“Kyungsoo, I can’t do this.”

“Take a deep breath, relax, and keep reading,” Kyungsoo helped, getting rather impatient with his lover’s stalling. His legs were bouncing with nerves, his fingers still trembling from when he went through this process himself just minutes ago.

“Okay… ‘Good afternoon, Mr. Kim. Your audition on January 23^rd, 2013, was very impressive… but, unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.” He began to slow down, as utter shock ran through Kyungsoo’s body. “You’re talented, but you’re not at a far enough level to become a trainee just yet. You’ve been rejected. Try again next year…’”

Kyungsoo’s throat closed up at hearing Kai’s breaths quicken, like he was about to start hyperventilating. He was stunned, bewildered beyond belief. Kai was much more talented than he was, especially at dancing. He had even told Kyungsoo that he took up ballet for a while in middle school. How did this happen? There had to be a mistake.

The line went dead, and Kyungsoo sighed, dropping his head.

“Kyungsoo?”

Startled, Kyungsoo’s eyes widened. “Mwuh?”

“Were you listening?”

Oh. He had imagined that Kai didn’t make it. “I am now, sorry.”

Exhaling over the phone once more, Kai began to read. “Good afternoon… yeah yeah yeah… your audition on January 23^rd, 2013, was very impressive. The judges especially enjoyed watching you dance… is that how yours sounded, Kyungsoo?”

Kyungsoo nodded, though Kai couldn’t see. “Yeah. They said they liked my vocals, though.”

He could imagine Kai calming himself; this was a good start. “You are one of the few people with the chance to become an S.M. Entertainment trainee, and possibly deb—KYUNGSOO, I MADE IT!”

Kyungsoo was grinning and even stood himself as the two cheered over the phone. When Kai finally calmed down, probably picking up the phone from the floor, he sighed in relief. “Ah, I’m so happy… we get to do this together, baby. You and me against the rest of the world.”

“More like the rest of the trainees,” he teased, sticking out his tongue to no one to see.

“Yeah, whatever. Aish, I’m hungry. Want to meet up somewhere?”

“Sure, I need some food. Where do you want to eat?”

After deciding on a restaurant both wanted to eat at, they hung up, Kyungsoo slipping back into his sweatshirt and hat, the only things he really removed. His shoes on and his phone in his pocket, he left his apartment after spending roughly ten minutes in it and climbed into his car.

~*~

“I say we practice a bit together tomorrow night. Not enough for it to hurt and us be sore tomorrow morning, but just to get back in the hang of it. I haven’t danced since the audition.”

Kyungsoo’s eyes widened, half of his forkful of kimchi in his mouth. “Really?”

Kai nodded, looking a little ashamed at his unpleasant accomplishment. “I was too scared I didn’t make it or something.” He paused to take a bit of his food before speaking again. “Hey, if we do debut, are you going to use a stage name? I’m using Kai.”

Shrugging, Kyungsoo took another bite. “I might drop the whole D.O thing and use that na—“

Sudden realization hit Kyungsoo like a punch in the gut.

His book was due very soon, and he still had two chapters to finish.

Kai noticed, scrunching his eyebrows in confusion. “Kyungsoo?”

“What day is it today?”

“It’s Saturday… what’s the matter?”

“My book… my new book under D.O is due on Tuesday,” he sighed, digging around in his food with his fork. Kai seemed to be generally less bothered than Kyungsoo was, until another question came up as some kind of distraction.

“Oh, hey, are you going to drop the writer thing after you debut?”

“I guess I kind of have to. I’ll have no time.”

Kai nodded, and took another bite. “Joonmyun hyung won’t call me Kai until I debut since it’s going to be my stage name. He used to go by Suho in high school as a nickname, but he made me stop calling him that until he’s debuting.”

“So I can call you Jongin now?”

Kai nodded. “Since everyone else is.”

Kyungsoo smiled. “Jongin. I like that name a lot more.”

“You’re the only one,” Jongin muttered, taking the last bite of his food and stretching out his arms, back arching and shirt flying up to reveal a sliver of Jongin’s toned chest. Kyungsoo reached over the table of empty food and poked him in the stomach, making him grin and grab Kyungsoo’s index finger. “Too fast for you.”

“Whatever.”

Jongin twisted the finger, making Kyungsoo yelp and Jongin howl with laughter as Kyungsoo held his finger with a pout. “That hurt, you jerk!”

