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I'm so moved by the stage
That I won't be alone any longer
Among all of the possibilities
Thank you for choosing me
The future that you're welcoming with me might be risky
But there might also be tear-filled impassion
Dowoon let out a shaky exhale as he anxiously tapped one drumstick against his thigh. His gaze flitted around, and seeing all of the familiar bookshelves and cozy chairs actually did a lot to calm his nerves. The only other thing that could help would be seeing you, but if he so much as peeked around the curtain next to the small stage in the back of the bookstore, he would see everyone else in the audience, too. And that would most decidedly not help.
It had taken him years to get to this point, and chickening out now would disappoint not only himself but you, too. You wouldn't tell him you were disappointed, but he knew you would be deep down.
Suddenly (or maybe not so suddenly), the urge to see you was almost overwhelming. He knew you were out in the audience, probably not even ten feet away from him at this very moment -- the bookstore wasn't a huge place, after all. All he really wanted was to say 'thank you.' Up until tonight, Dowoon had been too scared to even think about drumming in front of other people, but you had gently pushed him to share his talent. He didn't have to ever go on stage again, not even at the bookstore's Open Mic night; just once would be enough.
And, eventually, Dowoon had fallen so deeply for you that he agreed. The smile on your lips and the squeal his acquiescence had elicited from you had warmed his heart and quelled his nerves.
So, if he could only see you for just a minute right now, just to say 'thank you for believing in me' and wrap you in a quick but tight embrace, he knew he would be able to get up on that stage without a care in the world.
Even so, if you won't let go of my hand
If so (If so)
Then let's go (Let's go)
Welcome to the show
I promise you this much
I'm going to give my all
So, the look in your eyes won't be shaken
I'll be standing and looking towards you
Alas, just as Dowoon was reaching into his pocket to send you a text, the emcee for the Open Mic night (the manager of the bookstore) announced the next act -- Dowoon's band.
Technically, it wasn't his band. It was a local band he'd joined a couple of months ago after their drummer moved away. But still.
"And some of you may recognize the drummer," the manager said, her grin apparent in her voice. "He's been working here at The Pagemaster for almost four years -- our very own Dowoon!"
Dowoon's stomach dropped down to his feet. His cheeks almost instantly flamed. He should've known this was coming since his manager, Hanna, had been delighted when she'd heard the news.
But, still? Had it been necessary to point him out like that?!
Somehow, Dowoon followed his bandmates out onto the small stage, though he kept his eyes glued to his shoes rather than look out in the audience. When he sat down behind his drum set, though, he kind of had no choice but to face the audience, so he swiftly found you -- the only person in this bookstore right now (and maybe in the world?) around whom he didn't feel nervous. His anchor, his rock, his home.
A wide, radiant grin appeared on your lips the second your gazes met, and Dowoon imagined the feeling of your hand in his. He imagined you standing right in front of him, blocking out every other person so it seemed as if he were only playing to you.
As the band's frontman was introducing their first song, you discreetly formed a heart with your fingers and mouthed 'I believe in you.'
Honestly, that was all he needed. As soon as the guitarist turned around to give Dowoon the signal, he lifted his drumsticks into the air and counted them off to begin.
Let's go.
I know your decision was not easy
It's my part to make you not regret it
If you're willing to go to the end together
Still holding onto your hand
Even on the day that the curtains come down
So that we can say to each other
That I was happy because it was you
You were so proud of Dowoon that you almost started crying tears of joy. But you could still see the anxiety on his face, and if he saw you crying, it certainly wouldn't help things.
So, to distract your mind, you began thinking of how you and Dowoon met all those months ago...
You had just moved to town not even a week before you walked through the doors of The Pagemaster, a locally-owned bookstore about a five-minute walk from your new place. The stress of moving and unpacking had gotten to you, and you'd decided to notch out some time to unwind with a new book -- escapism and retail therapy. What better ways to cope, am I right?
It hadn't been one of those meet-cutes where you'd seen Dowoon across the room and were pulled by the Universe to go speak with him. You had interacted with him on that first visit, yes, but things had happened gradually. In fact, it had taken you about two months to realize you were visiting The Pagemaster at least once a week not fully to buy or browse new books, but more to see a certain dark-haired, soft-spoken employee.
And then, on your first date a few weeks later, Dowoon had mentioned that he played the drums.
"Wait, how did I not know this already?" you'd gasped, your brow furrowed. "Are you playing at Open Mic Night next weekend?"
