signed, sealed, delivered (i'm yours)
pairing: jongin/sehun
genre: idol!au, fluff
rating: pg
word count: ~3.6k
summary: as an idol, jongin's come face to face with all kinds of fans. though, never quite one like the stoic man currently sitting in front of him.
notes: originally written for sekaisquad secret santa exchange.
signed, sealed, delivered (i'm yours)
Jongin scans the crowded room from behind the curtain, trying to estimate the total head count. He’d been told that the capacity of the venue was around two hundred people, but he’s pretty sure there’s more. At least double that figure. Maybe even five hundred. Despite being hailed as the ‘Dancing King’ of the music and entertainment industry, he’s still amazed to see such an impressive turnout. There’s always a fleeting moment before he turns the corner that he’ll enter a stage facing an empty audience. It hasn't happened... yet.
Even when he had been just a rookie, he already had a sizable fanbase. Though one could attribute ninety-nine percent of that fact to the monster PR team backing him. Signed to one of the top entertainment companies in the industry, they didn't spare a dime when it came to his promotion. There had been a special documentary following his daily life as a trainee; twelve teaser videos spanning across a hundred days; as well as being featured in a couple of music videos with his fellow agency mates. With all the hype and buzz surrounding his debut, and endorsements from reputable artists, it had come as no surprise when Jongin began breaking records left, right, and center when he was officially introduced into the scene. His massive popularity, however, far exceeded anyone's expectations, snatching the title of the fastest selling single and most watched music video in twenty-four hours. Not just for a debut artist, but by anyone, ever.
His company being the money grabbing schemers that they are, have had Jongin endlessly promoting ever since. His schedule has been a long list of album releases, concert tours, commercial campaigns, and the like. Even today, despite it being Christmas Day, there's no rest for the idol superstar, Kim Jongin. Not when there's money to be made. And only Kim Jongin could draw such a crowd on a festive holiday. One which his fans should be spending with family, instead of queuing for hours on end in the below freezing temperature for a fleeting moment with their airquote-Ult Bae-unquote, as he's so often seen himself being named on social media platforms. And this is in addition to having purchased multiple copies of Jongin's latest album, 'Teleportation', in order to be entered into a lucky draw in the hopes of meeting their favorite idol in the flesh.
Jongin isn't opposed to fansigns, per se. Truth be told, interacting with his fans is one aspects of being an idol he liked the most. Sure, jetting across the globe and being treated like royalty isn't exactly an offer he declines on a regular basis. But he'd happily perform an intimate gig for his fans over attending an a-list party any day of the week.
As cliché as it sounds, Jongin isn't motivated primarily by the money or the fame. There's no denying it's an appealing byproduct of what he does for a living, but he enjoys making music and influencing the lives of people first and foremost. It brings him far greater pleasure than having more wealth he could ever spend in his lifetime would. After a jam packed concert tour, it's been half a year since he's held a sign event and he can't wait to meet his fans and interact with them.
"And this is the moment you've been waiting for," Jongin hears the announcement through the speakers, "Please welcome the one and only, Kim Jongin!"
A deafening roar of cheering, screaming, and applause fills the hall. Before Jongin has a chance to greet his fans properly, he’s quickly ushered to the seat behind a table. After sitting down, he waves to the crowd, sweeping from left to right, trying to make as much eye contact as possible. He almost stops in his tracks when he spots the only male in the sea of faces.
Jongin isn't too caught off guard by the fact that the man is... well, a man. As it happens, there had been an article published just the week prior about how 'Kim Jongin brings all the boys to the yard.' What throws Jongin off is that the man looks positively bored to death. He couldn't appear more disinterested if he tried, clearly not wanting to be among the throng of excited fangirls; in fact, it looks as though it's the last place on Earth that he wants to be. He's probably here with or for his girlfriend, possibly a sister, Jongin supposes.
Jongin knows that these fansigns can run late into the night-well after the last buses are running-and more often than not, in less than optimal conditions. Fortunately, the current venue actually has heating so Jongin hadn’t needed to wear a thousand and one layers despite being indoors. Jongin's no stranger to poor conditions during promotions; he's had outdoor fansigns during the pouring rain and in the scorching heat in summer; there had been that one time he had to perform a concert without a working earpiece-it had been challenging to say the very least.
