The Luckiest Day of his Life
The Luckiest Day of his Life
Disclaimer - The members of SHINee and SM Entertainment do not belong to me, I am merely borrowing them for the purpose of this fic.
He was going to be sick. He was so nervous. He was definitely going to be sick. No way, could he do this. Nope. No way. Sure, everyone might be disappointed in him for running away but at least he wouldn't be feeling like this any more. His stomach was completely in knots and he had broken out in a cold sweat not long ago.
And he hadn't even gotten inside the front doors yet. He had walked up the steps, placed his hand on the door and froze as the nerves hit him.
Could he really do this? Everyone believed that he could. Everyone said he more than had the talent for it. He had been scouted for goodness sake.
But what if he failed the audition? Jonghyun didn't know what he would do if that happened. All he wanted to do was perform, entertain people and write songs. That was the whole reason he was in a band. Granted, they were still at school, and they all knew the chances of their highschool-formed punk band going anywhere was slim. That was why he was here after all.
It had been a hard decision, to audition for SM Entertainment or not. He had been scouted in the street after his band had performed at a mini garden-style concert, handed the leaflet about the auditions and informed that with his talent he could go really far. He hadn't known what to do at the time; said he would think about it. Which he had done. A lot. He had met up straight away with the rest of the band and gotten their opinions of it.
Most of them had been really supportive of the idea. They hadn't wanted to hold him back, and had almost insisted that he attend the auditions. Only one of his band-mates had been against it. He felt like Jonghyun would be abandoning them if he went and auditioned for a pop band of all things.
But did it really matter what genre of music it was? As long as he was performing and writing, then he would be happy. And that was the argument that had sealed the deal with the audition query and how he was now stood outside the building where the auditions were being held.
He withdrew the hand that was resting on the door and nervously ran it through his hair.
It had seemed like such a good idea at the time. Attending the audition and possibly have the chance to break into the music industry. But now that he was here? He honestly didn't know if he could go through with it. His nerves were so strong that he was almost shaking.
The thought of failure was dominating his mind. How on earth was he going to pass an audition like this? What was he thinking? Of course he wasn't. But could he turn around and walk away without even trying. He would definitely be letting everyone down if he did that. But he would also be disappointing them if he failed the audition. Jonghyun was so confused, and he didn't know what to do at all.
"Hey, are you going in or what? The door really isn't that interesting to look at, and you're kind of in the way here..." A voice said from behind him, making him jump almost out of his skin.
Jonghyun swore to himself quietly before turning around to face the newcomer. Stood before him was a boy probably around his age, maybe a year or two younger at most, with short dark brown hair almost sweeping over his dark eyes. He had a mildly amused expression on his face, one hand on his hip which was cocked to the side with the other resting on the strap of his backpack.
There was only one word to properly describe the boy that was stood in front of him, if he was being honest, and that word was 'Beautiful'. Which for a guy, this person definitely was.
Jonghyun blinked a few times, words failing him as his nerves mixed with the shock of this encounter. It took a raised eyebrow from the other and an expectant gaze to make Jonghyun swallow nervously before his lips quirked up into an awkward smile. "Yeah, sorry. I'm just..."
"Nervous? I can tell." The other boy smirked, making Jonghyun flush slightly in embarrassment. "By the looks of it you're here for the audition."
Jonghyun nodded. "Yeah. Are you?"
A snort met his ears. "Of course. What else would I be here for?"
"Sorry. I must sound so stupid at the moment, I'm just-"
"Nervous, yeah." The other brunette cut him off. "What's your name?"
"Kim Jonghyun."
The eyes he had been staring into (which wasn't creepy at all... well, maybe it was, but the owner of said eyes didn't seem to mind overly much) softened slightly as a sparkle appeared. "Well, Kim Jonghyun, I'll let you in on a little secret... I'm probably just as nervous as you are."
Jonghyun couldn't help but let out a laugh at this. Whoever this guy was, he had successfully broken the ice, and he couldn't help but return the smile that was directed at him. He wasn't feeling as sick any more The nerves were still there but he felt a little stronger now.
He probably still looked absolutely terrified though, unlike this new boy who just seemed to exude confidence. He hadn't even used any honorifics when using Jonghyun's name! Which would be rude to many people but Jonghyun didn't seem to mind it coming from this boy.
Though whether that was because he was just too darn nervous to really care or not is the real question.
The other boy walked up the steps to stand next to him before offering a hand. "Kim Kibum. It's nice to meet you Kim Jonghyun."
As Jonghyun took Kibum's hand, he didn't fail to notice that, of course, the other was taller than him. He was used to that happening by now. Considering that, for a male, he was short. But still, he longed for the day when he would come across another guy who was shorter than him.
The brief handshake they shared was surprisingly warm, and Jonghyun couldn't help but smile wider. Kibum responded in kind before gesturing at the door with his head. "Shall we go in then?"
"Yeah." Jonghyun nodded, before placing his hand on the door once again and pushing it open.
After he had walked through he held it open politely for his new acquaintance, who rolled his eyes in amusement, before practically strutting into the reception area ahead of them. The shorter yelped slightly as the door slipped out of his grasp, but thankfully both of them were clear of it by then. Darn his nervously sweaty hands. Had Kibum felt the sweat on them a minute ago? What on earth was he going to think of him?
He quickly caught up with Kibum as he was half way to the desk, and stuck his hands in his pockets to try and sneakily wipe them dry. Not that that would help anything now. Still, he wouldn't be comfortable again until he had at least attempted to rectify the situation.
"So... How did you hear about the auditions, Kibum-ssi?" He asked, half out of curiosity and half to break the short silence that had fallen between them.
The taller boy glanced over at him before replying. "I've always followed SM really, and then I saw the adverts on TV about these auditions and, well, here I am." He shrugged before turning his attention back to Jonghyun. "What about you?"
"Oh, uh..." He started but was interrupted by the young lady manning the reception desk.
"Hello, gentlemen. Are you here for the auditions?" The smile she gave them was clearly fake, but the tone of her voice was actually surprisingly cheerful. It was a little odd, if Jonghyun was being honest. He mentally shook his head before he nodded in response and saw out of his peripheral vision that Kibum had done the same. "Okay then. You need to fill out these forms and then hand them in at the desk in the audition hall." She concluded by handing both of them a sheet of paper.
A quick glance revealed that it was pretty standard information. Name, Age, Home town, Experience... that sort of thing. Nothing out of the ordinary.
"Where is the audition hall? I'm afraid I've never, really, been here before."
Jonghyun glanced back up at Kibum before looking back at the receptionist who gave them both another fake smile at Kibum's question. "You need to go through the doors there," She indicated with a manicured finger, "go down the corridor and it's the third set of doors on the left. There should be signs along the way."
"Thank you, Noona." Kibum quickly said before starting to head in the direction she had pointed.