Dowoon had immediately shaken his head and murmured, "No, it's just a hobby."
"So? Open Mic Night isn't just for professionals. Actually, that's the whole point! You should sign up and play something!" you'd assured him, reaching out to rest a gentle hand on his arm.
"Nah... I don't think so."
It had taken a bit of delicate prodding to find out Dowoon had just been scared to play in front of people. A classic case of Stage Fright!
So, you'd made it your mission to find a local band in need of a drummer so he wouldn't have to be on the stage by himself.
And now here you were! Many, many dates later, and you were finally watching your boyfriend play drums at Open Mic Night. You were doing your best to catch his eye as often as possible so you could smile encouragingly and quietly clap for him -- he had been nervous for at least a week, and you didn't want him to regret doing this. Even if he never did it again, you wanted him to be glad he'd done it at least once.
Honestly, though, you would absolutely be disappointed if he decided to never drum again after tonight because boy did he look cute doing it!
I promise you this much
I'm going to give my all
So, the look in your eyes won't be shaken
I'll be standing and looking towards you
At first, when Dowoon had seen you stand from your chair and politely squeeze by the people sitting in your row, he'd panicked. The final song was almost over, but he had a drum solo near the end, and he didn't think he'd be able to get through it if you weren't in the audience!
But then he realized you were simply making your way to the side of the stage so you could be there to greet him when the band's set was done.
Thank goodness.
Your closeness gave Dowoon that extra boost of courage, and when his drum solo came around, he really gave it all he had. He clamped his eyes shut so he could just feel the music.
And when the bookstore filled with applause before he was even finished, his eyes flew open and landed on you. He could see from here that there were tears in your eyes, but you were smiling so widely and clapping so enthusiastically that he knew they were tears of joy. Or maybe... pride?
He was certainly proud of himself for overcoming his stage fright, and if he was being honest, if the roles were reversed, he would probably be overflowing with emotion, too.
The applause was still going strong as the band's frontman thanked everyone and then turned to leave the stage. Dowoon swiftly stood, slid his drumsticks into his back pocket, and practically leaped over his cymbal stand to get to you.
"You were amazing!" you whisper-shouted the second he reached you, flinging your arms around his neck.
A shy smile tugged at Dowoon's lips as he hugged you back. He could hear you sniffling above the noise of the crowd and his manager introducing the next act, so he discreetly reached up to take your arm and began to lead you back to the corner of the store where the cozy mystery section was.
"You were so so amazing," you repeated softly once Dowoon had turned to face you again.
He lifted his hands to delicate cradle your face, using one of his thumbs to wipe away a stray tear.
"I'm so proud of you," you whispered as you moved to press your forehead to his.
"I wouldn't have done it if it weren't for you," he reminded you. "So... thank you."
You let out a soft chuckle before kissing him chastely. "You're welcome."
Dowoon searched your face -- your absolutely beautiful, beaming, slightly tear-stained face -- and maybe it was the adrenaline rush from performing on stage or maybe it was your overwhelming emotions transferring to him or maybe... it was just his true, honest feelings coming to the surface, but he felt the words bubbling up and couldn't do anything to stop them.
"I love you."
Your eyebrows raised slightly, but that was the only indication you gave that he'd surprised you. You didn't hesitate even for a second before saying "I love you, too."
He pulled you into his arms then, wrapping them firmly around you as he buried his face in your sweetly scented hair.
No matter what happened from here on out -- if he never performed in front of people ever again or if he joined the band in earnest and became a full-blow musician. If he quit working at The Pagemaster tomorrow or if he worked here for the rest of his life. Dowoon wasn't worried or anxious or afraid about any of it because he knew you would be by his side, and he would be by yours.
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You were a very cuddly couple, the two of you loved to spend time with each other, even when you were out with others you would still make sure that you were sat next to each other and holding onto each other somehow too.
B ⇴ BOYS
It didn’t take long for the boys to accept you as they saw how giddy Dowoon was whenever he was around you. He got incredibly shy seeing you around the boys, seeing his two worlds collide felt incredibly special for him, and was even more meaningful as the two different worlds got on so well together.
C ⇴ COMFORT
There was often a little bit of fright in Dowoon whenever he saw that you needed comforting as he worried about what to do. He’d watch you for a few seconds quite a lot of the time to try and figure out whether you wanted to talk, be cuddled or both, not wanting to do the wrong thing for you when you were down.
