When Dreams Come True Part 1
Never stopped loving you
Dongwoo POV
My hand wrapped around Sojin's as we walked out of the competition building and down the path. We stopped in front of the Han river, where we had a good view on the setting sun. The orange light reflected in her eyes making them sparkle. I pulled her to face me and gently pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Sojin I have something I would like to say." I said.
She stayed silent so I continued "I want to hold you forever in my arms and never have to let go. Protecting you with my life is an understatement. My life isn't worth yours. But I'm fortunate enough to know someone like you. Someone who can brighten up my world with just a smile. And if everyone fails to recognize that. Then at least you know that you have someone that cares." I took a deep breath "I love you... I love you Lee Sojin. Always and forever." I lifted my gaze to her face and wiped away a tear that manage to leak out of her eyes.
I cupped her face with my hand and tilted her face. I gazed into her eyes and slowly leaned in. When our lips met, it felt like time stopped. I slowly opened my eyes. But instead of her big doe eyes, I saw fierce dark ones instead. Shocked, I pulled back. My perfect day turned into a nightmare in just a split second.
I pointed my finger accusingly at the figure in front of me. "What are you doing?!?" I yelled stumbling backwards. I rubbed my lips in disgust, confused over what happened. He scoffed "The question is what are you doing?" I ran my fingers threw my hair.
"HOYA!!!" I screamed as I jolted awake. I hastily looked around and to my shock found Hoya standing in front of my bed. His eyes were wide and his mouth was agape, "So the day I get assigned to wake you up, is the day you decide to scream my name." He smirked. "Wow Hyung, it must've been a good dream." I grabbed my pillow and threw it at his head, annoyed at how he interrupted my dream.
"Get up. The competition is today, and we need to get there early." He said pulling me up from the bed. I groaned, but got up anyway. Surprisingly I wasn't nervous about the actual competition. But the fact that Sojin, the one I love, was going to be watching me, scared me to death.
If I make a mistake not only would I let the team down but Sojin might think I can't take anything seriously. With a heavy heart, I fixed my hair and changed into my costume before making my way to the lounge room.
Sojin POV
"Noona~ Are you going to come watch us today?" Sungjong asked pulling my arm. I turned to him, which was probably the worst decision in my life since he pulled put the puppy dog eye card. "I have to drop something off first. So I'll come a bit later." I lied hoping that he wouldn't question me. "But you have to come early, so you can get the seats in the front. Then you can be closer to us!" Woohyun whined pulling my other arm.
"Oh trust me boys. I'll be closer than you think" I mumbled. I brushed them off me and leaned over grabbing the remote, switching the channels over to something more eventful. "Ok Sojin, We're going!" Sunggyu called from the door. I didn't bother turning my head towards them incase I regretted my decision, and just hummed a response. Once the door slammed shut and the house was cleared of any roaming boys, I ran up to my room and threw on my dance gear. I pulled my black hood over my head and made sure my shoe laces were done up. I glanced over at my desk and picked up the photo of my mom and I.
I traced my finger over our smiling faces, determined to make her proud. She told me that as long as I keep trying then I can achieve my dreams. So today I'm going to show her that even though the world has turned their back on me, I'm still able to stand up on that stage and dance. And that no matter what, I'm never going to let the shadows over power me.
Placing the picture back on the desk, I grabbed my bag and left the room. Once I was out of the house I broke out into a run. Everything was blurry as I rushed down the street. I kept running until I found the familiar building that I've been going to for the past 5 years.
Ever since my mom was diagnosed with cancer I always tried to win so I could bring the money back to pay for the treatment. But I wasn't successful. All the competitors were twice my age and had more experience not to mention their overflowing wallets. While I was just a young girl who had a sick mother and tons of bills waiting to be payed. It was only until a few months after her death when I finally won. My first ever win in a competition and she wasn't there to see it.
I made sure no one was around before I tied on my mask to conceal my identity. I never showed anyone my face when I came here to compete. It was just what I did. Just because I was younger then the rest doesn't mean I was going to let them intimidate me, two could play that game.
After signing in, I walked into my designated dressing room. Before I could even register the fact that I was hit in the face with shoe, I heard the familiar song that always played in the dance room back at home. I quickly snuck in and pulled my hood down so it covered more of my face. Trying hard not to attract too much attention, I threw my bag in the corner and started to do some warm ups, instantly forgetting about the incident before.