Jonghyun quickly bowed in thanks before hurrying to catch up with the other boy once again. He shrugged his own backpack off, ped it slightly, and rooted around inside for a pen as they walked.
"So, you aren't from around here?" He asked distractedly. He had had his suspicions by the fact that Kibum's accent wasn't the same as his, meaning there was a strong chance that he wasn't from Seoul. But he thought it was a good idea to check anyway. Plus, if this was his first time in the city, then Jonghyun felt he had a duty to look out for the other boy.
"No. I'm from Daegu. My parents bought me here for the audition." Kibum answered, pushing the first set of inside doors they had to walk through, open.
"Where are they now?" The shorter asked, still slightly distracted as the pens he had in his backpack continued to evade him. He gave a satisfied grunt as he finally managed to locate one of them.
"Shopping, most probably." Kibum shrugged, completely unfazed by the questions being directed at him. "I said I'd call them once I was done here."
Jonghyun simply nodded as he shrugged his backpack back on and ran his hand through his hair once again. The nervous feeling was starting to worm it's way back up now that they were making their way to the actual room where the auditions were being held.
As soon as they were through those final doors, there would be no backing out for him. Not that he was really considering backing out now anyway. With Kibum there, he had no choice now but to go through with the audition. He liked the other boy, even though he didn't really know anything about him. Plus, it was a matter of his childish pride too.
He tried to distract himself by counting the doors as they passed. One on the right, Two on the right, One on the left, Three on the right, Corridor on the right, Two on the left... It didn't take him long to realise though that since they wanted the third door on the left, that they would soon reach their destination.
Jonghyun gulped and came to a standstill once more as Kibum wrapped his long fingers around the door handle of the third and final door. His heart was beating so fast now that he briefly wondered if he was actually having a heart attack. He let out a deep breath which caught the taller's attention.
"Are you alright?" He said, glancing over his shoulder.
Jonghyun took a moment to breathe deeply a few times, before nodding. "Yeah."
"Nervous again?"
He nodded a second time. "Yeah."
Kibum's eyes softened again before turning to face the shorter and laying a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "You'll be fine, Jonghyun. Trust me. We'll get through this audition together, okay?"
Jonghyun looked up at Kibum for a while, before a small smile appeared on his face and he nodded yet again. "Okay."
Kibum nodded back, before turning to face the door and grabbing the handle once more. "Ready?"
"Ready." There was no hesitation this time. The nerves were still there, but he wasn't alone. And that fact filled him with strength.
Kibum smiled once again before pushing the door open and walking into the audition hall. Jonghyun was quick to follow, and as he let the doors close behind him he gave the room a quick scan.
It was huge.
So huge, that it was almost terrifying to look at.
Jonghyun wasn't sure, but there was a strong chance that his eyes were bulging out of their sockets. At least now he knew why they called it the audition hall. As it literally was a hall. And a very big one at that.
The walls themselves were a stark white, with mirrors going along them completely, except for the three doors (the set they had just walked through, another single door that led to what looked like a smaller room, and the emergency fire doors at the back of the hall). There were rows upon rows of stackable chairs in one corner, and, what Jonghyun could only assume was a pile of dance mats.
At the middle of one of the main walls was a huge CD player, though nothing was currently being played thankfully. The din in the room was loud enough already without music adding to it.
And that was because the hall was full of people. Everywhere Jonghyun looked in the room he saw other kids, ranging in age, all with numbers stuck to their chests. Some were already sat in groups and pairs just chatting. Some were warming up their vocals, adding to the buzz of chatter with snippets of songs. And others were practising dance routines.
A few somewhat official looking men and women were walking around with clipboards, (Jonghyun guessed that they worked for SM) and two of them were manning the desk which was right next to the door he and Kibum had just entered through.
"You two here for the audition?" One of the men behind the desk asked, but before the boys could respond, he continued to speak. "You need to fill out the forms you've got in your hands first. There are pens here if you need them. Once you've done that, come back to the desk and we'll give you your number." He then dismissed them with a curt nod as he moved on to another set of boys who'd just entered through the doors behind them.
Jonghyun looked at Kibum bemused as they made their way into the room and found a spot against the wall. With their backpacks placed on the floor (or dropped in Jonghyun's case), they quickly sat themselves down before turning pen to paper and doing as the staff member had asked.
As Jonghyun filled out his form he couldn't help but glance at the other boy's sheet. He had such neat writing. Compared to his own chicken scratch, it looked almost like art. Looking back down at his own sheet, he scowled at one of his crossed out mistakes before continuing to scribble down his previous experience.
Obviously he had to mention his band, that was a no-brainer. He should probably list the instruments he could play as well. What else? He could sing, yeah, but he wasn't sure how exactly to phrase that without sounding like he was four years old ('Hi! My name's Kim Jonghyun, and I like to write songs and sing!'). He just linked it back to his band, and the odd time he had sung in school competitions.
"You're in a band?" Kibum's voice suddenly came, incredibly loud, in his ear as he peered over the shorter boy's shoulder.
Jonghyun jumped, quickly bringing a hand to his heart and the other clenched his knee. "My god, Kibum. Don't do that."
"Sorry." The other smirked, before poking Jonghyun in the arm. "Now answer my question."
Jonghyun glared almost playfully as he replied. "Yes I'm in a band. You didn't have to give me a heart attack to find out though."
Kibum just smirked again before continuing his interrogation. "What music do you play?"
"With my band?" Jonghyun asked as he added 'song-writing' to his list of experience. He looked up again to see Kibum nodding his head enthusiastically. "Punk."
Kibum stared at him in silence for a few moments before blinking. "Punk?"
Jonghyun frowned in wary confusion before nodding his head once in confirmation. Another beat of silence passed before the other boy burst out laughing. His laugh was loud and slightly obnoxious, and his limbs were flailing all over the place. But all the shorter boy could concentrate on was the fact that Kibum was laughing at him.
"You? A punk band?" Kibum got out between his guffaws.
Jonghyun's brows practically met as he glowered at the other. He really didn't understand what was so funny about him being in a punk band. Music was music, and punk was the way that he and his band-mates had chosen to go. "So?" He asked almost defensively.
Kibum continued to laugh, causing Jonghyun to start pouting as he stabbed at his completed form sullenly. Eventually the taller brunette managed to calm himself down, though a stray giggle would escape occasionally.
"I'm sorry, Jonghyun. You just really don't look like the kind of guy to be in a punk band."
"What do you mean?"
Kibum smirked playfully as he answered. "Well, your eyes for one. Those are eyes of a puppy, not of a punk rocker. Especially when you pout like that."
"So..." Jonghyun began as he raised an eyebrow. "I'm a puppy?"
