bechangmin

[bechangmin]

taevin isn't fair at all. at this point changmin isn't sure what their relationship is. but it's fine, because he's sort of compartmentalised it as nothing but a good friend that he more often than not gets more than handsy with. that and the added fact that taevin knows exactly how to tease changmin doesn't ease his thoughts any futher, but he's fine with that. if anything it's fun to him.

they're holding hands and changmin can't help but wonder if they look like they're more friends. not like he's greedy, and it's not as though he thinks that taevin in any capacity would be romantically interested in him. still, he allows himself to bask in this for a little longer, cheeks turning red at the nickname. baby. but again, he's sure that it's something taevin calls most of his other... friends with benefits.

he laughs though, when taevin speaks and promises not to spend too much time on his computer. despite the older boy towering over him, there were moments such as these where changmin found him cute. a little bit of a klutz too. but he smiles at the sight of his pinky, and links them, nodding his head as he does so.

"it's not like i'm complaining, hyung! you can play valorant as much as you want. i'm not your boyfriend, i won't force you into stopping," he laughs. but it's true it's not a sight that changmin hates ( and he's found a way to distract taevin from valorant more often than not ), and they're not boyfriends. changmin doubts they'll ever be boyfriends. "but okay, if you say so," he hums, before a thought occurs to him. if taevin can tease him, then changmin will do the same. "so you won't touch your computer at all the next time i visit?" he asks, feigning innocence, "you'll touch me instead?"

taevin simply laughs at changmin's comment. he is absolutely right. first, it's a kiss. then it's making out. and then the real fun begins after that. but taevin isn't just some primal animal. he can restrain himself well enough. when he wants to, of course.

"okay, okay, i got it. no making out then." maybe they'll just have to pick another movie that's more of a romcom instead. it's like a surge of cuteness aggression flows from his very core and he instantly starts cooing at changmin. "i can totally just hold your hand, baby. you don't even need to ask me twice."

balanced relationships, or whatever was going on between him and changmin, carefully requires a sort of give and take system. you give one day and take another day. changmin has to be a saint or something because he seems to give and give and taevin, the greedy man that he is, takes anything and everything that changmin is willing to give him. as long as he's able to, taevin would have changmin in any capacity.

"ahhh, i only tease because you're just so cute, minnie." taevin's eyes crinkle with mirth when he notices changmin's nose scrunch. he could probably go on and on about what a weak fool he was now, but there isn't enough hours in a day to do so. instead, taevin chooses to feign offense at the other's comment on his valo playing. "i wouldn't say i play all the time! just when i have spare time... which is kinda often but!... okay, pinky promise, next time you come over, i will not touch my computer and mouse whatsoever. my attention will be on you and you only, yeah?" for good measure, taevin holds out his pinky for changmin to link with.

[bechangmin]

changmin doesn't quite know what he's doing. or well, he knows. sort of. but he doesn't know how to go about doing it. the scene here is still something painfully new to him, and it doesn't help that changmin's always had an awkward demeanour; standing around and glancing sideways to see if anyone is looking.

he feels overdressed and underdressed all at the same time. no, he simply feels as though he doesn't know to dress. still, it's something he can momentarily forget as he listens to the songs being performed, starstruck by the rockstars and musicians that take the stage. it's a place where changmin would like to be, but a place that scares him. he's always been a bit of a coward – a kid with big dreams and motivation, but not a lot of confidence.

he plays with the tips of his fingers, as though his own hands were holding a bass, scratching against the tips of his thumb and palm to the rhythm. he'd like to be like that, wonders if it's possible for someone like him. he's lost in thought, eyes fixated on the stage when he hears – no feels – hot breath against his ear.

at that he almost jumps, shocked, before he's faced with ... a rockstar? a real rockstar. even the way he's dressed, the way he's presenting himself, screams rockstar. this is bad, this is really bad, changmin doesn't know how to react to a rockstar. "i..." he begins, cheeks already flushed. was it that obvious? how out of place he was? wa he really not meant for a place like this? "i like the music..." he confesses, nervous. "i really like the music... and seeing people on stage. uhm, i wanted to know... more about being a rockstar."

rockstar.

there's a funny looking kid hanging out in the underground rock scene lately.

jay might be being a bit too mean here, but when someone clearly doesn't fit into a certain environment with the way they dress and the way they act, it's sticking out like a sore thumb. it's not that jay is saying that's a bad thing though, he's simply pointing out an observation like he always does.

as most neurotic musicians do, he'd find himself participating in and watching underground performances often ( not to mention his underground producer label, but that's on hold for now ). he can't perform anymore, he thinks, but he can still observe. it's fun, it's thrilling—the people he clicks with are all hardcore rockstars with an affinity for composition and lack of a graceful personality. that's how one can basically describe jay as, too.

