I Put a Spell on You [Translation]
Author: Danny KfeuK (original story here in French)
Translator: eexiee
Pairing: D.O./Tao
Rating: PG
Words: 2,279 (English ver.)
Summary: A café with a musical scene, and a bar. It's very well known among students. It's the place where they all meet. Kyungsoo, a language scholar, is a weekly singer in this bar. At all of his performances, a curious young man is there. A most ordinary meeting for a story that isn’t ordinary.
“I put a spell on you,
Because you’re mine.”
On a Saturday night at the end of October, winter had already settled in, leaving only a very small chance for autumn to impose itself. The biting cold of the night pushed the young people who went out that weekend to seek refuge inside bars. Or, at Delti Café that night, the ambience was for meetings. Not being far from the university, the students knew it well to come spend their breaks over coffee or other drinks in the cozy atmosphere, surrounded by dark wood that made this place. The owner, who was called Yesung, was no stranger to this phenomenon. Perhaps a little cold and mysterious at first glance, especially due to his strange but no less handsome look, he revealed himself to be a friendly person, kind towards his customers. He was always there and when someone had a concern, he listened without judgment and sometimes offered some advice. He was trustworthy, and Kyungsoo knew that well.
Do Kyungsoo, 19 years old, young language student, came here every day since he started college this year. With his juvenile appearance, he had a little bit of a hard time integrating himself since most people took him for a high schooler. Because of that, he picked up the habit of taking refuge in this café and had sympathized with Yesung. One night, hearing a song that he liked coming from the speakers of the stereo, he sang soulfully with the music and found the location to be very good, the owner proposed that he come do a few gigs over the weekend. Of course, the young man accepted, finding both a job and a way to exercise his passion while combatting his problem of shyness. Thanks to this, he was be able to gain a certain reputation, find some new friends, and even a girlfriend.
It has been a month since all this happened. And this Saturday night, he was going to sing again. Of course, there, on the stage, he wasn’t going to lie, the stress still won. Even though the bar was popular, he had never seen so many people in one night. The room was full to bursting and today, he decided to go for a song that was much more difficult and more unknown to younger people. He couldn’t get it wrong…nor could he succumb to panic. Even though it was a little stage, one with no dreams of glory, he always wanted to show the best of himself every day.
He climbed up onto the stage, under the paternal gaze of Yesung, the admiring gazes of his few…admirers, the loving gaze of his girlfriend, the encouraging gazes of his friends, and the indifferent, or even interrogative gases of the others. He took his microphone in two hands-something that made him absolutely adorable even if he didn’t realize it-and bowed to the crowd.
“Good evening to everyone, I’m D.O, the bar’s singer.”
There was applause, some whistling and cries of encouragement after his announcement. This made him laugh quietly, content with the welcome he’d received and he thanked them. As soon as the noise dissipated, he took a big breath, trying to reduce the jitters in his gut. The music started and he let himself be taken by the loud notes, but he also felt a tiny softness deep in his soul. When the moment came, he sang. Yes, he sang, putting all his passion into this song about lovesickness. This song felt like a waltz, punctuated with a jazz point and a characteristic voice in the original version. But he, Kyungsoo, came to reproduce it, but in adding his personal touch, he also made it beautiful. In that room, the few people who appeared skeptical of the arrival of this young singer gasped. How could this being who looked so frail have such a forceful voice?
“You know I can’t stand it
You’re runnin’ around
You know better daddy
I can’t stand it cause you put me down.”
The young singer didn’t feel the gazes upon him, especially since his entire being was in harmony with the music. Except for one. This gaze he felt on him every day he came to sing. This gaze that made him shiver. This gaze that seemed to plunge into the depths of his soul. This gaze that read his thoughts, his emotions, his feelings. This gaze exposed him, and instead of feeling troubled, this gaze gave him more confidence to sing. He knew who it belonged to, and that was what shook him the most. Really, “knowing” was a strong word. He didn’t know anything about the owner but his appearance. They’d never spoken due to Kyungsoo’s shyness, and it must have been the same problem for the stranger.
The end of the song was welcomed by thundering applause, and Kyungsoo thanked them before continuing his mini-show with other more recent and all-purpose songs. Singing did him good, and he wouldn’t abandon it for the world. Fate had blessed him with a voice of gold, and he knew it. Letting these opportunities pass would be a crime.