The conditions never did dampen his fans' spirits, much to Jongin's astonishment, despite being drenched from head to toe (either by rain or sweat) by the time they meet him. It truly is one of the most rewarding gifts he could ever receive from his fans. He doesn’t require material offerings. Love and support from his fans are more than enough to keep him in the industry. And so, for Jongin to observe the expressionless face on the man in front of him, Jongin can't help but feel a flood of guilt washing over him. He wants everyone to enjoy themselves, even if they're not a fan and had been roped into attending. Jongin makes it his mission of the day to convert the man into a new fan. Or at the very least, raise a smile out of him.
It takes several moments for Jongin to notice that there's a strap hanging from the man's neck with a camera attached to it. Oh, the poor guy has to take photos of Jongin as well? Although Jongin's never been very familiar with the latest gadgets and gizmos, he can tell with the size of the lens, that the camera will shoot high quality zoom shots. Jongin makes a mental note to make sure to look in the man's direction as often as possible.
Once the crowd settles down, the event starts off with a few questions from fans, most of which Jongin's already answered before. Throughout the segment, Jongin eyes dart to the lone wolf in the crowd. Jongin smiles for a moment, conscious not to blink too much or pull any funny faces, he doesn't need to fuel the popular Tumblr blog titled 'Derp King Jongin' and provide any more material for the site than what's already been posted.
The man, however, has not touched his camera once in the half hour that has already lapsed. The man's expression has remained unchanged, and it's pretty unnerving. A fan stands up from the crowd and requests that Jongin perform a part of the choreography of his last single, 'Paper Bags'. Walking to the center of the stage, Jongin beams at the loud shrieking erupting from the audience. He shoots finger hearts at the crowd, lapping up the fans' reactions as they squeal and cry out his name.
Jongin locates the man in the crown and sends a playful wink at him and is pleasantly surprised when he's met with a camera instead of his face. The man is actually taking photos of him. Standing still, looking directly to the lens, Jongin strikes a pose.
"I hope the person you're here for is happy with your pictures," Jongin whispers under his breath before returning back to his seat.
Preparing for the hundreds of autographs he has to sign ahead of him, Jongin flexes his fingers and cracks his knuckles. He glances up back to the man whose camera is dangling from the lanyard once more. He makes another heart shape, this time with his arms. He frowns slightly when the man doesn't move a muscle. That would've made a great shot, Jongin thinks.
With the first row of fans already forming a line at his table, Jongin averts his attention to the first fan in the queue, greeting her with sincerity and accepting her holiday card with gratitude. The man's perplexing actions plagues Jongin’s thoughts in the back of his mind as he continues to sign album after album.
A timid fan approaches Jongin and immediately covers her face as soon as he looks up at her. "Aww, don't hide your face. I like to see all my fans' faces," he tells her.
The girl shakes her head and keeps her face concealed the entire time and almost trips over her own feet after Jongin hands her back her album.
"Hi! I was wondering if you could be my boyfriend, even if it's just for one second?" the next fan in line asks him.
Jongin smiles at the young fan and nods his head. "Sure, I'd be honored!"
The fan squeals in excitement and offers a handshake to seal the deal but before she can establish contact, a security guard intervenes and stops her. "You're not allowed to touch him," the man informs her.
The girl blushes and nods her head in understanding. "Even though our relationship was very brief, I'll treasure our time together for the rest if my life. I'll always love you, Kim Jongin!"
Jongin smiles and waves goodbye. He'll probably get in trouble with management for indulging the fan but he doesn't have to decline such an earnest request. Another stream of fangirls later, the next row is called to the front. Jongin observes that the group includes the man that he just can't seem to distract himself from.
"You shouldn't have done that," are the first words to leave the man's mouth.
Jongin eyes the man curiously, not quite sure what he's referring to. "Excuse me?"
"You're encouraging the delusion that we have a chance to date you," the man says before sliding over his copy of Jongin’s album to the idol.
We? ‘We’ would imply that Jongin's earlier actions had an effect on the man also. His curiosity piqued, Jongin asks the expressionless man stood in front of him the question he's been dying to find out the answer to. "Who are you here for?" he questions, barely recognizing the high pitched squeak that’s just escaped pass his lips.
"You," the man responds simply, face still as stoic as ever.
Jongin instantly feels a blush creeping to his face as soon as he hears the man's response. "Oh. So you're not here in place of someone else?" he asks, meeting eyes with the man. Why is heart beating so rapidly? And wow, Jongin hadn't noticed it before but despite the hard to read expression on the man's face, he's actually rather handsome. He's tall-perhaps even taller than Jongin-slender with form fitting ripped jeans that hug his narrow hips.
