The last day of the year end festival had started out smoothly until later in the afternoon, where we're all surprised by the sudden increase of students coming in the last minutes before the gates were closed. Apparently are student control plan was a failure and many came more than we had anticipated. All members of the club who were tasked in booths and other activities were forced to accomodate everyone while the problems, like supply shortage in booths, are slowly getting resolved by the student council in the background to prevent complications.

Hongbin and I had to take charge of  making sure we're ready to cover the rest of the events for the school newspaper with the help of our clubs' members. We made sure that everything today will be documented because we don't want an angry Cha Hakyeon who reminded us about the last performance so many times, later in the evening that actually meant, Ken and Leo's performance. It's probably the only thing he cared for besides the turmoil the other clubs are now facing. 

It's not even just Hakyeon hyung who prepared everyone for it, Hongbin did too. His eyes instantly burned with determination after the evening performances were mentioned. He, who just simply follows task at hand in a calm manner, started rounding up people to discuss the plan he already prepared. Hakyeon hyung, who's also feeling greedy about that performance, agreed to the new arrangements without further questions, completely trusting it to Hongbin's expertise.  

Hongbin lived up to that expectation with flying colors and he made sure everyone knew that. 

Earlier, he texted me to meet him up in front of the school gate as early as six in the morning to help him with the stuff he brought for that event, which was a lot. He came with a van, looking like he had brought a camera crew from a television station. I mean, I know he's probably just excited about Leo and Ken interacting for the first time after whatever happened to the three of them years back that still remained as untouched subject in the group, but he's really going all out for this.

It took us at least, three other people to set up all of his equipments back stage just to put it on stand-by and prep it for tonight's event.  Two of which was Chen and his friend Jong In, whom was there to get a tour around the campus before he officially transfer next summer; and the third person, being Hongbin's uncle who drove him there and naturally lend his nephew a hand.  

Ken was nowhere to be found that time because he had gotten a cold and Hongbin didn't let him leave the house so he can rest until the actual performance. Ken had called me a little later that day (probably from being bored and alone), saying Hongbin's being an annoying mother hen when he heard him cough last night. He insisted he was fine and Hongbin's just being "mean". True enough, right after Hongbin told him 'to shut up and rest', this supposedly younger cousin of Ken hyung had hung up on the elder to start giving his hand picked club members instructions on how to assist him later. The morning activities didn't even get the same treatment from him and was casually assigned to other club members without an obvious care. Really mean. 

It really brought back my urge to find out what had happened between Leo and Ken, because I'm sure Hongbin's okay with either of them (I remembered being jealous once with Leo and Hongbin talking in private). There's always that longing glint in his eyes whenever the two starts to bicker, like he's expecting something to happen but then sighs deeply when he's expectation wasn't met. I never really paid much attention to what it means because there's a lot of things I get distracted with when I look at Hongbin, so my observations failed to deliver me anything. 

There was only that one time that I caught the three casually exchanging awkward glances during our first 'group activity' as Hakyeon labels it at the noraebang. It was the same time Ken had shown his talent in singing for the first time and also challenged Leo to a singing competition. Besides that, I don't remember anything much because I accidentally drank Hakyeon hyung's beer thinking it was a cider and passed out. I roughly remembered getting a piggyback from Ravi hyungs and catching a glimpse of Hongbin's hair and N hyung's but I couldn't see those two. The next day, everyone's a bit groggy and I never got the chance to ask what happened to the two who I was sure was nowhere to be found after we left the noraebang.

Oddly enough, Hakyeon who pokes on everyone's plate doesn't seem to care about those two's situation which was not normal, because the moment I was okay with Hongbin, he was all over it. So for him, to just shut up about it just like that had me thinking that he probably learned a thing or two about it already. He is, afterall, friends with Taekwoon that sometimes Wonsik hyung shows obvious jealousy whenever the soccer captain was around. Hakyeon still gets a cold shoulder more often than not, like everyone else, but he always had his way through things and probably he already got the information he wanted from the lion. And that means, Ravi hyung knows too, leaving me behind.

So, I'm on my own. Not that I mind, because that will be a great distraction from Hongbin for the time being. 