The show finished and the public continued to congratulate the young man with the childish face and not very imposing stature who had stupefied them with his vocal skills.
Kyungsoo bowed to the public again before coming down from the stage and rejoining the bar where his girlfriend came directly to his side. She kissed his cheek delicately, her eyes gleaming.
“Oh, darling! You were great! Even though the first song was really weird…you were great!”
“Thanks, darling!”
Kyungsoo tried not to listen to the words that his girlfriend said about his first song. This girl didn’t really understand music, preferring to listen to Lady Gaga or another popular singer. He, D.O, never had even a little attraction to that kind of music. He liked the classics, the music that had real personality, a “soul” as he liked to say. And that, he knew could be found in many different genres, but not those that his girlfriend listened to. He sighed quietly, being rather tired by his performance and all the emotions he’d felt while singing.
“Beautiful performance. You bring in more and more customers, kiddo,” Yesung said with a thin smile.
“Who would have guessed that under this body of a kid hid such vocal power?”
“Hey!” cried Kyungsoo.
“Rah! Leeteuk! Leave my little star alone, won’t you?”
“Whatever you want, Yesungie!”
Said “Yesungie” sighed, giving the famous Leeteuk a pat on the shoulder. Leeteuk, another nickname, surely. D.O was forced to note that although Leeteuk was a man, he was particularly handsome. A body of an angel, especially with the dimple that appeared when he smiled. However, the young man could not help but think that his employer and the man with an angel’s body had a strange relationship. Not really in behavior, but in the gazes they gave each other, or rather the atmosphere that lingered around the pair. As if there was no room for anyone else. Kyungsoo didn’t really know how to react to that-homosexual relations were looked down upon in this country-but it didn’t disgust him at all. On the contrary, he found them cute…in any case, much more than him and his girlfriend. She was beautiful, nice…but there wasn’t that famous “thing.” Yes, he liked her! Well…he convinced himself he did! She was his first girlfriend, and they’d met in this bar. He also kissed her for the first time in this bar, and they had their first sexual encounter in the backyard, away from eyes, against a wall. Sure, it was certain, it was more romantic…but they were young, right?
Speaking of her, she’d just abandoned him to hook up with a few of her friends who’d come to have a drink, or two, or even five. From what Kyungsoo understood, they all came to celebrate the singleness of one of the. Strange, yes…sometimes girls were really strange…he didn’t feel like joining them because they were too noisy. No, he preferred to stay where he was, leaning against the bar, drinking a Screwdriver in the company of Yesung and Leeteuk.
It was barely midnight, but he felt completely exhausted. In addition to the show tonight, he’d accumulated a lot of fatigue during the week, a period of many tests. They weren’t midterms, but the tests were still important. He had to study every night until late, only sleeping a few hours each night. It suprirsed him more that he still had the energy to sing…But anyway, he was now on break for a week, and he had all that time to rest. For the moment, he watched, amused, the two men bicker about some nonsense he hadn’t heard. He smiled, tapping on the table. The alcohol found its way to his head, but he hadn’t drank enough to be drunk. He liked the state he was in in that moment. Not drunk enough to do stupid things, but not completely sober, either. Yes indeed, he was relaxing from the beginning of the week.
“Excuse me, sir!”
Hearing his voice, he guessed thanks to the accent that this customer at his side was Chinese. Yesung finally stopped his little squabble to come attend to him. Kyungsoo snuck a peek at the newcomer. But as soon as he saw the young man at his side, his heart leapt. The “gaze.” [T/N: This is referring to the gaze Kyungsoo felt earlier.] That was it. Not even centimeters from him. Kyungsoo appraised him with wide eyes, stupefied. This wasn’t as if it was the first time he’d seen him, but it had never been this close. The Chinese man was tall, thin but muscular. He had a small face and black hair. And he was handsome. An undeniable charm. Kyungsoo didn’t ask himself if it was normal to think about a man like that because he was too stuck in the moment. There, he had a chance to talk to him, but he didn’t know how to start. But this might never happen again! He had to try! While he was lost in his internal battle, the young Chinese man turned his head, facing the Korean, and anchored his gaze on Kyungsoo’s. Already without a doubt, it was him. Kyungsoo’s breath caught. It was still the same intensity in the gaze, but it seemed to be augmented, surely due to the fact that there was power in his eyes. A shiver raced down his spine, uncontrollable and he tried to hide it. He didn’t know what to do, what to say…Shit.
