Recently Boo Seungkwan has been dropped to number #2 on the Invasion of Kwon Soonyoung’s Breathing Space. The new number is Lee Seokmin (that little) who suddenly is in every moment of his school whether Soonyoung likes it or not (and he doesn’t).

The frequency they see each other is disturbing. It can’t be helped, Soonyoung guesses. They’re seatmates taking the same classes, in two separate clubs that have similar starting points. So whether they like it or not (they don’t), they’ve met after school to talk to the vice-principal. Because apparently they exploit the same loopholes in the school system to avoid Ms Han. 

Chan is so jittery, busily combing his hair just in case it’s too unruly and he’ll get scolded. Which doesn’t really make sense since there’s Jeonghan ready to visit in his long hair and fringe which most definitely crosses the eyebrows. Mingyu seems to understand him and starts fussing over him, arranging his hair in a way that was “legal, even councilors would praise you for it”.

Soonyoung most definitely does not see Wonwoo looking on enviously and discreetly messing up his hair so Mingyu will tend to him too. Junhui and Minghao are trying to suppress their giggles but kind of fail. Not that those two are much better. Soonyoung still has war flashbacks of the dance studio being filled of awkward smiles as they literally and figuratively dance around each other. That was a time he was almost glad when Jihoon screamed at them endlessly but even Soonyoung wouldn’t have stopped their blossoming (gross) love affair. He’d just have excused himself to the toilet, because so much cute affection makes him sick to the stomach.

Vernon finally looks up from his phone. Clearly he’s obtained the girlfriend’s blessing since he slides the phone into his bag. Jeonghan finally stops looking at his phone. Must be the perfect angle for his fringe that he and Mingyu keep fussing over. Are they a rock band or hairstyling shop? Sometimes Soonyoung is convinced it’s the latter, then he sees Wonwoo’s bedhead before Mingyu gets his hands on it and changes his mind.

And there’s still Seokmin, looking all smug as Seungkwan pours through their proposals once again.   

“Relax. We’ll just convince her verbally. The proposal’s just for show.” Even though it isn’t Seungkwan’s war to fight, not an arena he should be actively involved in, he’s still fussing over the proposal like a petulant child.

Really, Soonyoung couldn’t have asked for a better friend. He’s really the luckiest.

Plucking it right from Seungkwan’s grasp, Seokmin closes the plastic folder.

“Oops, ten minutes before the arranged time. Ms Lee thinks the early bird catches the worm, or the early handsome boys snag the shed rooftop. Better dash.”

“Best of luck! Don’t start arguing in front of Ms Lee! You two do it far too much.”

Knocking three times, they enter the office with a warm “Come in”. Already, Soonyoung feels at ease.

It’s an easy sell. Ms Lee naturally approves it and even requests to see Chan’s Michael Jackson inspired dances, pleasing the younger boy to no end. If anything, she seems more annoyed about them having to share venues, insisting that all clubs are valuable to the school.

Ms Han is going to be pissed by Soonyoung once again. He can’t really bring himself to care right now.

----  

They’ve drawn the line across the room already. A thick white line drawn with the stub of white chalk they found in the corner of the room when they first cleaned it up.

Splitting it up was simple enough. Dance Club got the mirrors; Rock Band got the window so the fangirls could stare. Easy.

There’s even a simple rule even a five-year old could follow. Don’t cross The Line.

What isn’t easy is co-existing. Right now Soonyoung is regretting his poor life choices in giving half the room to the rock band because good lord, are they bad. 

Lee Seokmin sings too loudly for the world and Soonyoung is convinced you can hear him from the bottom of the shed. Wonwoo is randomly strumming his bass guitar and oscillates between getting it right to getting it wrong for no apparent reason. Mingyu is fine tapping out a steady rhythm until he drops his drumsticks, which happens too often. Then he spends the rest of the time fumbling and cursing in an ultimately unsubtle manner. Jeonghan can play the chords fine on his keyboard, but that’s it. It’s exactly what a Grade 3 student can play.

Basically, it’s noise. Not music, sheer noise.

Soonyoung needs to think of new choreography for the end of term festival. But the stupid screeching Seokmin in the background and the random noises by the rest of his band is not helping matters.

