again and again (2)
Apartment Block 17
a/n; yesterday was July 17th, 2017
making it both wonwoo's birthday, and the 1 year anniversary of this fic!! ♥
making it both wonwoo's birthday, and the 1 year anniversary of this fic!! ♥
the first half of this chapter is the same as the previous chapter (the april fools one) but since it's been a while i guess you could just reread it all :') if not, just find [FRONTING THEATRE - BACKSTAGE] and start from there!
refresher of the roles in the play, if you need it:
mingyu as "baekhyun" - male lead #1
wonwoo as "chanyeol" - male lead #2
eunji as "yerin" - female lead, baekhyun’s childhood friend
sohye as "sojung" - jealous of yerin, basically, so she hires chanyeol to kill her
seokjin as "jinki" - baekhyun's bff:)
mingyu as "baekhyun" - male lead #1
wonwoo as "chanyeol" - male lead #2
eunji as "yerin" - female lead, baekhyun’s childhood friend
sohye as "sojung" - jealous of yerin, basically, so she hires chanyeol to kill her
seokjin as "jinki" - baekhyun's bff:)
[APARTMENT #607; Wen Junhui, Xu Minghao]
Minghao had forgotten how empty it felt to live in an apartment alone. It’d been a while since he occupied a space by himself.
Apartments in Apartment Block 17 weren’t even particularly big; two bedrooms (though in their apartment, the spare bedroom became an office/storage room), one bathroom, living room and kitchen. The basics. Junhui had hung up various polaroids and random paintings on all the walls, and they’d bought some minimalistic decor to fill up the spaces; but it was only recently that Minghao realised it wasn’t the furniture that filled up an apartment. It was the people living in it.
Minghao definitely wasn’t an attention seeker; he was comfortable only around his friends and family, and didn’t speak out too often in public situations. Only recently had he begun to break out of his shell; that is, until Luhan triggered his past insecurities and he started to withdraw into himself yet again.
Junhui’s absence had hit harder than he expected; waking up in an empty, cold bed scared Minghao sometimes. He never realised how large of a presence Junhui was. Even with his infuriatingly teasing smirks and weird habits, Minghao really missed him.
He had his friends though; Mingyu would come over and compete over games with him, Soonyoung would intrude and work up a storm in the small space and Hansol and Seungkwan would occasionally bring up some instant ramen and they’d have meaningless conversations into the night. He loved them all so much.
He sat on the bed, sheets twisted, turned and crumpled in every direction, rereading through group chat messages until a new message from Junhui himself popped up. Minghao smiled stupidly to himself; Junhui always managed to text at the perfect times.
Today 5:55 PM
junhoe<3
> HAOOOOOOOOOO
> omgomgomg
me
> what
junhoe<3
> i got my script for tomorrow’s filming just then
> i have a makeout scene...
me
> ummm how could u not know this before?!?!?
junhoe<3
> IDK
> THE WRITERS ARE LITERALLY STILL WRITING THE ENDING OF THIS DRAMA LOL
> we get our scripts the day before, sometimes even like an hour before filming omg
> i mean... ever wondered why i’m only filming here for a week?!
> when a drama is normally shot over months lol
me
> does ur character get killed off or something lol
junhoe<3
> just between u and me
> YEAH HOLY
> WHY ME
> WHY IS IT MY CHARACTER WHO’S KILLED OFF
> FIRST THE PLAY, NOW THIS DRAMA ???
me
> i can’t wait to watch this drama<3
junhoe<3
> you minghoe
me
> i know u would
junhoe<3
> o.O
> anyway, isn’t the play starting soon??
me
> yeah but hang on
> we’re off topic
> who where why how
> ur makeout scene
junhoe<3
> i cant tell u too much but i have some last minute love interest before i die lol
me
> is she the one who kills you
junhoe<3
> .... maybe ....
me
> how steamy
> rate from 1-10
junhoe<3
> let me just tell u what the script says
> [i] push [her] down roughly onto the floor, lip-locked passionately as [my] hands run up her inner thigh and she’s gasping for air
me
> STOP
> THATS ENOUGH
> god help
junhoe<3
> sorry:( im cringing really hard rn
> its almost like script writers are ex-fanfiction writers
> this is gonna be so awkward tbh i haven’t actually met the girl yet lolol
me
> if anything you better make it hot ok so then your acting will at least be praised lol
> anyway, i can hear soonyoung at my door
> it’s probably time to go sso
> take care.....
junhoe<3
> junhoe<3 sent a photo.
> tell me about it after !!
Minghao scoffed at Junhui’s trademark ‘I’m-hotter-than-you’ smirk and half hand heart in the photo he sent and got up reluctantly to answer Soonyoung’s incessant knocking. Junhui always tended to send random selfies at arbitrary points in their conversation, and as much as Minghao acted like he hated them, the reality was that had a folder in his phone dedicated to all of the China Prince’s narcissism.
“Why do you look so tired?” Soonyoung commented immediately after Minghao opened the door.
“Not everyone can be as energetic as you,” Minghao gave him a tired smile and joined him outside, greeting Jihoon as well.
Soonyoung slapped his back firmly. “Well, I’m sure watching some quality entertainment will wake you up a bit,” he said animatedly.
The three of them met up with Seungkwan, Hansol, Jeonghan and Jisoo in the elevator; the seven of them squished together in close proximity and the smell of freshly baked pizza invading Minghao’s nostrils.
