After that, it was only the cycle of Taeyong blocking infinite unknown numbers and moving on.He tried to hide it, tried to hide his growing anxiety each time he got a new message from an unknown number.
•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•
They freaking did it.
They finally win a music show for this comeback. After 2 weeks of struggling, both for them and the fans, they finally win this week music bank. It's a great achievement seeing that they were against a very tough opponent; BTS-sunbaenim has a very strong fandom and their score was really really high. They barely win because the senior group's promotion was nearing its end, but still, they were very proud and very happy for the result.
When they knew who their opponent was, they were actually very doubtful that they will be able to win. They had hope, of course, but even their comeback team was also very much accepted if they didn't manage to win a music show. That's why when the news broke down that they won, a party was held right away.
The producers, recording teams, and the members found themselves inside one of the most famous BBQ restaurants in the heart of Seoul, and they are celebrating their achievement.
"Today is a special day! It's our leader's treat!" Johnny loudly exclaimed, earning a whistle and claps from the group.
The said leader gave a short speech, thanking their hard work, before opening the party with a cheer.
Taeyong was seated between Yuta and their head music engineer, right beside the tall wooden wall of the restaurant. Taeil and Johnny were seated across him. As usual, Taeyong got the role of grilling the meat, he didn't mind though.
The party went on until late at night.
In the middle of the delight moment, Taeil took notice of the big glass of beer on Taeyong's grip.
"Wow- You're drinking?" he asked, voice a little tipsy.
"Yeah, want to blow off some steam." Taeyong admitted, swirling the beer to make a mini whirlpool inside his alcohol. He didn't drink that often since he has low alcohol tolerance, but today the leader was feeling particularly happy, and he had this strong desire to consume liquor.
Taeyong glanced around the table, noticing the other were already dead drunk; Mark was drunkenly retelling his funny past experience to no one -the boy was literally talking to air- and Taeyong saw that the young rapper had already downed two glass of alcohol even though he is the second weakest drinker in the group beside Taeyong himself. Jaehyun who sit beside the Canadian man zoned out looking high with a giggling Jungwoo clinging to his arm. Yuta somehow ended up near Haechan at the far end of the table; both didn't seem drunk but they were obviously tipsy.
Doyoung and Johnny were the only ones still clearly sober. Johnny can hold his liquor the best amongst them, while Doyoung intendedly avoiding any form of alcoholic beverages. 'Y'all will be out of it at the end of this night and someone need to take care of you guys' he said. Well, judging from the current situation presented to him, he was grateful the vocalist did so.
Taeyong finished off his beer, about to get a second, when Doyoung's firm voice cut him. "Oh hell no, you are only allowed one glass, hyung." The bottle was snatched away before Taeyong could able to grasp it. The leader pouted, huffing childishly while Johnny and Taeil laughed at him.
Taeyong was starting to feel light-headed, alcohol doing its work, numbing his senses slowly but steadily. But Taeyong wanted more. The giddiness he feels was so strong, endorphins overflowing inside him. So when Doyoung didn't pay attention to him, he snatched a bottle from beside the already asleep music engineer and downed the content secretly. He sighed happily when the liquid burned his throat.
It probably not a good idea at all, but Taeyong didn't care at the moment.
Turned out drinking more alcohol than his body could handle is another bad choice Taeyong ever made in his entire life.
Taeyong's drunk, that for sure.
His third bottle was seized away by a horrified Doyoung, and Taeyong laughed drunkenly at the fuming vocalist. The beer bottles and cans then being cleaned out from Taeyong's reach, but the leader was so drunk already he didn't care. He groaned, mind hazy and fuzzy, alcohol running high on his nerve. He was getting sleepy.
He was about to fell asleep when he felt his phones vibrated.
The idol drunkenly checked his phone, his brow furrowed when he saw the unidentified ID.
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[unknown number] 10:42 PM
I see you guys having quite party
[unknown number] 10:42 PM
Congratulation on being the 1st in today music bank
[unknown number] 10:42 PM
Seeing you happy makes me happy too
[Taeyong] 10:47 PM
W ho'ss this
[unknown number] 10:47 PM
oh my god, you're drunk
[unknown number] 10:47 PM
You replied to me
[Taeyong] 10:48 PM
??? am I n ot suppPosed to
[Taeyong] 10:48 PM
S hit
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Taeyong barely able to regain some of his ability to think to realize the grave mistake he just made. He cursed out loud, banging his head to the table, knocking some of the empty cans to toppled over in the process. The rest didn't pay him no mind, probably thinking that it just his drunk-self losing his mind, but that's technically correct at the moment. He mentally questioning his whole existence, wondering if he sinned so greatly in his past life that he keeps getting this chain of misfortunes.
The idol, in his drunken state, couldn't think of anything to fix the undone mistake. His intoxicated mind then decided to just throw the problem to the one responsible managing his career. He barely able to walked with wobbly legs to their manager- also still sober- then dropped himself to the empty seat beside him.
