#in b4 I entirely forgot a really obvious show here

[muninnhuginn]

Hi Mun!!! I wanted to ask if you have any other kdramas or cdramas you would want to recommend? :0 I still need to catch up with Stranger/Secret Forest, but I’m curious if there are any others I should check out too!

That I do.

Okay so I'm trying to decide how much to factor in enjoyment vs quality here because I have a few shows I really enjoyed but are, um, well, you have to let some stuff pass.

I will mention that my tastes in terms of romancey stuff tends to lean towards non-existent or subtle and so that's largely reflected in my recs. The only exception to this on the list is Flower of Evil. (I didn't intend it but this list doesn't actually have any main BLs/GLs either. A lot of people ship various combos of the main three in MLC and WCL though.)

Shows below cut in no particular order:

Flower of Evil

(modern kdrama)

I wasn't sure how to start with this one so I'll just nab the description from Wikipedia as it's actually fairly accurate here:

Baek Hee-sung is a man who hides his identity and past from his wife Cha Ji-won, a detective. On the surface, they appear to be the perfect family: A loving couple with a beautiful six-year-old daughter who adores her parents. Cha Ji-won and her colleagues begin investigating a series of unexplained murders and she is confronted with the reality that her seemingly perfect husband may be hiding something from her.

I don't want to spoil much about this, but it's very cat-and-mousey. It's evil with the cliffhangers. At one point, it briefly becomes a buddy comedy between a guy and another guy he kept in his basement. And there is one scene where people just sit in a car crying for two minutes. So, like, it has the range? I think of it as a guilty pleasure kinda show personally, but it's probably the closest to Beyond Evil of the shows on this list.

Mysterious Lotus Casebook

(historical cdrama)

Full disclosure: I have only recently finished this and it has somewhat taken over my brain so I can't claim to be in any way unbiased here. Li Lianhua is a lying liar who lies who may or may not be the fallen hero Li Xiangyi (he is). He wants to get by pretending to be a doctor and minding his own business, but unfortunately, the plot is out to get him. And so he, along with Fang Duobing, end up investigating various crimes as Li Lianhua tries to find the body of his former senior to lay him to rest before his own body gives out on him.

My favourite thing about this show is a) Li Lianhua, and b) the dynamic between the main trio. The levels of trolling and identity porn at any one time are through the roof. It's a comedy until it isn't.

Reset

(modern cdrama)

This is the incredibly rare type of show known as a decent *modern* cdrama. It's a timeloop show and is fairly short at 15 episodes. It's about two strangers who are trapped on a bus that keeps exploding and their attempts to uncover why and how it keeps happening. Being a modern cdrama, some of the police stuff can be fairly... heavy-handed, but I think the writers do what they can despite that, and it does use the different bus passengers to explore different societal issues, which is neat.

Overall, it's a bit of a mystery show, a bit of a character drama, and a teensy bit of romance which is for the most part nicely underplayed.

White Cat Legend

(historical cdrama)

This is waaaaaay more down the enjoyment end than quality but I'm having such a good time here. This is originally based off a manhua (I've only read pieces of it myself) but mainly just takes the characters and some story beats and does its own thing. I watched the donghua first and tonally that was an interesting experience in how it raced between funny cat shenanigans and reckoning with the nature of war crimes (though the donghua stuck much closer to the og source overall). But the live action so far is staying firmly silly (I'm midway through so it will shift at some point, I'm sure, just can't see the tonal whiplash being as bad as in the donghua).

Anyway! To explain what the show actually *is*, it follows a guy who has been cursed to become a cat (in the manhua/donghua this means he's like a walking furry but the live action has it more of a werecat/shapeshifter deal which is good because I could not handle that cg 24/7) and his attempts at running investigations as part of the local court. This is not helped by being the only competent guy in the entire place. Still, at least his underlings are *incredibly* entertaining in their failures. So, most of the show is investigating crimes against a backdrop of Li Bing (catto dude) trying to uncover the origins of the curse and why the old court and his father died. There's also a purple dude with whom he has History and an italian vampire. And vice president shangguan, who is one of those rare female characters you get in historical cdramas where the show is actually normal about her existence *without* just entirely brushing over the implications of her being in her position as a woman.

Move to Heaven

(modern kdrama)

This is a genuine rec where I'm not going to say you have to let quality pass or whatever because it's objectively good and doesn't have a high entry barrier. It may be good to watch an episode at a time depending on your mood though rather than trying to marathon it or anything.

This show basically follows the 'move to heaven' team, who are summoned to clear out the belongings of the deceased. Each deceased person has a story associated with them and as part of tidying the belongings away, there's an element of investigating to find out what their story was. It can be a tearjerker at times, but it can also be incredibly sweet. Also, it has a canon autistic character where it actually strikes a really good balance in terms of not infantilising him whilst still having it make sense why he wants help with certain things.

Nirvana in Fire

(historical cdrama)

This is my beloved. My favourite cdrama of all time. But I suspect it may not fit for you if Secret Forest doesn't. Still, I'll mention it and say to look up the diagrams to keep track of all the characters in the early episodes (...yeah, it's that type of show).

Anyway, this show is about a terminally ill man who takes on a secret identity or two as he plots to take revenge/bring justice (depending on who you ask) for the crimes of the past. This is part of the 'lying liar who lies' subgenre. It's much more serious and complicated overall than Mysterious Lotus Casebook despite the superficial similarities, but it does have its lighthearted moments.

