one day

thirty-nine

a/n: are you obsessively listening to 'switch it up' like i am? lol, here's some fluff and not proofread like usual.

It's his big day and instead of being joyful, he's feeling bittersweet. He's ready to finally prove himself, to give himself the chance to shine and show everyone what he's capable of as a solo artist, but an impromptu instagram live to talk about his anxieties of debuting and one netizen caused a huge uproar. His new company asked him to respond, and he can't believe he has to explain that the photos on his wall are from a photographer that he admires. He honestly at the time forgot they were there, nor did he think the fans would have really seen it good enough to be upset over it. He admits it was poor judgment on his part, and he should have been more careful, so he does apologize for that. But he hates being painted as something that he's not.

He does repost a few instagram stories from others supporting the release of his song, but other than that he kind of stays quiet. His apology is already posted on his account, and his company released a statement from him too. Too bad things can't just go away. He sees his fans telling him that he shouldn't have to apologize, but the damage is already done.

Seulgi hops onto LYSN soon after, chatting with her own fans in another attempt to distract from the articles, and that just makes him feel worse. He hopes none of this negatively affects her. His labelmates send him texts of congratulations, Got7 members do too, blowing up the group chat in excitement for him but he can't bring himself to be too happy.

He was relieved you know... to finally announce his debut, because it felt real. He was officially out of JYP's clutches, and could be the artist he always was. He could sing about what he wanted, and sure... Switch It Up isn't beautiful lyrics like some of his other tracks, but it's fun, it's his style, it's his color. It's an attempt to shed the idol image because he doesn't want to be an idol. He just wants to be Jay B, Jaebeom, Def... he wants to be authentically himself with no regrets and no apologies. He's off to a good start, huh?

His phone buzzes and he looks down to see it's a facetime call from Seulgi. He answers and forces a smile for her. "Hey..."

"Congratulations on your debut!" She announces, clapping her hands and hooting.

"Thanks..."

"Why aren't you celebrating? Treat yourself for dinner? Or go on a ride?"

"Not really in the mood." he shrugs, making her frown.

"Is this about the articles? Jaebeom..."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Fine... but I know you and I know you have good intentions. It's your room, you can decorate it how you want. Remember when people saw my movie posters for the first time?"

"They didn't have articles talking about your character like you're some perverted bastard."

"... I'm just trying to make you feel better."

"I know, Seul... and I'm sorry for my reactions, I'm just... tired."

"Your song is climbing the charts... the streams are good, it's charting internationally too. Why not focus on that instead?" She suggests, sitting up. "... Can I come over?"

"Don't you have work?"

"No, I'm free for now."

"Okay... you can come over."

Seulgi lets herself into Jaebeom's apartment and finds him lying down in bed, staring over at his photo wall as if he's ashamed. She sighs, walking over and climbing in bed with him, cuddling up to his side. "Hi..." she greets, resting her chin on his chest as her finger reaches out to trace the bridge of his nose.

"Hi... you got here fast... did you drive yourself?" he wonders and she nods. "You're getting more comfortable behind the wheel, huh?"

"Yes... and what about you? You kept your little motorcycle secret from me... I knew about scuba diving but imagine my surprise when I saw your new artist reveal video."

"I didn't want you lecturing me about safety." he admits, cracking the tiniest smile which warms Seulgi's heart. "No one has attacked you, right? About the situation."

"No... and even if they did, I would just ignore them. It's art, Jaebeom, not something gross. It's something beautiful. There was an entire exhibit, the model had to have given her consent to pose for those photos... one of the images is on a t-shirt! There's nothing wrong with your photo wall. It's what inspires you."

"I just feel bad... my first day as a solo artist and already in a scandal."

"This... isn't a scandal. This is a misunderstanding that shouldn't have ever happened or mattered."

"And would have been easily avoided if I would have been more careful."

"Jaebeom..." she pouts, cupping his cheek, "Don't blame yourself. You did nothing wrong. And I'm here to tell you that and remind you how wonderful you are. Also... people love your song. Your friends are so proud of you, your fans are starting tik tok challenges... they're spreading it around and more and more reaction videos are being uploaded by the hour. Forget about the netizens and soak in your success. You've done it, love. You're finally making music that makes you happy."

"Thank you." he comments and she nods, leaning forward to peck his lips. "... But what if fans start to speculate about the lyrics and who they're about--"

"Ssh... your song is great and the live vocals was a good way to introduce it to the world. Everyone's anticipating more releases."

"Are you?"

"Of course! I'll be right there, streaming along with your fans." she promises, "Do you feel better?"

"Yeah... a little."

"What will make it even better for you?"

"... Do you want to go for a ride?" he wonders, "On my bike, that is... though... if you want to ride me later, I won't object."

"Do you have an extra helmet?" She wonders and he nods, sitting up.

"I purchased another one once I was confident enough in my riding skill. I don't want to put you in major risk, and your company would probably be pissed if they ever found out, but I'll be extremely careful. What do you say?"

"... Okay. I trust you."