As the moon shifted ever so slightly in the night sky, the pink butterfly dipped low, spiraling down into the subway station. There it found Woo Seok Jin, laughing breathlessly as he and the other four members sprinted into the train after their first concert had ended in triumph. The little creature landed on Seokjin's arm, blending itself against his skin like an invisible tattoo, as his laughter rang out.
"Ha ha ha! That was insane! Woohoh~!" I jumped up and down with my friends, giddy with the afterglow of pulling off our debut stage. Then my phone buzzed. Our manager's name lit up the screen.
"Yobusey, Manager Bons?"
"Seokjin! Good news! I just got an offer from S.GAME they want you as the main promoter for their new game, launchin' next week!"
After Mr.Bon finished, my eyes were already widened "NO FU-- s'cuse me... NO WAY! Are you kidding? Of course I'll do it. Work is work, and right now all I need is cash in my pocket."
"Hah! I knew you'd say that. Alright, leave it to me, kid. See you soon."
"Got it, see you!" Beep.
"What's that? What's that?!" The others swarmed around me.
"S.GAME just hired me to promote their new game!"
"Bwahaha! Holy shit, this guy!" Jin doubled over with laughter. "Concert's barely over and he's already booked another gig!"
We collapsed into the plush VIP compartment the label had reserved at the front of the train. The five of us leaned back in our seats, sipping coffee from a polished table draped in silk.
"That show was wild. Better than we could've hoped," K said, clapping for us. "Seriously… amazing."
"Captain Sanghye, that high notes were sick," I teased. "Like Korea's made Fred Mercury."
"Ah don't say that! comparing a rock to a freakin' gold, pfft!" K laughed nervously, waving the praise away.
"The feedback's been solid though, huh?" Juwon chuckled, scratching his head.
"Man, I just want Bulgogi right now," Giyul groaned, rubbing his stomach.
"Yeah, thick slabs of hanwoo beef, please!" Jin joked, poking fun at himself.
That's when I noticed K's smudged eyeliner. A dark streak clung under his left eye like a shadow.
"Cap', you've got panda-like eyes," I pointed out.
"Scadoosh, probably rubbed my face too hard. Who the fuck cares? This is rockstar life, isn't it? Messy but cool as hell."
Before we could laugh further, a commotion stirred just beyond the glass door. Fans were pressed up against the next car, waving, screaming, their faces bright with devotion. Security was already doing their best to hold them back.
"Look at that they're standing there just to get a glimpse of us."
"Should we go say hi?" Juwon grinned.
"I feel bad for the guards, honestly," Jin said, standing. "C'mon, let's give them something fun."
The three of them Juwon, Jin, and Giyul rose and headed toward the door.
"I'll stay here," K muttered quietly.
"Yeah, me too," I said, raising my hand to sit beside him.
The other three pushed into the next car. The second Juwon stepped through, he cupped his hands and shouted:
"Everyone, stay calm! Take a breathe~ don't fight over the oxygen, there's plenty to go around!"
The carriage erupted in a shrill, uncontainable scream.
"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"