Sun & Moon

THIRTY FOUR

When Taeyong and Seulmin head back inside, there is only a bit of time until the 8:00 P.M. news starts. However, whereas Taeyong had expected the usual, diligent efficiency breezing about the office, there is only unfamiliar chaos.

"Where were you guys?" an assistant producer disapprovingly asks. He is about to walk past them, but Taeyong grabs his arm. "What is it? Now isn't the time."

"What's going on?" Taeyong asks.

"Most of the senior reporters and all the anchors had gone out for a meal, but they got food poisoning. We currently don't have someone to anchor the eight-slot." He glances at his watch. "I don't think we can get someone else to arrive at the station in time either." He groans at his own statement.

There is a dizzying moment of realization for Taeyong as he grabs ahold of the opportunity introduced to him. He grins. "I can do it."

The assistant producer rolls his eyes and snatches his arm back from Taeyong. "Yeah right." He briskly walks away, but Taeyong chases after him into the studio.

Taeyong looks for the senior producer. He is on the phone, pacing back and forth nervously. The cameramen around also seem fidgety. Everything seems ready to go; the only thing missing was a presence at the anchor's desk. When the producer puts away his phone, Taeyong rushes up to him. "Can I anchor, please?" he asks politely, grinning his best smile.

"Are you crazy?"

"You don't have anyone else." Taeyong's heart races in his chest. Excitement courses through his veins, and he can't seem to hold it back. "You can fire me if I mess up."

"You don't need to tell me that for me to do it." The producer closes his eyes and rubs his forehead. "Leave. I don't need this right now."

"Listen, I really think you should give me a chance. Two things can happen if you let me do it." Taeyong straightens his back as he holds up two fingers. "First, I do a really great job. The public falls in love with the attractive, young man who, by the way, is also mysterious because nobody ever watches the news when he does his reporting." The producer looks like he is about to pounce on Taeyong, but Taeyong puts down a finger and continues to talk. "The other thing that happens is that I mess up really bad. The public is intrigued by this handsome idiot and becomes curious about SBS. I'll get fired, and I'll never step foot in here again, but you'll have increased viewership for a while." Taeyong rocks back and forth on his feet, slightly anxious but also confident. "So? What do you think?"

There is a dreadful moment of silence as the producer thinks. He finally speaks. "You promise you won't mess up? You have to do it right."

"Of course I won't! All I have to do is read the teleprompter!" Taeyong skips away before the producer can change his mind.

. . .

As Taeyong gets his makeup done, his heartbeat begins to slow down. However, the throbbing does not disappear; it simply relocates to his head. Taeyong tries to close his eyes and relax, but his headache begins to fill him with unease. "Um, do you have any Advil?" he says to the makeup artist. "Nothing wrong. I just, um, like how it tastes."

The makeup artist raises an eyebrow but finds some medicine in her personal purse. Taeyong swallows it dry and leans back in the chair, hoping that his headache will disappear by the time his makeup is done.

While he waits, Taeyong suddenly hears the squeak of another person sitting down in the chair next to him. He glances at his side and then gasps in shock. "Seulmin?"