D ⇴ DOMESTICATED
He loved to try and learn when it came to being domesticated, although he wasn’t the best at doing jobs around the house, Dowoon tried to pick things up. He copied your methods for most things so that he could things for himself and lessen the workload that you had around the house. Over time, he became more and more domesticated, mainly thanks to you being so willing to help show Dowoon most of the ropes.
E ⇴ ENGAGEMENT
It took quite a while for Dowoon to propose to you, as he often got too nervous to do it. Before he actually proposed to you, there had been several other points when he had planned to get down on one knee, but something in the back of his mind stopped him. Eventually he managed to pluck up the courage and the confidence to get down on one knee and finally propose to you before he got too scared again.
F ⇴ FAVOURITE THING
Dowoon’s favourite thing about being with you was how much he found himself laughing whenever he was around you, with his sides often aching from giggling so much in your company. He found you hilarious, whether you intended to make him laugh or not quite a lot of the time, but the two of you also shared similar senses of humour so you’d often find yourselves laughing about the same things too.
G ⇴ GOING OUT
The two of you definitely preferred to stay in and just do your own thing, at times having to go out felt like a chore for the two of you, especially when you had no choice but to attend whatever event was being hosted. You’d both be incredibly relieved whenever the event ended so that you could finally head home.
H ⇴ HONEYMOON
Your honeymoon ended up taking place a little while after the two of you got married due to your busy schedules. By that point it didn’t feel much like a honeymoon, but at the same time the two of you were just thankful to be on holiday and away from the hecticness of the city for a few days as well.
I ⇴ “I LOVE YOU”
Telling you that he loved you often made Dowoon shy, so instead he quite liked to do things to show you that he loved you instead. Gifting you flowers was definitely a favourite method of his because it meant that Dowoon didn’t have to always see you face to face and let you see how flustered such gestures made him.
J ⇴ JEALOUSY
It wasn’t very often that Dowoon would get jealous, if anything you were the one that got jealous much more often then he did. There were still times when you struggled to deal with the attention that came his way as an idol, quite often feeling pushed aside a little too when he was surrounded by so many of his fans who didn’t seem to want to pay much attention to the fact that you were stood there too.
K ⇴ KIDS
You definitely were in no rush when it came to settling down and starting a family, the two of you trusted that it would happen when everything fell into place. Despite a little pressure on you from your families, the two of you were determined to walk through your futures at a pace comfortable for you both.
L ⇴ LAZY DAYS
The two of you slept a lot on your lazy days and made up for all of the early mornings and late nights that you had when your schedules were busy. You quite enjoyed just doing nothing and lazing around your home, most of your day was spent just talking to each other and sharing the stories that you hadn’t been able to share with each other because of how little time you spent with one another.
M ⇴ MORNINGS
You were bad influences on one another when it came to the mornings, trying to pull each other back down when they tried to get up. Especially when one of you didn’t have to get up too early at all you’d try your best to encourage the other to stay so that you didn’t have to spend too long in bed all by yourself.
N ⇴ NIGHTS
Most nights the two of you just spent time in bed and watched something to distract yourselves from thinking about work. You would lay for hours some nights and watch as many episodes as you possibly could.
O ⇴ OBSESSION
Dowoon was obsessed with your laughter. He just loved to hear you laugh, even if you were in a different room of the house, when he heard you laughing Dowoon just automatically found himself smiling too.
P ⇴ PRECIOUS MOMENTS
He loved being at home with you as if nothing else mattered in the world. The comfort of home was like nothing else for the two of you, being able to do what you wanted and not be interrupted. At times those moments were rare, but every single one of them was appreciated, without any failure by Dowoon.
Q ⇴ QUESTIONS
If he could tell that you were a little bit stress or snappy, Dowoon would be onto you straight away and wanting to know what was wrong, not quitting on asking you until you eventually opened up to him.
R ⇴ RANDOM FACTS
Whenever he played his drums, Dowoon kept his wedding ring on a stand down the middle of the kit to make sure that he didn’t risk damaging the ring. He also loved being able to see his wedding ring whenever he performed and use it as something to give himself a little extra boost whenever he was up on stage.
S ⇴ SILENCE
Getting silence in your home with a drummer was almost impossible, no matter how hard Dowoon tried to be quiet whenever he rehearsed, you still managed to hear it. Even when he wasn’t playing, if the two of you were in silence, then his hands would start drumming against something to make a bit of noise.
T ⇴ TIPS & TRICKS
Dowoon’s best trick for making things work with you was trying to make as many memories as possible, not only so that the two of you could enjoy yourselves but also so that you could reminisce in the future too.
