I Got Reincarnated As A Prodigal K Pop Superstar - Volume 3

 

AN: One song coming up. Enjoy! Happy Father’s day to all the fathers out there!

________

“I’m sorry, princess. I can’t tonight. We’re gonna check the rehearsals for tomorrow’s finale. I really want to, but I just can’t. You know how it is.” I answered Dahyun who’s calling me on the phone.

It’s been weeks since we finished filming our third episode for We Got Married. Ever since then, Dahyun and I became very close. She was really busy with her preparations and practices for their upcoming Asian tour. The company decided to change it at the last minute since their popularity in Asia has increased not just in China and Japan. Hence, they were going to tour several other countries not just in those two particular places. Instead of two weeks, they extended their tour for a month. Still, we went out on several dates despite the busy schedule.

Alpha also didn’t lag behind though. We busied ourselves with promotions and TV show appearances. It was a long battle for us especially since we were one member short because of Zhang’s injury. The tour was almost here and I was receiving board meeting summons, new schedules, and other forms of side projects since Alpha’s popularity was increasing by the second. The tour also helped in generating some buzz. Since then, Dahyun and I needed to be creative in how we would meet each other and have our dates. There were already rumors and pictures of us having our dates outside the show which only helped in our popularity.

The schedules were getting tighter and more hectic everyday. It was becoming harder for Dahyun and I to hang out. It wasn’t just true for me, but also for the other members as well. Today wasn’t any different. MIXNINE is finally coming to an end. And because of that, the judges and mentors were really busy today for tomorrow’ finale. We were going to perform with the other mentors and were going to check on the contestants on how they were doing. Jinyoung-hyung, Hyuna-noona and I were here and ready to practice our parts but Dahyun called me up.

She chuckled. “It’s alright. We can have our date some other time. I forgot that MIXNINE’s finale was tomorrow. How are the preparations by the way?”

I sighed. “It’s doing great. We’re about to practice for the mentor’s performance tomorrow.”

“Yeah? Then why do you sound so tired?” She asked out of concern.

It made me chuckle. “Relax. I’m fine. I’m just missing you. We haven’t had time for each other these past few days.”

Dahyun laughed. “I miss you too. You had me worried there. I thought you were sick or something. Don’t worry about it, hubby. We’ll find time soon. We knew that this was bound to happen sooner or later. Right?”

“JayB-ya! We’re going to start practicing now.” Jinyoung-hyung called out to me from the stage.

I sighed heavily. “I have to go. They’re calling me up on stage.”

She chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. Go and have fun. Don’t forget to hydrate yourself constantly. I’ll call you later.”

Her words made me smile. “Sure, princess. I’ll talk to you later.”

After hanging up the phone, I made my way to the stage and met with the rest of my co-mentors. Jinyoung-hyung was smirking at me. “Your wife called again?”

“Yeah. She wanted to go out on a date. I told her that we were busy for tomorrow’s finale.” I replied.

Hyuna-noona c.o.c.ked her eyebrow. “So? Why didn’t you say ‘yes’? You can hang out with her after our rehearsals tonight.”

I smiled wryly at them. “I still have to meet with the contestants afterwards and check on their performances. Also, I have a meeting with PD-nim after that. I haven’t even told her about that yet.”

Jinyoung-hyung grimaced as soon as he heard me tell him about my schedule. “Oooooh I can’t believe he’s going to hold you up again. Is it going to be about a new song again?”

He patted my shoulder as I shook my head. “I doubt it. He’s been pretty controlling on the amount of songs that I write these days. So I guess it might be related to some major company decisions. He just probably needs my opinion about it.”

“Well, whatever it is. I wish you luck.” Hyuna-noona said as she patted my back before she continued stretching.

We started our rehearsals as I helped in directing the contestants on what to do during the opening number. They were still pretty much nervous about tomorrow so some of them kept on messing up. Team B, which was composed of 9 boys and were more confident compared to Team A which was composed of 9 girls. Though both teams were really anxious, it was more evident on the women’s side.

Rehearsals for everyone finished up and it really took us a while. It was already 7PM in the evening and we were on our way to the company to rehearse. Since Jinyoung-hyung had a schedule today for GOT7’s comeback, Hyuna-noona was in charge of Team B’s performance check while I was in charge with Team A. It was already beginning to exhaust me since I had a very busy day before my schedule for MIXNINE. Yet, I still have more to do after this one.

We arrived at the company’s studio didn’t waste any time as I immediately went to check on women’s team performance. The nerves were really showing based on what they were showing me. Their voices were shaky, their transitions were sloppy, and their dancing wasn’t in sync. It was a total disaster. I couldn’t take it anymore as I forcefully stopped the music mid-performance. A mic was then handed to me by one of the managers.

I sighed deeply as I turned to look at them. “Do you guys want to debut or not?” They all looked at me with worried expressions as if they were about to cry. They didn’t answer me so I gave them a serious and stern look this time.. “I asked you a question. Why aren’t you guys answering?”

They all answered”yes” at the same time. I stood up from my chair. “Yes? ‘Yes’ what?”

