Jungkook looked up to the piano but then he didn't move an inch again and when the audience was slowly filling with murmur, because the people were getting inpatient and curious about what would happen next. Then suddenly Jungkook frowned and looked really serious, when he laid his hands back on the piano's keyboard. After he took a deep breath and Seunghyun didn't want to believe his eyes, his student started to play the second piece, although he almost begged Jungkook not to play it.
"He's playing it!", he whispered shocked, "We are done now!"
Jungkook played the piece the way he had heard it from the cd. Yet Taehyung didn't notice any mistakes and was quite surprised that Jungkook had learned to play as difficult pieces as the one he was playing. "A lively piece with many notes", Taehyung thought, "His versatility is being drawn out. This almost sounds like an orchestra."
He kept playing and from his inner eyes Jungkook saw the notes from the score, which he had studied like crazy for the last hours. In his head the music from the cd played, so that his fingers just followed the music and notes he had visualized inside of him. But suddenly Jungkook stopped. His eyes grew big in shock and the sound of the phone, which the boys played in the bus, popped up in his mind. 
"Eh?", Yoongi and everyone else noticed that something was wrong.
"He stopped... why?", Taehyung thought.
Silence filled the room and Jungkook didn't move an inch again. Seunghyun had expected something like this to happen, that's why he wanted Jungkook to leave after the first piece was finished. Jungkook frowned and the confidence had left his body. He laid the fingers back on the keyboard and played again. "He's going again", Namjoon whispered happily.
"That's not it", Taehyung thought and everyone noticed that the piece, which Jungkook was playing now, wasn't the one purposed to be. It was the song from the phone, which suddenly stuck in his head. Seunghyun ran his hands through his hair in despair and the audience started to laugh, whisper and giggle over Jungkook's ridiculous performance.
Then the piece changed again. "Ah, it's back!", Hoseok mentioned. He and his friends exchanged confused looks, because they didn't know what was going on.
Taehyung, who looked at Jungkook the whole time, noticed that something was wrong. He could see it from Jungkook's facial expression, which suddenly looked weak, unconfident and teary. It hurt Taehyung to see Jungkook like this. But then from one second to another Jungkook played the phone song again, causing the audience to laugh loudly again. "He's composing his own piece...", Taehyung thought. He felt tense, he wanted to run on stage to help Jungkook, but he had to hold back because he didn't want to make it worse for the younger one. "He recovered in the last half." So the last part of the piece Jungkook was able to play it the way it should be. When the piece was over, Jungkook took a deep breath before he stood up quickly and bowed to the audience, then he ran off without waiting for any response of the audience. The people were quiet and nobody dared to clap their hands. Yoongi, like the others, felt bad for Jungkook, because also the three of them had noticed the hurt expression of Jungkook. So Yoongi jumped up from his place and clapped his hands loudly. "BRAVO!", he screamed and most of the other people in the audience started to give their applause as well.
"Jeon Jungkook...", the French juror talked to himself and nodded smiling, while looking at the Jungkook's application paper.
Taehyung looked down and shook his head lightly. "No matter how well you play, changing the piece isn't allowed in a competition... After all, he couldn't master the piece in time.... Even so, are you okay?", Taehyung looked at the door, where Jungkook had vanished. 
In the meanwhile Jungkook had thrown off his jacket, leaning his hands on the table in front of him. He wanted to cry. He wanted to scream. He wanted to disappear. "Arghhh", he yelled angrily and pushed the score books down from the table and ran his fingers through his hair, which was up styled perfectly, until his bangs covered his forehead messily again. He took his participant's paper and ripped it into piece.
"Fourth place, number eight, Go Ara", Jungkook heard the voice of the announcer. He quickly collected his clothes and threw it into the bag. He just wanted to leave quickly.
