He sported his god-given talent the same way he sported his perfect, makeup-less face: as if he didn’t care.
--
“Hey… Nice job.”
“Yeah? You too.”
--
The five of them began living in close quarters, but most of their time was spent in a room counting steps or repeating verse after verse. The two of them saw each other every day, slowly realizing that they had quickly turned from coworkers to teammates living under the same roof. And slowly, they began to watch each other, while the other wasn’t looking.
Their choreographer favored Jonghyun, who got the dances the quickest, learning each move perfectly in quick succession. They would always run through it once together, but none of them could get it after that first time besides their leader. Minhyun would watch him, trying to get his own long limbs to move with the same precision and speed, but would end up slipping up, not sure if he was watching himself or JR more. In the end, the speakers would quiet and the choreographer would make her comments, pointing out their mistakes, though were her notes rarely for JR. Minhyun would glance at him, but he would simply be sipping water in the corner, facing the wall and moving his feet to some rhythm only he could hear as the music replayed in his head.
Jonghyun tried to focus as much as possible to their music director, although he wasn’t paid nearly the same amount of attention. He learned the chorus and the melody, but he felt as if he was only filling up the seconds in the song; he rapped as coolly as possible, but it would quickly pass. Though he would never say anything, he found himself getting lost in the song when Minhyun did his part. They all would look a bit dazed when Minhyun sang; his voice was gentle, his tone rising and falling with ease. When the music started, he would voice a perfect melody with little effort, hardly even thinking. Their director would rap her pencil on her notebook, calling on JR, to get them all to snap out of it. Jonghyun would blush, embarrassed, and glance at Minhyun, who would always be looking down at his sheet music, not realizing the spell he had cast on the room.
--
“You know, I think that you have the best aegyo…”
“Ah, you’re hilarious, aren’t you?”
--
Their first album was released, and suddenly everything felt rushed. They had something to film at one studio, then a few more hours of practice before a performance at a different studio on the other side of Seoul. They promoted with tiny impromptu appearances in various places around the city and held fanmeets more and more often.
The event coordinators would rush them into their seats at that long table as the line snaked around the corner, and a lot of the times the two of them would hardly notice they had been placed next to each other until they sat down.
JR was cute; it was ridiculously undeniable. He would wave with both hands, puff up his cheeks, make a heart with his fingers and blow kisses through it. Anything to make the fans squeal behind their cameras, but Minhyun knew all he had to do was flash them a grin. His eyes would change completely, and the fierce dancer would transform into a slightly shy young man fumbling with the cap on his marker, his fiery rapping turning into sweet words aimed at every person who approached the table. Minhyun could feel it, the bubbliness. It kept spreading to him. He would feel compelled to scrunch up his face with a playful “Aing!”, and he caught himself doodling hearts and smiles and swirls on the things he signed. But JR would always have him beat. Minhyun got used to his fan service, so much so that he wondered if it was fan service at all. Minhyun would comment on this, telling JR how much it looked like he was enjoying the event after observing him for a while. Then the boy would turn to face him, still with that gigantic smile on his face, and for some reason, Minhyun would feel himself smiling back.
Minhyun… was silly. There was no other way to put it. JR could say he was funny, but that wasn’t quite the word. His humor was strange, and when he performed his little acts and told his little jokes, JR and the fan he was addressing would either be laughing loudly with their heads thrown back or looking at him with a puzzled look on their faces. He would change voices and play with the balloons. Once he had almost attempted to juggle, but a coordinator put her hand on his arm before he could get any of the pens in the air, to Jonghyun and the fan’s disappointment. “Four-dimensional” he had heard some of his members put it, and before, Jonghyun would have agreed, but that wasn’t it. He was reaching out with something different than his voice. Everything he did was a deliberate way to entertain, to get some sort of reaction, and there were few times when he didn’t succeed. JR would flinch when he felt confetti being sprinkled on him or a weird accessory being placed atop his perfectly arranged hair, but would relax when he heard Minhyun’s quiet laughing. And when the taller boy arched his arm up to form part of a heart, JR would be quick to provide the second half.
--
“Yeah, but there’s no one who really listens to me, though… You know, except-”
“Of course, it’s me, right?”
--
When the five of them circled up for a quick break during practice, the two boys began to find themselves next to each other more and more frequently, their knees touching while they sat cross-legged. They elbows would bump when they walked side by side down hallways. Commentary meant to be heard by the group soon quieted down to things only one person standing close could hear. Soon they were whispering into each other’s ears, both of them leaning in even when it really wasn’t necessary.
They would even stay up and pretend to be surprised when they met each other on some nights, alone, in their living room or kitchen.
Jonghyun would lie, claiming he could only go to sleep when all of the members-including Minhyun-had already gone to bed, to ensure that everyone got their rest. ‘As the leader,’ were the words he would use, the same words uttered by their manager, by their CEO, by their choreographer, by producers and by senior groups. JR liked hearing those words, because he felt trusted, responsible… but Minhyun knew he was anxious. Always, always anxious, but he would never admit it openly. Minhyun had only guessed, from the way Jonghyun sighed in relief when practice ended well, the way he almost held his breath whenever they were being interviewed, the incredibly grateful look he gave when Minhyun got the dorm mostly clean. So eventually, he did talk about it, but he would do so quietly, as if he was selfish to confess all of his worries to the other person, with his long legs spread out underneath their small kitchen table, sitting across from him. But then JR would only be greeted with a soft expression; not one of annoyance or panic or patronizing sympathy, but one of a friend who understood. It would make his heart feel light and heavy at the same time, empty of worries but full from the satisfaction given by the fact that somebody cared.
Minhyun liked to listen; it was when it was his turn to contribute that he felt a little off. He didn’t want to push his burdens onto anyone, especially JR, but the older boy would nudge and prod playfully until he said the things he thought would never pass his lips, the feelings and thoughts he had filed away that he never believed were that interesting. Although, the way Jonghyun leaned in when he spoke often made him think otherwise. Minhyun confessed everything, from his childhood memories to his wildest dreams. He had aspirations as a growing artist; he had doubts about their future in a harsh industry. Whatever he had thought would be ridiculous to say to any person, he said it anyway, because Jonghyun wanted to hear all of it. It would make Minhyun blush, the way JR would respond to even the simplest things he revealed. His reactions seemed almost exaggerated, but it was even more embarrassing when he realized that the other boy sincerely believed he was deeply involved in Minhyun’s life simply by hearing what he had to say. So Minhyun discovered, through a smiling kid with studs in his ears and hair in his face, that he also liked to be listened to.
--
“Someone who knows enough about me… who understands and accepts me. What about you, what do you think?”
“Something I like in a person? Like, an ideal type? I… I guess someone similar to yours.”
--
Soon interviews weren’t as much of a problem. All five of them began to lose their awkwardness in front of the camera, tried to speak clearly and look as relaxed as possible. So when this question-a simple question with an easily rehearsed answer-was asked, they would take only a few seconds, pretending to contemplate.
During those few seconds, JR would glance at Minhyun.
And Minhyun would glance at JR.
And they both know their answer.
A/N: Wow, sorry about that "summary" at the beginning... and as long as I'm apologizing... that ending, too... Thank you for reading, if you got this far, you honestly have no idea how much I wrestled with this fic, argh.