exo: night full of stars
night full of stars
→ baekhyun/park jaejung ; 1816 w.
→ there are stars all around him, but none so poignant, so radiant as the one before him, who smiles brighter than any.
→ everyone aboard s.s.baekjung - captain saras, beah, akemi, rie - is to blame for this c:
The Mnet Asian Music Awards, Jaejung muses, as he tentatively steps out of the limousine only to be met with a streak of scarlet so vivid it sears his eyes, is much more colossal in scale now that he’s standing here in the heart of it all. Runaway white spots cloud his vision as he waves towards the photographers lined along both sides of the walkway like a secondary red carpet of catcalls and humongous cameras. He makes sure to keep a smile on his face, waving just enough, turning this way and that to satisfy the ocean of media outlets desperate for a shot of him. The sound of his heart pounding fiercely against his ribcage, like a prisoner struggling to break free of his cage, all but drown out the frenzy around him.
Just keep walking. The stage is at the end. The emcees will either ask you things or gesture for you to continue after the photo session. He repeats this thought in his head like a fervent mantra, intent on not messing this up. This is his first major event since winning the fifth season of Superstar K, after all. He manages to make it to the stage and flashes his best smile at the photographers. He can’t hear the general response of the masses over the messy din of the thoughts roaming in his head overlapping with the pounding of his heart, so he murmurs a silent prayer and hopes that would do.
The emcee of the night was a beautiful lady; he knows she’s an actress, but her name escapes him. She sashays up to him, hair done in an elegant updo and her midnight blue gown sparkling under the lights in the way Jaejung knows should be mesmerising, enchanting, stunning, even, yet his eyes flicker away from her to the crowd.
He’s nowhere to be seen.
With all his might, Jaejung forces his attention back to the emcee and lets out (what he hopes is) an easy chuckle, politely asking her if she could repeat the question. She asks him about his thoughts on winning the coveted title and his immediate plans, and he’s trying to muster an eloquent enough response to “It must’ve been an amazing experience, being able to meet the EXO members and receiving their support before the finale. Did they give you any good advice?” when raucous applause and deafening cheers bring the entire venue to a standstill.
Two sleek black limousines identical to the one ferrying him earlier pull up at the very edge of the red carpet. His heartbeat grows ever louder as he faintly hears the male emcee’s voice over at the podium. “Ladies and gentlemen, the newest, hottest trend-dols, global idols who have taken the world by storm - please put your hands together for EXO!” The girls go absolutely insane as twelve young men emerge from their cars, dressed in crisp tuxedos that accentuate the beautiful angles of their already-beautiful bodies.
Kris-sunbaenim, Chanyeol-sunbaenim, Minseok-sunbaenim... Jaejung counts them off in his head as they step out onto the red carpet, trying his level best not to crane his neck for a better view because a voice at the back of his head reminds him that the cameras are still rolling. He notices the cars have droven away and EXO is already making their way down the carpet; the time on his clock is ticking and he knows he has to make way for them soon. His gaze flits involuntarily to the group of twelve again, and this time, his breath hitches in his throat.
Laughing easily with Jongin and Jongdae was Baekhyun, hair perfectly coiffed and the pale radiance of his skin a sharp contrast with the black of his clothing. His eyes are curved into quaint crescents, crinkling at the edges in a way that leaves Jaejung slackjawed at his sheer perfection. Baekhyun is beautiful - no, beautiful would be an understatement, a compliment that couldn’t hope to be on par with Baekhyun himself. He’s breathtaking, so much so that Jaejung finds himself rendered incapable of doing anything but stare.
It was beyond amazing I was lost for words I can’t believe I got to be there it still feels unreal they were beautiful he was beautiful I wanted to tell him so many things was the train of thought in his head, but all Jaejung does is clear his throat and say, “It was an honour. I’m very happy I got to meet them and receive their support.” The emcee nods fervently in agreement and tells him he looks dashing in his suit before sending him on his way.
