✿

CANON REESE

Nikon sat across from me at the kitchen counter, his hair damp and disheveled, a towel hanging over his shoulders. I notice him flinch as the microwave let out a small beeping sound, having finished heating up some mac and cheese. I took the food out and placed it in front of our guest.

I still find it hard to believe that I am actually in the same room as the very musician I look up to. And never could I have imagined that I would be serving him cheap, microwave-ready food.

"Am I the only one who thinks something's wrong around here?" Cassidy stepped in the space between Nikon and I, leaning against the tabletop. "Would anyone care to explain what's going on?" Her frustration is understandable, seeing as her younger sister literally went out to get ice cream in the pouring rain only to come back with a man. I mean, he looked so lost earlier that I somehow wound up inviting him into the house.

"I'm so sorry for intruding like this," Nikon managed to speak up after snapping out of his trance. "I don't know what came over me, the next thing I knew, I was running backstage and trying to hail a cab to get to here." As he tried to search through his memories, he tilted his head to the left, lost in thought. "Of course, I didn't even know where here is so I didn't know what to tell the driver when the cab pulled up. That's why I just... kept running."

"Did he just say backstage?" Cassidy raised her eyebrows at me. "Who is this guy?"

My eyes grew wider as I remembered that The Knights were supposed to perform a quick song at some other band's concert. Not much fans were aware since it was only announced a couple of minutes before the event began. If that is so, that means he ran all the way from there just to get here?

I tossed my wet towel aside before I ran towards the living room, swiftly snatching the TV remote from the center table, and switching the channels from Nickelodeon to the entertainment news.

"Nikon Warner, a member of the phenomenal band The Knights of Autumn, has been spotted fleeing the concert earlier tonight," the news anchor voiced over a blurry video clip of Nikon running from the rear exit of the arena, before they flashed the images of the other band members on stage.

"The astonishment on the members and the staffs' faces suggest that his actions were unplanned. An insider reported that the management has been reaching out to Warner but the artist's whereabouts remain unknown."

The camera panned back to the news anchor, the menacing expression on his face is sickening, "Fans are most certainly in a frenzy right now. Netizens speculate if it has something to do with a secret lover or, perhaps, the falling out of the band, per se?"

"You can't be serious." Cassidy looked at me, dubious. She followed me to the living room just in time to hear the news. "You're telling me that you just so happened to find a member of the band you've been admiring for so long right outside our house?"

It may come off as a shock but my sister is not really the type to keep up with celebrities and artists, she does not even watch movies or listen to new songs. She prefers reading and listening to classical music instead. In the rare occasion that she does watch something on TV like she did earlier, she would just settle for cartoons. I bet she could ride the subway filled with famous TV personalities and she would not even bat an eye since she would not know anyone. Of course, she has her reasons, each to their own.

Standing behind her was Nikon, running his hands down his face before fishing his phone out of his jeans pocket. "My phone won't turn on." He sighed helplessly, waving the gadget in the air. "The rain was bucketing down out there and I ran for a while." No wonder his management team could not reach him, his phone died. "Man, I'm in big trouble," he turned to Cassidy and I, his eyes soft and apologetic, "I'm really sorry for this, girls." He took the towel off from around his shoulders and folded it nicely before handing it to me. "Canon Reese, was it?" He looked hesitant and found it difficult to look me in the eye. "Thank you for inviting me in and for offering me dinner, and I apologize I couldn't finish it. I should go, I promise not to bother you again—," he reached for the door but my sister stopped him.

"Were you sure no one followed you here?" She questioned, doubtful. "You said you ran all the way here from the event, it's possible someone could've seen you." With her arms crossed, she stared him down. "Don't take this the wrong way but I don't exactly trust boy band members that magically show up at our doorstep, no matter how innocent they look. I don't want our family to be involved with people from show business. The sooner you're out of our hair, the better but I do know how some fans could take it a little too far," she gestured towards the television screen, "You heard the news, you're well-known and you have a large fan base. Let's say no one followed you here, hopefully. But if someone was to see you walking out of our home, how sure are we that we don't get caught up in your world?"

I wanted to tell my sister to stop because she is making our guest uncomfortable but a part of what she said got to me. If anyone did follow him here, then it would have been possible that someone saw us... kiss. Oh, no. This is bad.

