𝐖𝐄 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐖 𝐀 𝐌𝐀𝐏 𝐓𝐎 𝐀 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄 ── setting : backstage at SBS GAYO DAEJEON circa 2023 , feat . @yujininabottle
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐍𝐎𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐌𝐔𝐅𝐅𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐄𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐊, seeming more so now like a stifled echo, smothered underneath makeshift soundproof barriers and the organized chaos that was staff rushing around in preparation for their respective groups performances. it's a stark contrast to the lively stage that all of KH ENTERTAINMENT and their fellow conglomerates were getting ready to perform on — quieter, more intimate, a moment of tranquility in an otherwise frenzied arena.
like most idols, she found herself trapped in that distinct bubble of anticipation — going through pre-show rituals and running through vocal warm-ups, all while the backline crew set up their mic packs and reminded them over and over again about where to enter and exit the stage once it was their turn. it's like second nature by now, preparing to go up on stage and give her all for the fans who've spent what seems like hours on end waiting for them, but yeona still feels that nervous fluttering in her stomach, a thousand butterflies batting their wings at her ribcage as she fights off the intrusive idea that she'll trip on the stairs leading up to the stage, or suddenly be at the center for her part and forget all of her lyrics.
she excuses herself from their assigned waiting room under the guise of heading to the bathroom, but it's really just to do something with this nervous energy coursing through her veins. it seems silly to be this hung up on all these endless possibilities of what could go wrong, but yeona has always been hard on herself, her own worst enemy, tearing herself down before she even has a chance to think of what could go right.
she's halfway through another spiral, mind racing, palms sweating, mentally repeating the lines to I AM over and over again as if she'll forget them on that big, big stage — just when she spots someone down the corridor, a familiar face, his head turning to the left and then the right, eyes peering curiously at the makeshift signs on the dressing rooms, obviously seeming a little confused his own group's name isn't there.
for a flicker of a second, the apprehension that had been swelling inside her quells, and yeona feels the smallest smile tug at her lips as she approaches him. "yujin-ah," she says, voice soft, gentle, like it always is when she's someone she feels comfortable around, and even more so — her friends. "need help finding your way back?"
The end of the year performance run was one that reminded Yujin the most of his old soccer tournaments. The never-ending back to back practices, being caught and dragged back into the routine to work out another iffy piece or completely turn the plan on it's head based on a new idea that came up in the middle of the night, the nonstop events filled with more teams than Yujin had remembered even existing, and the adrenaline of the performance in front of a screaming crowd. Origin had enough years under their belt to have a routine more or less confirmed for the last few weeks of the year. Endless practices of a more exciting version of their latest song, a dance break where someone sheds a jacket or a shirt or a hat, a collaboration stage or two for select members while the rest of them fled to the dorm to catch a few hours of sleep before they started the whole thing again.
The day of each event operated similarly to music show promotions, except for the expanded number of groups and the much larger venue. A venue in which Yujin wasn't quite sure where he was. He had left the Origin dressing room to go to the bathroom and find water, but after a few turns and a conversation with various idols that had him following them back to their destination, he couldn't figure out which hallway he was supposed to head back to or which staircase was the right one.
Despite a line of dressing rooms with makeshift signs boasting group names that weren't his own, Yujin didn't feel very panicked. If he was surrounded by other dressing rooms, then he was probably on the right track of where to go. If only he could figure out whether he was supposed to go up or down the hallway. He pat himself looking for his phone to call one of his members to ask where he was but remembered the stage outfit he had already been dressed in didn't have functional pockets large enough for a phone. All he found was lint and a hair tie.
A familiar voice cut through his confusion, and Yujin felt himself smile before his brain even realized who was speaking to him. Yeona was always a welcome sight, especially since she seemed to always know when Yujin was lost without him even needing to say anything. It was almost like she was a mindreader. "Oh Yeona," Yujin replied, his own voice matching the softness of hers. "I don't know where I am."
