Youngjae
His fingers brushed along the smooth, pearl white keys of the piano a beautiful melody cascading around the empty room.
Lost in a melodic trance, eyes closed, lips slightly parted as he played the instrument that bought him happiness and a sense of normality in his chaotic and busy life.
Music was the primary source of comfort in 25 year old Choi Youngjae's life. There was nothing else that made him feel more content, nothing that relieved the loneliness that haunted him at night in his small, cold apartment.
Because unlike others in his life, music never left him. It was always there, even through the darkest of times.
"Yah! Choi Youngjae, hello?"
Eyes snapping open, music ceasing with an untuned screech Youngjae snapped back to reality, his gaze coming into focus as he took in his surroundings.
The small practice room encompassed with the all too recognisable wooden floors and white walls with a few microphones and other various musical equipment strewn about bought a sense of familiarity to him as he sighed coming out of his trance.
Youngjae didn't like change.
Familiarity and consistency was key in his life.
New social situations made him anxious.
Being somewhere he didn't recognise made him fearful.
"We're you blissing out again hyung?" The same amused voice called out, breaking the tense silence.
Youngjae looked up to see his coworker and best friend Kim Yugyeom leaning against the doorframe, arms folded and his signature smirk displayed across his lips.
Yugyeom and Youngjae had known each other from the very tender age of 5 and 7. They met at after school daycare when Youngjae was being picked on by some older ten year olds. Yugyeom, practically the height and size of a ten year old, came over and put the bullies in their place, helped Youngjae up and the rest is history.
Both were significantly interested in music, Yugyeom also possessing immense talent in dance, and a special and irreplaceable bond formed between the two over their love of music and nothing would ever change that.
They were family.
Kim Yugyeom was one of the only sources of consistency in Youngjae's life, so he clung to him and would never let him go. Yugyeom would never let go either, he's been through everything with Youngjae, including the stuff both of them would like to forget. He feels a sense of protection over Youngjae and that will always be there.
And that's how they ended up where they are now, after completing high school and graduating college in degrees of composition and creative music technology and dance and performing arts, both were successful owners of an up and coming music school in their local town in Massachusetts. Youngjae was slowly becoming an esteemed and highly respected vocal coach for people of all ages and Yugyeom was becoming renowned for his dancing skills and ability to teach others with ease. Combined with help from Yugyeom's loveable and hyperactive boyfriend Bambam, a theatre major the two met in college, the three were slowly beginning to build their business from the ground up.
"Hyung? You okay?" Yugyeom pursued walking into the room and placing a comforting hand on Youngjae's shoulder, his kind brown eyes peeking through a tuft of black hair.
"Yeah, all good Gyeom." Youngjae smiled softly with a small shrug of his shoulders.
"It's lunch time, let's go." Yugyeom said with a smile.
All throughout lunch Yugyeom, Bambam and Youngjae discussed future up and coming plans for the business, possibilities of branching out further and just general ideas to continue the hype surrounding the music school.
It was all extremely exciting, and Youngjae couldn't help but stare down at his noodles as Yugyeom and Bambam cutely fed off of the energy stealing adorable cuddles and kisses in their elation.
Youngjae wished he could open up enough to find someone to share his future goals, plans and excitement with.
It must be nice, he thought dejectedly pushing his noodles with his fork, too bad I'll never experience that.
Oh, how wrong he was.
Jaebum
"Daaaaad!" The loud cry of 27 year old Im Jaebum's son Sejun echoed through their spacious apartment.
Jaebum, who was currently situated in his downstairs office sorting through various, jumbled up documents regarding quotas for this mornings business meeting, jumped with surprise at the velocity of his seemingly small 6 year old sons voice.
Immediately he shoved the documents in his bag, snatching his black suit blazer from the back of his chair and made his way out of the office and upstairs to Sejun's room.
