It is the day of their performance. Daehyun arrived early, hair mussed and unstyled, dressed in jeans and one of Youngjae’s hoodies. The staff look harassed and grumpy, so he stayed out of their way. The academy had gone full out on this event, hiring caterers and party planners and inviting scouts from all across the region to come take a look at the students. He isn’t technically supposed to arrive until an hour later, but he was too anxious to stay in his apartment and he wanted to see his vocal coach one last time before the stage. His trainer is nowhere in sight, so he wandered a distance away to watch the activity.

Instead of inside the academy, the school had hired an outdoor concert hall. It sat at the base of a hill, bleachers stacked up the slope and looking out to the city. Men dressed in black were currently struggling to set up large amplifiers, wiring microphones and lights up to the high arc of the ceiling like roof. A podium was being erected in the right hand corner of the stage, tape laid out on the worn wooden floor to be used as cues for the dancers. Between each row and down the steps of the bleachers, little blue lights were being set up to guide the way. Check in desks were being placed to the left of him, large banners displaying last names hung high and frazzled volunteers running through lists. Tents were further on, half hidden by the stage, where they would get changed and hooked up to microphones and all of that. To his right, however, was where all the bustle was happening.

The head party planner seemed like a very controlling woman. She stood at the rise of the hill, megaphone clutched in one hand and clipboard in the other. At the moment, she was screaming into the device, gesturing wildly to her staff carrying vases full of flowers. The theme was Mid Summers Night Dream, which he hoped included some person running around with a donkey head, but apparently entailed hundreds of blue and white flowers, pretty little flame lantern things, and garlands of glittering streamers.

Hands clapped down on his back and Daehyun yelped, twisting around to see who his assaulter was.

It was Youngjae, of course, wearing grey sweats and a white tshirt, looking like he had just rolled straight out of bed and somehow found his way to the venue.

“Hey, Jae.” He greeted happily, groaning as his friend collapsed onto his lap. “Didn’t you sleep last night? You look tired.”

Youngjae’s nose nuzzled against his stomach and he the brown mop of hair, curling his fingers through it and twirling strands around his index. A few seconds passed, and he thought that the younger had passed out, but he stirred and looked up.

“Yeah. Something like that.” The answer brought a frown to his lips because Youngjae always slept well and the only time he remembered him being unable to sleep was the day before they started high school.

“It doesn’t really matter. I’ll tell you once the concert ends, okay? I need a coffee. Should we go see if anyone is selling?” The subject was very obviously changed but Daehyun kept his mouth shut, simply nodding and allowing himself to be pulled to his feet.  

There aren’t any stalls open but they found a catering truck that had those large silver containers of coffee and managed to beg two cups off of them. Later in the night, there would be rows of food and drinks and other fancy snacks set out for the guests and students, but it seemed that everyone was more interested in fighting for ground space than actually putting out their stuff. They walked around together, hand in hand, chatting and greeting their friends, pointing out different decorations and laughing at how flustered the adults seemed to be. In contrast, the kids wandered in casual clothing, stealing food when no one was watching, singing along to the songs playing from invisible speakers and enjoying everything. This was their last event, not that it was serious or anything, and then in a few months they would graduate. There was no need to stress.

At ten, all the students were chased towards the tables to receive their line up number, name tags and last minute instructions. Daehyun listened as his trainer reminded him of his breathing techniques, how to position himself on stage, where to look and how to act in front of the crowd. It was all the things that he had already knew but undoubtedly would forget once he got up on stage.

A flash of red hair caught his attention.

Yongguk stood with the rest of the rappers, nodding at something that the man was saying. He was wearing a black tank top, shorts and high tops. Simple clothing that he nevertheless found attractive.

The realization that it was Yongguk who had sent him the roses opened a whole new perspective for Daehyun. Being around him was easy; not the way it was with Youngjae, but they balanced each other out well. Everything about the elder was admirable. From the way that he spoke, slow and deep, or how he was so passionate about music, or how he cared so much about children in Africa and not littering, or how everything he did was deliberate and meaningful. Daehyun liked how he felt appreciated and noticed and cared for when he was with Yongguk. The elder brought him food, was attentive to his needs, listened genuinely when he spoke and took his opinions into account. And truthfully, he liked that.

He was just too scared to do anything about it.

Yongguk must have felt his stare because he looked up, meeting his gaze and smiling widely. The groups broke up and he trotted over to meet the scarlet haired male, raising his hand in a wave as he approached.

“Hyung!” He called, trotting over to meet him. A large arm was slung over his shoulders, pulling him closer to his side so they could walk in sync with each other’s footsteps.

“Dae,” Yongguk greeted back, smiling at him for a second, “are you excited for the performance tonight?”