“We want to debut, JayB PD-nim.” Olivia answered for the group. She was a member of Loona in the previous world. Loona here hasn’t debuted yet.

I scoffed. “Is she the only one who wants to debut? Why aren’t the rest of you saying anything?”

The rest of the girls answered the same thing as Olivia did. I gave them a sarcastic laugh. “You all want to debut, but you’re all giving me such a crappy performance. If that’s going to be your attitude for tomorrow then don’t even dream of debuting.”

Chuu started wiping her tears away as the rest of the girls sniffled. Only Ryujin wasn’t crying. I sighed as I tried to control my temper while massaging my temples. “Gather up and sit on the floor. I want to hear from you. Tell me. What’s on your mind?”

Yves meekly raised her hand before I called her name up. “I’m really nervous about tomorrow. I guess everyone is. There are a lot of questions like, ‘Are we going to debut?’, ‘What’s going to happen if we don’t succeed?’, ‘Am I even deserving to be here?’ Stuff like that. It’s really hard to practice right now with all the anxiety’s creeping in.”

“Is everybody having the same feeling?” I asked everyone as they nodded in response. Their response made me sigh as I sat down on the floor with them.

I gave them a wide reassuring smile. “What do you think debuting means?”

Vivi decided to answer first. “It means that you’re good enough to stand on the same stage as the legends and become part of history. That all the years that you’ve worked hard for would finally pay off.”

I chuckled as I shook my head. “That’s not actually it. Does anybody have a different answer?”

Lia raised her hand and answered. “It means that you are finally ready and deserving to be on the big stage.”

I pondered on it and slightly shook my head as I gave her a wry smile. “You guys seriously need to change your mindset.”

Chaeryeong leaned a little bit closer and asked. “If that’s not it, why are we even training? What does it really mean to debut?”

It made me think about what Alpha had to go through just to get to this point. I took a deep breath in before releasing it all out. “Debuting isn’t about being ‘good enough’ or ‘deserving’ to stand on stage. In fact, we will never be good enough. People will always want more. The question is, are you going to crumble from that pressure, or are you willing battle it everyday. Being able to debut means that you are willing to put aside your personal feelings and be able to put on a consistent performance and grow while you’re there. Slacking off and being lazy should never be an option. Do you know that it takes three years to finally be able to say that ‘We’re finally part of history’?”

All of them shook their heads. I then continued speaking. “It does. When you finally debut, you’re still going to make a name for yourself. A lot can happen in the first three years of your career. A lot of downs more than ups actually. Worst case scenario, you could even disband if you’re not going to do well. If you don’t do your best then it’ll become a ‘job’ for you. But if you enjoy the moments and practice as if you are doing it to see the smiles of the people rather than aiming for popularity, you’ll love what you’re doing and ultimately, it’ll come out naturally in your performances.”

Yeji nodded before she asked a question. “Then when will we be ready?”

Her words made me chuckle. “You won’t be ready actually. You’ll never be.” They looked really confused with my answer so I explained it further. “As we practice for our comeback, or even before we perform up on stage, we also get really anxious. Even our practices are affected by it. There was never a time that we weren’t nervous before going up on stage to perform. It’s part of the process. We will never be ready, but we have to practice and perform as if we were born ready. When we go up on stage, we only get to do one performance with no do overs. It’s not like we’re filming a music video where you can always film again if you mess up. When you debut, one mistake could cause you your entire career.”

I paused for a while before I slowly stood up. “I’m not angry at you. I want to get that out of the way. I just want you to understand that debuting is not the end goal. It’s the starting point of a long and hard journey. If you won’t try to battle it out now, you’ll end up falling behind and ultimately end up quitting halfway.”

They all stood up as well and started thanking me. I was happy because I saw a renewed fire in their eyes. These girls had solidified their resolve to try and put a trademark in this industry. It was clearly evident. I smiled at them. “No matter what happens tomorrow, no matter what the judges say, no matter what ANYONE says, you guys deserve an applause since you got this far. Don’t mind what the world says, just pour your heart out on that stage tomorrow so once you get off of it, you’ll have no regrets.”

“Yes, PD-nim!” They responded in unison.

A sarcastic applause rang inside the room as a woman leaned on the door frame. “Wow! I didn’t know that you were a motivational speaker too.”

The girls noticed her and started greeting her. “Good evening, Dahyun-sunbaenim.”

Dahyun made her way towards me as she chuckled. “At ease ladies.”

“What are you doing here? I thought you had practice?” I asked her as I gave her a peck on the cheek which made the other girls squeal.

She giggled as she lifted up two bags of food from her hands. “We’re on break. I brought some snacks.”

I leaned over to whisper to her. “We’re filming. Are you okay with that?”

She leaned and gave me a peck before she whispered in return. “It was JYP PD-nim’s idea actually. He knew that you’d be in a bad mood today because of the hectic schedule. He wanted me to cheer you up.”

It made me chuckle as I took the bags from her hands. “Well, he’s right about that. I can see that he’s trying to bribe me. It doesn’t matter now anyway. You came just in time.” Come to think of it we didn’t get to eat tonight yet. I then showed the food bags to the rest of Team A as they stared at it hungrily. “Let’s take 20? You guys cool with that?”