“It was really beautiful tonight…your music.”
The Chinese man started to talk again, this time addressing D.O. His voice was soft, so soft…and his accent made him cuter than he already was. Kyungsoo felt lost, but the words touched him, and with the courage he had in reserve, he gave him a smile and responded.
“Th-Thank you. I’ve noticed you’re always there. You like what I do, or is it by coincidence?”
D.O shocked himself in an instant. And bah…when he got over his shyness, he had no restraint! Across from him, the young Chinese man smiled and nodded, as if he was searching for his words.
“Oh, at first, it was by coincidence…but…I liked it, I liked it a lot, so I came back!”
Kyungsoo could not believe it. He’d asked in a joking manner…and the young Chinese man had replied with the utmost seriousness and sincerity! It was hardly believable…that D.O had guessed correctly from the start. This man came to see him and nobody else in the bar. He was flattered, truly flattered. And for an hour, they talked just the two of them about music, discovering that they had a common passion. The Chinese man really liked rap, but liked the classics just as much, and they both liked music that dated from almost a half century ago but still remained timeless. Plus, they had other things in common like their age, and they both attended the same university. The Chinese man came to broaden his Korean, but he wanted to graduate as quickly as possible to maybe embrace the career of a translator.
As the bar emptied little by little, soon followed by the announcement of closing time, D.O took a look at his girlfriend and saw that she was watching him with something of a dark gaze, and he knew he’d have to go soon. But he noticed that he and his “companion” had forgotten the most important thing.
“Anyway,” declared D.O, “I’m Do Kyungsoo. But people usually call me D.O. And you?”
The Chinese man gave him a smile, and in a soft voice, saying it like a secret, he replied.
“Huang Zitao. Or just Tao.”
“You hear me
I put a spell on you
Because you’re mine.”
A/N: For those who want to know the song: “I Put a Spell on You” by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. That’s all~ The rest is coming later, I don’t know when!
T/N: (I do have permission to translate this, if you're wondering.) When translating I try to stay as true to the author's words as possible, but there are places here and there that I changed just a little to make the meaning clearer in English. This story is the first chapter in a yet unfinished series, but I decided to translate this because I liked all the description in it. So please enjoy and hopefully the story gets continued!
Translator: eexiee
Pairing: D.O./Tao
Rating: PG
Words: 2,279 (English ver.)
Summary: A café with a musical scene, and a bar. It's very well known among students. It's the place where they all meet. Kyungsoo, a language scholar, is a weekly singer in this bar. At all of his performances, a curious young man is there. A most ordinary meeting for a story that isn’t ordinary.
“I put a spell on you,
Because you’re mine.”
On a Saturday night at the end of October, winter had already settled in, leaving only a very small chance for autumn to impose itself. The biting cold of the night pushed the young people who went out that weekend to seek refuge inside bars. Or, at Delti Café that night, the ambience was for meetings. Not being far from the university, the students knew it well to come spend their breaks over coffee or other drinks in the cozy atmosphere, surrounded by dark wood that made this place. The owner, who was called Yesung, was no stranger to this phenomenon. Perhaps a little cold and mysterious at first glance, especially due to his strange but no less handsome look, he revealed himself to be a friendly person, kind towards his customers. He was always there and when someone had a concern, he listened without judgment and sometimes offered some advice. He was trustworthy, and Kyungsoo knew that well.
Do Kyungsoo, 19 years old, young language student, came here every day since he started college this year. With his juvenile appearance, he had a little bit of a hard time integrating himself since most people took him for a high schooler. Because of that, he picked up the habit of taking refuge in this café and had sympathized with Yesung. One night, hearing a song that he liked coming from the speakers of the stereo, he sang soulfully with the music and found the location to be very good, the owner proposed that he come do a few gigs over the weekend. Of course, the young man accepted, finding both a job and a way to exercise his passion while combatting his problem of shyness. Thanks to this, he was be able to gain a certain reputation, find some new friends, and even a girlfriend.
It has been a month since all this happened. And this Saturday night, he was going to sing again. Of course, there, on the stage, he wasn’t going to lie, the stress still won. Even though the bar was popular, he had never seen so many people in one night. The room was full to bursting and today, he decided to go for a song that was much more difficult and more unknown to younger people. He couldn’t get it wrong…nor could he succumb to panic. Even though it was a little stage, one with no dreams of glory, he always wanted to show the best of himself every day.