“Who smells like pizza?” Soonyoung asked as they reached the first floor, fresh air surging through as the doors opened.
“Here,” Seungkwan took a paper bag out from his backpack and it into Soonyoung’s hands. “We got pizza. You can have the rest.”
“Is this Hawaiian?” Soonyoung frowned as he withdrew a slice from the bag.
“What do you have against Hawaiian?” Jisoo said defensively.
“I’ll take it,” Minghao lunged and snatched it from Soonyoung’s hand. He scarfed it down and smiled cheekily.
“I love Hawaiian,” Soonyoung looked up at Minghao with a face of betrayal. “But Jihoon hates it so we hardly order it.” Jihoon nodded and scrunched up his nose, seemingly connecting with Jeonghan as the two of them gave each other understanding looks.
“There’s still more in there,” Hansol said reassuringly.
Minghao and Soonyoung fought over the last piece; Minghao earning it after winning an impromptu game of scissors, paper, rock. The group met up with Jisoo’s parents on the way to the university, a flurry of polite bowing and handshakes halting the group’s progress to their intended destination.
Hansol began conversing with them in English, though they were both fluent in Korean; Seungkwan tried to keep up, but Minghao gave up trying to comprehend after ‘Hello, I’m Hansol, but you can also call me Vernon’. Maybe this is how everyone feels when Jun and I go off in Chinese.
They finally made it to Fronting Theatre, where a massive amount of people were already milling about, buying food and tickets and trying to find their friends.
Minghao greeted others along the way; a good friend of his from a compulsory Korean culture class who went by the name ‘BamBam’, several of Junhui’s mutual Chinese friends, as well as other Apartment Block 17 residents like Jungkook and Yugyeom, whom he met through Mingyu.
“Everyone’s here,” Jungkook smiled. One of Wonwoo’s friends, Taehyung joined them, a boy with a wide grin and pale orange hair following behind.
“Reminds me of Chinese New Year family reunions,” Minghao shuddered, feeling the pressure of his loud surroundings.
“I can’t believe Jin-hyung’s actually doing this,” the orange-haired boy commented excitedly to Taehyung and Jungkook.
“And they even managed to rope Namjoon-hyung into it as well,” Taehyung added, the three of them laughing together. Minghao left awkwardly, bowed politely to another one of Junhui’s friends - Yixing, probably? He had trouble keeping up with Junhui’s ever-growing social circle - and found Soonyoung again amongst the crowd, thanks to his outstanding bluish hair.
Soonyoung handed him a ticket, which Minghao forget he even needed to buy, and they filed into the theatre and found their seats. Apparently, Mingyu had given Soonyoung the tickets earlier, before rushing off backstage.
“Pretty decent seats,” Soonyoung said happily, discreetly munching on a bag of popcorn from his bag.
“Don’t start eating now,” Jihoon gripped his hand and pulled it out of the packet, “You’ll finish it all before the play even starts.”
Soonyoung didn’t put it away and instead showed Jihoon the contents of his backpack; which was a never ending supply of popcorn. Jihoon rolled his eyes and sat back, though he snuck his hand into Soonyoung’s bag and grabbed a handful of popcorn for himself.
On the other side of Minghao, Seungkwan and Hansol were arguing about video ideas for their Youtube channel, and Jisoo was trying to explain the health benefits of pineapple to Jeonghan, who was looking at him sceptically. He continued to glance around, freezing when he saw Luhan walking towards his row with a few other boys.
Luhan caught Minghao’s stare and stuck his hand up in a small wave. Minghao faltered, not knowing what to do; did he glare and look away, like he always did? Or did he at least try to be civil and smile back politely? He instinctively looked for Junhui to help, but of course, Junhui wasn’t anywhere near.
Luhan ended up looking away hastily and talking to the boy next to him in a hushed whisper. Minghao spotted the guy he believed was named ‘Yixing’ trailing behind them as well; one of Junhui’s Chinese friends he’d introduced at some point in the past few months. Minghao wondered how many connections Junhui had unknowingly held with Luhan.
Luhan’s group broke apart as they all found their seats; two of them entering Minghao’s row and taking the seats next to Jihoon. Minghao caught some of their hushed conversation.
“Chanyeol-- no, give it to me, you’ll spill it everywhere,” one of them chided.
“O-oh,” came Jihoon’s surprised voice. Minghao peeked over Soonyoung and saw that Jihoon was holding a fast-food drink up in the air, cola dripping down the sides.
“Jihoon, you okay?” Soonyoung asked, producing tissues from his bag and helping clean up the mess. The lights were starting to dim as the play’s beginning loomed closer, and Minghao struggled to see what was happening in the dark.
“I’m so sorry,” came a deep voice, “I’ll buy you new jeans or something. Oh man. Wait, Jihoon?”
“Yeah?” Jihoon said, scrubbing furiously at his jeans and sweater. Cola stains definitely weren’t pleasant.
“You’re Jongdae’s friend from Pledis? The one who wanted the SHINee albums?” the deep voice asked.
“Wait, what?” Jihoon stopped scrubbing and looked up in confusion.
“SHINee?” Soonyoung caught the magical word.
“That’s you, isn’t it? I’ve heard so much from him about you,” the deep voice said in amazement, “I’m Chanyeol. I don’t think Jongdae would’ve mentioned me, but--”
“You’re the guy from SM?” Jihoon exclaimed. “The one who got the SHINee albums?”
