Blessing in Disguise

Chapter Fourteen

Yunjin

6/25/2018

Yunjin stood backstage, her hands shaking slightly as she adjusted her mic and costume. It was only a few minutes before her group's live performance of "High Tension" on MCountdown. This was her first major stage as part of the group battle, and the pressure was palpable. She glanced around at her teammates—each of them looked just as nervous as she felt—but Yunjin had learned how to calm herself. Her thumb hovered over Y/N's contact before she pressed call, needing to hear his voice before stepping onto the stage.

As the phone rang, Yunjin paced in place, her heart racing. The line clicked, and Y/N's voice came through, breathless but warm. "Hey, Jen. What's up?"

Yunjin could hear the familiar squeak of sneakers on a gym floor in the background, and she immediately pictured him at practice, probably lacing up his Kobe's. She felt her nerves ease just hearing him.

"Hey," she whispered, her voice low to avoid catching anyone's attention. "We're about to go on stage for the group battle. I'm... kinda freaking out."

Y/N chuckled softly. "You'll do great. It's just another stage, right? You've been working hard. Just go out there and have fun."

Yunjin sighed, a soft smile tugging at her lips. "It's different. This is live. It's MCountdown. There are actual fans out there."

"I know," Y/N replied, his voice teasing now. "But you're Yunjin. You've got this. Plus, if I was there, I'd probably make a sign with your name on it."

Yunjin laughed quietly, the sound easing some of the tension in her chest. "A sign? You wouldn't even know how to make a sign."

"Okay, maybe I'd have Rachel help," Y/N admitted with a laugh, "but I'd be cheering loud enough that you wouldn't even need to see it."

Before Yunjin could respond, she heard some muffled voices in the background, and then Y/N's teammates joined in on the call. "Y/N, you talking to your girlfriend again?" one of them teased, his voice loud enough to make Yunjin blush.

"Can't go five minutes without checking in, huh?" another voice chimed in, followed by playful laughter.

Y/N rolled his eyes but grinned, clearly amused. "Sorry, Jen. Ignore them. They're just jealous they don't have someone as awesome as you."

Yunjin's heart fluttered, and she shook her head, a soft laugh escaping her. "You're ridiculous."

"Maybe, but it worked, didn't it?" Y/N said, his voice softening again. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah," Yunjin admitted, her voice calmer. "I am. Thanks. I needed that."

"Go kill it out there," Y/N said. "I'll be cheering from here, even if it's just in spirit."

"Wish you were here," Yunjin murmured, her nerves nearly forgotten.

"Me too," he replied softly. "But I'm always with you, you know that."

As Yunjin's group was called to get into position, she reluctantly said goodbye, her chest still warm from their conversation. Her nerves hadn't vanished, but knowing Y/N was cheering her on—even from halfway across the world—made everything seem a little more manageable.

With a deep breath, Yunjin stepped out onto the stage, ready to give it her all.

After The Performance—

Yunjin's heart raced as she stepped off the stage, the adrenaline from her performance still pulsing through her veins. She had nailed the high note—the one that had given her so much trouble in practice—and she felt incredible. Her hands shook with excitement as she pulled out her phone to FaceTime Y/N. The familiar sound of the call connecting made her smile, and soon, his face popped up on the screen, sweat dripping from his forehead, clearly in the middle of practice.