Misc. shows that didn't make the list

I'll mention Signal (kdrama) and Kairos (kdrama) because they both have neat time travel mechanics, but with huge stipulations here. Signal is the objectively better one of these two and the male mc in Kairos is unbearable at times but at the same time Kairos has enough good points to keep me watching. The friend trio of female mc (they're just besties frfr) and the villain romance subplot especially. Signal had potential to be amazing, but for me, some of the time travel mechanics fell through and it was almost BBC Sherlockian at times with some of the 'profiling' deductions.

Signal's premise is that there's a walkie talkie that links the past and the present between a current day consultant profiler (with a distrust of the police despite now working for them) and a past police officer who is dead in the present day. It follows various cases between the past and the present that are interlocking with each other, with the overarching mysteries being present day profiler's backstory and past cop's death. I feel like this started out decently, went hit-and-miss, had a few episodes where it was absolutely amazing, and then lost steam somewhat, though the ending hit the main points.

Kairos' premise centres around a mobile phone. When a phone is disconnected, the number ends up being assigned to someone else. So, the two main characters, living a month apart in time, have the same number and thus can communicate with each other. The male mc in the future has recently found out that his wife and daughter have both died and the female mc's mother has gone missing. So they've both got a scenario they need the other person to help them with and as they change things, more new problems keep cropping up. It's a show where the premise is super interesting, but I personally found it a very frustrating watch, not least because of characters making decisions that were in-character, but incredibly stupid and *not* in the entertaining way.

Also, as I didn't include any BLs/GLs, I'll mention that I cannot in good conscience recommend Guardian (cdrama), but it's such fun trash and it has Shen Wei. It's a bit like shows like Torchwood and Buffy in that it's ostensibly modern era but there's magic (sorry, 'aliens') and a team that's meant to be keeping on top of it all led by Zhao Yunlan. He meets Shen Wei and then proceeds to *keep meeting him* at various crime scenes because Shen Wei sucks at this whole low-key deal.

On a similar note, Couple of Mirrors (cdrama) is a republican era GL. The two leads are well-written, but it's basically like two different shows mushed together (a soap and an assassin/cat-and-mouse chase). It has Yan Wei though! It's about a popular writer meeting a photographer (who is also an assassin) and them both discovering that the writer's husband really and truly sucks.

[emeraldwaves]

Title: Don’t Look Down DJ AU Chapter 10 (Read from beginning Here or Here) Pairing: Sarumi Rating: M Word Count:  7,094 AO3 Summary: When Fushimi Saruhiko is dragged to a club by some of his co-workers, he refuses to dance, earning him the attention of the lively, up-and-coming DJ, Yata Misaki. After a heated argument, the boys go their separate ways, never expecting to meet again. Little do they know their first meeting is only the beginning of their now intertwined lives.

Full Fic Under Cut. Thank you to @its-love-u-asshole for betaing!

Regret began to settle into Saruhiko's being a few days later when Doumyouji and the others caught wind of the performance Saruhiko had agreed to do with Misaki. This subsequently meant Munakata had found out as well, and that made Saruhiko feel even worse. So much so, he attempted to avoid Munakata every time he locked eyes with the man in the office.

However, by the afternoon a few days later, there was absolutely no avoiding his boss.

"Oya! Fushimi-kun, I heard you're going to participate in a live performance this weekend. How thrilling!"

Thrilling was one word for it. It certainly felt like something out of a horror movie. Saruhiko clicked his tongue. "Tsk, sure."

"I think it would be wonderful if the office went to hear this song of yours," he grinned, and Saruhiko knew it was a telling grin. One that let him know, Munakata had known everything anyway and he wasn't about to let Saruhiko say no to the entire office coming to see him. He also had to know how much Saruhiko despised the idea of performing live and was silently hoping Misaki would change his mind.

Of course, Misaki had shown no signs of doing such a thing. In fact, it was more the opposite. Misaki wouldn't shut up about how excited he was. He was constantly texting Saruhiko, which wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but every text was related to how excited or nervous he was to perform live. The emotions fluctuated depending on the day, and Misaki was a ball of anxiety whenever he called Saruhiko and left him a multitude of messages.

So far, Saruhiko had been consistently avoiding practice, in hopes that Misaki would maybe forget the whole thing and he could silently slip away into the shadows. It was a foolish thought, since Misaki rarely forgot about anything regarding Saruhiko and music, let alone something he'd been dying to do his whole life.

Saruhiko was stuck it seemed. At the very least, he wasn't going to let the whole damn office come and watch him make a fool of himself on that stage. "No," he said finally. "No one is coming to watch." Just thinking about the performance made him want to throw up.

"It's good for co-workers to support each other's endeavors," Munakata smiled.

"I wouldn't exactly call this my endeavor," Saruhiko grumbled. He assumed there was no way he was going to get around people coming to watch, especially if they already knew about it. It wouldn't be difficult for them all to figure out where and when it was, especially if they were smart enough to ask Misaki.

"But Fushimi-kun, we still would like to support you, whatever it is you do." He doubted any other boss cared as much as Munakata. As annoying as it was he did mean well, and he cared, more than Saruhiko could say about most of the people throughout the course of his life.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, sighing as he rolled his eyes, watching Munakata finally leave him alone. He knew he was probably going to see him, Hidaka, Akiyama and the rest at the performance whether he wanted them there or not.

He was going to have to cave to Misaki and actually start practicing. This performance was a reality and in order to not make a complete fool of himself, he had to start somewhere.

Picking up his phone, he replied to one of the messages he had been avoiding this morning.