"Yep." Kibum nodded, as if closing the matter. "You finished? We better hand in our forms and get our numbers before they decide to start the auditions without us." He said as he got to his feet in a graceful manner.
Jonghyun stared at him, with his mouth slightly open. How on earth did he do that? All the other boy had done was stand up, but it was so smooth and fluid.
Kibum met his look with a proud smirk. "I like to dance."
"Right." Jonghyun gulped, before he clambered to his own feet and followed the taller boy back to the table by the door. They quickly handed in their forms before being handed a small sticker sheet with their number on it.
"Make sure to display that where we can easily see it throughout the audition." The staff member said, as he hurriedly jotted their names next to the numbers he had just given them on his sheet. "If we can't see your number, then you can't audition." Again he dismissed them curtly as he dealt with yet more auditionees.
His last chance to back out had now passed, but Jonghyun did not regret that at all. He was nervous, yes. But he was also now filled with excitement. An excitement that Kibum apparently shared by the grin he shot at the shorter as they stuck their numbers to their chests (Kibum was 278, and Jonghyun was 279).
"I can't believe I'm really doing this." Jonghyun chuckled, nervously running a hand through his hair again.
"Same." Kibum smiled before continuing to speak. "Let's do our best."
"Right." Jonghyun nodded back, returning Key's smile.
They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment before Kibum quickly grabbed his backpack and began rummaging in it. Jonghyun watched with interest as the other boy withdrew his hand to reveal a polaroid camera. "Hey, take a picture with me."
"What?" Jonghyun blinked.
Kibum looked up at Jonghyun, clearly wondering about the shorter's mental health. "I said, take a picture with me. I want to remember today, and that means everything about it."
Jonghyun merely blinked again in response causing Kibum to roll his eyes.
"That includes you, puppy-boy." Kibum said, as he poked Jonghyun in the arm again.
"Oh. Okay." Jonghyun smiled, finally understanding what Kibum wanted. The taller boy rolled his eyes again before shuffling over to sit next to Jonghyun.
The camera was placed in front of their faces; Jonghyun smiled brightly, cocking his head to the side slightly, before the flash went off and the usual click sound reached their ears. Kibum quickly grabbed the polaroid which started to emerge from the camera before shaking it gently to aid its development.
"This had better be good, Jonghyun. Otherwise I'm blaming you for wasted film."
Jonghyun raised his hands up innocently. "It's only one picture! And I swear I didn't pull any stupid faces. Honest."
Kibum glanced at him with a smirk before continuing to shake the photo.
It was weird really. Jonghyun had only met Kibum, what... an hour ago, but already it felt like they had known each other forever. He didn't want to jinx it or anything, but he already sort of considered Kibum a friend. They didn't even know much about each other yet. And Jonghyun really hoped that they would have plenty of opportunity to get to know each other properly. He definitely wanted to keep in contact with this boy after the auditions were over. No mistaking that. He just hoped that Kibum felt the same way.
"You're lucky, Jonghyun. The picture came out alright." Kibum said waving the photo in his face.
The shorter boy laughed as he grabbed the picture out of the other's hand and turned it right side up so he could look at it. Just like Kibum had said, it hadn't come out too badly. He didn't have his eyes closed or anything, and neither did Kibum. The other was smiling just as big as Jonghyun was in the photo, and his free hand was clearly making a v-sign, though one of his fingers was cut off slightly. All in all Jonghyun quite liked it, and with a satisfied nod handed it back to the other boy.
He was just about to open his mouth to say something to Kibum, before one of the staff members clapped loudly to draw everyone's attention. A hush fell over the room and all eyes turned expectant gazes on the man.
Jonghyun smiled as the other boy quickly stashed the photo in his bag before they both paid attention. This was it. Audition time.
"Hello everyone. Welcome to SM Entertainment's recent bout of auditions. Here is how the day is going to pan out." He started before picking up a clipboard and reading out the agenda. "First, we'll be tackling the dance auditions."
Jonghyun gulped slightly at this. He didn't exactly have a lot of dance experience, and even though he knew that they would be required to dance, he still felt incredibly worried that he would end up falling on his backside or something equally as embarrassing. He was no where near as graceful as Kibum was. In fact he moved practically liked a monkey in comparison to the other boy.
"We'll run you all through some basic stretches and warm ups. You'll learn a short dance routine together, before being split into smaller groups to perform it back to us. Please perform your best, as this is an important part of the audition."
Jonghyun ran a hand through his hair nervously yet again as he quickly glanced at Kibum. That boy looked so confident that it made the older boy slightly jealous. He bit his lip, and dragged his attention back to the staff member who had briefly glanced down at his clipboard before continuing to speak.
"Then we'll move on to the group vocal side of the singing auditions. Again, we'll run you through some warm up exercises, then you'll all learn a song together. We'll split you into small groups again, where you'll have an hour to prepare a mini-performance. Remember that it's your vocal talent that we want you to showcase. Do not feel like you have to prepare any choreography as it won't be taken into account when we look back at your audition."
Vocals. Simple enough. Jonghyun knew he had a somewhat decent voice, by what everyone who had heard it before had said anyway. He may not have been the lead singer of his band but he definitely had some sort of talent, singing wise. If he was being honest, he had quite a lot of confidence when it came to the vocal side of things.
"Each group will then perform. After that you will get an hour and a half lunch break. You can leave the building if you want to, but the auditions will continue at 2.30 on the dot. After the lunch break it will be the solo interviews. We'll call you individually into the next room where we will ask you some questions and you'll perform your solo pieces for us. Everything will be recorded. Any questions?"
A lone hand was raised in the air in question, from across the other side of the room.
"Yes?"
The boy who the hand belonged to, nervously lowered it before asking his question. "Um... What time will the auditions be over? When will we be allowed to leave?"
"You can leave as soon as your solo interview is over. Just remember to sign out so we have an accurate list of who's in the building."
The boy nodded, happy with the answer.
Another hand was raised into the air.
Jonghyun was feeling a little impatient for the auditions to start now but he bit his tongue and waited for all the questions in the room to be answered.
"When will we hear back with the results of our audition?" A confident voice asked from the middle of a small group of boys in the centre of the room.
"We'll be holding auditions for the next few weeks. Once those are completed we will take a month to make our decisions. You will receive a written letter with your results and further instructions if you are successful."
The confident boy merely smirked in acceptance before leaning back on his hands. Jonghyun really didn't like the attitude the boy was giving off. There was nothing he could do about it though. Hopefully he would never have to see him again after this.
"Any more questions?" The staff member asked after no more hands had appeared in the air. "No? Good. Right then, boys, place all your belongings to the side of the hall and let's get your bodies warmed up. Good luck, with your auditions. If you are unsuccessful this time, we encourage you to try again next year."
With that, he retreated back to the desk where he took a seat and flipped through the stacks of forms. Another member of staff strode to the centre of the room to take his place and clapped his hand as well to try and motivate the auditionees. "Come on boys, on your feet."
