𖡼𖤣𖥧𖡼𓋼𖤣𖥧𓋼𓍊
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Seonghwa cried into his phone.
On the other line, Jongho flinched at the rage in his classmate's voice. "I'm sorry, Seonghwa! The file with your scene got corrupted. We have to redo your part and edit it."
Seonghwa clutched his head.
There was no way this was happening.
Today was December 16th, four days prior to when the Film Lab final project was due.
It was also the day before the Raven Claw's amateur night and Hongjoong's showcase.
It was too late in the day to start filming again, so he, Jongho, and Gahyeon would have to start in the morning and spend the whole day editing so it would be done.
Goeun wasn't available to help out.
The gods must have had it out for him, because everything seemed to be going wrong.
Hongjoong was tiring himself out and continued to distance himself.
Yeosang has been in a constant terrible mood, snapping at Seonghwa whenever he mentioned Hongjoong.
San has been unusually quiet, unable to look Seonghwa directly in the eyes.
And when he asked Yunho what the hell was going on, he was apparently just as clueless.
But Seonghwa could see pity in Yunho's eyes, so he must have known something.
Seonghwa was at the end of his rope, on the verge of crying in frustration.
Why was everyone acting so strange?
Just what was everyone hiding from him?
The next day, Seonghwa reluctantly told Yeosang that he wouldn't be able to make it to the Raven Claw.
"Hyung, why?" Yeosang asked over the phone, crushed.
"I have to redo my part of my Film Lab project." Seonghwa groaned into the receiver. "It got messed up. The project is due in three days, so I have to spend all of today getting it done so my team and I can go over the film together. We can't film until 5pm, since Jongho has a basketball competition he's participating in."
"That sucks. But it can't be helped, I guess." Yeosang sighed. "San's with me, so I'll pass on the news to him."
"Thanks, Yeosangie. Do you mind telling Hongjoong too?" Seonghwa requested. "I haven't been able to reach him."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Seonghwa could almost hear Yeosang fuming.
"Yeah, sure. I'll tell him." Yeosang finally replied. "I gotta go, hyung. I'll talk to you after the showcase, okay?"
"Yeosang, is everything alright?" Seonghwa managed to squeeze in before Yeosang ended the call. "I can feel the animosity through the phone."
"It's nothing, really." Yeosang told him, his voice cheerily forced. "I'm just a bit nervous for amateur night is all. I'll ask Yunho to record it so you can see it. Now I really have to go. Bye."
Yeosang hung up before Seonghwa could say anything else.
Upset, Seonghwa threw his phone on his bed.
Why was everyone treating him like a child?
He was their eldest hyung, damn it!
He wasn't dumb.
He knew something was up.
He knew it had something to do with Hongjoong suddenly avoiding him.
The thought of Hongjoong pissed him off more.
Didn't Hongjoong make Seonghwa promise a month and a half ago not to avoid him?
Now he was doing the same thing.
Seonghwa angrily did his makeup and gathered his equipment before driving to the same park he and his team filmed in the first time.
Since there was snow on the ground, they would have to change the original scene a bit.
Seonghwa and Jongho would interact under the large tree in the middle of the park.
Thanks to the tree's long branches, the ground beneath it was devoid of any snow.
The sun was out today, so they could easily add in filters and edit it so it would look like a normal spring day.
Seonghwa was freezing.
The bitter cold seeped through his thin shirt and jeans.
Gahyeon gave him a sympathetic look before she started filming.
Seonghwa was a wonderful actor.
He didn't major in it for nothing.
He sported an angelic expression as he sat against the trunk of the large tree, eyes closed.
He appeared to be peaceful.
But on the inside, a storm was brewing.
Jongho entered the scene, looking at Seonghwa curiously.
He tapped the blond's shoulder, just as they had rehearsed.
Seonghwa slowly opened his eyes, a gaze so saintly that it made Gahyeon silently squeal behind the camera.
"Alright, we're done!" Gahyeon announced an hour later. "Let's head back to my apartment so we can warm up and start editing! We need to finish this today so Seulgi can put the whole film together!"
Seonghwa quickly put back on his pink coat and headed to his car with Gahyeon and Jongho in tow.