@bechangmin is so painfully a newcomer though, that jay can't help but remember him for the day. simply because of how out of pocket the guy looks, but he's looking at the stage like the newbies on stage were putting stars in the sky. jay laughs a bit, knows that this band in particular are still very rough—but they gained a fan, so they have a bright future.

"you don't go to these often, do you?" jay asks the random boy once he's close enough to be within earshot, despite the rock music that's dying down as the band switches to the next one. "it's kinda obvious. you know, from your entire outfit. and also how awkward you look, just standing there." he always says it as it is.

jay hums, looking at the other up and down. "so, what are you doing down here? curious about something? interested?" he questions, leaning closer with a smirk on his face.

[bechangmin]

changmin isn't all too confident about his appearance. truth be told, makeup or no makeup, changmin's never particularly found himself attractive. still, it's halloween, and he'd like to at the very least embody the character he's decided to dress up as for the night. nothing about his face feels like naruto, even if his outfit does.

he's glad though, that he has claudine by his side. he looks at his older sister, eyebrows furrowing as he whines at her for help. despite being just two years older, he's always felt as though claudine took good care of him, and that with her around, he'd never have too much to worry about. which was probably why his parents had been accepting of his idea to follow his sister all the way to korea.

"it looks too pale," he sighs, "and i wanted to take a photo and send it to my friend... but he'd probably think i look funny," he momentarily imagines what taevin's reaction might be to a photo of changmin looking like... this.

he follows claudine and sits on the bench, pouting just slightly before his sister reveals that she's got her makeup tools with her. "really?" his face lights up at this revelation. "noona, you're the best!"

"maybe it's because i didn't draw the whiskers that naruto has... i think i'm missing that too," he mumbles. but with that he closes his eyes, leaving it to his older sister.

when changmin told claudine that there was a costume he wanted to try on, it’s only natural that claudine encourages him. after all, it’s rare that her brother has the confidence… to wear anything bolder than usual ( although she supposes dressing up as a rather well known and popular main character from an anime isn’t breaking too many boundaries ), she thinks it’s fun to watch her little brother geek out like this.

after all, lately all he seems to be obsessed about is… well, rockstars. admittedly, claudine doesn’t know too much about it—what she does know is that her brother has some sort of strange perception of them that he’s trying to replicate; something about one night stands and being detached.

now though, with changmin looking at her expectantly after shouting out a character’s tagline, claudine is reminded of how nerdy ( and pathetic, truth be told ) her brother really is. maybe she needed that reminder, lately.

“don’t worry too much, you look just fine!” she insists, laughing a little as she watches her brother panic before her. she means it, of course she does, but she can understand changmin’s plight somewhat. “honestly, there’s nothing wrong with how you look right now, but if you want we can add a little more to your face.”

she motions the two of them towards a bench, instructing changmin to sit down. “lucky for you, i always bring my tools with me! so just sit down and relax. close your eyes for me, okay? we’ll make you look like naruto… dattebayo?”

[bechangmin]

[bechangmin]

changmin is terrible with directions. like really, really, horrible at them. it's not that he can't read a map – he can. it's just that he can't read it well, and it's never the first thing to come to mind for him in situations like these. instead he'd usually find himself amidst a crowd, staring into space whilst trying to figure out what exactly to do.

which is what he's doing right about now, that is of course until he hears a voice call out to him. he snaps out of his daze, and finds himself relieved to see luciel. "hyung!" he smiles, thankful to see a familiar face. "i was looking for the subway station, honestly. i'm kind of worn out, and wanted to go home and rest," changmin is by far not the kind of guy to stay out late. instead, preferring to rest at home despite trying over and over again to be a 'party animal'.

he blinks at luciel, before a smile creeps it's way across his face. "really? thank you!" he beams, and without a thought, he grabs onto the older boy's tail. "this way i won't get lost, right?" he asks, tilting his head. "okay hyung, lead the way!" and with that, he tugs at the older boy's tail with a smile.

lost duckling ♰⸝⸝ starter for @bechangmin

the first time luciel met changmin, he was lost and he had to guide him around his campus. it’s reasonable to lose one’s way around campuses—they’re usually a big place after all. he became somewhat of a tour guide for him that day. changmin is adorable, in the way a person will pass by a cute dog and point out how cute it is. he reminds him of a lost duckling who’s struggling to find its way back to its mother. now they’re here again, back to square one. changmin is lost.

