‘Where are you? Kiseop is getting all fidgety, I feel like flicking his head. HARD.’

            Eun Kyung receives AJ’s text message. Eun Kyung turned to look at Hoon who was right behind her, struggling with the banner Eun Kyung handed to him.

            “Hoon! It’s just a small banner! What’s taking you so slow?” Eun Kyung shouted to Hoon, with a smile on her face.

            “We’re going to be late!” Eun Kyung shouted again.

            ‘I’ll be right there. Soon. Please don’t harm my Kiseop! ^^’ Eun Kyung replied. Her screen showing ‘Message Sent’ before she locked her phone and kept in her bag.

            The banner accidentally slipped off his hands as he adjusted his backpack, causing it to flip open thanks to the wind. Hoon hurriedly gets on his knees as he folded the banner only to realise Eun Kyung went ahead of him.

            “What was I thinking, agreeing to this? Tsk. And if she could only stop wasting air shouting on top of her lungs at me, why can’t she give me a hand. Banging on my bedroom door early in the morning and dragging me with her.” Hoon hissed under his breath.

            “What did you say?” Eun Kyung asked as Hoon walked next to her.

            “Nothing, I was just talking to myself.” Hoon replied, winking at Eun Kyung.

            “Ah, so you were talking about me, Hoon-ah~” Eun Kyung said in between her teeth.

            “Uh-oh.” Hoon muttered as Eun Kyung grabbed him by the collar and dragging him along, playfully.

            “Ah. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Let me go.” Hoon pleaded as he elbowed Eun Kyung’s waist causing Eun Kyung to lose her grip on Hoon’s neck.

            “Yah! You!” Eun Kyung screamed as she started chasing after Hoon who has long sprinted away to the building Kiseop’s audition is held.

*

            Hoon and Eun Kyung entered the building, admiring the interior.  Eun Kyung notices two very familiar backs by a corner of a corridor. Eun Kyung tapped Hoon’s shoulder.

            “There they are.” Eun Kyung pointed to the two figures who sat next to each other sharing a pair of earpiece listening to AJ’s iPod.

            Hoon spotted them and turned to face Eun Kyung. Eun Kyung turned to face Hoon as they nod towards each other. Unfolding the banner, they both took a deep breath as they run towards Kiseop and AJ like excited, high-on-drugs kids screaming “LEE KISEOP! AJA! AJA! FIGHTING!” Exactly as the banner showed.

            AJ and Kiseop were taken aback by the sudden scream of Kiseop’s name, attracting enough attention. They both remover the ear piece and turn to look at Eun Kyung with another guy running towards them, holding to a medium-sized banner. Kiseop grinned his widest grin since he entered the building watching the silliness of his girl.

            AJ nudges Kiseop and teases, “That’s your girl. I’m lucky she isn’t mine though. I’d bury my head in a hole, waiting to die of embarrassment.”

            Kiseop giggled at both Eun Kyung’s antics and AJ’s joke.

            “That’s my girl.” Kiseop pressed his palms down on the floor to help himself up. But before he could manage to stand, Eun Kyung crashes onto Kiseop, wrapping the banner around his back and lets her face dangles in front of Kiseop’s before kissing the bridge of his nose; she was panting hard from all the running and shouting.

            “I promised I’d come, didn’t I?” Eun Kyung carved a smile on her lips which are still on his nose bridge.

            “Hm.” Kiseop hums as he leans to kiss his girl on the lips before pulling her towards him, patting the spot next to him.

            “Ah, I almost forget. Everyone, this is Hoon. He is my, um. My guardian angel, the shelter I ran to all this while to seek solace.” Eun Kyung introduced Hoon to AJ and Kiseop.

            AJ and Kiseop stood up to face them.

            “AJ.” AJ chirped as he reached his hand out to shake Hoon’s.

            “Hoon.” Hoon muttered, shaking AJ’s hand.

            “And you must be Eun Kyung’s every beat of her heart.” Hoon turned to face Kiseop, smiling warmly.

            “Yeah, you can call me that.” Kiseop snicker.

            Eun Kyung gathered the three boys to a group bear hug, beaming.

            “My most precious treasures.” Eun Kyung muttered under her breath.

            “Let’s all emit positive energy to Kiseop. Kiseop-ah. Have a bit of faith. We’ll always be here. We won’t let you fall.” AJ squeezed Kiseop’s shoulder, Eun Kyung who was next to him his back.

            The four of them sat down as they waited for Kiseop’s turn. Laughing at each other’s joke and silliness. The atmosphere got less tense in no time, it was light and filled with love and energy. Once in a while Eun Kyung would throw in random kisses on Kiseop’s hands, cheeks, nose making their company cringe at their public display of affection. Hoon would pretend to gagged AJ would smacked Kiseop to bring him back to his senses.

            Time slowly passes by and slowly, the participants slowly decreasing. Some hopefuls walked out of the room bursting in tears and others just shrugged. There were also some who walked out with confidence.

            “Lee Kiseop.” A voice called out from the audition room.

            All four head snapped up to look at the direction of the voice.

            “It’s your turn.” AJ pats Kiseop’s back.

            “All the best.” Hoon wishes Kiseop as he stood up.

            Eun Kyung followed suit, grabbing Kiseop’s hands and walking with him to the door or the audition room.

            “Remember. No regrets. Give it your best. We’ll be waiting.”

            “No regrets.” Kiseop repeated, yet again.

Eun Kyung squeezed Kiseop’s arms as she lets go and watched as Kiseop took a deep breath and took a step towards the room. The room that will determine whether he’d finally be walking the road to his dream or fallout from it. In no time, AJ and Hoon joined her as they waited for Kiseop at the exit.