Sasaeng - Three: Text Messages (Part 1)
Author: Star_Sarang
Rating: PG-13
Warning(s): minor cursing
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Exhausted because he hadn't slept much last night due to the uncomfortable thoughts of screaming girls outside his apartment, Jaejoong was in a weary, foul mood this morning. Earlier he'd nearly made Yoochun cry when he asked what was for breakfast, and Jae threw a bowl at him, screaming at him to make his own food for once. And then after that, he almost slapped Junsu when he gripped onto his arm, afraid of getting lost in the sea of fans as they walked into the hair salon.
The paranoia of constantly thinking that a sasaeng fan was always right behind him was starting to get to him. The singer forced his eyes open as he ran his slim fingers through his stiff, sprayed hair. Disgusting, he thought to himself. He was a paid for product, a primped and preened kitten on display for the world to see, to admire, to stalk. Throwing the blue scarf he'd been handed over his shoulders, Jaejoong puffed out his chest and squared his shoulders, a sign to the world that he would face this job even if he hated it.
"Are you okay?" Yoochun asked, focused on placing his gold scarf prettily over his shoulder.
Jaejoong scoffed and turned toward his friend, helping him with his wardrobe. "I'm fine," he said. "How's Junsu? I nearly slapped him this morning."
"He's fine now, I think," Yoochun answered, rearranging some of the hairs that he thought the stylists had placed awfully. "He's getting his clothes on now. Last I saw, he was having trouble getting in those jeans because of his butt."
Jaejoong chortled, mentally imagining Junsu jumping around like a dolphin similar to one in those aquatic marine shows while trying to get a pair of ridiculously tight skinny jeans past his plump rear. Anything about Junsu could make Jaejoong laugh, even imagining his wardrobe mishaps and frustrations. Shaking the amusing sight from his mind, Jaejoong patted Yoochun on the shoulder. "I think you should go help him then," he said.
Yoochun turned his head and giggled. "No, here he comes," he chuckled.
Junsu, blushing red with his embarrassed face toward the floor, sauntered over slowly. Yoochun hooked arms with him as Jaejoong threw an arm over his shoulders.
"You look adorably cute today," Yoochun sneered.
"Shut up," Junsu said softly, twiddling with his red scarf.
"I hear your pants didn't fit," Jaejoong added.
Junsu mumbled something incomprehensible.
"What?" the other two asked.
"I ripped the first pair of pants..." Junsu repeated softly.
Jaejoong and Yoochun burst out laughing before they could hold it in. Embarrassed beyond belief, Junsu stormed away, shouting over his shoulder, "Let's do this quick! I want to go home!!"
Seven long hours of being stuck in a photo shoot, being around for other scene locations, more preening for different concepts, and consciously noting the fifty to seventy fans that'd managed to track them down, Jaejoong was only numb to the core, all too used to the stalker fans and routines of a photo shoot. Security guards shooed the fans away--or tried to--by the fourth hour they'd been hanging around, but some refused to be persuaded to leave. By the end of the day, Jaejoong was too exhausted to even care about the stupid taxis following. Scrutinizing the dark clouds, Jaejoong decided that today would rain. The clouds, dark, swirling with omnity, and swelling with a dark foreboding, told the singer that he'd have much more to deal with today than just a distant mob of fans and some pictures, but all he wanted to do right now was jump into a hot shower, wash out all the caked makeup and stiff hairspray, and then sleep the day away. The sasaeng fans were the last thing on his mind.
That was... Until his phone beeped at him.
Unsuspecting of anything and without checking the ID, Jaejoong opened the text message he received.
"Oppa, you left the photo shoot so quickly today!" he read out loud softly.
He frowned deeply as another ring signaled another incoming text.
"Why don't you reply, Oppa? Don't you remember me?"
Jaejoong's hands shook as another message came through.
"Oppa! Reply! Maybe you don't remember me. ㅠ Here's something to remind you."
Jaejoong didn't even have enough time to close the message before a picture text popped up at him.
He knew he should toss his phone away. He should stop checking these stalker texts and get a new phone number again, but curiosity had eaten up his rationality. He wanted to see how these sasaeng fans thought and how they looked up close. Were they as crazy eyed as he thought? Or as desperate as they had been portrayed through insane actions? Were they really as harmful as they meant to be? He opened the picture.