#tmsjk

It’s performance night and everybody is getting ready in their own tents, some of them are still practicing, some of them keeping the servants busy with all the small additional changes they might need to make for their costumes.

Jimin looks at the entrance of his tent and shakes his head at the servant who’s asking him if he needs anything else. “I’m ready to go. Please make sure the stage is clean and my swing is placed correctly,” he says and turns his head so that he’s looking at himself in the big vanity mirror.

“Oh,” he adds suddenly, sure that the servant was already about to make his way out. “Would you please tell Master Taehyung he opened the show perfectly tonight? I’m sure he’d appreciate that,” the silver haired hums and grabs one of his glittery pink lipsticks from the desk. He can hear the servant’s quick ‘yes, sir’ and it makes him smile, satisfied. He thanks him and the servant is out and his message on it’s way to Taehyung.

It’s about time for him to leave as well.

He takes a final look at himself in the mirror after applying the gloss on his plump lips. The tint matches the eyelook he was going for today, all pink and bright, shiny and sparkly. The glitter and the tiny wing of brown eyeliner framing his eyes make the soft look much sharper and he likes the way the opposites compliment each other.

His outfit for today is a sleeveless bodysuit. It’s rouge pink for the most part with hints of magenta as highlights. The diamonds and the sparkles attached to it are there to match his makeup -- everything is coordinated. Hell, he even used glitter for his hair. Now the silver looks even more magical and he can’t wait for the visitors to see it.

He does a quick spin in front of the mirror and checks how the outfit looks like from behind and nods to himself, content because everything is looking just as good as he had been hoping for. But he was aware that was going to be the result of all the preparations anyway. There’s no need for him to hype himself up that way mentally, he’s not new to this.

And maybe that’s exactly why he’s never focused on the slight worry in the back of his head that things might not always work out in his favor. No, he wouldn’t waste his precious time on that, not on a day like this, at least.

Instead, he works hard on making sure the looks, the stage and the performance itself all look magnificent. There’s no need for someone like him -- a professional, someone who’s excellent at what he does -- to be pessimistic now.

“Ah, where did you let your thoughts go?” sighing, a lazy grin tugs up the corner of his glossed lips and he exits his tent.

---

Tonight is going to be spectacular and he’s more than pleased to see how everybody seems to be anticipating his trapeze act already.

A little girl is eating cotton candy as she sits on her seat, impatiently waiting for what’s going to happen next. Her mother is clearly worried she’s going to drop the mass of fluffy spun sugar and cry for another one -- maybe she’ll want the pink one instead of the blue next time.

Tilting his head, he watches the girl and her mother, a smile spreading across his face because he knows he can take the mother’s distress away and make her expression soften with his performance.

There’s a young couple sitting in the middle of the audience, they’re holding hands and the look in their eyes when they’re looking at each other is all it takes for you to see that love is in the air. The pure kind, the one you only get to experience once in your life. The one that more than often ends up breaking hearts, but is good while it lasts. -- Jimin feels satisfied knowing he’s going to make their night spectacular, he’ll make whoever brought the other one here to feel thankful forever.

The circus is filled with people -- a complete sellout. Everybody here is different, they look and speak differently. They’re old, they’re young. They come alone, they come with loved ones. Everything is different, but the goal is to satisfy all of them. Nobody is allowed to feel disappointed by what they’re about to witness.

If you were to ask Jimin what is the rule he’s set for performing, there’s a high chance he’d have a sheepish smile on his face and tilt his head, let his eyes fall upon you. ‘Only one?’ he’d ask and then fix his expression to a more serious one. Close his eyes and remind not only the one asking but himself what his deepest secret to achieve the best outcome is.

Perform like your life depends on it, perform like there’s no tomorrow. Perform the show you’ve only dared to execute in your wildest dreams. Outshine the stars on the dark night sky and let the rhythm of the music fill your veins because tonight is yours and the stage is waiting for the miracle to appear.

--

His performance starts like any other one with minor additional changes that he likes to make to keep each show special and make it thrilling for even the servants who are watching him and have seen him practice multiple times. Everybody needs to have a shocked look on their faces as he beautifully makes everything look so incredibly smooth. His movements are always well calculated, he leaves room for no mistakes and it shows because everything always works out perfectly.

The way he moves with his legs bent over the swing, carrying him in the air makes it look like he’s flying. His body has to be lighter than a feather, otherwise, would it even physically be possible for him to do it so effortlessly?

The swing moves back and forth, he does a couple of spins over it and then lets his body fall freely down again only to be held up by his feet.

The spotlight is fixated on him in the middle of the stage, and he’s swaying his body only the slightest. The lights are bright, making every sparkle, glitter and diamond of his look shine and dazzle in the most beautiful, fascinating way. He can see the awe it seems to cause and although it’s not a new reaction and he must’ve seen it a million times already, it still sparks up the excitement inside him.

He starts preparing himself for his next trick that’s going to involve the usage of his powers. He’s going to need to swing himself just a tad closer to the people sitting in the front row to pick the first person who’s going to be witnessing the magic, see the greatest illusions and have their mind being messed up with just a little.

The music is starting to sound a bit dramatic, but not in a harsh way. It’s just a clear sign that *something* is about to happen. A bunch of people from the back stand up to see the stage better and to notice everything that’s actually happening and that -- that amuses Jimin a little. The fact that they get so excited over something that hasn’t even happened yet.

He should definitely feel proud of himself. It’s not like everyone can cause a reaction like this in other people.

The greatly anticipated moment is about to happen and he gets closer, ready to pick his prey.

Who’s going to be the lucky one? Who gets to dance with the evil in a hypnotic dazzle inside their minds?

He’s close, even closer.

And that’s when he sees him. Brown hair, small face and big dark eyes.

The lucky one who’s --

Huh?

To say that Jimin’s been performing for a while now would be an understatement. He’s been doing it for ages and he’s seen so many people. Thousands of different faces, always so interested, examining whatever’s going on on the stage. All of the curiosity, the excitement.

He’s seen it all,

so why is he so taken aback by what he’s seeing right now? Why does it almost seem like the person staring at him with those, God, so big eyes is the first one he’s ever seen looking at him with curiosity like that? It shouldn’t be the case, no. It shouldn’t and although everything is happening in the span of a couple of seconds, it definitely feels longer than that.

Because, shit.

What’s with those eyes and why is it so hard for Jimin to focus?

But no mistakes are allowed to happen and the show must go on no matter what.

That’s why instead of picking this person, this young man with eyes filled with a different type of curiosity that Jimin can’t put his finger on, to be the one granted the opportunity to have his mind meddled with, he gives his swing a push and it sways backwards.

As he moves further from him, he makes a mental note to never let himself get so caught up in the moment like that again. (Still, the eye contact they seem to be sharing remains the same.)

Somehow he can’t help but feel shaken up. Like he was really seen by someone for the first time since he joined the circus.