[Fic] Humanoids [2/?]
Part I: Daydreams
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"Will you be alright?"
"Of course, hyung," the younger laughed into the receiver. "Am I that useless?"
"No but…no, you're right Junsu. I trust you'll be fine," the older brother said, but the words unspoken rang loudly in both of their ears.
Kim Junsu gritted out his goodbyes and well wishes for his older twin brother. Kim Junho was going to Japan to work on his singing career and the older boy was rather resolute to leave. He promised to be back for the holidays but how many holidays were there really in a year?
This was the first time the twins would be separated for long periods of time and honestly, it was all Junsu's fault. They had both started out as trainees at SM Entertainment. Junho was a GM and Junsu was something a little different. They got in together, trained together and Junsu thought they'd debut together too.
But a few months ago, Junho decided to leave for Japan.
"It's not because of you," his older brother had said. "You're my other half. You complete me, but someday we'll have to stand on our own."
Junsu gripped his phone tightly. He looked about the empty training room. Before when his brother was here, he trained with Junho and a trainer. Not his trainer, Junsu didn't need one.
He was a little different from typical GMs. He was considered special. He was the only one.
So now, he trained alone.
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Jung Yunho was pleasantly surprised at the capital city of Seoul.
It had been years since he's walked around a crowded city. Instead of feeling lonely, he felt rather relieved. In this large city, he could go anywhere and be anything. He could succeed in anything as long as he wished.
The confidence that bubbled beneath his conscious was rather built in than actually felt. Any normal youngster who travelled to a busy city would have felt lost and small, but Yunho's mind told him to stand tall because he was special.
It was a comforting thing to have confidence but it almost made Yunho feel wary. Overconfidence was an easy vice to fall to. Pride cometh before fall. He had to be careful since the fall was just as easy as the rise.
But it was difficult. It was hard to find the humility when people walked by and turned for another look. It was hard to deflate his heightened ego when people stared at him with those wide eyes. It was as though everyone knew he was different.
The sudden attention on the busy street slowed his pace. He hasn't been scrutinized like this for years and the familiarity of everyone's attention was comforting. It was more comforting that he was no longer just a display and people were watching just because he was a good looking guy.
Yunho reaches his destination an hour later than he expected. Looking up, he mouths the large words above the entrance.
S.M. Entertainment
Biting his lip slightly, Yunho touches his neck again and rubs comforting circles into the tense flesh. He inhales a nervous breath before pushing open the doors.
But he had nothing to fear. He begins training with Kim Junsu the next day.
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The club was loud and relatively dark. The colored lights illuminated certain parts of the club in flashes. So the mood was controlled by the movement of dark silhouettes and the throbbing music. People came here for the anonymity that the darkness gave. Even with the nameless dance floor, there was a certain sense of class. An exclusiveness that couldn't be denied.
After all, Jaejoong couldn't have gotten in without Yoochun's magnificent contact list. Not into this club at least. Not one catering to GMs--not that Jaejoong really wanted to. So it wasn't farfetched to say that every single person in the club was a GM.
From the flashes of light, Jaejoong could tell that each male and female was beautiful with a certain flare. Not natural, at least, not in these numbers. And if it weren't for the cloak of the darkness, Jaejoong was sure he would have run out immediately.
So why was he here? Yoochun had texted him the address during class with a short note instructing him to dress his best. It wasn't as though the two teenager hadn't gone clubbing before. They both had enough connections to get into any hot spot that Seoul had to offer--as long as they wanted to. But this particular address was in an area known as the high end gem district. Not somewhere Jaejoong particularly liked going to.
He caught Yoochun right after school, just before the younger teen sprinted out the gates.
"He'll be there," Yoochun said quickly. "The trainee from SM I told you about? He'll be there tonight and he's pretty much never accessible. Quiet guy, keeps to himself a lot. I think he's younger than us."
"And will I meet you there or--?"
"Can't talk, just be there," Yoochun calls out as he raced off school grounds and down the street. "If you don't see me, just go in! They'll know!"
So now, Jaejoong was at Incognito leaning against one of the walls without any idea what to do. His idiot of a best friend didn't bother telling him the time or where in the club to meet. So he stood rather close to the entrance and just watched.
There was a rather loud cheer from the middle of the dance floor which blasted through the music. Jaejoong blinked and turned toward the hurray but he couldn't see above everyone's heads. Assuming it was a one time spectacle, Jaejoong turned back to his musings only to be roused from them from another loud cheer. The dancers on the floor seemed to be chanting something that sounded suspiciously English, and as much as Jaejoong tried to squash his curiosity, it won out in the end.
He made it to the closest staircase, pushing by some clubgoers who were also heading up. The club was large, consisting of three floors in total. The first two floors were dance floors and the third was VIP rooms. The Dark Room on the first floor was the largest with a balcony that oversaw the dance floor.
Jaejoong had managed to squeeze onto the balcony railing and searched for the source of the commotion. It was quite hard to miss. A circle had formed around a dancing figure. From the muscled arms and wide back, Jaejoong could tell it was probably male. It was hard to say how tall or how old from the balcony, but there was no question that whoever it was danced fiercely and passionately.
For just an instance, the light swept across the dancing figure just as he faced Jaejoong. It was probably only two to three seconds but in that moment, Jaejoong's heart rate went from resting to speeding. He didn't even see the other's face too clearly, but whatever he did see he liked. He liked a little too much.
