Chapter Text
The next morning, Jisung asks Minho to come over. They don’t have a group schedule or practice today. The only thing on Jisung’s otherwise empty calendar is a vocal lesson with Seungmin in the evening. Thus, Jisung is still lazing in bed when Minho arrives.
Jisung doesn’t hear him enter, but when the end of his bed dips and someone moves his socked feet onto their lap, he knows it’s Minho. Jisung pauses the episode of Demon Slayer he was rewatching and puts down his phone. Minho looks tired.
“So,” Minho starts, shifting on the bed to get more comfortable. “About yesterday…”
“I think we should do it,” Jisung says, pushing himself into a sitting position with his elbows. He has thought about it more. The anxiety is still ever-present, but ultimately, Jisung feels like he can’t back out until they meet with JYP. Plus, soft agreeing to the offer doesn’t immediately put up a huge flashing billboard saying, We’re here, and we’re queer. It’s just Minho. Minho who knows him and loves him and wouldn’t make him feel weird about this stuff.
Minho sighs, tutting, “So stubborn, Jisungie. I wouldn’t expect any less.” Then his face turns uncharacteristically serious. “Have you really thought about it? This could change our entire careers.” He averts his gaze to the clasped hands resting in his lap. “It’s not just a drama they’re asking for. You read the papers. It… It’s gay.” His voice drops on the last word as if he’s uttered a curse.
It’s strange — hearing those words from Minho’s mouth. “Yeah, I know,” Jisung whispers back. Then he clears his throat, unsure why he matched Minho’s tone. “But it’s just a show, right? It’s not like any of this is real, as much as the fans might like to think otherwise. Do you have a problem with that?” Jisung has borne witness to those looks, those hushed whispers. He doesn’t blame Minho for being apprehensive. Hell, yesterday, he was the same.
“No, it’s not that…” Minho trails off, staring up at the ceiling as if he’s searching for the right words. “It’s just… we’ve never talked about this stuff before. I don’t even know how you feel about gay people.”
Jisung pauses for a moment. His mind suddenly supplies a foggy recollection of his father’s voice, his mother’s distaste, his brother’s nonchalance. “I mean, they have nothing to do with me, so why should I care? They can do whatever they want.”
Minho doesn’t respond to that, and Jisung thinks it’s only fair that he’s allowed to ask the same question in return.
“And you?”
Minho jolts. “I… I’m an ally.”
Okay, that’s one major hurdle passed. “So, do you have an answer?”
Minho finally meets Jisung’s gaze and sighs, “Let’s talk to JYP.” He doesn’t sound very enthusiastic. Jisung feels a little guilty even though he isn’t the one who proposed the drama. Still, he doesn’t want to force Minho into something he’s uncomfortable with.
“Are you actually okay with this?” asks Jisung, rubbing the smooth skin on the back of Minho’s hand.
Minho blinks for a second, but then he scoffs, “I don’t do things I don’t want to.”
Jisung smiles and pats Minho’s thigh. “That’s my aegi.”
“You’d better shut up before I change my mind,” Minho says, smiling scarily at Jisung.
Jisung zips his lips and opts to lean on Minho’s shoulder instead.
.oOo.
2009
The warmth of mid-May attracts people to the open-air market in droves, and Jisung and his mom are no exception. She said they were out of green onions and cabbage, so she dragged Jisung along with her, much to his annoyance. He doesn’t even like cabbage! But she bought him a cheese coin, so he’s stopped complaining for now.
As they walk down the sidewalk, Jisung catches a glimpse of two men surveying a selection of fresh cabbage at a stall farther down the street. When Jisung points it out, his mom grabs her basket and lets Jisung lead the way. As she’s inspecting the produce, Jisung watches the people beside him. They look a little younger than Jisung’s parents. The one picking up a large head of cabbage has pretty, light brown hair. The man standing next to him is a few inches taller with sleek black hair tied into a bun.
“This one looks like you,” the brunette says, holding up the cabbage to the other man’s head.
He looks mildly offended, and the brown-haired man chuckles, shifting the cabbage to his other hand so that he can pinch the taller’s cheek. The taller man breaks into an exasperated but fond smile and shakes his head. He playfully swats the brunette’s hand away, and something glints on their fingers in the sunlight.