[Text Reply] Misaki: Alright, we can practice. I'll stop by after work.

[Text]: GREAT! Where the hell u been? We shoulda started days ago. [Text]: We can show Kamamoto so u can @ least do it 4 some1 b4 the big night

Saruhiko wished Misaki would stop mixing numbers into his words when he texted, and he really wished he would stop referring to it as 'the big night'. It was far too much pressure for Saruhiko to handle. He wasn't a performer.

And that became painfully obvious when he stood in Misaki's living room, frozen as Kamamoto's eyes were on him before the song began. Or well, he thought Kamamoto's eyes were on him, he couldn't tell behind the idiot's damn sunglasses. Him being in the room was more than enough to set off Saruhiko's nerves, even though Kamamoto had presumably heard Saruhiko practicing in Misaki's room simply by proximity. He pursed his lips, opening his mouth, as though he were about to begin, but when the intro ended, he could barely open his mouth.

Misaki had promised him happy memories, but if he couldn't actually make any sound, there weren't going to be any happy memories for the two of them.

"Saruhiko!" Misaki said, slamming his hand down on the button, after it happened for a third time. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sick," he coughed awkwardly, clearly fake. "The sound isn't coming out."

"Bullshit you're sick! What's going on? You've sang for me plenty of times and Kamamoto has heard you a ton of times!" Misaki folded his arms and flopped on the couch next to Kamamoto.

"I told you I'm not a performer," he said.

"Yeah but you also agreed to do this for me!" Misaki jumped up. "I get that you're nervous...but I know how you can sing, I've heard you and I fucking love it! They're all gonna love it too, and even if you fucking hate it, it's barely 5 minutes of your life, it'll be over before you even know it!"

Saruhiko hated that he blushed when Misaki said he loved his singing. It wasn't something he was proud of, or something he wanted to pursue. He wasn't like Misaki, but he did like Misaki, begrudgingly, or less so as of late. If he could make Misaki love something, that was slowly becoming enough to spur him on. He wasn't sure when it had become like that, their relationship, but he didn't hate it.

"And it's not like you're gonna be alone! I'll be there right next to you, or well, behind you, sort of," Misaki said, and Saruhiko hadn't realized the shorter had still been talking.

"Alright, alright. Do it again," he scoffed.

"Right!" Misaki said, standing behind his mixing board as he started up the track again.

This time, Saruhiko sang out, and even behind Kamamoto's sunglasses, he could see his eyes widen. He didn't move much, and Misaki said that was something they'd have to work on, especially since Misaki was often so energetic, but Kamamoto noted the sound was so good, he didn't imagine many people would care if Saruhiko sat like a lump on the edge of the stage as long as he sang like that.

"I didn't expect you to sound like that, even from just hearing you guys through the wall and the recording," Kamamoto noted.

Saruhiko rolled his eyes. "Surprises, I'm full of them apparently." But the person he kept surprising the most was himself.

"See!" Misaki cheered, shutting his laptop. "You're gonna be amazing! Just...move a bit more and you'll be fine!"

More than anything, Saruhiko wanted to believe Misaki was right, just this once.

~~

Misaki had imagined many times what it would be like to actually meet a music producer who was willing to hear him, to give him that one chance he had always assumed he'd needed. And now it had happened and he was going to do a test performance. It didn't feel real.

After he had called Kusanagi to confirm the performance, he woke up every morning and thought about it. Every day he had to remind himself he was in fact going to perform for a real time producer. Mikoto's producer no less.

"Kamamoto. Can you believe tonight...I'm going to do a performance for a real producer!" Misaki cheered.

"I can believe it!" he said, nudging his friend. "C'mon Yata, we've all known how freaking talented you are. It was only a matter of time!"

"I dunno. It still doesn't feel real to me!" he said, glancing at his watch. "Shit!" he cried out, dashing into his room as he dug through the pile of clean clothes on his bed. "I gotta get ready!"

"Uh, Yata," Kamamoto mumbled, peering into his room from the doorway. "You have plenty of time."

"Yeah, but I gotta look perfect!" he said, holding up a shirt.

"Right, I'll get dinner ready." Kamamoto sighed, and left Yata to dig through his clothes.

He wondered what Saruhiko planned on wearing. They had to look professional, but casual, right? What the hell were they supposed to wear? He wasn't any sort of fashion expert, but he also didn't want to look like an idiot.

He blushed thinking about the song once more. The best idea would probably be to go with an outfit that matched their style. Being himself was definitely the best option. The song ran through his mind, Saruhiko's voice ringing in his ears. He couldn't wait for them to hear how amazing Saruhiko was live. If only Saruhiko would believe that. He prayed the idiot would be able to handle it.

Misaki knew he really owed Saruhiko a lot. This was the third or fourth thing he'd convinced Saruhiko to do against his will. "I'll make it up to him, somehow," Misaki muttered under his breath. Briefly, a memory of them making out in the tent flashed through his mind, but he quickly shook the thought away. He couldn't just repay Saruhiko with those kind of favors.

Sighing, he pulled a white hoodie on, smoothing out the flyaway hair which stuck out every which way. He probably was going to wear his beanie like he normally did, and as his heart beat with anticipation, he made his way to the kitchen.

~~

The bar venue was smaller than Misaki expected, but he wasn't upset, in fact, he was relieved. He was used to playing in smaller clubs. The smaller the crowd the easier it would be to get people moving. Bigger crowds were far more intimidating. Though he had to admit, he was surprised Mikoto was playing at a place like this. He knew Kusanagi, Homra's producer owned the place, and it was where the company had gotten it's start, but he was surprised the place wasn't swarming with Mikoto and Totsuka's fans.

