I'd rather die than admit that you're more captivating than the sunset.

The soft piano music drifted into their ears and only Lay's footsteps was heard down the empty hallway. It was really hard for Jiyoon to miss the large fanciful posters hanging the corridor.

Korea International High School Ballet Competition

"Are you sure we don't have to get you to the nurse?" Lay soon stopped before the theatre  took a glance at Jiyoon's right foot which was swelling up in size and his gaze trailed up her calve that was scratched and bloodied. This girl was so stubborn that she tried to walk and fell over when it clearly seemed to Lay that she sprained her ankle. That was how he ended up carrying her over to where the boys were at.
 

Jiyoon shook her head and Lay sighed, adjusting her to sit comfortably on his back.

"Why were you there anyways?" she asked meekly as she settled herself on his back, feeling his warmth radiate to her cold body.

"Jisuk called me and asked me to hurry over, saying something along the lines of a girl that I'm always hanging out with, competing in the 100m race. Then I saw you racing like a cheetah on the tracks, that's how I found you."

Quietly opening the heavy wooden doors, Lay carried her into the hall. The lights were dimmed and the theatre was filled with many people both students and parents alike. She had been so focused on training that she did not have knowledge of this huge ballet competition. Scanning the hall, she made out 11 heads crowded together in the dark and they all had their attentions on the stage. Jiyoon bit back a laughter at the strange sight. 11 boys watching a ballet competition just didn't seem quite right.

Her gaze shifted to the stage where the spotlight was on a ballerina donning a white leotard. She moved about the stage gracefully with nimble footsteps, movements fluid and strong yet gentle all at the same time. The piano reached a high and it ended with the ballerina doing a ballote.

"Ah-" Lay's breath hitched when his gaze landed on the ballerina. Shaking his head, he tried to clear his thoughts but it only hurt more and he grabbed his head in pain. He stumbled and lost his balance momentarily. 
 

The music.

It sounded familiar.

It was as if he saw the shadows of someone he used to love so much.

"Are you alright?" Jiyoon tried to slide down from Lay's back but his grasp around her thighs tightened. He bit his lips, barely managing to keep himself from falling.

"I'm fine." Lay briskly walked to one of the theatre seats and set Jiyoon down lightly while he collapsed on the maroon red carpeted stairs weakly.

"Lay-"

"It must be the weather." He smiled weakly, breathing growing ragged. The music grew louder and louder in his head, his vision hazed as he watched the ballerina on stage. The music slowed to its end and the ballerina made a tiny bow before running off the stage gracefully. The audience erupted in applause and the boys on the extreme side did a standing ovation. Sehun was hitting Luhan on his back playfully and the wide grin on his face was hard to miss.

"She's going to win right?" Luhan shouted loudly that it was hard for Lay and Jiyoon to miss from the long distance. Suho only nodded his head and pointed at the ballerina who made her way towards them with quick footsteps. From behind, Tao playfully pushed Luhan and caused him to stumble towards her. Shyly, he brought out a bouquet of roses from behind his back and the ballerina cupped in surprise, hugging Luhan gratefully. Now that the ballerina was facing her, Jiyoon's eyes doubled in size to see who it was.

The ballerina's eyes met with Jiyoon, the smile growing wider than before. Even under that thick makeup and dim lights, she knew who it was-

Jin.

Hi. she mouthed.

All of a sudden, Jin felt a churning feeling in her stomach. Foreign emotions raged in her heart as she watched intently the boys giving Jin thumbs up and praising how great her dance was. The sight of Chanyeol clapping loudly with his derp laughter, Kyungsoo slapping Chen's head for intentionally singing a high pitched congratulatory song to tick him off and Kris ruffling Jin's hair lovingly. It all felt wrong, disgusting and sick.

"Let's go give them a chiding." Lay nudged Jiyoon who was in a daze.
 

"Oppa." she muttered weakly. "I feel sick."

"What about I call them over?" Lay asked worriedly. "Wait a minu-"

He was about to make his way down the steps when Jiyoon grabbed Lay by the wrist and her eyes reflected sadness that Lay could not ignore. "Please, let's go back. Mhm?"

"I'll get you an ice pack." Lay said after setting Jiyoon down on the couch. He returned several minutes later with an ice pack on one hand and an emergency kit on another after rummaging through the kitchen. Lay presumed that Jiyoon was only tired after such an intensive race that she didn't try to make any conversations on their way back to the dorm. Kneeling down on one knee, he tended to her sore ankle carefully. It was swollen red and it made Lay's heart ache. It must have hurt a lot. 

"It's swollen pretty badly." Lay frowned, looking up at Jiyoon who was spacing out. "Are you sure about not visiting the nurse? I'm afraid it might worsen."

Jiyoon shook her head slowly, "It's going to be fine."

Lay studied her weak appearance as he tended to the minor scratches on her calves next. The once bright twinkling lights in Jiyoon's beautiful eyes were dimmed into something he could not recognise.
 

"I know you've prepared a lot for this competition." he sank into the couch beside her and brought her closer into his embrace. "I'm really proud of you Jiyoon."

"I-" Jiyoon was about to say something but halted. "Why didn't anyone tell me about Jin's balle-."

"Oh!" Lay sat up worriedly, "We missed your award ceremony!"

However that was to the least of Jiyoon's concerns right now. What was an award ceremony when there was no loved ones to be there seeing her receiving the award, no one there to be proud and encouraging her. It must be true that expectations cause greater disappointments because in reality, nothing turns out the way we want them to. Jiyoon was still unable to register what she saw back in the theatre and she stubbornly refused to make any sense out of it.

"It's alright," Seeing Jiyoon's unchanged expressions, Lay continued carefully. "I'll get the medal from the administrative office and hold a mini awards ceremony in the dorm later! I'll be back real quick, you take a rest first"
 

"Kyungsoo oppa?" Jiyoon sniffed the aromatic scent diffusing from the kitchen. She didn't know when she fell asleep on the couch but she woke up with a dry throat and a throbbing pain in her knee. The sun was setting and the warm orange sunlight hit the silver medal sitting on the glass table. She smiled when she noticed the tiny blue note beside it.
 

Our Jiyoonie's the best!

It was to the least of her expectations after hearing the closing noises of wooden cabinets and clanging of metal cutlery to find Lay stepping out of the kitchen in a grey wifebeater with a bowl of steaming hot- 

"Sorry to disappoint you." Lay scratched his head sheepishly after setting the tray before Jiyoon. "It's pumpkin porridge. I don't know if it tastes alright because it's the only edible food I can make without screwing up."

"Thank you oppa." it was the first time today that Lay saw a genuine smile on Jiyoon and his heart grew warmer. He took his place opposite, watching her sip on the porridge. She looked terribly pale and he could tell that she was struggling to even speak. Just as he was about to get her a glass of warm water, the sounds of keys unlocking the door and Chen's loud voice was heard.
 

"The bulgogi was so good!" Chen his lips at the thought of the barbecued meat wrapped in crunchy lettuce with a dash of garlic seasoning. 

"If Jin wins every competition she enters, we'll have a lifetime of meat to eat!" Chanyeol his lips at the thought of the fresh barbecued meat wrapped in crunchy lettuce with a dash of garlic seasoning., pointing at Luhan. "Right hyung?"

"Don't get your hopes high." Luhan sang, slipping out of his sneakers. He's in a delightful mood after Jin came in first in the ballet competition and brought the boys out for a celebratory dinner.

"But I really didn't know Jin was a ballerina." Suho cut in the conversation. "She'd have a successful career in ballet!"

The boys were in a really good mood and upon seeing their smiling faces, everything came sur