NCT imagines (NCT 127)

9. Jaehyun (Spring-green soft baritone) part1

January 1929,

The frost had painted the widows with flowery stars, a lantern man was walking down the street with a long stick, bringing a small pice of brightness further, like when we spread fire from candle to candle.

There was a park down the road,a couple was walking that way talking, the girl's cheeks red from the clod, or was it just the sparkling way he was looking at her, her lover.

"Good evening madame," the lantern man raised his cap.

"Good evening," I whispered hurrying my steps.

He will be out in the freezing night till midnight to make each lantern in the area bright.

His job was precious. Not like mine - cursed, I guessed. The small parchment roll a stranger had given me on the train station with a newspaper, the one I had burned in the small downtown hotel room, was still burning in my mind, 'the secret message is hidden in the guitar case belonging to a musician who will perform tonight'. I needed to reach it before the concurrence does, the chilly night became sticky, so I double checked the old revolver in my coat pocket. It was ready to fire just in case, yes, no one would suspect a young woman to smuggle it in for a peaceful performance of the soloist known from coast to coast.

I crossed the icy street, the people were coming from each direction, there was a cinema at the corner, they were playing a black-white film, the pianist accompanying to the living images.

But today the cinema will be rather empty as yes, the star of the decade has come to town, I saw women with rosy cheeks waiting in line impatiently right at the poster with a drawn image of a man.

I stopped behind them, soon we were let in, bought tickets, a worker showed me to a chair in the warm restaurant room. The chairs had been placed very tightly to each other, I was on the left edge of row tow, a good place to escape just in case, but a bad one when I had to get up to let all the freshly appearing people in. Yes, but at point 8 the lights moved down, the curtain on the small stage move up, a pianist gave a melancholic melody when a young man in a bow tie and tuxedo appeared on stage, he bowed slightly, then started to sing in a soft baritone. He was great, very emotional, the ballads moving deeply under. His presence very royal, the straight figure, the fiery stare, his dark brown hair staled in an elegant way. He only seemed way too solemn on stage, as if the song was deadly serious, I glanced down the row to an entrance backstage. I needed to find a way in there soon, as long as everyone was busy listening to his smooth voice, watching this extremely handsome face.

The song ended, everyone clapped when the man smiled for the first time exposing sweet dimples, yes he was charming.

Yes, the mission had nearly vanished for his good looks and hypnotizing energy, he was giving to the audience drawing them into his magic.

I waited, no strange behavior, who knows which person here carries a gun under the belt or in a purse, one stupid move and I could give myself out, so I stayed observing, listening till the last song then followed the standing ovations. A very young girl threw a rose on stage he took up thanking her soundlessly.

Yes, the curtain fell, but he came out for two encores while I was moving in the chair nervously. Yes, the show ended, the crowd began to leave, some girls decided to try their luck on the road to the changing room so I followed them.

"Suff, excuse me, excuse me!" I said so they let me through when I played very confident, when I simply opened the changing room door then closed it behind me. In the worst case I could always threaten them with the gun.

"Excuse me it's a private room here," said the pianist when I turned to them. The singer was busy untying his bow tie looking at me.

"I'm a worker, came to ask if you gentlemen need anything?" I said spotting the guitar case on a shelf.