Encore

20. College Festival

A sharp pain stabs Jaebeom's head the second he opened his eyes.

He glanced at the clock.

9 am. It's still morning.

Sitting up, he held his head in his hands. Jaebeom cringed in pain, frowning.

He tried to remember what happened yesterday but all he could remember was Jackson picking him up.

Lying back on the bed, he noticed the faint scent of vanilla.

Jaebeom unconsciously smiled to himself, his hands diving under the pillow as he went back to sleep.

Around 11, he finally got up. Walking to the bathroom to freshen up, Jaebeom noticed a post-it note on the mirror.

Morning hyung! I made some hangover soup for you. I went ahead first to prepare for the music festival. See you later!☺

~Jackson

Jaebeom smiled at how caring Jackson was. But he also sighed.

I hope I didn't do anything stupid...

(A/N: Oh, you did something stupid alright...)

-----

When Jaebeom checked the directions to the university, he was stunned to see that it was the university he graduated from.

Sure, he guessed it. Since he first saw Jackson there. (Ref Chapter 2) But it is still surreal.

Going to the front and back of the stage, he and the team started setting up the equipment to film Jackson.

Cheers sounded when the curtains parted. The cheers grew even louder when Jackson came onto the stage with that dazzling smile of his.

Music filled the air without effort, like the waves filling holes in beach sand; the sound rushing in and around every person gathered.

When he started singing, his deep voice ignited Jaebeom's heart. It was as if Jackson was able to resonate with all of him when others can barely achieve a fraction of it.

Jaebeom pinched himself, refocusing on the filming. Taking one of the cameras, he zoomed in on the back of Jackson.

People normally film the person on stage from the front, seeing their face.

However, by filming the person's back, it hits differently.

You are focusing on them. Their behaviour. The way they interact with their surroundings. Not how they look.

On stage, their movements spell confidence and charisma. You can see it clearly as the spotlight outlines them amidst the darkness. You become captivated by the magic. The magic that fills the air as you focus only on their voice and their aura.

And Jaebeom was no exception. His eyes never left Jackson. He was spellbound.

Turning slightly, Jackson caught sight of Jaebeom behind the curtain.

He smirked, giving a wink as he continued singing. Turning around, he smoothly moved to the other end of the stage and waved his hands at the audience.

Jaebeom gulped.

Seeing Jackson all sweaty in that red shirt already left Jaebeom bothered.

And now Jackson is being even more sexy?!

-----

After the concert was over, Jaebeom went to find Jackson.

Jackson was talking to Mark, his back facing him.