Twenty-One

'I can't believe that he hid that from all of us for so long!'

'Oppa and Oppa's piano! <3 <3 <3'

'When Oppa said that he could play, I had not taken him too seriously but, boy, was I terribly mistaken!'

'Can an Idol be a professional pianist? Yes.'

'Jeongwoo proving just how untalented the rest of humanity is.'

I chuckled and tossed the wrapper of the chocolate that I had eaten into the waste bin nearby. It went in perfectly. Then I turned back to my phone.

'I feel betrayed. How come my Oppa did not tell me something like this?'

'Choi Jeongwoo is all the goodness this world needs.'

'Choi Jeongwoo-ssi, please marry me.'

I could see exactly what Changmin had meant when he said that the piano was one of his biggest charm points.

"Okay then." I sat up straight and checked my appearance on my phone's camera. We were in the practice room at DayBreak, a day after our performance of 'The I' by Finite Sunbaenim which had taken the internet by storm. True were going crazy over my solo piano segment. I had to admit that even I found myself really cool in the video clip.

I had decided to do a Live today because I was aware that True would have a lot to say. I had barely any make-up on and I was in my practice clothes but I looked presentable enough for a live. The rest of S.T.A.Y, except for Hanseol, were also in the practice room. This was my live though, so they left me to it. I was planning on bringing them on later anyway.

"Let's do this." I began the live when the view count reached around 6,000 people.

I smiled. "Always yours." I showed a finger-heart. "This is S.T.A.Y's main vocalist, Jeongwoo."

Comments were flooding in as usual. I had actually named the live 'Jeongwoo's Piano'. I needed to address that surprise that I had dropped on them at least now.

"Yes. Hello. Everyone… Have you been well? Ah… Me too."

I was wearing a head-band since we were in the middle of practice. There were a lot of comments about my appearance too.

'Post-workout goodness.'

I laughed. "It's not really post-workout yet. We're in between practice. Since I got some time, I thought I'd come by and see all of you.'

'Practice?'

'Practice for what? The live stage day after tomorrow?'

The fact that we were performing was no secret but what we were going to perform was a secret. I was so tempted to drop a few hints about our new version of 'Yeongweonhi Norae'. I couldn't do that though.

Sad.

"Yes. Yes. You're all waiting for it, right? We are also waiting to show you what we have been working on." It's okay to let on that we were working on something, wasn't it? That much couldn't possibly do any harm. "I, in particular, am waiting to show you all that we have planned."

'Something special's coming!!!'

'Oppa, you're going to surprise us again?'

'Will you be playing the piano again?'

'Jeongwoo Oppa, you just dropped a hint, right?'

They sure do catch on fast. "S.T.A.Y- all of us- We're always looking forward to showing you everything we have planned. Who are we working for if not for you, True?"

'Ah! He's covering up!'

'Oppa, spoiler!'

I shook my head. "I can't tell you anything more than that now. It's only a matter of 2 days. Wait for us~"

'I'll wait for you my whole life!'

'Yessssssss!'

'We'll wait~'

And then, someone finally asked, 'Oppa, why didn't you tell us you could play the piano?'

"Right. Piano…" I leaned back against the wall and ran a hand through my hair. I couldn't tell them about Changmin yet. "It's just a little something that I had picked up as a trainee. I had learnt a little bit of the keyboard when I was in Middle School but I had gotten proper training here at DayBreak with… a few other trainees. I have practiced a lot and worked really hard on the piano too. It isn't that I wanted to hide it from you or anything. I had just never gotten a chance to show it to you before. Now, I know that that's a weak excuse but, honestly, it has been a really long time since I last played the piano too. What you saw on the show and the practice for that was the first time since-" Changmin joined 04:00 am "-S.T.A.Y debuted." I could swallow one year for now. "I'll admit this though- I was VERY nervous. Since it had been such a long time and, you know, it was all new to me. I used to play before but I had never played onstage. And this time, it was a crucial part of the performance too. I couldn't afford to mess up." I sat up again and smiled. "So, I practiced. I practiced so much that my fingers could play the song even in my sleep." Not that I got too much sleep but they had no need to know that. "I'm happy knowing that you all enjoyed it. If you think that I did well, then all the effort I put into it is worth it."

