Thursday Night, Winter Break

The Plaza.

"Do I look alright?" Minhyuk asked Changsub nervously as he tried to flatten his bangs.

Changsub made an irritated face.

"You're the school's superstar you'd probably look just as good in a trash bag." He grumbled.

"He means you look fine." Hyunsik translated.

Minhyuk's confused face turned into a rather awkward smile.

"Ah…that's a relief. Sorry I just want to look nice when I see her you know?"

His smile went very dreamy and Changsub had to cough to conceal his urge to gag.

"Changsub don't pretend to be innocent. You make the same face with Chorong." Hyunsik said, catching Changsub in the arm.

"I do not!" Changsub retorted.

As the three boys approached the plaza, they noticed a small crowd gathered around a girl strumming away on her guitar to a pleasantly light-hearted tune.

It was Minah.

"Oh there she is." Minhyuk exclaimed.

He ran up to the front with Changsub and Hyunsik following a little ways behind. When they caught up with Minhyuk, he was already taking out his phone to record.

Minah smiled and nodded in their direction as she continued to play.

Her voice, though not the most trained, was gentle and soothing in a soulful kind of way and Changsub could see why Minhyuk was attracted to her musicality.

You give me butter butterfly

Cause you are my lover

You give me butter butterfly

You give me you give me

I thought I knew but now I don't

Maybe something happens to me

You suddenly start to shine and twinkle

So all day, I'm looking at you

These feelings might reach you

"What a strange choice…singing about butterflies in the middle of winter…" Changsub thought with amusement.

A scattering of applause followed the end of the song and with a few people stepping forward to drop bills into Minah's open guitar case.

She thanked her small audience then waved to the boys.

"I'm so glad you made it." She said with a sunny smile.

"You were great as always ssaem." Minhyuk replied.

"Oppa…you don't have to call me that I'm not your teacher anymore." Minah laughed.

She then turned her attention to Changsub and Hyunsik.

"And you must be the genius guitar roommate." She said to Hyunsik.

"I play a bit." Hyunsik chuckled.

"He's amazing." Minhyuk said enthusiastically. "I couldn't believe it the first time I saw him learn an entire song in just 3 minutes."

"It's just simple chord progressions…" Changsub muttered.

"What are those?" Asked Minhyuk.

Minah laughed.

"Didn't I try to teach you about chord progressions before?" She questioned.

Minhyuk sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

"You probably did and I didn't understand." He admitted apologetically.

"Don't worry, we'll get you caught up on the theory stuff in no time." Hyunsik said, patting Minhyuk's shoulder.

"You really think I'll get it?"

"Yeah it's not that hard."

"Who knows oppa, it might sink in better the second time around with someone else explaining it." Minah added encouragingly.

Minhyuk grinned.

"Oh I can't wait until I can be good enough to play for people. Busking looks like so much fun! Have either of you guys done it before?" He asked Changsub and Hyunsik.

"Not really…" Changsub said, shaking his head.

His playing was usually reserved for moody sulking sessions in the practice rooms or for 'productive procrastination' when he didn’t feel like doing homework.

Minah suddenly stood up and held out her guitar.

"Why don't you give it a try?" She suggested.

"R-right now?" Changsub blurted in surprise.

"Yeah! You guys are musicians right? I'm sure you can whip out something fun."

Changsub looked at Hyunsik who shrugged.

"I'm game." Said Hyunsik.

He took the guitar from Minah and slung the strap over his shoulder.

"We haven't practiced anything though…" Changsub protested.

"Oh but that's half the fun! Don't worry, I'll sing along too if you're nervous. How about an old crowd fave like After the Play Ends?"

Hyunsik smiled.

"Sounds good. I'm ready when you are."

"Alright! Here we go crash and burn!" Minah announced cheerily.

Changsub began to panic slightly as Hyunsik started playing but Minah gave him an encouraging smile and signaled that she would start singing first.

After the play is over

I remain alone in the auditorium

The stage with the lights off

Have you seen it?

As she finished the first verse she motioned for Changsub to take over and handed him the mic.

Changsub glanced around at the people watching and felt his heartrate picking up, but with the mic in his hands and nowhere to escape he did the only thing he could.

"Just sing."

He closed his eyes briefly then began so sing the next verse, tentatively at first, but then with more confidence as he found that his voice was actually holding steady instead of cracking the way he'd expected.

There was something exhilarating about being able to see the smiles from the passersby up close. It was a drastically different feeling from singing alone in a sound proofed room, or fooling around at noraebang with friends.

"This is real…" Changsub thought in amazement as he momentarily caught eyes with Minah.

Somehow he couldn't help but smile.

It wasn't just her. It was the new world she'd opened up for him in the middle of the plaza, the stage she'd made from a couple of cold concrete steps, the audience she'd pulled from the sea of strangers wandering the street, and the gift of music which they were now sharing through a totally impromptu performance.

Changsub and Minah sang their last note in harmony with a little guitar riff from Hyunsik at the end, drawing a smattering of applause from the modest crowd surrounding them.

"Oh my gosh you guys were so good!"

Minhyuk, who'd been recording the whole performance, quickly put away his phone and began applauding loudly while Minah pushed Changsub and Hyunsik to the front to take a bow.

"See, it's pretty fun isn't it?" Said Minah as Hyunsik returned her guitar and Changsub retreated a bit from the view of the onlookers.

"Yeah…" Changsub answered breathlessly.

He still couldn’t quite believe what had just happened but in a strange way he didn't mind the butterflies.

"I could get used to this…I could even do it again…"

His brain jogged up the memory of the time when Chorong had suggested starting an indie band and suddenly that idea seemed much more doable than it had when she'd first brought it up.

"I could really be a singer…" 

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Songs in this Chapter

Butterfly (Minah)

After the Play Ends (Changsub & Elkie ft. Minhyuk)

After the Play Ends original (Sharp)

A/N  I don't know why but I got so excited writing this chapter like literally butterflies I don't know whyyy.

Maybe because it's such a turning point for Changsub finding the gateway to his career lol. 

Ahhhhh but what happens now???

P.S. I relate so much with the idea of productive procrastination lmao.