"Sleepykisses," the man says, drawing Jongin's attention back to his face.
"Wait, what?" Jongin clears his throat, feeling extremely flustered, convinced that the man had caught Jongin blatantly checking him out. "Sleepykisses?" Why does that sound so familiar? Jongin's sure he's heard that somewhere before. He looks at the man again, trying to connect the dots. Jongin would remember meeting him, after all, the man is hella attractive with his striking features, broad shoulders... Stop it, Kim Jongin. Focus, will you?
"Could you write 'To: Sleepykisses' when you sign the album, please?"
"O-Of course," Jongin stutters and he can feel beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He can feel his hand trembling, and he's not sure if he can remember how to use a pen. How does the letter 's' look again? He tries his best to sign the album, hoping that his scrawl bears a even a slight resemblance to actual words. After he’s done, Jongin looks up at the man again, his eyes falling onto the lanyard hanging around the man's neck. He reads the cursive embroidered lettering stitched across the strap, Sleepykisses.
It finally clicks into place after Jongin finally recognizes the logo. "Ah! You're one of my new fansite masters, aren't you? I remember seeing a package from a 'Sleepykisses' before leaving the dorm this morning. Thank you!"
The man simply nods his head and offers no words in response.
"I should probably check out your fansite, I’d like to see what kind of shots fansites take of me." Jongin beckons for the man to lean in closer before whispering, "Between you and me, you all do a much better job than my company does."
"You can't!" The man's face finally expresses an emotion, albeit one of horror. He cradles the camera protectively in his arms.
"I can't?" Jongin asks, his eyes widening in surprise. "Why not?"
"Move along now," a member of staff hurries the man, prompting Jongin to return the album back to him.
"Wait! What's your name? Your actual name?" Jongin asks quickly, standing from his chair. Unfortunately, the man is too far away to have heard his question and Jongin spends the rest of the event ruminating over the man's identity.
Once the fansign is over, the first thing Jongin does is retrieve his phone from his pocket. He does a quick Google search of his name and the fansite, almost dropping his phone when the rows of images load onto his screen. Despite the hundreds of photos, there's not a single shot of his face. They're mainly shots of his ankles. It's all starting to make sense, why Sehun hadn't bother taking any photos when Jongin was seated, only springing into action when Jongin had stood in front of them.
Who are you, Sleepykisses? Not accepting rejection as failure, Jongin decides to send a text to his favourite manager. Can you find out the contact information for the fansite Sleepykisses, please? It's for science. Thank you!
Upon leaving the venue, Jongin thanks the staff for all their hard work during the day’s event. He steps out the way as the team loads some of the stage equipment and production onto the van. A man turns the corner, eyes glued to the phone in his hand, failing to notice that he’s seconds away from being in a collision.
"Look out!" Jongin calls out, dashing to the man’s side and pushing him out of harm’s way.
"Oof!" the man wheezes as he's crushed against the wall. Jongin hears a definite crack and hopes that it wasn't the sound of a bone splintering.
"Oh, my God, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" Jongin apologises profusely, bowing his head to convey sincerity. He looks up and braces himself for what’s sure to be an angry look on his victim’s face. Instead, the visage he's met is merely blank. "Oh, it's you! Sleepykisses."
Peeling himself from the wall, the man looks at Jongin with an intense stare, and his eyes begin to shift a little lower down Jongin’s body. “I think I’m okay.”
“Hey! My eyes are up here!” Jongin exclaims, suddenly remembering the man’s penchant for ankle shots.
The man bites his lower lip before inspecting the camera in his hands. “Ah man, I think this thing is busted." He sighs as he traces his fingers over a crack running down the screen and attempts to turn the power on but to no avail.
"Give me your contact details!" Jongin practically barks at the man, feeling bad to have broken his camera. "I mean, so I can reimburse you for the damage caused!" he clarifies.
"It's fine, really. I can use a different one, I have like-"
"No, I insist!" Jongin fishes his phone from his pocket and thrusts it into Sleepykisses's hand.
"Okay, if you insist." The man’s lips form a grin causing Jongin's breath to hitch. He enters his number, saving the contact as 'Sleepykisses', before handing the phone back to Jongin.
"You should smile more often," Jongin blurts out before he can filter his thoughts. Sleepykisses brings a hand to conceal his blushing face and Jongin almost squeaks out loud. How is this man so adorable? Avoiding eye contact, Jongin looks to the ceiling and notices a branch of mistletoe hanging above them.