They all nodded in agreement. We set the food up and the cameras stopped rolling from that point on. We were able to eat dinner peacefully. The girls happily chatted in one corner, while Dahyun and I were in another corner. I guess they were still uncomfortable with sitting with us.

That was until Yuna approached us that everyone realized that it was okay. “Dahyun-unnie. Do you mind if I eat with you guys?”

“Not at all.” Dahyun gave the rest of the girls a smile. “Why don’t you join us as well?”

The girls were hesitant at first but decided to join us anyway. Dahyun then handed them more food. It was like watching a mother feeding her kids. It was such a treat for my part because I could imagine Dahyun making a wonderful mother in the future.

Dahyun leaned on her hand lazily. “So? Is my husband giving you all a hard time?”

They all nodded in response. I smiled wryly at them. “Ya you’re going to get me in trouble.”

“We’re going to have a talk later, hubby.” She gave me a playful glare which made the girls laugh.

“Yes, ma’am.” I played along.

Lia then raised her hand which Dahyun gave a loud laugh. Lia didn’t have to do that. Nonetheless Dahyun gave her a chance to speak, or in this case, ask a question. “There aren’t cameras from the dating show you are in, and there are rumors and pictures of you guys floating around that shows that you guys were going on a date. So I just wanted to ask if you guys are really dating for real.”

I nearly died as I choked on my food when I heard that question from her. Ryujin elbowed Lia as she reminded her of our privacy. “Unnie! You can’t ask questions like that!”

Dahyun waved her off. “It’s fine. Yep. We’re dating for real.”

We all turned to Dahyun who said it all bluntly and nonchalantly. It made me smile though. She looked so proud as she answered the question, and she wasn’t even hesitant about it. Yuna then rushed in to ask some more questions. “Really?! Since when?! Do your members know about it?! Why haven’t you gone public about it?!”

“What do you want me to answer first?” Dahyun chuckled.

Yuna scratched the back of her head. “Ah sorry about that, unnie. When did you guys start dating?”

Dahyun placed her finger on her chin as she pondered. “Hmm about two weeks now I guess. Am I right hubby?”

“Sixteen days to be exact.” I replied before taking a bite on the food.

She raised a brow at me. “You were counting all this time?”

I shrugged. “Why? Can’t I count the days when you’re mine and mine alone?”

The girls squealed as Dahyun rolled her eyes in response. Chuu shook Yuna from all the excitement. “JayB-sunbaenim is so sweet! Dahyun-sunbaenim, you are really lucky to have him as your husband! Oops… I mean boyfriend.”

Dahyun turned her gaze to me as she smiled warmly. “I am. Aren’t I?”

I chuckled as I placed my food down. “You guys got it all wrong.”

They gave me confused look because of what I just said. I slowly took Dahyun’s hand before giving the back of her hand a soft peck. “It’s me who’s fortunate to have her as my wife.”

The girls started squealing again. This time, it was enough to make me cover my ears which made Dahyun laugh. I chuckled as I stood up and started cleaning up. “Alright, alright. Dinner’s over. Go and hydrate. We’ll start in 5 minutes.”

Ryujin then whispered something to me. “It’s finally nice to see you this happy, oppa.”

I turned to Dahyun who was happily chatting with the rest of the girls. “Yeah me too.”

__________

“And the winner and the group that will be debuting this year is” JYP PD-nim kept up the suspense as he turned to both of the groups.

Today’s the day where it all finally ends. MIXNINE was coming to a close as two groups gave it their all on stage. As what the girls promised last night, they really did their best up on stage. They made me so proud. Whatever the outcome was today, I know that they would leave the stage satisfied. For me who came from the previous world, the result was already obvious. Still, it was nice to see the girls give their all.

“Team B! Congratulations!” JYP PD-nim announced.

The boys started hugging themselves as they cheered while some of them were crying. It was a joyous moment for them, but it was a disappointing and heartbreaking moment for the other team as I watched them cry on their teammates’ shoulders. I knew that they gave it their all but the boys just did an incredible job today. But I know that these girls will have their debut soon. They just need to be patient and be more persevering with their training.

The mentors joined PD-nim up on stage to congratulate the new artists of JYP Entertainment who will also be joining us in this year’s JYP Nation Tour. It was really a proud moment for them. I then got the mic that the stage manager handed to me. As if on cue I then turned to PD-nim to ask them a question. “So PD-nim, they can’t obviously debut without a name, can they?”

Jinyoung-hyung also joined in on the teasing. “That’s right. Don’t tell me their group name is ‘Team B’?”

JYP PD-nim gave a hearty laugh. “Of course not! That would be insane!”

“So have you thought about the name yet?” I asked PD-nim.

He turned to the camera and gave them a smile. “The name I’m going to give to this group means to break out the existing mold and step forward to be out of the ordinary.”

Jinyoug-hyung then shook his head in disbelief. “Waaa why can’t our name be as cool as that?”

“What’s wrong with GOT7?” I asked him.

“It means seven lucky people coming together. You know how cheesy that sounds?” He responded.

PD-nim then cut in. “Do you want to go on a prolonged hiatus instead?”