“are you lost again?” luciel asks him with a worried look in his eyes, though he’s smiling a little, finding the situation amusing. “where do you want to go? i could drop you off since i have the time.” he looks around the market. it’s halloween, so of course there’s a big crowd. “stick by my side, there’s a lot of people around… ah, i have a tail. you can hold onto that if you want to,” he offers the boy with a charming smile. he likes a good face, doesn’t he? so luciel puts on a nice smile.

[bechangmin]

changmin can't quite help the blush that makes it's way across his face at the nickname. baby. it isn't something that he's accustomed to, but he assumes that it's probably something taevin's called his other friends – those of which he's had similar arrangements with ( it's stupid, really. for changmin to assume that taevin even shares a similar arrangement with anyone else. but taevin is taevin, and changmin is simply just a boy ). but the redness in his face betrays how much he enjoys the nickname, and taevin's suggestion.

"you don't usually stop at making out, hyung," he laughs, and he ignores the way his chest thumps at the insinuation of a date. a friend date of course! that must've been what taevin meant. "i don't mind watching it again with you, hyung. ah, but i might be crying too much to make out though," he says, honest. "so you can just hold my hand like you're doing right now," he lifts their hands, "to comfort me!" he jokes.

still, changmin allows taevin to have his way with his hands, the older boy squeezing them. at this point, it isn't something completely out of the ordinary in their relationship – or lack of. changmin's never been in a friends with benefits situation, so he can only assume that this is part of it. and between the two, he's sure that taevin's the more experienced one, and so he allows the older boy to take the lead.

"it's kind of hard not to when they're always..." everywhere, he wants to say – but he decides not to. instead scrunching his nose and looking away briefly. "hey! why are you teasing me so much today, hyung?" he asks, aware of the heat in his cheeks and ears. "i was just making an observation! you play valorant all the time. and your hands are always clicking at your mouse whenever i go over to your place, so of course i notice these things!"

it might actually be insane how taevin and changmin came to be. it's a situation that only happens in movies or books. nobody told him that he'd move back to korea and find himself a very special friend and develop a very special one of a kind relationship - a friendship with added benefits! truly insane.

he chuckles a little bit when changmin can't come up with the movie title but that's what he likes about the other. always talking about anything and everything and taevin just loves to listen to it all. he nudges the other with his shoulder. "baby, it's how to make millions before grandma dies. good movie by the way. we should've gone together to see it. like a date. and maybe make out in the back of the movie theatre..."

teasing changmin doesn't happen too often but when taevin puts his mind to it, it's one of the best things to ever happen. there's just something so satisfying about the way changmin gets whenever he does something to elicit some kind of reaction out of him. either it's a flushed face or a deadpan expression and he thinks they're both hilarious.

"my hands?" taevin questions, unconsciously squeezing changmin's hand that he was currently interlocked with. "you really pay that much attention to my hands?" he can't explain it but to have someone notice anything about you means a whole lot to taevin. he proceeds to lean closer into changmin's space with a huge grin on his face. "damn, of course, you would notice the size of my hands. i guess i'll have to hold you a lot more now since you like it that much, huh?"

[bechangmin]

believe it! // starter for @beclaudine

changmin, despite enjoying to dress up here and there, isn't exactly the most gifted when it comes to halloween costumes. he'd gone before as an angel, wearing only wings to signify himself as such, and then as a cat once, wearing only cat ears. but he sort of wants to try going all out this year. and he really, really, wants to dress up as naruto.

the thing is though, changmin has a feeling that he's horrible at this. while he's wearing the costume that he ordered and had waited weeks for to arrive, he still thinks there's something missing. he stares at himself in the mirror of the store, frowning a little at the lack of 'umph' he thinks he should have.

was it the fighting spirit that naruto always seemed to have? "... dattebayo!" he tries shouting, but still... something's missing. ah. the makeup! changmin's face looked a little too pale in comparison to the rest of his outfit, and naruto always seemed like such a go-getter. he sighs, pouts a little before he turns to claudine. they're in the middle of the street, but changmin can't rub off the feeling that he's missing out on something.

"nooooonaaaa," he whines. "i need help..! i don't feel like naruto... do you think it's too late to do my makeup? should we buy some makeup? or do you carry it around? my face looks too pale! i look more like orochimaru than naruto right now!"