Sleepykisses’s eyes follow Jongin's gaze and he drops the camera, the device shattering into broken pieces as it makes contact with the cold concrete floor.
"Uh..." Jongin is at at a loss for words and Sleepkisses is no different. A tongue darts out from the other man's mouth and runs over his lips which causes Jongin to dry swallow.
"Kim Jongin, where are you? We gotta go!" Jongin hears his manager's squawk echoing down the hallway.
"Well, I've got to go, but it was nice meeting you." Jongin turns to leave before stopping in his tracks. "Oh, wait. I tried asking you earlier, but I don't think you heard me. What's your name?"
"Sehun. Oh Sehun," Sleepykisses bows and formally introduces himself.
"I hope you have a Merry Christmas, Oh Sehun. What's left of it anyway," Jongin says.
Sehun smiles again and it reaches his eyes. "And a Happy New Year to you, Kim Jongin."
It takes five excruciating weeks for Jongin's one-of-a-kind lightstick to arrive after he had personally designed it specifically withone person in mind. Carefully wrapping it in an entire roll of bubble wrap, Jongin includes a VIP ticket to his next concert tour (arguably the best seat in the entire venue) and an all access backstage pass along with the latest top of the range camera and all the extensions and accessories ever manufactured for it, and addresses the package to one ‘Oh Sehun.’
Jongin takes a deep breath and counts to ten in his head. He’s no stranger to performing in front of a sold-out arena with over fifty thousand fans screaming and chanting his name, but this time one of the many faces in the silver ocean, waving his custom lightstick is Sehun, whom Jongin had personally invited.
Although Sehun has attended almost all of his concerts, both domestic and international, travelling all over to catch a glimpse of his idol in the flesh (and capture the moments on camera), it will be the first time that Sehun will be watching him on stage-not as a fan or fansite master-but as Jongin's guest of honor.
After meeting at the fansign event a year ago, Jongin had grown accustomed to seeing Sehun's face at pretty much all of his official activities-be it music show recordings, guest appearances, or fanmeets.
Their relationship had progressed to actual friendship. At first, Jongin had been tentative about having a relationship beyond the bounds of idol/fan, but after getting to know Sehun a little better, Jongin had concluded that there was no hidden agenda behind Sehun's adoration for him. And Jongin genuinely enjoyed their time together during their limited interactions.
Jongin had been the one to suggest meeting up outside of an official activity-not as an idol and a fan, but as Kim Jongin and Oh Sehun. Heavily chaperoned by his personal security team upon the insistence of his management, Jongin had deemed it unnecessary after the first three hangouts with Sehun and refused to allow them to babysit the two of them.
As Jongin's fame skyrocketed even further, a misunderstanding between a senior in the industry had subsequently escalated into a scandal. Jongin's good name had been tarnished and he was branded as an 'insolent brat with no respect for his elders'. Overwhelmed with negative comments from netizens, Jongin had contemplated withdrawing from the spotlight altogether. His friends had tried to talk him out of it, Sehun being the only one to tell him that he would support Jongin no matter what he chose to do.
Ultimately, with Sehun's encouragement, Jongin had resolved to prove the antis wrong and before long, Jongin was back in the nation's good graces..
During that troubled time Sehun had announced, much to Jongin's surprise, that he had made the decision to close down his fansite and would cease following Jongin to his official schedules.
"I'm here for you, Kim Jongin, not the idol ‘Kim Jongin’," Sehun had explained. "And I can't really do that if I still treat you as an idol rather than an actual person, if that makes sense. I mean, taking photos of you… I’m not really comfortable with that anymore."
Sehun had reassured Jongin that he would still be attending all of Jongin's concerts. When Jongin had playfully objected, Sehun had turned on his heel, storming off with indignation. Jongin had wrapped his arms around Sehun, enveloping him in a tight embrace. "You said you were here for me, which makes you mine."
Jongin had found himself wanting to say "and I'm yours" but stopped himself before the words spilled from his lips. It was in that moment that Jongin realized that he no longer wanted to be Kim Jongin and Oh Sehun-just friends. He wanted something more.
Inspired by his newfound feelings, Jongin had channeled it into his music, spending most of his time in his recording studio preparing for his next album.
"The next song will be my new single, called '1204', and this will be the first time I'll be performing it," Jongin says into his microphone, his hands shaking and butterflies fluttering in his stomach. He takes a deep breath before continuing. "I wrote this song for a special someone so it's very dear to my heart. I hope you all love it as much as I love him."
a/n: comments make me happy face.
