shadow-dancing - Tumblr blog

[shadow-dancing]

[8:56 PM] “Hello,” You cried, climbing the rickety, rusty bars which lead to the small platform housing a giant billboard in the shape of a castle, “It’s me, Y/N from Andalasia,” 

The rain continued to mercilessly poor, soaking your torn ball grown. The once snowy material was now stained with the dirt you had collected whilst wandering the busy streets of New York. 

“Hello,” You said once more, knocking furiously on the castle’s door, “Is anyone home?” 

Attorney!Jaehyun flipped through the documents he had taken from work, his daughter Morgan glumly sitting beside him on their cab drive home. 

The cab came to a slow stop at a red light. Morgan, who had been staring out into the distance, caught sight of a strange figure. Her brows furrowed as she rolled down her window for a better look.

“Daddy!” Morgan suddenly exclaimed, “Why is there a princess on the castle billboard?”

“It’s an advertisement, probably a mannequin.” Attorney!Jaehyun responded without sparing a glance.

“No,” Morgan said firmly, opening the cab’s side door, “She’s really there.” 

“Morgan! What are you doing?” Attorney!Jaehyun immediately dropped what he had been reading, desperately climbing out of the cab after his daughter. 

Attorney!Jaehyun was able to catch up with his daughter, scolding her for leaving without him. 

“Look, daddy.” She pointed, referring to you and your oversized tulle skirt.

Attorney!Jaehyun grimaced, “Wait here,” He told Morgan before stepping closer to the raised platform. 

“Edward,” You called, “Are you there?” 

“Hey, you!” 

You jumped, Attorney!Jaehyun’s voice startled you. You lost your footing, tumbling backward off the billboard.  

“Catch her, Daddy!”

Attorney!Jaehyun extended his arms in the air, clumsily trying his best to catch you but instead, he was used to break your fall. The both of you ended up in a heap on the ground. 

“Are you okay?”

You quickly rolled off the groaning Attorney!Jaehyun, “I’m fine,” You assured.

[shadow-dancing]

  Winter Wonderland ❄️

In celebration of me hitting 3400+ followers, I wanted to prepare a special gift for you guys. New updates, moodboards, timestamps, etc. are listed below. Most of these updates have already been written/edited, so I’ll be scheduling them in advance (most will be published around 11pm AEST before I go to bed). A big thank you to everyone that was respectful and patient during my absence. Unfortunately, a lot of good and bad things have happened during my break eg. bought a house, broke my foot etc. oh also this post is winter-ish themed as I’m from the southern hemisphere, and it is freezing h e l p me ⛄

Key: | 🌨 Chapter update | 🧣Timestamp | ⛸ Moodboard aesthetic | 

🌨 MONDAY  - (16th August)       ⇢ Heartless boy (Doyoung Werewolf AU)        ⇢ Old Soul (Renjun Werewolf AU) 

🧣 TUESDAY - (17th August)        ⇢ Haechan Soulmate AU         ⇢ Johnny King AU 

🧣 WEDNESDAY - (18th August)        ⇢ Jaehyun Enchanted AU         ⇢ Kun Frozen AU 

🌨 THURSDAY - (19th August)       ⇢ Love Maze (Jungwoo Werewolf AU)        ⇢ Sparks Align (Xiaojun Werewolf AU) 

🌨 FRIDAY - (20th August)       ⇢ Fragile Heart (Taeyong Werewolf AU)        ⇢ Dear Friend (Haechan Werewolf AU)

🧣 SATURDAY - (21st August)        ⇢ Xiaojun Merman AU        ⇢ Yangyang Angel AU 

🌨 SUNDAY - (22nd August)       ⇢ Breaking Point (Kun Werewolf AU)       ⇢ Chase Me (Hendery Werewolf AU)

Keep reading

[shadow-dancing]

白夜 - White Night (Taeyong)

This has been sitting in my OneNote for over a year so I decided I should put it up. White Night is my favourite from the Neo Zone album.