Without needing further prompting the whole room broke into a flurry of activity, as all the boys in the room jumped up and found a space to warm up in. Jonghyun looked around the room again nervously as he moved, making sure that he was next to Kibum. The other boy smiled at him as he shot him a thumbs up.
"Let's do this thing." He said, voice b with confidence.
Jonghyun smiled back as he nodded. "Right."
The warm up lasted around half an hour, making sure all of the bodies in the room were properly stretched out and ready for the actual dance audition to begin.
That, Jonghyun could handle. Nothing too complicated. Easy stretches and things like that. That was no problem for him. But then it was just a warm up. The real test was next, learning the routine.
That was a little trickier for Jonghyun. Some of the moves they were required to learn were a little intricate and he felt like he was just stumbling through the harder parts. Each time he felt he was struggling he took a deep breath before trying again.
He was gradually getting better with it. Though there was a few points where he just could not wrap his head around the move they were meant to do. That was when he would look to Kibum. The other boy would always notice Jonghyun's eyes and would slowly move through the tricky part of the routine, making it easier for the shorter to see just how to do it; Pausing after each time, to make sure that Jonghyun had it down.
If Jonghyun wasn't mistaken, each time he did one of the tricky moves correctly, Kibum would flash him a smile that looked almost proud.
Soon enough they had learned the routine and had to dance the whole thing through a few times as one large group. Jonghyun didn't have time to look at anyone or anything else during this, as the routine needed his full attention for him to perform it correctly.
This was only a rehearsal of such, but even so he wanted to give it his best shot.
The last two times they ran through the whole routine, he managed to do all the moves correctly. He probably wasn't as good or smooth as a lot of the other boys but at least he could handle everything now. He shared a smile with Kibum before the staff all ushered them to the side where they began to call numbers out in groups of seven.
Jonghyun realised that this was why the auditions were likely to take all day... with how many boys that were in this room, it would take them around an hour for them all to perform the completed routine in small groups. Thankfully with each group that was called forward he was able to go through the routine in his head, making the smallest of physical hand movements. The last thing he wanted to do was to forget the routine they had just learned.
As Kibum's number was called, Jonghyun held his breath. He would get to see his new friend perform the whole dance routine before he had to go through it himself. He would also get to see just how good a dancer Kibum was.
And he wasn't disappointed. As the opening beats began, Jonghyun's mouth literally dropped open as Kibum began to move. That boy could definitely dance. No, that wasn't dance. That was poetry in motion.
When they had been learning the routine, even though the other boy had helped him, Jonghyun did not realise just how good a dancer Kibum was.
He clearly outshone the rest of his group, and Jonghyun could not look anywhere else but at the taller boy as he danced.
Kibum would definitely get in. No question. With his dance audition alone, Kibum would definitely get in. There was no worry in Jonghyun's mind about his friend. About himself though? That was still a mystery.
As they reached the end of the routine, Jonghyun shook his head to make himself concentrate again. He couldn't help but gape at Kibum as he returned to his side though.
"You didn't tell me you were that good a dancer!" He said, unable to mask the shock in his voice.
Kibum merely smirked as he placed a hand on his hip. "You never asked."
Jonghyun struggled to respond properly before his number was suddenly called. The look of panic that entered his eyes was enough to make Kibum squeeze his shoulder comfortingly before whispering in his ear. "You can do it."
Jonghyun gulped before joining the other boys who had been called forward. Taking a deep breath he tried to calm his rapidly beating heart as the music started playing.
Once he started moving, Jonghyun felt his concentration zoom in and he became completely focused on what he had to do. The dance moves coming a lot more naturally than when he had been nervously rehearsing them before. He was nowhere near as good as what Kibum had been, but he was still proud of his performance.
He had just completed one of the spins they had to do when he noticed that a good few of the staff members were looking his way. He decided to take that as a good thing, and when he caught Kibum's eye and saw the encouraging and proud grin he was giving him, he became filled with confidence.
After that he was able to finish off the routine without a hitch, and as the room politely applauded them, he giddily collapsed on the floor next to his friend, a smile stuck to his face. He had done it. Well, the dancing stage of the auditions anyway. Now he just had the vocals and the solo interview to worry about.
"See, I told you you could do it." Kibum smiled at him as he patted him on the back.
Jonghyun chuckled in response before sighing in relief. As pleased as he was with his performance, he was definitely glad that it was over. He was less at risk of embarrassing himself now, and with just his vocals left to be tested, he was definitely feeling a lot more confident.
The rest of the auditionees soon completed their dance auditions, group by group, and soon enough another member of the staff appeared in the centre of the room.
"Well done, everyone. That was a fantastic dance round. You may now all take a ten minute water and bathroom break, before we begin the next stage of auditions."
As soon as the man had finished speaking there was a mild rush as over half of the boys present stood and left the hall to use the toilets. Jonghyun and Kibum had remained behind, more in favour of resting and hydrating their vocal chords.
Jonghyun had just lowered his water bottle when he noticed a nervous look in Kibum's eyes. It hadn't been there before the dance auditions, but now they were moving on to the vocals, the taller boy was apparently starting to feel more nervous.
Unsure of what to do, Jonghyun cleared his throat, gaining the other's attention. "So, what experience do you have singing wise? Since you didn't tell me that you were an amazing dancer, I want to be prepared this time." He smiled.
Kibum chuckled slightly before leaning back to rest against the mirror. "Not much, if I'm being honest. I've been told I have a nice voice, but I'm not nearly as confident with singing as I am with dancing."
"I'm the complete opposite." Jonghyun smiled, trying to ease Kibum's nervousness slightly. "I'm a lot more confident with singing than with dancing."
"Well, you definitely did well with your dancing audition, Jonghyun."
"Exactly. If I did well with my dancing, then you will do well with your singing." Jonghyun nodded as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Though I'm pretty sure you've already gotten in. Your dance audition was just... wow."
"It was not." Kibum rolled his eyes.
"Are you kidding? The staff couldn't take their eyes off of you. You should have seen the looks the other boys in your group were giving you. They knew that you had wiped the floor with them."
Kibum merely shook his head, not believing a word that the shorter boy was saying. "We'll see."
Jonghyun rolled his eyes before he stretched his legs out straight in front of him. "So, are there any other talents you have, that I should know about?"
Kibum brought a hand up to his face and lightly tapped a finger against his mouth as he thought. "Well... I rap. I plan to show a bit of it during my solo interview."
"You rap?"
"Yep."
"That's so awesome. I've never really known anyone who could rap. I mean, not to the point of them auditioning with their supposed skills." Jonghyun smile, enthusiasm radiating out of him.