I was too focused on trying not to be recognizable that I didn't even notice the music stop playing. It wasn't until I felt a tap on my shoulder that I snapped out of my trance. "Hello! You must be Contestant Number 14 I'm Sunggyu and this is my group INFINITE." He smiled pointing at the group of nervous boys. I nodded as a sign of acknowledgment before turning back to face the mirror.
It wasn't long before I felt a small tug on my jacket. I glanced beside me staring at Sungyeol, who had one hand on his neck rubbing it sheepishly "Er, about before with the shoe. I'm sorry. I mistook you for one of my friends." After realizing that I wasn't going to say anything, Sungyeol walked back over to the rest of the boys.
It wasn't long before all hell broke lose and the real INFINITE was shown. They were fighting over the food using pillows as weapons, and poor Sunggyu was in the midst of it all. I rolled my eyes at their behavior, boys will be boys.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror, making sure the costume was right and the mask was secure. I gave myself a small pep talk and quietly sat down, waiting to be called.
"Contestant number 13." The staff member announced. The boys turned stiff as they froze, before being ushered out of the room. My palms grew sweaty by the minute. "Number 14" my head snapped towards the door. And with hesitant steps I walked towards the door.
All I could hear when I was walking down the seemingly never ending corridor was my heart pounding against my ribs. The hall was dimly lit with different posters hanging advertising musicals and dance crews that were booked to perform on this stage. Eventually I reached the end of the hall, more calmer then I was before. But once I looked up from my feet, my heart started to race again. His laugh never fails to make my heart flutter.
I softened at how the boys were in a huddle giving each other last minute words of advice while fixing each others costumes. Since I never had anyone by my side when I went to my first competition. I never got the encouragement and support I needed. So watching them care for each other like this makes my heart warm.
"Contestant number 13. You're on in 30 seconds." One of the crew members said causing the boys to panic. They all looked at each other as though they were speaking through their eyes before placing their hands in the centre of their circle.
They all gave each other a small nod before throwing their hands in the air while chanting 'INFINITE'. After that they disappeared behind the stage door. I watched them walk with their heads held high before the door slammed shut cutting off my view.
Once I made sure no one was looking, I slipped past the other contestants and ran down the hall. I quickly sneaked into the audience, I intended to keep my promise I made to watch them perform. The murmurs of the crowd rung in my ears as everyone anticipated the performance of the rookies.
I clamped my hands shut, turning them into fists as I waited for them to start. The buzzing of the audience started to get blocked out by the sound of my pounding heart. I was nervous. Scratch that, I was distressed. I couldn't help but worry about them. What if they make a mistake, or one of them gets injured? Or if they cause an accident and are disqualified? What will I do?
I closed my eyes and took in a few short breaths to clear my head of these thoughts. Once the noise started to die down, I opened my eyes, blinking a few times to try to adjust to the darkness. My eyes were fixed onto the stage as the lights flashed on, revealing seven familiar figures.
Music started to blast through the speakers, filling the room with the catchy beat. They moved in perfect sync, which caused the audience to watch in awe.
http://youtu.be/p3W9dWoT4FI (part of their dance: Teen Top Dance Battle)
The song ended queuing everyone to start applauding. I quickly ran back stage with little time to spare. I gave myself a little fist pump and slipped my hands into my white gloves. Then once the MC finished introducing me I stepped onto the stage. The mask hiding my nervous face.
The crowd died down and the lights flashed on. I brought my hand up to my eyes to block the light from burning into my eyes. From where I was I could vaguely see INFINITE back stage watching me intently. I studied their faces for a few seconds before my eyes tore away from them. I got into my starting position and awaited my que. Once the familiar song started to play my body instantly started to move with the beat.
I closed my eyes and imagined everything that made me feel happy, sad, angry and just poured all those feelings into this dance.
"Believe~"
My eyes shot open and I danced like never before with my mother's words ringing in my ear, encouraging me.
Dongwoo POV
All of us were pumped after that performance. It's like being on stage just gave everyone, except me, a boost in confidence. I was still scared as ever. I didn't get to see Sojin today because once I was ready I was rushed out the door. I tried to find her in the crowd but the stage lights were so bright it was hard to outline anything.