Nikon seemed a little taken aback. "Our fans..." He paused, biting his lip. He tilted his head a little to the left before adding, "They're kind." I caught the corners of his lips pull upwards as a small smile was painted on his face.

"All of them?" Cassidy pressed on, her distrust unwavering. "If any of them was to see you walk out of a girl's house, you're a hundred percent positive no one is going to throw unnecessary hate on us?"

On that note, Nikon's grip on the doorknob loosened up. "I'm certain our fans wouldn't mind," he spoke those words with conviction. "I can't guarantee that no one would spin out false rumors from this. Of course, people who tend to do that... they're not really our fans."

"Okay, well, we can't have your non-fans coming for us," Cassidy sighed before walking out of the room.

Nikon looked defeated. He must be tired from performing on stage and from all that running since he had to lean on the door frame from support. Our eyes met and all he could tell me was, "I'm sorry."

I should be the one saying that. Still, I find it hard to believe that the Kiss Note actually worked. But it is also very unlikely that Nikon just felt like he was being pulled towards me while he was performing, just as I have written his name on the notebook. And how awfully convenient must it be for the rain to pour hard even if there was no sign of even a drizzle in this scorching hot summertime? Even if the Kiss Note did not work, I still feel wrong for having let him kiss me.

"Come, you, two." Cassidy reappeared, her hands clutching the car keys from the kitchen counter. "Do you have any contact number of your members?"

His head tilted a little as he thought deeply, "I always relied on my phone so I never bothered to memorize them." Suddenly, Nikon felt his pockets before his eyes brightened. "I left my other phone in my bag backstage. I could try calling and hopefully, someone picks it up."

"Good," Cassidy nodded towards the hallway, signaling us to follow her. "We'll drive you around the city, mostly through crowded areas so we could lose people if anyone was trailing you. Tell your friends we're dropping you off here." She handed him a small note with the location details of what I believe was the old bookshop she used to work part-time for but was torn down. "There is not much residents in that area."

As they went over the plan, I felt a strong urge to get the Kiss Note. No matter how ridiculous it may sound, I think it had something to do with the whole thing. I found myself running up the stairs and going to my room to retrieve it, hiding it under my over sized shirt.

"Even if we lose them now, what if they already saw us earlier?" I finally managed to ask when I got back downstairs. I fear that even with all this effort, if someone caught us kissing, it would all be over.

"Well, we can't fix what's already happened." Cassidy sighed, leading us to the steps down to our garage. "But we could try to be more cautious right now. Put these on and get in." She handed Nikon a black hoodie before getting on the driver's seat.

Nikon paused before turning his back on us and tugging on his damp shirt. He swiftly slid it off and, just as he tried to slip into the hoodie, I caught large spots on his skin, dark and bruised. Of course, the garage was dimly lit so I wondered if I was just seeing things. Nikon turned back to me with a forced smile that instantly spun my thoughts around. He opened the car door for me to get in first but I just waved my hands around.

"You go, I'll sit with Cassidy." I almost stuttered before hurrying off to the passenger's side.

As soon as we got on, Cassidy handed Nikon her phone before turning to me. "Tie your hair back and wear this." She handed me a navy blue hoodie and a hair tie. After she wore her hoodie over her shirt and tied her hair into a knot, she opened the glove compartment and pulled out two pairs of sunglasses, the ones our parents use when it is too sunny for the road. She handed me one, and she gave Nikon the other. I never thought I would be wearing sunglasses at night but I feel so scared right now after listening to all Cassidy had to say earlier so I followed her, anyway.

"Please, please, please pick up." I could hear him muttering to himself as the faint ringing sound almost echoed in the quiet space. When the series of rings came to a end, he immediately announced, "It's me." Maybe the person at the other end of the call instantly recognized his voice and figured who else would be calling a missing person's phone than the owner itself. "Marx, is that you?"

Upon confirmation that Nikon managed to contact his band mates, Cassidy started the car and pressed a button for the garage doors to open. Marx Anderson, the leader of the band, always made sure to keep the group together. I wonder how he is handling it so far, having a member disappear mid-performance. I instantly felt bad.