Words: 425 Genre: angst

Listen: White Night

Taeyong lay on his back, the dark of the room engulfing him in solitary silence. The memories had once again flooded his mind, filling the space with bygone times of when you both were still together. He sat up, reaching for his cellphone that sat on the nightstand. There were no notifications for new messages, & his inbox was just filled with messages from everyone else, especially Doyoung & Johnny—who have been sending concerned texts consistently for the past 2 days—that Taeyong refused to read or reply. He'll reply them eventually, just.... Not now.

Thunder rolled outside as Taeyong fell back onto his bed. He glanced at the window, the wind billowing his white curtains into the room. He was sure you were enjoying the gloomy weather that has come every night since things ended. You liked the rain—you said it washes away the sorrow & everything will become brighter. Or something along those lines. He couldn't even recall properly anymore. His mind was hazy from sleep deprivation & poorly made meals.

With a groan, he forced himself up to shut the window before the rain came in. He stood at the window, watching the rain start to patter against the glass rhythmically. His phone beeps, but he ignores it—it was bound to be another message from Doyoung telling him to get enough rest or eat well. He didn't even remember what proper sleep felt like anymore; sleep wore him out when you were all that he dreamt of.

He crawled back onto his mattress & plopped his head onto the fluffy pillow; he was fatigued & wished all this he was going through was just a bad dream—he was living a reality that worse than any nightmare he has had. His body begged for rest, but his mind raced restlessly. It was another sleepless night surrounded by memories of you that he was unable to bid goodbye. The profile of your face lingered in his mind, the feel of your skin tingled on his body, & your voice rang in his ears. Could your presence ever be removed when he still remembered everything about you so clearly?

Sleep eventually overtook him despite his reluctance to close his eyes. Once more your contours delineated in his dreams; once more he relived all the time that he had spent with you, the familiar melody of your voice whispering in his ears.

It was another white night as the heavy rain poured endlessly.

His dreams were still you.

He still longed for you all night long.

"Goodbye."

[shadow-dancing]

I wanted to compliment how well you write 😻 Do you use anything to help you write? I really want to get better but I don't know where to start. I'd love if you could offer some advice. Thank you in advance 💕

Thank you 🤍

Advice-wise, I usually recommend planning out your work first. Having an outline of the events and plotlines you'd want to explore can provide a nice flow to your writing. Also, write when you can. If you do come across writer's block, leave that section and work on something else. You don't have to write chronologically. You can always come back to it later. Most importantly have fun with writing, never put too much pressure on yourself.

Here are some resources you might find helpful:

550 Alternative Words for said: X

Body language cheat sheet: X

106 Ways To Describe Sounds: X

155 Words To Describe An Author’s Tone: X

Resources for Writing Injuries: X

Synonyms for commonly used words: X

Synonyms for the 96 most commonly used words: X

How to create a villain: X

Romantic Prompts: X

Resources For Writing Sketchy Topics: X

[shadow-dancing]

[2:17AM] Jaehyun sat up in his bed, waterworks coming. He exhaled, & used his sleeve to dab away the tears that ran down his cheeks. It had been 3 years, & yet he still felt the effects of the heartbreak. He fully took the blame for you leaving him, & though he was doing far better than last time, his nights were sometimes haunted by thoughts of you. He was in too deep, & getting used to being without you would take far longer than he thought. 

Jaehyun fell back into his pillow, & covered his face with another, the soft material mildly suffocating. It wasn’t the end of the world, it just took time. 

[shadow-dancing]

[1:15PM] You could feel an oncoming headache as the lecturer droned on forever about the topic in discussion. Your phone dinged, & you glanced at the notification — it was a message from best friend!Johnny. 

“yo dude do you understand what the lecturer is going on about?”

You laughed.

“nope. He’s talked so much I’ve lost the plot.”