They had practiced and practiced and made sure everything was perfect, and in normal circumstances Daehyun would have been nervous, but he was confident in his ability to perform so he nodded. Reaching across the elders body, he grabbed his free hand and twined their fingers together, holding on loosely. It made for a funny walking position, one arm looped around him and his arm stretched across Yongguk’s body, but he was content and the other was not complaining.

“Did you see the lights, hyung? It’s going to be so pretty tonight. Did you remember to bring your suit?” He chattered on as they walked, avoiding the crowds and staying out of everyone’s way. They had decided to wear black suits and simple props like a piano and two chairs. Daehyun was the one who had suggested a backdrop of an empty street, black and white to accent their colour scheme – or lack of.

“Yes, and yes. I made sure to pack it last night so I wouldn’t forget.” Yongguk laughed, dipping his head to greet one of their fellow students before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small container of macaroons to give to him. “I remember you said that you liked them, and they were on sale at the bakery today, so…”

“You remembered? Thank you so much Yonggukkie!” He reached for them, carefully pulling off the pink ribbon that held the plastic box together. There were two, one yellow and the other green, and he took a few seconds before choosing the lemon flavoured one. Biting in, he moaned at the taste and then offered the other half to the elder, grinning as Yongguk gently took it from his fingers.

They chose to sit under a tree nearby the activity, watching as each group ran through their stages. Youngjae was there with Jongup and a few of their other friends, warming up his vocals and dancing along to the music that pumped through the speakers. Their own rehearsal would be later in the day, so for now he was content to sit on the grass, curled up against Yongguk and let a gentle thumb run circles over his waist again and again.

He must have dozed off at some point, head cradled against the elders chest and nose buried into the crook of his neck, sun warm against his skin, because when he woke up, Yongguk had a plate of fruits and snacks beside him.

“You left to get food?” Daehyun asked, nosing against the others jaw sleepily. He could feel the muscles working as Yongguk chewed, followed by the deep vibrations of his chuckle.

“No. You’re draped over me, how would I move? One of the staff came over and offered it to me. They are giving the excess food to the kids.” A strawberry was placed at his lips and he bit into it, sighing happily as the sweet juice burst over his tongue. It felt nice here; warm and comfortable, simply lying with Yongguk without a care. It almost felt like a date, if it was not for the fact that there was so much bustle around them.

Another fruit, a blueberry, was placed gently on his nose and held there until it balanced.

“What are you doing, hyung?” He laughed, making his eyes cross in order to stare at the little fruit.

“Try to get it into your mouth without touching it.” Daehyun wiggled his nose and cheeks and stuck out his tongue, pulling faces to carefully inch it downwards. Just as it had reached his upper lip, it shifted and fell off. Yongguk’s hands caught it and popped it into his mouth with a laugh.

“I wanted that,” He pouted, crinkling his nose at the elder, “and you just- mmfph…”

Warm hands cupped his face and lips pressed against his own, kissing him gently as a tongue drew across his lower lip. Opening his mouth a little, Daehyun laughed in surprise when he felt something slick and small slip into his mouth. The blueberry. Pulling away, he chewed on it happily and placed his own light peck to the elders lips.

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” Laughing as Yongguk nodded, he plucked a cherry from the plate and held it to the plush lips, waiting until the red fruit was plucked from the stem.

They continued to feed each other, slowly finishing off the plate of food, laughing and cuddling and talking until one of the trainers told them that they had to get ready for rehearsals.

Backstage was busy. Groups and pairs and solos were ushered back and forth, some changing into their costumes, others running through their dances, microphones being hooked up and wires trailing over the floor. They are pushed into a tent, where their suits are already waiting, instructed to stay still until their names are called. There are two other pairs, a female duet and a mixed duet, who are running through their scales and practicing their dance.

Yongguk guided them to a corner of the tent, grabbing two chairs so they could sit down. His ipod is in his bag and he put on his headphones, singing along to a ballad while the elder rapped quietly beside him.

Their stage was relatively easy to set up. He stood to the side as Yongguk gestured, directing the piano back and forth and left and right until it was in the perfect position. Daehyun thought it looked like it was in exactly the same place it had been five minutes ago, but he didn’t say anything.

The chairs were an easy matter as well. Once the tape was placed over the spots that they wanted and the backdrop was approved, they were free to go.

Their stage would be in five hours, the coordinator told them, so they had four hours to do whatever they wanted.

“What do you wanna do?” Yongguk asked as they strolled away, hand in hand. The stores were beginning to set up, little stages popping up from place to place and stoves heating up. There were a few games as well, but he didn’t feel like playing them at the moment.

“Can we just walk around for a bit?” He asked, running his thumb over the elders knuckles as they swung their hands between them. There was a hum in agreement and they exited the fenced in area, getting their hands stamped so they would be allowed back in later.