“Yeah,” deep voice - Chanyeol - answered perkily. “It’s cool to meet you.”
“Oh, were the SHINee albums from you?” Soonyoung lit up. “Thank you!”
“No worries!” Chanyeol grinned, “Jongdae said Jihoon seemed pretty desperate for them.”
“Chanyeol?” Minghao interjected before his brain could stop him, “Isn’t that the same name--”
“Yeah,” Chanyeol sighed, “Playwright-noona named the characters after my friend and I,” he gestured to the boy sitting next to him, who bowed his head.
“I’m Baekhyun,” he said softly.
“Wow... that’s... um, nice to meet you?” Minghao stuttered. “I hope Gyu and Wonwoo do justice to the characters.”
“I’m sure they will,” Baekhyun laughed. “They’re both really cool. Though, Wonwoo’s jokes--”
Minghao was about to ask if they met them, but the lights suddenly darkened and a male voice informed everyone the play was about to begin.
There was shuffling in the row behind as people were still trying to find their seats; someone a phone and the light drew the entire theatre’s attention.
“,” a voice cursed directly behind Minghao. In the instance when his phone was on, Minghao recognised him as the boy who was talking with Luhan; though Luhan wasn’t with him at the moment.
The shadow of the boy moved away from Minghao, stopping at Jeonghan’s seat and tapping his shoulder.
“Hey, have you seen Junmyeon? He said he was in Row 7,” the boy whispered to Jeonghan.
Jeonghan looked back in confusion and the boy suddenly flinched back. “Oh, -- Sorry, wrong person-- I thought you were someone else--” he stuttered.
“Hey, you’re blocking the stage,” someone called out from a few rows back. The boy looked back and bowed hastily as he hurried back a few rows to, Minghao assumed, his seat.
“Who was he?” Minghao heard Jeonghan ask in confusion.
“I think he’s a senior,” Jisoo whispered back.
The buzz throughout the theatre died down as lights illuminated the stage, the narrator’s voice echoing through the large speakers hanging from the walls, signalling the beginning of the play. Minghao settled back in his seat and snuck some popcorn from Soonyoung’s bag.
Love is the basis of a multitude of stories and tragedies. This one begins with one boy, and one girl.
The spotlight swung to the edges of the stage; Mingyu on the left, Eunji on the right.
Mingyu looked... good. Even Minghao was surprised; he knew Mingyu was handsome, but in the spotlight, on stage, in front of a full-house theatre, he was glowing. He stood confidently, and stepped toward the middle of the stage.
His confidence was matched by Eunji’s, the two of them mirroring each other’s stage presence perfectly. A school bell sounded and both of them pulled a worried expression, hurrying off in different directions, as if they were rushing to their next lesson. The stage fell into darkness.
Main characters need names, do they not? In this case, let’s name them Byun Baekhyun, and Jung Yerin.
Minghao heard nudging and shuffling beside him, and the real Baekhyun chuckling softly.
Childhood friends. They were both popular and lively individuals, with bright futures ahead of them. Everything was working out in their lives.
A darker light suddenly shone towards the middle of the stage, where a parting curtain revealed Sohye. She looked beautiful; her black hair swept up in a neat ponytail and eyes glowering under dark makeup that highlighted her features.
But once love is involved, that’s when things start to get complicated.
Mingyu reentered from the right of the stage, holding some books in his hand and glasses adorning his face. He walked across to the other side nonchalantly, the light following him. Sohye eyed him cautiously. Eunji came out from the other side and met with Mingyu halfway, the two of them smiling as they passed each other.
Sohye sighed as she watched Mingyu walk away and followed him off the stage, the light trailing her movements and plunging the stage back into darkness once she exited.
Let’s call her Kim Sojung. A very pretty girl, well liked for her looks. But her twisted obsession with Baekhyun forms the basis of this story.
A light was cast upon the back of the stage, where a table and two chairs were set up. Wonwoo sat sprawled out in one chair as he read a book, a relaxed expression on his face. Minghao whistled inwardly; Wonwoo’s hair was parted to the right, somehow making him seem more attractive, and his dark clothes perfectly complimented his pale complexion. Whoever the stylists were, they knew what they were doing.
Footsteps were heard from the side of the stage, and Sohye’s figure emerged into the light as she stalked over to the table and sat down opposite Wonwoo.
She either simply took off her jacket or she was really quick at changing clothes, because her outfit looked different to what she was wearing moments before. She took out a file from her bag and slammed it down onto the table, as well as a fat envelope.
”You’re a hitman, aren’t you? I want you to kill her,”
she demanded.
Wonwoo picked up the envelope gingerly and emptied its contents.
”Jung Yerin?”
he questioned, eyeing the picture in his hands. He slid out cash from the envelope and counted it expertly with deft fingers.
”Alright. You have yourself a deal.”
he agreed, shaking hands with Sojung.
The lights shut off and scuffling was heard on the stage.
Love drives some to extremes. Kim Sojung is a prime example; hiring a hitman to kill the girl she believes Baekhyun is in love with, all because of her twisted infatuation with him. But violent, blind rage never bodes well in the end.
And thus, ladies and gentlemen, Pledis University is proud to present to you
the tale of ‘Again and Again’.