'We loved it!'

'I fell in love!'

'Oppa looked beautiful when playing the piano too!'

'Jeongwoo Oppa playing the piano is heavenly.'

'Angel Jeongwoo.'

'More! More! We want MORE!'

"You really liked it?" I scrolled through the comments. "Ah. Thank God then." I mean, I had already seen the reaction on many other SNS platforms but… "Thank you so much for your support and love!"

'Love? You can take my life!'

'<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3'

'I will love you forever! <3'

'Where's Jaehyeon?'

Of course. I mention love and you remember Jaehyeon. Sorry. You will have to wait a little longer before you can get to see him.

"Oh. It's someone's birthday?" I read the comment in passing. "To all of you who have birthdays today- Happy birthday! I wish you many more happy birthdays!"

'With you~'

'My birthday is 3 days from now.'

'Oppa is my birthday gift.'

Okay… Maybe I should wish whoever has a birthday every time that I do a live just like this. If it could make someone's day, I might as well do it every time.

'Play piano for The Eye again, please!'

'Sing something for us!'

'Love from Italy~ <3 <3 <3'

We were really getting popular abroad. The reality-check gave me the chills. The fact that we were getting big in name only meant that we had that much higher expectations to meet.

I wondered how Changmin must have felt the first time that he realised this about 04:00 am.

I read another question out loud. "'Did you eat lunch?' Yes. I ate Kimbap. Manager-nim bought it for us from a nearby restaurant. It was very delicious. Really."

'I ate Kimbap too!!!'

'Oppa looks tired…'

'I love Kimbap!'

"Hm. But I actually feel like eating Jajangmyeon right now. It's been a while since I got to eat that. Maybe I'll make it for lunch if we are home at that time. Mm… That'll be some time from now though. Or I could just have Jajangmyeon the next time that we order food."

'Do you like Pasta, Oppa?'

'I'll make Jajangmyeon for you!'

'Feed me too~'

I looked towards the other members. In between my talking, Jaehyeon had gone to lie down in a corner of the room. Mingyu and Yeojun were still talking- the latter still trying to figure out some dance moves. I could not tell True where Hanseol was.

"K-Soul is not here right now. He just stepped out of the practice room." I said as I stood up. "The others are here." I went over to Mingyu and Yeojun. "Jun-ah, Mingyu-ya." I motioned towards the phone. "Come say hi."

"You're doing a live, Hyung?" Yeojun asked.

"Ah." I nodded and turned so that they were behind me and the camera could capture them as well. "It's our Maknae and Leader-nim!"

"Hey, True!" Yeojun placed both hands on my shoulders and pulled himself onto his toes, beaming.

"Yo." Mingyu waved a V-sign with his left hand and pulled me closer to himself to fit into the screen better. "Have you all been well?"

"We're taking a break in between practice. We can't wait to see you all!" Yeojun said.

"Did you tell them about your piano, Hyung?" Mingyu asked.

I nodded. "That's what this live was for." Then I stepped away from them and addressed True again. "Since we are in the middle of practice, this live will be very short. Sorry."

"Mm. We will have to get back to it soon." Mingyu supported what I had said.

"Bye, True!" Yeojun waved.

"We'll see you soon!" Mingyu smiled too.

Jaehyeon was lying down but I couldn't figure out whether he was asleep or not from where I was. I could go closer and check. If I was doing a live, how could I not show my apparent better half? "Hyung. Hyung. Jaehyeon Hyung." I made my way towards where he was lying down, his head resting on a random bag that he had found. Slowing down as I approached him, I spoke softly with the camera still on me. "It looks like…uh…" His eyes were closed. My approach invoked no reaction from him either. "It looks like Hyung's asleep." I crouched next to him, looked at the camera and then at him.

Would he be upset if I showed them his sleeping face? It was Jaehyeon though… He would not have thought twice about it had he been in my place and I been in his.

