Work Text:
“We just need two more songs,” Jinu said, rubbing his eyes. “We have a month.”
Romance was splayed out across the couch, tossing a ball at the ceiling. “I’m sure you can come up with something by then.”
“I probably can,” Jinu groaned, sitting back, “If I stay up late every night writing lyrics.”
“I can help,” Mystery said softly, “I… have some ideas.”
“Really?” Jinu sat back upright again. “You do?”
“Yeah,” Mystery said, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. “I might even be able to write an entire song…”
“Wow, thanks.” Jinu put a hand on Mystery’s shoulder, eyes wild and grateful.
“It’s no problem,” Mystery said, already thinking about the lyrics.
You’re my everything… I think about you night and day, I wouldn’t have it any other way, I can’t help it but I love it, love it, love thinking about you. Everything that you do, makes me want to shout it, shout it, shout it out loud.
“Mystery? Mys, you good?” Jinu waved in front of his face.
“Yeah- yeah, I’m good. Just thinking. About the lyrics.”
“Hustle,” Jinu said approvingly. “I like it.”
Mystery chuckled and pulled Jinu aside. “Didn’t you write ‘Your Idol’ for Rumi?”
Jinu wet his lips, probably thinking about all the horrible memories that probably went with that song. “Yes… I did.”
“This one is for Zoey. Don’t tell the others yet, okay?”
Jinu nodded. “Is the line distribution going to be good? Some fans want to hear you and Abby sing more.”
“I’ll try to make it as even as possible,” Mystery promised, before shutting the door to his room to continue writing.
Mystery fidgeted with his pencil and jotted down the lyrics he thought of before, changing bits and adding more as he thought about his now-girlfriend.
You’re my everything…
I think about you night and day, I wouldn’t have it any other way, I can’t help it but I love it, love it, love thinking about you.
Everything that you do, makes me want to shout it, shout it, shout it out loud.
I love you so much it’s insane, it’s driving me crazy, 하지만 나는 다른 방법을 원하지 않는다.
I hope you’ll love me forever, and it’s now or never, but I’d wait forever and ever for you.
Uh, yeah, 나는 당신을 무한히 사랑합니다, yeah, 농담이 아니야, yeah, 난 영원히 당신을 사랑할 거야
너를 절대 놓치지 않을 거야, 그리고 영원히 너를 소중히 간직할 거야, hold on forever
And I’ve said it before, but now I’ll say it again…
You’re my everything…
I think about you night and day, I wouldn’t have it any other way, I can’t help it but I love it, love it, love thinking about you.
Everything that you do, makes me want to shout it, shout it, shout it out loud.
I love you so much it’s insane, it’s driving me crazy, 하지만 나는 다른 방법을 원하지 않는다.
I hope you’ll love me forever, and it’s now or never, but I’d wait forever and ever for you.
Mystery wet his lips and set down his pencil. It might not be their biggest hit, but he hoped that it would get at least some recognition. The lyrics resonated deeply within him, for he wrote them off of his own feelings and experiences. Zoey was the first person to love him that deeply, and he cared for her as much, if not more, than she loved him.
There was a knock at his door and Jinu peeked his head in. “How’s the song coming along?”
“Great. I’ve made the chorus, rap, and parts of the bridge are in my head so far.”
“Wow, great! Thanks again so much, but you might want to rest up. It’s late, and we have practise tomorrow. I appreciate you doing this, but you need to prioritise your health as well.”
Mystery nodded. “I will. I was just wrapping up.” He stretched and yawned, closing his notebook and returning it to its drawer. “I’ll continue after rehearsal tomorrow.”
~*~
“That about sums up the choreography for ‘Together,’ how do you like it, Jinu?” Abby asked, wiping sweat off his face.
“I like it a lot. It’s very cool, and matches the tone of the song quite well, especially the part where it’s like-” Jinu demonstrated the moves and hand gestures in the air- “this part, with the hands here on ‘you know we’ll always be together.”
The rest of the group nodded along, paying attention, but Mystery was already thinking about the notebook in his drawer, with unfinished lyrics about Zoey. He couldn’t stop thinking about it all through rehearsal, even though his mind should have been focused. He was luckily a pretty good dancer, so he caught on quickly, but he still should have paid more attention.
He’d come up with multiple lyrics overnight and through the morning, and he couldn’t wait to write them down.
“Mystery? Buddy, you there?” This time, it was Romance who waved in front of his face. “What do you think?”
“Oh, yeah, sorry. I like it as well, very nice.” Mystery nodded absentmindedly and hoped his bland answer would pass.
Romance exchanged a look with the others, then turned back to face him. “Are you getting good enough sleep, or are you writing lyrics all night?”
