somewhere over the rainbow
When Hongki comes out of the bathroom, he almost runs into… a rainbow. She quickly bows and he hurries to bow back because if he is right about her identity (and he is sure he is), Younha is slightly older than him. He smiles and for a second he expects something to move on her mask, to indicate her smiling back. Of course, nothing happens. She still hasn’t moved. The bodyguards look like they are glaring at him, although with their sunglasses and their never-changing expressions they always look like they’re glaring. He means to say You sang really well , but he’s not thinking about her singing, not really, and what he says instead is, “Your aegyo was cute.” (At least it’s better than you are cute , which was what he really wanted to say).
It’s not a lie, but it’s also incredibly embarrassing so he bends in another bow, deeper, and when he straightens up he can see Rainbow’s shoulders shaking, like she’s trying hard to hold her laughter. The bodyguards tug her away before she can actually say something without someone to mask her voice.
*
When her identity finally gets revealed, them bumping into each other isn’t a coincidence. Hongki strategically planned his break from the judge chair as soon as the winner of the third round was announced.
“So,” he says right in front of her dressing room, where the bodyguards finally left her alone.
“So,” she says, in her normal voice. Hongki really likes her normal voice. “You like my aegyo?”
“Well, I like your voice too.” Hongki really wishes he had as much game than he pretends to have. He’s managing so far, however, if the smile playing on Younha’s lips is anything to go by.
“Well, I like your voice too.” She mocks, but it’s with a smile, and Hongki smiles back.
“How about we talk about how much we like each other’s voices somewhere over coffee? We can shit on this show for kicking us out, too.”
It’s not the best pick up line, as far as pick up lines go, and Hongki cringes internally, but Younha’s smile only widens.
“Yeah, why not.”
(Despite what their age would suggest, they end up in a closet somewhere in the MBC building half an hour later, avoiding TV managers and Younha’s managers alike, making out and giggling between kisses. They almost get caught and Younha gets quite a bit of exasperated looks from her management but she never stops smiling, and Hongki has a new contact in his phone, as well as a promise for a date very, very soon.)