Message In A Bottle From Many

“So, how was it? Kissing someone after 3 years?” Tai poked me in the tummy, while I kept on harmonizing my vocals in the background for a practice cover of Daphne’s newest single : Star Dazed.

“You and me,

We are a couple distant afar,

When I look at your eyes,

I am Star-Dazed!”

At the last of the alto note of the almighty shattering voice, my voice diminished to withers : it cracked.

THUD!

My eyes snapped right at my feet, taking note that my water bottle prop dropped onto the floor. The water leaked spread like the monsoon waves all over the place.

It created a bit of a dent on the floor, making me realize just how much of repairments we need for this building to be functionable.

Currently we are on low budget, since DANNNAS are going on a world tour for about 6 months, the management hasn’t caught up with the complains.

At the four corners of the dance studio were the recycled plastic buckets, filled with water dripping down from the ceilings.

The lights flickered here and there, but didn’t hinder much to our dance practice.

Rather, it mimicked the stage lights and we refrained from fixing it up to help with the conditionals dance practice.

But of course, if it gets too bad we will get it fixed in a long run.

“Hyung, I didn’t mean to push you that much! Don’t you have a date to go to? I will clean up the mess!” Tai in a flash came back with a mop and a small bucket to wipe the floor dry while shivering in fright, wondering if I will skin him to bones.

“COME ON CREAM! YOU GOTTA STOP ME FROM SLACKING!” A voice of a forgotten long past of mine. I exhale and turned around, away from Tai who’s rhythm matches a haunting eerily fragment of him.

“Alright. But right after you’re done, make sure to go over the dance choreography with Umberto. With the small snaps of montage done, all there is left for you is to do the dance break at the beach. After all, we are counting on your stamina for those vocals as well.” I paused to look back at the teenager who nodded away while cleaning up my mess. With his head down, no one could see the faded light in his lights eating away with each stress building up on his shoulders.

Geez, have I been slacking as well?

“Either ways, maknae. Congrats to be the first to get a solo debut. Always proud with your antics. Don’t let this fame get to your head thou.” I jumped over the giant, slightly tangling off the floor. Now that his hair is all ruffled up, I could finally hear that barks of laughter echo in the dance studio.

This time it isn’t a lecture, but a round of applause at the good news our boy is bring in for our future.

Marking a milestone to get back at the ride all the seven of us were on.

After bidding goodbye, I rushed to the dorms for my outfit change.

Thankfully, Umber’s insane taste in fashion clutched in time for the date.

He even once predicted a trend that would be spread worldwide just last year.

The scrunchies hair pull up with miniature star clippers all over the hair was created by him. The underdog of fashion iconic styles.

With a quick rinse, I ditched my sweat shirt and pants drenched in sweat to a plain bluish with sapphire gems stitched to the cutoffs. He finally paired it with my one-for-all-event black ripped jeans.

“Thanks for taking over Tai’s training.” Umberto whispered while gently closing in the curtains, preventing any sunlight from waking Yutaka up.

“Anytime. Thanks for letting me wear the pants again.” I winked at his panda eyes.

“You have no clue how much of my dignity is getting crushed by letting you wear it again. What if the fans compare the previous and today’s date? I do prefer comfort over style, but you are live!” His frustrations finally exploded in the hallways, while dragging down my fashion choices from the past.

Sometimes a good leader needs to be checked in power by their vice.

“Even if its best for us, I just don’t like this method.” That stopped me in my tracks.

“You’re very fortunate to have an influencer like VechNos on your side, but with her stalker in the team, what are the chances that he won’t come after you? And even if she is as good as Yutaka mentions, don’t let down any suspicion you have on her. Better to be paranoid than to regret later.”

Knowing that our time's up, I nodded and in absolute protest, I forcefully hugged him.

“Who knows it could be our last hug, unbeknownst to you?” Umber immediately grossed out, but didn’t mind as much as I thought.

“Having to learn the 1000 ways to kill germs from a prideful germphobe like you, I am well protected than to be taken advantage of.” I ruffled his already messed up hair, causing him to push me in rage.

He almost run into DANNNAS, averting in the nick of seconds.

I reluctantly apologized to the girls on his behalf.

“No worries! We are just more than happy for you to get back on your feet.” Nyika laughed it off, while shooting glances in between.

“Where’s Yutaka?” Nora wondered her eyes out for her favorite ship of all.

With Nina confirming about the yesterday’s event, the ‘N’ trio sighed.