❥ carpesoo.flavors.me
genre: idol!au, fluff
rating: pg
word count: ~3.6k
summary: as an idol, jongin's come face to face with all kinds of fans. though, never quite one like the stoic man currently sitting in front of him.
notes: originally written for sekaisquad secret santa exchange.
signed, sealed, delivered (i'm yours)
Jongin scans the crowded room from behind the curtain, trying to estimate the total head count. He’d been told that the capacity of the venue was around two hundred people, but he’s pretty sure there’s more. At least double that figure. Maybe even five hundred. Despite being hailed as the ‘Dancing King’ of the music and entertainment industry, he’s still amazed to see such an impressive turnout. There’s always a fleeting moment before he turns the corner that he’ll enter a stage facing an empty audience. It hasn't happened... yet.
Even when he had been just a rookie, he already had a sizable fanbase. Though one could attribute ninety-nine percent of that fact to the monster PR team backing him. Signed to one of the top entertainment companies in the industry, they didn't spare a dime when it came to his promotion. There had been a special documentary following his daily life as a trainee; twelve teaser videos spanning across a hundred days; as well as being featured in a couple of music videos with his fellow agency mates. With all the hype and buzz surrounding his debut, and endorsements from reputable artists, it had come as no surprise when Jongin began breaking records left, right, and center when he was officially introduced into the scene. His massive popularity, however, far exceeded anyone's expectations, snatching the title of the fastest selling single and most watched music video in twenty-four hours. Not just for a debut artist, but by anyone, ever.
His company being the money grabbing schemers that they are, have had Jongin endlessly promoting ever since. His schedule has been a long list of album releases, concert tours, commercial campaigns, and the like. Even today, despite it being Christmas Day, there's no rest for the idol superstar, Kim Jongin. Not when there's money to be made. And only Kim Jongin could draw such a crowd on a festive holiday. One which his fans should be spending with family, instead of queuing for hours on end in the below freezing temperature for a fleeting moment with their airquote-Ult Bae-unquote, as he's so often seen himself being named on social media platforms. And this is in addition to having purchased multiple copies of Jongin's latest album, 'Teleportation', in order to be entered into a lucky draw in the hopes of meeting their favorite idol in the flesh.
Jongin isn't opposed to fansigns, per se. Truth be told, interacting with his fans is one aspects of being an idol he liked the most. Sure, jetting across the globe and being treated like royalty isn't exactly an offer he declines on a regular basis. But he'd happily perform an intimate gig for his fans over attending an a-list party any day of the week.
As cliché as it sounds, Jongin isn't motivated primarily by the money or the fame. There's no denying it's an appealing byproduct of what he does for a living, but he enjoys making music and influencing the lives of people first and foremost. It brings him far greater pleasure than having more wealth he could ever spend in his lifetime would. After a jam packed concert tour, it's been half a year since he's held a sign event and he can't wait to meet his fans and interact with them.
"And this is the moment you've been waiting for," Jongin hears the announcement through the speakers, "Please welcome the one and only, Kim Jongin!"
A deafening roar of cheering, screaming, and applause fills the hall. Before Jongin has a chance to greet his fans properly, he’s quickly ushered to the seat behind a table. After sitting down, he waves to the crowd, sweeping from left to right, trying to make as much eye contact as possible. He almost stops in his tracks when he spots the only male in the sea of faces.
Jongin isn't too caught off guard by the fact that the man is... well, a man. As it happens, there had been an article published just the week prior about how 'Kim Jongin brings all the boys to the yard.' What throws Jongin off is that the man looks positively bored to death. He couldn't appear more disinterested if he tried, clearly not wanting to be among the throng of excited fangirls; in fact, it looks as though it's the last place on Earth that he wants to be. He's probably here with or for his girlfriend, possibly a sister, Jongin supposes.
Jongin knows that these fansigns can run late into the night-well after the last buses are running-and more often than not, in less than optimal conditions. Fortunately, the current venue actually has heating so Jongin hadn’t needed to wear a thousand and one layers despite being indoors. Jongin's no stranger to poor conditions during promotions; he's had outdoor fansigns during the pouring rain and in the scorching heat in summer; there had been that one time he had to perform a concert without a working earpiece-it had been challenging to say the very least.