“oh thank god I’m not the only one.”

“I am so bored, & he’s just talking nonstop,” you complained. 

“I’ll call you after he finishes talking, then we can diss his bad teaching methods”

“I’m game”

“ok I’ll talk to you later”

You returned to the boring lecture, head in your hand as the talking went in through one ear & out the other. Hey, at least there’s something to look forward to at the end of the class. 

[shadow-dancing]

for - chuchu anon

[1:58 PM] The beautifully melodic music of the piano play in the background as Fiancé!Taeyong nervously turned to his best man Doyoung. 

“You’re going to do okay,” Doyoung reassured the husband to be. 

“I just can’t believe this is happening,” Fiancé!Taeyong rambled, loosening his tie. “I still can’t get over Y/N said yes to my proposal. I know that was a year ago, but how can it be our wedding day already?”

Doyoung swatted Fiancé!Taeyong’s hand, quickly fixing his tie, “Your bride is going to come out of those doors any minute,”

Fiancé!Taeyong’s eyes widened as the guests gasped aloud. Doyoung took a step back, standing beside the other groomsmen. 

You were the most enchanting person he had ever laid eyes upon. His nerves quickly melting away, your features peeking beneath your veil bringing him confidence. 

You joined hands with Fiancé!Taeyong, he lifted your veil, revealing your face. 

The marriage officiant began his speech. 

“I love you,” Fiancé!Taeyong mouthed. 

Your smiled reached your eyes, “I love you too.” You mouthed back. 

[shadow-dancing]

for - anonymous 

[9:06] This arranged marriage hadn’t been as idyllic as you and King!Doyoung presented outward to the world. In fact, until recently, the two of you had been complete opposites and unable to stand the other’s company. 

King!Doyoung was standoffish and mistrusting of anyone outside of his circle of confidants. He found you to be too loud, too childish. Yet, put up with you for the sake of the royal treaties that had been signed between your countries. 

However, things had slowly changed the day you had stumbled onto King!Doyoung in one of the castle’s private libraries. He was leaned against a bookcase, flushed and hot to the touch. He harbored a fever, most likely due to the abrupt change of weather. 

To his startlement, you dragged him back to his chambers. You dabbed a damp rag over his sweaty forehead and nursed him until dawn. 

He offered his thanks the next day, your reply being that it was simply your duty as his wife to take care of him. 

Over time, you grew to understand King!Doyoung’s distrust, as an appropriate response to the endless dangers he faced as king. 

And he grew to understand you weren’t disruptive and you weren’t childish either. You had a greater comprehension than he had originally given you credit for. You also chose to be a guiding light that sought to quash other’s troubles. 

King!Doyoung knocked on the oak door. You opened the door of your chambers, surprised to see him there. 

“Is something wrong?” You scanned the corridor. 

“Not at all,” King!Doyoung quickly answered, “I was wondering,” He scratched the back of his head, “You mentioned you’d like to hear one of our stories?” He lifted a leather-bound book from his side. 

You sounded almost fluent in his tongue, yet he recalled you mentioning you couldn’t read his language and missed something as basic as reading. 

Your eyes lit up, a grin gracing your face, “Come in!” You ushered. 

King!Doyoung couldn’t help but smile to himself. 

Perhaps this was the beginning of something great. 

[shadow-dancing]

for - anonymous 

[2:26 PM] You wiped your palms on your mustard jeans with embroidered red and green flowers. You were a little shy, your feet shuffling as you sat in one of the ice cream parlors’ 60′s inspired booths. 

You had skipped lunch, forgetting your promise to meet your colleague during your break to exchange case files. 

Colleague!Johnny came forward with two waffle cones of ice cream. He maneuvered his body into the small space between the chair and table, careful not to drop the icy dessert. 

“Great you’re back,” You kept your voice as neutral as possible, “About the case file’s I brought the ones I think we should cross-examine together.” You ruffled through your crochet bag.

