Catch Your Dream (Dreamcatcher 8th Member)

𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥

"You go ahead, Ling," Dami smiled at me, gesturing in front of her. As I stepped between her and JiU in line, holding my microphone close to my chest, she carefully brushed my dress, adjusting the fabric around my legs. The action sent a shiver down my spine, a bit embarrassingly, but I appreciated her thoughtfulness and sent her a smile to show it.

Dami knew how nervous I was, performing Crystal Clear for the first time in front of an audience. It was more of a nerve-wracking feeling than, say, singing Vision or Rainy Day. No, this decidedly felt different. It was a piece of my heart that my girlfriend and I had put into words being presented in front of a small portion of some of the people that I love the most in the world, InSomnias, and I was scared to show such a vulnerable side of me, even if no one besides Dami and I truly knew what all the lyrics meant.

But for as anxious as I was, I was also ready. I was going to give it my all and leave my heart on the stage. So when our cue came to get into position, I shot Dami a brave smile, and she returned it soothingly. "It's okay, Ling," she spoke breathily, her voice only loud enough for me to hear it. "Everything will be just fine."

It was really hard to take her seriously with the gilded pirate hat atop her head, especially as the plastic sword in her hand gently pressed into my side, but Dami's words did have a calming effect on me just in time for the music to begin. And just as with any other performance I had done since becoming an idol, my body and mind knew just what to do without the influence of my pounding heart.

Though I had spent most of the event playing with Somnias, posing gracefully in my Princess Belle costume for my fansites and even tossing rose petals into the audience, I was focused completely on Crystal Clear as we performed the song (if not only because I knew that if I messed up SuA's choreography, I would be hearing about it later).

But blessedly, no mistakes occurred, and the cheers that met my ears when my hand joined Dami's to form the diamond shape that represented the song made every last worry that I had dissipate entirely. We had done it. Clearly, Dami felt the same way that I did, because she couldn't keep the beaming smile off of her face when she looked at me. She had written songs for our group before, yes, but this was different. It was a song about our relationship, our intimate memories spun into artistic expression for the whole world to hear, and it was a feeling unlike any other.

I knew that was why Dami swept me into a hidden corner of the backstage halls with fervor when we had left the stage, cupping my face in her hands to press kiss after kiss to my lips, a smile toying with the corners of her mouth all the while. "We did it," she whispered. "And they loved it. Are you happy?"

"Of course I am," I replied breathlessly, unable to keep a smile off of my own face as I returned the favor with some gentle pecks on her neck. "But I'd be happy right now no matter what. Even if we messed up that performance, even if no one liked it. Because it's our song, and no one can take that away from us."

"True," Dami hummed approvingly. "I'm proud of the way that you think now, Ling. A few years ago, you never would have said such a thing."

"All thanks to you, really," I mumbled. "Being constantly exposed to the public helped, of course, but I never would be able to bear that without the comfort that our members – you especially – always give to me."

"Well, you'll never have to," Dami murmured, pulling me closer into her embrace and rubbing my back reassuringly. "It'll be us and the girls until the end, Meiling. I promise."