October 12

Inhaling deeply as he gazed at the autumnal curtain of orange leaves that cascaded over the hills through the window, Changkyun pursed his lips, trying desperately to gain inspiration from them. He had been sitting here, in the campus coffee shop, for an hour already, and he still hadn’t composed a single line for his song. Tapping his fingers against the small, wooden table his laptop was resting on, Changkyun removed his headphones, deciding that it was probably time he threw in the towel, at least for now. But as he was about to get up, Changkyun heard singing from another chair a few tables away- a gentle, melodic tune, one that he’d heard many times from that same place. Instinctively darting his eyes over to that familiar table, Changkyun sighed softly, observing the beautiful boy. He was clutching a crumpled piece of paper in one hand, while the other was tapping out a rhythm on the table, expression serious and focused as he sang. There was a certain mesmerizing quality to his voice; it was quiet, yet so passionate and full of emotion that Changkyun felt drawn to his presence.

Before he even realized what he was doing, Changkyun put one headphone in, listening to the song he’d composed earlier, mind flooding with newfound inspiration. As he’s humming out a tune, Changkyun frowns a little, realizing who’s voice he’s imagining as the vocalist… the boy in the coffee shop. He shakes his head, clearing his thoughts- a little weirded out by what he was imagining from a complete stranger. I mean, he’d never even talked to the boy, and now he was envisioning him as his vocalist? Changkyun chuckled a little, feeling slightly embarrassed with himself, and continued his work, fingers typing away lyrics.

Across the coffee shop sat Hoseok, pouring over his craft and lost in his worries as he sang aloud to himself, not noticing the boy watching him with inspiration in his eyes. Feelings of inadequacy welled up inside him, memories of his current struggle still fresh on his mind as he stumbled over yet another lyric, never nailing it just right. He bit his lip and looked out the window, dark eyes narrowing in focus as he stared hard at the dead October leaves, wishing he could rid their branches of all their useless parts. He hummed to himself in thought, realizing with a slight pang in his heart that he felt similar to those trees, wishing he too could rid himself of his useless parts. He was worried that he had an emotional or neurological block keeping him from nailing his song, and he desperately hoped he could figure out what it was, get rid of it, and finally become good enough.

October 11

“Alright, all students trying out for the solo, come to the front,” called out Hoseok’s vocal instructor, gesturing, his baritone voice carrying all the way to the far corners of the huge classroom. Hoseok walked to the front, along with several other students- one of which being Yoo Kihyun, his, for lack of a better word, rival. Looking over at Hoseok and waving, Kihyun smiled brightly, his demeanor friendly. Hoseok smiled back, but it was a little terse, and he felt guilty for not being able to truly befriend the boy. He seemed kind, and was always nice to him when they saw each other, but ever since he transferred to their school, Kihyun had all the spot-light. The solos and lines that Hoseok would’ve normally gotten were suddenly being rewarded to Kihyun without a second thought. Hoseok sometimes wondered if Kihyun really even tried at all- his confident, easy-going presence had captivated the heart of the teacher, and he wasn’t looking back.

“Alright, there’s eleven of you. Obviously, you all know that only one person will be awarded the solo, but I’m giving everyone a couple weeks to practice it and nail it as best as you can before I decide whose voice will work the best,” explains Hoseok’s teacher, startling Hoseok out of his bitter daze. Nodding, Hoseok felt a sense of determination overcome him, but it all crashes down as he watches the knowing smile come over his teacher’s face as he stares at, you guessed it, Kihyun. Hoseok knew that he shouldn’t resent Kihyun, he knows he should work hard and not take it too personally. He knows this, but it doesn’t stop the disappointment from working its way into his heart. Shaking his thoughts away, Hoseok desperately tries to relocate his determination to beat Kihyun, walking up to his teacher and taking the sheet of music for the solo with a falsely confident gait. He had to get this solo, he didn’t know what he’d do if he didn’t.