NIGHT SONGS TO APHRODITE

8

Jeongguk never did believe in the saying, "People change." To him, humans grow and develop new qualities, they alter behaviours and evolve in numerous ways, but they do not change completely.

And yet, as he holds the Artist of the Year daesang in his hands, damn does he feel like a changed man.

The chosen club for tonight's after party booms as the bass of a random EDM song blasts through the speakers. Him and his hyungs are settled comfortably in one of the booths, all of them in an extremely good mood after receiving a mouthful of congratulations from their staff and other idols.

Jeongguk tilts the award sideways and observes as the engraved Mnet Asian Music Awards shone under the red-blue lights. God, it feels so surreal. He can't believe he's actually holding a daesang--a daesang that they've won and they've worked hard for.

"Gguk-ah," Yoongi says from beside him. "You've been staring at that thing for an hour now. Put it down, will you?"

His hyungs laugh loudly at the comment, and Jeongguk can't help but let a dumb smile take over his face. He's happy. So, so happy.

"Hey, I'm not the type to stick my nose into someone's business," Hoseok suddenly raises his voice from the other side. "But did Lalisa from QOD talk to you earlier? Like talk talk?"

Of course, like Pavlovian dogs, the rest of his members cheer and yell at Hobi's sudden reveal.

"Ooh, things are getting steamy!"

"Jeonggukie is on the move!"

"Did she smell your fart yet, Gguk?"

(Okay, ignore that last comment. That was from Taehyung. He's drunk.)

The youngest of the seven feels his face burn from the sudden spotlight. He scratches the back of his head out of awkwardness and shrugs. "Well, it's nothing major. We talk and bond and stuff, you know, the usual soulmate thing, but we aren't really in a relationship yet."

Someone throws a chicken breast towards his direction. "He said yet! He said yet!"

"I know what I said!"

"Okay, okay, I think we should stop screaming at Jeongguk. He looks flustered already," Namjoon tries to calm them down. Thank God for his hyung, he's always been so-- "But let's talk about it calmly. How has it been with her?" He grins.

Forget what he said. Namjoon may be the most sensible out of them all, but that doesn't mean he isn't as mischievous.

"It's alright, I guess," is what he says, because he isn't really too keen on talking about him and Lalisa. "We bond and stuff. We talk. We communicate through text."

The other members are quiet, not appeased with his answer.

Jimin snaps his fingers impatiently. "Okay... and?"

Under their heavy stares, it's impossible to avoid the question now. "And she's actually, uh, nice," he adds. "She's very... um... she talks a lot and she likes doing pranks. Very open minded, too. Has an obsession with cats and stupid jokes."

At the mention of pranks, her recent prank comes into his mind. Fuck, he still remembers the way she looked lying unconscious like that--eyes firmly closed and mouth open as if she just came out of a fucking movie. Jeongguk couldn't believe that he fell for it and that he--

"...with her. What-- wait, are you smiling?"

He snaps his head up in an instant. "What? Smiling where?"