U ⇴ UPSET
There would often be a moment of panic in Dowoon when he saw that you were upset before remembering to be there for you.
V ⇴ VISITS
He loved to visit you when you were at work, often trying to wind you up too. Dowoon loved to surprise you as your colleagues loved to tease you too about how shy you became whenever he showed his face.
W ⇴ WISH LIST
There was only one thing that Dowoon wished for and that was that he continued to have you right by his side forever.
X ⇴ XXXX
He loved to peck against your cheek, especially when you were least expecting it. Dowoon was incredibly observant, never missing the chance to stun you with affection and leave your cheeks a shade of red.
Y ⇴ YOU
You were his rock, there was never a moment when you weren’t there supporting him.
Z ⇴ ZZZ
The two of you would often fall asleep cuddled up to one another and holding on tight. You hated having to use a blanket or cuddle up to a teddy, trying as often as possible to rest in Dowoon’s chest instead.
note : i welcome thoughts/ requests/ asks, keeping them open for any day6 member, posts marked with (m) have suggestive and/or explicit contents, read responsibly. ❆
Drabble game masterlist.
Latest fic : Not Hurt (m)
♡ ot5 Mini Series ♡
- Pillow Talk (m) | mostly fluff + suggestive, a bit of smut
Jam & Butterfly . Jaehyung
Scent . Sungjin
Mutually Exclusive . Younghyun
Good Point . Wonpil
Baby . Dowoon
♡ Jae ♡
Win - Win (m) | smut, gamerbf!jae
♡ Sungjin ♡
Take Me (m) | smut, intern!reader
Feel Good (m) | smut
Through the Storm (m) | smut
♡ Young K ♡
Not Hurt (m) | smut, Gang member! Young K
Extra Credit (m) | smut, Professor!Kang short series
One More? | fluff
Bad Day (m) | smut
10 minutes | fluff
Pretty on Your Thighs (m) | smut, fluff
Warm Hands (m) | smut, maybe fluff
Bliss - when I’m with you (m) | fluff, smut
Safe Place | fluff
Party Privilege (m) | smut, college!au
Sunrise (m) | smut
Tease (m) | suggestive
Not Sober | fluff
Stress | fluff
One Last Time ii (m) | smut, angst
One Last Time i | angst
Netflix and Chill (m) | smut
♡ Wonpil ♡
Boyfriend Major, Girlfriend Material | fluff, college!au
Day6 as College Boyfriends because im soft and i love them.
Sungjin: Always in hoodie and sweats, makes sure that you’ve eaten, brings you coffee, hugs you from behind, awkward yet cute dancing at karaoke, shares a foodstagram with you, walks you to the bus stop, calming smiles, Just a really big Protective Teddy Bear™.
Jae: Constant banter, knows when to be serious, clothes are always oversized, says he won't share but always orders the large meal for you both to share, hand holding but don't make it obvious, drapes his body over you when standing in lines.
YoungK: dressed fine af all the time, always has food, questionable if he will share it though, if you can't find him he's probably sleeping, likes to hold your waist, doesn't go to lectures but studies his butt off, over commits to everything but is somehow still laidback.
Wonpil: soft jumpers and sweaters all the time, #1 hype boy, cheek kisses whenever he sees you, smoothie dates, studies with you whenever he can, uses emojis abundantly, absolutely adores couple items, sends you encouraging messages each morning.
