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Jisung and Minho were besties their whole life. From the moment Jisung was born, their tight-knit families smashed them together immediately, basically holding them at gunpoint to be friends. At the start, they hadn't really liked each other, Minho getting his friends to bully Jisung on the playground, Jisung somehow getting on the side of the middle schoolers and having Minho walk into a class full of them just for the middle schoolers to dump chalk dust on his head and run out the door.
They only started to get closer when they were in high school when they joined the school band. A lot of early mornings, a lot of schools overnight trips. They were paired to sleep in the same room as each other most of the time, having time to understand each other.
Minho played guitar for their band, at first he thought of it as a waitlist, as there were too many flutes, he just had to bully some girl out and he'll be put into that group, but they all thought that it would look good on a resume so they stuck through even though Minho would kick their chairs, hide their instruments. The practice room ghost.
He ended up liking the guitar, once he got past the calluses, his fingers as hard as a rock, now being able to touch an electric stove and not be able to feel it until a few seconds. He showed Jisung near his graduation, laughing when Jisung cringed and closed his eyes.
Jisung went to university for music, Minho did not, he opted to not, just decided to skip past the whole education thing and go on youtube with covers and when he got popular enough, released his own songs. Jisung's 'useless childlike degree' as his parents put it wasn't as useless as they thought, even helping Minho wish some songs, giving and receiving songs. Eventually, Minho released a cover that took off. The cover was Be my Baby from The Ronettes. The cover went viral, a popular tik tok sound for sad edits for one-sided love tropes from characters.
The cover was slow and melodic with a soft acoustic guitar.
[+2,232, -123] the voice crack, the vulnerable touch of the voice (╥_╥)
[+1,231, -431] I'm actually crying, how is this little pop song from the sixties turn into this???
[+1231, -232] Loving this, keep up the great work :)
People were loving him. His cover went to 20 million views and his subscriptions went to 2 million subscribers. When he reached 2 million, he did a live stream called 'face reveal???' where he spent the whole hour talking about his cats, Soongi, Doongi, and Dori, with the camera nowhere near his face and only on his cats.
"You're famous now," Jisung said to the cats when he walked into his apartment, "you're still doing the live stream!" He exclaimed, thinking Minho would have ended it when he texted that he was coming over with cake. The chat was suddenly filled with "who's that??" and "??"
"The candles are lit," he laughed, pointing the camera at the cake, making sure not to get his face on film, "it's like my birthday." Jisung malfunctioned, staying still not knowing what to do, his hands shook,
"Well," he said, overcoming the shock, "blow them out before the wax melts onto the icing."
Minho laughed, moving the camera to Dori who was just laying down, walking closer to the younger. He sang a happy birthday before blowing out the candles, he took the cake from Jisung, setting it down, going back to the camera. He flipped it over, showing a close-up of his eye that was scarily widened.
"I have to celebrate now, also I'm going to perform in places soon, so see me there." He rushed out before abruptly ending the stream.
"Oh my god!" Jisung yelled, "You're going on tour! Why didn't you tell me!" Jisung went in for a hug, wrapping an arm around his back, and twisting the two in a circle. Minho immediately latched onto him in return,
"It was a surprise, it's nothing big, I'm going to small places, only hold like 500 people, and it's just Seoul, Busan and ."
"It's going to be hell to get tickets, Hyung, how am I supposed to get them before the scalpers," Jisung whined loudly, adding fake sobs for dramatics.
"Don't even worry about that, only thing you do have to worry about is getting in the first row." Minho pulled from literally out of nowhere, a rectangular piece of paper, a ticket, "Meet and Greet too."
"You'll definitely see me, front row, I'll show up an hour early, and I'll fight anyone who tries to take my spot," Jisung told, holding up his arm to show off his muscles.
"My number one fan?"
"Of course, what else would I be?"
"You stalker, knowing where I live and all."
"Just for you."
There was a pause, as they both looked at each other, they could feel the heat of their breaths on their face. A loud hiss broke the two apart, making Minho run to the three who were in a sudden death match, seems like Soonie was teamed up against. Dori and Doongie already tackling each other. Minho quickly pulled Dori off, separating the two so they wouldn't kill each other. Soonie who was thought to be dead (Dori and Doongi obviously thinking these things, Minho's a cat whisperer) rose to climb on the top of the cat tower. Turns out, the one everyone least expected got the prize.
"The cake is going to get cold," Jisung said, blinking rapidly realizing what he just said, "I mean, I paid like twenty bucks for that, we should eat it."
Minho laughed, taking the cake to put on the table, and grabbing a sharp knife. He cut the vanilla cake down the middle, slicing up big pieces for the two, then after he gave the piece to Jisung, he went to cut three small squares, smaller than the palm, giving them to each of his cats. Finally relaxing, he sat down in his wooden chair, digging into the cake.
Jisung did indeed wait in line for an hour, he didn't even use his phone so it was completely charged so he could record. He felt like he was going to see his favourite artist for the first time, it's true, Minho is his. favourite artist, but it's definitely not the first seeing him and definitely not the last time, nor is he in some parasocial friendship with Minho. If it was fake, it would be a parasocial full-on romantic relationship because he would not let his unrequited feelings go for this long without some payoff.
The staff checked his tickets, letting him go through, he sped and walked to the front row, leaning on the barricade so he wouldn't grow tired. Wondering when he would show up.