It is a very well known fact that Nyika, Nina and Nora are obsessive with boy love romance. With a popular ship like my duo, it is no bound that they would write down any fan fiction about them within a second.

They are the reason why the ship exists.

With all the luggage in and the staff already driving us out on the road, I bid farewell to my second DIY home, hoping for it to last until I return.

I tagged along with them, exchanging hellos and good-mornings with the other staffs, including the sleepy and drowsy duo : Quynh and Lei, who were all going with them on their tour. The location of the new date was right down a couple of streets from the airport. So why not just chill out with the girls on the way? I helped Aayaka onto the van, who mindlessly just jumped into the seat, drowning herself in her rigorous practice to out perform herself from the previous concert. That woman is almighty one loaded with all the good gene, but left no place for manners!

Even though I knew most about all the members, in the sea of similar caps, hats, designs and outfits for trying to match the theme of their album, it was getting tedious on who was who. Since Aayaka was the main vocalist and was making the wind listen to her lines at the open window, I could figure it was Do-shin next to her because of her small pale orange birthmark in a form of a fixed square on her wrist. Hate to admit it but it was also her bad sense of making a hair bun that made her stand out a lot. Thankfully, I took it upon myself to do it for her since we have been kids. Right next to her double-seat, sat Nina who was probably reading another yaoi in her covered up black gym clothes from Joke. Nyika and Nora sat at the front redoing their curly and wavy hair in shades of maroon and lavender respectively, while practicing the hand choreography on the way.

“Man, I did tell him not to overwork himself because of the choreo is full 90s retro hip hop style. That too first time making a choreo in that genre.” Sofia, the bridge between the two USA and SK, groaned in annoyance. Her hazel brown dutch braids got stuck in her single van seat in our row. I happily plucked it out for her, getting a thanks in fist-bump.

Her olive tan skin made me reminisce VechNos’s, but I slapped that thought away because who knows? Apparently her hair was fake, so what guarantee does it that her skin tone is fake as well. Even Aayaka’s and Nina’s skin tone is fairly similar in range, while the rest are quite fair.

Poor girls, it always irked me whenever they covered up their beauty marks over just like Tai.

What a pity on missing out on such marketable potential scope.

But considering the energy of seven girls, with some in puberty, because that thought alone can be put away for a while as their head manager, Kim Umaya was dozing under her girls’ merchandise eye mask. She sat right next to the driver, snuggled in her puffy blanket while the front row girls sat left-facing the door.

Knowing their manager’s mood swing, it won’t be long seeing Nyika getting pushed out that door very soon.

Probably the only reason why she made those two sit there.

Luckily for them, I saw her gulp down her sleeping pills in time.

“We gotta give credit to him, Sofia. Back in training, he learnt all the basics and combos in one week and now he’s able to teach Tai the choreo he made in two nights? That man’s a beast.” Do-shin reapplied and fixed up Aayaka’s makeup, who was fixated on her phone and rehearsing her lines by the opened window.

“Despite it all, is Tai oppa okay?” Anna tugged on my shirt, giving me her fifth love letter of the week to me. I recounted the morning situation, finally getting her to loosen up her tense shoulder. She finally dazed out the open window, smiling ear to ear.

How could we forget that about DANNNAS soft spoken and gentle lady maknae and our chaotic and careless maknae are dating in secret? They were childhood friends and came to SK for their shared passion. And then along the way, they managed to confession to each other on February 14th. I always get the single disease when it became my apparent job to be their lovey-dovey messenger pigeon.

“I just don’t get what you see in him. You deserve so much better than-” I coughed up at the punch to my gut. It directly hit my solar plexus, generating enough pain to feel it in my main part. The family gems.

How the hell did I also forget that she is the only one to have beaten up Tai in Taekwondo? That’s how they became friends!

I arched in pain towards Sofia’s arms, who justifiably pushed me back at the lioness at my right.

“Why are the teens these days are so hybrid?” I whimpered at the mercy of the mercenary, clutching back Do-shin’s bun for mental support.

“You are here to drop off our bags at the airports and be on your date. Not to pick on a 16 year old girl.” I jerked back as Anna adjusted her seat, her smug smile revealed the true thug she is.

Do-shin’s free hand slapped my hand away, cutting my only means for survival out of the cage I am trapped with.

“You wants some bubblegum?” One of the N trio asked and all agreed to take one each. Except for me.

“You should have gotten your own. You’re 26. How come you are so broke?” The blunt and honest Aayaka was free to speak her mind. Even if it meant disintegrating my pride.