Dowoon: when was the last time he washed that shirt? He still be cute tho, flustered always, never PDAs in front of his friends, behind in his study but still gets good grades, subconsciously massages your shoulders if you’re sitting or standing in front of him,
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How Day6 would react to them being your first kiss
AN: requested by anon, i hope this was what you were after! i tried my best, and i think it turned out alright
(rest of the members under the cut)
Sungjin
as i’ve said before in another reaction, sungjin imo opinion dates to marry (or an equivalent if marriage is not for you, as though i get the vibe he’s quite traditional, for the right person he would be very easily convinced)
so he treats all of his relationships as if they’re going to be The One
this means he probably has reasonable experience with a small number of long term-ish relationships
so you’re not his first, but he has a good idea on how to treat you
your first kiss will probably not come along that early in the relationship
taking things slow is a must, and an idea you can get behind
so when it finally comes round, and you admit that he’ll be your first kiss, he’s secretly over the moon
because it means he’s found someone who understands and get things like he does
but also so he can make sure it goes right
he’s not super confident with his skills or anything lol, not like that
just he knows that he will make sure it’s under your parameters
you’d probably ask him to lead you, since you’re not particularly sure what you’re doing
and he would be so careful when he presses his lips to yours, lightly tipping your chin with the curl of his index finger and the pad of his thumb
the kiss would be short and very chaste, a starting point for you to make your way from and into the deep end if you wanted to
it would probably leave you wanting more not long after but
you go at your own pace
after all, he’s pretty sure that this time you are The One, and that means you have all the time in the world
Jae
this boy has probably got experience
come on, with a voice like that, with humour like that, with a smile like that, with his deep moments and kindness
ok im preaching to the choir here
the point is, he’s probably kissed a lot of people
so when kissing comes up
and it’ll come up pretty quick imo because he’s probably quite affectionate as a partner
he’s going to find it adorable that you haven’t had your first yet
but it’s no problem, he’ll just be extra gentle—tho let’s be real, i can’t really picture him being anything much different lol
he woudn’t be as cautious as sungjin, and just ask whenever he felt the moment was right, and won’t take it too personally if you tell him ‘not yet’
when the yes comes, he’ll start slow
it’ll probably be one of those long ones, the light ones that make you linger and hang onto the end, waiting for the next part to come
once you part, if you don’t erupt into giggles and blushed cheeks, he’ll happily offer you another, deeper one
there’s one thing for sure, it’ll easily become a staple of your romantic relationship, so prepare for kisses everywhere sksksk
Younghyun
ugh the romance
look, he’s charismatic, he’s confident
if it’s your first kiss, he’s gonna make sure it’s the best first kiss you could ever have
i imagine he’s more of a spur of the moment kind of guy
if you’re akin to a heroine of a jane austen-esque novel (like me) and would prefer to be asked first then let him know, he’ll remember and will do so
otherwise, he’ll wait for the perfect moment before he leans in, quiet like the movies, or with something suave to say
he will take the lead, so just relax because you’re not going to know what to do but you’re in good hands
will hold the small of your back or cup your cheek as your lips meet, and it’ll probably be the definition of sparks igniting
probably the most passionate first kiss of the lot, and it will be unforgettable
lucky
Wonpil
now first appearances would dictate that wonpil has limited experience
but then again, if you think back to when you were a baby myday, if you were told one member of day6 had a tattoo, would you have guessed it was pil?
yeah, that logic may apply here too
regardless somewhat of his history, i have a feeling that if he’s had his first kiss, it perhaps wasn’t that important or memorable and neither kinda were some of the ones that followed :/
either way he’s going to find the fact that you want him to be your first kiss absolutely heartbreakingly adorable
and he’ll probably tell you that
guy’s got little shame
he’s also highly affectionate, so kissing is important to him
meaning that there’s a lot riding on the first kiss of the lot
and it would come up really quick
as soon as it’s brought up, he will immediately enquire if you want to have it then
you’d probably be snuggling on the sofa alone when it comes up so don’t worry about privacy, that’s taken care for
no matter when you agree, he’ll be all smiles when it happens, but with a certain steel in his eyes
he probably wouldn’t consider himself the best kisser, but he wants your first to be good (otherwise yo might not ever kiss him again and that would be very bad) and so he resolves himself to giving you the best first wonpil kiss he can give you
since you don’t know what you’re doing, he’d probably encourage you by telling you to follow his lead and just do what feels right
will try and lead you as best he can, though it’s not his speciality. even if he initiated it, he would usually let his partners lead him before tbh
the kiss ends up being probably very soft, lasting mere moments but feeling like much longer
as you pull away, he would quickly dip back in a plant a very quick and final one upon your lips, before meeting your eyes again
the two of yu are probably quite shy afterwards, so cuddles are what follows
but slowly it will become instinct, and you may find yourself initiating them even more than he does
Dowoon
look, im 78% sure dowoon has only had one relationship in his life that probably didn’t last super long either
so first kiss, 50/50 on whether he’s even had it yet himself
and if he did, he probably didn’t learn much from it, or maybe even enjoy it :(
now that he’s come out of his shell a bit more, he’s able to put himself in a relationship again, this time for the best reasons, and once again is in a position to take that next step
so intrinsically, neither of you know what you’re doing
but that’s ok! you’re in the same boat, and you can learn together, which is arguably the best way—there’s no guilt or as much embarrassment
so after a while, when the two of you are ready, and you’ve probably spoken about it a bit (though perhaps not extensively, unless you are a lot more forward than he is) the time will come
it’s probably not in a place that screams ‘special’ but it’ll be safe and easy and comfortable, and it’ll be worth it in itself rather than for the circumstances around it
it’s probably awkward, but once you figure positioning after a brief nose bump, it’s not too bad
yeah you probably have to wrack your brains for kiss scenes you’ve watched in dramas and movies for a vague idea, but it goes well!
