Jinu always had an inkling about his character that only you seemed to notice.

Obviously, you’d understand if he was just starting out. Everyone has moments where they second-guess themselves.

The Saja Boys were new to the industry and the world as a whole, but ever the more confident than most talented artists. All the people in the city fell in love instantly.

You loved them too. They were a great band, no doubt, and you admired the way they performed their way into the heart of the city like it was paved for them.

Sometimes, you’d catch him looking over his shoulder during performances and interviews. You'd sit in the crowd and watch him sweat as he was under the scrutinization of thousands of cameras and lights.

His demeanor was usually cool, calm and collected — until he was surrounded.

Whenever you were able to point out the irregularities in his behavior, he always wore that same nervous expression. That crooked smile quirked up on his lips when he thought no one was looking.

It looked like he was waiting for something bad to happen. It appeared to be as if he were being watched constantly.

And it wasn’t that he was just getting used to the new spotlight. This wasn’t normal jitters. That was the kind of facial expression you wore when your every move was being watched for long periods of time.

Jinu feared that if he moved, talked, or even breathed too loudly, his patterns would show underneath his clothes, and he’d be shunned for showing what he really was underneath all that makeup and bravado.

It didn’t matter if he was having a panic attack, sweating bullets, or the voices were becoming louder than usual — if he had any issues, he had to be damn sure he didn’t let them show, or else he'd feel the pain tenfold that he was trying so hard to avoid.

You came to most of the events. When you asked him to sign something, or take a picture with you, he’d stagger and fumble with himself. His cheeks always became a little bit warmer when he was with you.

Maybe, just maybe, there was a small chance he felt this connection too.

His defenses seemed to crumble faster and faster the more he interacted with you. That cold, impenetrable demeanor was melting right before your eyes.

Jinu felt something similar to rigidness whenever you were in his audience. He always froze up whenever you approached, his practiced, serene smile cracking for just a second before coming back.

You were his favorite person, in a way. Even if you two weren’t at all close beyond this unspoken bond between you both.

But you couldn’t confront him. You couldn’t do anything about it without looking obsessed. The only option was for you to leave him to solve the problem on his own.

The encounters left you feeling uneasy. There was something wrong with Jinu that only you could see.

There was some weird internal connection between the two of you.

On the outside, he was everything everyone said about him and more — he was handsome, kind, and most of all, a very good singer.

People loved him for his charm — his ability to woo and amaze.

But in the dark, in the perspective that no one else saw, was a demon constantly by the monsters of his past.

Jinu was sitting on the edge of an apartment building, his tiger and magpie laying right beside him as they all stared at the full moon overlooking the city.

He looked so peaceful.

For once, he finally allowed himself to breathe. Not like the shallow, rehearsed breaths he practiced in the mirror — but true, deep breaths that felt liberating to take.

Finally, he was able to just exist without the constant shadow of Gwi-Ma looming over him. Those voices in his head were quieter now, silenced with the simplicity of solace. His eyes were soft, a stark contrast to the cold and calculating eyes you saw on stage.

All his walls, all his defenses were down. Right now, it was just him and the night sky.

He didn’t even realize you were standing right behind him, too absorbed in the moment to care.

"I wish it could always be like this," Jinu said to himself as he stroked the crown of his tiger's head.