“So, girls? Any spoilers for me about the tour?” My biggest mistake of my 26th year in life.

Asking girls anything of their interest.

Specially if it’s common.

“FINALLY! YOU ASKED ME AND NYIKA ARE SO EXCITED FOR THE FITS-”

“THE SONGS ARE RECREATED WITH THESE SPECIAL ROCK BAND ‘THE TIMERS’! HAVE YOU HEARD OF THEM-”

“MY THROAT IS FRYING ON THE VOCALS-”

“SOFIA! THE MAKE UP POWDER BRAND! WE GOTTA DO A VIDO TO PROMOTE IT!”

“NORA! NO FAR! YOU PROMISED TO LET ME SING THIS CHORUS-”

“WAIT GIRLS! DID WE FORGET OUR MAIN OBJECTIVE?” Do-shin raised her hand in the air, canceling out all the noise.

Huh? That brought me back to the real world from my hibernating seat.

“Is it true that you and VechNos kissed?”

All the member’s eyes were latched onto me.

Their mere presence erode all my self dignity for becoming a mere gossip for their tea time parties.

With no other resolute, I caved in.

“There is no way out of this, is there?” I moved up a bit forward in the swarm of squealing and giggling girls engulf me in shame.

----X----X----X----X----X----X----X----X----X----X----X----X----X----X----X----X----X----X----X----X----X----

“She kissed you because she wanted to give you that pill, in secrecy?” I helped Do-shin in carrying the bags out of their collective vans.

Nina examined it up close, in the sun, for any safety hazards I may have missed.

“That’s pretty much it. The permit got over and by the time we could talk it out with no cameras, ad team took over the place.”

I rolled up my sleeves for a much better grip over the handbags of the seven girls, three of which were concerned while the rest were modeling in poses for uploading pictures on their social media page.

“Nina, you got something?” I looked up after handing the luggage to the staff, thanking them in a rush.

Because, Nina look more bewildered than cautious.

Having been raised in a family of doctors, she did her best in all academic until she gave the ultimate to her family : music or drop-out.

I found out about her history through her younger siblings in freshmen years who I used to tutor for remedial and to gain extra credit.

Strangely, despite going to the same school, we never met or ran into each other.

“Guys, it’s not a pill.” She pulled me and Do-shin closer in a closure, Her eyes scanned for any potential lookers. Hoping for a free coast to prevent any leaks.

At clearance, she revealed her hands.

“It’s a capsule, inside it is a small piece of paper with a qr code.” She flipped over the tiniest paper I could have seen.

“What?!” Do-Shin cursed, and closed in to prevent the cold, bitter wild winds from getting their hands on it.

“Hang on, let me scan it!” I pulled my phone, and locking in for the scan.

After few seconds, it gave me a link to a number.

“Woah! Wait, do the guys know about it?” The leader of DANNNAS was looking at me, no longer the young toddler from the orphanage with whom I used to take care of the garden. The obscure and cautious leader of the new, upcoming girl group : Do-shin.

With no last name, she faced the problem of many exploitable rumors and death threats by taking over the place of a more eligible member of the society.

I would have faced the face issue, had I not changed and fabricated my backstory, back in Apex Entertainment.

I shook my head, while the two girls sighed : one in disbelief and the other in pure annoyance.

“Look Jiseok, we don’t have much time. But, from now on keep it to yourself and your mates. Don’t let the staff know of it. There has to be a reason why she is taking such measures to get to you in private.” Within just by glancing in my eyes, she knew my conclusion at once.

“I will text you soon. Be cautious and do what you can in that moment” We exchanged our usual handshakes : two side claps, three fists, and finish in one go of roundabout kick, interlocking our ankles.

Likewise Nina gave me the same advice, and to get a burner phone for safe measures.

Fortunately, their dearly manager woke up in time for the boarding.

I bowed to her on the way, while she was rushing the girls to be in a line.

Her soft demure was just for a split second before barking orders at the N trio for taking illegal shots at what they presumed to be a gay couple.

My energy was at its lowest, somehow used it up all in waving the girls goodbye from the entrance of the airport, before hopping back into the van onto my date.

I slumped down into my seat, while the driver gave me a water bottle in understatement. He and I were the only males in this carriage, with peace on it’s way, he pulled out some jazz music to soothe myself, resting at last. It was the perfect music for the drizzle of rain, pouring all over the windows. As I watched over the streets through the rainy glass, I thought to myself :-

Hopefully it will just be a casual date, right?