Colleague!Johnny shook his head, “Let’s eat first,

He extended an arm, hovering a cone not far from your face. 

“You haven’t eaten anything all day,” Colleague!Johnny mumbled softly, taking a lick of his own ice cream. 

You bit your lip, “Okay then,” You placed the files back in your bag. 

Colleague!Johnny watched as you ate your ice cream, smudging some chocolate on the tip of your nose. He tried to contain a laugh. You had always been so serious at work, a frown perpetually crossing your features. 

“You have a little something,” He tapped the side of his nose. 

Heat rose to your cheeks, quickly wiping it away with a napkin. 

Colleague!Johnny let out a chuckle. 

“What?” You questioned. 

“Nothing.” 

He gave you one of his insufferable smiles, the type that could make your legs wobble. 

“Can we get back to work?” 

“Of course.” 

[shadow-dancing]

for taeyongssmile

[5:43 AM] The early morning air held an iciness that made you shiver underneath your cloak. You rubbed your frozen arms while you awaited outside like the other townsfolk.

Prince!Taeyong rode on his prized steed, a beautiful creature with a coat the color of snow. His soldiers rode behind him, forming a long line that curved through the town’s main road. 

“Isn’t he handsome?” One hushed, tugging on your sleeve. 

You rolled your eyes. He was… not that you’d ever admit it.

“Oh, how I’d do anything for a man like him.” Said another. 

“He’s a prince,” You cut in, “He’s out of reach for the likes of us.” You were all commoners, nobodies in the eyes of the nobility. You knew better than to dream higher than your station. 

Prince!Taeyong brought his horse to a halt, slipping his feet out of his stirrups and hauling himself off his saddle. You watched as he greeted the small children first, ruffling one’s hair. 

Your eyes flickered away, noticing a hooded man approached. He pushed past the woman next to you, a dagger hidden in his palm. The dagger’s silver hilt glimmered, your mouth parting. 

“Watch out!” You cried, lunging forward as the hooded man thrust. 

Your hands grasped around Prince!Taeyong’s armored shoulder, twirling so the dagger missed the space where his steel breast ought to be. The both of you fell to the ground, your hand resting on Prince!Taeyong’s chest, your faces inches apart. 

The crowd quickly immobilized the culprit as the soldiers quickly jumped off their horses to place him under arrest. 

You continued to stare lost in the abyss of Prince!Taeyong’s eyes. 

“Thank you for saving me…” 

“Y/N,” You filled in. 

“Y/N,” He repeated, his lips forming into a smile. 

[shadow-dancing]

for - 💚anon

[6:35 PM] You groaned aloud. Your back slumped while your forehead met the creased pages of your barely legible notebook.

College!Taeil smiled to himself, watching adoringly from the opposite side of the library’s table. It was housed in the center of the room, round and made from old oak.

“Why is studying so difficult?” You exasperated, childishly flicking your pencil with the animated eraser on its end.

“That’s because you fell asleep throughout today’s lecture.”

“You could have woken me up,” You mumbled, noting College!Taeil pushed back his chair, “Where are you going?”

College!Taeil zipped his pencil case and closed the sketchbook he had used to occupy himself with while you studied. You were disappointed he hadn’t finished his drawing, the unfinished piece missing all but a face.

“To grab something to eat.”

College!Taeil stood up, slinging his backpack around his shoulder. He paused.

“Did you want to come?”

[shadow-dancing]

NCT WEREWOLF AU (yuta)

Damned beauty  (pt.2)

♛ Masterlist

♛ Yuta Part’s: | 01 | 02 |

♛ Member’s wolf profiles

♛ Genre: Werewolf AU, Enemies to lovers AU, Angst

♛ Quote: “A warmth pooled in his chest, you looked a lot better compared to how he had seen you last.”