Jaejung tries not to scurry away and maintain his pace when he descends the steps of the stage into the venue, even as the members of EXO trickle onto the stage. He can’t help but turn around, if only to get a glimpse of them one more time. His heart leaps into his throat when Baekhyun catches his eye and sends a bright smile his way. Jaejung attempts to return the greeting, but hurriedly drops his gaze and wills the heat in his cheeks to go away.
Be still, my beating heart.
◇
If the Asia World Arena looked massive from the outside, it looked positively intimidating from the inside. The evening was still young, the event at least a half hour away, but the terraces were already almost completely filled with fans, while a few celebrities socialised in the seating area. He takes a deep breath, inhaling the atmosphere of the ceremony. A year ago, this was something he daren’t even dream of, the kind of grand-scale award show he would admire from behind his TV screen, curled up on his futon with a bowl of noodles in hand.
He makes small talk with Roy Kim, one of the Superstar K alumni who congratulates him on his recent win, before one of the event’s ushers show him to his seat. Jaejung’s breath stops for what would’ve been the umpteenth time that night as he grinds to a halt, lips parting rather unceremoniously when he takes in the tags plastered to the backs of the lavishly decorated chairs. Even before he’s fully grasped the idea that directly next to his seat are twelve chairs tagged ‘EXO’, Chanyeol’s deep tenor reaches his ears just as Minseok catches sight of him.
“Hey, it’s Jaejung-sshi!” Minseok cries delightedly, and the members each turn to face him curiously as they shuffle into their seats. Jaejung nearly breaks out into tears when realisation dawns on Sehun and Jongin, who in turn excitedly ask in (not-so-)hushed whispers, “He’s the winner of Superstar K5, right?” The idea of having EXO recognise him, much less know his name and accomplishments, frightens him as much as it delights him. They congratulate him one after the other, until everything becomes but a blur to Jaejung. He exchanges greetings with the members sitting closer to him and initiates light conversation with Yixing beside him (whose accent Jaejung finds is insanely endearing). He convinces himself that this was all first-timer jitters, but his attempt to ease into his surroundings backfire in his face when Baekhyun leans over six seats down and politely asks Yixing if he’d like to switch seats because Luhan and Jongdae (“They’re devil children!”) aren’t leaving him alone.
Yixing shouts his agreement over the increasingly noisy stadium and excuses himself. The incessant need to bolt in the opposite direction overwhelms Jaejung as Baekhyun approaches him, but those sparkling eyes keep him rooted to the spot, gaping rather ungracefully at the petite figure who slides smoothly into the seat next to him. “Hi,” Baekhyun chirps, voice as velvety as Jaejung remembers from the last time they’d met.
Jaejung wants to say something, anything, to at least attempt a response, but his senses go into overdrive when Baekhyun flashes him another smile and shut down on him completely. “H-Hi,” he stammers. He isn’t sure if it’s the dam of his pent-up emotions suddenly giving way, or the will of some power-that-be above, but his next words come out in a rush, as if he’d been holding them back for months on end, “Youlookreallyamazingtonightlikereallyamazing!”
Baekhyun tilts his head slightly and Jaejung belatedly realises he probably wouldn’t have managed to grasp what he’d said, so he opens his mouth to repeat whatever he can remember of the line he’d just blurted out. Baekhyun stops him as his eyes crinkle into those dainty crescents again, knocking the air out of his lungs and making him feel like this tiny crush hurts a lot more than it should.
“Thank you. You don’t look bad yourself; pretty dashing, actually.” Baekhyun's easy laugh reverberates through Jaejung’s entire being, music to his ears. A grin breaks out on Jaejung’s face to match Baekhyun’s, who reaches out to ruffle his hair (or pat as much as possible without ruining the meticulously-prepared do).
