Jun Ho watched the lucky fans' movements in the mirror's reflection. He frequently helped those who struggled with memorizing their steps or performing their parts. However, his main focus remained on one particular woman, whose right leg was wrapped in cohesive bandage.
From the corner of his eye, Jun Ho noticed her exhaling deeply, trying to bear the pain. For some reason, it reminded him of his trainee days. Injuries to the legs weren't a valid excuse to skip practice because the determination to debut was far greater. So enduring the pain wasn't particularly difficult.
After a few hours of practice, they decided to take a break. They enjoyed fried chicken and Diet Coke brought by Si Won. "Oppa, when you were a trainee, did you also eat chicken like this in the middle of practice?" Hana asked.
"Not at all. Since we were focused on debuting, we had to strictly maintain our weight. If they caught us eating like this, there would definitely be consequences," Woo Young replied, recalling his trainee days.
After enjoying their lunch, Jennifer and Rhea were engrossed in something on Jennifer's phone. Jun Ho's gaze was fixed on them, but more specifically, on Rhea. She was slowly swaying her body, following the moves in the video. Although Jun Ho wasn't exactly sure what they were watching, Rhea's movements made it hard for him to look away.
The two of them stood there, Jennifer setting her phone up on a tripod. In one of the open spaces, they were dancing to Ariana Grande's Everyday, a song that seemed to be going viral on social media.
Without realizing it, Jun Ho sighed and absentmindedly flicked his shirt. Even though he's performed countless sensual routines with 2PM—both in music videos and live concerts—he'd never quite felt like this before. Watching Rhea groove to the beat was making his temperature rise.
"Oppa eoddi ganayo?" Ji Hye asked, jolting Jun Ho out of his daze.
"To the bathroom," he replied.
Washing his face and head was the only way Jun Ho could cool down. For a fleeting moment, he imagined himself and Rhea dancing to A.D.T.O.Y in his mind. In this fantasy, she replaced the back dancers, dancing face-to-face with him, her hands positioned behind his back.
"Oh my god, Lee Jun Ho! What are you actually thinking?" Jun Ho muttered to his reflection in the mirror, water dripping from his hair.
-ooo-
The long-awaited day had arrived. The members of 2PM and Super Junior approached the lucky fans who were about to perform in backstage, offering encouragement and hoping their performance would go smoothly. "It's okay if you make mistakes; we understand. Just perform comfortably," said Si Won.
Jun Ho smiled, scanning the room with his eyes, but he didn't find the person he was looking for. Feeling a bit disappointed that he couldn't offer her his encouragement, he followed the others into the performance area.
The place was pitch dark, illuminated only by the spotlight on stage. The song Shake It Up by Super Junior was playing, and squinting his eyes, Jun Ho finally spotted the figure he had been searching for. Her appearance completely surprised him. Her long hair had been cut to just above her shoulders, her eyes were adorned with gray contact lenses and glasses, and her all-black costume added an air of mystery to her presence.
The festive echoes grew louder as the song transitioned from Shake It Up to the dance break of Bonamana. "Ssaa!" Oh my god, Jun Ho's heart was racing!
The moment she threw her glasses during the dance break of Bonamana, Jun Ho's heart raced even faster. What on earth had this woman done to him? They had only just met, but she had already managed to turn his heart upside down.
"Dasi han beon malhaejulge deureo. Himdeureodo nareul butdeureo." Their eyes met, as if time had stopped to let them gaze at each other.
Jun Ho was driven to distraction—though he managed to maintain a calm expression—when she removed the chain accessories hanging from her belt loops and pockets, while everyone else took off their ties.
"Baby, I'm your girl...." This time, Jun Ho couldn't hide his intense gaze. The scene of her unbuttoning her shirt had Jun Ho... oh, never mind. Jun Ho decided he didn't want to imagine it any further.
Rhea leaped with joy when Ye Sung invited her for a photo. Naturally, Ye Sung was her idol, so she was over the moon. However, Jun Ho felt a pang of discomfort. It was an inexplicable feeling seeing her with another man.
The photo session then shifted to 2PM. Sang Hee was busy arranging the positions of 2PM members and the lucky fans to ensure everything looked perfect in the picture. Jun Ho was placed on the right side. Noticing that the left side was still vacant, he slowly moved to that spot.
"Kkamjagiya!" The woman was startled to see Jun Ho suddenly in the position she had been expecting. As far as she remembered, just a few minutes ago, Jun Ho was still on the right side.
Sang Hee asked Chan Sung to fill the gap on the right, where Jun Ho had been. Luckily, Sang Hee didn't notice that Chan Sung was supposed to be standing next to Rhea.
"Hana, dul, set." The staff began taking photos of them in turn. With each countdown, they switched poses. These photos would later be posted on 2PM's official Instagram to show support for The Lucky Fans.
Jun Ho found himself unable to do anything but watch as Hee Chul repeatedly posed for photos with Rhea. Their closeness seemed too intimate to be just a friendly gesture. Jun Ho wasn't even sure if Hee Chul really saw Rhea as just a younger sister. Despite not having blue eyes like Kayla or the fair skin like Kyung Mi, Rhea was undeniably beautiful. Even some of the male staff were smitten by her, not to mention her occasionally adorable behavior.
"Omo, your gaze seems like it wants to challenge Hee Chul Oppa to a fight. If you want a photo with her, just say so," Ji Hye teased.
"It's not that easy." Jun Ho wasn't the type to approach women easily, especially since he rarely hung out with female friends. He feared misunderstandings that might arise when he was seen with female friends. Even his acting with YoonA had sparked rumors of a relationship before filming for King the Land had even started. Jun Ho was always cautious when it came to women.
Ji Hye glanced at Jun Ho. "Be grateful you have an assistant with an IQ above average like me." She approached Rhea, who was still chatting with Hee Chul, and guided her toward Jun Ho, leaving both with puzzled expressions.
"A friend of mine is a huge fan of both of you. She begged me to get a photo. Can I?" Ji Hye asked, her enthusiasm palpable.
"I'm fine with it," Rhea said, but then turned to Jun Ho, "But what about you, Jun Ho-ssi?"
Ji Hye signaled to Jun Ho to give his approval. "I'm okay with it," he replied.
"Great!" Ji Hye said, pulling out her phone and getting ready to snap the photo. "Can you move a bit closer? You look like you're not getting along."
Rhea glanced at Jun Ho, feeling uneasy and worried that he might feel uncomfortable. Jun Ho noticed her discomfort and moved a bit closer, their shoulders touching lightly.
"Cheese!" Ji Hye said as she snapped the photo, then turned to Rhea with a smile.
DING
Jun Ho checked his phone and saw a notification from Ji Hye. She had sent him the photo of the two of them, prompting him to glance over at her. Ji Hye gave him a thumbs-up, clearly pleased with her success. Jun Ho silently mouthed gomawo in appreciation.
YOU ARE READING
The Lucky Fans (LEE JUN HO'S FANFICTION // ENG VER)
FanfictionMaking his debut at a young age, Jun Ho was solely focused on his career success. But everything changed the moment a woman walked out of the airport, greeting everyone with a warm smile, and showed him how to hold on to someone whom fate had destin...