We were about to head back to our dressing room when we saw the mysterious person we met backstage walk into the spotlight. We stopped in our tracks, our eyes following their every move. A catchy tune started to fill the auditorium as we watched them move so intently. In all my years of dancing never have I seen someone dance with so much emotion even when you can't see their face.
http://youtu.be/Bpcczy88UWg (Part of the dance)
All we could do was gape at the intensity of the dance. The dance was so well choreographed it was hard to tear your eyes away from them. You could feel the passion and emotion with every move. Even though their costume was nothing flashy compared to the others, they still managed to out shine the rest.
All of a sudden I started to feel insecure about how good that person was. I wasn't worried about the fact that INFINITE now had competition, but because Sojin was watching. Sojin was not only watching me a few minutes ago, but she was now watching this badass hipster rock out on stage.
And the fact that they were good enough to scare Hoya, who was now watching with wide eyes and a dropped jaw, means that they are good enough to impress Sojin so much that she would forget about me.
And you know what means? It means that if that person is an extremely good looking guy, then I should just say goodbye to my dreams of wrapping my arms tightly around Sojin while whispering 'I Love you' in her ear.
The stunning performance came to an end signaling all of us to start clapping. The mysterious person ran off stage and quickly entered our dressing room. We all exchanged glances before proceeding towards our room. I pulled the door closed after me and just as the click sound was heard, my eyes darted to where the other contestant was.
I could just see a tiny bit of their eye underneath the black hood that they were wearing. Bit by bit I felt myself become in by the glossy eyes. A sudden feeling of recognition ran through me as I continued to stare at the pair of eyes that had that same glint in them.
Sojin's face flashed through my mind causing my heart beat to accelerate. Her smile causes my legs to turn to jelly and my face to flush red. I quickly shook my head and snapped my attention back onto that person only to find them gone.
They seemed familiar. Too familiar. It's as though I've been around them everyday of my life. I brushed off the thought and joined the others who were nervously waiting for the results to come out. This is the part of dance competitions that I hate the most. The wait. I am the most impatient person when it comes to things like this.
I bit my fingers in anticipation, the stress was getting to me. I made a few errors on stage because of the constant pressure that was weighing on my shoulders.
After several agonizing hours the Finalists were finally going to be announced. We all gave each other a firm nod of encouragement before walking down the corridor which led to the stage. In this competition you have to have one of the top 10 scores to ensure a place in the final round.
This contest is one of the hardest dance competitions in South Korea. Most of the previous winners moved on to become a professional dancer or B-boy. Most of the well known dancers in the Kpop industry have entered, sometimes even placed in this competition. Even if you don't walk away with the grand prize there is still a chance that you could be offered a contract with an entertainment.
The fact that important people who will have an impact in your dancing career are in the audience makes the experience five times more nerve-wracking. With a heavy heart we made our way on stage next to the other contenders. Strangely I didn't see the masked contender at all since we came off stage. Shaking off that thought, I averted my attention back on the crowd.
I scanned the crowd for that one important girl in my life. Just seeing her face can make me feel at ease. However with the spot light glaring down on us, it was becoming harder for me to see. I slumped my shoulders in disappointment and gave up in my search.
The MC walked on stage a huge grin was plastered onto his face as he started to blabber on about how each and every contender performed exceptionally well. "And now I will announce the top 10 contestants who will be going through to the next round."
An eerie silence rang through the auditorium as every anticipated what was going to be said next. All I could hear was my heart pounding against my ribs as my palms turned even more sweaty then what they already were. Everything that happened up until this moment vanished from my mind. All I could think about was the beat of my heart.
"Scoring a remarkable score of 97.5 is..." I drew my breath in hoping that the person with the highest score was INFINITE. The dreaded feeling of how someone was able to achieve a score like that and the chance of it being INFINITE was unlikely, was brewing in the pit of my stomach. In this competition not many people score above 94 so for that contender to score as big as 97.5 they must have been impressive.
"Contestant number 14!!!" I felt my heart drop at the sound of another contestant number being called rather than ours. Although most of us were disappointed, we were all very curious to see the identity of the said contestant. Our eyes followed the spotlight to where this person was. And what shocked me the most was how the spotlight was shining on the masked dancer. Honestly it wasn't really that surprising that they got the highest score. They did manage to send Hoya's jaw to the floor.
I continued to rake through my head in an attempt to recall where I've encountered this person before. And every time I try all that pops into my brain is Sojin's smiling face. I closed my eyes to regain my thinking. This is effect Sojin has on me. I don't interact with her for less than 24 hours and I've gone crazy thinking that every person I see is her. I don't think I could ever live without her. I just can't picture life in 5 years without her by my side. If she ever leaves my life than I'll leave too. Forever.