"How long have you been a fan?" A girl beside him asked. She was obviously bored from waiting and the anticipation made her antsy and started to talk to anyone.
"A while."
"Me too, for a while, he grew so much."
"Yeah, he has."
"What's your favourite song?"
"Limbo, although the ending is just," he shakes his head, remembering when he first heard it, he had to call Minho, demanding answers for the sudden cut-off.
"I like Taste, what's wrong with Limbo?"
"Its ending is so unfinished?"
I could see—oh my god!" She screamed making Jisung wince from the sheer pitch of her voice. She had reason to scream though. The stage lights turned on, and mist grew from the stage, engulfing the instruments and the first few rows of people. The first few notes of Drive started to play, which made the crowd wild. Jisung took out his phone, wanting to get Minho from the start.
Minho did come out, or Lee Know, which this was his official face reveal, Jisung thought the girl would die from excitement when she saw him. Jisung smiled, looking at the crowd, locking eyes on Jisung.
"Wow," he said, once the song concluded, "I didn't think this many people would show up, thank you," he laughed, fixing his in-ear monitors. "Anyways," he paced around the stage, "thank you again for coming to my first show," he couldn't get through the sentence before an erupted of screams started which made him laugh, "I actually wouldn't be here without someone, my best friend for years," Jisung rolled his eyes, starting off cheesy, he thinks.
"He's here now actually, I'm not pointing him out, he's not about that life, but I'm serious, he helped me through songs, high school, even elementary school which is a surprise, Hyung wasn't always good to you during those times and I'm sorry about that, so I just wanted to tell you how thankful I am to you, and thank you for being here, that is to all of you, I haven't really done this before, I don't really know what to say, next song tho, is called Limbo, speaking of, I put a twist because my bestie did say it was unfinished."
The girl beside him looked at him with curiosity.
Just as he said, the ending had the drums hitting at a faster past, Minho rising the tension just for it to end.
Jisung did what any #1 fan did and record all the performances. The camera is shaky as he dances along to some of the songs. Just soft swaying, nothing too crazy. He wasn't about that life, as Minho put it.
Minho left the stage, everyone aweing before he came back with his beaten-up high school acoustic guitar. Jisung didn't even know he still had that, he smiled at the initials in 'JS' that he put carved one night with a pocket knife. He doesn't even remember doing it, a concept of 'if I can't have Minho I'll have his guitar' which is stupid to think about now.
"This isn't an original song, it's a cover, I'm sure y'all know this one, I did the arrangements when I was drunk and crying one night, Be my Baby, y'all!" The crowd went wild, even Jisung loved this cover.
The night we met I knew I needed you so
And if I had the chance I'd never let you go
So won't you say you love me?
I'll make you so proud of me
We'll make 'em turn their heads every place we go
He sang, his eyes closed, head rising slightly above the microphone. Jisung smiled, swaying to the beat, Everyone held their flashlights, waving to the melody as well. Jisung remembers the first memory he has, Jisung was crying because Minho said he didn't hang out with babies. It was much less romantic, he wants to go into the past and beat them up for being stupid.
So won't you, please
Be my little baby?
Say you'll be my darlin'
Be my baby now
Minho's eyes opened, scanning the first row to find Jisung again, there was a pause in lyrics so he did a little spin, as if showing off his fit to Jisung. The blonde laughed, the pants were what Jisung's mom gave to Minho for his sixteenth birthday, astonished it still fit him.
I'll make you happy, baby, just wait and see
For every kiss you give me, I'll give you three
Oh, since the day I saw you
I have been waiting for you
You know I will adore you 'til eternity
Minho kept on looking at Jisung, eyes never leaving, it was like admiration and love, but Jisung had to believe it was for the music.
So won't you, please
Be my little baby?
Say you'll be my darlin'
Be my baby now
The song was ending soon, just the outro, Minho left the mic, skipping around the stage, not missing anything on the guitar and hitting all the notes. Jisung froze, maybe he is becoming those delusional fans.
"Are you going to the meet and greet?" The girl asked.
"I am."
"Me too. Are you the best friend he talked about?"
"I am."
"Oh my god! I'm one person away from Lee Know himself!" She quickly celebrated, "but you have to get your shit together."
"What?"
"He clearly loves you, couldn't keep his eyes off you, it was like you were the artist."
"Really?"
"He obviously made the cover for you."
"Oh my god," he groaned, not wanting to believe that a literal teenage girl is lecturing him about feelings.
They lined up for the meet and greet. The girl crying about now being directly knowing Minho.
"I'm your number one fan," he blurted out. Minho already laughed, shoulders bouncing as they always do.
"I could tell, you recorded the whole thing, do you have any space on that phone now?"
"I do, and I was just wondering, this best friend of yours, he seems lucky to have you."
"I'm lucky to have him, what were you wondering?'
"If," he paused, not knowing how to ask this, "do you like him? Like that."
Minho's eyes widened, "was it that noticeable?"
"Allegedly." He glanced at the teenager.
Jisung finally grew red from across the table, making Minho smirk at that, "Last question," he looked back at the girl, and she nodded as if encouraging him, "can I kiss you?" Minho didn't even mask his excitement, standing up, he placed his hand on the foldable table, leaning his weight on it as he leaned in, Jisung followed suit, letting their mouths touch each other. Jisung kissed him.
"Oh my god," he said.
And so Minho gave him three more kisses.