"Okay, the stars are ready in 10," I called out in hectic. I was barely able to catch a breath. The staff ran around me trying to get the last preparations done.
I felt almost out of place in this scenario, it was surreal. How was I apart of this, that still didn't reasonated with me entirely. My thoughts brought me back to reality and I snapped out of it.
This was somewhere, where I belonged.
A place they'd explicitly chose me appear for my capabilities, I worked my butt of for this and I deserved to be here despite my struggle to believe in the fact this was real.
I sighed, moving on as the other employees ran past me. So fast that I felt the cool breeze stripe my cheeks.
It felt breath of fresh air almost, a short callback to nature. Yet it felt bitter knowing I was the slowest out of everyone. This felt like a sharp sting in my chest.
My head didn't have time to be clouded further. Instead, I got pulled into the dressing room. I squinted my eyes together in fear and surprise. It was so sudden, I couldn't help the impulse. My veins seemed to freeze to the core.
My heart pounded in my chest and I felt the pulse roaring in my ears.
I felt speechless, knowing I didn't have any words left on my mind, I was unsure what to do. What was there to do other than recovering from shock. My breath increased rapidly.
I opened my eyes and saw Venti. His emerald green eyes shined bright. I sensed something in his eyes other than care.
His hand hadn't moved, it was still remaining on my wrist, which was gentle and soft. The touch of his palm managed to make me feel calmer once I realized.
With his gaze directed at me my mouth curled into a smile. The proximity didn't feel weird, not before my mind pointed it out.
He was so close—I felt his hot breath on my skin. The sensation was irresistible. Something was close to burning in me and this time it wasn't only my cheeks. My whole body grew hotter from embarrassment.
No, I felt extremely flustered and hoped to hide my face behind my hands.
That was when I realized the other boys were close around, oh goodness what a flustering situation. Of course they had to be around when I was this close to him.
I felt deeply embarrassed of mentally adoring my best friend this much in front of fellow friends—who must've waited for us to settle this unfinished business.
I tried to brush it off.
"What's going on?" I asked as he let go of me. His hand left my wrist in an instant while averting my gaze at first. He looked at me with an embarrassed face when our eyes met. He followed with an apologetic tone in his eyes which I nodded in response to. The nervous feeling remained on his face still. Somehow flustered, red tint over his cheeks. Filled with a crimson tone-like layer.
I was speechless for a second at that familiar sight. A sense of deja vú came to my mind. I felt imprisoned in a trance for a while until my eyes caught the attention of the boy with platinum hair.
Kazuha came closer to me beginning to explain while Venti tried to maintain his composure. Without any calm trace, he'd be no more than a lost puppy
When I recalled everything from earlier involving him there came something to mind. A personal realization I'd say.
I had to admit it was for me as well quite flustering to have him that close. In this — it was making me speechless. His breath for a second brushed my neck, the way it was feeling so gently, the warm air.
I would lie if I said that the blood didn't shot up my cheeks. My whole temperature hadn't sky risen and my heartbeat was going stronger than a drum. I just knew that I was flustered.
No, I was aware that I was looking flustered for a moment even to them. Quite the torture to me personally. At some point, they'd surely tease me until dawn for this reaction.
"There were a few security issues so Venti thought it would be the best idea to get you to wait with us for the last 10 minutes." He smiled and made me consider the possibility of how this could make things more difficult for them. I didn't find the right words at first and kept quiet, my tongue was glued in my mouth.
I caught my breath and recovered my mind. "Isn't that making things technically more difficult for all of you?" I asked concerned with a hint of curiosity. I used some steps to get closer to the middle of the room where everyone currently stood.
Xiao shook his head, he wasn't a guy of extremely many words at times. Especially not the best ones, but that made it very meaningful if he stood up for others. "Don't worry, it's okay," he said with a slight soft-spoken smile. I felt my heart warm up with his kind small gesture.
I admit, that he is a nice person below his whole shell of social awkwardness. Often he was that type of person who'd be labelled as cold, not caring, or mean because his words wouldn't come out right or from being a bit distant at first.
Aether came closer and leaned onto Xiao's shoulder with his right arm. The dark-haired male blinked and was slightly flustered for a second. His cheeks grew the cor patterns of the red rose. I chuckled under my breath.
"He's right. You're our friend and we can't replace you with a random manager — you are doing a great job — if something happens, neither can we replace a friend like you." He assured me with a smile. I chuckled feeling warmer than before and nodding after his comment.
"Thank you." I let out as my whole stress-filled body suddenly felt relief. A stone had loosened up from my heart and I was glad— more than glad as I stood at this point knowing I belonged somewhere.
Belonging somewhere...
In between all of the universe known to us, between the stars, moon, and sun, I've found my place. When the clouds were thought to be fluffy by children, which brought me shelter from sunburns.
I've had observed the boys and smiled. They looked quite nice in what the stylists chose. Each of them wore something that added up to them and their personality and individuality.
When I let my eyes wander on Venti— I was mentally shocked at how great he was looking in that pick.