“It’s been one night, Romance. I started writing yesterday. And of course I’m getting sleep, probably around six hours every night.”
Romance exchanged another look with the rest of the Saja Boys. “Six hours isn’t a lot for humans, you know.”
“It’s still pretty impressive, given that we’ve only been human for a couple of months. It takes some time to adjust,” Mystery said in his defense.
There were some mild murmurings of agreement and then a bout of awkward silence.
“So… are we going back to the tower or not?”
~*~
As soon as the Saja Boys arrived at the tower, Mystery dropped his things and ran to his room.
“What’s up with him?” Romance muttered, and Jinu chuckled and rubbed his eyes.
“He’s writing more lyrics. He’s taken this task pretty seriously, and I’m insanely grateful, but he’s a bit of a workaholic.”
“Oh, I wonder what, or rather, who he’s writing about,” Abby sang mockingly, making Jinu chuckle again.
“I assume who you’re assuming is right- I wouldn’t be surprised if he wrote about Zoey.” Jinu paused. “I mean, I wrote one about Rumi, so I guess it seems fitting if he wrote one about Zoey, too. There are quite a few subtle love songs in this album, so…”
“Ewww, love songs,” Abby groaned, earning a punch from Romance.
“We should write one about Mira sometime,” he whispered, earning another groan from Abby.
“I don’t want to write a song,” he groaned again, “I’m tired.”
Jinu rolled his eyes and headed upstairs.
~*~
Up in his room, Mystery immediately opened his drawer and took out his notebook like it was a precious artifact. To him, it was precious. He’d poured out his entire heart and soul and feelings for Zoey in it in the form of a song, and he could feel the excitement brewing in his veins that they could perform it live for thousands of people.
He scanned the last page he had been working on, resuming where he last left off- the bridge. He could figure out the individual verses later.
Mystery spun his pencil a couple of times and quickly scrawled down a few more lines. Muttering to himself, he brushed his hair out of his face and twirled it absentmindedly around his finger.
“하지만 나는 다른 방법을 원하지 않는다…” Mystery hummed. “I hope you’ll love me forever, and it’s now or never, but I’d wait forever and ever for you.”
Zoey peeked her head into his room. He hadn’t even realised that the Hunters were home.
“Watcha singing?” she chirped, and Mystery shut his notebook quickly, perhaps too quickly.
“A song,” he stammered, “…that Jinu wrote for Rumi. I’m, uh, helping with the lyrics a bit.”
“That’s nice of you,” Zoey grinned, “Can I see?”
Mystery hesitated, then lied, “Sorry, Zo, it’s a surprise for the release of the album. However, we’ll have a concert before the release, for exclusive listening, if you want to come.”
Zoey grinned again. “I was already planning on going.”
That made Mystery smile crookedly, and Zoey brushed his hair out of his face and stared contededly at him, making him flush. She didn’t, but a small smile crept to her lips.
“You know, you’re very cute when you’re blushing, right?”
She did not just say that.
Mystery’s heart internally imploded with cuteness overload, and a warming sensation crept up his neck. His stomach fluttered, and his heart ached in that amazing way, and he blushed furiously and looked down at his hands.
“You are too,” he murmured, not making eye contact, “Even when you’re not blushing.”
Zoey giggled, that cute little noise that Mystery had grown to fall in love with, and his heart and soul flared brighter.
He kissed her forehead and gently ushered her out of his room, while feeling slightly guilty even though Zoey was laughing. “I need to finish this song, my love. I’ll go down at dinner.”
~*~
The evening came faster than anticipated, and Mystery was happy with the work he’d done. Zoey bounded up to his room to call him down, and he held her hand while they walked downstairs, earning some whistles from the rest of the group once they entered the kitchen.
Mystery scratched the back of his neck and sat down with Zoey. Jinu looked up from his phone.
“Hey, Mystery, how’re the lyrics going?”
Mystery swallowed his food. “It’s going good, I’m almost done.” He subtly flicked his eyes over to the girl next to him to explain that she didn’t know it was for herself yet. Understanding dawned on Jinu’s face, and he nodded.
“Thanks again, man, I really needed help on that song,” Jinu added, playing along. “It just means a lot to me, and you’re a master at writing lyrics, so…”
Mystery nodded, not really hearing him. Though he enjoyed writing lyrics about Zoey, he must admit that all the late nights were taking a toll on him. He wasn’t used to needing sleep, so he wasn’t used to feeling tired, and that was what he assumed this dreary feeling was.
Once he finished his plate, he went back upstairs and went right back to writing. By then, he had already finished the bridge and was just going over the lyrics in his head, fixing any errors or lines that didn’t match up.
