#heeseungff

read part 1 here.

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The work on the album started exactly within a week, since Dispatch had already let loose of rumors of pending collabs.

“Leading singer, Evan, rumored to be collaborating with known Japanese popstar Ayumi Nishikawa ...”

The HYBE X Universal Music Japan collaboration was already making headlines with speculations. This marketing of their album meant they had to start working early and so now they were there. Cooped up in the recording studio, hunched over a notebook was Ayumi and over the keyboard was Heeseung. Both had been at it since early morning and yet still now, none of them were successful with their respective works. Ayumi’s eyes burned from exhaustion, stifling a yawn as she turned to him. “Hey, Heeseung, any progress?” Heeseung turned around in the rotating chair, rubbing his neck in exhaustion. “None yet.”

Ayumi put the notebook down, stretching slightly as she groaned from the tension in her back. “We should get some sleep. And dinner.” Ayumi looked at him hopefully, too tired to be brainstorming at the moment. Heeseung looked at her. “You can go if you want. I’ll stay back here.” Ayumi’s eyebrows raised up. “Still? Are you not tired yet?” Heeseung shook his head even though his eyes spoke otherwise. They were tired and heavy with sleep; that’s exactly what four weeks of tour did to a man. Ayumi sighed and got up, taking her phone with her before closing the door.

A few minutes later, Heeseung heard footsteps again and the door clicked open, revealing Ayumi holding a polythene bag, the green logo on the back exactly like the one store near their work building. “What did you bring?”

“Just some instant noodles. The shelves were almost empty. Is there warm water here?” she asked, putting the bag down on the table in front of them. The kettle that was kept in the studio still had some warm water left which he then used up to make the broth before putting the dry noodles in. Two minutes in and the smell of spices started wafting through the air. The foil lid collected a few condensed droplets of water as both took it off and picked up their chopsticks. The chewy noodles with the broth felt warm and soothing after a whole day of working to get an end result of nothing.

The album teaser was out by the next two weeks. It became a hot topic amongst the media with platforms like Dispatch and Arirang Weekly covering every piece of information they could get. Fans were going absolutely feral over the collab, the song list already creating speculations of how they would be ‘bangers. Choreographers were working endlessly to construct the perfect discography that would earn both Evan and Ayumi, both of whom had forgotten sleep in course of the adrenaline and excitement.

The first song, ‘WreckRoad’ was released as music video based in Japan. It revolved around the Tokyo cityscape and the Shibuya neighborhoods. Another song, ‘Sunday Rhapsody’ was released as a music video too, based in a castle landscape and a more gothic style than the other. Both soon charted at the Top 100 Billboard songs of the year and the album became such a hit that it won five awards, including Music Bank.

Their schedules were swarmed with interviews and promotion campaigns. Similarly, they now sat on high stools, Heeseung dressed in a white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the forearms and black dress pants. Ayumi was dressed in a white ruffled shirt and a black pencil skirt. They were now having their mics checked and attached to them when both of them caught each other’s eye. Heeseung smiled at her and she smiled back. The cameras rolled in the two corners of the room, the bright studio strobes flashing the entire white backdrop into a bright space. Every staff gave them a thumbs up after checking the camera footage.

The sound of the clapboard echoed in the quiet studio as they smiled and introduced themselves on camera. Throughout that entire interview, they were asked many fan-requested questions and during the interview, their hands brushed for a brief moment. They both froze for a split second before coughing and resuming their answering.

But that second of interaction was more than enough for all hell to break loose. Sure enough, within a few seconds of the release of that interview, social media was flooded with that one second clip of their hands brushing with captions like : “Ayumi and Heeseung?! OMGGG spill that tea!!” While many started shipping them together and editing photos of them together, some toxic fans started tearing them spart with words alone. “I didn’t think Heeseung would do this to us! ☹” “I knew she was just begging for all that attention from the clout!!” were some of the many comments flooding such communities on Twitter and Instagram.

By the time Ayumi finished reading the last hate post made about her looking ‘chubbier’ than before and questioning her singing abilities, her eyes were swollen with the constant running of tears. Her head hurt; her eyes hurt from the bright blue screen; her breathing shallowed as she realized way too late, she was having that same drowning feeling again. Her vision blurred as the phone slipped out of her hand, clattering to the floor, the sound echoing in the silence of her room.

In the next room, Heeseung heard the dull thud of her phone falling to the floor. He immediately sat up, his eyes going to the door as he decided whether he should go out or not. Practice started at six and would run till eleven at night. Still, he found himself walking to the door with fast footsteps and practically running out of the door as he dashed to her room. He opened the door to find her gasping for air, her eyes puffy and bloodshot red from crying for hours. He immediately picked her up and sat cross-legged on the floor, pulling her into his lap and rubbing her back. He cupped her face, his calloused palm holding her cheeks gently as he turned her to face him. His eyes met her and he pulled her closer to him, resting her forehead against his. For a moment, neither of them spoke, only their breaths brushed against each other’s lips. Ayumi’s eyes lifted, her tears now drying on her cheek and her lashes clumped together from the constant.