-------------
[FRONTING THEATRE - BACKSTAGE]
“I need a makeup wipe,” Hyungwon called out, one hand still busy touching up Wonwoo’s eye makeup. A colleague whizzed by and dumped a pack of makeup wipes next to Hyungwon, who took them gratefully.
“Wonwoo needs to be on in 30 seconds,” Gong Yoo whispered urgently, already pushing Wonwoo towards the stage before Hyungwon could finish touching up his makeup.
Wonwoo took a deep breath in. It was still the beginning of the play, so he couldn’t afford to let his nerves take over now.
He snuck onto stage, using the shadows to conceal himself, but still making his presence obvious to the audience. His character was supposed to be spying on Mingyu and Eunji’s characters through a bedroom window.
”That was such a good movie,”
Yerin yawned loudly, stretching her arms out and nearly hitting Baekhyun’s head in the process.
”I’m gonna go wash up, okay?”
”Don’t take too long. I need a shower really badly,”
Baekhyun said, hitting her lightly on the head.
Eunji walked off stage, leaving Mingyu alone on the sofa.
Wonwoo allowed himself a moment to zone out and stare at Mingyu. He looked really good. It was unfair how someone so goofy could turn into someone who looked so god-like and unreal. He looked so confident on stage, with no signs of any nervousness. His hands were completely calm and not shaking like they sometimes would and his eyes weren’t darting around but instead looked naturally trained on the ground in thought. Wonwoo knew that Mingyu wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows; he had his own insecurities and worries, which he often suppressed and hid so no one would worry about him. Though Wonwoo felt like he had always been the one to hide his emotions, he knew that Mingyu did the same.
It was at one of their final rehearsals when Wonwoo fully realised this. Mingyu had suddenly broken out into a cold sweat and there was a slight, but noticeable stutter to his speech. Normally being the outgoing, friendly and confident person he was, Wonwoo wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. They ended up taking a short break, and by its end Mingyu had considerably calmed himself down.
Mingyu was always the one reassuring and being supportive of Wonwoo, and Wonwoo knew he wasn’t the best at expressing his raw emotion, but he really did want to help Mingyu feel more confident of himself.
Looking out at the crowd, Wonwoo felt his knees nearly buckle. At that point, the only reason he wanted to keep going was so that he wouldn’t disappoint the staff and fellow cast.
”I’m done,”
Yerin said as she walked out of the bathroom, throwing her towel onto Baekhyun’s head.
”I won’t be 10 minutes,”
Baekhyun smiled, grabbing a new towel and heading into the bathroom.
Yerin stood alone in Baekhyun’s bedroom. There was a crash - it was the window.
Wonwoo cast his thoughts aside as he entered the scene. He grabbed Eunji by the waist and tackled her to the floor, holding a knife up to .
The first time Wonwoo held the knife, he felt genuinely scared of hurting Eunji with it. It was plastic, of course - but it glistened and felt like a real, razor-sharp blade. Eunji started to scream.
Suddenly, Mingyu leaped back onto the scene, disarming Wonwoo after much difficulty and wrestling him to the ground. It was just as they rehearsed, but Wonwoo didn’t know if he looked convincing enough to be perceived as a villain. Mingyu was stronger than him anyway, but Wonwoo knew his elbows could be pretty bony.
”What are you-- doing?”
Baekhyun gasped, struggling to hold Chanyeol down.
Chanyeol looked up at Baekhyun with frightened eyes. He struggled to escape from Baekhyun’s grip, and after finally managing to, darted out the window and into the night.
Baekhyun ran over to the window. He lived on the 5th floor, but somehow, the intruder was no where to be seen.
Wonwoo ran backstage, out of breath, already tired from one fight scene.
It wasn’t easy for him and Mingyu to learn stage fighting in such a short amount of time. Back when Junhui was still in the play, Wonwoo remembered watching him in awe at his ease of movement. Junhui had done martial arts since a young age anyway, but Wonwoo knew he was born with the talent nonetheless.
The play progressed as ‘Chanyeol’ continued attempting to take ‘Yerin’s’ life, with ‘Baekhyun’ stopping him each time. The basis of that formed Chanyeol and Baekhyun’s relationship, with the two of them getting closer with each attempt.
Of course, Yerin stayed quite oblivious to the situation. Wonwoo knew that Eunji was frustrated with her own character being so outright stupid, but she couldn’t really do much to change the script.
”Why are you doing this? Why do you keep targeting Yerin?”
Baekhyun had Chanyeol’s arms behind his back in a lock, and was questioning him breathlessly. He had no time to waste as Chanyeol would surely break out of his hold.
”I’m only following orders,”
Chanyeol said calmly.
”Would you be a dear and let go of my arms?”
”Tell me why you’re doing this!”
Baekhyun said insistently, pushing down harder on Chanyeol’s arms.
”I was ordered to. I gotta make money somehow, you know,”
Chanyeol said, with a slightly snarky tone to his voice.
Wonwoo eventually manoeuvred out of Mingyu’s grip and fled offstage. Mingyu looked after him with a confused look on his face.
The scenes continue to pass by, small occurrences happening to solidify the plotline and relationships between the characters. Eunji and Seokjin’s characters continue to spend time with each other as Mingyu and Wonwoo’s characters continue to face each other, gradually getting more intense as Wonwoo’s character is approached by his employer, Sohye’s character.
”You’re telling me... you still haven’t killed her?”
