shortsfor7deul

[shortsfor7deul]

Collecting the Boys 1/?

They parked their car down the street. Remy figured a little stroll in the park would be nice before heading to the studio. The flight over was long and the nap upon touchdown had been longer. Amaya didn’t mind; the night was cool, a great stretch for her sore and stiff body. Besides, she’d missed the simple neighborhood of South Korea. Basking in Seoul’s cool nighttime is always welcome.

Climbing out of the car with a package in hand, they made their way towards the park. A quiet stroll, taking in the peace and quiet through deep inhales. Remy falls a few steps behind, a habit that no longer alarms Amaya. Her partner prefers to watch over her from a distance – taking in the glowing view of her – before returning in step with her not long after. That’s just how Remy’s love works and Amaya adored it. When she felt his hands reaching hers, Amaya turned to look up to her partner. Suddenly, Remy brought their hands up, pointed in a direction and chuckled.

“I see our man. He’s right by the tree with the string.”

“He must have gone for a walk too,” a smirk played on the couple’s faces. Movement was swift as Remy and Amaya crept up towards some shrubs. In a perfect display of teamwork, they jumped out with a loud “Boo!”, catching Jaebeom off-guard and successfully scaring the lights out of him.

“How’d you know I was in the park, hyung?” Jaebeom asked as he joined Remy and Amaya on the floor. Jaebeom handed them each a cup of warm honey milk from the package Amaya had brought. From very early on, Jaebeom learnt that there’s no trying to convince Remy-hyung to sit on the sofa or chair, much less Remy’s partner, Amaya-noona. Jaebeom had always thought himself a simpleton, but this hyung and noona are even more simplistic than he is. Remy calls it “minimal”; Amaya calls it “low-maintenance”.

“We didn’t. Figured it would be nice to just have a short detour before coming in to your studio.,” Remy shrugged, sipping his cup.

“Ah, okay. When did you reach South Korea? Why didn’t you text me?” Jaebeom playfully nudged Remy. The older boy reached out and ruffled the youngster’s feathers.

“It’s not like you would fetch us either. You would have still been sleeping this morning!” Laughter filled the small basement studio as the chatter continued. Amaya was busy sipping her tea. Listening. Observing. Reading. When the boys turned to look at her mid-conversation, she reckoned her assessment was completed. A chuckle escaped her.

“Ah, have you finished reading me, noona?” Jaebeom teased, dodging Amaya’s jabs to his chest.

“Hey, sorry. Occupational hazard, but, you know me. Just looking out for you,” gaze dropping to Jaebeom’s comforting hand patting her knees before shifting in place to settle the cup of honey milk on the floor.

“Mhm. So, what’s up, noona? Your last message was about a week ago, asking about our appointment. It’s not something we can forget, y’know?” A twinkle of mischief in Jaebeom’s eyes before darkness flashed in a split second, darkening his face. His voice dropped. “Did something happen?” Remy was quick to chip in, explaining that it was just something Amaya did out of habit. There is a need for her to switch things up from time to time in order for her readings to remain fresh and accurate. Since they have known each other for a while now — a little longer for some — Amaya’s senses have grown accustomed to the energies of the boys. It is best to keep her senses and energy from getting too comfortable that can cause her reading to become complacent. If everyone were to converge at the same space for the first time in a while, it will muddle her mind.

“Besides,” Amaya finally chimed, “you’re still fresh from the concert. I wanna read all that energy you’re holding before it dissipates. It is the first concert for you after all, Beom-ah.” A soft smile breaks on Jaebeom’s face as he looks down in embarrassment. Amaya-noona’s words triggered the memories that now play in Jaebeom’s mind like a repeated broadcast.

GOT7’s second world tour ended just two night ago; it is Jaebeom’s first since his back issues that rendered him unfit to join his brothers on the first tour. All that emotion and adrenaline still hasn’t sunk in yet for Jaebeom. He’s taking his time to register all that’s happened. The one thing he felt throughout the entire tour, and it still send shivers down his spine, was how proud and immensely happy he was. The feeling of his heart expanding as he stood on stage… Seeing all those crowd in all those different venues… The reality that he’s living his dreams… Most of all, it was seeing his brothers by his side, together with him, on stages all over the world, all seven dreams becoming their one, shared reality.

It’s a sensation that Jaebeom, despite being the incredible lyricist and storyteller that he is, fails to put into words. These nights, in his slumber, he sees the stage and the venues. He sees his brothers and he still cannot believe he was given this honour of witnessing the growth of every single one of them. So much time has passed, yet no time passed at all. The boys have grown so much, yet, they are still the same. Jaebeom wakes every morning to find tears streaming down his face.

It was unfortunate that he couldn’t be with his brothers for the first tour. The doubts and fears that fed Jaebeom’s insecurities as a failed leader caused a downward spiral that had him in a vice-like grip. But it was also fortunate, because the boys returned to him and bore newfound respect and love for their leader. Jaebeom felt all the coldness and the fears slowly melting away. The depth of gratitude and love he has for his members has no bounds. It chokes him up, even in sleep. And now, that emotion is overflowing within him.

Warmth on his arm brought Jaebeom back from inside his head. Looking up, he locked eyes with Amaya-noona. Taking a deep breath, Jaebeom asked, “What did you see, noona?”