Heeseung looked back at her, closing his eyes for a brief second as he tried to calm himself down. He wasn’t used to such close proximity with someone and especially not with someone who had been making his heart race during times when he was supposed to stay completely neutral. He started caring about her more than he realized himself to be. His arm pulled her close to him as he laid her head on his shoulder, offering a comfort amidst the hate train she was facing.

He smells clean, Ayumi thought to herself, her fingers curling in on his shirt. His other arm wrapped around her waist as he buried his face in her hair, her scent grounding him. He kissed her temple, not meaning to but somehow feeling the need to do it. His warm palm ran along her back in a to and fro motion as he murmured words like, “You’re doing better than them,” “Don’t listen to them.” “You’re hard working and you deserve all the love and respect in this world.”

Ayumi sat up straighter in his lap, facing him, now grabbing his face in her hands as she looked at him hopefully.

“Just this once, please.”

With that, her lips pressed against his pillowy ones, not kissing, not pecking, just touching. She let out a shaky breath as she tried to pull away but his hand moved from her back to her neck and pulled her back in. He was careful not to overwhelm her, his tongue sliding gently against hers as he felt her tears running down her cheeks again. His thumbs wiped away her tears. As she pulled away for air, her shaky exhale brushing his slick lips, he looked at her, really looked at her. She looked relatively calmer. “Better now?”

Ayumi looked at him and nodded, “Yeah, better than ever.”

The week passed by in a blur. Their songs charted music boards and their daily schedules had gotten filled with interviews and practices. The day came when they had to publicly make a statement about the misinterpreted clip. Both of them sat next to each other, their mics were being adjusted in front of them, and the constant flashes of light from the front row reporters and cameraman was enough to cause a headache. Ayumi’s eyes were downcast, her knee bouncing due to the restlessness of her anxiety. Heeseung noticed and gently held her hand, his thumb brushing against her knuckles once, twice, enough to reassure her. She leaned forward, her finger tapping the mic to check if it was on or not, before finally speaking.

“To everyone present here, hello, this is Ayumi Nishikawa. I hereby apologize for causing a misunderstanding amongst our fans. There was a circulating clip of me and Evan where our hands briefly brushed against each other. I promise everyone that it is strictly a collaboration between singers who want to present nothing but the best for our fans. I’d like to conclude my part here. I pass over the microphone to Evan. Thank you to everyone for listening.”

Ayumi sat back down. The familiar tingle of tears stung behind her eyes. Her throat closed up. She still gulped through it. Her hands clasped together tightly, her knuckles turning white as she tried to calm down. Heeseung took the mic and stood up. “Hello, this is Evan. I hereby apologize for every misinterpretation held against me. I am sorry for disappointing the fans who think we did it intentionally instead of accidentally. I am sorry for all the fans who assume way too much and expect us to be robots. I’m so sorry.” Ayumi’s head shot up.

No fucking way. If I would’ve said that, I would’ve been dragged like a dog for days. But aren’t those the perks of being a male idol in the industry?

Heeseung sat back down and took her hand, gently unclasping her fingers from under the table. Ayumi froze as her hand was pulled up by him, displaying their intertwined hands as he looked at her like she was nothing but his entire world, like all those rumors about them dating didn’t matter. He turned back briefly to the crowd. “I don’t care what you say anymore. I’ve decided it’s my life and I can do what I want. So, please mind your own business.”

Heeseung then pulled her up with him and turned to her. He whispered, “I love you. Please, just once more.” Ayumi stared at him, still processing his words when he pulled her in, his palm going to her waist and her neck as he slotted his lips against hers. The flashes seemed to increase as soon as their lips met, and they both smiled against each other’s lips, not caring about what they would have to face today, tomorrow, or the day after that.

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Synopsis:

Lee Heeseung, the flex and quiet heartthrob going by the nickname of Evan, beloved singer amongst all, is an insecure man underneath it all. All those glorious music awards mean nothing to him, since he feels…empty. The man everyone swoons over, whose one glance is enough to put someone to their knees, doesn’t feel the happiness off-stage, even if he is pitch perfect.

Ayumi Nishikawa is one of the rising Japanese stars, known popularly for her siren singing and catchy lyrics in her songs. Though not widely known for it, but she’s a great guitarist off-stage, who takes great happiness even in honorable mentions. Her voice isn’t just her career to her, but more like a first love that one cherishes all throughout their life.