On the stage they were announcing the winners. Everyone was giving warm applause for each participant which was announced. Even the TV was filming for the news.  "Third place, number ten, Lee Kyeongwon", the announcer talked into the microphone and made a short break before he continued, "First place, no one. Second place, number 21, Park Changwon."
"Why is there no one for first?", Changwon talked quietly to himself, before he stepped in front to take his price.
Jungkook ran off the building. He was holding the bag in his hand before he put it on his back. "Jungkook!" The boy stopped and turned slowly around. It was Taehyung, who followed him out of the hall. Jungkook's glance was distanced and cold, which caused Taehyung to feel insecure. Jungkook turned back, looking down and Taehyung slowly walked over to him. "Won't you go to Europe with me?", he asked and Jungkook turned to him again, looking confused and sadly at the older one, "If you want to continue studying the piano, I think the school abroad will suit you better than our school." Taehyung's voice was calm and warm, even a smile formed his lips. "Besides, there are other scholarship opportunities than competitions. Go abroad and see more, feel more, experience more... with me."
"Why?", Jungkook asked, but his voice cracked because it was still shaking, then he took a deep breath to hold back his tears and to volume up his voice, "Why do I have to go to extent to study?"
"Huh?", Taehyung was surprised, "Why? What are you talking about? You are serious about the piano, right? That's why you entered this competition."
"I did it for the prize", Jungkook mumbled and turned away from Taehyung, "I wanted the money. Money for playing around. Why do all of you..." Jungkook shook his head slightly and sighed. "Say whatever you want. All the time, even back then... I have to aim higher! Everyone said it... I'm fed up with it!" While talking Jungkook couldn't help but start crying. "What's wrong with playing the piano freely and for fun?"
"Jungkook...", Taehyung whispered and stepped closer to the younger one, who looked down and hid his face, "In that competition, you were playing the piano on stage, but didn't you enjoy it?"
Jungkook thought about it for a moment, then he shook his head. "No, I didn't enjoy it, neither I enjoyed kissing you", he mumbled and pouted, which Taehyung did notice, but he couldn't tell the meaning behind it. Not at the moment, he was too hurt.
Taehyung nodded and sighed. "Okay, I understand. That's enough", Taehyung said quietly and walked ahead, passing Jungkook, who kept hiding his face, then Taehyung stopped again, but didn't turn back to the younger one, "Today was the first time I saw you facing music so seriously." Taehyung was biting his lips and took a deep breath. "It was a very good performance." A pure tear was rolling over Taehyung's cheek, then he walked away, while Jungkook crouched down, hugging his knees and started crying.
"Even so... I didn't win, right?", Jungkook mumbled between his sobs.

Some days later Yoongi and Jimin had gathered in Yoongi's father's restaurant. Yoongi was sitting on a table, laying his torso on the table because he was desperately thinking about his upcoming exam, while his boyfriend was drinking his coffee quietly. "What should I do with my exam?", he whined, "I was so preoccupied with the Christmas performance, that I forgot about the exam in January!"
"It was you who wanted to do a Christmas performance, wasn't it?", Jimin mentioned, while looking at Yoongi who was looking over the notes from his class.
"Why didn't you stop me?", Yoongi asked and gave Jimin his puppy eyes, "The others have exams too, don't they?"
"You're the only one who crams just before exams", Jimin answered and leaned over the table to look at his boyfriend's notes, "Shall I help you? What is it about?"
Yoongi quickly picked his notes, pulling them away to hide them from Jimin. "I don't want you making fun of my studies too!"
"But you deserve it", Jimin chuckled.
"Huh?", Yoongi titled his head and his look wandered to Taehyung, who sat some tables away, studying as well. He stood up and ambled over to the choreographer. "Hey, Taehyung, can you help me?"
"No!"
"Oh please, just the piano, my minor..."
"No, I'm busy too", Taehyung replied and kept ignoring Yoongi.
"Yoongi", his father suddenly came over from the kitchen, "What about asking Kookie?"