♛ Warnings: Violence, Blood, Mentions of death

You stirred, your eyelid too weak to open. Your mouth tasted off blood, your skin covered in sweat. You were set upon a firm mattress, the cotton sheets tangled between your legs. 

“Sleep, my dear.” Your mother gently dabbed the wet cloth against your forehead. 

Keep reading

[shadow-dancing]

NCT MAFIA AU (taeil)

Pay the devil’s price, baby you’re mine (pt.3)

♛ Masterlist

♛ Taeil parts: | 01 | 02 | 03 |

♛ Member’s mafia profiles

♛ Genre: Mafia AU, Homicide investigator AU, Angst

♛ Quote: “His constant worry about what trouble you might get yourself into had plagued his mind. His troubles were only increasing since he made the connection that the West was somehow involved in all of this.”

♛ Warnings: Violence, Blood, Mentions of serial killers, Death, Torture

Past.

“I’ll catch you if you fall.“  

You squealed excitedly, holding onto your bike’s handlebars. The colored tassels blew in the air as your small feet rested on the pink peddles.  

"Remember just to the letterbox.” Your father told you.  

You nodded eagerly, ready to ride without your training wheels.  

“On the count of three."  

You grinned, focused on the task at hand.  

"One, two, thre -"  

Keep reading

[shadow-dancing]

NCT MAFIA AU (yangyang)

All the love we had, how bad it hurts (pt.2)

♛ Masterlist

♛ Yangyang’s Parts: | 01 | 02 |

♛ Member’s mafia profiles

♛ Genre: Mafia AU, Best friend AU, Angst.

♛ Warnings: Blood, Violence, Swearing 

♛ Quote: “He could settle for a platonic relationship as along as it meant he could remain by your side.”

You forced a smile on your lips, the camera blinding you momentarily.  

“You in the satin green dress?” The photographer motioned in your direction, “Could you switch places with the girl in red.”  

You smile deflated, “Sure,” You made room for the student in the red Louis Vuitton dress.  

Your shoulders slumped, she towered you in height. The camera flashed again, you hidden behind her head of curls and not in view at all.

“Perfect,” The photographer chimed, dismissing everyone, 

Keep reading

[shadow-dancing]

NCT WEREWOLF AU (taeil)

Forever Young (pt.1)

♛ Masterlist

♛ Taeyong parts: | 01 |

♛ Member’s wolf profiles

♛ Genre: Werewolf AU, Fluff, Angst (future)

♛ Warnings: Blood, Injuries, Burning, 

♛ Quote: “Taeil lay in blissful silence, a sweet, delicate scent drifting up to his nostrils. He inched closer to the smell, his hand possessively curling around whatever it was.”

Past. 

Autumn brought a wash of color to the small village, which lurked close to the borders of the East. Trees that had bloomed throughout the summer were now painted with an array of oranges, slowly breaking away from their branches.

You glanced outside the window, the dead leaves rustling in the winds. A sigh left your mouth as you politely rested your hands on your lap. 

Your mother combed your hair with an ivory brush. She hummed as she reached for some twine, tying half of your hair in a ponytail. She then threaded a mahogany hairpin through it. Lastly, she parted the ponytail into two strands. She swirled the stands around the hairpin, creating an elegant bun that sat high on the back of your head. 

“You have come of age, my child,” Her voice was laced with sadness.

“Must I truly leave?” You asked, holding in your sorrow.  

She bent down in front of you, grasping for your hands.  

“I’m afraid so,” She brushed her thumbs over your knuckles.  

Keep reading

[shadow-dancing]

NCT WEREWOLF AU (taeyong)

Fragile heart (pt.4)

♛ Masterlist

♛ Taeyong parts: | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 |

♛ Member’s wolf profiles

♛ Genre: Werewolf AU, Angst

♛ Warnings: Blood, Violence, Humiliation

♛ Quote: “You were his mate. After centuries of waiting, he refused to lose you to another.”

You were woken at dusk by one of your father’s appointed lady’s in waiting.  