It was a warm night but they were also by the water and the breeze tousled his hair, tugging at his clothing a little bit and making the little strings of lights dance back and forth. The smell of food rose up the hill, octopus and beef and rice and other treats, followed by the gentle murmur of people and popular music.

“I love festivals.” Daehyun sighed as a smile stretched over his lips, raising both his hands as if to embrace the scene below them. Beside him, the male chuckled and reached across to poke at his exposed belly, forcing him to lower his arms and covering his weakness. “Have you ever been to the Busan Christmas Tree Festival?”

“No,” Yongguk replied, glancing at him, “what is it like?”

“Oh, it’s great. Every year during the winter, they have this really big festival. They put a tree in the middle of the place and it’s all lit up and they also put strings of lights around it, so it’s like you’re under a canopy of lights. There is so much food and there is this…syrup kind of thing? They melt the maple syrup until it was goopy and soft and then lay it down on ice and then roll it up on sticks and it was so good and sweet and warm. I loved it. And there was also so much other food. And all the stuff was cheap, so I always went Christmas shopping there.” He blabbered on excitedly, only stopping himself when he realized that he probably sounded like an idiot. “Oh…sorry. You probably didn’t wanna hear all of that.”

Yongguk reached out and his hair, pinching a soft cheek a second later to Daehyun’s displeasured squeak.

“I like listening to you talk. You have a nice voice,” The elder said, grinning his gummy smile, “keep on talking. Tell me more about the festival.”

So Daehyun kept on talking.

Three hours later, countless dishes and samples later, they exited the brightly lit festival and headed back towards the stage area. He would have eaten more, truthfully, but Yongguk reminded him that they needed to perform and it wouldn’t be good for him to have cramps. Or throw up, he had supplied, and Yongguk had agreed that would not be a good idea.

The path towards the stage was lit with little fairy lights and blue lanterns strung on fish wire, making them look like they were floating, and the ugly fence had been twined with sparkles and more lanterns. The actual concert hall was shifting between white to light blue to dark blue, making everything very pretty and mystical. Staff dressed in white and blue suits or dresses moved around, handing out tall flutes of champagne to the adults or little skewers of chocolate dipped fruits. Yongguk grabbed two of the kabobs, giving one to Daehyun and eating the other himself. Parents and scouts and others were already filing in, jostling for the best spots at the front as camera crews and photographers chose vantage points or tested their equipment.

Backstage was also busy. There were tables set up for makeup, tables set up for hair, tables set up for wiring, racks and racks and racks of clothing, trainers giving last minute instructions, groups running through their dances one last time, singers harmonizing. He saw Youngjae, getting his hair fluffed and straightened, and waved to him before a wall of people separated them.

“C’mon, let’s get changed.” Yongguk said, guiding them back to their tent. It was empty, thankfully, and they quickly grabbed their clothing to change into. Daehyun changed with his back to the elder and he was sure that Yongguk would be doing the same. When he turned around, he was faced with a broad back and strong muscles and a line of script over the males right shoulder. Silently walking over, he dared himself to lean forward and brush his lips over the tattoo, hearing the quiet gasp of surprise.

“What does it say, hyung?” He asked, smiling as Yongguk turned around to face him.

“Do what you like and love what you do. To remind myself that life is short and I should spend it as happily as I can instead of doing things I don’t like.” Arms wrapped around his waist and he was tugged into a warm chest, laughing when a nose rubbed into his hair.

“Are you happy then hyung? Doing what you’re doing?” A light kiss was pressed to his lips and he felt the elders lips curve up into a smile against his.

“Yeah. I’m really happy.”

And Daehyun was too.

When they exited the tent, the female duet was waiting outside, waiting to get changed. They were ushered straight to hair and makeup. Daehyun’s hair was simply mussed up a bit and styled, gloss put onto his lips and a light coverage over his face to hide previous acne marks. Yongguk’s hair was slicked back and bronzer on his cheeks and the contours of his nose.

“Can you put mascara and eyeliner on as well?” Daehyun asked, leaning forward to look at what makeup was laid out. “I want my eyes to look really big and pretty.”

The woman laughed and nodded, reaching for the pencil so she could carefully line his upper lids and the corners of his eyes. His eyelashes fluttered as she applied the coat of mascara, making his eyelids stick together for a second before he batted them at Yongguk with a laugh.

“How do I look, Gukkie?” He asked, pushing out his lower lip in a pout.

“Good.” Yongguk rumbled, looking away with a grin.

The makeup noonas laughed.

Next was wiring. Daehyun clipped the little black box to the back of his pants, pulling the wires up the back of his shirt and letting them dangle over his shoulders. His in-ears were given to him and he shoved those in as well.

The sounds of singing blasted through the speakers. The first pair was up.