for a first kiss
where neither party really knows what to do
:)
as time goes on, you’ll grow more confident
and tho dowoon doesn’t give off strong kissing vibes as being his primary form of physical affection (more of a hand-holder if you ask me), i think it would grow more common, though only in the private sphere
though don’t underestimate the power of head and temple kisses in public
Thank you to everyone who supported Band Sessions.
Index: Jae | Sungjin | Young K | Wonpil | Dowoon
It was the biggest scoop thus far for you to take on as a reporter for the campus newspaper. You had only transferred to this university at the start of the semester, and since the roles in the editing room had been well established before you came along, you had been lucky enough to be writing a weekly column as it was. Still, there was only so much of your journalism skills you could exercise in the highlights reel you had been assigned to.
So when a seasoned writer for the paper, Maggie, had fallen over skiing in the weekend, well, you had been worried for her, of course.
And secretly grateful for the opportunity to snag some of her workload.
“This is a big deal, Y/N. Day6 won another band competition on Friday night and we need someone to interview the members and write about their growing population on and off campus as a band.”
“I can do it,” you assured your editor-in-chief with a confident nod.
Gerrie sighed and looked around at the rest of the hustle in the office and then back at your face. You could tell he was hoping he could rely on someone else, perhaps someone who had already proven their talent in his eyes.
But this was going to be your moment. You had been accepted onto the newspaper team because of the stellar recommendations from your past university. There, you had usually held the third most important story of each edition. You had even saved the dying campus cafeteria after writing about their surprising culinary art.
So writing about a campus band would be a piece of cake.
“Alright, you have four days to interview them and present your article to me. It’s running in our next release.”
“I’ll get it to you on time, Gerrie,” you confirmed and picked up your notebook you had been scribbling in, shifting up out of the chair in front of the senior.
“Y/N,” he called out and you stopped to look back at Gerrie. His gaze pierced yours. “Don’t mess this up, I’m counting on you.”
“I won’t let you down, boss.”
Returning to your desk, you let an elated smile cross over your lips momentarily. You were wired up, excited to finally let your reporting prowess shine. Glancing down at the name written in the middle of the page of your notebook, you picked up your pen and circled Day6 a couple of times.
Oh yes, this would be amazing.
Once you found out who Day6 even was, that is.
Thankfully, it was never all that hard to research anything and your lack of knowledge about the five member band had been replaced with notes on all of their current accolades, how many gigs they had played this year, a fansite address, and most importantly, where their studio was located. You had even contacted the band over their official Instagram account and arranged an interview for the following evening. On your way over, you hummed along to one of their songs, Better Better, playing on Spotify through your phone, feeling more than ready to meet the band now known as regional finalists.
You could tell upon the studio door opening that this title was a big deal for them.
Sungjin, their leader, laughed heartily after greeting you, clasping his hands together and looking towards his members as he gestured for you to take a seat. “I never thought we’d be interviewed by the school paper.”
“Given you were interviewed by the local news station, it can’t be all that bad to have me here today.”
Having memorised all the members’ names, you smiled at Wonpil when he bashfully smiled, waving his hands around to dismiss the notion. “No, we’re really happy. Thank you for thinking of us!”
“Dude, you’re shaking, are you really happy?” Jae teased and leaned forward in his chair. He attention then switched to you. “You’re not taking a photo of us tonight, right?”
“No, I can use a photo from your latest gig, if you’d prefer. Your manager has sent me more than enough photos to pick from,” you offered and he somewhat relaxed, a lazy smile crossing his lips. You smiled knowingly, he definitely had a relationship with their manager as you suspected from her glowing conversation about the lead guitarist in particular.
Clearing your throat, you launched into your prepared questions after confirming it was alright to record the interview. It didn’t take long for Brian and Jae to take over, answering what you needed to know with relative ease. You picked up that whilst Sungjin was the leader, answering questions on the spot was more Brian’s forte. Still, the former was present, throwing in some witty remarks and making sure his younger members did participate.
You noticed that every time Dowoon talked, his ears would turn pink and he’d chuckle a lot. It was rather endearing, and you wondered just how many of their fans liked his shy persona. You could almost guarantee he was the type to get embarrassed being stopped on campus for a signature or photo.