[bechangmin]

a look into changmin's phone!

his most used apps: changmin's most used applications are google chrome, tiktok, youtube and spotify ( sorry melon! ). he spends most of his time on googling chrome falling into weird rabbit holes. he enjoys watching youtube shorts and laughing to himself in bed.

most contacted person: changmin contacts his sister, claudine the most. he likes to keep her up to date with his life.

personal photo albums: his photo albums are a mess. anything that he wants to remember in particular, he simply adds to favourites. his phone is disorganized and changmin is simply too lazy to fix that.

favourite playlist: changmin has a self-curated playlist with his favourite bands titled "de-composing".

wallpapers: his home screen wallpaper is a photo of a bass, and his lock screen wallpaper is a photo of his family.

[bechangmin]

changmin can't really imagine himself like that – a trainee. it isn't the dedicating your life to music part that he finds hard to grasp ( because it's music, and changmin would willingly give up a lot of things for music ), but the... dancing. changmin isn't a dancer, and truth be told he knows that he doesn't quite have the 'idol' personality one would typically think of.

even at home, he'd hide behind the others, and preferred to have his songs listened to than to be seen on stage. which he realizes, is a little funny. contradictory even, as someone who yearned so badly to become a rockstar.

"that's really cool, hyung," changmin says, smiling at the older boy. "studio delta..." he muses under his breath, thinking back to the senior artists in the company. he remembers reading up on them, and discovering that a few of the musicians he liked stemmed from that company. "ah... it's so embarrassing... but i really like the musicians from there!" he beams.

he can already feel his cheeks redden up, embarrassed by his own admission of admiration for studio delta. while it isn't something new, changmin's always been quick to get shy when speaking of the things he enjoyed. "ah right, hyung! i picked up a new bass recently, you know? i cut my finger a little... but i can't wait to let you listen to how good it sounds!" he pulls out his bass from the case he'd been carrying along and lets out a soft, tadah! as he presents it to joomi. "it's awesome, isn't it? i bought it with my own money!"

joomi doesn't have much time to hang out with people. he trains over 100 hours a week, then works waiting tables on sunday nights. sometimes he doesn't make morning plans just so he can sleep in with jinyoung until about 11 o'clock.

he tries to keep in touch with his other friends, though, and his relationship with changmin is one he's neglected for too long - mainly because he has a feeling changmin would never be upset with him, no matter how little they talked. it feels a little like taking advantage of his kindness, but hey, joomi only has so much time.

he's set a couple hours aside for changmin today, though, just to hang out and play instruments for a while. he's pretty curious how much changmin has improved since he last heard him play.

when changmin appears, it's with an abundance of enthusiasm, as expected. joomi chuckles, and smiles too. "it has," he agrees with a nod. changmin says rockstar, and joomi laughs again, shaking his head. he's pretty sure those days are behind him now, unless studio delta chooses to debut a band - which is possible, he supposes.

"it's good," he replies. "a lot of work. and tiring sometimes," most of the time, "but i really like it."

[bechangmin]

taevin is great. really, he is. changmin thinks he's an awesome person to hang out with, easy to talk to, they vibe well, their physical chemistry is off the charts, and really to top it off – he's a great friend! a really, really good friend! it's almost hilarious how they'd gotten to this point though, and what their relationship has evolved into. a party, a lack of seats in a bumpy car, and here they were. the relationship of changmin's dream ... friends with benefits!

aside from that though, changmin does genuinely enjoy taevin's company. he lets him talk, allows him to go on and on about trivial things. which is exactly what he's doing as they walk through the street.

"hyung, did you watch that new movie, by the way?" changmin furrows his brows in thought for a moment, as he attempts to figure out the title. "grandma dying by the millions... ah no... making millions when grandma... ah... what's the title?"

he's caught off guard when taevin suddenly leans in though, stopping his sentence midway. his eyes widen, and they fall onto the older boy's face. huh? what? also woah! taevin's really, really handsome. he has no clue what taevin is talking about though. messing? changmin's messing with him? how? by not knowing the title to the movie? but the older boy takes his hand wordlessly, and changmin simply allows him too, always easily swayed by the moment as his eyes follow their intertwined hands.