Sojung demanded, poking Chanyeol roughly in the chest.
”Calm down, sweetie,”
Chanyeol stepped back, holding up his arms in mock surrender.
”These jobs take time. Believe it or not, but I can’t simply just charge in there and kill her. There are obstacles I have to get around.”
”Ugh! I’ll just do it myself,”
Sojung said angrily.
Before Chanyeol could stop her, she was already on her way to Yerin’s house.
The lights dimmed and Namjoon announced a short intermission before the second part of the play would commence. Hushed congratulations flitted around backstage as staff ran around frantically preparing the costume lineup and setting for the second half, makeup artists hurriedly dabbing away sweat and retouching the actors’ faces. Wonwoo caught Mingyu’s eye, and they smiled at each other reassuringly. Sohye came from behind and slapped Wonwoo’s back before rushing off to change clothes. Half the play was already over.
Wonwoo could hear the buzz of the crowd on the other side of the curtains, the thin veil of cotton separating him from hundreds of scrutinising eyes. He was surprised at how calm he felt, though it may just have been how numb his body was. He hoped he could suppress his urge to crawl off stage long enough to finish the play.
Scenes passed by quickly, Wonwoo barely remembering how he even got past them. It was suddenly nearing the end, the most crucial scene of the play.
Sojung was about to enter Yerin’s house, determined to kill her out of pure jealousy and hatred. Something in Chanyeol switched, and he spontaneously decided to disobey and stop her.
”What the are you doing?”
Sojung exclaimed angrily, trying to wrestle out of Chanyeol’s grip.
”You work for me! We’re on the same side--”
Wonwoo fought Sohye, her expert and deft kicks nearly taking off Wonwoo’s head as they did during rehearsals. Eunji, playing Yerin in her house, called ‘Baekhyun’ in her fright at the commotion outside. Mingyu stumbled onto stage, about to break Wonwoo and Sohye apart when Sohye grabbed the knife from the belt and drove it into Wonwoo’s stomach.
Of course, everything was angled to make it look real, without the knife actually ripping a hole through Wonwoo’s abdomen. But Wonwoo couldn’t help but flinch as he felt the plastic knife glide past his ribcage. Time for the fake blood.
Sojung was knocked unconscious by a furious Baekhyun, who was suddenly in emotional outrage at seeing Chanyeol lying in a pool of his own blood.
”Sojung was the one who hired you, right?”
Baekhyun asked quietly, propping Chanyeol up on his knee.
”No , Sherlock.”
“Y-you need an ambulance!”
Yerin said shakily, mortified at the blood pouring from Chanyeol’s wound.
”Honey, I’ve had worse,”
Chanyeol laughed weakly.
”N-no, I’ll go... g-get help!”
Yerin stumbled out, evidently calling emergency services and begging for an ambulance.
”Why?”
Baekhyun asked quietly after a few moments of silence. His voice shook more than he wanted it to.
”You’re going to have to be more specific,”
Chanyeol said.
”Why did you save Yerin? I thought you were hired to kill her.”
“You love her, don’t you?”
Chanyeol looked firmly into Baekhyun’s eyes. Baekhyun coughed and looked away hastily.
”I-I used to.”
“Used to? Was she not worth the effort to save?”
Chanyeol scoffed jokingly.
”I should see if an ambulance is coming--”
“Don’t bother. I’m not going to last long,”
Chanyeol said softly, pulling Baekhyun back down to kneel on the floor.
Silence.
”Aw, are you crying? Don’t tell me... you actually like me back?”
Chanyeol smiled teasingly with all the willpower he had left. Baekhyun coughed painfully, willing himself not to cry. Chanyeol lifted his abdomen up slowly, using Baekhyun’s neck as a handhold.
”What are you--”
Baekhyun started in confusion.
There was something about the look in Mingyu’s eyes that distracted Wonwoo for a second. He tried to forget about his thoughts as he brought his face up closer to Mingyu’s, their lips clashing awkwardly at first, but evolving into something much deeper.
It was turbulent, like ocean waves. What started as calm sea turned into rough, stormy waters in the blink of an eye, Wonwoo nearly forgetting to stay in character.
He had imagined this moment countless times. In rehearsal, they had only air-kissed, but Wonwoo would unnecessarily think over every single outcome of that one moment. Someone, Mingyu still managed to surprise him.
Wonwoo pulled apart, maintaining eye contact with as much willpower as he could muster.
”I’m sorry for leaving you before we could even begin.”
Chanyeol groaned and fell back to the ground, clutching his wound in pain.
Baekhyun was silent for a while before speaking in a quiet voice,
”Then don’t leave me.”
Wonwoo could hear scuffling in the audience, leaving him curious about how mixed the audience’s reactions would be to this scene. It was his last appearance, as his character had just succumbed to his wounds, but there was still an epilogue scene to cover.
The lights dimmed and Wonwoo followed Mingyu hastily off the stage.
Mingyu grinned and hugged Wonwoo tightly, the rest of the cast gathering together with hushed whispers of congratulations.
“This is it, guys,” Sohye said excitedly. “Last scene!”
“Good job, Wonwoo,” Gong Yoo slapped him on the back. “It’s officially a wrap for you.”
“Isn’t that what they say on movie sets?” Seokjin raised an eyebrow.
“Same thing,” he laughed.
Wonwoo patted Mingyu’s back firmly, breathing out what felt like years of pent up anxiety. “Last scene. Good luck.”
