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Minyeo comes back to Seoul exactly five months after she left, to the day. It's springtime now, flowers beginning to bloom, and birds singing. The weather is finally turning warm again, and a light breeze whips through Minyeo's hair as she steps out of the arrivals terminal with her suitcase. She smiles happily as she hails a taxi into the city, comforted by all of the Korean signs that suddenly surround her. As she rides along the freeway, buildings pressing closer together as they near downtown, she sees familiar shops and restaurants. It feels like she's been gone for much longer than four months, and yet at the same time, it feels like only yesterday that she left. Nothing much has changed.
As they pass the Seoul KTX train station, Minyeo spots a promotional billboard for A.N.Jell's latest single. It takes up an entire wall of the building. They look just as she remembers them, despite the new wardrobe and styling. Seeing them reminds Minyeo that she hasn't actually heard from them in months. Apart from the occasional newspaper clipping in the mail from Manager Hoon, she has no idea what they are up to, or how soon she will be able to see them.
Of course they all said they'd keep in touch, but it hasn't been easy. A.N.Jell's sixth album skyrocketed to number one and stayed there for seven straight weeks and they'd begun promotions in China and Japan, a string of endless variety show appearances and promotional spots, magazine photoshoots, interviews, and fanmeets. They were busier than they'd ever been, which made Minyeo's heart swell with happiness, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel a little hurt. Somehow finding the time to sit down to write a letter was forgotten. She had written letters to them when she could, of course, but they'd only responded a couple of times and the replies were brief. "Jolie misses you!" Jeremy would say. "Take care of yourself," Shinwoo would add. "Don't make any trouble," Taekyung would conclude.
As the taxi comes to a stop in front of the AN Entertainment main office, Minyeo exhales a deep breath. She isn't worried that they have forgotten about her. She knows her brother would probably beat them up if they did. But she is a little worried that they might just not have time for her anymore. She isn't a member of A.N.Jell. She doesn't actually have any business being at the office at all. She passes the crowd of girls waiting in front of the main entrance with their signboards. No one is screaming for her his time. No one is grabbing her arm and pleading for an autograph. No one has been waiting for hours just to see her walk by.
Now she is just like them, she thinks. They just want to see A.N.Jell, too. Maybe she really is just a fan.
But then she clutches the star necklace around her neck. No, she asserts. She is more than just a fan.
*
When Minyeo pushes through the glass door of the office lobby, she isn't expecting to be practically knocked over by a massive hug. Once she comes to her senses, she realizes it's Manager Hoon and Coordi Noona Wang. They both fuss over Minyeo's hair, which is now nearly at her shoulders, and Manager Hoon regails her with the story of how he called her Sister in Africa on a sattelite phone and tracked her flight all the way to Seoul, calling the airport every hour for a status update.
Minyeo's eyes crinkle at the corners and she feels happy that at least he will never be too busy for her.
"I would have come to get you," Hoon is saying, "but Minam had a sudden wardrobe issue. He lost his jacket and shoes for the fanmeet tonight! I think a fan stole them from the dressing room."
"By fan you mean Yoo Heyi," Miss Wang says with a smirk. "They can't help but act like kindergarteners... If only she'd just admit she likes him."
Minyeo toes the ground. Her feelings about Yoo Heyi are still shaky at best, but if her brother is happy then she can support him. What really catches her attention is the fanmeeting. She remembers when Taekyung held a special star fanmeeting just for her, and feels suddenly wistful. She wonders how many fans will be there to greet him tonight. She wonders if Taekyung will sing for them too.
She counted over two thousand stars in the skies of Africa, but none of them could compare to the brightest one she's been waiting to see.
"Where is the fanmeeting?"
Manager Hoon raises his eyebrows and begins talking very fast. "Well, it's not really a fanmeet. It's a... closed event," he says hesitantly. "The fanclub has exploded since you've been gone. There will be a special taping and it will be broadcast live. President Ahn is calling it the fanmeet that everyone can attend." He seems to understand what Minyeo is really asking, and adds, "But the set is closed to only cast and crew..." looking immediately guilty.