"Jonghyun... Your tail's wagging." Kibum dead-panned, before he started giggling softly. Jonghyun merely rolled his eyes again before playfully shoving the other's shoulder, causing him to fall sideways.
Kibum shot him a playful glare as he sat back up, before having to roll his own eyes at the smirk on the shorter boy's face.
"Seriously though, you'll have to rap for me sometime so I can hear."
"Only if you play me one of the songs you've written." Kibum countered.
"Wait, how did you know I write songs?" Jonghyun frowned slightly.
"I read your form over your shoulder remember?"
"Oh yeah." Jonghyun scowled before he shrugged. "Well, I don't have my guitar with me so it's going to have to be another time."
"That's fine by me." Kibum smiled before poking the side of Jonghyun's head. "I'm holding you to that you know. I will not let you rest until you play me a song."
Jonghyun smiled, partly from Kibum's playful manner and partly from what the other boy had just said. If Kibum was going to make sure that Jonghyun played a song for him, then that would mean they would have to keep in contact after the auditions were over. A warmth rushed through him, as he shrugged trying to seem nonchalant.
"Fine." His act failed though when he couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his face. Kibum grinned back before another loud clap reached their ears and their attention was drawn to another staff member.
"Your ten minutes are now up. So, let's continue with some vocal warm ups."
Jonghyun winked at Kibum before squeezing his shoulder reassuringly as they got to their feet and returned to the lines they had stood in before when learning the dance.
During the short break a piano had been wheeled into the room, which one of the staff members was now sat it. He ran them all through some scales, and the usual warm up practices that was used at every singing lesson. Jonghyun smiled to himself at the familiarity of it all.
Once their vocal chords were all warmed up and ready to go, they were all handed some sheet music to a very popular song that was currently out. Jonghyun already knew it, as did everyone else in the room apparently considering the whole room was humming happily with the choice.
"Now, you should all know this song. But just in case some of you don't, we'll sing it through verse by verse, before running it with the piano. If that goes off without a hitch we'll switch to the proper backing track, and then divide you into your groups." The staff member in charge of the vocal portion said as he stood just in front of the piano.
Jonghyun wished they could just skip straight to using the actual backing track, but he realised that it was only fair on everyone if they worked through the song first. He was just impatient to start singing properly really.
Slowly but surely they worked their way through the song, learning all the correct notes and timing. Everyone's voices blended together well, sounding almost like a huge choir. Though without all the harmonies as they had only learnt the basic melody. It sounded really nice in Jonghyun's ears though.
He grinned excitedly catching Kibum's eye. The other merely rolled his eyes playfully as they began the first run through with the piano. He didn't look as nervous now that they had begun singing, and Jonghyun relaxed slightly. Kibum had helped him to fight his nerves earlier and it was the least he could do for him to try and return the favour.
The run throughs with the piano ran completely smoothly, so the staff quickly moved them on to using the backing track. They made them sing through the track a few times as they walked around making notes on their clipboards. Jonghyun suspected that they were determining the groups that they would be split into once the run throughs had finished. He hoped against hope that he and Kibum would be put in the same group.
Unfortunately as numbers were called out and groups split off into different corners and spots in the room to work out how they were going to perform the song as a group, Jonghyun's number was called first and Kibum's wasn't. Jonghyun frowned and looked to the other boy, pouting. Kibum shrugged before smiling sadly at him as his group wandered to the right side of the room and sat in a circle next to the mirrored wall.
As they all took their seats, Jonghyun heard Kibum's number being called and quickly swivelled his head around to see where his friend ended up. The taller boy's group had situated themselves at the opposite side of the room, causing Jonghyun to pout harder.
He sighed, resigning himself to an hour or so without Kibum being right next to him. He was sure he could manage, they had only met today after all, but as soon as this portion of the audition was over he was going straight back to his friend.
He returned his attention back to the rest of his group and they set about splitting their lines and working out whose voices worked well together. They decided to put some harmonies in seeing as Jonghyun had quite a high voice that worked really well with pretty much everyone else in his group.
It was amazing, but the hour they had been given to put together a mini performance shot by so quickly that Jonghyun wondered if they had even taken an hour at all. His group had just been running through the whole song for the forth time when the staff members had called everyone to attention and started to call the groups forward one by one to show their results.
The vocal talent in the room was quite astounding. Granted there were some people there who clearly had untrained voices, but every group used that to their advantage, giving those boys just the right lines to showcase their natural abilities. Everyone was singing to their best and Jonghyun could feel his nerves prickling in his stomach again.
He glanced over at Kibum at the other side of the room and caught his eye. The taller boy gave him a nervous smile, which Jonghyun responded to by giving him a thumbs up and an encouraging nod. If he, himself, was feeling this nervous, he dreaded to think what Kibum was currently feeling seeing as he had said earlier that he didn't have as much confidence with his vocals than with his dancing.
It was then that Jonghyun's group was called forward to perform their version of the song. As they stood up and took their positions in the centre of the room, Jonghyun clawed and unclawed his hands trying to release his nervous energy. He could do this.
They had worked out some basic choreography during their short rehearsal time, so they weren't just stood there like tin soldiers. It wasn't anything overly complicated, just switching where they were stood and easy to learn hand movements, that sort of thing. If they had had more time they likely would have choreographed something slightly more intricate, but the staff had said that it wouldn't really be taken into account anyway. They still had decided though that they wanted to include a little bit of movement at least.
They managed all their vocals perfectly. The harmonies were spot on and their group work sounded really good, at least in Jonghyun's opinion. When it came to his solo parts though, he was completely focused on giving the best performance he could, practically singing directly to the staff members. He was pleased that when he hit the power note in the song that the staff all nodded with smiles on their faces. That boded very well for his chances.
As Jonghyun hit the last note of the song, and the backing track played to the end, he noticed that all the staff members were furiously scribbling something down on their clipboards. Of course they had been writing stuff down after all the performances but it seemed a good few of them were using a lot more pressure this time.
A smile quirked his lips, as the whole room was silent for a beat after they had finished before they all applauded enthusiastically. The other boys in his group all clapped him on the back and he congratulated them in return as they walked back to their seats against the mirrors.
As he sat down his eyes landed on Kibum who was staring at him with wide eyes and an open mouth. Jonghyun frowned slightly, silently asking the other boy, by his expression, how he had done. Kibum's face broke into a grin as he nodded happily, eyes still wide with the shock he was apparently feeling.
Still, Jonghyun felt relieved. Kibum had basically said he had done well, and he personally felt that he had done the best that he could have. All he had left to do was to impress with his solo interview and then await the results.
Two groups later and Kibum's was called forward to perform. Jonghyun flashed him a reassuring smile again as he nodded encouragingly. The other boy smiled back in thanks before taking his place with the rest of his group.
As the music began again, Jonghyun leant forward in his seat to watch Kibum's performance. Granted, from where he was sat, he was only really able to see the other boy's back but at least he would still be able to hear his voice.
