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masjestickingdom · 4 years

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Parallel Lives

Pairing: NCT x reader

Genre: Lighthearted, slight fluff, one shot

Summary: You’re a studious university who’s on summer break, spending your spare moments with your best friend. After a random statement is thrown into the conversation, you and your friend wonder what it’s like to be in NCT’s position. Little do you know that your idols are simultaneously pondering about your position as a normal college student.

Note: Here’s a simple, sweet scenario that I wrote! Even though it’s simple, I really wanted to post this because it’s a nice, exciting thought to have a crossover conversation... Imagine if you were thinking about the same thing at the same time of your favorite idol! Anyway, I also thought it was important to post this to point towards the life experiences everyone has. While this story doesn’t cover every one of those experiences, I think it covers the bigger topics (youth, hate, missing out on experiences, dreams, etc) that I personally think about a lot, so I hope you enjoy!

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As a university student, you have worked your butt off to get good grades and make connections with your professors, upperclassmen, and peers. When you were a high school student, you didn’t care about any of that. In fact, you were the shy one and you got away with it because, hey, it was high school. Fast forward a few years ahead and here you are in the present day, socializing with every human being you could possibly get in touch with. What for, though?

“For what are we grinding this hard?” you wonder out loud, grabbing your nth piece of chicken.

Your friend sighs in agreement, spreads out her long legs over the table you both paid for, and rests them adjacent to the boxes of chicken and coke you ordered over half an hour ago.

Exams are finally over, and you decide to spend the night on the balcony with your roommate, who’s also your best friend, before your two-month internship, which you earned in part to your networking skills. It’s a nice, breezy summer night. It’s one of those nights you want to enjoy in peace and quiet, staring off into the limitless expanse of the dark, but shimmery sky.

You reach out for another piece of chicken when your friend chuckles at something on her phone.

“What?” you ask with your mouth nearly full.

“Nothing, it’s just this really funny meme about NCT,” your friend says with glee. “Very relatable, by the way.”

NCT, one of the hottest international sensations taking the world by storm alongside living legends, BTS and BlackPink, according to news outlets, is a name you haven’t heard in a while. Personally, you used to be an avid fan since the SMRookies days. You kept up with the appearances they made as trainees in EXO’s EXO 90:2014 series, the cameos in music videos (including the ones in EXO 90:2014), the variety show Mickey Mouse Club, and the videos SM Entertainment would randomly post. As time went on, sadly, the determination to be informed of the latest news withered as your priorities changed upon entering your sophomore year of high school. Sure, you heard news here and there and occasionally checked out their social media accounts, but when you entered college, that was a territory you failed to explore. Other than awards and comebacks, you hadn’t heard much of NCT once you had indulged yourself in your studies, and everyone else around you were doing the same thing.

It has been quite some time since you were curious about the idols. Your friend’s sudden comment on them resurfaced old fangirl feelings, luring you into an interesting discussion of NCT, idols, and life in general.

“Another exam to go until graduation, another test to assess loyalty, another test closer to our deathbeds,” you mumble grumpily.

At the abrupt foul tone that consumed your voice, your friend raised her eyebrows questioningly.

“And an internship to be a prospect of a permanent employee for some company to work for others--exciting, right?” you said sarcastically before you took a long sip of ice-cold, refreshing coke, which did nothing to restore your mood.

Understanding what you were getting at, your best friend calmly nodded.

“They’re living their best lives,” she says, referring to NCT.

You let a bitter smile form on your lips as memories about mistreatment and mismanagement whiz past your mind. “Or behind the curtains..."

“They could be just like us,” your friend finishes off. “Tired, overworked, maybe even frustrated.”

A soft smile overtakes your bitter one. “But probably in a different way.”

“What would it be like to be an idol?” your friend sighs dreamingly.

“What would it be like to be a college student?” a silver haired boy ponders aloud.

His purple haired younger friend, Haechan, who’s grilling meat, replies ambiguously, “Stressful, Yuta. Pretty stressful.”

“Probably fun too,” green haired Jaehyun chimes in. “Engaging with lots of people the first few weeks of school, trying out different clubs, and finding a way to fit in--that all sounds fun to me.”

The optimistic boy joins Haechan in the adventure of grilling meat, switching with Taeyong’s position as a meat griller. While the rest of the boys prepare the dining table, placing the setting with kitchen utensils and side dishes being prepared by Taeyong, Doyoung, and Johnny, Yuta admires the busy streets of the city, listening for the distant sounds of cars honking and pedestrians screaming, with the cool night air breezing past his newly dyed hair. It certainly is one of the best ways he and the members could possibly enjoy the rare moments of freedom.

At the sound of a whistle, Yuta is pulled from his cloud of thoughts, and he looks over his shoulder, nodding to his not-so-secret favorite member of the group at the simple gesture of a hand that urged him to go inside and help bring out the dishes.

“We’ll never experience the glamor of getting dolled up almost everyday,” you state solemnly.

“Or have fans,” your friend pitches in.

“Or see famous celebrities literally every day.”