The conditions never did dampen his fans' spirits, much to Jongin's astonishment, despite being drenched from head to toe (either by rain or sweat) by the time they meet him. It truly is one of the most rewarding gifts he could ever receive from his fans. He doesn’t require material offerings. Love and support from his fans are more than enough to keep him in the industry. And so, for Jongin to observe the expressionless face on the man in front of him, Jongin can't help but feel a flood of guilt washing over him. He wants everyone to enjoy themselves, even if they're not a fan and had been roped into attending. Jongin makes it his mission of the day to convert the man into a new fan. Or at the very least, raise a smile out of him.
It takes several moments for Jongin to notice that there's a strap hanging from the man's neck with a camera attached to it. Oh, the poor guy has to take photos of Jongin as well? Although Jongin's never been very familiar with the latest gadgets and gizmos, he can tell with the size of the lens, that the camera will shoot high quality zoom shots. Jongin makes a mental note to make sure to look in the man's direction as often as possible.
Once the crowd settles down, the event starts off with a few questions from fans, most of which Jongin's already answered before. Throughout the segment, Jongin eyes dart to the lone wolf in the crowd. Jongin smiles for a moment, conscious not to blink too much or pull any funny faces, he doesn't need to fuel the popular Tumblr blog titled 'Derp King Jongin' and provide any more material for the site than what's already been posted.
The man, however, has not touched his camera once in the half hour that has already lapsed. The man's expression has remained unchanged, and it's pretty unnerving. A fan stands up from the crowd and requests that Jongin perform a part of the choreography of his last single, 'Paper Bags'. Walking to the center of the stage, Jongin beams at the loud shrieking erupting from the audience. He shoots finger hearts at the crowd, lapping up the fans' reactions as they squeal and cry out his name.
Jongin locates the man in the crown and sends a playful wink at him and is pleasantly surprised when he's met with a camera instead of his face. The man is actually taking photos of him. Standing still, looking directly to the lens, Jongin strikes a pose.
"I hope the person you're here for is happy with your pictures," Jongin whispers under his breath before returning back to his seat.
Preparing for the hundreds of autographs he has to sign ahead of him, Jongin flexes his fingers and cracks his knuckles. He glances up back to the man whose camera is dangling from the lanyard once more. He makes another heart shape, this time with his arms. He frowns slightly when the man doesn't move a muscle. That would've made a great shot, Jongin thinks.
With the first row of fans already forming a line at his table, Jongin averts his attention to the first fan in the queue, greeting her with sincerity and accepting her holiday card with gratitude. The man's perplexing actions plagues Jongin’s thoughts in the back of his mind as he continues to sign album after album.
A timid fan approaches Jongin and immediately covers her face as soon as he looks up at her. "Aww, don't hide your face. I like to see all my fans' faces," he tells her.
The girl shakes her head and keeps her face concealed the entire time and almost trips over her own feet after Jongin hands her back her album.
"Hi! I was wondering if you could be my boyfriend, even if it's just for one second?" the next fan in line asks him.
Jongin smiles at the young fan and nods his head. "Sure, I'd be honored!"
The fan squeals in excitement and offers a handshake to seal the deal but before she can establish contact, a security guard intervenes and stops her. "You're not allowed to touch him," the man informs her.
The girl blushes and nods her head in understanding. "Even though our relationship was very brief, I'll treasure our time together for the rest if my life. I'll always love you, Kim Jongin!"
Jongin smiles and waves goodbye. He'll probably get in trouble with management for indulging the fan but he doesn't have to decline such an earnest request. Another stream of fangirls later, the next row is called to the front. Jongin observes that the group includes the man that he just can't seem to distract himself from.
"You shouldn't have done that," are the first words to leave the man's mouth.
Jongin eyes the man curiously, not quite sure what he's referring to. "Excuse me?"
"You're encouraging the delusion that we have a chance to date you," the man says before sliding over his copy of Jongin’s album to the idol.
We? ‘We’ would imply that Jongin's earlier actions had an effect on the man also. His curiosity piqued, Jongin asks the expressionless man stood in front of him the question he's been dying to find out the answer to. "Who are you here for?" he questions, barely recognizing the high pitched squeak that’s just escaped pass his lips.
"You," the man responds simply, face still as stoic as ever.
Jongin instantly feels a blush creeping to his face as soon as he hears the man's response. "Oh. So you're not here in place of someone else?" he asks, meeting eyes with the man. Why is heart beating so rapidly? And wow, Jongin hadn't noticed it before but despite the hard to read expression on the man's face, he's actually rather handsome. He's tall-perhaps even taller than Jongin-slender with form fitting ripped jeans that hug his narrow hips.