He entered the bright and colourful room accompanied with an abundance of toys scattered literally everywhere, he hopped over a piece of leggo reminding himself to make sure Sejun cleans up his mess after school today.
However his train of thought was cut short when he was met with the sight of his son adorably wrestling with his school uniform sweater, head poking out of an arm hole and the material essentially twisted inside out.
"I'm stuck." Sejun huffed with a pout his hands limply falling against his small side in defeat.
Jaebum couldn't contain the smile that broke out across his face at the sight of his son, his entire world.
A warm feeling of pure love spread through his chest as he walked over to Sejun a fond gaze emitting from his deep, brown eyes. "Oh Sejun, how'd you manage this?" He chuckled ruffling his sons now tousled brown hair before beginning to help him out of his newfound predicament. "You should've waited for me kiddo." Jaebum laughed now smoothing out any creases the sweater had.
Sejun, still pouting, wrapped his small arms around his fathers neck and whispered, "But you were busy with work dad, I wanted to be a grown up and do it myself so you didn't need to worry about me."
Jaebum was smiling like a fool again as he engulfed his son in a hug pressing a loving kiss to his forehead, "Its my job to worry about you Sejun." He whispered back, his son mimicking his big, wide smile as their eyes met.
"Come on Dad! We're gonna be late for school!" Sejun suddenly cried skipping over to his backpack and hauling it over his shoulders, "I can't be late, I'll miss this morning spelling quiz!" He turned around to face his dad a serious look in his wide eyes and Jaebum melted once again.
"Not without your winter coat buddy!" Jaebum laughed grabbing a hold of Sejun's backpack as he tried to escape out the door.
Grumbling in protest Sejun was wrapped up in his navy blue winter coat accompanied with matching scarf and gloves, whining when Jaebum cooed and worried over him catching a cold.
"You got your lunch? Pencil case? School books?" Jaebum questioned running through the list of things Sejun needed whilst grabbing his car keys and an apple for the road.
"Yup, sure do dad!" Sejun answered, a tiny hint of impatience seeping into his tone as his small foot tapped against the ground.
"Alrighty then, let's go." Jaebum announced resulting in a victorious cheer from Sejun.
After clipping and strapping a happy Sejun into his car seat and setting off on their journey Jaebum tried to fight the tiredness that threatened to seep into his bones.
Countless enduring days of being a single father accompanied with sleepless nights preparing for business meetings was his normality.
Jaebum works hard, he is a respected manager at his business and is slowly climbing up the corporate ladder. He desperately tried to provide for his son, having a kid at 21 whilst still in college studying his business degree was not easy, but he wouldn't have it any other way.
Sejun was the light of his life, his main purpose and source of happiness. He loved being a father and loved his son with all of his heart and soul, whilst he wishes he had time for more personal things such as a relationship or spending more time with his best friends Jinyoung and Jackson, Sejun was undoubtedly his priority.
"Dad?" Sejun called from the backseat snapping Jaebum out of his thoughts.
"Yes kiddo?" He replied, cautiously checking his blind spot as he merged onto the road that led to Sejun's school.
"You're still going to take me to those singing lessons tomorrow after school right?" Sejun asked a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
Jaebum loved music, he would have adored pursuing a career in music production and sound engineering, maybe even writing and producing his own music one day. However his wishes had to take a back seat nowadays, but it seems his love for music was passed down to his son. Every minute of everyday when Sejun wasn't talking or playing he was singing and had been begging Jaebum for a month now to let him go to this music school all his friends were raving about.
"Yeah of course, a promise is a promise." Jaebum answered sneaking a glance at Sejun through his rear view mirror and smiling as he found the young boy beaming happily and fist pumping triumphantly.
You see, Im Jaebum didn't like change either.
He was completely content with his small family of two and nothing would ever change that.
Sure he would love a relationship but could never bring himself to take attention away from his son, I' m content being single, he thought as they entered the school gates
Oh boy, how wrong he was too.