"Yata! Good to see you!" Totsuka bounced forward, holding out his hand. "King just got here too! Is your singer here? We're gonna do a quick soundcheck!"

"Not yet," Misaki smiled, staring at Totsuka. He still hadn't gotten over the fact that he was actually going to be an opener for Totsuka and Mikoto, his music heroes.

"That's alright! King and I can go first." Totsuka turned away, waving to the tall, red-haired man who emerged from a backroom. "King! Come say hi."

The man approached slowly, his body swaying back and forth with each casual step he took forward, and Misaki held his breath, watching as the man he'd admired for so long walked closer and closer. He held a cigarette behind his lips, and stopped next to Totsuka. Mikoto was taller than Misaki had realized, it was difficult to gauge that sort of thing when he was just watching someone one a stage.

"Yo. Yata-san, yeah?" he said, pulling the cigarette from between his lips.

"Uh...Y-Yeah! It's such...such an honor to meet you, Mikoto-san!" he said, bowing his head. "I've been a fan of your music for...as long as I can remember!" he yelled.

"Mm," Mikoto smirked, and placed his hand on Misaki's shoulder, giving him a pat. "You're good." And with those few words, he walked with Totsuka to the stage.

Misaki was frozen. Suoh Mikoto had complimented him. Him, and he was going to open for him tonight. His heart was pounding so hard, he thought his chest might explode from the excitement.

"Tsk. Misaki, don't keep your jaw on the floor, it's dirty there."

A familiar voice broke Misaki from his daydream as he turned to face Saruhiko, who was staring at him skeptically. "S-Saruhiko!"

"I think you're drooling," Saruhiko smirked.

"S-Shut up! Do you realize that was Suoh Mikoto! THE Mikoto!" he gasped.

"I realize," Saruhiko replied flatly. He looked annoyed, but then again, when didn't Saruhiko look annoyed. He did, however, look damn good in the outfit he had picked out. Tight jeans and a button up shirt with a unbuttoned gray vest. Misaki pursed his lips, trying to focus on the situation, instead of wanting to kiss Saruhiko.

"Look I get that you don't care, but tonight is a big deal to me!" he snapped, folding his arms.

"I'm here, aren't I?" he muttered, shaking his head. "Let's get ready." Saruhiko brushed by him, heading towards the stage to soundcheck.

Misaki's heart was starting to race. He could guess there probably wouldn't be more than fifty to hundred people in such a small, casual bar, but meeting Mikoto had made him even more nervous. This was Mikoto, Suoh Mikoto. It was his dream to open for such an amazing talent. The man who had inspired him to do this in the first place.

"Misaki? You coming?" Saruhiko asked, bringing Misaki back to the present once again.

"Yeah! Duh! I'm ready. Completely ready!" he said, hopping up onto the small stage. Saruhiko's brow was raised as Misaki walked by him, but the shorter boy chose to ignore him. Saruhiko's attitude problem wasn't going to change Misaki's utter excitement, and it certainly wasn't going to help his nerves. Ignoring it was the far better choice.

Standing behind his laptop, he slipped the headphones over his ears, his head already felt hot, his ears wet with sweat.

"Alright, just do the beginning," Kusanagi called out from next to the stage. "Just a couple lines, we just need to make sure we can hear Fushimi over the music. Fushimi, make sure you sing as loud as you think you can."

Misaki swallowed, he hoped Saruhiko would actually sing out, especially after they had practiced for so long. The music began to swell in his ears, and Saruhiko's cue was about to hit. Of course, there was silence for a moment, Saruhiko coming in late as his sweet voice finally rang out. Misaki's chest deflated, letting out a sigh of relief. There wasn't much of an audience yet, but he hoped Saruhiko would keep his confidence up. He wanted him to come in on time.

"That's great, thanks!" Kusanagi said, waving to them, the song stopping abruptly. "We're going to double check the soundcheck on Mikoto, so hang out in the backroom for thirty or so. We'll call you out when it's time."

"Right," Misaki nodded, stepping off the stage to stand, or pace rather, in the backroom.

"Sit down," Saruhiko grumbled. He'd plopped down onto one of the large red cushion chairs. He folded his legs and arms, looking just as grouchy as he had before.

"I can't!" Misaki said, rubbing his hands through his messy hair. "I'm too nervous! This is Mikoto-san! Mi-ko-to!" he said.

"I know. You've said that. I don't know why it matters so much. You'll be just as good, if not better."

Misaki blushed. Did Saruhiko really think he was better than Mikoto-san? That was ridiculous, there was no way he was. Saruhiko probably just thought that because he didn't know very much about music.

"No way!" he scoffed. "No way will I be better than Mikoto-san!" Misaki jumped up and down a few times, shaking his hair out.

"Fine. You won't be. Can you just sit down?" Saruhiko scoffed. "You're...making me more nervous than I already was."

Misaki froze, and quickly took a seat. He was used to feeling nervous, but Saruhiko was not, and it was imperative that Saruhiko actually sang tonight. "Sorry," he muttered.

The two sat in silence for the remainder of the time, but Misaki kept bouncing his leg up and down quickly, though Saruhiko attempted to stop it by grabbing his thigh every so often, hoping to quell the vibrations.

"We're ready for you!" Kusanagi smiled. "We've got a nice small crowd, so nothing to worry about."

"Right," Misaki nodded, the two boys standing up to make their way to the stage.