"Oh Appa! That's a great idea!", Yoongi shouted and clapped his hands, jumping up from the chair, "But how is he doing now? I wonder if he's still feeling down."
When they mentioned Jungkook, Taehyung immediately thought about the younger one. Since the day of the competition's final and the incident in front of the building, Taehyung hadn't seen him anymore. "Since that day...", Taehyung thought, "Not even the sounds of the piano came out of his room. Did he not return home yet? But Choi seonsaengnim said he had left his house already."

Some hours later, when it was time for the rehearsal for the Christmas performance, Taehyung had planned to tell them, that he was going abroad soon. When he entered the room, everyone was warming up and stretching their muscles. He stepped inside and laid his jacket and bag on an empty chair. The members greeted Taehyung as soon as they noticed him coming in and they gathered around him. 
"About our Christmas performance, I've decided on the other piece. I want us to start rehearsing at the next rehearsal. The piece is...", Taehyung talked but Jihwan interrupted him.
"The S-Group piece, isn't it?", he said.
"Eh?"
"Everybody's ready to dance it", Wonjoon mentioned.
"Look", Namjoon spoke and hold up his notes for the piece. Also Hoseok did so and the other members followed them, holding up their note books.
"How did you guys know?", Taehyung asked surprised.
"Why?", Seokjin asked back and laughed, "We heard from Yoongi quite some time ago already."
"Huh?", Taehyung looked at Yoongi, who just smiled brightly at him and showed a peace sign.
"It's the first piece we performed in S-Group, right?", Hoseok smiled.
"Yes! It's the first piece you choreographed", Namjoon added happily.
"That was the start of everything", Yoongi said and walked over to Taehyung, who still couldn't really understand what was going on, "Let's perform it perfectly. It will be your last performance in Rising Star."
"Yoongi...", Taehyung whispered and Yoongi gave his friend an encouraging smile. When Taehyung looked around each member gave him a smile and a nod.
"We don't have much time", Jimin talked and stepped next to Taehyung, "But before we start with the rehearsal, we all have one favor to ask you for."
"A favor?", Taehyung asked and once again everyone nodded.
"We had talked about it and we decided that we want you to perform together with us, not as choreographer, but as dancer", Jimin explained.
"Eh? Really?"
They nodded again. "Perform with us", Jimin said and Taehyung nodded, "Let's start the rehearsal then." 
Everyone was getting ready to start practicing and Taehyung once more turned around, looking at the other empty chair, where Jungkook used to sit and watch their rehearsals. He missed Jungkook. Neither he could believe that the younger one didn't like the kiss.

At the same time Jungkook stepped outside of his apartment. He was carrying a big rucksack on his back and he let the apartment door fall into its lock. He put the keys inside and locked the door thoroughly. He left his room in its usual mess, but it kind of looked more sad than usual.  In the middle of everything stood his piano and the score books laid onto it. It was dark and quiet. No sound was hearable. No light was able to enter the windows, which were covered by dark curtains. Jungkook sighed and looked once more to the room next door. Taehyung's door. A door, which always seemed so shiny. A door, which always opened up for him. A door, which always welcomed him, no matter how much trouble he caused.
He stepped to the door and laid his hand on the door knob. He knew it wasn't right but he still could feel Taehyung's warmness, which he didn't often show to people, who weren't close to him. But no matter what, Jungkook knew that Taehyung always cared about him. Taehyung cooked for him, Taehyung teacher him, Taehyung helped him cleaning, Taehyung watched him, Taehyung protected him and Taehyung kissed him. Jungkook loved him, Taehyung knew this and at the end Taehyung accepted his own feelings for Jungkook, but the younger one couldn't stay anymore. He didn't want to hold Taehyung back from his future and his ability to finally go abroad.
Jungkook turned away from the door and left the house. In front of their apartment complex Jungkook turned around to look back once more, before he walked down the street. No more looking back. For him it was time to leave.