His smile stayed fixed on his face throughout Kibum's entire performance. The taller boy's voice had such a unique tone to it and it flowed into his ears making him want to hear even more from the boy.
With his vocals here and his previous dance audition, Jonghyun knew that Kibum would definitely be accepted. The other boy was performing perfectly and in Jonghyun's eyes he had everything that SM Entertainment was looking for. He just hoped that he, himself, had done enough to get accepted too.
The group's choreography was a bit more complicated than what Jonghyun's group had done, but it worked for the group that Kibum was in. And as they all switched places, Kibum caught Jonghyun's eye and shot him a smirk. He was glad to see that Kibum's confidence was back up now and that his nerves had lessened, at least enough for him to perform really well.
Kibum's group soon reached the end of their audition and Jonghyun applauded along with the other boys in the room, grinning broadly at the taller boy as he looked over for Jonghyun's reaction. He nodded in answer of Kibum's unanswered question. He'd definitely done well. The taller boy smiled in relief as he sat down, and the next group took the floor in the centre of the room.
Jonghyun watched the other groups, politely applauding once they were finished. Occasionally he would look over at Kibum and they would share a smile or a nod, before returning their attention to the auditions. Eventually the last group finished their performance and a staff member called everyone to attention.
"Well done, boys. You've now all completed the main portion of the auditions. We've all been very impressed by your performances, and you are all going to make our decisions very hard." He said, as the other staff members nodded their heads in agreement. "You are now granted an hour and a half lunch break, and the solo interviews will begin at 2.30. Your numbers will be called in a random order so please be here from the start. If you are not here for when your number is called, then I'm afraid that is the end of the line for your audition. Any questions?"
The room remained silent, much to Jonghyun's relief. He just wanted to go on their break now as his hunger was starting to niggle at him slightly. He glanced at Kibum out of the corner of his eye. He really hoped the other boy would want to stick together during the break, just as much as he did.
"Great." The staff member continued. "Then we shall see you all at 2.30."
Now dismissed, all the boys in the room got to their feet and went in search of their belongings. By the time Jonghyun had reached his backpack, Kibum had joined him again and had swung his own backpack over one shoulder.
"So, where are we going? He asked, calming Jonghyun's fears that the other boy would abandon him once they were free to break for lunch.
"Uh... I don't know. Did you have anywhere in mind?"
"Jonghyun. I'm not from Seoul, remember? I don't know where anything is." Kibum smirked as he placed a hand on his hip.
"Oh yeah, sorry." He chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, how much do you want to eat?"
"I'm not particularly hungry." Kibum shrugged. "Just something small to keep me going is fine."
"Okay." Jonghyun nodded, scrunching up his nose as he thought. "Well there's a little café round the corner that should suffice. You up for that?"
Kibum shrugged again. "Sounds fine."
"Great. Follow me, then." Jonghyun smiled before leading the other boy out of the audition hall and back through the building.
He was feeling a lot more relaxed this time as they walked through the corridor, past the reception desk and out of the front doors. A complete turn around from when they had entered the building. Not that the nerves had completely vanished. Oh no, they were still there. Just not as strong as before seeing as they only had one section of the auditions left to go through. Though the solo interviews were probably the most important of the day, so he couldn't relax completely until the auditions were over.
"Now, you're sure we're not going to get lost?" Kibum asked playfully as they walked down the steps outside of the building.
"The café is literally just around the corner, so it would be kind of impossible for us to get lost." Jonghyun chuckled. "Plus, I live here so I know the area pretty well." He winked.
"Well, you never know." Kibum shrugged. "You might have a really bad sense of direction."
Jonghyun stuck his tongue out, playfully, at the other boy. "We won't get lost, Kibum. I promise."
"I'll hold you to that." Kibum smirked as they turned a corner and continued to walk down the road.
Only a few moments later and Jonghyun signalled for the taller boy to follow him into a building. He had been to this café quite a few times before, as it was in a fairly central area of the town but was quite a quiet place for him to eat and gain some peace.
He frequently sat in a booth with his notebook and pen in front of him as he tried to write another song. Sometimes his band-mates would be with him, other times he would be alone. But he always liked to come here if he had the time. The food here wasn't too bad either.
As soon as they were through the doors, Jonghyun detoured straight to his usual booth, dropping his backpack onto the seat next to him. Kibum didn't hesitate to slide himself into the seat opposite, looking around with mild interest at the café
Jonghyun grinned at him before handing him a menu.
"They sell all sorts here really, so I'm sure you'll be able to find something you like." He nodded.
Kibum nodded distractedly in response as he peered at the menu. Jonghyun simply left him in peace while he did that, choosing instead to check his phone for any messages. He had one from his mother wishing him luck and some of his band-mates were asking how it was going. He quickly typed up and sent replies before looking up to see Kibum watching him.
"What?" He blinked.
Kibum opened his mouth to speak but an employee of the café appeared at the side of their booth.
"What can I get you?"
They both quickly recited their orders, as the employee scribbled down on her note pad. They had both gone for something light and quick to eat. Just enough to keep them going throughout the solo interviews.
In Jonghyun's eyes he was too nervous to really eat anything substantial and he could easily grab something else to eat afterwards. He only guessed that Kibum would be eating properly with his parents once everything was done and over with.
"So, we just have the interviews left to go now." He smiled, placing his phone on the table as he leant back against the backrest.
"Yep, our last chance to impress." The other boy nodded.
"You've already impressed them, Kibum." Jonghyun smiled. "Your vocals were amazing and your dancing was outstanding. You're already in."
"And what about you huh? You never told me you had such an amazing voice. You were holding out on me."
"I did say that I had more confidence in my singing than my dancing..." He shrugged.
"Yeah, but you didn't outright say that you had a voice like that." Key said, pointedly raising an eyebrow.
"Sorry." Jonghyun winced with a soft chuckle.
Kibum rolled his eyes before leaning forward on the table slightly. "Well if I've got in after what we've done so far, then you definitely have."
"You think?" Jonghyun asked, tilting his head to the side.
"Your tail's wagging again." Kibum chuckled before nodding. "You've definitely impressed them with your vocals. I would be so incredibly shocked if you didn't get in."
"We'll both get in." Jonghyun smiled.
It wasn't long before their orders arrived and they begun to nibble at their food. Jonghyun had just swallowed what was in his mouth when Kibum, after putting his glass of water back down, held out his hand.
"Give me your phone."
Jonghyun blinked a few times before frowning in confusion. "What?"
"I said, give me your phone."
"Why?"
Kibum rolled his eyes before just leaning over and plucking it off of the table next to Jonghyun's arm. Jonghyun let out a noise of protest which the other boy ignored as he flipped it open and began to type.