"hyung?" he asks, having to lift his head upwards to catch the expression on taevin's face. his cheeks redden at the sudden contact though – and it'd be a lie to say he doesn't feel a tightening in his chest. changmin's always been weak to gestures like these. "i wasn't messing with you..." he manages to say, though he tells himself not to think too deeply about this – they're friends after all! perhaps this was something taevin did with his other ... 'friends'. how interesting! "ah, hyung, did you know? your hands are really big," he gives taevin's hand a squeeze. "i notice it whenever you hold me! or when you're playing valorant and clicking on your mouse. hahaha! i like it though!"

heart intangible // starter for @bechangmin

taevin thinks he's about to go insane. there's absolutely no way changmin isn't doing this to him on purpose. the way they're walking so close to one another and the way their hands keep brushing against each other is driving him up a wall. if he were bold and had the balls to do it, he really would hold changmin's hand and never let go.

but he shouldn't and yet he has to wonder if changmin really doesn't notice or if he's just pretending. either way, taevin sighs to himself while looking down at the hands before lifting his gaze back up to changmin's side profile. he feels his stomach churning in an odd way when it's nothing more than changmin talking or rather yapping away while they walk to some random destination. it's sickening is what it is.

however, despite his lack of speaking, taevin manages to toss in some 'hmms' and 'ohhhs' and 'ahhhs' so that the other knows he's still listening albeit somewhat distractedly. he's too hyperaware of the hand predicament and it's crazy to think that changmin has no idea what he's doing to him.

leaning forward, taevin whispers into changmin's ear. "you're messing with me, aren't you?" without another word, taevin reaches his hand to intertwine with changmin's and then shoves their locked hands into the pocket of his sweatshirt. he breathes out a sigh of relief, smiling to himself.

[bechangmin]

despite growing up in a family full of theatrics, changmin isn't much of a performer himself. really, he isn't. which is exactly why he'd always been hidden away from the bright lights, much preferring to be seated at the side, to be working behind the scenes despite his dream of becoming a rockstar.

in truth though, he realizes that becoming a rockstar in this day and age is probably a lot harder than he seems. rockstars, despite the glitz and glamour, have a groove when performing. a sort of unnerved confidence that changmin can only wish to ooze out. and after a lot of research ( scrolling through tiktok and youtube shorts), changmin has come to the realization that to be a rockstar, you also need to well... you need to dance. or at the very least, have some sort of basics down.

which is why he's decided to go to yiran for help. who better than yiran to help changmin at a time like this? he's quite honestly disheartened by dreamwave, but if anything... well if anything, that was a sign, right? that he lacked something.

he steps into the practice room, unfamiliar with the sight. and changmin being changmin, is rather quiet. gently knocks on the door, only to have his taps be overpowered by the sound of music. he laughs though, when yiran practically jumps at his presence. "hi hyung!" he greets, smiling. he's dressed in a pair of track pants and a beanie. "it's okay! it was interesting watching you get ready," he places his bag down and stands next to the older boy, peering over his shoulder to look at his playlist. "what song are you playing, hyung?" he tilts his head, so that his eyes can meet yiran's. "i like it!"

careful 𓏲 ๋࣭ ࣪ ˖ starter for @bechangmin

it’s the usual dance routine—yiran making sure that he stretches his muscles well enough before practicing dance, otherwise he’d be prone to getting hurt, and that will lead to a disruption in his perfect schedule. yiran has never gotten an injury before while dancing, and he prefers to keep it that way.

today changmin joins him for practice, an offer that was accepted much to yiran’s surprise. he’s never seen the boy dancing before, so today would be his first time. he feels a little self-conscious about it, feels the need to… look good, in front of him (is this a normal thought process?). before changmin arrives at the practice room, yiran gets there earlier first, taking a look at himself in the mirror so that he looks… decent enough in front of his friend. he repeats this multiple times, unknowingly.

yiran runs down the itinerary in his brain. stretches first, then the technical parts, and working on one part of the choreography. okay, that seems pretty good? he scrolls through playlists on his phone, wondering which one should he pick for the day. he’s already connected his phone to the speaker, so he doesn’t realises when changmin comes in. to say he almost jumped—like a startled cat—and hissed at the boy isn’t wrong, but he quickly composes himself right after. “y-you’re here, hello. i didn’t realised… the music is loud.”

[bechangmin]

DREAMWAVE AUDITION

this is nerve-wrecking. in truth, changmin has no idea what had possessed him to do this. but he's always wanted to be a rockstar, and this – well would this bring him closer to his dream? he's not too sure about that. he stares at himself in front of the mirror, awkward limbs and demeanour. which company would want him? which?

maybe he should – yeah! changmin is made for this. he isn't made to be an idol. maybe he should give it up, return to france once he's graduated and work with his parents. that sounded better, that sounded more feasible. right? right!

he picks up his phone, ready to lie on the bed when a notification pops up on his screen. his quote of the day. "some days you're gonna get it right and some days you're gonna get it wrong. but no matter what, never stop trying to get it!".

that's right. changmin shouldn't stop, he shouldn't give up. he won't! he nods his head in affirmation, and swipes to the video recording mode. he'll try!

