NeoNara || TXT || taebin || yeonkai

2015: Saturday, Part Three

2015, DAY TWO
Saturday, August 15, 2015 4:34 PM

Simon and Milo finish their set at exactly 4:04 PM. The second they are done, Waeng's entire street team mobilizes.

They help Simon and Milo tear down their own equipment, packaging everything up, wrapping up cords, and placing everything in their trailer. Then, they move in with Waeng's sound system. The speakers go in all of the right places, XLRs are plugged in, and Taehyun's decks go into place next to his new, shiny laptop. Then, Beomgyu gets onto stage, and he helps the person in the sound booth pink-noise the set in Taehyun's place. EDM is light years different from punk rock, so the mix will come out different as well. But Beomgyu can still push buttons on Taehyun's multi pad controller and raise levels as needed. This way, the sound check is completed without Taehyun even needing to be on stage.

Beomgyu brings Taehyun's computer back to him. "All set."

Taehyun has popped at least six Advil since lunch, but his headache is back with a vengeance, and it will not go away. He sits and pouts, staring through his sunglasses while making sure his set list is all ready to go. He's put it together, and he's visualized the entire set. He's even gone through it with Soobin countless times, making small adjustments to effects and to the BPM, letting both Soobin and Yeonjun be his guinea pigs. So he knows the mix, even with all the songs listed in a spreadsheet. He could do this in his sleep.

Despite the fact that it is hot as balls outside, he has the Worst Headache of the Century, and his right ear just will not quit, he's feeling confident. He's got this. All of his worries are no more. Soobin lost his job, but he should be getting a new one, so he can stay. His parents are somewhere in the crowd, so they'll be proud of him. And Mayumi is gone, gone, gone. She's not here, and she's never coming back.

Everything is perfect.

So why can't he shake this feeling in the pit of his stomach? Why does it still feel like something's wrong?

He takes a deep breath, then closes his computer and shuts his eyes. "I'm just gonna sit here for a bit," he says, barely able to hear himself talk over the whining in his ear. "Poke me when I have five minutes to go. I'll start right at five."

"Good. Yeonjun's gonna be nearby if you need him."

"My knight in shining armor." Taehyun grins. "As always."

It reminds him of last year, of Mayumi's assault, of the whining in his ears that time. Had he felt this nauseous back then? Oh, yeah. He had barely made it into the bathroom before he had barfed all over the shower. He had nearly forgotten about that part. Probably because he had passed out after that, and Yeonjun had found him some time later.

He takes a deep breath, sucking in like a straw. It helps with the nausea a bit. He can do this. He has to do this. Everything has been leading up to this moment, when he steps on stage, plugs his computer in, and plays NeoNara to combat the ghost of Mayumi Tasogare Hoshizora the Third. This is his big laugh in her face. This is finally him getting revenge for everything she has put him through.

He feels Beomgyu's hand on his shoulder. "It's time, man," and Beomgyu sticks to Taehyun's left ear, thankfully, because the right ear is still busted.

And Taehyun stands up to go stand on stage and immediately sits back down. Because the entire world tilts around him. His head swarms. The clicking in his right ear increases. He hears Beomgyu say something, but it's a mumble.

"I'm okay," he says, and he grabs a hold of Beomgyu's hand again. "Just get me on stage." And Taehyun throws his computer under his right arm and lets Beomgyu lead the way. He closes his eyes and puts one foot in front of the other, through the side tent, then up the stairs to the All Access stage. Beomgyu then lets go, and Taehyun's hand runs over the speakers, then the DJ table. He's dressed as he normally is for a show -- blue baseball cap and his paint-bombed T-shirt, just like last year. The sunglasses are an interesting addition, but they will have to stay for now.