“My lady,” Her smile was as fake as the sugary tone she spoke in. 

Your fiancé must have sent word to your father that you’d be joining in him on his journey to the outskirts of Northern state. You grimaced as you pulled away from the covers, your feet slipping into silk woven slippers. You bit inside your cheek, swallowing the sharp pain that radiated up your claves.  

“You ought to have told me you were spending time with your fiancé. I would have packed a trunk with all your belongings.” She spun gracefully in her ribboned heels, heading towards a rack of dresses she had neatly prepared.  

“I didn’t want to disturb you,” You matched her likeness.

Keep reading

[shadow-dancing]

Guitar Man (Taeil)

Listen: Guitar Man ; Every time I’m With You ; New Kid in Town

Genre: white collar worker!Taeil, guitarist!Taeil, some angst, moonlighting Words: 2, 217 

It was another crowded night at Pandora's Box, the pub in town that your uncle owned. Lately there has been a guitar playing man who was drawing in hoards of people to visit, & your uncle couldn't be happier by the boom in business. You weren't into pubs or bars—the stale air & smell of booze was a big turn off for your sensitive sense of smell, & the songs that usually blared at a billion decibels were not your cup of tea. Your uncle was singing this guitar man praises every night when he came home from work, & it was driving you slightly mad.

Your friend, Taeyong, was absolutely floored that you have never heard this person live when your uncle literally ran the place. "Come on, Y/N, the guy's great! Just go listen once, trust me."

You gave in after 3 weeks, & visited the establishment on a Monday night where you hoped the crowds would be less compared to the weekends. The pub air hit your nostrils like a sucker punch & you silently gagged as you made your way to the bar. You recognized the bartender, it was Johnny, the gentle giant whom you've known since your uncle opened the place about 3 years ago.

"Hey Y/N! What're you doing here?" Johnny asked with a wave. He was aware you were not a big fan of pubs.

"Came to see the newest sensation, of course," you smiled wryly, sitting gingerly on the bar stool.

"Ah, Taeil. He's great, the bars been busier than Times Square on New Year's Eve these past weeks. I think boss is considering hiring him permanently," Johnny nodded. "Have you eaten?"

"Not yet."

"I'll get Kun to make some fish & chips for you."

Soon you were tucking into your fish & chips with some iced Ribena. It was starting to get really crowded, & Johnny eventually got busy enough that he was making 3 drinks at the same time. You were tempted to leave; the amount of people in the relatively large space was probably over the maximum capacity at this point, & people had to jostle their ways around trying to find seats. At 7:45 the band that was playing stopped, said their thanks, & got off the stage. A relatively short young man, clad in a striped shirt under an oversized denim jacket & his dark hair side swept, took their place, a black guitar case slung over his shoulder & a bottle of water in hand. The crowd started murmuring excitedly, which gave you all you needed to know—this young man was Taeil. You were startled by his appearance when he turned around—he was wearing a white half mask to cover the upper half of his face.

Taeil adjusted the mic to fit his smaller stature, & perched on the stool that had been brought out for him. You watched as he produced an acoustic guitar from the case, & tuned it. He cleared his throat, took a quick sip of water, cleared his throat once more, & leaned into the mic a little.

"Good evening everyone—"

The crowd interrupted him with hoots & cheers. You rolled your eyes. Let the man speak, dammit.

Taeil smiled politely as the cheers died down. "I hope you all enjoy yourselves tonight."

You pushed aside your empty plate, sipping your drink. A hush fell over the crowd as Taeil started playing.

"Are we going insane? Do we need to explain? I feel like we know it."

Your heart leaped. Taeyong & Johnny were wrong—he wasn't just good, he was damn good. The crowd slowed their activities, their eyes trained on him as he sang. The kitchen grew quieter as Johnny & Kun paused a moment to listen.