-------------
10 years later, in a coffee shop, Baekhyun meets up with Yerin and Jinki, who are married and are expecting their first child.
Yerin had long forgotten about the incidences between Baekhyun and Chanyeol. The last night she saw Chanyeol was all but a distant memory to her.
But to Baekhyun, it was still as clear as daylight.
”Baekhyun!”
Yerin greeted, giving him a tight hug which was slightly obstructed by her belly.
It was a chance coincidence, the three old acquaintances stumbling upon each other at a common coffee shop in town.
Baekhyun smiled at the girl who was once his best friend, his ‘one true love’. He nodded and shook hands politely with Jinki, who once his best friend, though the two had lost contact with each other over the years.
”When is he due?”
Baekhyun asked politely, indicating Yerin’s belly.
”About two months!”
Yerin exclaimed happily.
”We still haven’t decided on a name yet. Any ideas?”
”How about ‘Chanyeol’?”
Baekhyun responded immediately.
”I didn’t actually think you’d have an idea! Why ‘Chanyeol’?”
Yerin asked in surprise.
”It certainly is a lovely name,”
Jinki said, smiling.
”I was just throwing ideas around. There was someone I knew by that name, so...”
Baekhyun laughed quietly.
”Ah, I see! ‘Chanyeol’ certainly has a nice ring to it,”
Yerin said thoughtfully.
Baekhyun smiled sadly. After a while, he stood up, said goodbye politely and left. The stage fell silent for a moment, before the lights dimmed down.
Mingyu looked out at the audience from where he was standing offstage, having walked off the centre moments earlier. All he could hear was the applause ringing in his ears.
Wonwoo came up behind him and hugged him tightly, followed by the rest of the cast who were backstage.
Mingyu could barely remember being dragged back out onto the now brightly-lit stage, hand in hand with his fellow cast and bowing lower than he thought his flexibility would ever allow him.
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Today 6:15 PM
actor-hyung [a/n; Mingyu’s POV]
> good luck for the play, mingu!!
> go get him ;)
Today 9:42 PM
me
> thanks june
> it went great!! i’ll tell you after, since we’re going out to dinner now
> good luck with ur makeout scene lol ;)
actor-hyung
> wait wtf how did you know
me
> did u really think hao would keep it a secret
> he told me just now lolol
actor-hyung
> -_-
> go enjoy ur dinner
-------------
SEVENTEEN SQUAD >
Today 9:44 PM
seokmean
> GUYSUYUGYSGS THAT WAS INCREDIBLE !!!!
handsoap
> you guys actually did so well wow
me
> ahhhh thank you !!!
> i’m so glad nothing went wrong
wonton
> for once lol
cheol-hyung
> wonwoo’s last scene was definitely my favourite
> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
artist-hyung [a/n; Jeonghan]
> ^ i second that
stone ♡ [a/n; Chan]
> didn’t know you had it in you, mingyu hahahahaa
dancer-hyung [a/n; Soonyoung]
> WONUUUUUU!!!! GYUUUUU!!!!
> I’M REALLY PROUD OF YOU GUYS ♡♡♡
> I CRIED AT THE END OMG
smolhoon
> lol it’s true
> he was sobbing
dancer-hyung
> its not fair... wonwoo told you the ending but not me :’(
> MINGYU WOULDN’T TELL ME EITHER
me
> lol surprise !!!
mingtwo
> lol u guys nailed it tbh
> so hot
seokmean
> mmmmmmmmmmmmm
hongline bling
> it was truly a work of art!!!!
wonton
> <3
me
> thanks guyssss
> we’re going out to dinner with the others so !!!
> ttyl!
wonton
> bye
> thanks for coming
cheol-hyung
> <3
> CAN I HAVE YOUR AUTOGRAPHS IM UR BIGGEST FAN
wonton
> ₩20000, plus ₩30000 for a personalised message
cheol-hyung
> dont push it, won
“Hyung, you’ll get us kicked out,” Mingyu laughed and shoved Wonwoo lightly.
“It’s okay. Seungcheol loves me,” Wonwoo said with a slightly smug smile.
“Can Seungcheol actually kick people out?” Seokjin came up from behind.
“Nah. He’s all talk; no action,” Wonwoo rolled his eyes.
They ended up picking a humble ramen restaurant to eat at, having to push together three tables to accomodate the size of their group. The atmosphere was light and airy, and Wonwoo felt at complete peace listening to the banter between his fellow cast.
“Hey, Mingyu,” Eunji said through a mouthful of noodles, “Are you dating anyone?”
Mingyu spluttered on his cola. “Uh... no...?”
Eunji laughed. “You sound so unsure. Anyway, you looking for a girlfriend or something?”
“N-no,” Mingyu said, looking carefully at Wonwoo. His roommate was rather absorbed in cutting up his vegetables.
“Just asking. A good friend of mine keeps complaining about being single; I can’t help but think she’d suit you. She’s annoying, but she’s honestly the sweetest girl you’ll meet.”
“O-oh, well, sorry...” Mingyu resumed eating in order to hide his embarrassment, “I’m... not interested.”
“Alright,” Eunji smiled apologetically, “I’m just so sick of her complaining, you know? Thought there was no harm in asking around...”
Mingyu laughed nervously. “Yeah. You’re a good friend.”