“Oh yeah, he’s totally the type,” Jae confirmed with a laugh at the expense of the drummer. And then he nodded. “But Dowoon is the dark horse of our team.”
“Without a drummer keeping you all on time, how can you effectively work together,” you agreed, smiling brightly at the student now almost as red as Wonpil’s shirt. “How do you feel about the term Jae mentioned?”
Dowoon rubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly and then grinned. “Well, uh, I guess I’m kind of important.”
“Kind of?” Brian echoed with a laugh. “You’re definitely important.”
“Shall we go as far as to dub you the most important member?” you offered with an encouraging smile and Dowoon shook his head. “Come on now, if you don’t keep the time, then how can you play together as in sync as you do?”
“I guess that makes sense.”
You clapped your hands together and beamed at the rest of the group. “Thank you so much for your time today. I’m looking forward to your future achievements. And the show this weekend, as well.”
“Oh, you’re coming?” Sungjin asked and you nodded.
“Sweet, if your article goes well, you can come to the after-party,” Jae offered and shrugged when Wonpil gaped at him for suggesting it on those terms.
You merely chuckled. “Well I’ll consider myself invited since you all made it easy for me to write this up, I can tell.”
You thanked them all again for their time and then headed towards the door to the studio, smiling back at everyone before stepping out.
You felt relieved. Not only had the interview gone well, but you already felt inspired to draft up your first copy of the piece. Hurrying towards the elevator, you only hoped that your hands could keep up typing the thoughts now swirling around in your mind.
“Well, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m super impressed,” Gerrie announced when you handed in your article for submission. You beamed with his compliment, watching as he tried not to smile at you when he looked up. “I guess the highlights reel was not the right place to put you.”
“No, I think it humbled me.”
“Well, I’ll have to do some rearranging of the team. We’ll definitely need more of your articles running in the paper, Y/N.”
Thanking him repeatedly, you waited until you were out of the office before you began to celebrate. Pumping your hand up into the air, you let out a cheer, did a little dance on the spot and then patted your own shoulder.
When you were done singing your praises, you looked up and found someone watching you. Instead of feeling embarrassed, you grinned happily and approached the tall man whose ears were now the same colour as your blouse. “Destiny called you here, right?”
“Who’s Destiny?” Dowoon wondered and then eyed you carefully. “Are you alright, Y/N?”
“Never been better.”
“You ran around in a circle,” he pointed out with a small smirk. So he had enjoyed the performance you had just put on.
Nudging him playfully, you couldn’t contain your happiness. “My scoop on Day6 was a hit. I was complimented by the steely Gerrie Moore. That is not an easy feat and it’s all thanks to you.”
“Really?” he genuinely enthused and grinned. “Let me buy you a celebratory coffee then!”
“Only if you allow me to buy you a piece of cake to say thanks for helping me out,” you compromised and Dowoon laughed, nodding once.
“Are you free now?”
“Didn’t you see me just run around in a circle? Do you think I could possibly be up to anything more productive?” you mentioned with a laugh and Dowoon chuckled.
“Well then, coffee and cake it is.”
You had believed that conversation with Dowoon would be hard to achieve. Admittedly, at first, he had seemed shy. But he persisted through in asking you how you had been and you easily steered the conversation towards your hobbies and interests.
“You know, I’ve always wanted to learn the drums,” you mentioned and Dowoon’s eyebrows arched curiously.
“Really?”
You nodded. “Of course. How cool would it be to vent your annoyance by banging something?”
“There’s more to drumming than just banging at the instrument, Y/N. It takes a lot of skill.”
“Of course there is,” you agreed and then leaned over the table towards him. Dowoon eyed you cautiously. “Reckon you could show me sometime?”
“You… you want to learn?”
Nodding eagerly, you pointed to the exit. “Are you free now?”
“You just do everything on a whim, don’t you?” he asked with a laugh and you shrugged.
“When I have an idea, I want to follow it through. So, can you teach me?”
“I bet after thirty minutes you’ll never want to drum again,” he proclaimed and you gaped at Dowoon, rolling up your sleeves as if you were preparing yourself to prove him wrong.
You smirked. “I’m competitive.”
“I can tell.”
“Come on then, let’s go so I can prove you wrong!”
You did in fact, last longer than thirty minutes. But you had to admit, it was a whole lot harder than you expected. Most of the time, Dowoon had you simply kicking the bass drum in a stable rhythm. That was relatively easy until your leg tired.