"Kibum." He whined, but was completely ignored. Huffing to himself he leant across the table in an attempt to get it back.
"Wait. I'm not done." Kibum snapped quickly, leaning back to avoid the shorter boy's hands.
"What are you doing with my phone?"
"Just wait."
Jonghyun reluctantly flopped back against the seat and, with a pout, crossed his arms across his chest.
A few moments of typing later, and Kibum flipped the phone shut. As he looked up and saw the disgruntled look on Jonghyun's face, he playfully rolled his eyes before offering the phone to the other boy. Jonghyun continued to pout for a second before he quickly swiped the phone out of Kibum's hand and hugged it protectively to his chest.
The curiosity got the better of him, however, and he quickly opened his phone to see what Kibum had been doing with it.
"Relax, Jonghyun. I didn't damage it or anything. I just gave you my number."
The shorter boy glanced up at his new friend, and noticed the amused expression on his face. "Your number?"
"Yeah. So you can tell me if you get in or not."
Jonghyun felt a smile spread across his face at this. A smile which Kibum returned.
"Sure." He nodded before quickly sending Kibum a text. "And... now you have my number."
The text had only said 'hi', but it didn't exactly need to be eloquent. He was only sending the other boy his phone number after all.
"I hope you realise that I now have a legitimate method to bug you into playing one of your songs for me." Kibum smirked.
Jonghyun laughed. "Hey, I said I'd do it as long as I get to hear you rap."
"Fine." Kibum rolled his eyes. "But not right now. Got to focus on the rest of the audition, after all. Another time though, I promise."
"Deal." Jonghyun grinned.
They spent the rest of their break just chatting about random topics, just getting to know each other better. And the more Jonghyun found out about the other boy, the more he liked him. He had definitely met a friend for life today, there was no mistaking that. And since Kibum had given him his number, he knew that the other boy was planning on keeping in touch with him after this.
For some reason that filled him with confidence and when they made their way back into the audition hall ready for the next and final stage of auditions, he didn't panic once. His nerves were mostly under control, only occasionally peeking up to remind him that he wasn't quite finished yet. But they were a lot more under control than they had been previously.
They quickly signed back in before returning to their spot by the mirrors. They had no idea when they would be called into the next room, but they were not going to risk missing it at all. Which was why they had returned fifteen minutes before they needed to be. They weren't the only ones to return early though. There was a handful of other auditionees already in the room when they re-entered, and more and more appeared once they had sat down.
Once the majority of the auditionees had returned, and the fifteen minutes had passed, one of the staff members stood at the front of the room again.
"Welcome back everyone, we hope you had a nice lunch break. The solo interviews will now begin. We'll call you into the next room one at time, and once your interview is over you are free to then leave." He nodded. "Thank you all for auditioning."
As he finished, another staff member stepped forward, called out a number that wasn't Jonghyun's or Kibum's, before entering the next room through the single door at the side of the room. A highly nervous boy was quick to follow him, and with that the interviews began.
To pass the time whilst they waited for their numbers to be called, Jonghyun and Kibum played a few random games (with Kibum winning the majority of the time, much to Jonghyun's chagrin), had a short poking war (which resulted in Jonghyun getting hit an awful lot thanks to Kibum's flailing limbs), and did a few vocal warm ups to make sure they were completely ready for their interview. Kibum also did a few stretches as well as apparently he wanted to showcase his dancing a little more as well as his rapping skills.
Jonghyun kind of wished that he had had the thought to bring his guitar with him, but when leaving the house that morning he had been driven by nerves. He almost forgot to put shoes on before he walked out the door, he was that nervous. He briefly wondered if anyone would lend him one, but decided against asking. He had included it on his form anyway, so they would know what skills he possessed when looking back over his audition.
As each number was called, and the amount of audtionees in the room started to go down, Jonghyun felt his nerves inching their way back up. He was starting to feel a little bit sick again and was suddenly glad that he hadn't eaten overly much during their break. He wiped a hand across his face before quickly grabbing his bottle for a gulp of water. He felt someone calmly place a hand on his back before rubbing in soothing circles. He glanced over his shoulder to see Kibum smiling at him reassuringly.
"You'll ace it. You're already in, remember?"
"I wish I had your confidence, Kibum." Jonghyun admitted as he chuckled with pure nervous energy.
Kibum shook his head. "Jonghyun, I'm just as nervous as you are. I just hide it better."
"Well then, I wish I was better at hiding it like you." Jonghyun laughed, causing Kibum to smirk amusedly before laughing himself.
It was just as their laughter was dying down that Kibum's number was called, causing both boys to freeze suddenly. Kibum looked at Jonghyun with wide eyes and gulped slightly. Trying not to panic himself on behalf of his friend, Jonghyun grabbed the other boys hand and squeezed it firmly yet reassuringly.
"You can do it, Kibum." He said, trying to build the other boy's confidence. He didn't care if skinship wasn't appropriate at this time. He wanted to calm his friend, and that was exactly what he was going to do.
Kibum nodded before giving Jonghyun a thankful smile. "Right. I'll see you soon then."
Jonghyun just nodded in reply before Kibum stood and followed a staff member through the door into the interview room. As the door closed, Jonghyun all but collapsed backwards so he was led on the floor. He now had to sit and wait by himself.
He stared up at the ceiling, just listening to the general buzz of the rest of the boys for a while. The sound was strangely calming. He began controlling his breathing, and drew his attention and focus into himself in preparation. He could be called in next for all he knew, so it was best for him to be prepared, just in case.
How long he led like that, he wasn't sure. It was only when his muscles started to cramp slightly that he dragged himself onto his feet and began to shake his limbs out. Kibum had to be returning soon, and then he could find out how it had gone for the other boy. He could find out what kind of questions they asked, and what the set up was like in the room. If he could be as prepared as possible then maybe he would stand more of a chance of getting in.
He had just begun to claw and unclaw his hands again when he saw the interview room door open and a relieved Kibum walk out of it. Jonghyun's eyes lit up as he saw the other boy automatically make his way through the room over to him. His curiosity was practically exploding out of him now that his friend was finished. Millions of questions scrolling through his mind ready to be asked.
"So, how did it go?" He finally got out as Kibum reached his side.
The other boy grinned at him and was just about to reply when Jonghyun's own number was called. It was time for his own solo interview.
Kibum patted Jonghyun on the back before pushing him slightly in the direction of the doors. "Good luck. You can do it."
Jonghyun flashed Kibum a smile over his shoulder as he crossed the hall and walked through the door to the interview room. On walking in he saw that the room was set up simply with a long table at one end and the rest of the room being free for the auditionees. Behind the table was sat around five people, a few of them were staff, but the others were clearly important people within the SM Entertainment company.
He bowed respectfully before taking the spot in the middle of the room that was marked out with tape. He clenched and unclenched his hands as he took a breath before introducing himself.