DREAM COMPANY

"my..." he's already stuttering, and he licks his lips. i can do this! "my dream company is studio delta!" changmin says, determined. "i've always admired studio delta artistes, and it would be a dream to be a part of their lineup, and learn from the best!" more, changmin should say more. "my dream... is to be a rockstar! and i think i can be a really accomplished one in studio delta."

SECOND DREAM COMPANY

oh dear. a second dream company? "my second dream company..." he begins, "is sr media! i think all the idols under sr media are very multi-talented. i see them go outside the field of music, and it takes... a lot of talent to be able to do that!"

PREVIOUS MUSICAL EXPERIENCE

musical experience? well changmin's got some of that, thanks to his parents. "i grew up in a theatre group... i never really did much performance on stage," because the lights always felt like they'd shine too brightly. and i'm not quite an actor, "but i served as an accompaniment for a lot of theatre shows, with my piano. i'd compose some songs here and there... and i used to go to an arts school back in france, where i majored in music, focusing on the piano."

which, he thinks probably isn't amazing – he's sure they'll get hundreds of applicants, all with specs that they can't quite pass up.

SKILLS ( x )

"i never quite stood on stage much to perform," he begins, "but i think i'm a pretty talented singer. i really love to sing," he's confident this time in his skill. whilst he had focused on the piano mainly back in school, he'd gotten quite a number of compliments for his voice and the way it sounded – how he somehow knew how to hold a note.

OTHER TALENTS

other talents... changmin doesn't have much, at least he doesn't think so. but there is something that comes to mind. "i can mimic the sound of a trumpet with my mouth!" he beams, "give me a moment please." he takes in a deep breath, before pursing his lips and mimicking the noise of a trumpet, playing jason derulo's talk dirty, before breaking out into a wide, innocent smile.

FAVORITE ARTISTS

"i have a lot of favourite artists! my favourite are definitely n.flying, day6...! and one ok rock! i love their music! i look up to them, and i'd love to make music like them one day!"

[bechangmin]

ah! his phone!

changmin glances down onto his hands. his phone is cracked, the lines against the screen large and the glass, quite honestly, lifting off. it's barely turning on – which is in part due to the fact that the phone is so old. but changmin had found no reason to get a new phone anyway, it had always been working fine ( albeit the battery draining quickly, and the screen freezing up very often ).

"it..." he begins, biting at his lower lip. "i don't think he did," he confesses, gently rubbing the screen as more glass peeled off. his sad excuse for a phone cover had done little to protect it anyway. ah, this was bad.

but, enough about his phone. he lifts his gaze to meet the stranger's and again, he bows. "i really am sorry!" he repeats. "please don't worry about my phone. i think... it was time for it to go, anyway..." an iphone 8 in this day and age... yeah, it probaby was. "you didn't scratch or bruise yourself did you? please let me know if you have!"

bechangmin

accidental meetings

changmin hadn't planned on going for the waterbomb event. he quite honestly, had worried that he'd be overwhelmed by the crowd, and the amount of people there. it was bad enough that a crowded street would get him lost and nervous, but surrounded by people and water – that was something else. still, he's somehow found his way here. and while he's around, he's decided to at least make the most of it. it isn't as though he's dressed up to impress though; if anything he's decided to go with a pair of comfortable shorts and an oversized t-shirt. something that he didn't mind ruining and getting soaked through. he finds himself walking around, phone at hand, as he sends a quick message to his friend, when he bumps into a stranger. almost immediately, his phone falls onto the floor, and to his horror – his iphone 8 breaks. his old ( and quite honestly, sad excuse ) phone breaks – the screen cracking. changmin blinks, taking a moment to realize what had exactly happened, before he's crouching down onto the floor and picking the phone up, lifting his shirt just slightly to wipe the screen – not covered in water. "oh no..." he finds himself saying out loud, before he realizes he's actually bumped into someone. he lifts his head and before bowing. "i-i'm sorry!" he says, though his mind is filled with worry for his phone. "i didn't see you! are you alright? did i hurt you?"

noel had been excited for this year’s waterbomb festival, his sister had tried to drag him along last year, but with not knowing basically any of the artists, he had at last not gone. now, after having been a trainee for a while, he’d been introduced to the world of kpop, and this year he knew a lot of the artists.