“No. I’m kidding.” Jinyoung-hyung bowed his head in apology which helped lighten up the mood a little. Team A was starting to recover from the loss too.

Since we were already off topic, I redirected it back. “So PD-nim, we’re really excited to welcome the new group to our family.”

Jinyoung-hyung also played along with the script. “That’s right! Please tell us the name of the group now!”

PD-nim then turned his attention again to the camera. “Please help me welcome the newest addition to JYP Entertainment’s roster, Stray Kids!”

The crowd erupted into cheers as the people up on stage started congratulating Stray Kids. It was really a momentous occasion. There was an after party waiting for them at the company banquet hall. Only the top 18 of MIXNINE and our labelmates were invited. It was a party for all JYP artists. I was even excited to party since it has been a long time since I got to relax and spend time with Dahyun.

PD-nim then approached me and whispered. “I’m going to the banquet to deliver the welcoming speech. Afterwards, I’ll be having an emergency meeting with the board tonight. I need you there for an important announcement.”

I looked at him with my mouth wide open. “But I thought I was going to relax today. Can’t I just spend time with my wife and friends? Why so sudden?”

He sighed. “Please understand. It wasn’t my intention. I also got the notice from the board just now.”

His words made me roll my tongue inside my cheek. “I don’t have a choice, do I?”

“I’m really sorry, JayB-ya.” PD-nim shook his head in response before he left and spoke with other people.

“Hey! Are you ready? You did great by the way!” Dahyun surprised me as she hugged me from the back. I turned around to see Jihyo, Mina, and Dominic who were also looking at me in excitement. Dahyun noticed how forced my tiny smile was. “What’s with the long face? Is something wrong?”

I tried explaining. “Listen something came up and”

“You can’t make it.” Dahyun finished my sentence. “It’s okay.”

Her words gave a pang in my heart. I could tell that she was disappointed as I sighed in response. Dominic patted my shoulder. “Where are you off to now?”

“Board meeting with PD-nim.” I answered.

Jihyo c.o.c.ked an eyebrow. “But he’s going to the party.”

“Only to deliver an opening speech.” I interjected.

Dahyun sighed. “There’s no helping it then. Just don’t forget to eat something on your way to the meeting. Okay?”

“I’m sorry, Dahyun-ie. I knew you were really looking forward to this.” I told her.

She took my hand and placed it on her face. “It’s okay. We already talked about this when we started this relationship. We knew we were going to be busy and would be bombarded with all kinds of schedules. Don’t worry. I’m disappointed to be honest, but I can’t blame you for it. Besides, a loving wife would always support her husband.”

I gave a peck on her forehead before caressing her face. “What did I ever do to deserve such an amazing woman like you?”

She giggled. “You got into a dating show AND got bullied by that same amazing woman.”

I pinched her nose before giving her a quick peck on the cheek. “I need to go. I’ll try to catch up once we’re done with the meeting. No promises though. Have fun!” As I was heading to the exit, she quickly pulled my arm as she hugged me from behind. I chuckled. “What’s this? My manager is calling me.”

“A few more seconds please.” She mumbled.

“Okay.” I nodded. We stayed like that for a few more seconds before she pulled away. After giving her one final kiss, we went our separate ways as she headed for the party and I headed towards the company for the meeting.

__________

“You’re planning to do what now?” I asked in a surprised tone as the board announced the last agenda for tonight’s meeting.

All the board members including myself were assembled in JYP’s conference room. There were indeed a lot of matters that were discussed. PD-nim didn’t lie about that. If I didn’t come, I would have missed a lot. And when I say I would miss a lot, I mean I would have not been able to intervene on some dumb and daring decisions by the board. It was really a good idea to come here. Otherwise, some of the suggestions would have pulled through and it would end up ruining the reputation of the company. We were down to the last agenda, and this was an interesting topic.

“You heard me. As you know, we have scouted and have trained a lot of people in the Philippines. So in line with that, we’ve decided to officially branch out over there and debut our first all-Filipino boy group there. What do you think?” PD-nim explained.

I started laughing. “Yeah. I know we have trainees over there. But why can’t we bring them over here to debut? I mean, I know most of them are really talented and I know that they would really make it big here.”

One of the board members sighed. “JayB-ssi, we’ve also given that some thought. But based on statistical reports, racism is still pretty much rampant among the people here. That’s why it would be difficult for them. Besides, SM and YG are already formulating a plan to do the same.”

I was taken aback. “They are? How come I didn’t know about this yet?”

PD-nim sighed. “The CEO of the two companies shared their thoughts with me and not everything is final yet. It’s still up to you after all.”

The topic was stressing me out as I massaged my temples. “Alright. Before we finalize the branch for JYP Entertainment in the Philippines, why don’t you bring 20 of those trainees here in two months, we’ll train them harder and monitor their progress. We’ll find the best among the bunch and debut them in the Philippines. If that group would turn out well, that’s the time we’ll finalize branching out. Meanwhile, we’ll focus on our academy in Tokyo and Beijing.”

PD-nim nodded in agreement. “That sounds even better. It’s a solid plan. Any objections?”