Baekhyun suddenly presses close against him, all too close, and Jaejung’s eyes widen as another round of jitters rock his body. “I never really properly congratulated you, so I’m doing it now. We should hang out sometime. Call me,” he murmurs into his ear, voice low but audible because of their proximity. Baekhyun slides a slip of paper between his fingers, folded neatly, and Jaejung hurriedly undoes the creases to find a cellphone number scrawled messily against the lines in black ink.
He tries valiantly to ignore the blush spreading across face, heat seeping into his neck, but fails miserably as Baekhyun pulls away and smiles at him once more.
(Just as the lights begin to dim, Sehun passes them to return to his seat and murmurs something that sounds suspiciously like ‘flirting in public’.)
◇
“Pay up,” Chanyeol gestures towards Luhan, Jongdae, Kris, Jongin and Junmyeon.
“What the fuck for?” Jongdae asks, appalled, hand flying to his pockets by reflex.
Chanyeol grins. “I told you he’d ask Jaejung-sshi out.”
The van becomes a cacophony of “What the hell?!” and “He did?!”, but Chanyeol ends up with 5,000 won and is happily counting the bills when Baekhyun finally musters the strength and coherence to hiss, “You guys bet on something like that?”
Minseok sighs. “It’s such a romantic notion.”
Kyungsoo side-eyes him rather wearily, undoing his necktie. “Never would’ve pegged you to be the type of guy who’d pre-write his cell number to ask somebody out.” He pauses, then adds as an afterthought, “Nah, you’re definitely that kind of guy.”
“We’re just going to have dinner!”
Sehun snorts derisively. “Yeah, sure, and you had to lean super close to him to say that.”
Baekhyun glowers at him, scoffs and plays a game of pretend ignorance with the heat fanning across his face.
“So maybe,” he says, after a good long while of listening to the winners of the bet taunt the losers, “he is kind of cute.”
notes:
→ obligatory sparkly because jaejung won ssk5 and is now en route to mama where baekhyun will get to see him sing and he'll get to start his career as a singer under his senpai's watchful eye and care ( ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
→ reposted due to severe formatting issues.
→ baekhyun/park jaejung ; 1816 w.
→ there are stars all around him, but none so poignant, so radiant as the one before him, who smiles brighter than any.
→ everyone aboard s.s.baekjung - captain saras, beah, akemi, rie - is to blame for this c:
The Mnet Asian Music Awards, Jaejung muses, as he tentatively steps out of the limousine only to be met with a streak of scarlet so vivid it sears his eyes, is much more colossal in scale now that he’s standing here in the heart of it all. Runaway white spots cloud his vision as he waves towards the photographers lined along both sides of the walkway like a secondary red carpet of catcalls and humongous cameras. He makes sure to keep a smile on his face, waving just enough, turning this way and that to satisfy the ocean of media outlets desperate for a shot of him. The sound of his heart pounding fiercely against his ribcage, like a prisoner struggling to break free of his cage, all but drown out the frenzy around him.
Just keep walking. The stage is at the end. The emcees will either ask you things or gesture for you to continue after the photo session. He repeats this thought in his head like a fervent mantra, intent on not messing this up. This is his first major event since winning the fifth season of Superstar K, after all. He manages to make it to the stage and flashes his best smile at the photographers. He can’t hear the general response of the masses over the messy din of the thoughts roaming in his head overlapping with the pounding of his heart, so he murmurs a silent prayer and hopes that would do.
The emcee of the night was a beautiful lady; he knows she’s an actress, but her name escapes him. She sashays up to him, hair done in an elegant updo and her midnight blue gown sparkling under the lights in the way Jaejung knows should be mesmerising, enchanting, stunning, even, yet his eyes flicker away from her to the crowd.
He’s nowhere to be seen.
With all his might, Jaejung forces his attention back to the emcee and lets out (what he hopes is) an easy chuckle, politely asking her if she could repeat the question. She asks him about his thoughts on winning the coveted title and his immediate plans, and he’s trying to muster an eloquent enough response to “It must’ve been an amazing experience, being able to meet the EXO members and receiving their support before the finale. Did they give you any good advice?” when raucous applause and deafening cheers bring the entire venue to a standstill.