When he deemed it ready, Mystery shut his door, put his headphones on, and hit the record button, singing out the demo of the song, looking at his lyrics. He sung his heart out, the raw emotion seeping into his smooth voice. Once he finished singing, he cleared his throat. He didn’t expect to feel so strongly about a song, but this song was about Zoey, and Zoey triggered the strongest feeling he’d ever felt–love.
Jinu knocked later and let himself in. “Can I hear? I heard you singing earlier.”
Mystery nodded and handed Jinu the headphones. The song felt special, and he almost didn’t want Jinu to hear it, but he then remembered that he’d have to release it to millions of people all around the world anyway.
The slightly embarrassed and shy idol watched the confident idol’s face as he listened, and Mystery noticed Jinu’s eyes tearing up. When Jinu finished the song, he just sat there for a little bit before taking the headphones off.
“…Wow,” was all Jinu said, and Mystery nodded. “I felt that.” They were both silent for a moment. “You… you really love her, don’t you?”
“Yeah,” Mystery said quietly. “I just hope she’ll like it.”
“Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll like anything you do for her. It’s the thought that counts, right?”
Mystery nodded again, but deep down, he knew that he didn’t just want Zoey to like it and appreciate it, and he wanted her to love it and feel as strongly about him as he did about her. He wanted her to know how much it meant to him. He wanted her to hum it while doing everyday things, he wanted her to think about him whenever she heard it, and he wanted it to be stuck in her head, making her giddy just thinking about it.
He hoped with his entire heart and soul that she loved it.
~*~
The night of the concert arrived faster than anyone thought it would, and suddenly Mystery was drawn to the fact that they would be performing their brand-new album’s songs on a stage in a couple of hours. His heart sped up with adrenaline, and suddenly he couldn’t rest.
Did he have the choreography down? Formations? Vocals? Lyrics? Was he ready for his ultimate demise when he-
She would love it, right?
He hoped she would.
Backstage, the boys were changing into their outfits, and some staff members were helping them with their mics. Jinu did a couple of stretches while Abby and Romance bickered over something stupid, probably. Baby was in the corner, already changed, on his phone. Mystery slipped into his outfit and stared at himself in the mirror.
He wasn’t ready for this. He wasn’t ready for this. He wasn’t ready for this.
What was he talking about?
He had performed many times before, centuries ago, so why was he so nervous now?
Ah, right. The song.
He wasn’t ready for this.
Seeming to sense his inner emotional turmoil, Jinu sat down beside him and clapped him on the back.
“You’ll do great,” he assured him.
He was ready for this. He could do this. He knew he could.
Mystery took a deep breath and then followed the others to the platforms beneath the stage. Some crew members helped fix last-minute technical difficulties and mic issues, and then the button was pressed, and the platforms started to rise while the ceiling above them opened up.
The Saja Boys rose onto the stage to the screams and cheers of jumping fans, waving light sticks around. Jinu raised a hand at the front of their formation and held a singular finger to his lips, and the massive crowd fell silent. Jinu then smiled and raised both his hands, and the cheers grew louder, louder, louder, and then-
“Hit it!” Jinu shouted.
The backing track for Soda Pop started playing, while the fans screamed and squealed with joy. The Saja Boys started singing and dancing in those formations that they’d practised hundreds of times before.
This performance, however, they didn’t have magic on their side, so they relied on the raised platform to dance around until climbing the back steps and jumping in unison, Mystery and Romance hitting that high note that fans went crazy over.
Just like the first performance, they ended the song in their usual positions, striking a pose. The crowd went wild, and Mystery was sure that most would lose their voice by the next day given how loud they were screaming.
“Wow, you all really love that song, huh?” Jinu said, smiling and putting his hands on his hips while his chest heaved. “You have to admit, Soda Pop is always in our heads 24/7, right?” He raised his arms again, and the crowd roared in approval.
“We’ve got some hits for you tonight,” Abby announced, spreading his arms wide, “Here’s 적응하다-fitting in.”
The Saja Boys performed their new song for the first time live, and the fans jumped and danced along, even without knowing how the song went.
The setlist passed by in a flash and soon it was time for the thing that Mystery was simultaneously dreading and anticipating- his song.
“Mystery here-” Jinu clapped him on the back- “wrote this entire song by himself, contrary to whatever he claims. He’s a humble man.”
“What can I say,” Mystery joked, “I’m a mystery after all. Anyways, yeah, here’s You’re my Everything.”
Heading for his spot at the front of the formation, he added, “This one’s for you, Zoey.” The crowd went wild, and Mystery’s face flushed. There was no doubt that there would be new ships and speculation after this performance. Mystery took one last deep breath and the lights flicked off.