he was mainly here for the music, but he was also partly here to look good. since no longer being a student, noel used majority of his time in practice rooms or at one of his many part-time jobs, and with time he’d realized he’d started to choosing comfort over looking good. it’d been a while since noel had cared for how he looked, and he missed it, making himself look good. so he styled his hair (which the water would probably ruin), did his make up (waterproof of course), and wore a tight white shirt, not minding getting wet.

he’s looking somewhere else when he feels himself bump into something, or well, someone. “oh, i’m totally fine! but is your phone?” he points at it, “did it survive?” he asks, already now feeling bad. “i’m sorry i bumped into you” he adds.

[bechangmin]

changmin is determined to make a difference in his life. no longer will he be the quiet background character – no. he's got a goal tonight, and the goal is to bring himself one step closer towards his dream of becoming a rockstar. still, it'd be a lie to say that he's comfortable with his outfit of choice. the clothes feel odd against his skin ( changmin had always preferred loose fitting outfits ), and he finds himself fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.

it shows on his face too. changmin's always been bad at hiding his expressions. he wears his heart on his sleeve as well; which in truth, he knows isn't very rockstar like. "really, noona? i do?" he blinks up to look at his sister, and well-mannerly takes a seat next to her because she's asked.

"oh... that..." he nods his head, face scrunching up just slightly. "i... think it'll help me become a rockstar," he begins. "noona, i fall for people so easily! i need to be with someone... and then not fall in love with them," he explains – though his explanation isn't exactly the best either. still, changmin's convinced that this has to be route. plus, his love life hasn't been... well it hasn't been very good.

changmin knows himself. knows that he constantly falls, and gets his heart broken. a person could look at him with a glint in their eyes and he'd think about them for the rest of the day. he needs to break out of this cycle and immediately.

"so... i'm going to do it! i'm going to be successful today!" he isn't. changmin can barely convince himself, palms already sweaty and voice trembling at the thought of talking to a stranger with the intention of sleeping with them. "i... can do it..." no he can't.

it’s no secret that claudine worries over her little brother first and foremost, above all else. she’d always prided herself in being strict but down-to-earth, upholding rules but not restrictive in any way. she hoped to pass down those same values onto changmin since they were both young, hoping the boy would come out stronger and more polished through all their years of living together. however, claudine can’t deny that changmin… is a little more than fragile. it’s worrying, honestly.

when changmin decided to join her in korea she had been more than accommodating, wanting her brother to forget about certain painful memories and live in the present with her. but she’d be lying if she says she’s confident that changmin can move on and come out of the horrible experience a stronger individual. if anything, she thinks changmin became… well, a little more vulnerable.

she’s here to support her brother though, no matter what—with the exception being when he’s clearly making a very stupid decision. she blinks, wondering if she had heard changmin right. she had, which is worse. oh, dear. she takes a small breath, briefly consulting with herself on how to navigate this situation as smoothly as possible.

“changmin,” she starts, calling out to her brother in a gentle manner. she smiles too, for good measure. “what do you mean you’re going out to find a one night stand…?” she repeats his words, making sure that he knows exactly what he’s saying, and how utterly unfitting that is.

“you look good! come here, sit with me for a while?” she asks, still soft, sitting on the couch. she waits for changmin to join her, before she delivers her next question. “why do you feel the need… to go find a one night stand?” claudine has a feeling it has something to do with her brother’s rather unsuccessful love life as of late.

[bechangmin]

yiran's reactions are funny, in an odd way. but changmin doesn't quite realize the close distance between them – too caught up in trying to save the rest of humanity from yiran's chocolates. yiran makes an expression that changmin can't quite place his finger on, one between ... anger... and embarrassment? was that it? changmin furrows his brows, just slightly.

"hyung... your face is red," he comments. "is it the blush? did kazehaya have that much blush?" he asks, genuinely confused. changmin didn't know too much about cosplay, just little bits and pieces he'd picked up from both his sister and yiran. but ah –

the chocolates.

changmin's eyes shift to the chocolates. they aren't safe for human consumption, changmin thinks. but he can't bring himself to say that to yiran – especially when he looks... just a little cute, like this. changmin chuckles to himself, how odd. yiran is much older than himself ( not much ), yet changmin finds him almost adorable just like this.

still, he takes a seat on the sofa, and tells his heart ( and mind, and stomach ) to prepare for what's to come. the inevitable stomach pain and flu. changmin's never been good at handling spice anyway, but he bites his tongue. he can't hurt yiran's feelings over this. he doesn't want to hurt yiran's feelings over this.