Jisung is staring unabashedly now. They’re wearing rings. Are they gay? Jisung has never seen a gay person before. He’s only ever heard about them.
“Eomma, do you see that?” Jisung whispers, tugging on his mom’s sleeve.
“Hmm?” she glances in the direction that Jisung is pointing as she takes some change out of her wallet.
“Those people are wearing rings. Are they married?” The taller man makes eye contact with Jisung then, and Jisung hastily looks away and takes a bite of his cheese coin for something to do.
Then Jisung’s mom grimaces, grabs his hand, and tugs him across the path to the other side of the street. She doesn’t bother to take her change from the merchant. “Eomma?” Jisung asks as they step onto the sidewalk. He already regrets opening his mouth. Yeowoon’s panicked voice is echoing in his head.
His mother hums for a second before she answers, “Mind your business, aegi. We don’t talk about stuff like that.”
Jisung drops his gaze and nods quietly. When she releases his hand, Jisung stuffs the rest of the cheese coin into his mouth and follows behind her. Jisung looks back at the two men as they walk away. They have finished buying their produce and have happily moved on to the fishmonger.
He’s still curious, but he decides he’s better off ignoring it. As his mother made clear, people don’t talk about this sort of thing. At least Jisung doesn’t have to deal with it.
.oOo.
When Jung Han sends Minho and Jisung the date and time of their appointment with JYP, they text Chan to ask him to come along. Despite their earlier conversation in the studio, it doesn’t take much convincing for Chan to accompany them as an advocate. For better or for worse, he stands with his boys.
Telling the rest of the group is the next thing on their agenda. As expected, the members are surprised but excited for them; Felix in particular. His eyes glow brighter and brighter with each word Jisung utters.
Jisung grins at Minho, leaning in close to whisper into his ear, “Maybe this won’t be that bad.”
Minho only gives Jisung his signature grimace in response, to which Jisung laughs and squeezes his hand playfully. To be honest, Jisung expects at least one of them to object, but they all seem to think the show is a good opportunity. He really worried about nothing when it came to them. Jisung can only hope that the public will feel the same.
Four days pass by all too quickly, and their appointment with JYP is scheduled for 3:30. Jisung is sitting at the table eating an apple when Minho texts him.
Lee Knong
Be ready in 5
🤓☝️
You mean 4
Lee Knong
😐
Just get in the car loser
Love you too!! 😍
Minho sends him a sticker of his face in a pineapple, and Jisung laughs.
A moment later, Jisung’s phone buzzes again. “What the f*ck? It’s been one minute!” He hasn’t even heard the car pull up yet. But when Jisung unlocks his phone, it’s not Minho’s name shining back at him.
Lixie <3
Good luck today Sungie! 🥰
Jisung smiles. He forgot he told Felix about the meeting. It’s impressive that he remembered both the date and time. Jisung has to add important events to two different calendars and his reminders app so he doesn’t forget about everything. Seungmin drilled that habit into him after he missed their joint vocal lesson two weeks in a row.
Jisung sends back a quick response.
Thanks Lix!
Felix replies with a heart emoji and a gif of Changbin side-eying JYP that makes Jisung chuckle.
By the time Jisung starts pulling on his shoes, Chan has already rushed past him twice. First, because he forgot his phone charger, and second, because he decided it was too hot for a jacket. The third time he opens the door, Jisung has just finished tying the laces on his first sneaker.
“Hyung, stop acting like my mom. I’m coming,” Jisung says, tying his other shoe into a messy knot and straightening up.
Chan rolls his eyes, but he quickly ushers Jisung out the door. They’re not late, but Chan has always hated cutting it even remotely close: i.e. ten minutes early instead of twenty.
The car is waiting for them on the side of the road, and Jisung slides in next to Minho while Chan takes the front seat next to Jung Han. Minho is dressed nicer than usual for a Saturday afternoon. The striped sweater and light brown khakis he’s sporting bring out the warmth in his eyes. Jisung thought they were past dressing up for JYP, but Minho looks nervous, so Jisung pulls his arm into his lap and turns on his phone to show Minho a picture of Bbama his dad sent that morning. He feels better when Minho smiles and remarks that Bbama looks like Jisung after a nap.
