It was an ordinary spring day that found you sitting in your usual spot in the bleachers, sketching away at car designs while keeping an eye on the activities going on around you. Kai, Baekhyun, Lay, Luhan, Sehun, and Tao were testing out  some of their early trial models  while the rest were working on their blaance and elasticity on the lawn. Several laptops around you collected data from the vehicles, which you would later analyze to determine further modifications.

 

You glanced over at Chanyeol and Kris who were currently doing stretches. The two towers had no flexibility at all. Discomfort was evident on both their faces as they pulled their limbs into positions they probably never attempted before. Xiumin, Suho, Chen, and D.O were in various stages of balance training. Suho was on a board suspended over a ball, trying his best to remain immobile with a stack of books on his head. Chen and Xiumin were both on five-foot stilts, each trying to trip the other. D.O was walking with his hands, legs sticking straight up, his face scrunched up in concentration.

 

"It looks like you're running a circus down there," a voice rang in your ear. You whipped around to see Sooyoung grinning at you, holding her ever-present clipboard and carrying a black messenger bag. You shrugged.

 

"My methods are weird, but they work. What's in the bag?"

 

Sooyoung gave you an uncomfortable, almost apologetic smile. "It's that time of year again."

 

You tilted your head in confusion while Sooyoung fumbled through the contents of her bag. Your expression then passed through recognition, disgust, and resignation as she pulled out a square enveloped made out of a heavy, artfully aged paper, embossed with gold swirls. She handed it to you, before fishing out a stack of identical ones.

 

You snorted. "Old er doesn't waste any time, does he," you said, more to yourself than to Sooyoung. You then picked up the loudspeaker on the ground beside your feet.

 

"Guys, come up here for a sec," you called to the group on the lawn, and repeated to the one on the track through a microphone attached to one of your laptops. When they had all gathered around you, with D.O nearly tripping and falling backwards over a bench in dizziness before Xiumin and Chanyeol helped him to a seat, you nodded at Sooyoung.

 

"Sooyoung's got something for you," you stated tonelessly as she handed out the other envelopes. There was a moment of silence while the boys opened their envelopes and read the golden script on the card inside.

 

"Your presence is cordially requested..." Suho began.

 

"...at the annual Spring Gala," finished Baekhyun.

 

"That's it? What gala? Who? What?" Kai searched in the envelope again, wondering if there was some other attachment. Meanwhile, Chen had flipped over his invitation.

 

"Location upon RSVP," he read off the back, then looked at you in confusion.

 

You grinned at their bewildered faces.

 

"Everybody that gets the invitation usually already knows who sent it by the extravagance of the packaging," you said, holding up your own unopened invitation.

 

"The Spring Gala is one of the biggest events of the year in the Seoul Circuits. It's co-hosted by three of the biggest names in the game - SM, YG, and JYP. The gala basically announces the start of the racing season," Sooyoung explained.

 

"It's the evening when they make the most money, since the biggest sponsors always attend. Contracts are made and renewed and crap," you added. "It's also the evening they introduce their new teams."

 

Several heads snapped up at that.

 

"You mean-" Luhan began.

 

"Congrats guys, you're debuting."

 

You expected them to burst into cheers or start jumping around and hugging, but a dead silence greeted your words. It was as if they'd all suddenly become statues.

 

"Guys...?" you asked uncertainly, looking around at the blank faces you could see. A few had their heads bowed, staring at the pieces of paper clutched in their hands.

 

"You're serious, right? This isn't some kind of ed up joke?" Kai broke the silence, though his attempt at his usual abrasiveness was marred by his shaking voice.

 

"I'm not kidding. This is it," you said slowly, softly.

 

"Oh my God." He dropped onto a bench, head in his hands.

 

By now, you were incredibly uncomfortable. You felt as if you were intruding on something private. A small sniff behind you made you turn around. It took you a second to figure out where it had come from before you spotted a tear falling from Tao's lowered head onto the invitation.

 

'What...?'

 

"Tao, are you alright...?" You hesitantly reached out to him, only to receive a shock when Kris wrapped an arm around him tightly.

 

"Why are you crying. Are you sad to be finally debuting?" he asked the still frozen boy in a low voice that still carried in the silence.

 

Tao shook his head infinitessimally.

 

"Then what are you sad about."

 

"I'm happy..." he whispered softly.

 

"Then why are you crying."

 

"Because...I'm happy."

 

Kris now sported a falsely confused look.

 

"Who cries when they're happy. Are you sick or someth-"

 

"I do, okay?! Stop - hic - making fun of me, gege!" Tao burst out, ending in almost a whine.

 

"When you stop being such a crybaby."

 

"Aiyah - ge!"

 

Chanyeol suddenly burst into laughter, and everything unfroze as if on cue. Lay chuckled and produced a handful of tissues and made to dab at Tao's tears, which were now streaming down his cheeks as he full-on sobbed. Suho and Baekhyun were patting Kai on the back, both grinning widely, though with moisture in their eyes. Judging by the shaking of his shoulders, Kai's eyes weren't exactly dry at the moment either. Chanyeol had Sehun in a headlock and was giving him a noogie, while the maknae flailed about, choking on sobs even as he laughed. Chen, Xiumin, and D.O were in various stages of teariness, comforting one another as they smiled.

 

To your horror, you felt an unidentifiable feeling spread in your chest as you watched the scene unfold before you. It was warm, but suffocating. You coughed in an attempt to clear your blocked throat.

 

Sooyoung put an arm around you.

 

"You going to be okay?" she asked gently. You nodded.

 

"I- yeah. I'm just...it's just..." you gestured at them, your words failing you.

 

"Yeah. I'm happy for them too."

 

 

--

 

For some reason, I thought I'd already posted this chapter before AFF died. Also this is technically only the first half of the chapter I intended to post, but I realized that it would be a colossal monster if I posted the entire thing. So you get this fluffy first half first! 

 

I'm wondering how many of you guys are looking forward to the Gala, and how much. It seems as if a dance of any sort with formal attire and all is always one of the most anticipated scenes in fanfics. Just an observation.

 

On another note. TAAAOOOORIIIIIIIIISSSS~~~~~ *squeals*

 

 

I CAAAAAANNN'TTTTASLF:K:DLFGsa;ldkas:LGKjdsahhrfff

 

*ahem*

 

So, uhm, subscribe, review? :)

 

- Ace