"I know, I'm sorry." Nikon sounded sincere, "The managers must have taken out all their frustration on you, guys." I tried glancing at him on the rear view mirror and he kept running his hand over his face. "I'll explain later, listen. Could you get the managers to pick me up? I'll text the location to this phone, it's the only number I have memorized... My other phone died."

Cassidy has started driving and I was so anxious, I kept checking the side mirrors if anyone was tailing us.

"Yeah, I was lost and these girls are driving me there in case someone from the news was following me." Nikon kept explaining until his voice grew quieter. "I don't think they're bad people... They seemed nice." I know it should not be my business but I know what he is saying is about us and I find it hard not to pry. "Alright, I will... Do you know how to set up the phone? No? Maybe ask Jett for help." I could only hear muffled voices and white noise for a while. Jett Ryder, another member of the band, mostly participates in producing their music. "Hello? Jett? Yeah, hold on a sec." Suddenly, he leaned forward, "Uh, Cassidy? Canon Reese?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I share your phone's location to my members?" Nikon asked, trying not to sound silly. That seems reasonable, though. Driving a famous person towards a seemingly unpopulated area screams danger, I am kind of surprised Nikon was onboard with the idea. His members must have asked to track us in case anything else happens. In short, they do not trust us and I respect that. I would be wary, too, if I was in their shoes.

On the other hand, I am terrified now. What if we do lose the reporters or paparazzi who could possibly be following us but the second we get there, we get apprehended by the band's management? I could only trust Nikon to speak for us, then.

Cassidy almost smirked, "I try to do you a favor and you don't trust me." She nodded lightly, still driving through populated areas, "Sure, if that puts you at ease."

"Thank you," Nikon said before leaning back to his seat. He proceeded to talk to his team while he tapped on the phone screen, "I'll share our location with you." 

"Could you ask your friends not to draw too much attention?" Cassidy spoke up, "It's already too much trouble for us, dropping you off somewhere to avoid the press. The last thing we want is to be accused by your management for kidnapping you."

"No, no, I'll handle it, I promise." Nikon reassured us before turning back to the phone, "Well, I'll see you soon. Bye." Fear is evident in his voice. He ended the call before extending his arm to give the phone back which I received since Cassidy is busy driving. "Are we still far from the place?"

"Not really," Cassidy spoke, not taking her eyes off the road, "let me just do another lap before circling back." That being said, I fixed my eyes on the side mirrors once again, checking if we are being followed. None of the other vehicles seem suspicious.

"I'm sorry." Leaning his head back on his seat, I could only catch a small glimpse of his facial features, the hoodie did an excellent job in concealing his identity. "We just met a while ago and I've already burdened you so much." The air in the car felt cold as silence fell upon us. "If only they treated us like normal persons... which we are."

"Hey," I turned to him a little and tried to offer him a gentle smile, "it's alright." I even managed to tease, "Cassidy's just trying to fill in her big sister shoes and try to protect me 'cause our parents left her in charge but she's actually pretty nice." I could feel her glaring at me but I know what I said is true. "We don't really mind having you here," I assured Nikon, "we just... don't want to cause any problem for both of our sides." The car came into a halt at a stoplight and I could briefly see Nikon smile a bit at my remark.

The remainder of the ride was quiet. If only I was not too anxious, I would have fallen asleep out of exhaustion. Over the course of the day, we sent our parents off to their honeymoon, I lost the notebook that compiles the very sense of my entire being and fell apart consequently, I got my rom-com fantasy enacted by a musician I adore, and now my sister and I are sending him off.

I notice the streets getting dimmer as Cassidy turned towards a familiar street. When dad picks us up from school, I remember us having to take a detour here before going home so he could drop Cassidy off to her part-time job. The bookshop owner was an kind, gentle woman in her mid-40's back then. I wonder how she is doing. The last time I heard from her was when her family closed the shop down and she asked Cassidy to take care of most of her books since she has grown fond of her and admired her love for reading. I believe Cassidy still swings by the family's home to visit her once every couple of months and bring her a copy of a book she believes the nice lady would love.