He climbed up onto the stage, under the paternal gaze of Yesung, the admiring gazes of his few…admirers, the loving gaze of his girlfriend, the encouraging gazes of his friends, and the indifferent, or even interrogative gases of the others. He took his microphone in two hands-something that made him absolutely adorable even if he didn’t realize it-and bowed to the crowd.
“Good evening to everyone, I’m D.O, the bar’s singer.”
There was applause, some whistling and cries of encouragement after his announcement. This made him laugh quietly, content with the welcome he’d received and he thanked them. As soon as the noise dissipated, he took a big breath, trying to reduce the jitters in his gut. The music started and he let himself be taken by the loud notes, but he also felt a tiny softness deep in his soul. When the moment came, he sang. Yes, he sang, putting all his passion into this song about lovesickness. This song felt like a waltz, punctuated with a jazz point and a characteristic voice in the original version. But he, Kyungsoo, came to reproduce it, but in adding his personal touch, he also made it beautiful. In that room, the few people who appeared skeptical of the arrival of this young singer gasped. How could this being who looked so frail have such a forceful voice?
“You know I can’t stand it
You’re runnin’ around
You know better daddy
I can’t stand it cause you put me down.”
The young singer didn’t feel the gazes upon him, especially since his entire being was in harmony with the music. Except for one. This gaze he felt on him every day he came to sing. This gaze that made him shiver. This gaze that seemed to plunge into the depths of his soul. This gaze that read his thoughts, his emotions, his feelings. This gaze exposed him, and instead of feeling troubled, this gaze gave him more confidence to sing. He knew who it belonged to, and that was what shook him the most. Really, “knowing” was a strong word. He didn’t know anything about the owner but his appearance. They’d never spoken due to Kyungsoo’s shyness, and it must have been the same problem for the stranger.
The end of the song was welcomed by thundering applause, and Kyungsoo thanked them before continuing his mini-show with other more recent and all-purpose songs. Singing did him good, and he wouldn’t abandon it for the world. Fate had blessed him with a voice of gold, and he knew it. Letting these opportunities pass would be a crime.
The show finished and the public continued to congratulate the young man with the childish face and not very imposing stature who had stupefied them with his vocal skills.
Kyungsoo bowed to the public again before coming down from the stage and rejoining the bar where his girlfriend came directly to his side. She kissed his cheek delicately, her eyes gleaming.
“Oh, darling! You were great! Even though the first song was really weird…you were great!”
“Thanks, darling!”
Kyungsoo tried not to listen to the words that his girlfriend said about his first song. This girl didn’t really understand music, preferring to listen to Lady Gaga or another popular singer. He, D.O, never had even a little attraction to that kind of music. He liked the classics, the music that had real personality, a “soul” as he liked to say. And that, he knew could be found in many different genres, but not those that his girlfriend listened to. He sighed quietly, being rather tired by his performance and all the emotions he’d felt while singing.
“Beautiful performance. You bring in more and more customers, kiddo,” Yesung said with a thin smile.
“Who would have guessed that under this body of a kid hid such vocal power?”
“Hey!” cried Kyungsoo.
“Rah! Leeteuk! Leave my little star alone, won’t you?”
“Whatever you want, Yesungie!”
Said “Yesungie” sighed, giving the famous Leeteuk a pat on the shoulder. Leeteuk, another nickname, surely. D.O was forced to note that although Leeteuk was a man, he was particularly handsome. A body of an angel, especially with the dimple that appeared when he smiled. However, the young man could not help but think that his employer and the man with an angel’s body had a strange relationship. Not really in behavior, but in the gazes they gave each other, or rather the atmosphere that lingered around the pair. As if there was no room for anyone else. Kyungsoo didn’t really know how to react to that-homosexual relations were looked down upon in this country-but it didn’t disgust him at all. On the contrary, he found them cute…in any case, much more than him and his girlfriend. She was beautiful, nice…but there wasn’t that famous “thing.” Yes, he liked her! Well…he convinced himself he did! She was his first girlfriend, and they’d met in this bar. He also kissed her for the first time in this bar, and they had their first sexual encounter in the backyard, away from eyes, against a wall. Sure, it was certain, it was more romantic…but they were young, right?