Seonghwa drove them and the camera to Gahyeon's apartment.
Gahyeon made hot chocolate while Seonghwa and Jongho got to work.
Jongho noticed Seonghwa's sour mood.
Usually the blond was a lot more talkative, but today, he was oddly quiet.
He had to do the talking for the both of them.
"Here you go!" Gahyeon said cheerily, handing her two classmates a mug of cocoa.
"Thanks." Seonghwa replied.
As early evening progressed into night, Seonghwa felt himself sink lower and lower into sadness.
He checked his watch.
It was 11:10 pm.
The amateur showcase had already started.
And they were only halfway done with editing.
Jongho gave Gahyeon a knowing look before tapping on the blond's shoulder. "You want to be somewhere else, don't you?"
Seonghwa looked up in surprise. "Yeah..."
"Then go." Gahyeon smiled. "It's our fault the original file got corrupted, anyway. Jongho and I can finish up here. We know exactly what you want in your scene."
Seonghwa's face brightened at the kindness. "Thank you two so much. I owe you guys one."
Jongho gave Seonghwa a playful wink. "We'll hold you to that."
Seonghwa rushed out of Gahyeon's apartment and got in his car.
He didn't have time to change clothes.
He had to go now.
Seonghwa reached in his glove compartment and took out emergency cleansing wipes.
He quickly wiped the makeup off before driving as fast as the law would allow to the Raven Claw.
He didn't dare try to text Yeosang or Hongjoong.
They were most likely busy getting ready to perform, and he didn't want to disturb them.
After Seonghwa found a parking spot, he sent Yunho a text, wondering if he could even hear his phone over the crowd in the basement.
Deciding not to worry about it, he got out of his car and hurried inside the Raven Claw.
Remembering where the staircase to the basement was, Seonghwa maneuvered his way through the throngs of clubbers and headed down the stairs.
He could hear the crowd clapping to the beat, and a muffled sound of someone singing.
It suspiciously sounded like Yeosang.
Seonghwa flashed his ID at the bouncer before going inside.
Sure enough, Yeosang was on stage, performing enthusiastically to a song he wrote.
The blond pushed past as many people as he could so he could get close to the front, managing to catch the last verse before Yeosang's song ended.
Everyone erupted into applause as Yeosang grinned widely and bowed.
As he was looking out into the crowd, he spotted Seonghwa in all of his pastel glory, cheering the loudest.
Yeosang pointed at Seonghwa and waved, letting him know that he saw him.
Yeosang hurried off stage so he could join Seonghwa in the crowd.
The MC walked back on stage with a smile on his face. "Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for Sang!"
He waited for a few seconds as the audience cheered and whooped their approval.
"This concludes amateur night! Of course, the winner will be announced on Monday, so all participants, come back by to see which one of you won!" The MC said. "In ten minutes, our very own Joong will storm the stage and perform songs from his mixtape! So stick around!"
Though Seonghwa was disappointed that he didn't make it in time to see all of Yeosang's performance, he was relieved that he could at least see Hongjoong shine on stage.
As people chatted, Seonghwa stood on his toes, searching for any of his friends.
He spotted lilac hair towards the middle of the crowd.
Grinning, Seonghwa made his way over to Yunho.
He was laughing with Wooyoung, Mingi, and San.
"Oh my god, Seonghwa!" Yunho yelled when he spotted Seonghwa.
The younger man crushed his hyung in a hug.
Wooyoung and Mingi stood back, smiling softly.
"I'm glad you made it, hyung. Yeosangie said you couldn't come cuz one of your classmates fucked up." San said, patting Seonghwa's back.
"They let me go." Seonghwa sighed happily. "They volunteered to finish the rest of the editing. I'm just sorry I wasn't here in time for Yeosang- oof!"
Seonghwa was cut off when Yeosang appeared out of nowhere and jumped on him.
"Hyung!" Yeosang cried. "You came!"
The five young men chatted with Seonghwa as they waited for Hongjoong's showcase to start.
Mingi was a bit awkward around the blond since their first meeting involved shouting up at his window to get Yunho's attention.
Seonghwa didn't have it in him to tease him, though.