The board agreed with the plan as no one dared to object it. But before we could end the topic, one of the younger members of the board raised his hand. “It’s not that I’m objecting or am against the idea, but what about the budget for the trainees who’ll be coming over?”

“That’s right. We still have to fund the upcoming concerts for Alpha and Twice. There’s still the JYP Nation Concert to think about too. Where will we get the budget for the trainees?” Another board member added.

I raised my hand to grab their attention. “The reason why I suggested the two month preparation period is so that we can be ready for it. And since I’m the one who suggested the idea, Kim Group will sponsor the trainees. Any more concerns?”

Nobody disagreed nor objected, so we finally came into an agreement. I gave them a nod before I turned to PD-nim. “Are there any more agendas that we need to discuss?”

He smiled at me. “None. This meeting is adjourned.”

After everyone gave each other a bow, I immediately sprinted out of the room. PD-nim stopped me as I went out of the door. “What’s the rush? Can we talk for a sec?”

“We’ve been meeting for almost two hours? Can we do this some other time?” I begged.

He chuckled. “I know you’re in a rush to go to the party so I’ll just ask you this. Have you considered the thing that I asked you to do?”

I bit my bottom lip as I tried to hold out my anger. “Is it about my solo album?”

“Did we talk about something else?” He smirked.

“No, just making sure that you remembered my answer for it.” I cross my arms.

PD-nim chuckled loudly. “I know you’re working on it right now. And I know you’re considering it.”

“I am. But I need to ask permission from my members first.” I replied.

He sighed. “They already gave you their blessing. I’m sure I already told you that. In fact, they were excited that you’d finally have your solo debut. Why aren’t YOU?”

I breathed out heavily. “I’ll work on some songs tomorrow. I’ll let you listen to it within the week. For now, I NEED to get back to the party so can I PLEASE go now?”

He nodded. “Fine. I’ll check up on you tomorrow.”

After giving him a nod, I dashed towards the parking lot to find my car. It was past 10PM now. I hope that I can still make it in time. The drive towards the venue was short as I took a couple of shortcuts to get to there. After parking my car, I immediately went to the entrance where a bunch of people were crowding. They were fans. It took me a while to get past them since the security guards were having trouble in dealing with them. Soon I was finally back inside the main hall. I went to find the Twice and some of my members but failed to do so.

“JayB-ya?” A familiar voice called out.

I turned around to see who it was. “Hyuna-noona, hey there Ji Eun-noona, Suzy-noona. Have you seen my wife?”

“Ooh We’re referring to her as your wife now? How cute!” Ji Eun-noona happily teased.

Suzy-noona chuckled. “I saw a couple of Twice’s members in the garden together with some of your members, but I haven’t seen Dahyun-ie.”

I bowed at them before I made my way to the garden behind the venue. Suzy-noona was right. My members were there together with their respective partners. They waved at me as soon as they saw me.

Dominic slung his arm over my shoulder. “JayB-ya! You made it! Have a drink!”

“I think I’ll pass. Have you seen Dahyun-ie?” I asked them.

Mina turned to look at Sana before she turned to me again. “Jihyo-ya and Momo-ring brought her home just now. She was pretty drunk so they went with her to sober up.”

I ran my fingers through my hair as I sighed. “I couldn’t make it.”

Sana stood up and patted my back. “Cheer up. You did your best. We can see how haggard you look. Did you run all the way here?”

Jeong Do sat me down on one of the benches in the garden before I buried my face in my hands. “I drove.” I sighed before I continued speaking. “Can’t I just spend a good amount of time with her? I really miss her a lot.”

“Want to come over to our dorm to see her?” Chaeyoung suggested.

I snap my head towards her. “Can I?”

Tzuyu folded her arms. “I’m pretty sure Jihyo-unnie would kill you before that happens.”

I plopped back down again. “What do I do now?”

“Hey guys! Sorry it took us a while. The line in the women’s comfort room was really long.” A familiar voice sounded as she approached us.

It made me stand up and see who it was. “Dahyun-ah you’re still here”

“Hubby! You made it! Of course I’m still here. Why wouldn’t I be?” She chuckled at how surprised I looked.

I glared at Mina and Sana. “You”

Sana threw her hands up. “Hey! Mina-ri started it! I just played along!”

Mina gave a smirk. “It was cute. You should have seen the look on your face!”

I sighed as I turned my glare towards my members. “Why didn’t you guys say anything?”

Jiwoo laughed. “Don’t look at me. I had nothing to do with this.”

“The women had it all planned.” Zhang added as he tried to get himself out of it.

Dahyun hugged me from behind. “Did they play a prank on you?”

“I’ll have my revenge.” I glared at Mina who laughed while showing her gummy tooth out.

Dahyun pinched my cheek. “Let it go, loverboy. What matters now is that you’re here.”

Her words made me sigh. “You’re right you’re right. So what do you want to do? Do you want to dance?”

“I’ve actually been waiting for you to ask me out. Let’s go!” She responded before she started dragging me back inside to dance.

It was a magical night. Although we couldn’t stay long because of our individual schedules for tomorrow, we still enjoyed our time together. Especially because it’s been a while since we hung out together. I wish time would have slowed down and made this moment last, but had to face reality sooner or later.