They make it to the company fifteen minutes before the meeting is scheduled to start. Chan had nothing to worry about. Well… besides the meeting itself. As if summoned by his thoughts, JYP opens his office door.
“I thought I heard you come in. Early as usual.”
Chan laughs sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Please,” JYP beckons them in.
Minho squeezes Jisung’s hand as they file inside and take a seat at the large rectangular table in the center of the room. Once pleasantries have been exchanged, JYP folds his hands on top of the documents resting on the table.
“I assume you all know why you’re here.” JYP makes eye contact with Minho and Jisung, and then Chan. They nod. “None of our idols have ever acted in a drama before. Much less a drama of this… nature,” he continues.
Chan sighs almost imperceptibly. Jisung sees Minho glance at Chan in his peripheral.
Then, JYP addresses him and Minho. “When I initially received the call from Raemongraein, I didn’t want to consider it, but given JYPE’s current… financial status, complying might be in our best interest.”
Jisung’s heart rate spikes. Is that what Jung Han meant when he handed them the scripts? Jisung knows things have been bad lately, but he wasn’t aware of how bad. f*ck, is the company at risk?
“What do you mean by that?” Minho asks, sending a wary look to Chan and Jisung. Watching Minho’s steady breaths helps Jisung calm his own nerves. He swallows, anxiously turning back to JYP to hear his response.
JYP sighs, rubbing his temples, “We were hoping to handle this quietly, so Jung Han and the other higher-ups in Div1 are the only ones who are aware, but alas. One of our biggest sponsors will soon be filing for bankruptcy. It’s early enough that the media hasn’t gotten a hold of the news yet, and we want to solve the problem before it gets out of hand.”
Jisung glances at Jung Han out of the corner of his eye. He nods at JYP’s words but otherwise says nothing. Across the table, Minho drops his gaze. He’s worrying his bottom lip between his teeth, and Jisung wants to reach out and reassure him that they’ll pull through even though he feels just as lost.
“Sir,” Chan interjects. “What about our comeback?”
“If we decide to move forward with this, Raemongraein would distribute a fraction of the profits to JYPE. They would also pay us an upfront sum of money for our idols, while Minho and Jisung’s contracts would be negotiated separately,” JYP says, scanning a long block of text on the front page of his packet. “If the public’s opinion is positive, I don’t see why we should worry about your comeback.”
Chan relaxes into his seat, but Jisung still feels like he’s holding his breath. What happens if it isn’t? Jisung wants to ask. He and Minho are going to be under a lot of pressure if they go through with this. However, at this point, it’s less “if” and more “when.”
Nobody says anything until JYP lays the packet on the tabletop and leans back in his chair. Jung Han clears his throat. “Sir, my only concern is their safety. Do you think this will put Jisung and Minho in a dangerous situation?”
JYP hums. “I have no connection to this… lifestyle, but I’ve heard the news. Idols like Holland getting attacked in the streets and such. However, I am unsure what life is like for actors of those kinds of people.” He says it with such disdain that Jisung nearly shudders. “If there are any incidents of harassment or stalking, I won’t hesitate to pull them from filming. The same can be said for interruptions to comebacks and major events.”
Jung Han nods, seemingly placated for now, and settles back into his seat. Then Jisung glances at Minho, wondering if he’s faring any better. He’s quietly twisting a loose thread on his sleeve between his fingers, not making eye contact with any of them.
JYP turns back to Minho and Jisung. “In the end, it’s up to you whether or not to take on the role, but I strongly suggest you take the situation into consideration. Otherwise, we may run into a tough spot in the near future,” he says.
“Okay. Thank you, sir,” Jisung hears himself say, speaking for the first time since they entered the room. He feels high-strung, like there’s nervous energy thrumming through his veins. There’s a lot more than the group’s image on the line now.
Still, Jisung can’t help but be a little curious about all of this now that auditions have become a reality. Either way, this is going to be f*cking difficult, but at least he gets to do it with his soulmate. Jisung sends a thumbs-up to Minho and Chan across the table.
Minho smiles, albeit only slightly. His posture is still stiff. Chan looks relieved, though Jisung can see the tension in his shoulders too, and he bows his head in thanks.
