strings of fate. | jake sim

4. beginning.

as i finished the short riff i performed on the guitar, i could feel everyone's attention on me. i bowed politely, silently thanking everyone for their attention.

i search around the room, especially the members' faces to get a rough idea of how well i did. they were focused on their papers or focused somewhere else — except for one of them.

the golden retriever was looking at me, straight into my eyes. his eyes had a bright sparkle, as if he was asking for something.

i looked back at his face, caught in his gaze. i stood there for a few  seconds before i pulled myself out of the haze, shifting my attention to Jae.

from my peripheral vision, i see him look down into his lap and smirk, keeping his head low.

what was that?

shortly after, Jae starts his solo part on the drums.
strong and impactful, his sticks hit the toms in quick, precise strokes. his movements were fluid, his eyes fixed straight ahead, focused. it looked like a choreography, one where his muscles had already memorised the dance. the cymbals crashed, and a sharp, echoing beat filled the space, his foot hammering the kick drum in time.

just like that, the rest of the band played their parts. after all the solo introductions finish, introducing quietness to the room once again.

"does everyone have the setlist?" a staff member asks us. we nod in agreement.
"alright, we may start." she requests, taking a seat.

the first eerie notes from the keyboard drifted into the air, echoing through the studio like a spell — introducing drunk-dazed. i felt the weight of the sound settle around me, each note sending a shiver down my spine.

with their individual parts, the members started to sing their lines, adding even more magic to the sound in the studio. Jae leaned in, tapping out the beat with a tight, crisp rhythm that built the tension with every hit. letting my guitar rip into the song's edge, the thrill of the song took over me.

with a little kick of bass, riff and drums, the busy day faded away from within our fingertips. 

————

after the long rehearsal yesterday, i felt exhausted.

i got up from my bed, eyes half open and my hair all messy. i quickly hopped into the shower to get rid of my morning drowsiness, not even looking at the time. the concert was today, but soundcheck before that.
until then, i spent time resting and lounging in my hotel room. while mindlessly looking outside the huge window, i recalled something.

the picture of the band practice from yesterday and of that cutie with the messy black hair came in front of my eyes.

wait, did i just call him a cutie? i really should do my research before i verbally mess it up.

i get my phone and go into google. searching "Enhypen", i get more than a hundred thousand results pop up. i click on a collective picture of them and try to remember them. they all had different colored hairs compared to the ones they had currently, but one of them had simple black hair.

aaand of course, it was the same dude.

i click onto a picture of them with labelled names. i study them one by one and then i come to today's mission — Jake.

so that guy from yesterday is named Jake, huh? cute name.

in the middle of my stalking session, Hyejin's notification gets me out of my haze. it was her telling me that soundcheck would be at 5, which was after around 3 hours.

usually, us band members don't really receive makeup services or styling, neither are we required to be in full face makeup or a fancy outfit. we are pretty much in the background, really. it was like that with every other job i had, but i always preferred to be in my most presentable attire — you never know.

since the soundcheck was first, i wore a simple outfit with a black crop top and ripped baggy jeans, taking my stage outfit along with me. i styled my hair and put on makeup, and as i packed everything i needed i left the hotel room with my guitar in my hand. i went down to the lobby, occupying a seat nearby the entrance.

i call Hyejin and notify her that i'm here.

————

we got to the stadium — THE Seoul World Cup stadium. my heart raced in my chest as we walked through to back entrance to the stage, getting me very nervous for what was to come tonight.

i could hear fans slightly chatting and their muffled voices coming from in front of the stage. me and Hyejin walked backstage, entering the preparation room meant for the band members.

"hey Moon, you got this. i mean it." she smiles at me, giving me a side hug.
"thank you unnie. i'll see you after the sound check" i smile back at her and get my guitar case. i check my hair and outfit in the tall mirror stuck to the wall, most importantly giving myself a support smile in the mirror.

after all, it was just the soundcheck for now.

i enter the massive stage through the backdoor, noticing the band already set up on stage for us. i notice the huge drum kit in the centre and as i look up, i see Jae sitting right behind it. we flash each other a slight smile and go back to preparing our equipment.

i connect my guitar to the amplifier right behind me, wearing it on my chest. as i stand in my dedicated place, i look ahead to check the audience. there weren't much people because it was the sound check, but still big enough for a soundcheck.

they had not noticed us, the band members since we were right below the huge screen, barely noticeable by the human eye.

i wore the sound pack, placing my in-ears into my ears and starting to play around on my guitar to check it's sound. as my fingers strummed on the thick strings, i readied my hands for the very first appearance of the tour. just as i did so, a crackle buzzed through my earpiece, followed by the sound engineer's steady voice.

"we'll begin in a minute. band members, get ready."

just as we got the command, me and Jae and the other 2 band members started to play. we strummed a few beats together, creating a powerful sound that was emphasized by the loudspeakers.

instantly, we heard the fans in the audience cheer and direct their attention to the stage.

as we were readying our instruments, the fans started cheering even louder.

we all looked at the stage entrance, only to notice the Enhypen coming in.