"I could lose it all it won't be daunting Somehow I don't think I'd even care Cuz every time I'm with you I feel wanted We could make believers if we dared"

As he finished the song, the people sighed; some wiped their tears & kissed their significant others, while others wallowed in loneliness. Taeil realized the mixed reaction & wanted to stammer an apology, but the crowd burst into applause & screamed for another song. He took a swig of water & started on the next song.

"Baby I don't know why, but somehow I always seem to get tangled up in my pride"

Taeil's set ended at 9.30, much to the dismay of the crowd. He waved shyly as he hopped off the stage & disappeared through a back door. Johnny & Kun resumed their work. & you gulped down the rest of your drink. Taeil's set was over, there no longer was a reason to hang around. As you lay in bed later that night, your heart was still pounding, the sweet vocals resonating in you ears.

You found yourself at the pub after work the next day. Johnny looked up as you approached, & you knew he could tell you couldn't get enough of Taeil. At the same time as yesterday, Taeil took the stage at 7:45, & today he asked the band to accompany him as he played a rendition of Got My Mind Set On You, Oh Pretty Woman, & Part Time Lover.

"Okay break time everyone! I need to hydrate!" Taeil laughed, leaving the mic.

He squeezed past his adoring fans & made it to the bar, where he asked for some lemon tea. Johnny handed it to him, & he downed it pretty fast, almost choking on the ice.

"You okay?" You asked, offering some serviettes.

"Yeah, fine. Forgot my bottle," Taeil reassured. He flashed you a smile, before heading off to the stage again.

--------------------------------------------------------

Taeil scrubbed a hand over his eyes as the sun started to hang low. Work was exhausting as always, & he was more than ready to just up & leave the place. He glanced at his watch—4:55PM. 5 more minutes & he could clock out. He looked around to see what his colleagues were up to; Jungwoo was yawning widely as he typed away at his laptop, Yuta was scrawling away busily on some paper, probably doodling, & Jaehyun had his earphones plugged in—Taeil could make out some TV drama playing on Jaehyun's Netflix account. Taeil exhaled, glancing at his watch again.

Another 2 minutes to freedom.

He pushed his papers aside, pulling out a binder full of guitar chords from his bag. He flipped through the sheets to find a song to play at the pub. Are You Lonesome Tonight seemed good for a first song, maybe for the second song he could play—

"Aw yes! Finally time to leave this place!" Yuta announced loudly, standing up to stretch his arms.

"Not so loud! Do you want the boss to hear?" Taeil hissed, putting a finger to his lips.

"He left like 45 minutes ago," Jungwoo pointed out, shutting off his laptop.

"What? Really?" Jaehyun asked, taking his earphones out.

"Seriously? I thought you were watching that stupid TV drama because you knew he was gone!" Jungwoo exclaimed.

"No, I watched it because I don't want to do work. Tomorrow's a holiday for heaven's sakes why are we even here when we could've taken the day off."

"Oh whatever let's just get out of here," Yuta grumbled, packing up. "The pool table at Daydream is calling my name."

"Taeil, you joining us for pool?" Jungwoo asked. "Yuta is gonna go up against Doyoung later."

"No it's fine, I have something to do tonight. I'll see you all tomorrow, bye," Taeil said as he walked out the door.

He quickly got into his car, & drove home for a quick rinse. He found a clean shirt & threw on a black jacket & was out the door again with his guitar in hand. He was glad the owner of Pandora's Box let him play; he was tired of the tedious routine of his work days, & playing for the crowd for 1.5 hours was the one thing he looked forward to everyday, even if it meant he had to take a 2 hour drive to the pub. He had chanced upon the pub after the previous place he used to frequent got shut down due to poor business. He didn't even realize the crowds got less, as he was so focused on his playing.

Traffic was lighter than usual today, to which Taeil chalked up to being related to tomorrow being a public holiday, & most probably took the day off to make it a long weekend. He parked in his usual spot, & entered the front discreetly. It was pretty early, so there were only a handful of people inside. Johnny, the bartender, looked up as Taeil approached.