What happens one day when these polar opposites collide to collaborate on an album?

Trope:

singer! Heeseung x singer! Ayumi, opposites attract

Tags (probably warnings too):

Emotional detachment, angst, toxicity, other side of the industry, mentions of dating rumors [more to come]

rioko says: hey, so this is one of my first ffs, [internally screaming out of joy] and part 2 will hopefully be uploaded soon enough. constructive criticism is accepted!!

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The loud noise of the crowd echoed in the massive stadium of Coachella, the music blasting through the speakers like background as they sang along to the lyrics of the song blasting through the speakers. On the stage, amongst the lights and other instrumentalists, was him.

Heeseung Lee, or more popularly, Evan Lee.

The beholder of precious music awards worth flexing, of having his pitch perfect. Everyone, from teenagers to adults, everyone loved him. His latest hit, ‘Dial Tragedy’, was being sung by him, his hair glimmering under the spotlight as he sang his heart into the microphone. The crowd cheered him on, for it was the last day of his tour in Coachella and the last song on the decided song list.

The in-ear speaker was hanging loosely against his shoulder as he listened to the crowd sing along with him. Every vein, every voice added to the rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins. Every word that rose to a crescendo as the night deepened slowly came down as the song winded to the end.

Heeseung smiled once, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he took in the swerving bodies of the crowd, some with posters and some with their phones on and recording. He bowed respectfully to the crowd and after a few words of acknowledgement, ended the stage performance with loving words.

As soon as he stepped down the first stair of the staircase to the backstage, the smile instantly dropped from his face. As if it were an act all this time. He sighed heavily as the staff helped him take off his in-ear monitors and helped him cool off the sweat beading on his forehead. His manager, Yuki, patted him gently on the back and gave him a small smile. “Great work up there, Lee. You can go home for the night now. We’ll be leaving as early as possible.” He just nodded and went to the changing rooms to take off the stage outfit he’d been given to wear.

The back of the shirt was already soaked through with sweat and his phone on the table tinged with a notification from his manager.

Yuki nim: “$9.3 million transferred from yukixxx….”

Heeseung had changed into a comfortable pair of jocks and a Bastards hoodie, his cap and mask already on to avoid being recognized as he took his bag and phone to the car waiting outside for him. The car itself was a drape of black, the first car he’d earned with his own earned money. Even the seats were custom-made, the ivory color selected by himself. The city of California passed by in a blur of lights and buildings as the car sped across the roads and lanes to the residence hotel booked by his company.

The hotel was a luxury in itself, with a grand chandelier hanging from the ceiling and filling the space with warm light. The 7000 square feet of infrastructure screamed expensive as the disguised rockstar stepped into the marvelous structure and made his way to the lift, completely ignoring the swarming trail of paparazzi who had discovered him leaving from backstage and had followed him, now being stopped by the hotel guards and his own bodyguards.

The glass lift doors had opened and it led straight to the seventh floor, where his room had been nothing extravagant but also not too modest to scream money. The opulent interior designing consisted of two well-furnished bedrooms, two grand bathrooms with bathtubs, and a kitchen island. Heeseung was tired; who wouldn’t be though? After performing endlessly for 4 hours straight and having to put on a happy act just so rumors about him not enjoying his fans’ company wouldn’t arise, anyone would be tired.

The mattress dipped as he put down the bag on it, the phone already put to charge as he walked with heavy steps to the bathroom. The steam from the shower had fogged up the glass walls of the shower as he stripped bare, his lean muscles on full display as he stepped into the spray of warm water. The water soaked into his hair and dripped down his back, dribbling down into the drain as he stood under it. After a few minutes, he’d come out looking fresher than before but the hollowness in his eyes was not to be missed. His phone warmed up on the nightstand as it flooded with tags and mentions from every social platform, videos of his performance spreading like wildfire. Every video added to his rising fame.

Heeseung laid down on the bed, the mattress dipping slightly as he sighed, exhaustion mixed with sleep taking over him.

Madison Square Garden had been raving all night.

Why wouldn’t it?

Rising star and J-pop singer, Ayumi Nishikawa, was performing on stage surrounded by her other bandmates. But even as the spotlight stayed on the main singer now hitting the high notes, the crowd screamed for her. Ayumi, who was singing in the background in the siren voice that caught everyone’s attention. Even if you tried to ignore her, you’d eventually give in, because since when could people ignore a siren’s lull?

Her voice hit the single low note that made the entire crowd go silent. The climax of the song just approached, building up from the entirety of the song. There was a pause for one, two, three seconds before the ending chorus of the song played again. The best part of the song, the lone instrumental was enough to make the crowd go crazy. So, they did. The arena’s screams rose to a crescendo as they sang along the singers on the stage. This was the same as in Coachella a few hours ago, but with a bit more energy and crowd.