"thanks hyung!" he beams, letting himself get comfortable. "oh, hyung," he continues after a moment, turning to look at yiran from where he's from. "i just thought of a nickname for you! kazehayiran~" he says in a sing-song manner. "doesn't that sound cute?" he laughs. "it's a mix of my two favourite people! ah... wait, claudine noona is my favourite person..." he purses his lips, "then it's a mix of two people that i really like!"

yiran blinks. a gift… that reminded changmin of himself? isn’t that something that occurs to close friends? are they close friends?! it’s going to make him dizzy. he should just settle it on his shelf. it’s too precious valuable for him to just put it on his bed, he doesn’t want it to fall off his bed sometimes and let it accumulate bacteria. so for now, he places it on a table (that has a clean tablecloth on it).

he wants to grab the spicy chocolates for his friend… good friend? can he say that? no… he shouldn’t get too conceited. changmin is just a friend! but why is he standing so close to him?! this distance is too… much! he feels his body stiffening up. and there goes his instinctive frowns— no, he’s not angry at the boy in anyway. it’s just that he’s embarrassed of this closeness. is this something changmin is used to?! then he shouldn’t make a big fuss out of it… right?! friendship! comrade—!

before yiran says anything else though, the latter starts to compliment him. ahh, he really can’t handle this. he’s gotten these sorts of praises on the internet before, or even during conventions as “lanlan”, but none of them felt like they were directed to… xie yiran himself. they never felt real. but here his friend is, calling someone ugly like him handsome. it’s just makeup caked on his face, why does he feel like his face is heating up?

“i… thought i had the time to before you came,” he looks away from him, focusing his gaze onto his fucking wig stand. “i wouldn’t have time in the next few days otherwise… and no, i don’t have a sawako.” yiran never thought about ‘getting’ a sawako.

in the first place, he thought about changmin when he decided to cosplay kazehaya. it’s not the trend to cosplay characters from older series anymore, so he thought maybe… his friend would be excited to see a kazehaya cosplay? maybe? maybe??? that’s his thought process. changmin seems to like it, so… mission accomplished?!

yiran badly wants to shift the topic away, and move himself away from changmin. it’s too close! “sit down on the sofa, changmin. i’ll get drinks and the chocolates… for you.” he pauses midway to soften his tone because he realises it could come off as assertive. chocolates first, kazehaya second!

[bechangmin]

friends! // starter for @rihabe

changmin feels a sort of closeness towards riha. though he isn't quite sure how to frame it – riha reminds him of his older sister. which makes sense, really. she's a good four years older than him, and changmin finds himself comfortable around her presence.

comfortable enough to invite her out for a quick shopping trip. some clothes to buy for school, and to spruce up his rather sad and empty room.

he waits by the gym ( not having enough confidence to enter on his own either ), eyes perking up whenever a particularly attractive person walked by – wow... he's handsome! changmin blinks, attracted and slightly envious. could he perhaps look that way one day as well?

he doesn't let the thought linger for long though, when he spots riha coming out of the gym. "noona!" he beams, waving the older girl over. "i'm here!" he smiles, excited to see his friend. "how was work!"

[bechangmin]

accidental meetings // starter for @noelxbe

changmin hadn't planned on going for the waterbomb event. he quite honestly, had worried that he'd be overwhelmed by the crowd, and the amount of people there. it was bad enough that a crowded street would get him lost and nervous, but surrounded by people and water – that was something else.

still, he's somehow found his way here. and while he's around, he's decided to at least make the most of it. it isn't as though he's dressed up to impress though; if anything he's decided to go with a pair of comfortable shorts and an oversized t-shirt. something that he didn't mind ruining and getting soaked through.

he finds himself walking around, phone at hand, as he sends a quick message to his friend, when he bumps into a stranger. almost immediately, his phone falls onto the floor, and to his horror – his iphone 8 breaks. his old ( and quite honestly, sad excuse ) phone breaks – the screen cracking.

changmin blinks, taking a moment to realize what had exactly happened, before he's crouching down onto the floor and picking the phone up, lifting his shirt just slightly to wipe the screen – not covered in water.

"oh no..." he finds himself saying out loud, before he realizes he's actually bumped into someone. he lifts his head and before bowing. "i-i'm sorry!" he says, though his mind is filled with worry for his phone. "i didn't see you! are you alright? did i hurt you?"