"Hey man, you're early today," he noted.

"Yeah, traffic was good. Can I get some water?"

Johnny slid him a glass of water.

"Is that musician gonna play tonight?"

Taeil almost choked on his water as he accidentally eavesdropped on the conversation of the fellas at the table behind him.

"I should think so."

"Tsk. What's so great about him? He just sings songs & strums his guitar. Anyone can do it!"

"Uh, I mean, not everyone has the—"

"Pass me a guitar & I could sing as good as him."

"Can you even play guitar."

"Does it matter?"

"Yes it does, you nitwit."

Taeil was mildly amused by the exchange, but also by the fact they thought they might like to take his place. In no way did he believe he was superior over them, but being a musician wasn't as easy as prancing on the stage with a guitar.

He wowed the crowd as always that night, and at 9.25 he looked at his binder stuffed with sheet music. What shall his final song be?

You watched intently form your seat, Taeyong cheering next to you; Taeil was absolutely glowing tonight, & everyone was all ears. He sang Elvis, & even played Piano Man by Billy Joel. You noticed the crowd seemed to be a little thin today, yet it didn't faze Taeil. He adjusted his mask, & picked up his guitar. A familiar set of chords filled your ears, & you inhale deeply.

"There's talk on the street it sounds so familiar. Great expectations, everybody's watching you."

You bit your lip slightly. What could Taeil possibly mean by playing this song? Was it just a song for tonight or did he have some intention to sing it?

"Johnny come lately The new kid in town Everybody loves you So don't let them down"

The rest of the crowd did not seem to be worried by the song. After all, why should they? The guitar man was simply here to serenade them with his angelic vocals to help them forget about life for a while. You take a swig of your Ribena. You were probably just overthinking things. After all, this song was about fleeting romance. You glanced at Taeyong briefly, & he catches your eye. He smiles, & you feel your heart skip a beat.

"There's talk on the street, it's there to remind you Doesn't really matter which side you're on You're walking away, and they're talking behind you They will never forget you 'til somebody new comes along"

As the pub emptied for closing, Taeil sat at the bar with a glass of water. Johnny was mopping up the beer some patron had spilled all over the floor, grumbling about how uncouth some people can get. Kun was singing softly in the kitchen as he washed up the dirty dishes in the sink, while his kitchen assistants cleaned the stoves & countertops. Taeil thumbed the rim of his glass, suddenly tired. Boy was he glad tomorrow was a holiday cuz he intended to sleep in late.

"You did well today, Taeil," the bar owner said as he rearranged the tables & chairs.

"Thank you, sir."

"Is something wrong?"

"Not at all, sir, just tired," Taeil admitted.

"Not surprised, you did go all out tonight," the owner nodded. "If you're too tired to make the drive home I think Johnny can let you stay in his place, can you Johnny?"

Johnny gave a thumbs up.

"Nah, I think I'll be fine."

The lightbulb above Taeil flickered. The bar owner frowned at it, muttering he should get a replacement bulb for that. Taeil stayed until the owner had to escort his employees out. Sitting in the driver seat of his car, Taeil watched as the lights went out before starting his car. 

It was time to leave. 

--------------------------------------------------------

"Is the Guitar Man coming back?"

"I don't know, maybe."

"I hope he does. He was fantastic."

Johnny looked up. The crowds were less now that Taeil hasn't returned to play for the past 5 days. The boss had called Taeil out of concern 3 days ago, lord knows what could've happened that night that he insisted on driving back despite his tiredness, & Taeil answered that he’s gone elsewhere to play. The boss was disappointed, but understood that sensations tend to fade out after their 15 minutes of fame. 

Johnny returned to his chores; he too had been disappointed to hear Taeil left to go elsewhere to sing. Maybe one day the guitar man would return.