Speaking of her, she’d just abandoned him to hook up with a few of her friends who’d come to have a drink, or two, or even five. From what Kyungsoo understood, they all came to celebrate the singleness of one of the. Strange, yes…sometimes girls were really strange…he didn’t feel like joining them because they were too noisy. No, he preferred to stay where he was, leaning against the bar, drinking a Screwdriver in the company of Yesung and Leeteuk.
It was barely midnight, but he felt completely exhausted. In addition to the show tonight, he’d accumulated a lot of fatigue during the week, a period of many tests. They weren’t midterms, but the tests were still important. He had to study every night until late, only sleeping a few hours each night. It suprirsed him more that he still had the energy to sing…But anyway, he was now on break for a week, and he had all that time to rest. For the moment, he watched, amused, the two men bicker about some nonsense he hadn’t heard. He smiled, tapping on the table. The alcohol found its way to his head, but he hadn’t drank enough to be drunk. He liked the state he was in in that moment. Not drunk enough to do stupid things, but not completely sober, either. Yes indeed, he was relaxing from the beginning of the week.
“Excuse me, sir!”
Hearing his voice, he guessed thanks to the accent that this customer at his side was Chinese. Yesung finally stopped his little squabble to come attend to him. Kyungsoo snuck a peek at the newcomer. But as soon as he saw the young man at his side, his heart leapt. The “gaze.” [T/N: This is referring to the gaze Kyungsoo felt earlier.] That was it. Not even centimeters from him. Kyungsoo appraised him with wide eyes, stupefied. This wasn’t as if it was the first time he’d seen him, but it had never been this close. The Chinese man was tall, thin but muscular. He had a small face and black hair. And he was handsome. An undeniable charm. Kyungsoo didn’t ask himself if it was normal to think about a man like that because he was too stuck in the moment. There, he had a chance to talk to him, but he didn’t know how to start. But this might never happen again! He had to try! While he was lost in his internal battle, the young Chinese man turned his head, facing the Korean, and anchored his gaze on Kyungsoo’s. Already without a doubt, it was him. Kyungsoo’s breath caught. It was still the same intensity in the gaze, but it seemed to be augmented, surely due to the fact that there was power in his eyes. A shiver raced down his spine, uncontrollable and he tried to hide it. He didn’t know what to do, what to say…Shit.
“It was really beautiful tonight…your music.”
The Chinese man started to talk again, this time addressing D.O. His voice was soft, so soft…and his accent made him cuter than he already was. Kyungsoo felt lost, but the words touched him, and with the courage he had in reserve, he gave him a smile and responded.
“Th-Thank you. I’ve noticed you’re always there. You like what I do, or is it by coincidence?”
D.O shocked himself in an instant. And bah…when he got over his shyness, he had no restraint! Across from him, the young Chinese man smiled and nodded, as if he was searching for his words.
“Oh, at first, it was by coincidence…but…I liked it, I liked it a lot, so I came back!”
Kyungsoo could not believe it. He’d asked in a joking manner…and the young Chinese man had replied with the utmost seriousness and sincerity! It was hardly believable…that D.O had guessed correctly from the start. This man came to see him and nobody else in the bar. He was flattered, truly flattered. And for an hour, they talked just the two of them about music, discovering that they had a common passion. The Chinese man really liked rap, but liked the classics just as much, and they both liked music that dated from almost a half century ago but still remained timeless. Plus, they had other things in common like their age, and they both attended the same university. The Chinese man came to broaden his Korean, but he wanted to graduate as quickly as possible to maybe embrace the career of a translator.
As the bar emptied little by little, soon followed by the announcement of closing time, D.O took a look at his girlfriend and saw that she was watching him with something of a dark gaze, and he knew he’d have to go soon. But he noticed that he and his “companion” had forgotten the most important thing.
“Anyway,” declared D.O, “I’m Do Kyungsoo. But people usually call me D.O. And you?”
The Chinese man gave him a smile, and in a soft voice, saying it like a secret, he replied.
“Huang Zitao. Or just Tao.”
“You hear me
I put a spell on you
Because you’re mine.”
A/N: For those who want to know the song: “I Put a Spell on You” by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. That’s all~ The rest is coming later, I don’t know when!
T/N: (I do have permission to translate this, if you're wondering.) When translating I try to stay as true to the author's words as possible, but there are places here and there that I changed just a little to make the meaning clearer in English. This story is the first chapter in a yet unfinished series, but I decided to translate this because I liked all the description in it. So please enjoy and hopefully the story gets continued!