Taste | Changbin

Chapter Seventy-Nine

Lennon woke up to someone shaking her shoulder. She blinked a few times trying to figure out where she was. The last thing she remembered was the bathtub. 

"Lennon, it's time to get up. I'm sorry, but we've made it to the venue, and you need to do our makeup." Felix stood in front of her with gleaming brown eyes. 

"Shit, what time is it?" 

"Like six something." 

She threw the sheets off of her and forced herself out of the bunk. She didn't bother to ask why she was there or how she had gotten there. "Where is everyone else?" 

"3Racha is currently in an emergency meeting. Everyone else is waiting for you inside the venue. I'm sorry for waking you up. If we knew what we were doing, we would do our makeup ourselves, but we're kind of clueless." 

"Don't apologize, it's what I'm getting paid to do. I'm sorry for sleeping so long. I thought I'd wake up sooner." She reached up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She didn't waste any time exiting the front of the bus. 

"Are you sure you're okay?" 

"Why wouldn't I be?" 

Felix narrowed his eyes at her back. Chan had sat them all down earlier and explained the situation in detail. They knew about the hate Lennon was getting and how she had locked herself in the bathroom. Here she was now acting like she didn't have a care in the world. He didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing. 

Lennon climbed down the bus steps refusing to look at Felix. She had promised herself in the bathroom that she wouldn't make the band worry. It wasn't their fault that this was happening to her. She didn't blame them, she blamed the delusional parasocial relationships that people had created. There was a bold line between delusions and reality. 

"I just thought that..." he trailed off, "never mind." 

The Texas saying might have been true, everything was bigger in Texas, including the venue they were at. She had heard Hyunjin mention that it could hold over twenty-thousand people. Knowing that a large variety of those people probably hated her, it caused anxiety to build up in her gut. She forced herself to maintain her calm composure. 

If she acted fine, everyone would think she was fine. Nobody would have to worry about her and they could focus on the concert. Their time and energy needed to be spent giving their fans the best possible show. They didn't need to be worried about her. 

"Where are we going?" She asked over her shoulder. 

"The back door and down the right hall. Fans have already lined up out front and they've been lined up for days, apparently. There's a door marked with your name and that's where we're supposed to get our makeup done. Your makeup bag should already be there." 

The pair walked in silence through the back hall. There were no staff members in the area, so they must have had good security. Anyone could have walked through the back door, it's not like it was blocked off. Laughs floated through the room until Lennon knocked on it a few times. It instantly went silent at once. 

She opened the door and Felix trailed in behind her. Everyone stared at them without a sound. She walked over to her makeup case to get the ball rolling. "Alright, who's up first?" She flicked a light on the side of a mirror. Bright white lights lit up around the vanity. 

"I'll go," I.N volunteered. 

Changbin, Chan, and Han were nowhere in sight. They must have been somewhere else dealing with their meeting. She had a sneaking suspicion that it was about her and Changbin, but she didn't bring it up. Tonight wasn't about her, it was about giving Texas a good time. 

She started removing products and placing them on the table. 

"Do you want me to start with the primer?" I.N asked. 

"You don't have to, I can do it, I just want to make sure I have everything out. It's easier to work when I can see everything that I need to have. Please don't tell anyone, but the past few times I've done your makeup, I've forgotten a few things. Nobody has noticed, but it's been bothering me.

"Your secret's safe with me. Anytime I have to get less makeup on my face, I consider it a blessing. I know it's meant to enhance our looks, but I hate it." 

She nodded and squirted a dollop of liquid primer onto the back of her palm, "I get it. You do this nearly every day, so it must be a constant pain." 

The two of them continued talking while Lennon completed his makeup. On the opposite side of the room, Lee Know was staring at Lennon. He couldn't pull his eyes away from her. He had heard how broken she was in the bathroom. He was close enough that he could hear her voice while Changbin talked to her. How could she go from broken to upbeat? 

"Hyung, stop staring. She's going to notice and you're going to make her uncomfortable," Felix whispered. 

"I just don't get it," Lee Know started. "What the hell happened?" 

Felix shrugged, "I wish I knew mate, I wish I knew."