#jongjin

Goo Soo opened the envelope and, with a suspenseful smile, approached the microphone before announcing, “XOXO, by EXO.” The sound of applause filled the 

The boys stood up from their seats at the side of the stage and walked to the center, waving to the audience and bowing in gratitude. They shook hands with Go Soo and Nara, thanking them with another bow. Nara handed the trophy to Suho, who approached the microphone to give his speech. 

She took a few steps back to get out of the spotlight and let the boys enjoy their first MAMA Daesang award. She remembered being in that same place the year before, when Super Junior won Album of the Year. She felt someone nudging her, pulling on the fabric of her dress. 

When she turned her face, she saw that it was Baekhyun, and a smile automatically spread across her face. Of course it was him!

“We won, Noona!” he said, so excited that he didn't even realize how loud he was talking. Luckily, his words weren't picked up by any of the microphones. 

Nara couldn't hold back her laughter, nodding her head in agreement. “You deserved it,” she said sweetly and patted him twice in the shoulder. She knew he wanted (and deserved) a hug, but the extreme public and recorded place was not the best one for them to be touchy with each other. 

The next time Baekhyun saw his beloved Noona was at the after party. She had taken off that fancy dress and dressed more comfortably, still looking very beautiful. He saw the side of her face when she clinked glasses with Kwon Jiyong and Choi Seunghyun, drinking the entire shot.

It was the first time they were really going out after Nara had broken up with Kyu, so Jiyong was excited. “Today we're going to party! Finally!” he shouted. 

“You were the one who didn't leave the house, locking yourself in the studio and barely answering your phone,” she replied, leaning on the counter.

“4 awards, honey,” he said, holding up the corresponding fingers. That was the number of awards he had won at that night's ceremony: Best Music Video, Best Male Artist, Best Dance Performance (solo), and Artist of the Year. They were big awards. Those months locked in the studio had been worth it. 

“Oh, shut up,” was all she said in response. He just laughed. He knew she wasn't really bothered by his bragging; they were among friends. 

Nara turned her face away when she heard someone say, “Noona!” It was Baekhyun again. This time she didn't mind and surrounded him with a tight hug. The boy's smile tripled, just as he had wanted to be hugged before... this hungry affection monster. 

When they parted, Nara patted him on the shoulder. He was no longer wearing formal clothes, just a button-down shirt. “You guys did really well there. You worked hard on the album and deserved the award,” she said, almost maternally. 

“Thank you, Noona,” he replied, with a huge smile on his face. She thought he was a good hoobae.

Then, Nara introduced him to the famous T.O.P and then to the even more famous G-Dragon, who had left the awards ceremony with no less than four awards, completely enviable. 

“And where are the others?” Jiyong asked, thinking that if there were so many members of EXO, why was Baekhyun alone? 

The boy took a step to the side and tried to point to a group downstairs, sitting in one of the padded armchairs. They were talking loudly and laughing among themselves, but they couldn't be heard due to the loud music and other simultaneous conversations. Nara noticed that Kangin was with them, no longer sober, but it wasn't the first party they had seen him like this. 

“Come by later, Noona. Everyone will be happy to know that you liked our performance and that you're proud of our award,” he said, and Nara's heart tightened. Did they really care that much about her opinion? In that way, she even felt partially responsible for the members of the group, even though they weren't that much younger than her. 

“Sure thing,” she replied, smiling, and Baekhyun nodded. Then, before taking up any more of their conversation time, he disappeared from view. He was trying to be polite to his elders.

“Your new best friend? That makes me jealous,” Jiyong joked, pouting. Nara raised an eyebrow, as if she didn't find him funny at all, and slaped him on the shoulder. “You're annoying,” he complained. 

Seunghyun took another shot before laughing at the two of them fighting like children.

So, halfway through the party, all the alcohol had already infected the blood of the three. Seunghyun followed them, dancing discreetly to the rhythm of the music, accepting any drink the waiters served them. 

When she approached, she hugged Lay from the side, putting her arm around his shoulder. “Everything okay? Are you celebrating the victory?” she asked her friend in Mandarin. 

He bowed his head to greet her, even though she had told him many times to just call her “noona” and stop with the formalities. When Yixing saw G-Dragon and T.O.P next to her, he bowed more deeply to greet them. 

“Is it time for us to speak Mandarin?” Jiyong asked, in Mandarin, and Nara laughed. 

Yixing didn't quite understand, but it was something about Jiyong and Nara's friendship that, when they were very drunk, they would start talking in other languages, even though they had difficulty and didn't really know what they were saying. 

“I hate it when they do that,” Seunghyun complained. “Why couldn't they just stick to Korean?” he sighed and drank more. 

At that moment, almost all of the EXO members present – considering that some had already left to talk to other people or had left the party at all – were looking at them. They were confused as to why they were seeing Nara and G-Dragon speaking Mandarin, while T.O.P stood in the corner with a look of disdain on his face. 

As if things couldn't get any better, the boys from 2PM also showed up. They personally greeted the three most well-known members and said hello to the rest of EXO, commenting on how much they liked the album and how they deserved the win. 