Two sleek black limousines identical to the one ferrying him earlier pull up at the very edge of the red carpet. His heartbeat grows ever louder as he faintly hears the male emcee’s voice over at the podium. “Ladies and gentlemen, the newest, hottest trend-dols, global idols who have taken the world by storm - please put your hands together for EXO!” The girls go absolutely insane as twelve young men emerge from their cars, dressed in crisp tuxedos that accentuate the beautiful angles of their already-beautiful bodies.
Kris-sunbaenim, Chanyeol-sunbaenim, Minseok-sunbaenim... Jaejung counts them off in his head as they step out onto the red carpet, trying his level best not to crane his neck for a better view because a voice at the back of his head reminds him that the cameras are still rolling. He notices the cars have droven away and EXO is already making their way down the carpet; the time on his clock is ticking and he knows he has to make way for them soon. His gaze flits involuntarily to the group of twelve again, and this time, his breath hitches in his throat.
Laughing easily with Jongin and Jongdae was Baekhyun, hair perfectly coiffed and the pale radiance of his skin a sharp contrast with the black of his clothing. His eyes are curved into quaint crescents, crinkling at the edges in a way that leaves Jaejung slackjawed at his sheer perfection. Baekhyun is beautiful - no, beautiful would be an understatement, a compliment that couldn’t hope to be on par with Baekhyun himself. He’s breathtaking, so much so that Jaejung finds himself rendered incapable of doing anything but stare.
It was beyond amazing I was lost for words I can’t believe I got to be there it still feels unreal they were beautiful he was beautiful I wanted to tell him so many things was the train of thought in his head, but all Jaejung does is clear his throat and say, “It was an honour. I’m very happy I got to meet them and receive their support.” The emcee nods fervently in agreement and tells him he looks dashing in his suit before sending him on his way.
Jaejung tries not to scurry away and maintain his pace when he descends the steps of the stage into the venue, even as the members of EXO trickle onto the stage. He can’t help but turn around, if only to get a glimpse of them one more time. His heart leaps into his throat when Baekhyun catches his eye and sends a bright smile his way. Jaejung attempts to return the greeting, but hurriedly drops his gaze and wills the heat in his cheeks to go away.
Be still, my beating heart.
◇
If the Asia World Arena looked massive from the outside, it looked positively intimidating from the inside. The evening was still young, the event at least a half hour away, but the terraces were already almost completely filled with fans, while a few celebrities socialised in the seating area. He takes a deep breath, inhaling the atmosphere of the ceremony. A year ago, this was something he daren’t even dream of, the kind of grand-scale award show he would admire from behind his TV screen, curled up on his futon with a bowl of noodles in hand.
He makes small talk with Roy Kim, one of the Superstar K alumni who congratulates him on his recent win, before one of the event’s ushers show him to his seat. Jaejung’s breath stops for what would’ve been the umpteenth time that night as he grinds to a halt, lips parting rather unceremoniously when he takes in the tags plastered to the backs of the lavishly decorated chairs. Even before he’s fully grasped the idea that directly next to his seat are twelve chairs tagged ‘EXO’, Chanyeol’s deep tenor reaches his ears just as Minseok catches sight of him.
“Hey, it’s Jaejung-sshi!” Minseok cries delightedly, and the members each turn to face him curiously as they shuffle into their seats. Jaejung nearly breaks out into tears when realisation dawns on Sehun and Jongin, who in turn excitedly ask in (not-so-)hushed whispers, “He’s the winner of Superstar K5, right?” The idea of having EXO recognise him, much less know his name and accomplishments, frightens him as much as it delights him. They congratulate him one after the other, until everything becomes but a blur to Jaejung. He exchanges greetings with the members sitting closer to him and initiates light conversation with Yixing beside him (whose accent Jaejung finds is insanely endearing). He convinces himself that this was all first-timer jitters, but his attempt to ease into his surroundings backfire in his face when Baekhyun leans over six seats down and politely asks Yixing if he’d like to switch seats because Luhan and Jongdae (“They’re devil children!”) aren’t leaving him alone.
