(no subject)
Title: Snowglobe
Author:littlefuji
Pairing: Yongguk/Zelo
Rating: PG
Chapter: One-shot, drabble
Word count: 1,457
Genre: Gen
Summary: As naive as he is talented, Yongguk finds out that B.A.P's resident maknae poses some questions that sometimes, he can barely answer. Still; there is a reason why Bang Yongguk is the leader.
Author's Note: Non-AU, not a romance. Done for a writing challenge on AFF. The prompt was 'microcosm', which means a world in miniature.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
The circular clock on the wall displayed 4 o'clock in the quiet afternoon.
Not that Yongguk paid it any heed - in the mini studio with its bright artificial overhead lights, it was always the same anyway.
It has been a while, with the endless B.A.P promotions and activities going on, since Yongguk had stepped foot into the place. Being an idol may be an enjoyable (albeit exhausting) experience, yet the blonde's loyalty remained rooted to the composing room. With the gradual winding down of schedules after Secret Love, Yongguk was exhilarated to finally spend time to work on his upcoming 100% Bang Yongguk-made rap ballad.
His new instrumental was on full blast in his headphones. The blonde swivelled calmly on his chair, tapping a pencil on his nose to think of words and phrases to include in his half-finished lyrics. Today's progress didn't seem to be going too smoothly though - if several scribbled sentences and mindless doodles could even be considered progress, that is.
His mind drew up a blank, and the leader frowned. Fiddling with the computer software, Yongguk pulled up his composed track with a few clicks of the mouse and stared at the red and green waves, thinking.
Click. Click. Stop. Play.
The knocking on the door went ignored, with Yongguk deaf to everything except his song pumping into his eardrums. For as long as he could manage, the colors glared back at him as if mocking him for his lack of inspiration.
What point do I want to make? What would the fans like to hear? What would-
An idea seemed to be forming in his mind, and Yongguk eagerly poised his hand on his sheet to jot down what was about to surface.
The phrase was only three words, "Music is life" - but he leaned back, satisfied. The three simple words embodied everything that he felt, and what he wished others to know too. Sure, it was basic, but it wasn't like the man knew enough English to write an essay about music either. It might not definitely make the cut, but at least for now-
A tap on Yongguk's shoulder interrupted his thoughts and the blonde jerked, slightly annoyed. Turning the wheelie chair, he was surprised to find none other than the maknae of B.A.P sitting on the side couch, fidgeting in boredom.
Spotting the older rapper's pissed expression, Zelo offered Yongguk a shy grin that made Yongguk's annoyance dissipate a little. Ah, this adorable kid.
"Ya. Wae?"
The younger rapper's straight blonde hair fell over his forehead when he stood, gesturing for his hyung to remove his headphones. Yongguk did as requested, shooting the towering boy a nonplussed look. He subtly noticed that Zelo was wearing the older man's university jacket. How did he even get in without him knowing?
"You know I hate it when people don't knock," Bang said sternly.
"I did," Zelo whined. "For like 5 minutes, hyung. Your music is too loud."
Yongguk contemplated Zelo's statement, massaging his temples in an attempt to keep a potential headache at bay. Maybe he had been cooped up too long in the studio, after all. "Okay, I'll let it slide this time. What is it Junhong?"
"I stopped by to pick up some presents that the Babys sent us and I came across something really amazing," Zelo's face lit up, doing a little on-the-spot dance as he continued."I thought I'd show it to you."
That's it?" Yongguk sulked. "You could have showed it to me at the dorm."
"Aww hyung, you've been here since morning," the younger blonde pouted. "Besides, you've got to get back anyway. Manager Kim's buying jajjangmyeon and roasted beef for dinner tonight! Plus, he did remind us that if we break any curfews, he'd make sure we regret it."
Yongguk slapped his forehead, cringing at the mention of the delicious meal. He wasn't looking forward to the other members pulling long faces because of him sabotaging their dinner plans. "Ugh, how could I forget?"