"And going through with a score of 95.56 is..." The MC's loud voice rang through my ears snapping me back to reality. All of the sounds around me were blocked out by the sound of my booming heart. I squeezed my eyes shut and linked hands with the others, a tradition we always do as a sign of being one. I could feel Hoya's grip on my hand tighten, he has wanted this for so long and even if we didn't get the top score I would still be proud of them, all of them. We just have to remember that we are rookies so it was a miracle that we even made it to this stage, so winning isn't even what's going through my mind right now.
I slowed down my breathing to try to tame the nerves that were running wild through my body. "Contestant number 13!!" I didn't even have enough time to comprehend what was going on before I was tackled by an overjoyed Hoya. The rest of the boys were huddled together, hugging it out. My eyes flickered over to number 14, even with the coverage of half of their face I could still tell that they were smiling.
The rest of the announcements went by in a blur. And before I knew it we were being called right back onto the stage for our next dance. We walked on stage standing tall despite the thousands of eyes that were scrutinizing our every move. The uptempo beat blasted through the speakers as our body automatically moved to the rhythm. Are moves were in sync and were skillfully choreographed by Hoya and I. Halfway through the song Hoya dropped to the floor and started pulling off some break dancing moves, wowing the judges.
It wasn't long until we struck our end positions and were ushered off the stage. We walked down the long corridor again and entered our room. I didn't even get to open the door before I was pushed out of the way by a pack of tired boys, who immediately threw themselves onto the couches. I don't get how they do it, I'm way too anxious to sit around and wait.
I made my way to the back of the audience and rested in one of the seats watching as other finalists danced their heart out. Nothing really impressed me that much until our rival number 14 came on stage, still in the same black costume that covered nearly every aspect of their body. Soon enough the room was filled with a continuous beat queuing them to move their body. The audience went wild after they pulled off an aerial. Talk about starting with a bang.
It wasn't until the last few seconds of the performance when I felt this vibe coming off them. It was the same type of vibe I got from Sojin. It was quiet yet quirky. Beautiful yet mysterious. It was alike. Too alike. I shook my head a few times to clear my thoughts.
"I'm not going to cloud my mind with useless thoughts just because I'm love sick." I muttered under my breath. "Who's love sick?" A voice pondered behind me. I glanced behind and found Sungyeol there staring at me with curious eyes "Oh! The boys asked me to get you, the results are going to be announced soon." I gave him a slight nod of my head before following him back to where the rest were.
After Sunggyu gave us one of his leader talks we started to refresh ourselves for the final round. After the finalists have been announced they immediately proceed to a dance off that will determine the winner.
My eyes glanced around the room before they landed on my phone. A small grin lit up on my face as a light bulb went off in my head. I stumbled towards the table and grabbed my phone dialing the overly familiar number in before pressing the phone to my ear. I mentally scolded myself for forgetting about modern technology that I use every second of the day.
If I had remembered about this device before I would have been able to hear Sojin's reassuring voice. Before it could get to the second ring, a faint buzzing sound could be heard coming from the corner of the room. I followed the ringtone until I found myself staring down at the black bag that was located on number 14's side of the room. I shrugged, brushing it off as nothing but a mere coincidence.
"Hi! Sorry I can't come to the phone-" with a sigh I hung up and threw my phone onto the table, huffing as I plonked myself onto the couch. Seconds turned into minutes, minutes turned into hours and soon the wait was over.
The MC walked back on stage and stood beside the contestants, who were all lined up anticipating the result.
"The judges have decided, and in my hands now rests the names of the final 3. In no particular order, the acts continuing on to the final dance off are..." We all linked hands and closed our eyes hoping that our efforts have pulled off. "Contestant number 4..." My heart started pounding again as my breath hitched in my throat.
"Contestant number" he paused and glanced at all of the hopeful faces of the other groups "13" My body went numb, it felt as though time stopped. I didn't even need to look at the others for confirmation I was already being tackled by a group of overjoyed boys. A glint of happiness shone in Sunggyu's eyes as the proud boy gave me a familiar look telling me I've done we'll.
Soon enough our little celebration was cut short as the MC cleared his throat into the microphone signaling for the crowd to settle down. "And finally contestant number 14. Thank you to all those that have participated today, a remarkable effort from you all. And to our final three, good luck." Cheers and claps filled the room as the crestfallen contestants left the stage, all except three. I glanced around the stage and observed our two competitors.