“Ugh. Can you guys take a break for like five minutes or something I need to think.”

“How about you get out of the room? Our fans have been complaining about how having the dance club pollutes the rock band’s flawless visuals.”

Now Seokmin’s just asking for it.

“It’s tarnished anyway. The frontman isn’t handsome anyway. None of the fans are yours anyway so how about you go sing outside. ”

Minghao is doing his crazed eyes thing, eyes darting around furiously as he clings onto the edge of Junhui’s jacket sleeve. Junhui’s wraps his arms around Minghao protectively as he gestures to Vernon to bring Chan over. Chan is freaked out. Soonyoung has been nothing but calm and caring and suddenly he’s very obviously on the edge of losing his temper.

“At least our performance is original, okay. When you aren’t plagiarizing the moves are really terrible. And you call yourself a dance club? Don’t compare us, we’re on two totally different levels.”

“Yeah. We are. I actually can keep my fans. You? Not so. So take your attitude and get of the shed, seriously.”

There’s a dark shadow over Seokmin’s face and Soonyoung knows he’s delivering a very low blow here but who cares, Seokmin started it first. Mingyu is doing the neck-slicing gesture at him while Wonwoo is blinking slowly with the “I-don’t-want-this-to-be-real” face. Jeonghan is very stealthily approaching as if ready to break up a fistfight or something.

“The one with the defeatist attitude is you. If you let something small like this affect you so much then you really aren’t amazing, are you? Maybe that’s why people quit the dance club when you took over. Can’t trust someone like you in charge.”

“Not like you’re much better anyway. The standards for the rock band fell so much in your year. Really, it doesn’t play music. It creates noise. Pretty sure the no noise zones were created just to keep others from suffering from your noise pollution.”

They’re standing right at the edge of the white chalk line and he can’t hear the sound of his own heavy breathing. Seokmin is slightly taller than him and all intimidating with his sculptured features but Soonyoung stares at him with scorn.  He doesn’t flinch back either, rather holds the stare right back.

“Oh my god I leave you alone for two hours and you already start fighting? Spare a thought for me. Why is the damn shed so far? I want to see you both in one piece, okay. No beating each other up without my permission. Gosh, keep your inflated male egos to yourselves! Take up karate and beat up wooden blocks instead.”

The tense silence is punctured by Seungkwan’s shrieking. Jeonghan has his phone raised to their ear levels, one hand covering his ears. Seungkwan is panting as he screams over the phone, trying to force them to listen.

“But-”

“He-“

“I care not who started it or who’s fault it is or who insulted who first. Just stay there and don’t open your mouths. Gosh, why are you both so troublesome. Can’t you play nice for two hours?”

There’s a rattling sound of the metal staircase. Seungkwan somehow bursts through the thick crowd of fangirls and slams the door open.

“And get your hands off each other and back up. Ugh. Why is this my life?”

He walks right on the chalk line to push them apart. Seungkwan is a bloody fearless warrior. His mum would be so proud.

Chan and Wonwoo gasp at Seungkwan crossing The Line. But Seungkwan is clearly something different since they actually back off a little.

“Now apologise. And stop being babies and insulting each other, please. There are more dignified ways to fight that do not involve Seungkwan dying of a heart attack before he can legally vote. Just compete who gets more cheers during the festival or something.”

“That’s stupid because there’s no way we’ll lose.”

“Yeah but there’s no way I’ll let you win.”

“This is war. I’m considering withdrawing” Chan hisses under his breath to Vernon.

“They’re more bark than bite. And please don’t. I don’t want mental breakdown Soonyoung to return. I beg you.” Vernon might need to resort to begging. Crap, this is the kind of things he only does for his girlfriend. He really likes Soonyoung and the Dance Club that much. Huh.

“I’ll have more fans than you one week after the festival.”

“We’ll see. Loser has to clean the room after the break.”

“How about we just get along? This is why the world is never at peace; it’s because of fools like you. Just get along already!” 

Seungkwan needs the shed to be located closer to the Broadcasting Club. It takes far too much for him to dash across the school just to stop his two idiot friends from fighting.