________

“I knew you’d still be here.” I heard Dahyun’s voice coming from the door of my recording studio.

It was the day after the party and as per PD-nim’s instruction, I started working on some songs. My solo debut isn’t final yet, but I’m just preparing just in case PD-nim would surprise me with any sudden announcements. Besides, I still needed him to check on the songs. He’s very meticulous with the songs that I’m releasing after all. Today was supposed to be a day off for me, but since I needed to get this done, I had to come to work. It was already 40 minutes past 5PM and I was still working on one more song. I had so many pre-releases that PD-nim wanted them all in one album.

I turned my chair around while opening up my arms signalling her to come to me. “Of course, I’ll be here. I still have plenty of work to do. Where do you think I’d be?”

Instead of giving me a hug, she sat on my lap before giving me a peck on the cheek as she wrapped her arms around my neck. “I don’t know? Maybe you’d be somewhere else preparing something?”

“I am preparing something.” I gestured towards the recording equipment.

She raised an eyebrow at me. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

I pondered for a while before I snapped my fingers. “Right! You have a schedule tonight, don’t you? Is it related to that?”

She sighed. “Never mind. So what are you working on?”

It was obvious that Dahyun was disappointed, but I decided to shrug it off as I gave her a smile. “So remember that song I sang for you on our photoshoot? I’m arranging it right now.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Really? That’s amazing! Wait So did you write it beforehand?”

“PD-nim told me to put all the songs that I’ve sang spontaneously in one album.” I told her with a wry smile.

“That’s why you’re mixing it now. May I?” She asked as she got the headphones from the table.

I chuckled at her excitement. “Sure. Why not?”

Dahyun listened attentively to the song as she giggled from time to time. I had the privilege of watching her react to the song. It was a different side of her that I didn’t know, but I find it really cute. After the song ended, she took off the headphones. “It’s really coming together really well for an unfinished song. But I still prefer the piano version though.”

“You mean me singing live. Is that it?” I teased as I pinched her cheek.

Her face slowly turned red from the sudden gesture. “Well yeah It sounded more sincere”

I gave her a hug as I leaned towards her chest. “That’s the advantage of singing LIVE. You get to convey what emotions you want to deliver to the listener.”

She crossed her arms as she pushed me back slightly. “You REALLY used it to your advantage there, didn’t you?”

“Ya the photographer gave the instructions. I’m just following orders.” I rebutted.

She scrunched up her nose as she brushed it against mine. “For all I know, the photographer was in on it. You really earned some points that day, hubby.”

Before I could make a comeback of my own, her phone started ringing. She took it out and answered it as she stood up from our position and placed the phone on loudspeaker.. “What is it Mina-unnie? Is something wrong?”

“Ya! Where are you?! Did you forget our schedule? Manager-unnie has been looking for you! We’re all waiting for you at the parking lot.” Mina yelled.

Dahyun covered her ears from all the nagging before she turned to check her watch. Her eyes widened in surprise. “I’m coming, unnie! Sorry about that!”

She immediately hung up the phone before she turned to look at me. “I have to go now. Will you still be here at around 9PM?”

I nodded in response. “I think so. I still have to finish arranging this song.”

Dahyun approached me and gave me a kiss. “Let’s have some barbecue tonight with the rest of our members. How does that sound?”

“Sounds wonderful.” I kissed her back as I caressed her face.

“Great! See you then! Don’t forget to take a couple of short breaks, okay? Bye!” She said as she rushed out of the door. I didn’t even get to reply.

After making sure that she completely left, I got my phone to dial my secretary. “Is the chopper ready?”

“Yes, sajangnim. We’re just waiting for your orders.” My secretary replied.

“How soon can it get here?” I asked.

“10 minutes.” She replied.

“Alright. I’m on my way to the helipad. Thanks.” I sighed as I hung up the call. “I guess it’s time.”

_________

“Yow! What took you so long? They’re almost here!” Dominic asked as soon as I got off the chopper.

N Seoul Tower Based on Dominic’s reaction, I guess I made it just in time. It took us a while to arrive since the wind was stronger near the mountains so we couldn’t just rush our way to our destination. Driving there would only take more time too so flying was the only option. Thankfully, I made it before they arrived.

Dominic and I rushed towards the place. I turned to Dominic. “Is everything ready?”

“Everyone’s in position. Since you’re here, we’re just waiting for them to arrive.” Dominic briefed me on what happened while they were preparing the venue.

Jeong Do came rushing towards us as soon as we entered the place. “Thank goodness you’re here. The reception gave us a heads up that they’re already here.”

Zee also gave me my IEM and microphone as I went into position behind the curtains. “Hyung! Their heading here through the elevator. The IEM is ready. All you need to do now is to do your best. Fighting!”

He made his way out of the curtain as he sprinted towards the light switch to turn the lights off. I made sure that my IEM was working as I tested the microphone. The song was ready since I mixed it a few days ago and arranged it beforehand.

“Hyung, we can hear you loud and clear. We already did a sound check earlier so you’re good to go.” Jiwoo notified me through my IEM. He must be at the sound booth taking care of the technicalities.

