Page 103 of XOXO

“Oh my God!” I groan. “You’re totally messing up my metaphor.”

He starts laughing, his whole body shaking, tears in his eyes.

I scowl. “What time is it? Don’t you have your own beautiful performance to get to?”

He stops laughing. “Oh shit, you’re right. I forgot about that.”

“You forgot about it!”

He grins, which is completely unfair, because with his makeup and that outfit, it’s like a cupid’s arrow to my heart. “My girlfriend that I was in love with who broke up with me on a hospital rooftop three months ago in Seoul shows up right before my concert in New York City. Yeah, I forgot about it.”

In love with!

“You almost made me forget why I was in here in the first place...”

“Oh yeah, why were you in here?”

He smiles shyly. “I was nervous. I am nervous. This is the biggest concert we’ve ever given, and our first in the US.”

“You’re going to do great. You’ve prepared for this. And youhave bandmates who will support you, even if you do make a mistake, which you’re not going to,” I add hurriedly, “but you know what I mean.”

Wow, I suck at pep talks.

“You’re right,” Jaewoo says. “I think I’m ready now.” I reach out a hand to him, and he takes it. Together, we hurry from the room, rushing back to the junction where I last saw Sun.

The rest of the members of XOXO are all there, waiting.

“Jaewoo-hyeong! Jenny-nuna!” Youngmin shouts.

“Oh, look,” Nathaniel says with a teasing smile, “Jenny’s brought him back to us.”

“I just needed some time,” Jaewoo says, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, while keeping a tight hold onto mine with the other.

“Yeah, we know,” Nathaniel says, but gentling his words with a wink.

“Are you all right?” Sun asks. “We can stall a bit.”

“I’m fine.”

“If you get overwhelmed up there, Jaewoo-hyeong,” Youngmin says, “just make this signal.” He raises his pointer finger and scratches the underside of his jaw. “I’ll do something silly and distract everyone.”

Jaewoo grins. “Thanks, Youngmin-ah.”

I start to tear up. How can you not, witnessing this moment?

It’s just so beautiful, the care they have for one another. The trust, love, and belief. It’s remarkable and just sowholesome.

“Jenny-nuna?” Youngmin asks. “What’s wrong? Why areyou crying?”

Jaewoo releases my hand, only so that I can wipe the tears from my eyes. “I’m just... I’m just a bigfan.”

They all laugh.

Jaewoo turns toward his bandmates. “Are we ready to do this?”

“Yeah!” Youngmin pumps his fist in the air.

Nathaniel grins. “Let’s give them the show of a lifetime.”

---