"We've got quite the treat for you before King and I do our set," Totsuka smiled. "Introducing the next DJ hit, Yata Misaki and his incredible singer, Fushimi Saruhiko!!" The small crowd clapped, as they walked onto the stage. Misaki was quick to wave, the nervous energy hitting him positively. Kusanagi was right, there was no reason to be nervous, this was his night, best to have fun. Saruhiko kept his gaze forward, as though he could only stare at his goal, the microphone on the stand in front of him.

Standing behind his laptop, Misaki placed the headphones back on his head, though he left one ear open as he picked up the mic on the table in front of him. "Hey everyone!" he smiled. "I'm Yata Misaki and I'm thrilled to be here tonight with Saruhiko for our first live performance of this song. I hope you guys like it!" he smiled. There were a few more claps from the audience, but Misaki didn't wait for them to finish as he turned up the bass on the soundboard.

The familiar tune flowed into his ears, and it was like he forgot where he was. This was their song, his and Saruhiko's, and now they were going to perform it together. That alone was amazing, everything with Mikoto aside, the fact that Saruhiko was actually going to sing live for someone other than him was incredible.

This time, Saruhiko started perfectly on time, the song sounding almost as flawless as it did in the mix track. Misaki smiled, bouncing with the track, his body moving in time with the music. Even Saruhiko seemed to be moving, his hips swaying back and forth, and he even moved his arms a few times, as though he was actually enjoying performing the song. He looked good, damn good. From as far Misaki could tell from behind, Saruhiko's gaze stayed up and out, not looking down once out of fear or nerves.

Misaki couldn't believe it. He'd dreamed about this moment, a time he and Saruhiko would perform live together, and he was opening for Mikoto. It was perfect, the way they moved together on stage, the excitement and passion building within him, like a flame engulfing his every being. And before he could really even take it in, it was over, perfection ringing in the still air.

~~

Saruhiko was shocked sound actually left his lips when the song began. He knew where to sing, he'd done it so many damn times in recording, and in front of Kamamoto and Misaki. It would've been dumb to miss his cue like he had during the soundcheck.

The lights were much brighter now, and though he could make out some of the tables, mostly Saruhiko couldn't see a thing, and the music was so overwhelming, he couldn't bring himself to do anything but sing, and once he did, he realized how much sense it made. His voice belonged in this track. If he hadn't sang, it would've sounded wrong, and empty.

So he sang, loud. His voice didn't sound like his own, his body didn't feel like his own, his hips beginning to sway in time with the music. Behind him, he could feel Misaki's energy pulsating, and he felt him jump up and down a few times. People in the audience were cheering, but Saruhiko could barely hear that, nor did he care. This was something he and Misaki had made together, and they were sharing it together now.

His heart was pounding in his ears, and the rush was incredible, addicting. For a moment, he wondered what it would feel like to do this all the time, for a larger audience, blinded by lights every night. The thought made him a little sick, but it didn't stop him from moving and singing. He didn't hate it, and he hated that he didn't hate it. He despised having a brief moment of understanding why his father had missed this, why his father hated him so much. But mostly, he couldn't stop thinking about Misaki behind him, and he hated how much that affected him and his performance, how excited it made him.

And then it was over, and Saruhiko slowly lowered the mic back onto the stand, his hands trembling. He swallowed, bowing his head toward the now cheering crowd. They were shockingly loud for such a small space, but Saruhiko felt his ears throb from the silence, his ear drums remembering where the music had once been. Misaki ran forward, and hooked his arm around Saruhiko, forcing Saruhiko to bow to the crowd.

"Thank you!" Misaki cheered, waving his hands up and down frantically. "Thank you," he whispered quietly, Saruhiko barely able to hear him, but he knew Misaki was grateful.

The two made their way off the stage and Saruhiko couldn't stop his entire body from shaking.

"Great job boys," Kusanagi said, patting Misaki on the back, as the two headed to the backroom. "Feel free to take a seat at the table in front if you guys want to watch after you've settled down," he smiled, heading towards the stage to introduce Mikoto and Totsuka.

Shutting the door behind them, Saruhiko immediately fell backwards, his back smacking against the door as his lips were met with Misaki's. The shorter was kissing him, his lips trembling against Saruhiko's. "Thank you, Saru, you were amazing!" he yelled, nipping at Saruhiko's lips.

Gripping Misaki's hips, Saruhiko turned him around and pushed him against the door, pressing their lips together once more. He had so much excess energy, and unsure of what to do with it, he took it out on Misaki, kissing him hard. He pressed his tongue into Misaki's panting mouth, pressing their hips tightly together. Misaki moaned, and fought against his tongue, their wet muscles intertwining. Misaki panted, pulling back, his chest heaving.

"D-Damn. We really should...perform more," he said.

Saruhiko rolled his eyes, taking a step back now that he had gathered his thoughts. "Forget it. I said this once was enough."

Frowning, Misaki leaned forward and flicked Saruhiko's shoulder. "C'mon! You're amazing! That was amazing!" he said. "We have to make more songs! Maybe we could get signed and make a whole ALBUM!" Misaki cheered, his flushed face sparkling from joy and sweat.

"Slow down," Saruhiko sighed, wiping his face with a towel. "Why don't you see what Kusanagi says later alright?"

"Fine, fine!" Misaki said, puffing out his cheeks. He tucked his laptop into his bag, and wiped his his brow with his sweatshirt. "But...seriously, Saruhiko, that was...amazing. You were really good. Thanks...I...I really owe you," Misaki mumbled, his face flushing even more from the blush rising to his cheeks.