“Thanks for doing this.” I told them over the microphone.

“Nervous?” Zhang asked.

I chuckled. “When was I never?”

“You’ll be fine.” Jiwoo assured.

Matt-hyung suddenly shushed them. “They’re here! Get ready!”

As soon as I heard that I took a deep breath in to calm myself. It was finally going to happen. After a few weeks of preparation with Twice and Alpha, we were finally going to surprise Dahyun tonight for her birthday. I know she said that she didn’t want anything fancy, but it wouldn’t make sense if I had all this money and not give her the best birthday party of her life so far, so I got our members to brainstorm, and now, we have N Seoul Tower all to ourselves tonight for her party. I just hope this works.

“SURPRISE!” I heard everyone yell as the lights turned on from the other side of the curtain. Twice must have arrived.

They all started singing a happy birthday song to Dahyun. As what we’ve planned, Yo Chul-hyung would bake her a three-layered chocolate cake and once the surprise started, Seiji-hyung would wheel it in for her. So far, it’s all going according to plan.

I could hear Dahyun sobbing. “You guys you didn’t have to.”

“We know we know” It was Jihyo’s voice who was trying to comfort Dahyun.

“When did you guys plan this?” Dahyun asked in between her sobs.

Momo replied for the group. “The last few weeks. It was hard keeping this a secret from you.”

“Yeah. You suddenly barged in the room when we were having a meeting.” Tzuyu added.

Dahyun scoffed. “We ARE roommates after all.”

Everyone laughed at that. Chaeyoung then spoke. “We had to wait when you were asleep before going to Nayeon-unnie’s room to meet up.”

“That’s when we’d do a video call.” Yo Chul-hyung said.

“Weren’t you guys busy with promotions and other projects?” Dahyun asked.

Seiji-hyung chuckled. “We are. But we’re never too busy to celebrate your birthday, Dahyun-ah. You are special after all.”

After they all chuckled from that corny line, I heard Nayeon ask. “What’s wrong?”

Dahyun sighed. “I wish EVERYONE would think that way too.”

Sana sighed as well. “Are you talking about JayB-oppa?”

“I know I know I’m being selfish. He’s at the company right now working on his solo album.” Dahyun said in a disappointed tone.

Zee laughed. “Yeah well about that Why don’t you take a seat here?”

It was part of the plan. To have her seated in front of the stage. It was the cue for the song to start. And as planned, the lights slowly dimmed as the song started echoing throughout the venue. Dahyun then tried to look around. “What’s going on? Where are you guys going?”

Jihyo chuckled. “We’re right here. But I think you might want to focus your attention on the stage.”

“Why?” Dahyun asked but was answered with the curtains of the stage opening. She turned her gaze back to the stage and was met by a man who was wearing a tux and was smiling lovingly at her.

Dahyun covered her mouth as her eyes started to become teary from the surprise. She was shaking her head as if she couldn’t believe that I was here. Finally, I could tell her what I feel through this song. It was the only birthday gift that I could get her that didn’t involve buying her something. She hated it when I got her something. So here’s my solution for that. A song from the heart. I gave her one last smile before I started singing the song from the previous world by FT Island called “I Confess”.

[Now I must confess my heart to you

Only heaven knows my heart

I’ll tell you what I’ve kept so preciously in my heart]

For some reasons, I got so emotional and started tearing up a little. It only made her cry even more. It didn’t help me either as my throat was starting to become wet. But thankfully, I was able to compose myself and continue singing the song.

[It’s hard to say it, tears are coming out

Memories are passing me by

There would be no today if it wasn’t for you]

When I sang the next few lines, the screen behind me started showing some of our pictures together. She was smiling while looking at these photos. It wasn’t from the time when we were already together, but it was all the moments that we were in the same place at the same time but were clueless about it. In award shows, stage performances, our company get-away, recording sessions and more. I wanted to show her that we were together all this time despite our eyes not having met yet.

[The day that we met for the first time

I was bewildered and young

The times you waited because I asked you to trust me]

Now the screen was showing some of the videos and photos from when we were on the show and the times we spent outside of it. I’ve been collecting them just for this day. Zee helped me with the editing too which made it look more professional. It was nice to see her laugh at our funny pictures and at the videos from the show. It made me want to sing the next line with all sincerity.

[Sometimes I broke your heart with my mistakes

Every time it happened, you never blamed me

“It’s okay, It’s okay”

You smiled and it made me strong

When I say I’m busy as an excuse and you get angry

You could have resented me

“Don’t worry, don’t worry”

You believed in me while saying that]

Our friends started approaching her and giving her a pink rose as I was singing the next verse. Her members also gave her letters which were placed inside pink envelopes. It was for her to read when she was alone.

[I unabashedly want to see

That your heart stays forever the same

I will try harder for you everyday]

They were giving each other hugs and it took them some time to separate from each other since it was an emotional time for Dahyun. But I noticed that as she was hugging her members or were talking to my members, she would steal glances at me from time to time. I would just give her a wink every time she does.