The truck decelerated before coming to a halt as Cassidy parked right in front the ruins of what used to be a bookshop. The stores, boutiques, even the coffee shop Cassidy used to love which used to stand right next to the bookshop has been demolished as well, with the promise of renovations and the uprising of new shops that never really progressed. I feel bad for having my sister's little sanctuary torn down for nothing.

I turned behind me only to find Nikon with his eyes closed, looking all peaceful as he must have dozed off to sleep during the ride. I reached out to lightly tap on his knee. He was awakened with a small jolt before he flashed a small smile.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, the words slipping out his lips like a defense mechanism, hardwired in his system. He looks worn out and I wish I could tell him to rest his eyes a little bit more and we could just wake him when his management team gets here but a part of me is terrified at how the scene would unfold. It seems like we beat them at the meeting place, though. There is no sign of them around, still. "Thanks for being nice to me." He spoke in a low voice, "I'm a stranger and you welcomed me into your home warmly." He chuckled a little, "Of course, you shouldn't really be doing that with anyone you don't know, including myself, but I really appreciate your help."

"No, no, don't worry about it," I offered him a smile.

He tried to return my smile but it looked bitter as he replied, "You're kind and compassionate." He turned to my sister who does not even spare him a glance, absorbed in looking out for any sign of company. "She's really smart to have come up with this idea to avoid getting tailed by reporters." He scratched his nape, the action causing the hoodie to fall off his head and reveal his breathtaking facial features. "Besides the fact that I'm a stranger and two ladies driving off to a deserted area with a guy and summoning his colleagues might come with a lot of consequences—"

"I contacted my friends before we left the house," Cassidy answered back, disinterested. "They've gathered around the area and would not hesitate to step in at the slightest sign of trouble." I was unaware she even did that. But I was not surprised she thought of doing so, she rarely does anything without a contingency plan. It makes sense for her to contact people we know since it is evident she barely trusts Nikon nor his management at the moment.

"Great," Nikon nodded, smiling. "At least I know you still take precautions on stranger danger." He confessed shyly, "I was kind of worried you might react the same way if it was some other stranger... If you weren't lucky, it could end badly."

"We're not stupid," Cassidy retorted dismissively.

With this, Nikon could only smile, "I sure wish I met you, girls, in a different circumstance. You seem like you'd be very cool friends."

The silence that followed was suffocating. "Maybe you should give your friends another call?" I offered him Cassidy's phone once again. Perhaps this could put both parties at ease, knowing Nikon's safe and sound. He must have sensed my concern so he put the phone on loudspeaker.

Upon dialing, the person on the other end of the line picked up after just two rings.

"Nikon, I see you're there now," a deep voice I reckoned to be Marx's was heard. Of course, hearing his voice through a phone call is a bit different that hearing it through his songs but it sounded familiar, still. The call was choppy this time around, with lots of static noise and voices talking over each other in the background. "We're almost there, hold on."

"You came with the managers to pick me up?" Nikon frowned, perplexed. "Is it that bad? Am I in a bigger trouble than what I've imagined?" I noticed that his hand was shaking as he held on to the phone. I instantly felt bad because this is all my fault.

"No, no, the managers aren't here," Marx replied coolly. He seemed to be talking to someone else with a muffled voice, "Jett, take a left there, yeah."

"You're with Jett?" Nikon tried to make out what he could from the noise coming from the other end of the call. "Wait, is that Vinn and Crawford I hear arguing in the background?"

"Uh, actually, I'm with the entire band."

✿

THE BAND

The hotel room reeked of tension as the managers walked out the door.

"You okay?" Marx checked in on each member, enduring the sting of the bruises on his own back and masking it with concern for his friends.

After Nikon's disappearance, many reports concerning the band and its management resurfaced. Old articles on dispute on their contracts, unequal pay distribution, and mistreatment in the agency. As fans speculate on the reason behind Nikon's actions, the company has been receiving a magnitude of backlash.

Unfortunately, the rumors are true. With every disagreement, the management takes it out on the band. For instance, the issue at hand resulted to the members having to stand in line, taking in an earful of harsh words. For every surge of frustration, the managers have a habit of hitting them with whatever they have in their hands, in this case, the drumsticks Nikon left behind after fleeing their performance.

