Despite the months of hard work and preparation towards this ultimate moment, Sehun feels like the night of the showcase sneaks up on him. As he lets Jongin fix his makeup and Luhan adjust his clothes in the dressing room, he can feel the anxiety coursing through his veins. He’s nervous about the performance, of course; it’s his first time ever performing in such a prestigious setting. But he has another concern, festering away at the back of his mind - his parents.

They had left the previous morning on what they said would be a three-day trip, which provided Sehun and Junmyeon with a bit of relief, knowing their parents wouldn’t be home until after the showcase was over. Regardless, Sehun can’t help worrying anyway, zoning out as Minseok and Yixing try to give him some last-minute words of encouragement.

“Sehun? Sehunnie? Are you listening?” Jongin’s voice pulls Sehun out of his preoccupied thoughts. “You look a little dazed.”

“I’m fine,” Sehun replies, trying to sound confident. “Just, you know, first-performance nerves.”

“You’ll be amazing,” Jongin declares with a smile, linking their fingers together and squeezing Sehun’s hand gently. “I know you will.”

“Don’t think about it too much, Sehun-ah,” Luhan advises. “It’s easy to get caught up in the fact that you’re in front of an audience, but that doesn’t matter. Yeah, our friends are sitting out there watching us, but don’t focus too much on that. Out there on that stage, it’s just you and the music. So dance for all our friends, dance for the rest of us, but don’t forget to dance for yourselftoo.”

“Thanks, Luhan-hyung,” Sehun says sincerely. He already feels slightly better. Looking around at his friends, at Yixing giving a very nervous-looking Tao an encouraging pep talk on the other end of the room, at Minseok quietly touching up Luhan’s hair as Luhan gazes happily at him, at Jongin next to him with his face shining with anticipation, Sehun knows that for all his anxieties and worries, there’s not a single place in the world he’d rather be tonight.

“We’re on in five!” Minseok calls to everyone at large. Yixing and Tao walk over from the other side of the dressing room to join their group huddle. “Alright guys, we’ve been working for months towards this showcase. We’re ready for this.”

“Our friends are out there, supporting us,” Tao adds. “Let’s make them proud.”

Sehun clears his throat. “I just - I wanted to thank all of you,” he says, suddenly feeling shy. “I was so nervous that first day I walked into this class, and you guys accepted me so easily. You gave me a family, somewhere I belong, so thank you for that.”

“Sehun-ah, you’re gonna make us cry right before we perform!” Luhan pretends to be upset, but they’re all smiling fondly at Sehun. “We love you too, okay?”

They share a quick group hug before separating and preparing to go onstage at last. Moments later, the six of them are on the dark stage, in position, waiting for the curtain to rise, the lights to turn on, and the music to start. Sehun can feel the adrenaline rushing through his veins; he’s never felt so energized.

Suddenly, the curtains are up, the lights are shining, and the opening lines of “Ring Ding Dong” are blaring through the venue’s speakers. Sehun relaxes his limbs; this is the moment they’ve all been waiting for, and he’s ready to dance his heart out. He lets the music wash over him as he moves his body in the way that’s become so familiar to him. With each move, Sehun feels his nervousness slipping away to be replaced by a kind of euphoria. He feels like he’s on top of the world.

When the song ends and they strike their final pose, they barely have time to appreciate the applause thundering throughout the audience before they’re rushing offstage to change for their next performance. It should be stressful, Sehun thinks to himself as he hurriedly slips out of one flashy outfit and into another. It should feel hectic and taxing and frustrating, having to rush offstage and back on again, having to completely change their clothes, hair, and makeup in such a short timeframe. But Sehun loves it. It’s thrilling and exciting and everything he always hoped it would be.

They’re back onstage within five minutes, waiting for “Bang Bang Bang” to start. Sehun enjoyed their previous dance, of course, but he’s utterly obsessed with this one; it’s always been his favorite of the two. And if it was easy to lose himself in the music before, it’s effortless now. He feels lighter than air as he moves in time with the others, riding a high he never wants to come down from.

Sehun can’t stop smiling as they make their way back to the dressing room. “That was incredible,” he sighs dreamily to Jongin, who squeezes his hand in response.

“We’re not done yet,” he whispers back with a smile. “We saved the best for last.” And Sehun can’t argue with that, because their group performances are formidable, but their solo and duet stages are on another level.

Yixing’s solo stage is next, and they all wish him the best of luck even though he really doesn’t need it. And of course, by the way the audience erupts into applause even before the song ends, they all know that, as expected, Yixing executed his dance flawlessly.

Luhan and Minseok’s duet is next, the two of them sharing a fleeting good luck kiss before heading onstage. Jongdae’s melodious voice flows from the speakers, and Sehun can’t understand the Mandarin lyrics, but as always, he’s left in awe of his friend’s talents. “I’ve never heard him sing before,” Jongin comments in a hushed voice. “He’s amazing.”

The following performer is Tao, who looks uncharacteristically nervous; it’s understandable, because after all, he’s never had a solo before. “Hey,” Sehun calls. “You’re gonna kill it out there.” Tao shoots him a grateful smile and nods, his entire demeanor becoming more confident. Based on the volume of the audience’s cheers as the song concludes, Tao didn’t fail to deliver an outstanding performance.

Finally, it’s Sehun and Jongin’s turn. “You ready?” Jongin asks, bringing his hand up to briefly settle on Sehun’s cheek as they wait in the wings.

“I’m ready,” Sehun confirms, leaning in to capture Jongin’s lips in a quick kiss. “Let’s do this.”

The opening melody of “Baby Don’t Cry” begins, and it’s such a soft, slow song in comparison to the others, but it’s also the one Sehun can be the most passionate about. Sehun pours all his emotions into this dance, Chanyeol and Baekhyun’s voices harmonizing beautifully in the background. Everything else fades away, and it’s just him and Jongin, doing the same choreography they always do, just the two of them dancing together, with each other, for each other.

As the song ends, Sehun barely registers the supportive cheers and enthusiastic applause. His eyes are fixed on Jongin, who looks utterly beautiful and radiant standing by his side, his smile even more luminous than the lights surrounding them. I love you, he can’t resist mouthing to Jongin, whose smile becomes impossibly brighter as he mouths it back. They find each other’s hands and link them as they turn to bow to the audience.

Moments later, the other four join them onstage for the final bows. Sehun scans the crowd and easily spots the six people he was looking for, right in the front row, cheering the loudest out of everyone. Junmyeon looks like he might actually have tears in his eyes as he beams with pride, and at his side, Kris looks equally proud, his smile threatening to break free from his face. Jongdae, Baekhyun, and Chanyeol look congratulatory and grateful at the same time, clearly touched by the fact that their songs were used for the performances. And Sehun has never seen Kyungsoo so happy before, with a dazzling, genuine grin on his face. Standing there, his fingers tangled with Jongin’s, surrounded by his friends as they wave in acknowledgement and gratitude, Sehun thinks that in this moment, nothing can bring him down.