Later in the afternoon, amongst the chaos, Hongbin had excused himself to check on his equipment backstage again. I offered to help but I was tasked with something else which was waiting for Ken hyung's arrival, since he really needed to be in campus for a short run downl due to the change of venue. The last performance will not be outside anymore because it had started snowing and Hongbin had suggested not to do it outdoors, in fright of Ken hyung's condition getting worse--and hindering his awaited performance, most likely. Hakyeon who's another worried mother hen, of course, agreed to it quickly. The crowd seems to be okay with it because of weather, so there were no problems on the said change.

The car arrives later with Ken, who looked like a penguin with his thick wind breaker as he tried to wobbly made his way in the busy crowd. He looks almost like the real thing with the way he walks, earning some giggles from the crowd that had me suffering from secondhand embarrassment along the way.

The embarrassment was soon replaced by my dumbfounded and astonished self once I had set him up the dressing room where he started shedding off the clothes he's wrapped into. The heater was after all already and he really didn't need those on. 

But really, nothing prepared me from what's underneath all those layers of clothing that to kept our friend warm. It was somehow a cruel teaser for the audience--female audience to be specific-- because what's under all that had me gasping like Wonsik ungracefully did when he checked up on us.

Ken hyung never looked like that on a normal basis. His hair was up and not in a soft mop that covered his quite attractive forehead (I should've known from Hongbin's own) and he's wearing a suit that fits him the right way, not like the one he usually wears that's about two sizes bigger than him.

It didn't help when his face instantly turned serious when he checks the time he had left to prepare. He took out the music scores and started pacing around the room like he didnt know he was with other people who are in awe of his new appearance--well maybe not that new for him but for us. 

             "Uh... Ken-ah seems to be different today, Hakyeon will be pleased to see you." Ravi tries to speak out first from the awkward air surrounding us three (although Ken doesn't seem to care).

             "Ah! You think? I don't look shabby?" Ken finally turns to look at us, adjusting his suit with one hand and looked genuinely worried about his look. 

Argh why are all the Lees like this? Don't they have mirrors at home?!

          "If you look shabby, everyone outside are trashes." I thought aloud, surprising myself and the two. I mentally want to bang my head on th closest wall even though I really meant it.

          "Y-yeah, I totally agree. You look good." Ravi quips as well, looking like he needed to let that out as well while he scratches an invisible itch on his head which was a sign he was equally embarrassed as I am.  

Ken nods his head a bit and turned around to place the music scores on the desk neatly so that he can jump on us, arms around mine and Ravi hyung's neck.

"Thanks guys! I prepared a lot for this day since I don't want to get beaten by that lion--"

Ken stiffens around us and slowly gets back on his heels after untangling his arms on our neck. He looks down at his shoes before putting up a stern expression again and looking right behind us. Ravi and I had to turn around to follow Jaehwan's gaze, where our eyes instantly met with our other friend's (?) icy glare from the other end of the room. He was equally dressed up as Ken, quite matching with the latter even, and he gallantly walked up on us in a slow manner; his dress shoes' heels tapping on the floor audibly. He stops right in between us and stares straight at Ken.

"There are changes..." he says quietly, handing out a piece of paper to Ken who gingerly received it without looking back at him. 

Ravi and I, just awkwardly took two steps back and make some sort of space away from the pair. The tension in the room was so intense, the heater seemed to have gotten warmer. Ravi gives me a side glance that probably meant to ask a silent "what are we going to do now?" that I only shrugged as to not make any noise to disturb the duo infront of us (well mostly on Taekwoon hyung's behalf, since he doesn't like people interrupting him)

"Did you check the stage?"

"I haven't gone around it. I just got here." Ken replies coldly and I winced at it.

I watched as Leo hyung fist and unfist his left hand and it was my turn to look at Ravi hyung from some sort of assurance that this was all just a causal talk. He just loosens up his tie, like he's prepared to stop whatever's coming and I followed awkwardly before I turned back my gaze on the two. 

"I see... I heard you got a cold."

            "Hongbin's just overreacting—I'll go check it out now." Ken just tells Taekwoon off, passing by him and lightly brushing shoulder's with the latter. 

We just stood there, watching Taekwoon who followed Ken without a word, as they both leave the dressing room. It felt like we've been holding our breaths the whole time and we clutched our chest sighing in relief as they exit completely.

"That was—Will they be okay?" Ravi asked, eyes never leaving the door like mine.

"Hopefully? They sounded good in the demo..." I just trailed off. 

"Was that even them?"

"I don't know anymore, hyung. I don't know."