[The day that we met for the first time

I was bewildered and young

The times you waited because I asked you to trust me]

Twice and Alpha started clapping along to the song as soon as they finished giving Dahyun her gifts. Dahyun was now solely focusing her attention at me which made me smile.

[Sometimes I broke your heart with my mistakes

Every time it happened, you never blamed me

“It’s okay, It’s okay”

You smiled and it made me strong

When I say I’m busy as an excuse and you get angry

You could have resented me

“Don’t worry, don’t worry”

You believed in me while saying that]

I started slowly making my way towards Dahyun as I was singing the bridge. With every step I took, it made me want to stop singing and just run towards her and give her a hug, but at the same time I wanted her to know that I’m a patient man who loves a girl who was also patient with me despite everything that we went through.

[The memories you and I made together

The times we cried and laughed

I’ll remember them until the moment I die]

Standing in front of her, she started playfully hitting my chest as she cried. I know that she’s just too happy and she doesn’t know how to express it. Our friends started laughing at her reaction. I grabbed her hand to stop her from hitting me and placed it on my chest. Dahyun looked away from the embarrassment. With her hand still feeling my beating heart, I guided her chin slowly to look at me as I continued singing.

[Have I ever told you that I love you?

The only common way of saying it

I love you, I love you

I let them out because there are no other words]

Dahyun suddenly wrapped her arms around me and started sobbing on my chest. I let her do it as I continued singing with a smile on my face as I rubbed her back.

[I’ll say it again, I love you

What my heart has inside

I’m confessing it today

Don’t ever forget that I love you]

The song ended but she was still sobbing loudly while she buried her face on my chest. It was the cutest thing to me. But I had to stop her at one point since it’s supposed to be a happy moment. “Dahyun-ie don’t cry.”

She pulled away from the hug and gave me one last hit to the chest before she started wiping her tears away. “You’re so unfair!”

“What did I do?” I asked with a chuckle. Everyone else started laughing too.

She also started laughing in between her sobs as well. “I told you that we weren’t supposed to compete when we’re doing something for one another.”

“I’m not! I really just wanted to give you the best birthday you ever.” I told her as I took out a handkerchief from my pocket to help her wipe her tears.

She pouted as she took the handkerchief. “How am I supposed to top this off? I can’t beat this.”

I smiled wryly at her. “Ya didn’t we just talk about not making this a competition.”

“Thank you hubby. This means so much to me.” She giggled and sniffled before she turned her attention to everyone else. “You guys are awesome. Thank you. I love you all.”

“Eyyy! What’s with this emotional vibe? It’s time to party! Zee? Hit us with that beat!” Dominic yelled out which brought everyone back to a festive mood.

Everyone started dancing while others headed for the buffet table to grab some food. We were all looking forward to this day since it was a good way to celebrate our day off. Our members were all in their own world as they partied nonstop.

Since everyone was busy with their own thing, I pulled Dahyun to the side as soon as she finished talking to her members. Her members gave me a thumbs up before I dragged Dahyun away. “Can we talk for a second?”

“Oh no. You’re not breaking up with me, are you?” She joked as we started heading towards the balcony of the tower.

“No, of course not. That’s never going to happen.” I told her.

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”

“I’m gonna pretend I didn’t hear that and will instead, tell you that barbecue night is cancelled.” I raised my brow at her.

Dahyun gasped exaggeratedly as she sarcastically spoke. “Really? Oh no! Not barbecue night!”

We both laughed at how annoying we both sounded just now. It was just fun to hang out with Dahyun like this. She then turned her head towards me with a smile. “So? What’s up?”

“Right so did you get a notification from the show?” I asked her.

She nodded. “Yep. But they didn’t tell me what the episode’s about. They just told me the date. Do you have any idea?”

“Actually, I do.” I told her as I went through my phone and sent her something.

She took her phone out and started going through the screenshot that I sent her. Her eyes widened in surprise as she gasped and covered her mouth while shaking. “No way Are you serious?!”

“Yes way. I am.” I answered with a chuckle.

She started zooming on the picture to check if it’s legit. “Why didn’t the show tell me about this?”

I smiled as I held her hand. “I told them that I wanted to surprise you myself.”

“When?! When are we leaving?!” She excitedly asked with a huge smile on her face.

Her reaction was precious. It made me laugh. “I already spoke to PD-nim. And if you read it clearly, it’s next weekend.”

Her smile started to fade away. “But the concert we’ll be busy by then.”

“I already spoke with PD-nim and he said yes. As long as I finish my solo album within this week.” I explained.

She suddenly tackled me into a hug. “Thank you! You’re the best!”

I chuckled. “Are you really that happy?”

She slapped my shoulder with a huge grin on her face. “Are you kidding me?! Why wouldn’t I be?! It’s finally going to happen! YOU actually made it happen!”

“Anything for my wife.” I told her as I messed her hair up.

“Ya! Oppa!” She spank my hand.

I raised my brow. “‘Oppa’? Am I an ‘oppa’ now? What happen to ‘hubby’?”

She suddenly leaned in to give me a long and tender kiss before pulling away to pinch my cheek. “I’ll call you oppa for this week. Once we get married next weekend, I can finally call you ‘hubby’ for good.”

________