His braids were decorated with hair ties that had small little green stones on them. They were shining the brightest when held in the sunlight, just like he would deliver the glow to many hearts. I would always feel comforted when his soul was around without a word, just his presence. This was somewhere deep in me— knowing when he was there it would be okay. While that enchanted the tips of his braids, his silk-similar hair was filled with small flowers sprinkling all over his head, in a way of crowning him with them.
His upper body was covered with a greenish sweatshirt whereas below there was a blouse with a stand-up collar that seemed frilly. The fact that ruffles fit him well made it worse for me to observe him—that he could shrug my stare off as being in awe. Something about that nagged at me.
I was surprised at how such simple fabric worked so well with him. No one could do it quite like him. The white blouse met the green-coloured sweater like the apple of the eye. A colour scheme that went so well together it could hurt— no kill even.
A necklace of the 4nemo symbol around his neck.
To round it quite much off he wore dark pants of which the trousers legs were cuffed up with a pair of black plato boots he had bound by the ties together, finishing the picture off.
When I realized how I had swooned over my best friend's looks mentally, it was too late. My mind came up with what it might be turning towards. I had an idea of the way this could develop if it kept growing. I wasn't sure whether or not to be a fan of it.
Aether kept enthusiastically engaging with Xiao while he had a smile on his face. That was not a rare sight when with the blonde or his sibling. Somehow, keeping him in that state when he continued talking and keeping the darker-haired Chinese boy close.
I didn't notice Venti do anything extraordinary, but he just sat in the corner practising some texts. He was so focused during that, it was admirable. Somehow it caught my eye just enough for me to get myself caught up in doing it again— I wanted to disappear.
So deep in my thoughts that I had to out of all things feel adoration for this behaviour and being of my best friend. He was who I once thought to be out of my reach, but now it was even further for work reasons. As individuals and humans, we were much alike, equal in some way, but when the word was addressed to work, it was quite the opposite.
They'd be depending on me for the organization and problem handling while without me they would still be famous. I was someone—replaceable work-related-wise. I didn't find that thought attractive in any kind of way. That was something that screwed with my brain.. yet they were saying quite the opposite about my work performance.
I am confident and hard-working, the thing is only compared to these famous boys I was someone who was in the industry below them—in a hierarchy, I would always pull the shorter straw. The someone, who was invisible to the fans. Someone, who didn't matter as much would I be replaced. Which made sense, but it stung that someone like me was replaceable like a phone to discard.
Meanwhile, my head was filled with bothering things and acknowledgements... Kazuha suddenly stood beside me. When my eyes wandered over to him as I left the ocean of thoughts— I was caught off guard.
I shrieked when the platin-haired member stood beside me. Completely out of the blue was a good term to describe it with as my heart was torn down with a strong heartbeat.
I could've sworn he wasn't there until a second ago. My eyes didn't deceive me however as I looked at him directly. "You've been giving some glances to Venti today.." he acknowledged. I cursed myself knowing that Kazuha was known to be observant.
I felt speechless, called out and flustered by that statement in a way. He caught faster on than me. Even I, who was quite self-aware at times didn't think further of it. I blocked it out. I didn't want this right now. There would be a distraction from my goal to get the financial things straight.
To help my mother...
Somehow it would get in the way. I hated that, I didn't want that trouble to be manifested in my life.
Thinking of him as attractive? No problem. Liking him? ALSO not a big deal. Doing something about it? No. Nope, not in the upcoming time of my work period at this place until, I have enough money.
If it would get to that point, I would want to avoid his crazy fans. I didn't mind the idea of having feelings for someone, especially him—he was no exception to my claim.
They weren't the slightest obstacle itself.
There was something different, only the circumstances of the situation were the problem. Otherwise, if there weren't a) my mother's medication I took care of for cancer, which I've not spent too much thought towards through half of my time here and b) the whole social setting he's in as for the fact his stans would hunt me down.
I didn't want him to suffer in such a case either.
I nudged the platin-haired Japanese boy with the red streak on the shoulder— "Shut up Kazuha" I joke light-heartedly. It struck me that all of this could change based on a wrong perception of people between Mr and the boys. This cosiness could disappear as suddenly as it came.
I saw the boys off and called, "Good luck" with much joy in my tone. A smile settled on my face at that moment.
When I settled down in the first row where I was brought to there was such a weird feeling on my tongue left. An anxiety-inducing one, something was wrong and didn't add up...
Why would they put a manager in the first row? This was somewhere in my mind leaving a weird feeling.
As they began to interview the boys they began to ask about the new album. To that Kazuha and Aether replied that they had put much effort into it, Venti, especially into a couple of songs specifically in the texts.
While Venti excitedly explained, I noticed that huge smile on his lips— one that made the room brighter. His emerald eyes sparkled while he excitedly had such a friendly tone in his voice.
I was impressed as they kept talking about it and the interviewer was very kind at first sight. Yet this lingering feeling didn't seem to leave my mind. It was all centred around the fact that this felt way too strange.
