cunning.
@idtaeho, at the showcase venue, in the wings in slight view of an olympian fan section
san spots them out of the corner of his eye. their fans. it’s hard. there’s equipment, and everyone’s far enough back with cheers and fanfare and flashing lights that it’s hard to spot. but they’re sporting those bright, white light sticks and san can see them craning their necks to catch glimpses of taeho where he’s sitting, waiting for olympus’ set up next. san’s still angry. something that festers and eats away from him, for what taeho had done back on their vlive. he hasn’t spoken with him since, even if taeho might have been trying to goad him into something on the ride over.
in the past, san might’ve taken it. grit his teeth, swallowed it down, done his best to make taeho look lackluster in the practice room, or on stage. but san’s been reaching the end of his rope. he wants to bite back. so he thinks, maybe, with his image on his side he can pull taeho into something detrimental. san even spots his own fansite master in the crowd, a bulky camera half hidden under a jacket. maybe he can stir up a little trouble for taeho to try and drag himself out of. as far as san’s concerned, he deserves it.
so he paces forward, hands tucked in his pockets and a smile twisting into place. it’s his signature smile in olmypus. too sweet, and if you know how he really acts, it reads sarcastic in this moment. but to anyone watching, it won’t. “did you like my stages, taeho?” san asks him, because he knows. knows that taeho had hated it, the fact that san got to perform his solo, that he’d gotten his own stage when he hadn’t. and san is more than happy to try and drag that out, get a rise out of him.
“i think all my practice in japan paid off, don’t you?” he tilts his head to the side. innocuous. innocent. but now, matched with his words, it comes across as mocking. san’s usually not the one to pick fights between them, and he’s half unsure whether taeho will bite down on it and shake with fury. so he tries to dig into what he knows taeho wants. “it’s kind of cool, debuting solo twice.” when you haven’t even debuted solo in korea yet is the unfinished half of that statement, but his smile all but gives it away. a flash of teeth, a sharp laugh. to anyone else, it might look like san was telling a joke.