Soobin never imagined he could see so much fluorescence in one place.
Maybe it's the product of being underground for so long, but the streets of Gangnam are a lot to take in. He passes a variety of restaurants, two huge clubs that deafen his ears even from the outside, and a bunch of karaoke bars. Everything seems to blur as he and the members become lost in the moving crowd.
Soobin begins to pomfret. He worries about how the Black Mage might perform a surprise attack on him and the members, but he shakes his head and moves along. He can't worry now, not when he needs to focus on one mission—finding Beomgyu and bringing him back safely.
A Palace is already packed to the brim when Soobin and the boys arrive. When they enter into the cafe, on the second floor above a clothing boutique, TXT's fans—their amazing MOA—cheer politely. Just as how they light up in joy when seeing TXT, Soobin feels the same rush of affection for those who love what he does as an artist.
Soobin manages to exchange a few waves with those in the crowd. However, he looks away quickly when noticing that many of the fifty fans are turning their heads. They must notice Beomgyu isn't with them, and he'll have to address it later as leader.
An employee quickly leads them to the front of the room. Here, Soobin takes note of the golden, drawn curtains that shift in the low candlelight. Roses are placed in vases on the center of porcelain tables, and a scent like honeyed oak perfumes the air. A Palace is made complete with rugs softer than cotton candy and maroon loveseats. A coffee bar takes up around a fourth of the space, so the fans crowd around the tables, squeezing together like a bunch of honeybees.
"Thank you all for coming," Huening Kai speaks into his mic. His words are followed by an adoring cheer. "We planned this performance very quickly. But we wanted to do something special for our fans!"
Soobin, despite performing for a year straight, still feels a hint of nervousness rush up his spine. "Yes! We hope you enjoy it even though we hoped to perform more songs. Beomgyu isn't... feeling too well, but we still wanted to give you an exciting experience."
His apologies are met with encouragement from the fans, all varieties of hums and sighs. With a bit of a pause for all the members to get into position, Soobin makes a signal for the employee to begin their first track.
Soobin's voice is rougher than usual during "Our Summer," and he struggles to hit the higher parts even though he's performed the song more than fifty times. With every note, he imagines the Black Mage materializing above the heads of his fans. He'll cast his dark magic over the place and consume everyone in his radius of power. Who knows whether he'll make a sneak attack, ruining their plans and making more minions in the process?
After an embarrassing showcase of his falsetto, the fans still look at him with starstruck eyes. He's overcome with love, a heavy warmth within his chest. Some of the fans hold signs decorated with stickers inspired by their latest album, and the messages are short yet heartfelt. Others wave pastel glow sticks in the air, and the rest wave their hands to the melody.
No matter what, he'll keep performing for his fans. He'll show the Mage that he can still be a singer worthy to be admired, no matter how many attacks he must go through. He'll find a way to make his voice heard. Beomgyu would be proud of him coming out of his shell and turning into an archer. Both melody and actual arrows, his brother would tell him to keep shooting.
He'll find him. He has to.
"Magic Island" and "Poppin' Star" come next. The nerves shed off Soobin's shoulders, and he reaches the notes easier now. The rest of the team follows suit, and together they enchant the crowd with an intimate performance. Beomgyu may be missing, but each member does his role to fill the remaining lines.
Soobin expects the Black Mage to show up at any moment. When he begins the choreography for "CROWN" in the small stage, Soobin looks left and right between his lines. He feels as though he's checking for fire or smoke, only much more dangerous.
"Stop the suffering, abracadabra"
"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh"
"YA, YA, YA!"
The song finishes, and the fans erupt in a symphony of whistles, claps, and shouts. But there's no Mage. TXT has their powers, but the Mage didn't take the bait. Soobin assesses the other members, finding that Yeonjun, Taehyun, and Huening Kai are also scanning the walls from left to right.
After the final fan leaves A Palace—and the boys are finished thanking the owner for letting them hold a performance—a thought enters Soobin's mind. He thinks he's being stupid at first, but when his members are leaving the cafe, defeated with slumped shoulders, he brings up the idea.
"Taehyun, do you remember the more advanced skills for the mage?"
"Yes, of course," Taehyun says. "I remember most of everything."
Soobin wouldn't have expected anything less from the smarty of the group. "There was an advanced ability called Magic Door, wasn't there? It allowed members of a party to teleport to one another."
Taehyun's eyes widen in surprise, which doesn't happen very often. Or at least not when Soobin proposes an idea. On the staircase, Kai and Yeonjun also look back and freeze.
"Why didn't we think of that before?" Yeonjun says.
"That yellow light on the train," Kai continues. "It must mean we can hone those advanced skills, right?"
Soobin gulps. He just hopes his leader intuition won't fail them.
A/N: It's almost Christmas time! I hope everyone has a wonderful time celebrating. It's our second year of being a MOA on Christmas!