"Okay, tell me their name again?" Jangjun says to Daeyeol.Â
He's laying on the couch, head very close to the floor and legs draped, slightly bent and mildly uncomfortable, over the back. It really isn't comfortable and Jangjun is pretty sure too much blood in your head is bad but he mostly does it just to irritate Sungyoon.Â
Daeyeol just shakes his head and sighs. He walks over and sets the paper on the table in front of Jangjun. It looks very detailed and thorough and so ridiculously, incredibly boring. Daeyeol doesnât even look back to see if Jangjun has bothered to move.Â
He just mutters, almost as if to himself, âmake a fool of yourself. See if I care.â
Jangjun does admit that Daeyeol, unfortunately, has a point. Not knowing his fellow MCâs name would not be a wonderful display for himself or Golden Child.Â
He notices a foreign name listed first and tries his very best to pronounce it. He isnât sure how close he gets but looking further down he notices a Korean name. He sighs in relief.Â
He reads over the rest of the paper. Apparently you were going to be debuted as a solo artist but got added to the group late. Interesting that they chose you to be the MC but with your nickname as 'cutie joke master' maybe it was a good choice.
Jangjun comes in a little early hoping to be there before you and have a chance to make a good impression. Imagine his surprise when you're already sitting in the dressing room. He walks in front of you intending to introduce himself when you suddenly bolt up out of the chair and bow.
âWith you - no - to be - urgh - happy to be MCing with you!â You spit the words out so fast Jangjun barely understands you.
He does notice, obviously, you still having problems with the sentence structure and your accent. He can only hope that the viewers find it as endearing as he does.Â
âNice to meet you too. I donât know what they fed you before coming here but youâll need to slow down a little bit if you want anyone to understand you,â he smiles a bit to show you heâs joking and you laugh a little in return.Â
âI donât need to eat any - anything when I can be nervous in - instead!â You deliver the line with such a wide grin that Jangjun smiles back without even meaning to or noticing.Â
The first night goes smoothly. Your confidence and smiles notably increase when you speak smoothly from the cue cards. Jangjun even finds himself captivated by you when you jump ahead a little when he knows full well if it had been one of his own members he wouldâve been annoyed.
The weeks pass like that. Jangjun starts to look forward to the show but mostly to the time you get together before the show. Donât get him wrong, he appreciates looking at you all styled on stage but youâre⌠softer, more vulnerable backstage. On stage, your confidence has sort of made you a force of nature. Sometimes he passes you taking selfies for instagram and pops in the back, with or without you knowing.Â
What really catches him out is when you go live while heading out. Heâll usually pop in eventually but before that, he likes to watch how confident youâve become. From stuttering out a single sentence to freely talking to countless unseen viewers.Â
Everything he sees starts to eat him up inside though. Sure he thought you were attractive from the picture, even more so in person, but after talking to you so much he could hardly help falling for you.Â
Thereâs a fair amount of ways this could go wrong and many, many more reasons he shouldnât do it no matter if you return his feelings or not. Not many things could stop him at this point especially not with several of his members, Jibeom and Joochan mostly, constantly bothering him about it.Â
When you walk out of the dressing room that night youâre surprised to see Jangjun still standing there in the hallway. Normally heâs long gone before you even think of getting out of that room.Â
âJangjun?â You ask when he doesnât move for a few seconds.
âOh! Just who I was looking for!â He smiles at you.
âYou were looking for me? Why?âÂ
He giggles nervously, âabout that... I was wondering if I could maybe, possibly get your number? To you knowâŚâ he lowers his head and shakes it at himself, ânever mind. That was stupid, I should go.â
âJangjun!â you protest.
He turns back to look at you, eyes wide.
âThereâs a sharpie back in the dressing room.â
He looks at you, eyebrows furrowed, âwhy do you need a sharpie?â
You laugh brightly at him, âhow else am I going to write my number on your arm, silly?â
His face lights up and he practically runs back down the hallway.Â