Zelo laughed and held the older man's hands, pulling him up. "Come on!"
---------------------
In the cold spring evening, Zelo was staring out the window with his eyes glazed over when Yongguk returned from his bathroom break.
The tall boy watched transfixed, a picture of curiosity and serenity as a breeze soundlessly shook the tree branches and its pale young leaves through the glass. The leader merely stood next to the door and folded his arms, not wanting to disturb the younger's thoughts until he noticed his presence.
Zelo seemed a little more distracted than usual lately - maybe it's time to talk to him about it.
After what seemed like an adequate pause, something glinting in Zelo's loose fist caught Yongguk's eye - the glassy shine reflecting daylight from the window. Yongguk took this as a cue to clear his throat, snapping the boy out of his daydreams.
"Ah Yongguk hyung, you're back?" Zelo's blank face was replaced by a happy expression as he beckoned the elder to him. "Come and look!" As the well-built man approached, he stretched out and opened his hand to reveal a round palm-sized snowglobe. Yongguk picked up the handmade item to get a better look, smiling.
In the globe were B.A.P's 6 tiny masked rabbit characters, carved into clay and carefully detailed with the member's respective styles. A shake of the present brought up a flurry of colorful snow sparkles. Yongguk couldn't help but feel proud, from the display of the dedication and creativity in the object.
"Cute," Yongguk nodded shaking it a few more times. "I just love our Babys."
Zelo was smiling too, admiring the globe before turning his attention back to the scenery outside the window. "It's so pretty, isn't it?" Yongguk grunted in agreement.
A silence enveloped them, and the atmosphere seemed to change from amusement to something more serious. Zelo's mannerisms were hesitant, and the older rapper could sense that his dongsaeng wanted to reveal something.
Yongguk settled into the chair opposite Zelo and waited for him to speak, absent-mindedly playing with the snowglobe on the table. More silence as Zelo played with his fingers restlessly before finally making eye contact with his hyung.
"I feel sheltered," the boy said reluctantly. "It's like we're in a bubble... a time capsule... what we're doing now, our plans, our fans, everything feels almost overwhelming." The maknae shifted uneasily, feeling guilty about saying such negative things about lives that others would do anything to own. Staring at the little flakes falling to the bottom of the glass sphere seemed to calm him down slightly.
"I know we just debuted, but our near future has been dictated for us. I guess it's a good thing really, but I can't help but feel like we're puppets sometimes." Yongguk nodded in understanding.
The maknae was really growing up. How many times had he mulled over this? This road that he personally chose... Of course Yongguk had his experience in producing which helped him coerce the company into giving him some creative freedom, but the other members weren't as lucky. He knew Zelo especially looked up to him and secretly wished to compose his own tracks as well.
"Puppets in the entertainment circle, you mean? Stuck in our own little microcosm." Yongguk surveyed the younger rapper with his steady stare as he spoke. Zelo looked at his hyung blankly, wanting to agree but not quite understanding his words. "What? Micurocosum? Did you learn that word from rap or something?"
Yongguk's expression softened. Time for the dependable leader persona to kick in. "Don't worry about it, Junhong-ah. It just means a little world. Right now our world may seem miniature, but our horizons will expand. Just give it some time, okay?"
With Zelo's tender age, he wasn't sure either when the opinionated young one might be given a free rein in making his own music, but he was sure his talent would count for something. Maybe when they leave the idol image behind... eventually.
"It's too early to be greedy, Junhong. We may stare at certain things, listlessly wanting to dive neck-deep into them, but you forget there are always limits in everything we do." Yongguk put a hand over Zelo's long pale fingers and squeezed comfortingly. "Right now, our bubble is our shield. Our fanbase is this strong after one month of debut - we must have done something right, don't you think?" Zelo nodded. Wise words from the leader, as expected.
With his worries cleared for now, the younger nodded and pushed the snowglobe absent-mindedly towards the window with the back of his hand. The loud clack of glass meeting glass was heard. "I guess you're right... I-I'll wait, then."