"Sleepykisses," the man says, drawing Jongin's attention back to his face.
"Wait, what?" Jongin clears his throat, feeling extremely flustered, convinced that the man had caught Jongin blatantly checking him out. "Sleepykisses?" Why does that sound so familiar? Jongin's sure he's heard that somewhere before. He looks at the man again, trying to connect the dots. Jongin would remember meeting him, after all, the man is hella attractive with his striking features, broad shoulders... Stop it, Kim Jongin. Focus, will you?
"Could you write 'To: Sleepykisses' when you sign the album, please?"
"O-Of course," Jongin stutters and he can feel beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He can feel his hand trembling, and he's not sure if he can remember how to use a pen. How does the letter 's' look again? He tries his best to sign the album, hoping that his scrawl bears a even a slight resemblance to actual words. After he’s done, Jongin looks up at the man again, his eyes falling onto the lanyard hanging around the man's neck. He reads the cursive embroidered lettering stitched across the strap, Sleepykisses.
It finally clicks into place after Jongin finally recognizes the logo. "Ah! You're one of my new fansite masters, aren't you? I remember seeing a package from a 'Sleepykisses' before leaving the dorm this morning. Thank you!"
The man simply nods his head and offers no words in response.
"I should probably check out your fansite, I’d like to see what kind of shots fansites take of me." Jongin beckons for the man to lean in closer before whispering, "Between you and me, you all do a much better job than my company does."
"You can't!" The man's face finally expresses an emotion, albeit one of horror. He cradles the camera protectively in his arms.
"I can't?" Jongin asks, his eyes widening in surprise. "Why not?"
"Move along now," a member of staff hurries the man, prompting Jongin to return the album back to him.
"Wait! What's your name? Your actual name?" Jongin asks quickly, standing from his chair. Unfortunately, the man is too far away to have heard his question and Jongin spends the rest of the event ruminating over the man's identity.
Once the fansign is over, the first thing Jongin does is retrieve his phone from his pocket. He does a quick Google search of his name and the fansite, almost dropping his phone when the rows of images load onto his screen. Despite the hundreds of photos, there's not a single shot of his face. They're mainly shots of his ankles. It's all starting to make sense, why Sehun hadn't bother taking any photos when Jongin was seated, only springing into action when Jongin had stood in front of them.
Who are you, Sleepykisses? Not accepting rejection as failure, Jongin decides to send a text to his favourite manager. Can you find out the contact information for the fansite Sleepykisses, please? It's for science. Thank you!
Upon leaving the venue, Jongin thanks the staff for all their hard work during the day’s event. He steps out the way as the team loads some of the stage equipment and production onto the van. A man turns the corner, eyes glued to the phone in his hand, failing to notice that he’s seconds away from being in a collision.
"Look out!" Jongin calls out, dashing to the man’s side and pushing him out of harm’s way.
"Oof!" the man wheezes as he's crushed against the wall. Jongin hears a definite crack and hopes that it wasn't the sound of a bone splintering.
"Oh, my God, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" Jongin apologises profusely, bowing his head to convey sincerity. He looks up and braces himself for what’s sure to be an angry look on his victim’s face. Instead, the visage he's met is merely blank. "Oh, it's you! Sleepykisses."
Peeling himself from the wall, the man looks at Jongin with an intense stare, and his eyes begin to shift a little lower down Jongin’s body. “I think I’m okay.”
“Hey! My eyes are up here!” Jongin exclaims, suddenly remembering the man’s penchant for ankle shots.
The man bites his lower lip before inspecting the camera in his hands. “Ah man, I think this thing is busted." He sighs as he traces his fingers over a crack running down the screen and attempts to turn the power on but to no avail.
"Give me your contact details!" Jongin practically barks at the man, feeling bad to have broken his camera. "I mean, so I can reimburse you for the damage caused!" he clarifies.
"It's fine, really. I can use a different one, I have like-"
"No, I insist!" Jongin fishes his phone from his pocket and thrusts it into Sleepykisses's hand.
"Okay, if you insist." The man’s lips form a grin causing Jongin's breath to hitch. He enters his number, saving the contact as 'Sleepykisses', before handing the phone back to Jongin.
"You should smile more often," Jongin blurts out before he can filter his thoughts. Sleepykisses brings a hand to conceal his blushing face and Jongin almost squeaks out loud. How is this man so adorable? Avoiding eye contact, Jongin looks to the ceiling and notices a branch of mistletoe hanging above them.