Number 4 was a duo consisting of two grown men probably in their early 30's. They both were wearing a leather vest on top of a sparkly singlet showing off their defined muscles. No doubt they both were very well built so it wasn't a surprise that they would have been able to get this far in the competition.
It wasn't long until the final round started. And once again a catchy beat filled our ears. The duo started off first doing a few chest pumps followed by some flips. I must admit I was impressed. So when they ended with a random pose I decided to step out in the spot light with Hoya and Woohyun beside me. We gave each other a known look before moving our body to the rhythm. I did a few turns and flips before I ended with a move I call the scorpion move.
The two men didn't wait any longer, so they quickly came out and gave it their all. They glided around the stage gaining everyone's attention. My gaze shifted from the dancing duo to number 14 who was standing in the corner watching the battle intently. I tilted my head in confusion, this round wasn't just a dance battle between us two groups. And if they don't make a more soon, it might just be over for them.
I drew my attention back to the two, who had just pointed at us signaling us to start. But before we could step out a black figure did a few flips landing in between the two groups. I stared at them with wide eyes as they continued to do a few b-boy moves, all of them consisting of spinning on every part of your body except for your feet.
When they got back on their feet instead of continuing to break dance like what we all had expected them to do, they stared straight at me and grabbed my hand pulling me towards to center. And before I knew it I was dancing beside my enemy.
Even though we were two completely different people fighting for the same prize, we both shared the same passion. A passion for dancing. And it was that passion which made the moment so enjoyable and memorable. Dancing beside them made me feel warm and giddy inside. It was kind of like how I feel around Sojin. A feeling which only she can cause. With her face floating in my mind I continued to dance.
Time really does fly when you're having fun, because before I knew it I was watching the two men move around the stage again. It kind of saddened me that the warm fuzzy feeling disappeared as soon as we separated.
After a few rounds of dancing the music was put to a stop and the lights flashed back on. The familiar MC appeared back on stage and gave us all an encouraging smile, before he continued to entertain the crowd.
I nervously shifted my weight around from foot to foot. My eyes traveled back to the mysterious dancer who was standing back in their little corner of the stage. No emotion was shown through their eyes which were hidden behind their hood. It amazed me how they were able to mask their feelings so well.
Before I could wonder deep into my thoughts, the MC brought me back to reality with just 4 words "The judges have decided.". Almost immediately I began to panic. Only one thing was running through my mind and that was to win. I anxiously gripped onto the chains that were hanging from my leather vest. "...And must I say it was a very hard decision. So in third is..."
I bit my lip and searched his eyes for any hint of whose name was going to roll of his lips. It was as if the world had stopped spinning when he said those three words.
"Contestant Number 4!" My eyes shot over to the pair as I automatically started clapping. The two said men gave each other a hug in happiness at their achievement. But despite the smiles I could tell that they were disappointed, after all everyone's ambition was to win. Once the crowd had died down and the group had received their bronze medals the MC continued with the results.
I scanned the faces of the audience in a last attempt to find her, but much to my luck all I got were the curious faces strangers that were waiting for the result. I quickly shut my eyes and let myself listen to the heavy breathing of Woohyun beside me.
I started to prepare myself with a speech on winning silver, after all we were the rookies. I drew in a breath as he read out the second place winner.
"Contestant Number..."
Everyone held their breath as they waited for the most important name for the night was about to be read.
"14."
My breath hitched and my jaw dropped. My eyes flicked open as small tears were forming at the bottom of my eyes. Was this a dream? My reaction was the same as the others. The only person who was still in reality was the said contestant. They came up to us and for the first time today their hood was pulled back ever so slightly so we could see their brown eyes.
Unlike the duo in third place, these brown eyes reflected nothing but pure joy and happiness. I couldn't detect one ounce of disappointment. It was almost the same glint that Sunggyu had when he was telling us we did a great job. It was almost like a proud glint. I was still too shocked to process anything that happened in the past 5 minutes. And it wasn't too long before I was accepting a gold medal attached onto blue ribbon.
The rest of the night went by in a blur. And the only thing I could remember was thinking 'Sojin was watching me.'
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A/N:
Hi, It's been a while hasn't it my wonderful subscribers...
But the fun doesn't end here. Please continue on to the next chapter! ^_^
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