Saruhiko shook his head. "I'm only as good as you. You made the song, and you can repay me by not asking me to perform again," he snorted. It was a silly lie he was telling himself. He knew he would have a hard time saying no to performing again, especially if Misaki asked him.

"You seemed to be enjoying yourself," Misaki teased, nudging Saruhiko with his shoulder.

"Not likely," Saruhiko grunted, clicking his tongue. "Hey, you're going to miss Mikoto's whole set if you don't hurry," he continued, strategically changing the subject.

"Shit! You're right," he said, grabbing his bag as he rushed out the door to take a seat at the table Kusanagi had set aside for them.

Saruhiko followed, sitting next to Misaki who had proceeded to ignore him completely. He really should've expected that to be the case. Whenever Suoh Mikoto was involved, Misaki was gone, lost to focusing on this supposed musical prodigy. It was so strange to Saruhiko, how much Misaki seemed to idolize the man. He claimed to emulate him, but Mikoto's musical style was so much more boring compared to Misaki, and though it did have passion, it came from a much lazier place. Misaki's music always awoke something within Saruhiko, a kind of dormant energy. Mikoto's music made Saruhiko want to sit and chill out.

But Misaki was always so captured by Mikoto. He hadn't even looked at Saruhiko since they had come out to watch. His eyes were on Mikoto, mouth agape, as though he were watching a king. Saruhiko wondered what it would feel like if Misaki looked at him like that. Overwhelming...probably...

When the set ended, Misaki finally sat back with a sigh. "Man, no one does it as good as Mikoto-san!" he smiled.

The red-haired man bowed with Totsuka, and both of them stepped down off the stage, immediately rushed by a group of fans, all looking to talk to him. Misaki looked a bit disappointed, but sat back with a shrug. "I'll talk to him in a bit," he nodded.

Saruhiko practically jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning around, he was both surprised (and not) to see his boss, Munakata Reisi standing behind him.

"Oya! Fushimi-kun, an amazing performance as expected. It was lovely seeing you up there. You were practically a different person!" Saruhiko's face paled, and he immediately glanced around, waiting to be rushed by the others. Munakata let out a soft chuckle, waving his hand back and forth. "No, no, Fushimi-kun. I came alone. Don't worry, I didn't out your location to the others." Munakata placed as finger over his own lips. "It will be our secret. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to say hello to an old friend."

Saruhiko blinked, watching Munakata make his way towards Kusanagi, smiling as they greeted each other. It was an oddly small world, his boss knew Kusanagi, and Mikoto it seemed. But mostly he was surprised Munakata had actually respected his wishes to keep his performance a private affair. It would be nice to go into work and not be swamped by his co-workers, desperate to get information out of him.

The crowd around Mikoto had finally begun to disperse, so Misaki jumped up. "I'm going to go say thank you to Mikoto-san, and tell him how amazing he was! I'll be right back," Misaki smiled, leaving Saruhiko behind at the table. Shrugging, he rest his chin on his palm and watched as Misaki cheerfully greeted Totsuka and Mikoto. There was a huge smile on Totsuka's face, who gave him a hug, and Misaki's face turned so red, Saruhiko was surprised the shorter boy hadn't fallen over.

"Excuse me, do you mind if I join you for a moment?" A man with dark green hair in a wheelchair rolled up next to his table.

"Uh..." Saruhiko began to refuse, trying to make up an excuse that he was tired after the performance but he couldn't think of anything to say.

"Nagare Hisui," he said, his lips curling into a devilish smile as he pulled out a card and placed it on the table, sliding it towards Saruhiko. "I'm a DJ as well."

"Ah..." Saruhiko muttered, picking the card up off of the table. He had heard Nagare's name before, though he hadn't taken the time to listen to his music. Mostly because he didn't care.

"I enjoy working with a variety of singers on different styles of songs," Nagare explained. "I'd really be interested in collaborating with you if you're interested. Your voice is just what I need for a new track I'm working on."

Saruhiko pursed his lips. He really hadn't meant to make anything of this singing thing. He had begrudgingly sang with Misaki once and that was it. He definitely didn't want to sing with anyone else.

"Thanks, but I'm not actually a singer," he said, tucking Nagare's card into his pocket.

"Oh, but you are," Nagare smirked. "You're very talented. I'd love to have you on at least one of my songs."

"Mmm. Like I said, singing isn't really my thing," Saruhiko muttered.

"Still," Nagare replied. "You have my card. Consider it, if you feel like working for a more...professional DJ." He wheeled himself away, leaving Saruhiko to wrinkle his nose as how damn pretentious Nagare seemed. This was exactly why he had no desire to be in this DJ world.

"Saruhiko!" Misaki called out, plopping back down in his seat. "Were you just talking to Nagare Hisui!? I can't believe he was here!" he said.

Saruhiko shrugged. "He liked my singing."

"Yeah because you're amazing! Fuck, that’s so cool!" Misaki said, running his hands down his face. "And guess what, Mikoto-san and Kusanagi want to meet with us tomorrow! Can you believe it?! You gotta come with me!"

Saruhiko rolled his eyes. Actually he could believe it. Their performance tonight had been amazing, even if he refused to admit it out loud. Of course Misaki was asking him to go with him, Saruhiko wasn't sure why he had expected anything else.

"Fine," he said, deciding not to argue with him. It was easier. "If, and only if, you come home with me tonight," he grinned, loving how quickly Misaki's face heated up.