He pulled Yongguk to the side of the stage so that they could watch Youngjae and Jongup perform. They were doing a Chris Brown song, on Jongup’s insistence, and Youngjae looked like he was way over his head with all the dancing. Luckily, he was mostly just standing by the side as the dancer bounced around, doing flips and tricks and popping and doing a whole lot of other things that looked painful. It ended with an explosion of applause. Daehyun clapped along, screaming Youngjae’s name. When his friend looked towards him, he waved wildly and Youngjae waved back.

They watched a few other stages before they were called behind stage. People moved out of their way as they were hustled to the wings, having their microphones checked and hair fixed a last time.

“I need to get something,” Yongguk announced suddenly, “I’ll be right back.” Before he could grab onto the elders hand, the male was already pushing his way through the crowd. Another group finished and the queue inched forward. And then another. And Yongguk did not appear.

“Where is Yongguk?” One of the staff asked, looking at the check board.

“I don’t know. He is coming soon.” Daehyun replied, playing with his fingers and looking around nervously. “Soon. He will be here.”

The staff nodded.

Seventy four seconds later, Yongguk reappeared with a flushed face, panting hard.

“Where were you? I thought you had run away and left me to go do a stage alone.” He whined, pouting hard and carefully fixing the mussed bits of hair sticking up the elders head. “I was scared!”

An orange rose was presented in his face.

“Orange is for enthusiasm,” The male said, tucking the stem into his suit pocket, “let’s have fun on the stage today, okay? Just like we practiced.”

When no one was looking, Yongguk swooped down and kissed him full on the lips.

Their stage was pretty. The piano was lit from above and their chairs were also in the spotlight and the space behind them was sparkling and beautiful and Daehyun thought Yongguk was so handsome. They walked on with their fingers interlinked, smiling at each other before they separated to their respective seats.

One. The curtains began to retreat and Daehyun saw the flashing lights, the darkened faces, the sparkling white and blue lights.

Two. The host introduced them and the audience clapped. He saw Youngjae standing by the side of the stage and his family in the middle row.

Three. The music started and he stood, raising his microphone to his mouth.

Yongguk glowed. He rapped with fierceness. He dominated the stage. Daehyun was captivated by it.

I won’t ever forget that moment until the end.

I remember.

They ended toe to toe, chest to chest, face to face. They shared the same air, breathing in and out as the crowd clapped. Cameras flashed and they were so close – and then Yongguk was grabbing his hand, turning them to face the audience and bow together.

The curtains closed.

Backstage, staff and waiting students patted them on the back, congratulating them and smiling. His family met him outside with a bouquet of flowers, forcing them to stand together so his mother could take an excessive amount of pictures and coo over how handsome they looked. Yongguk took it good naturedly, smiling and putting his arm around Daehyun’s shoulder before, embarrassed, Daehyun chased them away.

“Where is your family?” He asked Yongguk, looking around for anyone who resembled the elder.

“Not here.” Yongguk smiled down at him, running his thumb over Daehyun’s cheek.

“Oh…okay.” They didn’t get a chance to speak anymore because Youngjae was there, throwing his arms over his shoulders and hugging him tight.

“Daehyun! You were great! Did you see? I nearly slipped on the stage and fell on my . You would have teased me a lot, huh?” Yongguk, sensing his exit, quietly said goodbye with a last touch to the tips of his fingers before walking off.

“Yeah. That was funny. Good thing people would have been looking at Jongup and not you. He was the real star of the show.” Their teasing continued as they walked, arms linked together.

The conversation died down as they strolled, listening to the sounds of the festival and concert fade behind them. Youngjae stopped, which confused him, where they could look down at the twinkling lights.

“Dae…” They sat down in the grass, leaning against each other. He looked over, observing his friends side profile.

“Yeah?” Silence reigned for a few seconds before fingers reached out to intertwine with his own.

“Remember how I told you that I needed to tell you something? After the concert?” Daehyun nodded slowly, chewing on his lower lip.

“Yeah? What about it?”

More silence.

“Never mind,” Youngjae finally said, smiling at him, “it wasn’t that important. I’m just glad that we finished our concert. You were great.”

“You were too. I’m glad we’re best friends. We can be best friends forever, right?” Holding out his thumb and pinky, he waited until Youngjae reached out and link them, pressing their thumbs together.

“…forever.”

And everything was good.  

_____ 

we are approaching the end of the story you guys. im sorry this took so long. i wasn't happy with the plot and had no motivation to write it because of that, but i've adjusted a few things and now i am satisfied. if i follow my plot line now, there will be two more chapters and then an epilogue. as well, the rest of this story will be purely bangdae. 

anyway, i hope you like it! you can find me on here and send me drabble requests, prompts or questions and what not, or on my twitter here. please send me stuff and talk to me please im lonely

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