The dinner finished off without a hitch, Mingyu and Wonwoo returning home with Seokjin and Namjoon after a rather teary goodbye. Realising that this was the last time he’d see all of them together for a while, Mingyu couldn’t help but feel sad already. All the rehearsals, putting up with equipment and prop failures, and the frustration of not being able to get certain scenes right; all the blood, sweat and tears had been worth it in the end, and Mingyu felt relieved yet dejected that it was all over.
“I reckon you two are gonna get tonnes of casting offers,” Seokjin said to Mingyu and Wonwoo, “You guys did amazing tonight. I can’t say that enough.”
“Ah, it was only because hyung was with me,” Mingyu said earnestly. Wonwoo’s ears tinted slightly in the dark. “I don’t think I’ll perform that well by myself.”
“You would,” Wonwoo said quietly.
“Wonwoo, I’m actually so impressed,” Namjoon exclaimed, slinging his arm over Wonwoo’s shoulders in a brotherly manner. “You honestly scared me with how good you were. I thought you’d kill me with that stare of yours. So intimidating.”
Wonwoo gave this stupidly cute, airy laugh and smiled humbly, “Thanks. Your narrating was on point, too.”
Mingyu pursed his lips. When Wonwoo actually accepted compliments, it was really cute. The boy was too humble and easily flustered for his own good.
It really amazed Mingyu how much Wonwoo could change based on who he was with. Without his usual guarded expression, he was as soft as a marshmallow, as fresh as clean laundry. Mingyu though he was the bashful one, but Wonwoo’s shyness was another level of cute.
Mingyu and Wonwoo bid Seokjin and Namjoon goodbye as the exited the elevator out into the hallways of the 4th floor, all but dragging their tired bodies back to Apartment #417. Wonwoo fumbled for the keys, Mingyu running in and collapsing onto the sofa as soon as Wonwoo got the door open.
“That was great,” Mingyu sighed happily. “Can you believe we just did that?”
“I really can’t,” Wonwoo laughed, grabbing a glass and filling it up with water. “I’m glad it’s over, though. It feels like a weight’s been lifted off my chest.”
“Yeah. It feels great.”
“You did great,” Wonwoo said good-naturedly, the compliment rolling of his tongue easier than it seemed in his head. “I barely knew you were Kim Mingyu. I... really am proud of you.”
“Says you,” Mingyu sat up and hooked his arm over the back of the sofa, facing Wonwoo who was standing behind the counter, gulping down the water. “Hey, don’t drink so fast.”
“I’m thirsty,” Wonwoo said, washing the cup in the sink and leaving it on the drying rack.
“Well, I’m still hungry. How’s pizza for a second dinner?”
“Sounds great.”
The pizza arrived no more than 10 minutes later. Silence rung through the apartment as the two boys sat facing each other at the dining table, inhaling slices upon slices of pizza.
“Mingyu,” Wonwoo suddenly broke the silence.
“Yeah, hyung?”
“Why did you turn down Eunji’s offer?” Wonwoo asked quietly.
“Her offer?” Mingyu cocked his head. He must’ve been referring to Eunji’s friend who was looking for a boyfriend.
“Yeah. Her offer.”
“I already said, I wasn’t interested. I’ve already got someone I like very much,” Mingyu winked and nudged Wonwoo.
Wonwoo rolled his eyes but couldn’t help himself from smiling inwardly.
“But... why do you even like me?” the question tumbled from Wonwoo’s lips before he could stop himself.
“Do I really have to explain everything again?” Mingyu feigned annoyance and bopped Wonwoo on the head with an empty coke bottle. “Well, I don’t mind. I’ll tell you as many times as I have to.”
Every time Mingyu felt himself explaining why he liked Wonwoo so much, he always ended up coming up with new reason. Honestly, what wasn’t there to like about Wonwoo?
“You’re so passionate about books, it’s almost made me want to read. Me!”
“Is that really interesting?” Wonwoo frowned. “I don’t know, I feel like I’m pretty boring--”
“Don’t,” Mingyu cut him off, “Don’t say things like that. Maybe you feel like you’re boring, but to me, you’re the most interesting person I’ve ever met.”
“But Junhui keeps telling me I should perk up a bit more--”
“Jun’s an idiot,” Mingyu said ruthlessly. “Okay wait, I love Jun-hyung, but he obviously has terrible taste in men, so why should his opinion on your personality matter? I mean, he’s dating Minghao--”
“Minghao’s really cool though,” Wonwoo couldn’t help himself from smiling. “Don’t bash your best friend.”
“Best friend? No way, I hate Minghao,” Mingyu said with a devilish smile. Wonwoo averted his eyes awkwardly.
“That’s not true,” Wonwoo said quietly. Mingyu didn’t really know what else to say, so they fell into silence.
“Gosh, you really do make me speechless sometimes,” Mingyu laughed nervously. “You have no idea what you do to me, seriously...”
“You don’t either.”
“What?” Mingyu perked up.
Wonwoo looked down. “It’s just...”
“Just?”
“You have no idea what you do to me sometimes.”
“I really don’t...?” Mingyu said in confusion.
Wonwoo sighed and shifted his position on the dining chair. “You know, after tonight’s performance... I feel different. I feel like I see you differently.”
“How so?”
“Right before... we were supposed to kiss... you broke character,” Wonwoo said uncertainly.
“I did?” Mingyu said in surprise. “Damn, that’s not very professional of me.”