Finally, the song wound down and the crowd erupted in a hoot of applause and cheers as the seven girls bowed, all of them smiling even though they were breathless because this was their dream. To perform in front of such a large crowd and showcase their talents. Fan chants were still being heard as they bid the fans a happy night and left the stage. Their staffs burst a party popper as to celebrate their dream being fulfilled and cut a cake, clicking pictures to cherish the moment. Ayumi smiled seeing her bandmates so happy. She herself was so happy that she herself clicked a few candid pictures of them, all smiling and covered in cake.

Their manager, Misuyi, pulled her aside and gave her a small, congratulatory smile. “Congrats on fulfilling your dream.”

“Thank you, Suyi.” Ayumi smiled warmly but then furrowed her eyebrows. “I suppose it isn’t the only reason you called me here?” Misuyi laughed gently and nodded. “Always the smart one, isn’t it? Anyways, yeah, so producer Hitomi just called he said that he wanted you to release a collaborate album with a singer. He’ll be leaving for Korea tomorrow and he’s riding in the same flight as us. So, you need to go and have a talk. Alright?”

Her eyebrows lifted. “Who’s the singer though?”

“It’s a surprise.”

The next day arrived in a frenzy. The weather was already enough, cloudy enough that it looked like it would rain any minute. After waking up from a dreamless sleep, Heeseung was already moving on autopilot, brushing, showering, and getting ready. A black hoodie with black cargo pants with a mask that couldn’t hide shit about his fame.

The bodyguards surrounding him couldn’t stop the swarming sasaengs flooding the gates. Their flashlights almost blinded him but he was used to it. Not habituated, used to it. The constant unwanted crowd was something he had to make up his mind about. “Move aside, please!” or “Don’t crowd the gates!” were frequent phrases being heard. Soon, his boarding pass had been checked and he’d passed by, delving into first class and immediately finding his own seat. His hood draped over his face as he let out a tired sigh.

Meanwhile, another person had sat down beside him, reaching up to put their bag in the overhead container. Unknowingly their tank top had ridden up, exposing a bit of stomach before settling back down on their hips. The person sat back down, taking their mask off to let out a sigh and put it back inside their purse. The movement caught Heeseung’s eye, his gaze focusing on the chrome heart ring on their fingers. The specific one he’d been searching for. It was sold out. On every website.

“Hey!” The person next to him turned toward him, smiling brightly. The thin straps of their tank top were sitting loosely on their shoulders, the soft edge of their collarbones visible. Caramel hair spilled against their arms as they looked at him. Heeseung momentarily froze. ‘What the hell?’ was the first thought that came to his mind as he took her in. It took a minute for him to register her talking to him.

“Oh, hey.” He said, as nonchalantly as he could, but his eyes betrayed him as they followed the hand which had the chrome heart ring. She noticed, of course. Smiling cheekily, she leaned her chin on her palm, her fingers tapping a rhythm against her cheek. Heeseung’s eyes flicked to hers, which were already staring at him. His cheeks flushed slightly, his eyes flicking away for a moment before meeting her constant gaze. “You’re Evan, right?”

He froze, and turned to her, now a detached and clinical look in his eyes. “If you’re a fan or paparazzi, I’m not going to do shit right now.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I’d like to see you try, Mr. Lee, considering we have a collaboration ahead.” She crossed her arms against her chest, leaning back against the seat as she pulled out her Sony headphones from the duffel bag on her seat. Heeseung’s eyebrows furrowed. A collaboration? He quickly checked his emails. Of course. Yuki had sent it to him one week prior; he just hadn’t checked. Going through the details, he quickly saw a picture of her, most probably from a photoshoot. It was a photoshoot of Joocyee, with her in a pink bodycon dress and holding a jelly tint container in between her index finger and thumb. Her hair was freshly curled, seemingly curling around her face in soft brown waves. Her lips were stuck in a pout, coated in a layer of pink lip gloss.

Kissable.

The thought surfaced as soon as his eyes traced the curve of her pout and glancing back at her beside him, now nodding her head to the rhythm of whatever song she was listening to, he confirmed it. Her lips looked plump and soft, still coated in a lip gloss that was cherry in color. He closed his phone and leaned back against the seat. He was the ambassador for the same brand and he had advertised the same product few months ago. He shook his head, trying to dislodge the thought of kissing her from his mind. “So, Ayumi Nishikawa, is it?” He asked trying to talk to his seemingly attractive collaborator. She looked up and smiled, nodding. “Yes, and you’re Evan.”

Heeseung unknowingly felt a smile tug on his lips seeing her smile. “Yes. I’m Evan.”