Yixing shouts his agreement over the increasingly noisy stadium and excuses himself. The incessant need to bolt in the opposite direction overwhelms Jaejung as Baekhyun approaches him, but those sparkling eyes keep him rooted to the spot, gaping rather ungracefully at the petite figure who slides smoothly into the seat next to him. “Hi,” Baekhyun chirps, voice as velvety as Jaejung remembers from the last time they’d met.
Jaejung wants to say something, anything, to at least attempt a response, but his senses go into overdrive when Baekhyun flashes him another smile and shut down on him completely. “H-Hi,” he stammers. He isn’t sure if it’s the dam of his pent-up emotions suddenly giving way, or the will of some power-that-be above, but his next words come out in a rush, as if he’d been holding them back for months on end, “Youlookreallyamazingtonightlikereallyamazing!”
Baekhyun tilts his head slightly and Jaejung belatedly realises he probably wouldn’t have managed to grasp what he’d said, so he opens his mouth to repeat whatever he can remember of the line he’d just blurted out. Baekhyun stops him as his eyes crinkle into those dainty crescents again, knocking the air out of his lungs and making him feel like this tiny crush hurts a lot more than it should.
“Thank you. You don’t look bad yourself; pretty dashing, actually.” Baekhyun's easy laugh reverberates through Jaejung’s entire being, music to his ears. A grin breaks out on Jaejung’s face to match Baekhyun’s, who reaches out to ruffle his hair (or pat as much as possible without ruining the meticulously-prepared do).
Baekhyun suddenly presses close against him, all too close, and Jaejung’s eyes widen as another round of jitters rock his body. “I never really properly congratulated you, so I’m doing it now. We should hang out sometime. Call me,” he murmurs into his ear, voice low but audible because of their proximity. Baekhyun slides a slip of paper between his fingers, folded neatly, and Jaejung hurriedly undoes the creases to find a cellphone number scrawled messily against the lines in black ink.
He tries valiantly to ignore the blush spreading across face, heat seeping into his neck, but fails miserably as Baekhyun pulls away and smiles at him once more.
(Just as the lights begin to dim, Sehun passes them to return to his seat and murmurs something that sounds suspiciously like ‘flirting in public’.)
◇
“Pay up,” Chanyeol gestures towards Luhan, Jongdae, Kris, Jongin and Junmyeon.
“What the fuck for?” Jongdae asks, appalled, hand flying to his pockets by reflex.
Chanyeol grins. “I told you he’d ask Jaejung-sshi out.”
The van becomes a cacophony of “What the hell?!” and “He did?!”, but Chanyeol ends up with 5,000 won and is happily counting the bills when Baekhyun finally musters the strength and coherence to hiss, “You guys bet on something like that?”
Minseok sighs. “It’s such a romantic notion.”
Kyungsoo side-eyes him rather wearily, undoing his necktie. “Never would’ve pegged you to be the type of guy who’d pre-write his cell number to ask somebody out.” He pauses, then adds as an afterthought, “Nah, you’re definitely that kind of guy.”
“We’re just going to have dinner!”
Sehun snorts derisively. “Yeah, sure, and you had to lean super close to him to say that.”
Baekhyun glowers at him, scoffs and plays a game of pretend ignorance with the heat fanning across his face.
“So maybe,” he says, after a good long while of listening to the winners of the bet taunt the losers, “he is kind of cute.”
notes:
→ obligatory sparkly because jaejung won ssk5 and is now en route to mama where baekhyun will get to see him sing and he'll get to start his career as a singer under his senpai's watchful eye and care ( ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
→ reposted due to severe formatting issues.