“Alright,” JYP says, putting his hands together. “Please let me or Jung Han-ssi know when you’ve made a decision. We need an answer by tomorrow night.”
Someone says something else, and then they’re all getting up. Jisung’s limbs are shaky, but he manages to follow the others out of the room without making a fool of himself by tripping over JYP’s leopard print shag rug.
“So…” Minho starts when they’re out in the parking lot.
“Looks like we’re about to become Hollywood stars?” Jisung says, tracking Minho’s expression.
Minho rolls his eyes with a sigh, “Guess so.” Jisung can tell that he’s still tense, so he squeezes Minho’s bicep gently. Minho sighs again and rests his head on the arm wrapped around his shoulders.
“Have you decided?” asks Jung Han.
Jisung and Minho exchange a glance. Minho nods. Jung Han claps him on the shoulder. “The company will benefit from this.”
Minho hums but says nothing in response. He pats Jisung until he lets go and straightens up.
Then Chan turns to Jung Han. “Do you think we should tell the others about the financial issues?”
Jung Han shakes his head. “I wouldn’t want to worry them unnecessarily. You weren’t even supposed to know yet, so try not to let it bother you.”
Chan nods in acknowledgment.
Yeah, right, Jisung thinks. It’ll stop bothering me when Minho and I bring in the money. But he keeps that thought to himself as they walk to the company car.
Jisung’s phone buzzes once he’s buckled into the backseat, and Felix’s name lights up the screen again.
Lixie <3
How did it go???
Jisung shoves down his nerves and locks them away in the darkest recesses of his mind.
We’re on 😎
.oOo.
Jisung wakes up the next morning to a text from Jung Han addressed to him and Minho.
The production company sent us the sides you’ll read at your audition. I printed them out and left them at the company if you want a physical copy, but you can read through them now too. The auditions are next Sunday at 2 pm. I’ve given the staff your work emails so they can contact you directly after this.
Paint the Town Red (Hajoon).PDF
Paint the Town Red (Daehyun).PDF
Jisung sees that Minho has already responded with “Thanks” and a cat sticker, so he sends a quick reply and then opens the call app and hits Minho’s name.
Minho picks up after one ring.
“Morning, Jisungie.” Birds are chirping in the background.
“Morning. Where are you?”
“Taking a walk.”
“You’re such an old man,” Jisung laughs.
The line cuts out abruptly, the monotonous beep, beep, beep, signifying the end of the call. Really? Jisung is about to call Minho back — he does have an actual question — when his bedroom door opens.
“Thought I’d find you here,” Minho says. He sets an iced Americano and two packets of paper on Jisung’s bedside table before flinging himself across Jisung’s half-reclined torso.
“Oof,” Jisung grunts. Once he gets his bearings, he ruffles Minho’s hair and slaps his exposed asscheek, making Minho shout and bury his face in Jisung’s blanket-covered stomach. Minho’s sweater is soft against Jisung’s bare sides when he hugs him.
“Is that how you treat your lovely hyung who went out of his way to bring you coffee?”
Jisung’s face lights up. “Coffee?”
Minho nods into the duvet and waves vaguely toward the nightstand.
“You’re the best, jagiya!” Jisung makes obnoxious kissy noises at the top of Minho’s head until Minho rolls off of him, and he can reach the coffee a few feet away. He takes a sip. It tastes exactly the way he likes it. “So, are you just here to pamper me, or do you need something? Because I was going to ask you a question before you so rudely hung up on me.”
Minho sits up and reaches over Jisung’s lap to grab the papers he’d left there. “To bring you these, princess. I picked them up from the company earlier this morning. Thought we could read them over together.”
Oh, the sides. “Thanks, jagi.”
“Don’t mention it. Now get your ass out of bed and meet me in the living room in fifteen minutes.”
Minho is out the door before Jisung even registers the spring in his mattress. He blinks and then shakes himself, taking another sip of his coffee to stave off the last of his grogginess. Jisung looks down at the packet Minho dropped in his lap. It’s not as thick as the documents from last week, but it’s still pretty hefty.