Yixing began to wonder why he hadn't seen them at the awards ceremony. Had they only gone to the party? Well, given their reputation, it was unlikely they would miss that party. His attention returned to his surroundings when he heard Nara laugh at something Wooyoung had said, slapping him on the shoulder as he smiled in that flirtatious way. 

Apparently, other people noticed it too. Seunghyun took a step forward, a little protective, as if confronting him by asking if he was really flirting with his little sister – because even though they were older now, he still saw Nara as a younger sister. 

Wooyoung felt the stares and the challenge. So he just said, “See you later?” and gave another flirtatious smile. When he received a nod from Nara, he responded with a wink and walked away, leaving her trying to hide that smile and her reddened cheeks. 

When she turned her face, they were staring at her.

“What?” she asked, widening her eyes. Her cheeks were still warm and the smile wouldn't leave her face. “We're friends” she said, as if that was obvious.

Jiyong and she were friends. Baekhyun, Yixing, and other members of her favorite group were her friends. The boys from Super Junior were her friends. Not that guy with that smile; he knew what he wanted, and it wasn't her friendship. 

“He's hitting on you!” Kangin said accusingly. He raised his voice and his head, showing more authority, as if protecting his younger sister (just as Seunghyun had done when he scared him away). 

She and Wooyoung had arranged a few dates, but none of them had worked out due to the busy months of recording, concerts, and tours for both Super Junior, the unit, and her own album. But they had talked throughout that time, and she was looking forward to a real after-party with him, even if it didn't mean anything afterwards.

“I know” was all she replied, before giving a smug smile. That was what she wanted. 

Jiyong couldn't contain his loud laughter. He loved seeing her like this. If he could, he would set off fireworks to celebrate the tigress that Nara was when she wasn't with that unbearable Kyuhyun. Jiyong wanted to scream “Fuck you, Kyuhyun” sometimes, but never did it outside of his head. 

But probably the funniest thing was the look of shock on the faces of the EXO boys, who had never heard of Nara dating or hooking up with anyone. Her virginity to this day was almost like a rumor passed around among the younger trainees. Shit was going crazy at that party…

Perhaps, yes, there was something that could be better than Wooyoung's direct flirting at Nara… maybe seeing her kissing another idol in front of everyone at the party. Yeah. That definitely showed that she was single and ready to play. 

Nobody expected it, not in the slightest. For someone who (supposedly) had never dated, Nara kissed in an almost artistic way. It was a beautiful kiss to watch, with her hand running through the other person's hair and pulling them closer, as if she didn't care about the stares she knew were surrounding them. She mastered the kiss with fervor, even if it had been a long time since she had last kissed another woman.

People were giggling. It really had to be that idol. They had met about two years ago, when the boys from 2PM invited her to a party after the release of Dream High. They talked for a while, Nara always trying to be welcoming and a respectable unnie, without noticing Suzy's bright eyes around her, as if she was the perfect woman. 

“This girl is so funny,” Seunghyun commented with a laugh. Nara doing this in the middle of the party, months after the discussions on the forums, was hilarious.

“Apparently, Nara doesn't have to be a man,” Sehun commented beside him.

Of course, now everyone knows about Suzy's supposed crush on Nara, after she revealed the secret in an interview. Fans could pretend they didn't understand what the Miss A idol meant, but her co-workers knew that this was her way of declaring her sexuality on national television without being judged. 

“If I ask her, do you think she would kiss me too?” Chanyeol asked, almost mesmerized. 

“You should try,” Kai replied. 

Chanyeol turned his face quickly, his eyes wide. “Are you serious?” he asked, excitedly. 

Kai shook his head, laughing. “Of course not.”

“If Kyungsoo hadn't left, he would have laughed at your stupidity," Sehun added, this time laughing at his friend's look of disappointment. 

And to end the night in the best possible way, when almost everyone was already going home and dawn was breaking on the horizon, Jiyong was completely wasted on one of the sofa booths. His sunglasses hid his closed eyes, almost asleep. It had been a great night. 

Then he felt someone touch his shoulder. He got up to look, opening his eyes. 

“Excuse me,” the boy bowed. “Have you seen Nara, by any chance?” 

Jiyong laughed. It was Baekhyun, Nara's child. Of course he would be looking for her. 

“Last time I saw her, she was talking to Wooyoung,” Seunghyun replied, his eyes closed and arms crossed over his chest. He was also sitting on the sofa booth, but he was already so drunk that he was no longer in the mood to socialize. 

“Where?” Baek asked. 

Jiyong laughed again. So Nara had really left the party with that boy... good choice, he wasn't going to deny it. Dancers are usually good lays. 

“Sit here,” Jiyong said, making room for Baekhyun to sit next to him. “Forget her, let's do something else. I don't think she's available today anymore.”

𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑝𝑢𝑟𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑏𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑢𝑐ℎ.ᐟ 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝟶 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑓 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑑 — 𝐼 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑑𝑜 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑚 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑐𝑖𝑟𝑐𝑢𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠, 𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑙𝑢𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦.