A/N: This is the same chapter I posted at the end of The Pathway to Failure is Filled with Bliss but it is the starting point for the sequel so I am reposting it.

4 years later

“Seunghyun!...Seunghyun-ah! Telephone!” Seunghyun’s omma called.

Seunghyun blinked his eyes open in a sleepy haze. No one called him on the house phone anymore. Everyone knew he had a cell phone. As much as he protested his omma insisting he get one, it was kind of growing on him since it meant less morning yelling.

“I told you, call me Tempo.” Seunghyun grumbled at his omma.

“I did not name my son that, and you are my son, are you not?” She said stiffly.

Seunghyun rolled his eyes. She just didn’t get it.

“Who is it?” He asked.

“I don’t know.” She said, handing him the phone.

“Yobehsayo?” Seunghyun asked in a gravely voice.

“Seunghyun? Choi Seunghyun? Gosh, this is embarrassing. I don’t know if you remember me.” Came a really nervous male voice from the other end.

Seunghyun was still trying to stretch his memory of who could possibly be calling him when he got his answer.

“It’s Kwon Jiyong, from middle school. We only had one subject together but we hung out a lot for the week I knew you.” Jiyong rambled.

All of the memories came flooding back. The small smart boy with a baggy uniform and a smile that melted his soul, his laughter, how he bit and pouted his lips. Every adventure they had together, their talks in the darkness, and that one night where he felt his lips on his, which could only be described as explosive. Then the pain, Jiyong leaving him with only a note and the song that made him sob for weeks.

Afterwards, he vowed to be strong. He wouldn’t let Jiyong leaving make him a puddle of tears. He meant to call him when he gained his strength but it never fully came, at least not when it came to actually speaking to him.

He followed his dream, just like they had talked about. He tried to push all the memories of Jiyong to the back of his mind until the only traces of him he remembered was the motivation the experiences gave him, but it wasn’t so easy.

The only times he had talked to him were the calls they exchanged when drunk. It was a small token. He started the tradition the night that Jiyong left him. He used to drink just so he would have an excuse to hear his voice. After several of his drunken calls, it started happening. Jiyong started drunk calling him. He got into the habit of just staying awake. He made excuses about night helping clear his head for the perfect beats but he knew it was bull. He was waiting and hoping for Jiyong’s call.

He usually forgot, when he called, the morning after but he hadn’t drunk since one of his friends heard him call and asked if he was gay. It made his blood freeze. Unhappy memories of the past several years arose. Eventually, Jiyong’s calls just made his emotions shut down. He knew he sounded heartless to the poor boy but he needed to be. Now, within a few mere seconds the floodgates had opened.

“K-kwon Jiyong? Jiyong-ah?” Seunghyun managed to say. He was dumbstruck. What had caused Jiyong to call him after all these years, and sober?

“Yeah… I know we haven’t talked for a long time but something came up recently and the only person that came to my mind was you, how I had to tell you.” Jiyong said a little shyly.

Seunghyun’s heart started beating rapidly, his hands sweating. It was like he was 15 again. Listening to Jiyong speak brought him back to that state.

“Anyways, YG is holding auditions for a new boy group they are making and I kept thinking about how you rapped and that we should audition together. I know that you don’t like idols and I’m a trainee but I still have to audition like everyone else and this is YG so it can’t be that bad. I understand if you don’t want to do it though. I mean, I did leave you all that time and you have every right to hate me but I still thought I’d ask because I was going crazy thinking about all of this and…”

“Let’s do it.” Seunghyun interrupted.

“Really?” Jiyong asked to confirm. Seunghyun could hear his smile through the phone and it made his stomach flip.

“Yeah. I mean, someone once told me ‘your chances for failure are higher if you don’t try than if you do’.” Seunghyun said.

“Want to meet for coffee to talk about it?” Jiyong asked shyly.

“Sure. Where? When?” Seunghyun said, his stomach flipping with nervousness.

“How about 10 tomorrow morning? You know the place. Bring your rapping notebooks.” Jiyong said before hanging up.

His mind had only one thought, did this count as calling him? Did this mean that he was ready? He felt the air catch in his throat. This may be it.

Seunghyun opened the drawer in his desk where in the back corner laid a faded bearbrick next to a faded and slightly crumpled note and an ancient dusty mp3 player. He pulled it out, feeling the cold plastic warm in his closed hand. He softly shut his eyes. Now was the time. He could make all of his dreams come true.