"Yeah..." he muttered, rubbing his arm. "Yeah I could do that."

"Good," Saruhiko replied. He wanted Misaki to look at him, and only him for the rest of the night.

~~

When Misaki awoke the next morning, Saruhiko had already left for work. He had promised Misaki he would come to the meeting on his lunch break, but he still had to go into work to finish up a few computers.

Yawning, Misaki sat up, the blankets sliding down his bare chest. His face flushed, as he thought about the evening before. Saruhiko had thrown him down on the bed, and then he'd been wrapped up in him for the rest of the night. He panted and moaned, his breath filling the hot air, their hips falling back into the rhythm of each other. It was nice, to be connected to Saruhiko in such a physical way, especially after they had been so connected through his music before.

He sighed, flopping back onto the bed with a large smile on his face. Saruhiko was amazing, they were amazing, and their performance had been even more amazing. The best part was, Mikoto and Kusanagi wanted to meet with him again today. He wanted more than anything to sign with Kusanagi, and keep making music. Make actual money, do actual performances...it sounded amazing. Maybe Saruhiko could sing more and quit his job. Though Misaki wasn't sure if that was something Saruhiko really wanted.

He knew he had to stop pressuring Saruhiko into doing these things he didn't want to, but whenever Saruhiko broke free of the chains he put around himself, it was always so damn beautiful. Misaki loved it, hell, he was starting to think he maybe even loved Saruhiko. Covering his eyes, Misaki ran his hands down his face. Glancing at the clock, he decided it would be better to think about this later, since he had to get ready for this damn meeting

Today was the day he hoped his new career would begin. Grabbing his clothes, he decided to leave early to change at his apartment, figuring it would be easier to look semi-decent with his own wardrobe. Plus, he didn't really want to show up in the exact same outfit he had worn the night before.

"Yata! You were amazing last night!" Kamamoto said, almost immediately as Misaki walked through the front door of their apartment.

"Thanks!" he replied, dashing through the living to his own room. "I have a meeting with Mikoto-san and Kusanagi right now!" he called out.

"You do?! Do you think this could be it?!" Kamamoto asked.

"Yeah! I hope so! They loved what we did last night, so keep your fingers crossed for me!" Tossing off his clothes, he jumped in the shower, getting ready, which didn't take long, since Misaki had so much nervous energy. Dashing back by Kamamoto in a new outfit, he waved and practically ran out the door.

He was thankful when he saw Saruhiko standing outside of the main office building where HOMRA Talent was located.

"Saruhiko!" he called out, waving as he ran up next to him.

"I'm surprised you're on time," Saruhiko teased, glancing at his watch. "I was starting to think maybe you were going to be late to your own meeting."

"Hell no! I wouldn't do anything to screw this meeting up!" he smiled, hitting Saruhiko on the arm. "Thanks for coming."

Saruhiko clicked his tongue. "I didn't want to do anything to possibly ruin your chance," he muttered. "Still, I don't want to be a singer, so I'd rather not...sign anything," he clarified.

Misaki let out a small sigh. He should've expected Saruhiko to say something like that, but there was a small part of Misaki which hoped Saruhiko would change his mind and be his permanent singer.

"Right, well, let's go," Misaki said, leading the way inside.

Once they made it to the 7th floor, they were greeted by Totsuka, smiling brightly. "Hey guys! So happy to see you both made it!" Totsuka said. "You were both so fantastic last night! King was so impressed!" he said, leading them down the hall.

"Was he?!" Misaki said, looking so eager. He couldn't believe Totsuka Tatara was actually saying this to him.

"Mhm!" Totsuka nodded. "We have lots to discuss!" Opening the door, he led them into the room with Mikoto and Kusanagi. Misaki swallowed, wanting to pinch himself. He couldn't believe he was actually here, in this moment. His dreams coming true.

"Yata-san, Fushimi-san, please take a seat!" Kusanagi smiled, gesturing for the two to sit down in the chairs in front of them "We're very happy you're both here. You both performed wonderfully last night," he continued, pulling out a few folders.

"As I said before, we have a lot to discuss!" Totsuka smiled.

"Right," Kusanagi chuckled. "We'd love to bring you on as one of our talent, Yata-san," Kusanagi said, pulling a contract out of one of the folders. "With this, you are required to make a twelve track album. It will include the single you have already released, and we would like to offer Fushimi-san the chance to sing any of the songs he wishes with you. We also want to offer you a collaboration with Mikoto and Totsuka. This, we would sell as your second single," Kusanagi explained. "It would boost your popularity and get your name out there, which is exactly what we want. If the album does well, we can talk about a longer contract for more albums, but for now, this is for your first one."

Misaki glanced at the paper, and then back at Kusanagi and Mikoto, and once more to Saruhiko. In front of him was the contract to actually make an album, a real album. His songs would be heard on the radio, maybe he'd even go on a tour! Plus, he would get the chance to collaborate with Mikoto. He was sure he was dreaming now.

"Really?" he said, speaking finally, though his mouth felt dry and his hands felt clammy.

"Yes, really. Are you interested?" Kusanagi said. "Mikoto has already begun the track you are to collaborate on. He's looking for you to add to it, and perhaps Totsuka and Fushimi could duet for it?"

"Of course I'm interested!" Misaki said, leaning forward in his seat.

"Great! We brought a copy of the track for you to hear so far."

Pulling out his phone, Mikoto placed it on the table. "Here," he said quietly, pushing play. It was softer, and slower than music he normally created. It certainly sounded like something Mikoto would make, and it was definitely something he could work with.