“Or experience the trainee days, everyone trying to bring everyone down, or haters trying to drag you out once you gain fame.”

You throw a strange glance at your friend for that last statement.

“What?” she says, shrugging nonchalantly. “We need drama in our lives, or else life’s boring.”

Shaking your head, you chuckle at her unique take on an abstract concept.

A moment of silence engulfs the two of you as both of you fall deep in your thoughts.

There was never a quiet moment under the roof of NCT, and tonight is no exception.

“Hey, isn’t the beef really good?” Yuta’s favorite member, Mark, speaks, delighted at the flavors bursting in his mouth.

“Haechan, don’t you dare pull a prank on us with coke and vinegar ever again,” Taeyong scolds the youngest member, recovering from his gagging session, while Johnny and Taeil are still chugging down glasses of water to get rid of the aftertaste. “Is it really necessary to do any of this?”

“Sorry, mom, my hand itched,” the prankster smiles innocently.

“Didn’t Haechan grow a lot?” you bring up, breaking the quietness.

Your friend gulps down her coke before pointing out, “Isn’t he the same age as us?”

Your crane your neck, your head now tilting sideways. “He is?”

“Crazy, isn’t it?” your friend responds. “The majority of the Dreamies are the same age as us.”

“Yuta, didn’t you say something about college?” Mark asks, chowing down pieces of watermelon.

The older boy nods. “Wouldn’t it be fun to experience it? None of us went to college.”

Taeyong uncomfortably shifts on the bench at the mention of college.

Like Yuta mentioned, none of the members of NCT went to college and probably won’t go because it’s not a likely option, considering their packed schedules. He knows that the mere mention of it can bring down the mood because for them, college represents the definition of normalcy, the life of a normal person, and with them not going to college or graduating high school, he doesn’t want them to have a chance to regret or have second thoughts.

“Imagine if they visited our college for one day,” your friend mused.

Extending your short arm to pour yourself another cup of coke, you wheeze between your breaths, “Hey, I bet that the professors would ask for autographs.”

“Yeah, I think we wouldn’t stand a chance in the classes,” Johnny laughs, adding ice to his coke. “They would be too advanced for us to understand anything.”

Yes, Taeyong let the conversation flow. He even joined in on the conversation a few times. He didn’t want to ruin the mood by switching the topic in a way that could be nothing short of a very obvious attempt, and if he didn’t say something, his group members, his family, would notice.

“It would be nice to make new friends, right?” Yuta expresses. “New people to dance with, sing with, do sports with..."

“I think Yuta’s tired of our awful soccer skills,” Jaehyun replies humorously.

“I feel like they would say that they would want to make new friends, but it all depends on your personality,” you say, tucking your hands behind your head. “I only have you.”

Your friend laughs, replicating your movements. “Loser, I’m on the same boat as you.”

“Wouldn’t it be nice to go to game rooms or comic book stores?” Mark carries on as he stretches his arms out to the sky.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to be your own karaoke room or be able to dance the trends?” you fancy.

“Or be the trend,” your friend adds.

“I just want to sleep,” Johnny murmurs, lazily dragging his feet across the floor to the cushioned bench placed against the white walls. Turning his large body so that his body faces the wall, he hugs an available pillow with his legs and remarks, “Idol or student, you don’t get to sleep that much.”

“It would be nice to work hard for something that you know you want to do,” you dream. “We have no clue what to do in the future. Most of us blindly study and get internships.”

Just then, a bright stream of light passes your eyes, and your eyes widen.

“Did you see that? That was a shooting star!” Jungwoo exclaims, his eyes mirroring the sparkling trail.

Everyone looks up at the sky even though the moment has well passed.

“We’re living under the same sky as them, so how are our worlds so different?” you say without much energy, staring at the now dark sky. “I bet they were pitted against each other at some point in their trainee lives, but here they are in this world. Years of friendship, what would that be like?”

Slightly offended, your friend sits up from her resting position. “Hey, we’ve been friends since middle school.”

“Do you remember the time when you were young and saw your favorite artists on tv?” Doyoung reminisces.

“They’re the reasons why I became one,” Haechan concurs.

Taeyong thoughtfully fixates his eyes on where the shooting star once was, his arms acting accordingly.

“They were so young when they were casted,” you whisper. “It’s kind of sad when you think about it.”

Another wave of silence overwhelms you. Your friend spares another look at you and watches you stretch your hands to the sky, hands shaped as if you are taking a snapshot of your view.

She responds with a quiet voice of her own, “Some of them didn’t even plan on being an idol.”

Taeyong’s hands retract to his sides. “I remember when I first met you guys. I’m really glad that we have each other.”

The sappy moment comes to an abrupt end when Johnny’s snores take over.

You turn your head over to your friend who is fast asleep.

Eyes averting to the inky sky once again, you contemplate quietly, “I wonder what they’re doing now.”

Meanwhile, the boys are trying to stuff a sock in Johnny’s mouth to muffle his snores. Taeyong, not participating, stays in the background and enjoys the last bit of their night of freedom.

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