So, I turned and lay down next to him, bringing him into the screen as well. Then I looked at his obliviously blissful face and chuckled. I turned back to the camera and silently mouthed. "He's sleeping so well."

The comments' section was getting flooded and I did not even need to read it to understand what they were saying. Not wanting to risk waking him up, I smiled and made a finger-heart in front of his face before getting up and walking away.

I could do some fan-service too.

"Hyung's sleeping so well. Ah… I want to sleep like that too." I commented, returning to my initial spot. "But now, I'll have to wake him up. We have to resume practice." I sighed. "I hate waking Hyung up. He's always working so hard and doing his best to look after us. He's got a huge sense of responsibility. He's always looking after me too. If I could have helped it, I would have let him sleep." That was all the fan-service that I was capable of individually. "Well, it looks like I will have to go now and wake him up. We have to get back to practice."

'Bye.'

'I love you.'

'Let him sleep!!!'

'Bye bye!'

'See you soon, Oppa!'

"Look forward to our next performance. I'm sure you won't be disappointed." I pointed a finger- gun at the camera and winked. "Bye for now. Stay happy. S.T.A.Y is always yours. Bye!" I waved and ended the live broadcast. The viewer count was somewhere close to 130,000. That was the most that I had ever gotten out of a solo live.

"Are you done, Hyung?" Mingyu asked me.

I nodded. "We can start practice now."

"Mm." He looked towards Jaehyeon. "I feel a little bad… It's only been about 10 minutes."

"At least it's something." I put my things away and headed towards Jaehyeon. "I'll wake him up."

"Thanks, Hyung. Yeojun, let's set up." Mingyu and Yeojun began getting the music ready.

At first, I just crouched next to Jaehyeon like earlier and called him softly. "Hyung? Sorry. We have to start practice now."

Nothing. Just peaceful breathing.

"Hyeong-ah." I patted his cheek. "Wake up."

He groaned and turned his face away.

I could only wish that I could allow him to sleep.

I sighed, sat down cross-legged on the floor and doubled over to place my head on his chest and look at him. "Hyung-ah. It's me. Wake up."

"Jeongwoo…" He grumbled and raised a hand to cover his eyes as he woke up. "What time is it?"

"Time for practice." I smiled and sat up, patting his abs. "Come. Let's go finish this off."

"Aw… I was having a good dream." He chuckled sadly. "Your timing could not have been any worse."

"What kind of dream?" I asked.

"I don't remember exactly but… I think it was all five of us on a rooftop somewhere. It was night. I don't remember what we were doing but… I just felt so happy." He opened his eyes and smiled at the ceiling. "I was just really happy."

He did not need to tell me twice. I could see the way he felt in the way that he was smiling. I felt moved too.

"Ah…" He brought his hands up to his face and covered his eyes. "This is…"

"Hyung?" I frowned.

"I'm fine." He chuckled.

No. He wasn't fine. He had clearly teared up. "Hyung-ah." I pressed his shoulder.

"I'm not-" He cleared his throat. "It's just that we haven't quite gotten the time to spend like that in a while."

"Oh." I reached over and hugged him. Jaehyeon had always been the emotional kind but he rarely teared up like this. "Don't cry~"

"Ya." He patted my back. "I'm okay."

"Mm." I nodded. "You're okay."

"What is it, Hyung?" Mingyu asked from where he stood across the room when he noticed us.

"It's nothing." I let go and sat up. "I was just waking him up." I looked at Jaehyeon. "Come, Hyung. You're okay."

"Ah. Thanks." He said and sat up, rubbing his eyes. I stood up and offered him a hand to pull him up. Once he was on his feet, we began walking towards where Mingyu and Yeojun were. Jaehyeon spoke before we could get to them. "That just now was because I had just woken up, okay?"

"Okay." I nodded. "But hang in there, Hyung. We'll find our rooftop soon."

"Ah." He ruffled up my hair. "We will."

I had wanted to tell him about my live and how I had shown him too but just then but I felt that that could wait. He was going to find out about it eventually anyway.