He flips through it. It looks like there are several scenes he and Minho have to perform together during their audition, as well as one solo reading. There are so many words. It shouldn’t be intimidating. Jisung is a rapper; words are his job! But the nerves are starting to creep up on him again. The company clearly expects a lot from them, but they don’t even know how to act! Music videos barely count because it’s not like they’re saying lines or anything. They just lip-sync, dance, and make faces 90% of the time. And Jisung forgets his lyrics more often than not. The only acting experience they have is from that one mini commercial they did for LDF TV last year and, more recently, SKZFlix. Even then, Minho was the lead. He was a natural actor despite his limited experience.
Will I be able to keep up? Jisung thinks. His hands are starting to get clammy. He really shouldn’t be this anxious. He hasn’t even read the script yet. Maybe he’s not giving himself enough credit.
Then Jisung’s phone pings. He must have forgotten to silence it last night.
Lee Knong
The clock is ticking jagiya ^_^
Jisung groans and tosses his phone to the end of the bed. Then he drags himself out from under the covers to pull on some clothes and meet Minho in the living room.
“Nice of you to join me,” Minho says from the couch. He’s rolling one of Changbin’s dumbbells under his socked foot.
Jisung grins impishly and takes another sip of his coffee. “You must be honored.” Then he tiptoes through the landmine called the living room floor — careful not to step on any of the equipment left lying around — sits down next to Minho and hands him one of the packets. “So… are we gonna talk about it?” They had separate schedules right after yesterday's meeting, so Jisung hasn’t had a chance to get Minho alone until now.
“Talk about what?” Minho asks, staring blankly at Jisung. Is he really going to make Jisung spell it out for him?
“The show! The characters! The acting! The financial issues. The us kissing each other thing…” Jisung’s voice trails off, and he directs his gaze to the packet in his hands. He can still see Minho from the corner of his eye. God, why did he say that?
Minho’s face pales for a moment, and Jisung almost asks him if he’s okay, but then Minho shakes himself out of his stupor. “Aww, Jisungie, are you nervous about kissing me?” He puckers his lips at Jisung. “Come here. Let hyung show you how.” Minho tries to pull Jisung in for a kiss, but Jisung squawks and smacks Minho over the head with his packet.
“Hyung!” he whines. “Stop messing around!”
“Okay, coward,” Minho laughs, but he relents and releases a disgruntled Jisung from his grasp.
That comment shouldn’t bother him, but maybe Jisung is already on edge. He straightens out his shirt with a huff, “‘M not a f*cking coward. I shouldn’t have brought it up. It’s not like it means anything anyway.”
Jisung expects Minho to ask why he bothered in the first place — not that Jisung would have an answer — but he doesn’t. Instead, Minho looks down. “Yeah,” he mutters. “You’re right.”
sh*t. The annoyance Jisung felt just moments prior dissipates. He didn’t mean to make Minho uncomfortable. He pats Minho’s knee and clears his throat. “At least we already know each other, right? It’s not like we have to do it with a stranger.”
Minho lets out a little exasperated laugh that makes Jisung want to squeeze his cheeks, “Only if we both pass the auditions.”
Right, the auditions. “Wanna read over our parts then? Your solo scene is first.”
Minho’s scene is a conversation between Daehyun and one of the suspects. The scene only has ten or so lines, but Jisung finds himself drawn in. Daehyun is so similar to the cold exterior that Minho puts up when he doesn’t want to be bothered. Not that Minho is truly cold — not to Jisung’s eye at least, he can always see right through his facade — but sometimes he’s had enough of the members’ antics and needs some time to unwind. You don’t want to be the one to interrupt that.
Next is Hajoon’s solo scene: a conversation between Hajoon and his former boss explaining that Hajoon is transferring to another police branch. It doesn’t have the same intrigue as Minho’s scene, nor the same intensity, but Jisung connects with the dialogue. It feels familiar somehow. Maybe he can actually pull this off.
Last is the joint scene. Jisung isn’t sure what he was expecting. Maybe something romantic or an argument… something emotionally charged. Instead, it’s a scene where Daehyun opens up about his past. Which, as Jisung continues reading, is more emotionally charged than he initially thought.
Jisung can count the number of times he’s seen Minho cry on one hand, Jisung thinks as Daehyun cries in the script. This is going to be difficult. For Minho, not for Jisung. He cries while watching Ghibli movies. But who can blame him? Howl’s Moving Castle is truly a tearjerker.