Entranced by the shadowy dancer, Jaejoong almost jumped out of his skin when he felt someone grab him back.
"Who's that?" someone whispered into his ear. Jerking away, Jaejoong found himself looking into the equally startled eyes of his best friend.
"You scared me!" Jaejoong hissed angrily. He was actually more frustrated that his friend had taken him from his perfect view than what ever he really should probably be.
"Well, it took me a while to find Mr. Elusive and to talk him into meeting us," Yoochun yelled over the music. He pulled Jaejoong to the stairs and instead of going down, they travelled upwards.
"Woah, where are we going?" Jaejoong asked. They passed the door to the second floor and continued towards the third. Yoochun shushed him and continued to pull him along. The third floor door opened to a man sharply dressed with a name tag and a nasty look in his eyes. While Jaejoong recoiled, Yoochun pushed forward.
"I was here earlier with the SM group," Yoochun smiled.
"Do you have your license?" the bouncer asked.
Jaejoong licked his lips nervously. Sure Yoochun might be able to hang with these GMs, but there was no faking a GM license. Not only was a fake license illegal, they were extremely difficult to forge. There was no way that Yoochun had--
"Of course," Yoochun answers confidently. He pulls out a card and hands it over. Jaejoong stares aghast at the produced card. Either Yoochun had a very good escape route in plan or polished up on that Taekwon Do. The stiffly suited man swiped the card through something that looked like a credit card scanner. The machine gave a two beeps and the man returned the card.
"How about your friend?" the man asks, point towards the bewildered Jaejoong. "License?"
"Oh him? He forgot it," Yoochun smiles. The man moves to block Jaejoong from walking forward, not that Jaejoong was trying. In fact, Jaejoong was fighting against his friend but Yoochun's grip was unnaturally strong. "Come on, people forget sometimes. Just look at him. Does he look like a natural born?"
Now, Jaejoong wasn't quite sure why but all throughout his life, people have always assumed he was a GM just by his looks. It could be considered as flattery or a very backhanded compliment. On one hand, he was good looking. On the other hand, he was unnatural looking. However, once again, his superficial charm seems to have convinced the bouncer.
"Room 333," the man said, moving out of the way.
Jaejoong was about to retort--as a natural born, the insult carried more weight in his mind--but Yoochun called out a thanks and pulled his friend along. Down the hall, to the right and left once more, Yoochun seemed to have this place memorized.
Just as the speed picked up, Yoochun stops very suddenly in front of room 333's closed door and Jaejoong manages to stop before crashing into his friend. They both reach for the door handle at the same time with very different intents--one to open and the other to obstruct. The door cracks open but Jaejoong wins.
"Park Yoochun," Jaejoong whispered, mindful of door. "You're either going to explain to me everything--and I mean everything--right now or I'm walking out of this club."
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Oh no, Yoochun moans internally. They were so close to getting there without any compromising questions. And if he doesn't do something fast, Yoochun was going to get cornered in answering to some rather sensitive issues that could potentially, no, surely end their friendship!
"You know what, hyung?" Yoochun bites out angrily. He innerly rejoices when he sees Jaejoong filch. "I worked my butt off so you could talk to this kid and you know what? If you don't want to see if it's possible to get into SM Entertainment as a natural born, you are at liberty to leave right this moment. Actually, I'll leave."
Yoochun pulls the door shut and stubbornly turns to leave. Just for dramatic effect, he says over his shoulder, "I did this for you hyung."
Yes, he was being a manipulative bastard, but it really was for Jaejoong. His best friend wanted this. Maybe not exactly this path, but Jaejoong wanted to perform on a national, even global stage. And in South Korea, SM Entertainment had both the money and power to make it happen.
That spark of hope that might be sitting in room 333, sipping on a drink and unaware of the turmoil going outside the door, was very possibly Jaejoong's best chance. Yoochun knows it and Jaejoong knows it even better. With each step, Yoochun counts down the seconds before--
"Wait, Yoochun!"
--perfect.
"What?" Yoochun grumbles, careful not to ruin the act with his bubbling glee.
"Alright, since we're already here," Jaejoong says carefully. He seems to be weighing out his words carefully, trying not to further anger his friend. Not that Jaejoong would know but Yoochun was no where close to anger. "Let's go confirm the rumor and see if this situation really does exist as you said."
Yoochun holds his poker face and Jaejoong continues nervously, "I know that you've done a lot for me and this definitely takes the cake. But do realize that I'm worried for you. Having a fake GM license is illegal and even minors can do jail time for it."
Yoochun couldn't hold back the smile anymore. He walks back to his friend and embraces him in a hug.
"Jaejoong-hyung, I know," he says, genuinely touched. "Thank you."
"So be careful alright?" Jaejoong murmurs back.
Yoochun can only nod into the other's shoulder before disentangling from their hug. They walked toward room 333, less confused and more focused. Jaejoong smiles at him and Yoochun can only twitch his lips upwards in the ghost of one.
He hated lying to his friend, but the truth could end their friendship. Yoochun played with the plastic card in his pocket and gripped it harshly. It hurt to know that Jaejoong would now worry about something that wasn't even an issue.
His GM license was real.
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A/N: Crankin' them out. This one won't be too long. Even though it might seem, but it's not going to be