Dowoon smirked. “It’s not easy, is it?”
“I can do it,” you corrected, heaving in a deep breath and trying to regain your tempo. When you had it, you smiled smugly and gestured for what was next.
“Y/N, most people learn the basics for weeks on end. You need to build up your leg muscles on the kick drum first.”
“No I want to try and incorporate my hands too!” you bit back, looking at the drum kit before you. Pointing at a part of it, you looked over at Dowoon. “This is the floor Tom, right?”
“You know your parts,” he replied with a surprised smile.
“When I research something I have an interest in, I like to know all the facts,” you commented, heaving in another breath.
Maintaining this beat was a lot harder than you wanted to let on.
“Oh yeah, is that how you knew stuff about us?”
“Of course. A reporter’s job is to find the facts and bring the story to life with them.”
“So you know about us?” he repeated and you glanced in Dowoon’s direction, your focus narrowing as he rubbed at the back of his neck. “I bet you know a lot about Jae and Brian. They’re popular with the fans.”
“Your favourite colour is red, you have a dog and a cat, you love most types of meals with meat in them and you strangely like green tea ice cream.”
Dowoon blinked, and his ears turned red. “You know all that?”
“What, that’s just after a simple search from your fansites. Kind of crazy to think you have fans compiling lists like this, huh?”
“I’m grateful,” he mumbled and you nodded.
“I thought you would be.”
“Do you know anything else?” he wondered, his hand mindlessly playing with the cymbals. You examined his motion for a moment before giving up on kick pedal, collapsing over the snare drum.
“I know that my leg is about to fall off,” you heaved and Dowoon chuckled. Looking up at him, you smiled. “And that you have a nice talking voice. Your laugh is really cute too. And when you smile, I almost forget what I’m talking about. At the interview, you were the one I wanted to hear from the most.”
“Really?” Dowoon tried not to grin but it spread across his lips all the same. “You like talking to me?”
“I do. And admittedly, you were right. I don’t think I’m cut out for drumming. You’re super talented, Dowoon. I just wanted to spend more time with you.”
“Why would you want to do that?”
You chewed on your lip with hesitation. However, you were known to be bold with all your thoughts. It was how you were an excellent reporter. Sometimes, the risks you took were worth a moment of feeling out of your depth.
“Well, I saw what your ideal type was listed as and hoped I matched up well enough for you to want to spend time with me. And maybe go out on a date?”
For a moment, Dowoon was frozen. You weren’t even sure he was breathing still and you watched carefully to ensure he wasn’t going to collapse or anything. And then he seemed to come back alive again, unable to control his emotions. His eyes were bright and he swapped between chuckling and grinning giddily. His ears were pink, as was his neck too. He seemed to be overheating.
Reaching out for his hand, you squeezed it, hoping he would calm down a little. It seemed to work, even though Dowoon had rested against the wall to hold himself up. “You’re bold.”
“I told you, when I show an interest in something, I need to know all the facts. There’s no point in me trying to play coy with you when I like you. But, if you don’t feel the same-”
“No, I definitely do. I just… you really do match my ideal type. I’m kind of surprised that you actually exist.”
It was your turn to blush finally and Dowoon seemed to like this a little too much. “Hey, about that after-party this weekend…”
“Want to come as my date?” Dowoon asked before you could suggest anything and you nodded happily, swinging your still linked hands back and forth gently.
“I’d really like that.”
“Can I request something though?”
“What?”
Dowoon grinned. “I don’t know nearly as much as you do. Reckon you could write up a facts list like the one you found on me? That way I can learn about you too.”
“Don’t you want to find out slowly like how most people do whilst dating?”
Dowoon shook his head. “If you’re going to know all you do about me first, I want to level out the playing field.”
“I’ll have it to you by tomorrow then,” you answered, standing up from the drum kit. You weren’t prepared for how weak your leg was, and stumbled, Dowoon reaching out to catch you. Your hands went to his middle and your eyes snapped up to his.
“Oh,” you commented, blinking slowly. “I guess that’s true too.”
“What is?”
“That drummers tend to have really good bodies.”
“Y/N!” Dowoon spluttered and then laughed. “Maybe you know too much.”
“It’s my job to know a lot about things,” you countered and Dowoon nodded. You then slipped your arms around his waist, nestling into his body. You waited to see what his reaction would be but he didn’t pull away, his arms gingerly sliding up to pat you gently.
“Let me catch up. I want to know a lot of things about you too.”