At an unexpected moment, staff came up to me. They whispered something in my ear, "Miss L/n we need to ask you to come with us." They smiled politely.
"I'm not in trouble, am I?" I inquire with a raised brow resting on my facial expression.
They shook their head surprised, "no, no!" they exclaimed whispering. "Nothing like that." They assured me.
I reported lowly, "I sure could've been informed of that by your boss." The staff looked at me nervous. Not knowing what to reply.
I smile and shake my head, "It's not your fault though. Don't worry I understand."
The employee let out a big sigh of relief. I felt weird at the indication of this happening more often judging from their body language.
My suspicion of the situation grew. Something didn't feel right.
I stood at the end of the stage. Backstage I noticed a few employees running around in hectic. I once had an apprenticeship, similar to this scene here, but never had I experienced what was going on while a show was hosted. I was struck in awe.
Everything was so filled and full. When I didn't pay attention for a moment and let my guard down, I watched after the nervous employee from earlier. I heard a faint, "..and we've got another special guest here today!" the show host called. I turned my head to the stage. I felt confused, what on earth was going on?
The employee came over to me, "Ms. L/n please go out." I was speechless. "..What?" was the only word that came out of my mouth. I wanted to voice my dismay, and my disagreement with this situation, but I couldn't.
I slowly went and followed the instructions, taking step by step as the spotlights shine and were thrown into my sight. I couldn't avoid their extreme brightness and covered my eyes when defenceless when they first blinded me.
"It's Y/n L/n, welcome her everybody she's the infamous new manager of 4nemo who has brought these boys to far more success than they were before." He introduced me with clapping. When the sound of clapping that now filled the whole room echoed in my ears, my mind accepted subconsciously that this was real.
I was overwhelmed at first and kept to myself before I said, "Hi" with a tone where I hid my unsureness. A good time when you had friends who did acting before that you helped practice. This did come in handy now.
"Thanks for coming as well," she said, I smiled. The other host nodded in agreement with the interviewer. "Thanks to you two for having me too besides the boys," I reply.
'Not that I was ever fucking notified of this.'
I kept my polite tone, otherwise, I could destroy the boys' careers in a second. Which I didn't want to be the catalyst of.
The interviewer smiled, "sit down beside Venti" she instructed, I nodded doing as she asked. Venti sat beside Kazuha on a couch made for 3 or 4 people while Aether and Xiao were placed onto two comfortable-looking armchairs. Dark, but they fit the stage.
As I sat down, the host turned to me. The sudden eye contact threw me off. "You two—" the host points at Venti and me. I looked at the host perplexed for a second, "You were friends before right?" and of course she had to dig that up. The interviewer and co-host listened now interested as well in the answer.
Venti nudged me subtly in the shoulder when I didn't realize how much I began to panic. He took my attention off it and I was thankful for him helping me keep calm instead of embarrassing myself in front of thousands of people.
To others, it wasn't visible, but he knew those moments better than anyone. Thanks to the dark-haired boy I snapped out of it.
"We were and are," I replied shortly. I wasn't in favour of giving away much from my private life in front of thousands of people I didn't know.
Venti on the other side took it super casual. I admired how he seemed to handle it so well.
"We were best friends in high school and after losing contact when college started for her and I began with the group we coincidentally found each other again as she applied to the job." He smiled brightly. So he had given away a less detailed story of our history, to protect the both of us.
I noticed how he had very little hand movements— which he tended to use whenever there was something that made him happy or flustered when talking about things.
Earlier it was even more subtle when he spoke of the song, but it was there.
"Is she your girlfriend?" the interviewer and co-host bluntly asked. The curiosity in her eyes was a pain to me in front of so many people. Otherwise, under different circumstances, I would never mind this question.
"Oh no," I answered. "We're just friends." it rolled off my tongue easily it felt terrifying. The word 'just friends' felt by now so bitter. Earlier this year it wouldn't feel this difficult to say.
"not yet at least." he joked.
'Not yet' sends me shivers down my spine— I didn't expect him to tease me in such a way in front of thousands of people. I grew barely red luckily— not similar to a cherry, but more about the fact that I would grow undeniably hotter in body temperature.
I nudged his shoulder, "screw off dude!" in a joking manner naturally.
He picked up on it, "Lovely as always." He teased smiling.
Our friends looked at each other as if they were scheming the biggest event in their minds. A smirk drew over Aether and Kazuha's face.
I turn away from him— to the interviewer and co-host. She asked after all. "However to answer the question: we're only best friends. He's right we're not dating, but we're only friends after finding each other again.." I smiled.
The rest of the interview went by rather smoothly. Weird enough to think it wouldn't.
When we left and I was alone with the boys I felt myself being tugged at my sleeve. It was gentle and careful. I looked back to see Venti. He was filled with guilt in his eyes.
"Can we talk at home?" he asks.
I nodded, "Yes."
——✧･ﾟ: ★,｡･::･ﾟ☆
RAINEE's NOTE; This chapter was interesting to write, I didn't write such a scene in a while. Hope it shows that we're making progress.