Chapter Text
“I can't believe you are springing this on me last minute, Seongjae. You know I had a camping trip planned.”
“Jin-ah, something had come up. You know how these corporate honchos are, everything is last minute with them. Listen, you don’t have to do anything: the VIP passes take care of everything. You just have to drive the kids there.”
“And escort them around.”
“Did you say something?”
“No. Fine, I’ll do it.” Seokjin sighed, resigned to the fact that there was no way he could take the solo camping trip anymore.
Schooling his face, he walked back to his drawing room where Yoongi was prepping for their meal. The friends sat down for their dinner.
“What did he want?”
“I will be taking the kids to the festival instead of him.”
“What! What is his excuse this time?”
“An urgent meeting came-up.” They both said it together and started laughing because Seongjae was that predictable.
“There really has to be a name for his parenting style.” Yoongi quipped.
“There is; it’s called uninvolved parenting. He got Hwa Young VIP passes to the Seoul Music Festival for the Cosmic Cruise show when she has clearly grown out of her childhood fascination. Maybe I should award him points for remembering that she stanned them.”
Yoongi rolled his eyes. “Do you want me to accompany you?”
“Nah, I’ll be fine. A whole field filled with noisy teenagers and young adults and messy, sweaty bodies. What’s there to be afraid of?” Seokjin shivered. “You would be moody all the time and miss the quiet of your music room.”
“Well, you know me too well but I had to offer.”
“Yes I do, and thank you for the offer, it is much appreciated. If only it hadn’t come from the world’s grumpiest cat, I would have taken it up.”
“So what time do you pick Hwa Young?”
“Bright and early at 6. Two of her friends are tagging along, so I have to pick them up as well. Seongjae’s largesse.” Seokjin shrugged and Yoongi rolled his eyes at that.
“I better leave, I can't have you missing my company too much. Try to chalk it down to a new experience, Hyung.”
Seokjin narrowed his eyes on his oldest friend.“I can see how you are enjoying my misery.”
“What can I say, you are a better person than me, Hyung. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
Seokjin liked having Yoongi over for dinner. Throughout his messy falling out with Seongjae, Yoongi had been a rock. Seongjae’s betrayal had been such a sock in the gut. Seokjin hadn’t been one to cry or throw a tantrum, but Yoongi had been there to help him pick up the pieces of his bruised self. He knew that Seokjin had needed quiet comfort, so he let him be. Yoongi poked fun at Seongjae’s mid-life about turn, lightened the mood with his usual acerbic humour, and best of all, cleaned up after himself.
Seokjin went to bed counting his blessings. Early next morning he drove to Seongjae’s place, mentally preparing himself to face his ex being married to a woman. Hwa Young came bounding out.
“Hey Dad!”
Never mind that Hwa Young was now seventeen, Seokjin still felt she was the tiny baby he had adopted. She wrapped him into a big hug, and it gave Seokjin enough strength to face Seongjae who came out right then with a heavy duffle. Most likely packed with Hwa Young’s clothes for the trip.
Seongjae made a big hue and cry about Seokjin being a life saviour. “You sure you don’t want to come in? Pookie made a fabulous breakfast spread!”
Seokjin wanted to kick himself for having found this man attractive at some point of his life. Pookie! Mid-life crisis really must have been getting to Seongjae. Seokjin put on his most game face and politely declined the breakfast. “I have to pick the two remaining musketeers, so I’ll take a raincheck today.”
He hurriedly climbed back into his car before Pookie, whose real name was Ha Pan-mi, actually came out herself. He was sure he would die of the cringefest Seogjae was turning into if he had to face Pan-mi too.
Once out of their driveway, Seokjin finally let himself exhale. He wasn’t sure when he had started holding his breath. Certainly not before “Pookie” was sprung on him. Well anyways, like Yoongi said, he would chalk this to another life experience.
He made his way to collect Min-jun and Si-woo, both of whom were also tagging along with Hwa Young for this music festival. The three had been fast friends since junior school. The Cosmic Cruise was the reason why they got together in the first place. They would go on for hours about their favourite member, the discography, photocards and any and every newly available merchandise.