"You want me to...add to this?" he asked, and Mikoto nodded. "Shit..." he cursed. "I'd be so honored!" he said, bowing his head to Mikoto, his heart pounding. He couldn't believe Mikoto actually wrote a song with him in mind!

Next to him however, Saruhiko clicked his tongue. He had been oddly quiet this whole time.

"Fushimi-san?" Totsuka said, still smiling. "You've been very silent. Are you interested in singing with me?"

Biting his lip, Misaki turned towards Saruhiko, nervous he already knew the answer.

~~

Saruhiko wasn't really sure what the fuck was going on, but he hated the song that had come from Mikoto's little device. It was boring and slow, and it had none of the heart Misaki's music usually had. Even if Misaki added to the song, there was no way it would be his regular sound.

But of course the idiot looked incredibly excited about it. It was Mikoto-san and how could Misaki possibly say no to him. He was the definition of selling out.

Clicking his tongue, he glared at Totsuka when he asked him to sing with him. He had explicitly told Misaki he wasn't going to be a singer anymore, really he had just come for moral support, though it really hadn't mattered.

"No, I'm not," he said bluntly. "I already told Misaki I wasn't interested in singing anymore, but I'm especially not interested in singing something that sounds nothing like what Misaki normally does." Standing up, he made his way out of the office. He was done, there was no reason for him to be here. Misaki was going to sign the contract, and he could go back to his regular job. Misaki would probably forget about him completely once he was wrapped up in the whirlwind of his new life.

"I'll talk to him!" he heard Misaki call out behind him, but he kept walking towards the elevator. "Saruhiko! Saruhiko what the hell!?!" he yelled, stopping him before Saruhiko could escape onto the elevator.

"What do you mean what the hell?" Saruhiko asked, folding his arms. "I already told you I wasn't interested in singing more, especially not for a shitty song like that."

"But Saruhiko, Mikoto-san..."

"Fuck," Saruhiko snapped, clenching his fists. "I am so damn tired of hearing about 'Mikoto-san', Misaki! You're good on your own! You don't need his fame to carry you, and I get he's your...idol or whatever, but your sound is yours, and it sounds nothing like his, and I'm not going to sit here and watch you suck his music dick, just so you can do some shitty song with your hero! You can sign the contract, and get your music career without me," he scoffed.

Misaki's eyes were wide as he listened to Saruhiko yell at him, he almost felt bad. He knew this was an important moment for Misaki, but he was so tired of being second to Mikoto. He hadn't wanted the attention from Misaki before, but now that he'd had it and lost it, it didn't feel good.

"This is a big deal for me Saruhiko!" Misaki yelled. "I've been waiting to be noticed by someone, anyone, and the fact that it's Mikoto-san is amazing! Yeah I might be good, but I'm never going to get anywhere if I just keep doing what I'm doing! So stop being an ass, and just...come sing with us!"

Frowning, Saruhiko brushed by him, pushing the button on the elevator. "I already told you, you can do whatever the hell you want. I get it, Mikoto-san is amazing, and you're willing to give up everything to do whatever he wants. That song sucks Misaki, and I'm pretty sure you know it. But you don't need me, you've got them. I'm sure Totsuka can handle singing the whole damn thing," he snorted.

"You're invited to sing with us, Saruhiko! It's not like I'm...replacing you!" Misaki yelled.

Stepping into the elevator, Saruhiko rolled his eyes. "Even if I wanted to sing again, I would want to sing your music, not his. Goodbye Misaki," he growled, pushing the button to close the doors to the elevator.

"Fine! Do whatever the hell you want, I'm tired of trying to work with your difficult ass!" Misaki snapped.

Saruhiko was positive Misaki was still talking as the elevator lowered to the floor, but Saruhiko didn't care. Misaki was going to be perfectly happy without him. He'd made it clear he did not need Saruhiko anymore. Misaki had used him to get exactly where he needed to be, and now he could become a carbon copy of Mikoto. The worst part was, Saruhiko had actually fallen for his stupid ass.

Clenching his fists, he reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out Nagare Hisui's card. He grabbed his phone and input the number, waiting for the DJ to answer.

~~

Storming back into the office, Misaki bit his lip trying not to cry. He couldn't look like an idiot in front of them. Stupid Saruhiko! Of course he was excited to be signing with an actual agency, and of course he was excited to work with Mikoto! So yeah, maybe he didn't need Saruhiko, but he wanted him. Saruhiko was the best person he had collaborated with, even if he was a stubborn shithead.

"Is everything okay?" Kusanagi asked.

Misaki sighed, shaking his head. "Saruhiko really doesn't want to be a singer."

"Eh," Mikoto shrugged. "He's good, but if he doesn't want to, don't force the guy."

"Yeah..." Misaki said quietly. "I won't."

Totsuka placed a hand on Misaki's shoulder. "It's alright! You'll find other great singers for your music. I'd be happy to collaborate with you, and I'm sure other singers would too!"

Smiling, Misaki nodded. He was a good DJ, and he was about to make an amazing album...anyone would be excited to work with him! "Thanks Totsuka!" he smiled. "You're right, we can...find more singers."

"So you're still interested then?" Kusanagi asked, and Misaki nodded, reaching forward to take one of the pens. He grabbed the contract in front of him.

"I'm honored to be a part of your team," he said, bowing his head as he signed his named on the line.

Even without Saruhiko, Misaki was going to make music, and it was going to be amazing. Or that was what he kept telling himself.