Everyone remained quiet, as they always do. They have grown used to it that they no longer voice out their complaints about the pain. They just sit there and endure.

"Are they going to fetch Nikon now?" Vinn finally asked, distraught. The others were visibly bothered by the thought as well as they flinched at his question. He tried to straighten his back but he could not help but groan at the pain the earlier strikes left him with. At this rate, he wonders how he is expected to play the piano on the show tomorrow when his back was hit so much, it hurts when he tries to move his arms ever so gently. Despite all this, Nikon still crossed his mind. "He'll get beaten up."

Marx could only look on the ground, resenting himself because he is powerless. He could not protect his brothers. They were all too young when they were offered the contract. If only they knew better, they would have known what they were getting themselves into.

When Nikon called earlier, disclosing his location and where he would be dropped off, Marx almost wished he did not have to return. As much as he wanted to make music and look after the members, returning would only mean being subjected to a system of pain and misery.

"No, he's not."

All eyes darted to Jett when his voice pierced through the silence.

"I gave them my backup phone instead of Nikon's. We both don't use our phones for pictures, social media or texting, they're just for when we come up with melodies and lyrics, and we need to log them down on the spot, so I doubt they'd catch on." He tossed Nikon's phone towards Marx's direction who barely caught it out of bewilderment. "An old friend of mine is in the area, I got him to share his location with me, drive around the city, and lead the managers to the opposite direction of where Nikon would be." His eyes were fixed on his laptop as he typed furiously.

Uncertainty was painted across Marx's face. He knows there is something under Jett's sleeve, a plan brewing as they speak. They have known each other for years that it does not take him long to realize Jett's capability in getting things done and covering his tracks. When they were still no names in the industry and other so-called artists used to steal the tracks they worked so hard on, Jett took no remorse in enacting his revenge. He hacked the wrongdoers' database and exposed them for their crimes. The news assumed it was someone from the authority in charge of the case or an avid fan of the oppressed party but it was none other than Jett himself.

This could end badly, Marx thought to himself. He needs to protect the members.

"Pack your bags." Jett instructed them, closing his laptop. "My old friend works at this hotel. We've ten minutes before he shuts off the power in this place. That means no lights, no elevators, no CCTVs. He said he'd make sure we have enough time to sprint to the parking lot without any trace. From there, he left the keys to his car for us to use," he spoke, not even bothering to look at them, "I could drive us to Nikon's real location." There was a chorus of arguments from the other members until Jett explained, "We're all fed up with this company. Face it, when Nikon comes back, it's only gonna get worse. This might be our only chance to get away. Now," he looked his members in the eye, "are you with me or not?"

They all exchanged glances before grabbing whatever they can and shoving them into as many bags they could carry. Marx hesitated at first but upon seeing the members desperately trying to gather their things together, he wondered how horrendous the place must be for his brothers to be acting this way. He could not bear the thought of having to come between them and freedom. He could not bring himself to tell them to stop, only to have their managers strike their backs again when they retrieve Nikon. With this, he started reaching for his own clothes and personal things.

Freedom. The word sounds so sweet, it leaves an aftertaste.

✿

Author's Note:

I'll introduce the others some other time. Let's first meet our ever so dependable leader and our resident producer.

Characters:
Kim Namjoon as Marx Anderson
Min Yoongi as Jett Ryder

✿

FEATURE OF THE DAY:

https://youtu.be/Ho4nOVjJyxA

Seo Yeh Ahn. This video of her on KPOP STAR went viral a couple of years ago (I don't really watch KPOP STAR but this particular video really made rounds on my feed) and I personally have taken a liking to her voice and personality. She signed with JTM Entertainment and released her official debut single "Permeate". The song and the music video alike were captivating.

https://youtu.be/Ke4QTwbhwWw

One of her tracks featured B1A4's BARO and it's a cute, feel-good song. (I don't know why I can't attach the Youtube video of her live performance with BARO but here's her with ZEST's Shin Junseop acting as BARO's stand in.) 

https://youtu.be/15T42lTiqHY

I believe she's under Stone Music Entertainment now and she came back last November 2020 with a new music video for Alone.

https://youtu.be/1otnGHcQryE

If you know any artist you like and appreciate and would like to share them with us, feel free to message me.