“I won’t be a jerk in a few minutes, when you forget about it.”

“Oh, yeah? Wanna bet?”

“Nah. I don’t know how long it takes the elderly to forget grudges.”

“You’re dead.”

Jongin laughed as Kyungsoo reached over the table attacked him in tickles, resulting in Jongin giggling like a five year old boy. They stopped when the waiter awkwardly handed them the food bill and left as quickly as he could.

“Want me to pay for you, grandpa?” Jongin teased.

“You’re only a year younger than me, you child!” Kyungsoo shot back. He felt along his pockets, only to remember he hadn’t brought his wallet along with him. He saw Jongin eyeing him with a smirk. “Uh, yeah, pay please.”

The smirk grew. “Thought so.” He slapped the money on the table, signing the receipt and sliding out of the leather red booth. As they slipped on their shoes at the door, hands halfheartedly intertwined, both boys saw the waiter eyeing them secretly.

They laughed and walked out.

~*~

Sunday night rolled around quickly. Kyungsoo felt empty as he wrote the last sentence of his story, finally satisfied with his work after months of putting hard effort into it. Jongin sat on his couch, doing something on Kyungsoo’s cell phone, completely oblivious to what Kyungsoo had just accomplished.

He turned around in his rolling computer chair with a sigh. “I’m finished.”

Jongin looked past the cell phone and grinned, sitting up and walking over to Kyungsoo. He bent down, one hand on the desk and the other on the back of his computer chair, scanning the document at its end. “Wow, you finished it all. I’m proud of you.”

“I’ll turn it into Yunho later. I’m too nervous to handle both situations at once,” he admitted. Jongin nodded, understanding, and wrapped his arms around Kyungsoo’s neck gently.

“Who’s Yunho?”

“My editor.”

“Oh,” he sighed. “Can I use some of your pajamas?”

“Sure.”

“Oh, and Soo?”

“Yes?”

“Do you happen to have anything that might fit me for tomorrow?” he asked, a sheepish grin on his face. The genius had decided he would spend the night so they could go to the S.M building tomorrow, together, but he hadn’t come prepared with anything but what he was wearing right now, his phone, his wallet, and his acceptance paper, just in case they needed to see it.

“In the back of my closet, I’m sure,” Kyungsoo sighed, saving his work and shutting the lid of his laptop. He let out an obnoxious yawn, arching his back and lifting his arms up so he could stretch. He was worn out, and it was only eleven. “I’m going to bed. Following?”

Jongin nodded, and Kyungsoo shut off all of the lights in the house except for his bedroom one. He walked through his bedroom to find Jongin shirtless and searching for a t-shirt to wear. Kyungsoo smirked at the opportunity and snuck up on Jongin, ruthlessly smacking him on the . He yelped and shoved Kyungsoo playfully, making him laugh. “T-shirts are on the bottom rack, genius.”

Kyungsoo pulled a grey t-shirt on to his torso and took off his jeans to just his boxers, walking inside the bathroom and brushing his teeth. His toothbrush was one thing he wouldn’t allow Jongin to borrow, so he sufficed with some mouthwash that Kyungsoo had in the cabinets.

With fresh breath, the two climbed into Kyungsoo’s bed and shut off the lights. Jongin pulled Kyungsoo closer, wrapping his arms around the older’s skinny frame. He relaxed into the hold, but he didn’t fall asleep. He couldn’t.

Millions of thoughts about the upcoming day before him rushed into his brain, and he restlessly rolled around in Jongin’s hold, making him frustrated, too. “Can’t sleep?”

“No,” Kyungsoo muttered. “Can you?”

“Absolutely not.”

Kyungsoo sighed and hugged Jongin closer to himself. “My umma used to say that as long as your eyes are closed and you’re relaxing, it’s pretty much like you’re sleeping. So let’s just try, okay?”

Jongin nodded with a sigh. “Sure.”

Kyungsoo rested his head on Jongin’s chest, shutting his eyes and relaxing his muscles, eventually falling asleep.

Tomorrow was a big day. He couldn’t be tired through it.

~*~

Gooood morning/afternoon/evening, ladies and gents! Did I scare you a little at the beginning? I tried. :3 This is kind of a short chapter, but next chapter we get into their first few days as trainees and how fun that will be. :D

Please comment~ Thank you! <3