THE CARESS OF STARS | TaeTzu Oneshots

("Someone Like You")

This oneshot is based on two related headcanons I first posted on Twitter:

HC#132: Tzuyu realizes that she likes Adele's "Water Under the Bridge" because while the lyrics sound painful/heartbreaking at first listen, like being unable to keep a relationship that is bound to end, the song actually means the exact opposite.

HC#133: Tzuyu needs to suggest a song for the 2021 Apple Music recommendations. She goes through Adele's entire discography, and it doesn't take long before YouTube suggests this cover by someone she knows very well.

「 First posted on Wattpad: Jan. 25, 2021 | Rated G | 2,426 words 」

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Tzuyu's phone pings. It's a text from her manager, reminding her to submit her song pick for the 2021 Apple Music recommendation on Monday. She internally winces. It's already Friday, and she is nowhere near decided on a song. There are just too many to choose from.

She has already tried asking her boyfriend for advice. He's a bit of a music connoisseur, and he loves to discover songs and artists not a lot of people know about. There's no one better to help her out with this difficult decision, right?

Wrong. He wouldn't suggest anything to her, because he said that music is deeply personal. "I wouldn't dream of telling you what you should like, hon," he said a few days ago, when she asked for help. "You're your own person. Just go with what you want. Go with what feels right."

Tzuyu had resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him then for being so unhelpful, but she knew he was right. (Also, after she'd thought about it, she realized he loved her enough not to dictate her own preferences, and she's grateful for that.)

Still. Couldn't he at least lead her in some direction?

In the end, it's still Taehyung who comes up with a doable plan. "I got it," he tells her now, looking proud of himself. They're spending the night at his place—they try to stick to a Friday date night schedule, and they usually spend this indoors, just kicking back with a nice movie, eating Chinese takeaway for dinner. He is on his bed, one arm behind his head, the other holding his phone. "Why don't you go with 21 for 2021?"

"21? Adele?" Tzuyu asks, looking up from her own phone where she has been scrolling through the Melon app, desperately looking for a song she likes enough to recommend to ONCEs.

"Yeah," Taehyung says. "She's a wonderful singer. Has a lot of great songs. Her older tracks are some of her best."

If Tzuyu's being honest, she's not that familiar with the English artist. Tzuyu was too young when the album was released, so the popularity of "Someone Like You" (which seemed like everyone's anthem at the time) was a little lost on her. And now that she's happily committed to a man she truly loves, she's not really expecting the song to affect her much. She hasn't really experienced the kind of heartbreak Adele sings about.

"OK, oppa," she says, "thank you. I'll give it a listen."

"Great. You do that while I take a shower. Please take care of the delivery guy, if he arrives before I'm done?"

"Sure," Tzuyu says, already tapping on her phone to stream the album.

"Thanks. I'll try to be done by the time the food gets here, though," he declares, getting up and reaching for his towel.

Tzuyu snorts. "We'll see about that," she teases. "Let's just hope the food isn't already cold by then."

Taehyung sticks out his tongue at her before disappearing into the bathroom.