The backing track started playing, with the floating chimes in the background while the music swelled. Mystery had the first lyric.
“Like the summer breeze and crisp air, autumn leaves and dark hair, winter snow and cozy tea, spring flowers and buzzing bees, it’s the little things that matter, it’s how nature shows it cares,” he sang. “Though I may not show it well, I’d walk through fire and hell, just to get to you. Because you’re all I want, I want you to be mine. I’ll hold on forever and ever and ever…”
Abby swept in front while Mystery stepped back, shielded by the other members. The lyrics that he’d written were now being performed in front of a live audience of thousands. It was crazy.
“You’re my everything…” The Saja Boys stepped into a line and harmonized, before they jumped into the chorus.
“I think about you night and day, I wouldn’t have it any other way, I can’t help it but I love it, love it, love thinking about you.”
“Everything that you do, makes me want to shout it, shout it, shout it out loud.”
“I love you so much it’s insane, it’s driving me crazy, 하지만 나는 다른 방법을 원하지 않는다.”
“I hope you’ll love me forever, and it’s now or never, but I’d wait forever and ever for you.”
Baby stepped out from the middle of the formation and started rapping.
“Uh, yeah, 나는 당신을 무한히 사랑합니다, yeah, 농담이 아니야, yeah, 난 영원히 당신을 사랑할 거야”
“너를 절대 놓치지 않을 거야, 그리고 영원히 너를 소중히 간직할 거야, hold on forever”
Then the group dove back into the chorus.
“And I’ve said it before, but now I’ll say it again…”
“You’re my everything…”
“I think about you night and day, I wouldn’t have it any other way, I can’t help it but I love it, love it, love thinking about you.”
“Everything that you do, makes me want to shout it, shout it, shout it out loud.”
“I love you so much it’s insane, it’s driving me crazy, 하지만 나는 다른 방법을 원하지 않는다.”
“I hope you’ll love me forever, and it’s now or never, but I’d wait forever and ever for you.”
Mystery stepped forward at his proudest part of the song- the bridge.
“And though it seems crazy, I do love you, baby, I love you, and it pulls at my heart, and I feel so warmed by love I can hardly speak. Your eyes, your voice, your hair, your lips, I love it when you have your hands on your hips. This love with you, I want to keep…” Mystery searched through the crowd and eventually found his girlfriend right in the front, watching with eyes filled with love and tears. He made direct eye contact with her and stepped to the front of the stage like they’d practised as they all sang the chorus a last time.
Mystery sang to the stadium, but in his world, it seemed like it was just him and Zoey, and he was serenading her, both their hearts filled with love. Once the song ended, the crowd erupted in cheers and cries. Many of the audience members were wiping their faces, because the lyrics were so powerful.
Walking back to the center of the stage, Mystery adjusted his mic and then- “I love you, Zoey.” Which earned more screams from the fans.
The Saja Boys’ first concert for their debut album concluded with their finale, “Together.” However, though Mystery enjoyed the song, it passed in a blur, because he did it, he really finally did it. His song about his love for his girlfriend was now out into the world, and he had no regrets.
Once the concert ended, they stepped back onto the platform and descended, still waving at the crowd. Once out of sight, they all collapsed into chairs, and the crew helped them relax and de-stress.
Mystery closed his eyes but couldn’t help a small smile that crept its way across his face. A little giddy giggle escaped his lips and Romance whistled.
“You’re getting more action than I am,” he joked.
“That’s because Mira hates us.” Abby added.
“She hates you, not me.”
“She hates everybody.”
Mystery laughed, then heard a small commotion coming from security. He brushed it off as a fan who somehow got in, but then he heard that voice-
“Mys! Mystery!”
It was Zoey. She bounded towards him when he signaled for security to let her go, and he swept her up in a hug. Zoey’s eyes were still shining from unshed tears of joy as she squealed in his grip.
“Did you like the song?” Mystery breathed into her hair.
“I loved it,” Zoey said, choking up, “It meant so much to me.”
“It meant a lot to me too,” Mystery whispered, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her.
They were wrapped in each other’s arms and they didn’t break apart until several whistles pierced their peace.
“Get a room, you two,” Baby said lightheartedly, and Romance and Abby nodded in agreement while Jinu just chuckled.
Both Zoey and Mystery’s faces flushed, but they locked arms and headed out of the room.
“Sorry about them,” Mystery murmured. “They’re a little…”
“It’s fine, really,” Zoey breathed in the scent of his hair. “Thank you so much.”
“For what?”
“The song. It means everything to me.”
Mystery’s heart swelled with love, enveloping her in a hug again. “Of course. I’d do anything for you.”
Zoey giggled. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”