“You did. At least to me, you did. When we kissed up on stage, it wasn’t Chanyeol and Baekhyun.”
“Oh.”
“You really like me, don’t you?” Wonwoo said, eyes still trained intently on the ground near his feet. “You couldn’t stay in character to kiss me.”
“Of course not,” Mingyu laughed. “You just have that kind of effect on me.”
“But I don’t think I stayed in character either.”
It took a few moments for Mingyu to focus on what Wonwoo said. “What?”
“You know what keeps holding me back in situations like this? I really just don’t think I’m good enough for you,” Wonwoo’s voice started rising, abandoning his usual calm and composed tone. “You’re Kim Mingyu. You may be clumsy as sometimes, but somehow you’re an excellent cook who can do literally anything. And you’re attractive?”
Mingyu stared at Wonwoo in disbelief.
“How could you expect me not to fall for you? Heck, I’m sure that if any of our friends weren’t already in a relationship, they probably would’ve fallen for you too,” Wonwoo said with a bitter laugh.
“I’m really an idiot,” Wonwoo ran his hands through his hair in exasperation. “I’m a pathetic loser who chose a roommate just because he was cute.”
“Do you regret it?” Mingyu’s voice cracked. “Choosing me--”
“No!” Wonwoo looked up suddenly, but fell back into silence right after.
“I’m sorry for being selfish, but...” Mingyu started off quietly. Wonwoo allowed himself to make eye contact, which gave Mingyu more confidence. “Are you saying that you like me too?”
When Wonwoo didn’t reply, Mingyu blurted out, “Because I really feel like kissing you right now.”
Wonwoo was surprised that he didn’t feel flustered. If anything, it just felt natural, like coming home after a long day’s work. Mingyu’s arms were warm, comforting and accommodating; every worry in Wonwoo’s mind was erased the second their lips met.
It wasn’t the best position, kissing over the width of a small dining table with their thighs pressed painfully into the edges, but Wonwoo wouldn’t have it any other way.
Breaking away briefly, Mingyu laughed, “We should probably throw out these pizza boxes.”
-------------
Kim Mingyu and Jeon Wonwoo are now in a relationship!
Write a comment...
Xu Minghao holy ing finally
Kwon Soonyoung @Lee Jihoon I ACTUALLY CALLED IT
Wen Junhui why do all the good things happen when i’m away ;-; TELL ME EVERYTHING
Hong Jisoo Congratulations!!!!!!
Choi Seungcheol I better not be getting noise complaints from your apartment ok ;)
Lee Jihoon @Jeon Wonwoo so i assume you won’t be looking for the ‘gay guy’s guide to living with a male roommate’ anymore?
Jeon Wonwoo @Lee Jihoon well, if it’s ever in stock, let me know
Jeon Wonwoo @Lee Jihoon still could be useful... for you ;)
Lee Jihoon @Jeon Wonwoo off
Kim Mingyu ???????? o.O
-------------
They sat side by side on Wonwoo’s bed in the dim light of his bedside lamp after hastily cleaning and washing up.
“By the way, I know you’ve been harassed before,” Mingyu said quietly.
“I figured you would’ve found out,” Wonwoo replied in equal quietness. “But... I’ve decided that I don’t care anymore. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, but tonight really confirmed my decision. I’m willing... to give us a go. If you want to.”
Mingyu leant his head on Wonwoo’s shoulder. “Of course. But Jun-hyung’s told me that you’re not comfortable with people knowing about... the team you play for.”
“My uality, Mingyu. It’s not that weird to talk about it,” Wonwoo laughed lightly. “At least not with you. We’re literally two gay guys.”
“True,” Mingyu smiled. “Are you really fine with people knowing?”
“It might take a while,” Wonwoo said hesitantly. “But... I think you’re worth it.”
“Cool. Because I’m really in love with you,” Mingyu said with a playful grin, looking up at Wonwoo.
Wonwoo flicked Mingyu’s forehead, but couldn’t stop smiling.
Mingyu felt his heart being snatched. It was an indescribably good feeling. Like the feeling of picking up a freshly printed sheet of paper, its ever so slight warmth igniting a flame somewhere within, the euphoric feeling spreading like wildfire until it eventually ceased when thermal equilibrium did its thing and the paper no longer felt warm.
Except this feeling didn’t cease inside Mingyu; it kept growing stronger with every passing second.
Mingyu remembered the days when he could barely pick apart Wonwoo’s expression, his set appearance unwavering and guarded. But the boy in front of him now was still undoubtedly Jeon Wonwoo; just with a much softer appearance and a hesitant smile tugging at his mouth.
“I’m in love with you too,” said a small voice that sounded so unlike Wonwoo, through straight, white teeth and thin, pink lips. The usual depth in voice and articulate nature in which he spoke was instead briefly replaced by something much more innocent and youthful, as husky as a morning voice that embodied raging bedhead and wide yawning.
But this time, it wasn’t a half-asleep Wonwoo talking.
a/n;
was that satisfying enough?? idk guys it’s been a while since i’ve written this fic :o overall i hope it’s not too disjointed because i wrote this chapter over a few months D:
sorry it's been a while! i'm one term away from final exams and graduating, so i likely won't be back until december...
ok but diamond edge tho
i hope they'll have a successful world tour! i might be going to the singapore concert, so to any carats in SG... let's meet up!! ;)
baii
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