Seokjin himself had had to drive helter-skelter to buy posters and albums for Hwa Young. Not that he minded it as much as the fanchant the three would scream at the top of their lungs in between songs.
The parents of Min Jun and Si-woo were quite relieved knowing it was Seokjin who would be accompanying them. They hadn’t had the most reassuring experience at the times Seongjae had been the chaperone. Packed and loaded, they made their way to Seoul.
“Since we are going to be seeing Cosmic Cruise, isn’t it just right that we listen to them?” Hwa Young offered. The other two happily agreed.
“So much nostalgia.” Si-woo piped in between. “Let’s do the fanchant!” and off they went screaming the band member names.
“Remember the time when Woo Young came on live and I got a nosebleed?” The trio started reminiscing about the days, each speaking over the other. Seokjin wondered whether he and Yoongi had been this way. Well, Yoongi surely fed him all sorts of music over the years, but Seokjin rather liked peppy pop and he was a sucker for a sad tunes. He guessed Yoongi and him were different kinds of people to Hwa Young and her friends.
The drive to Seoul took him a good 5 hours. His eyes were strained and his back hurt from sitting in the car for too long. After parking, he took the kids to the registration booth. Seeing the long line of attendees, the kids took off towards the merch stores while he patiently waited to register them. Lucky for him, he could see some other parents too. The lady in front of him seemed to be kind enough so he thought he could ask her about the process.
“Annyeonghaseyo. Could you please guide me on the process to register. It’s my first time.”
“Oh, you are a Cruiser!” she excitedly exclaimed, pointing at her shirt. “Me too!” And then she proceeded to hug Seokjin. “It’s so good to see older Cruisers. Truthfully speaking, it can get a little embarrassing for us, but I think more power to us for being able to resonate with Cruise music.”
Seeing how the woman liked to talk a mile a minute, Seokjin did not correct her misconception of him being a “Cruiser”. In fact, he felt rather pleased to have someone help him sort the registration. He didn’t have to provide much of an answer to any of her questions as all of them seemed rhetorical.
Having finished with the registration process, he went out to look for the kids and hand them their name tags and such. At seventeen, they were less likely to get lost, but it seemed that Seokjinwould be more prone to that. Try as he might, he couldn’t tell which way to go to the the merch stalls and which way would lead him to the nearest restroom, as nature was calling urgently.
He kept praying to the gods to send him a music orderly who could help him locate the restrooms. It seemed the gods were listening as a festival worker in black t-shirt just happened to be passing by. He stopped the man and asked him where the restrooms were. The orderly gave a vague wave towards their left. Seokjin spotted a line of trailers neatly arranged in a queue. Assuming they were the VIP lounges and restrooms, he made a beeline towards the first trailer.
The space was arranged in earthy colors of taupe, caramel, sand and a dusting of sage green in the cushions and curtains. It felt very homey and a tad bit whimsical, with fairy lights arranged around the mirror and windows. He would have explored more but his bowels were screaming. So he knocked on the bathroom door, hoping that whoever was in there had done their business and he could get on with his.
A deep baritone answered “Coming. I am almost ready.”
The first thought that crossed Seokjin’s mind was that the voice suited the interior of the lounge somehow. A few seconds later, a tall, blonde muscular man stepped out. Jin excused himself and went into the bathroom, not even sparing a second glance.
Stepping out of the washroom, Jin noticed the blonde hadn’t left the lounge. In fact, the man seemed to be giving him a good once over.
“Hi!” Seokjin quizzically offered. The other man was smiling at him mysteriously. It prickled Seokjin and he stood straighter waiting for the man to get it out, whatever he had in his mind.
“Kim Taehyung. I didn't know they double-booked this trailer.” The man outstretched his hand for a handshake. Kim Taehyung…Kim Taehyung...why did that name ring a bell? Think Seokjin, think…where did you hear this name?
Like a nightmare it dawned on Seokjin that he might have trespassed into an artist’s trailer. Not just any artist but him; Kim Taehyung, the lead singer of the Cosmic Cruise!