Minyeo lowers her head. "Ah," she says softly, "I understand. That's really good for the members. I'm happy they're so popular now." What she doesn't say is that now it is probably impossible for anyone to get close to them. "I was hoping I could see them."
Manager Hoon looks even more disappointed than Minyeo does. "Well," he says after a long pause, the gears in his mind clearly at work. "There is one way..."
Minyeo feels nervous, but at least Manager Hoon isn't kneeling on the ground and begging her for a favor. This time around the tables have turned.
"They will surely let you in," Manager Hoon begins, "if they think you are part of the band..."
*
And so Minyeo finds herself back in her brother's clothes, a cap pulled over her too-long hair and the star necklace hidden beneath the collar of her shirt.
"Wow," Miss Wang exclaims appreciatively.
Manager Hoon smiles too. "I feel like it was only yesterday you were first joining A.N.Jell..."
Minyeo grins nervously. "I hope I don't cause any trouble for them."
"They will be so happy to see you. Don't worry."
*
Manager Hoon drives her to the filming location, a sprawling studio south of the Han River. The sun is just setting when they arrive, casting pink and orange into the spring sky. He hurries up to the security guard and explains about Minam being late and needing to rush him in and they are let in without any problems. Minyeo guesses that her brother must be late often because the security guard sighs as they walk past.
"They should be getting ready in the third room to the right," Manager Hoon says, and Minyeo can see on his face that he's nervous.
She nods and smiles. "Thank you," she says softly. Manager Hoon pats her on the shoulder.
Once he is gone, Minyeo walks slowly down the corridor to the room where she can hear music. She recognizes the voice and stops dead in her tracks, frozen.
It has been five months since she has heard Hwang Taekyung's voice, and Minyeo feels something tighten up behind her ribcage as he sings. The song is new, probably their new single. She doesn't recognize it, but the melody is good, upbeat and emotional. She listens as Taekyung sings a verse about running through the darkness, and wants to laugh. She wonders if Taekyung has been eating more carrots as promised.
Then she hears her brother's voice join in at the chorus and suddenly feels uneasy. She steps closer and can see him through the studio window, standing at the piano, looking every bit the pop idol he had been longing to become since childhood. She watches all of them, Jeremy and Shinwoo and Taekyung and her brother. It occurs to her that this is A.N.Jell now. To the untrained eye, it is the same group that performed six months ago, but to Minyeo, everything is different. Minam is all angles and confidence and Minyeo isn't sure how anyone could have mistaken her for him before. It's strange hearing the way his voice blends with Taekyung's, the way he blends into the group like he was always there, like the whole fanclub believes he was. She can feel the energy in the room even from the other side of the door, and there's no doubt in her mind why this group is Korea's number one.
When the song finishes, Minyeo knocks lightly at the door and hears Jeremy shout, "Maybe it's the pizza!" She hears microphones and speakers switch off and ducks away from the window at the sound of footsteps. Her heart is pounding and she doesn't know why.
Taekyung is the one to open the door and when he does, his eyes go wide like they did the first time he kissed her. He swings the door open and there is a silence where they all stare at her, as she stands there in her baggy t-shirt and jacket, thumbs digging into the pockets of her jeans and eyes shaded under her cap. The last strains of the new song ring in Minyeo's ears even though no one is singing.
When he speaks, "Minyeo" still sounds a little foreign and hesitant on Taekyung's lips, just as "Taekyung-ssi" does on hers when Minyeo replies. She half-expects him to yell at her for interrupting their practice, or to tell her to go wait outside the building with the rest of the fanclub.
But he doesn't. Behind him, Jeremy and Shinwoo are smiling and Minam flashes a peace sign.
"It's been a long time," Taekyung finally says, and Minyeo can tell he is trying hard to keep his face from splitting into an enormous grin.