Picture ATEEZ and ONEUS members mixed and dispatched into two rival K-pop groups. Then imagine their leaders falling in love with each other. Now you've got the gist.
"Ten minutes before you go onstage!" WINGZ's choreographer announced, rushing the idols out of the make-up room.
Hwanwoong was practically as anxious and excited as the five boys, and he followed them towards the backstage area, making sure their outfits were all ready and tidy. He stopped when he noticed that someone was waiting for WINGZ just next to the stairs leading to the stage. Next to the choreographer, Seonghwa gasped.
"Hongjoong-ah!" he whispered, both ecstatic and worried. "What are you doing here?"
The small rapper smirked and took a few steps to grab his boyfriend's hand very stealthily, weary of the staff busying themselves around them. "I just wanted to see you," he said with a shrug. "You look marvellous. Like always." This made Seonghwa blush. Behind him, Seoho tried to prevent himself from rolling his eyes. He could not say anything for Hwanwoong was already taking the other members away with him, leaving the couple alone. "You're going to rock."
"I'm not so sure..."
"Hwa," the other boy murmured, yet not getting closer, "the concert was sold out, you're more popular than ever, and the greatest artists have come to see you."
"Are you talking about yourself—"
"Yes." Hongjoong winked at him. "Not only, though," he added. "You'll be wonderful. All of you."
Seonghwa looked at him with bright eyes. He could not believe Hongjoong had bothered to wriggle his way to the backstage just to encourage him and calm him down before their big concert in Seoul. What he wanted the most was jump into his arms, embrace him, let himself be kissed. But he threw a quick glance around and decided against it. They could not afford any other mistake. They were not ready. The world was not, either.
A few metres away, Hwanwoong was providing some last-minute advice regarding the choreography to the rest of the band. Somewhere in the middle of a sentence, however, he stopped dead, fixing something past the members. Slowly, he looked back at them, and said with a smile, "I think you should turn around."
When they did, most of them took a step back or gasped. But it was Yunho who reacted the fastest. "Mingi-yah!" he whispered in a voice strangled with emotion, and then he ran, willing to close the gap between he and his friend as quickly as he could. The tall boy smiled as Yunho held him tighter than he had ever done. "You're here," Yunho said in a high-pitched voice, very visibly on the verge of crying. "You're really here."
"I couldn't miss this, could I?" He addressed a courteous nod to the rest of the group, who seemed delighted.
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"Are you performing with us, hyung?" Xion asked.
Mingi shook his head, nonetheless smiling reassuringly to Yunho who was looking worriedly at him, still not letting go of his waist. "I'll be coming back soon. I miss you guys."
"We miss you, too," a voice said behind the members. Seonghwa, now alone, had made his way to their group and was grinning at their rapper. "It's been tough without you."