Sleepykisses’s eyes follow Jongin's gaze and he drops the camera, the device shattering into broken pieces as it makes contact with the cold concrete floor.
"Uh..." Jongin is at at a loss for words and Sleepkisses is no different. A tongue darts out from the other man's mouth and runs over his lips which causes Jongin to dry swallow.
"Kim Jongin, where are you? We gotta go!" Jongin hears his manager's squawk echoing down the hallway.
"Well, I've got to go, but it was nice meeting you." Jongin turns to leave before stopping in his tracks. "Oh, wait. I tried asking you earlier, but I don't think you heard me. What's your name?"
"Sehun. Oh Sehun," Sleepykisses bows and formally introduces himself.
"I hope you have a Merry Christmas, Oh Sehun. What's left of it anyway," Jongin says.
Sehun smiles again and it reaches his eyes. "And a Happy New Year to you, Kim Jongin."
It takes five excruciating weeks for Jongin's one-of-a-kind lightstick to arrive after he had personally designed it specifically withone person in mind. Carefully wrapping it in an entire roll of bubble wrap, Jongin includes a VIP ticket to his next concert tour (arguably the best seat in the entire venue) and an all access backstage pass along with the latest top of the range camera and all the extensions and accessories ever manufactured for it, and addresses the package to one ‘Oh Sehun.’
Jongin takes a deep breath and counts to ten in his head. He’s no stranger to performing in front of a sold-out arena with over fifty thousand fans screaming and chanting his name, but this time one of the many faces in the silver ocean, waving his custom lightstick is Sehun, whom Jongin had personally invited.
Although Sehun has attended almost all of his concerts, both domestic and international, travelling all over to catch a glimpse of his idol in the flesh (and capture the moments on camera), it will be the first time that Sehun will be watching him on stage-not as a fan or fansite master-but as Jongin's guest of honor.
After meeting at the fansign event a year ago, Jongin had grown accustomed to seeing Sehun's face at pretty much all of his official activities-be it music show recordings, guest appearances, or fanmeets.
Their relationship had progressed to actual friendship. At first, Jongin had been tentative about having a relationship beyond the bounds of idol/fan, but after getting to know Sehun a little better, Jongin had concluded that there was no hidden agenda behind Sehun's adoration for him. And Jongin genuinely enjoyed their time together during their limited interactions.
Jongin had been the one to suggest meeting up outside of an official activity-not as an idol and a fan, but as Kim Jongin and Oh Sehun. Heavily chaperoned by his personal security team upon the insistence of his management, Jongin had deemed it unnecessary after the first three hangouts with Sehun and refused to allow them to babysit the two of them.
As Jongin's fame skyrocketed even further, a misunderstanding between a senior in the industry had subsequently escalated into a scandal. Jongin's good name had been tarnished and he was branded as an 'insolent brat with no respect for his elders'. Overwhelmed with negative comments from netizens, Jongin had contemplated withdrawing from the spotlight altogether. His friends had tried to talk him out of it, Sehun being the only one to tell him that he would support Jongin no matter what he chose to do.
Ultimately, with Sehun's encouragement, Jongin had resolved to prove the antis wrong and before long, Jongin was back in the nation's good graces..
During that troubled time Sehun had announced, much to Jongin's surprise, that he had made the decision to close down his fansite and would cease following Jongin to his official schedules.
"I'm here for you, Kim Jongin, not the idol ‘Kim Jongin’," Sehun had explained. "And I can't really do that if I still treat you as an idol rather than an actual person, if that makes sense. I mean, taking photos of you… I’m not really comfortable with that anymore."
Sehun had reassured Jongin that he would still be attending all of Jongin's concerts. When Jongin had playfully objected, Sehun had turned on his heel, storming off with indignation. Jongin had wrapped his arms around Sehun, enveloping him in a tight embrace. "You said you were here for me, which makes you mine."
Jongin had found himself wanting to say "and I'm yours" but stopped himself before the words spilled from his lips. It was in that moment that Jongin realized that he no longer wanted to be Kim Jongin and Oh Sehun-just friends. He wanted something more.
Inspired by his newfound feelings, Jongin had channeled it into his music, spending most of his time in his recording studio preparing for his next album.
"The next song will be my new single, called '1204', and this will be the first time I'll be performing it," Jongin says into his microphone, his hands shaking and butterflies fluttering in his stomach. He takes a deep breath before continuing. "I wrote this song for a special someone so it's very dear to my heart. I hope you all love it as much as I love him."
a/n: comments make me happy face.
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