Almost There (a Summer Crush Short Story) - WATTPAD VERSION

Saturday, 10:00 PM, show time

The crowd goes ballistic when an EG Project intro video plays on the LED screens on stage. The sound team goes up first, bringing the band's instruments and other gear. Backstage, Yihwan peruses the final set list Fi hands him while Trainman's bassist Son finds Steven and exchanges high fives with him. Michael Brian, one of the Arabella boys, joins them, and soon the high-fives turn into a complicated secret handshake Fi supposes they came up with during this afternoon's downtime. How these boys found each other is a mystery to her, and she looks forward to Steven regaling her with their origin story on their flight back to Seoul.

"Wait, where's our fourth member?" Son asks, putting his bass guitar away.

"Yeah, we need him to raise our visual group average," Steven says and looks to Michael Brian, who, to Fi's surprise, produces a standee of Shinta holding a box of condoms from behind the curtain of the dressing cubicle. Fi casts a questioning look at Gabriel, who is watching them with an amused smile. He only shrugs.

"EG Project, you're up in five!" Apple, the concert PA announces when she pokes her head through the tent entrance.

Steven yells, "Just a second!" as he raises his phone in the air, posed to take a selfie with Son, Michael Brian, and the brightly-smiling Shinta standee. "Hana, dul, set!"

Fi shakes her head. Boys.

She claps her hands thrice and gathers Yihwan, Steven, and Minchan in a huddle, a pre-show ritual they've been doing since their debut. Yihwan drapes an arm each over Steven's and Minchan's shoulders. "With joy and love and passion," he says, knocking their heads together. "Like always."

"Like always!" Steven and Minchan say in unison. They put their hands together in the middle of their circle and chant "EG EG EG HUAITING!"

"Woo-hoo!" Minchan shouts, raising his hand up in the air. A quick and messy group hug later, Steven and Minchan move out of the tent, followed by Gabriel who's been waiting to watch the show from the sidelines.

Yihwan exits, stopping to pull a piece of paper out of his pocket. He turns to Fi, who leaves the tent last.

"I have something for you." He reaches for her wrist. He doesn't wait for her to ask what it is and merely presses the piece of paper into her palm, folding her fingers around it. When she looks up at him with curious eyes, Yihwan ruffles her hair and says, "I'll see you after the show."

. . . . .

"ELYU SORIJILLEOOOOOOOOO!"

It's almost eleven o' clock, yet the energy from the Summer Crush crowd continues to swell, delirious and electric. The response to Minchan's request for them to "make some noise" makes it seem like everyone cheering in front of Landian Stage is a full-fledged Original. Thrilled, Fi jumps up and down as Steven dictates the opening beat to "7:45 AM", the most popular song off EG Project's second album. Yihwan walks to the edge of the stage and starts shredding, sending the Originals in front of the stage into a mad frenzy.

Wrong side of the bed today
The sky is overcast
Can I go back to sleep
Pretend this day has passed

Minchan croons into the microphone and drives the fans wild when his free hand strokes the mic stand in front of him. Fi rolls her eyes. This child.

Strong arms wrap around Fi from behind and hold her close. The warmth of his skin is the comforting kind, the kind she can get used to, the kind she wants more of. "Anyway / I don't think I'll last," Gabriel sings along, swaying Fi to the music. "Is there any way / this day can end / fast, fast..."

She looks up at him, gives him a look. "I'm surprised you know this song."

Gabriel nuzzles her cheek. "I'm surprised you're surprised I know this song. It's one of their greatest hits."