"Hello. I'm Kim Jonghyun, audition number 279. It's nice to meet you." He bowed again. The five people behind the desk nodded their head in response before they began asking him questions.
They asked a lot about his previous experience with his band; about the instruments he played; how long he'd been singing for; just why he wanted to work with SM Entertainment. They pretty much asked all the questions that he had expected them to, and he replied to the best of his ability.
When they asked about his song-writing and if he could sing one of his songs for them, he didn't hesitate to comply. He did apologise for not having his guitar but they were more than happy to listen to his song with straight vocals. He hoped that he wasn't mistaken when he saw an impressed look in some of their eyes. He didn't get too long to dwell on it before they asked him to finally sing the piece he had prepared for them.
As the backing track began to play, Jonghyun took a deep breath before beginning to sing. This was the moment he had been preparing most for. He had worked on this song for weeks before hand, and now it was all paying off, as he was singing the best he had ever done before.
This was his possible future in their hands right now, so he had to impress them. He had to. All he ever wanted to do was write music and perform. He didn't know what he would do if he did fail the audition. Possibly try again the following year but that would all depend on if he had managed to get his confidence back up by then. And then if he failed again, he would likely have to re-evaluate his future and try to see if he could go a different path.
Music was his passion though. And he didn't really want to think about his life being without it.
As he finished the song, the others in the room all applauded, bringing a smile to his face. He had done it. There was nothing else he could now. His audition was over, and his future was now in their hands. He just hoped that he had done enough.
"Thank you for auditioning today. We shall write to you with the results of your audition, and further instructions if you are successful."
"Thank you." Jonghyun bowed again before making his way out of the room. His legs now felt like jelly, and he was amazed that he was even able to stay upright. All the nerves, all the stress, all the worry... it had all seeped out of him as he had been singing, and now he felt relief coupled with disbelief. He had done it.
When he came back to his senses, he looked over to the spot him and Kibum had claimed all day and was pleased to see the other boy was still waiting there. He hadn't left even though he was able to after he had finished his own audition. He had stayed and waited for Jonghyun to finish, and, if it was even possible, the grin on his face grew even more.
Kibum was practically bouncing with curiosity and as soon as Jonghyun had reached his side had pounced on him.
"So? Did it go okay?"
Jonghyun couldn't wipe the smile off his face, even if he was able to. He nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah. Yeah it went well."
Kibum's own mouth spread into a grin at this and he was practically shaking the shorter boy as he responded. "See! I told you!"
Jonghyun laughed happily as he batted Kibum's hands away. "Okay, okay." He chuckled. "Now we just have to wait for the results."
"Yep." Kibum nodded. "And you best let me know if you get in or not. Otherwise I will not hesitate to hunt you down and flay you alive."
"I promise that as soon as I get the letter, I'll ring you and open it over the phone to you, okay?" Jonghyun grinned.
"Deal." Kibum grinned back. They had both started to pack up their belongings by now, ready for them to leave. The audition was over for them both, and they didn't really have any reason to linger.
"So what are you going to do now?" Jonghyun asked as he swung his backpack onto his back again.
"Meet up with my parents." Kibum shrugged. "We'll probably head back home fairly soon." He finished as he too equipped himself with his backpack and distractedly flicked his hair out of his eyes.
Jonghyun nodded, and they both began to walk out of the audition hall. As they reached the reception desk, they remembered to sign out of the building, and after giving the receptionist a parting wave, they left through the doors that Jonghyun had struggled to enter through at the start of the day.
They both paused once they reached the bottom of the steps, suddenly feeling slightly awkward. Jonghyun cleared his throat as his hands found the inside of his pockets again.
"Make sure you let me know when you get home, okay?" He asked.
"I will." Kibum nodded. He smiled softly at the shorter boy.
"And make sure to keep in contact."
"Oh don't worry. I fully intend on making sure you sing one of your songs to me." Kibum chuckled. "I'll be in touch, no worries about that one." He winked.
Jonghyun laughed before nodding. "Good."
They both stood in a companionable silence for a few seconds before Kibum sighed, adjusting the backpack on his shoulder. "Well, I better get going and meet my parents. And yes, I'll make sure to let you know when I get home." He smirked, as Jonghyun opened his mouth to ask him once again.
Instead Jonghyun chuckled before letting his usual habits take over as he grabbed the taller boy for a hug. Kibum froze up for a second before he too wrapped his arms around Jonghyun's back.
"It was so great to get to meet you, Kibum."
"It was great to meet you too, Jonghyun."
The shorter boy nodded as he pulled away and grinned at his friend. "I'll see you soon, okay?"
"Okay." Kibum nodded before raising a hand and giving Jonghyun a small wave. "Bye, Jonghyun."
"Goodbye."
And it was both with reluctance that they turned and began to walk in the opposite direction. Kibum towards where he had left his parents' car earlier to call and meet up with them, and Jonghyun in the direction of the bus stop he would need to get home.
Today had been quite an interesting day for Jonghyun. His nerves and emotions had been all over the place, though thankfully he hadn't cried once. No, that was likely more going to happen when he found out if he was in or not. He had done all he could do in the audition, and he just hoped and against all other hopes that both he, and Kibum, got in.
Aside from the audition itself, meeting Kibum had probably been one of the main highlights of the day for Jonghyun. There was just something about that boy that completely intrigued him. They were so different but they complimented each other well. From the moment they had met on the front steps of the building, they had just gotten on so well. He was pretty sure that he now had a friend for life, and Jonghyun fully planned on clinging to Kibum, whether he liked it or not.
He actually felt exceedingly lucky for meeting Kibum that day. There was something special there, in the boy himself and with their new-found friendship. Something special, that Jonghyun cherished, and he couldn't wait to see what the future would hold for them both.
And a month or so later when his letter arrived telling him he had been accepted into SM Entertainment, and he had sobbed into the phone at Kibum to find out that the other boy had been accepted as well, Jonghyun knew that it was all thanks to Kibum that he had been accepted. It was because of Kibum that he had performed to the standard he had. Kibum's confidence in him, and calming influence had him performing to his best.
It was thanks to Kibum that he now had a chance of making his dreams come true. And he would be forever thankful for that.
And he hoped that now they were on the music path together that he would have a chance to repay the boy.
Kibum was something special. Their friendship was special. And their futures were now led open for them.
Would they be together every step of the way? They certainly planned on it.
Would they support each other non-stop? Definitely.
Would they be there for each other when the stress got a little too much for them? Without fail.
That's what best friends are for, after all.
They would be there for each other through thick and thin now, no matter what.
That day when they had auditioned had truly been the luckiest day of Jonghyun's life. Not just because he had been accepted as a trainee for SM Entertainment... but because that had been the day he had met Kibum, and his life had changed forever.
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