"Oh god, you're drunk. This will not end well." Manager Youngjae deadpanned when he saw Taeyong's sorry state. He tsk-ed out loud, and maybe Taeyong could hear the fondness inside the tone if he didn't dead drunk.
"Answered... sasaeng's message..." Taeyong somehow managed to form an informative sentence, shoving the cursed device to his manager.
The smile fade almost instantly, replaced with a scowl. The manager looked absolutely petrified, "You what!?" he whisper-screamed, snatched the phone, then began rapidly scrolling his chat thread.
"Didn't mean... to..." taeyong groggily defend himself, earning a loud exasperated sigh from the other man. The manager then orated an impressive long lecture -or nagging- that put any teacher to shame, but Taeyong couldn't understand any of the man's speech. The words drummed inside his ears like rapid fire, but none of them make any sense toward the idol. It was like the manager was talking in a language Taeyong didn't know; the man looked funny because of that. Taeyong giggled again.
He really need to sleep.
"How did you get so drunk at the first place- Taeyong? hey don't fall asleep on me now... Taeyong-"
The last thing he remember before passing out was the manager's voice calling for Doyoung.
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[unknown number] 10:48 PM
you're drunk-texting, so cute
[unknown number] 10:49 PM
Taeyong-ah?
[unknown number] 10:49 PM
The manager got your phone, huh?
[unknown number] 10:49 PM
Well whatever, this is the best thing happened in my life
[unknown number] 10:50 PM
Get plenty of rest, and drink a lot of water tomorrow. It'll help the hangover.
[unknown number] 10:50 PM
I'm going to sleep too
[unknown number] 10:50 PM
I know that I will have the best sleep after this, I'm so happy right now
[unknown number] 10:51 PM
I will dream about you
══════════════════
The next day, Taeyong awoke with terrible headache and blank memory; he didn't remember anything after the party. He knew he fucked up when his managers stood at his doorframe looking very much unimpressed. He was having the worst hangover in his entire life but the managers scold him anyway. Both Youngjae-hyung and Insoon-hyung alternately castigated him and Taeyong prayed to all deities he knew that Doyoung won't join the Let's Scold Taeyong party. Fortunately, the said man was busy taking care of the others who also had hangover -everyone except Johnny.
The auntie cooked him a hangover soup, which the leader devoured like a starved man, while Insoon-hyung narrated the cursed incident yesterday.
They bought him a new number after that damned drunk incident but for some reason that equally damned unidentified ID reappears again on his screen after only 3 days of temporal tranquil.
Taeyong didn't tell the managers.
After that, it was only the cycle of Taeyong blocking infinite unknown numbers and moving on.
He tried to hide it, tried to hide his growing anxiety each time he got a new message from an unknown number. But some members, especially Johnny and Doyoung, probably noticed his weird demeanour. They cautiously-but persistently- keep asking what's troubling him, and Taeyong always told them that he's okay and nothing's wrong, but these particular people can read him like an open book, didn't buy any of his reason.
But Taeyong didn't tell them.
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[unknown number] 11:59 PM
You finished work later than usual
[unknown number] 11:59 PM
Are you okay?
[unknown number] 00:00 AM
I know you already eat dinner with Mark but I hope you eat night snack, get a cake, maybe
[unknown number] 00:00 AM
The bakery downtown is still open, they sell delicious sweet potatoes cookies
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[unknown number] 06:09 AM
I dreamt about you yesterday
[unknown number] 06:09 AM
You were smiling and laughing
[unknown number] 06:10 AM
So beautiful
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[unknown number] 08:35 PM
I got fired from my job
[unknown number] 08:35 PM
But that's okay because now I have more time to spend for you
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[unknown number] 00:11 AM
I can't sleep
[unknown number] 00:11 AM
All I can think about is you
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[unknown number] 01:17 AM
Why is this tremor won't stop?
[unknown number] 01:18 AM
I keep sweating and shivering, they stop only when I see your face
[unknown number] 01:18 AM
What did you do to me
══════════════════
[unknown number] 10:11 AM
I need to see you
[unknown number] 10:11 AM
So bad
[unknown number] 10:11 AM
It hurts
[unknown number] 10:12 AM
Watching your face from the screen isn't enough anymore
[unknown number] 10:12 AM
Looking at your poster and picture doesn't help anymore
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[unknown number] 07:44 PM
Why didn't you appear much in Vlive?
[unknown number] 07:44 PM
I need to hear your voice
[unknown number] 07:44 PM
I need to see your face
══════════════════
[unknown number] 00:23 AM
It hurts
[unknown number] 00:23 AM
I think I'm losing my mind
[unknown number] 00:24 AM
It hurts so much
[unknown number] 00:24 AM
Please make it stops
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[unknown number] 02:01 AM
You ruin me
[unknown number] 02:01 AM
You really ruin me
══════════════════
[unknown number] 03:03 AM
I can't control it anymore
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