Minho nudges him. “Do you wanna try reading them?”
“Hmm? Oh yeah, sure.” Jisung flips back to the first page. Big, bold letters stating the date, time, and place of the audition jump out at him. One week. They have one week to memorize these lines and put together a convincing performance. Jung Han said the auditions were a formality, but this is their first foray into acting outside the company, and Jisung can’t blow it. “Yours first? I’ll read the other part.”
“Okay.”
Jisung slurps the rest of his Americano down to the ice and stands up, offering Minho a hand. They get to work clearing a space on the floor to create a makeshift stage. Empty glasses left near the couch legs are moved safely to the end tables, Changbin’s weights are rolled into the corners of the room, and miscellaneous odds and ends are kicked under the table to be rediscovered later.
“Ready, hyung?” Jisung asks once the carpet is clear.
“As ever,” Minho replies, squinting down at the page to familiarize himself with the script.
Jisung does the same. He’s playing the role of a part-time convenience store employee who was accused of murdering a mother and daughter living in the apartment complex at the end of the block.
Think of this as improv, Jisung tells himself. Like SKZ family. He can totally do that.
“Okay, I’m starting,” Minho says. He takes Jisung by the shoulders and backs him into the armchair. “Sit here.” Jisung’s knees buckle when he hits the cushion, and he falls into the seat.
Minho’s serious face is on. He looks at the script for another second before putting it behind his back and pacing around the room. “Taeyang-ssi, do you know why you’re here?”
Jisung glances at the script. “Yes…”
“Then you must be aware of the murder that took place near your shop.” Minho’s gaze is so intense that Jisung almost breaks character, but he holds on, referring to the script for his next line.
Jisung jumps out of his seat. “Yes, but I didn’t do it. I swear!” This is easier than he expected.
Minho looks him up and down, scrutinizing his every word. He’s good at this, better than he was the last time they acted. Jisung feels as if he’s truly being interrogated. “Convenient, isn’t it? That you happened to call in sick the day of the incident?”
“I came down with a cold that morning. Just ask my grandmother!” Jisung cries, trying to convey the direness of the situation.
They run through the rest of the scene like that. Jisung gets louder and more frantic, and Minho stays completely calm, unmoved by Jisung’s emotional speech.
“You’re really good at this, Minho-hyung,” Jisung remarks when they finish the scene. He’s surprised at how easy it was. This is actually kind of fun.
Minho laughs, “You’re not bad yourself, Hannie.”
Jisung’s heart soars, and he takes a dramatic bow, pretending to wave to a crowd of fans. “Thank you, thank you.” Seeing Minho return to his normal self makes the knot in Jisung’s chest loosen.
Jisung’s solo scene plays out in a similar fashion with a lot of theatrics. Minho suggests he tone it down for the next run-through. This isn’t a variety show. He needs to be able to portray complex emotions naturally.
Finally, they have their joint scene. Jisung is dreading this one the most, even if it’s just practice. Loud and boisterous is something he can do, but emotional scenes are something he’s unfamiliar with. Jisung has no doubt that this scene will be the most difficult.
When they finish the scene, Jisung concludes that it was stiff and awkward. None of the right feelings were there. Jisung doesn’t know what to do with his arms when Minho sits there, revealing his backstory. The script only marks basic positions in the dialogue, and the lack of instruction is frustrating. It’s difficult without a director, but he supposes that move is purposeful. The casting directors must want to see how they interpret the scene. Jisung needs to make a good impression, and it looks like this will take a lot more practice than he anticipated.
At least Minho seems to be struggling more with this scene, too. His emotions are lackluster — nowhere near the tearjerker they should be.
“Well… that wasn’t great…” Minho sighs, sinking into the couch again.
Jisung chuckles, “Not really. Will you be able to cry during the audition?”
“Who knows? I’ll just have to think of something really sad.” Minho pats Jisung’s knee. “Should we take a rest? Memorize the scripts and try again tonight?”
“Sure,” Jisung says, closing his packet. He’s stressed but also a little bit excited about the auditions. Acting with Minho is more fun than he thought it would be, but they don’t know how to play off each other seamlessly yet. However, the company is relying on them, so they have to learn fast.
They have six days and seven nights to perfect these three scenes. And so it begins.