Him holding Yunho's hand was enough to let him know that the two had worked everything out.
For the first time in weeks, Seonghwa felt like everything had returned back to normal.
San wasn't being quiet.
Yunho had his bright smile.
Yeosang wasn't in a sour mood.
He was energetic, jumping around like a child hyped up on sugar.
It felt nice.
The lights dimmed on the stage, catching everyone's attention.
The MC sauntered to the microphone for the last time.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Joong!"
Seonghwa stared as the young man he had grown to love strolled onstage.
He adjusted the microphone, brimming with confidence.
He didn't look pale and exhausted like he had been.
His countenance screamed rock star.
He wore a sleeveless black leather jacket with a white tank underneath.
His black skinny jeans had rips at the knees, and the ankles were tucked into black Converse.
A gold chain laid on his chest.
Hongjoong had his makeup done, with foundation and everything.
He even had eyeliner and a hint of black eyeshadow.
It almost looked professionally done.
"I did Hongjoongie's makeup." Yunho whispered to Seonghwa gleefully.
Seonghwa's heart sank slightly, a little sad that Yunho had been able to spend more time with Hongjoong than he could.
But tonight wasn't about him.
It was about Hongjoong and Yeosang.
He pushed his negative thoughts away and focused on the rapper in front of him.
"Hey everyone, thank you all so much for coming out to support amateur night and to support me." Hongjoong's voice spread throughout the venue.
"This mixtape was born from me going through a rough time in my life. Music always helped me think, and creating fun lyrics to go with music from other talented artists was therapeutic. I've grown a lot this year, thanks to the wonderful friends I've made. This mixtape is dedicated to them, the ones who have helped me find my confidence."
Seonghwa's heart warmed at the dedication.
He knew that Hongjoong wasn't solely talking about him, but at least he knew that Hongjoong still considered him his friend.
The last two weeks had been rough with Hongjoong distancing himself.
But the ravenette's words reassured him immensely.
He could wait a little while longer to tell Hongjoong his feelings for him.
He didn't mind.
As long as he was by his side, nothing else mattered.
__
Seonghwa thoroughly enjoyed the showcase.
He clapped and jumped along with Yunho, Wooyoung and Yeosang as Hongjoong spit straight fire.
San and Mingi looked on fondly, wondering how they were so lucky to find such amazing friends.
They were in the middle of the venue, so Hongjoong couldn't see them from his spot on the stage.
But during Hongjoong's performance he swore he could hear Yeosang and San rapping along with him.
Unbeknownst to Hongjoong, another person he knew was watching, white hair illuminating in a sea of dark colors.
A few songs later, Hongjoong ended his set.
The crowd was in a frenzy, shouting their love for Joong.
The ravenette felt better for the first time in weeks.
He was rejuvenated.
As he exited stage right, Hongjoong felt like he could face Seonghwa again and talk to him.
He knew he was brushing the blond off, and it added to the stress.
Between finals, this showcase, and his fear, Hongjoong couldn't eat or sleep properly.
Jimin was the first one to congratulate Hongjoong as he entered the throngs of people.
"You were wonderful!" She gushed, giving him a hug.
"Thank you." He replied sincerely.
"Go find your friends." She told him. "I saw that Mountain kid hopping around like a rabbit looking for you."
Laughing, Hongjoong waved goodbye as he looked around for that familiar mop of grey hair.
He thought he could hear Yunho shouting, so he walked in that direction.
However, he stopped, paralyzed at the person who just stepped in front of him.
"Hongjoong..." Jackson took a step towards him, his eyes soft. "Hey."
This wasn't happening.
Wang Jackson was not standing in front of him.
Trembling, Hongjoong backed away.
He needed to get out of here.
He needed to get out before he had an emotional breakdown in the middle of the venue.
Hongjoong turned around and ran back in Jimin's direction.
"Please, wait!" He heard Jackson cry out, but he ignored him.
Hongjoong spotted Jimin talking to her friend Cho Aeri.
He put a hand on her shoulder before resting it on her arm.
"I need to talk to you." Hongjoong said urgently before pulling her away.
Jimin gave Aeri an apologetic look before allowing Hongjoong to take her away.