Love is in the air for Enhypen - with the exception of Ni-Ki, everyone's coupled up (and it doesn't matter to Ni-Ki as he's the center of the fan universe). For Heeseung and Jake, who have been together the longest, it feels as though things with t...
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This is it: the first night of our hosting gig!!!
Being in the middle of promotions makes it a little bit difficult to have energy this late at night, but I'm excited, so I think keeping my energy up won't be a problem. Plus, it's nice to speak English - to be expected to speak English. It can be hard to switch back and forth - but sometimes it's even harder when I can't switch at all. It wasn't that long ago that my Korean wasn't that great.
Everything leading up to this has been so crazy. We've done several music shows and a fan sign, and then today we were literally rushed from fan sign to the studio to get ready for the show. We have a script to at least loosely go by. We were again reminded that we are to steer clear of any scandalous topics.
The show is being recorded with video as well as audio, so we still have to do makeup and all of those things. With all the stages and performances and appearances we've done over the last few days, it feels like I have 5 layers of stage makeup to chisel through.
"Normally we'll let fans call in, but I don't think we're going to do that tonight," the producer said, " I don't think it's terribly safe to have open phone calls on your first night as DJ's."
I noticed her eye Mr Kim, who of course nodded emphatically. He was always so paranoid.
"But besides that, you guys have your scripts, and you know what you're doing. Expect some bumps tonight, but you'll have it all figured out by next week!" She smiled and showed the same enthusiasm that she had in the early morning hours a couple of days before.
A couple of other instructions were given but at this point I was kinda zoned out. I noticed some staff gathered around, whispering in the control room. I wish they'd have a little faith in us instead of always worrying...
Before I knew it, a signal came and a red light turned on.
"It's K-Pop in English, we're bringing you everything we can from Seoul!" the producer began.
"1-2-Connect! Hello, we are Enhypen Heeseung and Enhypen Jake".
"One Dream! Hello, we are Taehyun and Beomgyu of Tomorrow x Together."
"We're so honored to have you guys on the show, and as our special DJ's for the next couple of months. The rumor is that you guys have known each other a really long time?" the producer asked.
Eager to transition to English for a bit, I excitedly answered: "Yeah, actually! All of Enhypen and all of Tomorrow x Together met in university freshman year! I've been friends with those two a long time," Jake gestured across the table.
"What about Heeseung? How long have you guys been friends? You seem like best bros!" the producer giggled.
Taehyun choked a little on his own spit and I felt my jaw clinch. Heeseung is so proud of how we hide in plain sight, but sometimes it does feel way too 'bromance'. Instead of worrying over it, I focused on Taehyun's ridiculous reaction and smiled.
"Well, actually we all kinda became one big group during our junior year when Heeseung and I -" I stopped short when I saw Taehyun and Beomgyu's faces but Beomgyu jumped to the rescue.
"Heeseung and ME, he means. We majored in dance and were in the same unit along with Yeonjun, NiKi, Jay, and Sunghoon. Our school hosted the regional dance competition, and our unit got a lot of attention. I double majored in musical composition and production, so I was really close with Enhypen Sunoo and Jungwon as well as our own Taehyun and HueningKai, so really, we just became one big family. We just snagged Soobin along the way."
Everyone laughed.
"Awwww, you must have been sad to be broken apart," the producer said.
"Yeah, we were," Beomgyu said, looking upset for just a second before showing off the happy Beomgyu we all know. "But a group of 12 members would have been a bit much. Seventeen already has the market on large numbers".
Everyone laughed again. I smiled proudly. Beomgyu was a natural. I knew he would be.
"Speaking of Seventeen," Heeseung said, "Let's play the song our Sunoo danced alongside Hoshi!"
The producer pressed a button and 'Hot' began to play.
We continued to breeze along, laughing, telling stories, and playing our favorite music. The producer and staff alike seemed pleased. Before I knew it, the show was over. _________________________
"Wow!" I said, "that went by super-fast! Beomgyu, your English has gotten so good! I can't believe it!"
"I've worked really, really hard," he laughed, giving a little bow, "but I really appreciate it. That means a lot coming from you."
"I've been trying to make Heeseung only speak English to me lately, right Hee?" I asked, turning toward Heeseung, but he didn't answer.
"Hee?" I asked again, a bit softer.
"Oh shit." Taehyun mumbled under his breath, "Gyu, we gotta go."
"What- why?" he asked, but then followed Taehyun's lead and rushed away.
Heeseung was holding up a tabloid article. Plastered on the front was a picture of myself and another idol - the one I met at Inkigayo - embraced in a big hug. The headline: "Is ENHYPEN Jake seeing this Idol? Aussies Felix and Bang Chan introduce their little brother around to new JYP artists, and this one seems special".
I heard Taehyun say some things but it sounded like he was underwater.
Heeseung didn't look up from the paper, hands shaking. His face was expressionless. I had never seen anything like it. I looked into the control room at our staff. I know they know exactly what he saw. Why wouldn't they warn me? How did that tabloid even get in here? In this room?
I genuinely thought I was going to cry.
"Heeseung, that's not... I mean, you were THERE, right? You saw! It wasn't ..." I frantically gestured toward the article, "whatever THAT says!"
Heeseung didn't answer me. He didn't even look up at me.
I could have thrown out there the makeup artist he shamelessly flirted with, or the way he said that Gyu and Sunoo were beautiful. But I did none of those things. Regardless of the truth behind that picture, Heeseung was hurting and I just...
"Please, Hee," I whispered, "Please. Please believe me..."
Heeseung glanced over at me quickly, the hurt in his big brown eyes evident. I felt my eyes threaten to spill the tears I'd been holding back.
"Don't cry here, Jaeyun," he said, scolding me like an angry parent. Then throwing the paper on the table, he yelled to our staff:
