"You guys will be after that group over there. Once they're off the stage, make sure you go on right away. We're not going to wait a second. If you aren't there right after them, then consider yourself being out of the performance, okay?" Minwoo said, staring straight at the band mates. Yoseob could understand why Myungsoo didn't really like the youthful boy. Not only was Minwoo direct and strict, but he had a menacing glare that intimidated them. He would especially glare at the person next to Jieun, regardless of their relationship.

"Will we be disqualified if we have only a few of our members present?" Yoseob asked, remembering how last time his band was disqualified for submitting more than the members present on stage. Minwoo paused, then looked around.

"I suppose not. This place isn't very big. We just want you to be on the stage, performing for a few minutes. Any other questions?" he asked.

"Is there anywhere we can practice?" Baekhyun asked, rubbing his wrist.

"No. You should've practiced before."

"Then is there a place where we can kind of warm up? Like, test the instruments? I'm playing the piano."

Minwoo raised his eyebrows. "What are you talking about? We're not providing you guys the instruments."

Everyone stared at Yoseob, who blankly stared back. He let out a soft chuckle, then gently placed a hand on Minwoo's shoulder. Seeing this, Minwoo narrowed his eyes to the point where it became a thin line.

"What do you mean that you're not providing the instruments? We got our guitars, but you don't expect us to bring a piano, right?" Yoseob asked.

"I'm sorry, but I thought you guys were going to bring an electronic keyboard. Maybe we both misunderstood the situation," Minwoo said sarcastically, handing Yoseob a flyer. "Look at the fine print below. It says that we're not providing any instruments. You might've as well recorded the piano into a CD before coming here."

"But you can't tell us to just leave!" Yoseob shouted, startling the other performers around him.

"I'm not. I'm just saying that you have to figure out your own problems. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and inform the others about their placement," Minwoo said, walking away. Jieun suddenly grabbed ahold of Minwoo's wrist, causing him to turn around and raise an eyebrow.

"U-Um, Minwoo! Can't you possible just sneak in this little favor for me?" Jieun asked, trying to use her puppy eyes. The young boy coolly brushed her off and walked away in silence, not giving into her adorable charms. Jieun puffed her cheeks and frowned, while turning to Yoseob. "So what are we going to do, leader?"

"R-Right. We got to solve this. Uh..." Yoseob stared at Myungsoo and Baekhyun, who waited for him to say something. "Perfect! You two, come with me. We're going to bring the piano over here."

Daehyun widened his eyes. "Are you serious? You're going to have to ride the bus twice, and if you miss its stop, then there's no way that you guys are going to make it! Just stay. We'll try to solve this–"

"It's alright, Daehyun," Myungsoo said, patting the young boy's head. "Besides, we're giving you a freebie, too."

"A freebie? What free–" The blond stopped when he realized that he would be alone with Jieun. His cheeks turned red, causing Jieun to give him an awkward smile. She looked back at the three boys.

"Hurry! I'll call you if we're about to go up. Daehyun and I will come up with Plan B, incase you guys can't come with the piano," she said. Then, she grabbed ahold of Daehyun's hand, causing him to feel blissful. "Come on, Daehyun! Let's go explore around the festival. I heard that this school has a maid and butler café!"

She dragged him away, leaving the three boys running at the opposite direction. Baekhyun looked up, staring at how well Daehyun's hand wrapped around Jieun's. He grimaced, then caught up with Myungsoo and Yoseob, who were far in the lead.

"Do you really think it's okay to leave them alone?" Baekhyun asked. "I mean, I can offer to–"

"Baekhyun, just leave them. They'll be fine. I mean, they've been friends with each other since, like, the moment they were born. What are you so worried about?" Yoseob asked, taking a quick turn to the left. Baekhyun slowed his pace, then looked back once more.

The two were already gone, blending in with the crowd that blocked his sight.

"This is great! I love this place!" Jieun exclaimed, looking around at the fancy decorations in the classroom. Daehyun tried to act cool, but a smile kept appearing at random moments. He desperately wanted to act like a responsible boyfriend, but it was hard when his heart was thumping from realizing that this was some sort of date.

"Well, it's too bad that they don't have a variety of cakes. It's only pound cake and stuff on top of these," he pointed out, poking at the strawberry on his slice of pound cake. Jieun shrugged her shoulders and took another bite of her cake. She look around, then stopped when she saw someone familiar serve a table.

"Hey, isn't that Minwoo? The one who's serving the table with three girls," Jieun asked.

Daehyun looked up, and met eyes with Minwoo. The younger boy smirked, then walked towards them in a brisk manner. The blond boy felt inferior, so when Minwoo kept coming closer, his eyes were still on the cake. Jieun gulped nervously, then quickly cleaned her lips with a napkin.

"Oh shoot. I think he's approaching our table. Hey, I'm going to the restroom for a bit. I'll be back in five minutes, so make sure he doesn't come by then!" Jieun said, getting up. Before Daehyun got the chance to say anything, he watched her leave their table and head outside. He heaved a loud sigh while Minwoo gave him a fake smile.

"Is everything going okay over here?" Minwoo asked.

"Um, yeah. Anyways, I didn't know you were going to be one of the butlers around here," Daehyun said, glancing at the tuxedo.

"I wasn't planning to, but one of our classmates fell sick and couldn't make it. The girls made me the replacement. It ," Minwoo complained, stretching the white collar that bugged him.

"Seems like you're a popular choice. Why don't you look at other girls besides Jieun?" Daehyun looked away from Minwoo and stared down at his cake. Seeing this, Minwoo let out a light chuckle. This caused Daehyun to be annoyed, but he waited for Minwoo to say something.

"Are you trying to threaten me? You don't scare me. As a matter of fact, there's no reason for me to be scared of you," Minwoo said, putting his hand on the table. "If Jieun ever picks you over any other guys–especially me–then I'm going to have second thoughts on her."

"Why? I'm just as dangerous as any other guys," Daehyun defended.

"No you're not. In fact, you're completely weak. I bet you that all your friends actually like Jieun, but they pity on your feelings."

"Wha–How dare you say that about my friends?"

"It's true, and it's painful to watch. You have this border around Jieun like she's an animal, but there's a fence loose," Minwoo stated, using a metaphor. "When someone finds that loose fence, it'll be easy to steal Jieun and she'll be taken away in an instant. Let's face it, you're not exactly someone to be called a rival."

"Y-You–"

"I bet that you never even told Jieun about your feelings, huh?"

But she knows how I feel. Isn't that good enough? Daehyun wondered. Instead, he decided to keep quiet, waiting for Minwoo to attack him with the obvious.

"Let's face it. You let her slip a lot. You don't do much to threaten anyone."

"So how am I different from the other bandmates?"

"Yoseob has leadership, and he can definitely lead Jieun in a relationship; Baekhyun's protective to the point where he threatens guys who like her to stop liking her; and Myungsoo might be quiet, but he has a lot of skin-ship with her and avoids other girls." Minwoo glanced at Daehyun, who was pale. "You're just... there. I mean, everyone can see that you like her, but you don't do anything. In short, you're like a kid." He smirked at the trembling boy. "It's no wonder why you were picked to be Jieun's little son."

Daehyun gave Minwoo a quizzical look. He was about to ask more questions, but Minwoo had already walked away. Then, Jieun came over and blew her bangs to the side. She gave Daehyun a small smile, then looked at Minwoo.

"What did he want? I saw you guys talking, so I decided to wait a little longer," Jieun said.

Daehyun stared at his crush, who was busy watching another man. He saw her lips move, but he couldn't listen. Rather, he kept wondering if he was like what Minwoo said: weak and childish. He gasped when he felt her warm hands touch his bare arm. He stared at Jieun, who blinked her eyes.

"U-Uh, what?" Daehyun stuttered.

"Didn't you hear me? I said that it's probably time for us to go. Will you call Yoseob and ask him if he's here?" Jieun asked, getting up.

She really did mention Yoseob instead of the other two. After all, he's responsible, Daehyun pointed out. He shook his head and fished out his phone, scrolling over his contacts and clicking on Yoseob's name. He waited for a ring or two, then cleared his throat when he heard a familiar click.

"Hello?"

"Daehyun! I'm so sorry, but we're going to be late," Yoseob said, nearly shouting at the phone.

"Wh-What? What happened?" Daehyun asked, frowning.

"We ran into Chen just a few minutes ago, and Baekhyun suddenly got into an argument with him. I think they were talking about Jieun–"

Overprotective, Daehyun noted. Baekhyun is overprotective of Jieun.

"–or whatever, but then we saw Taeyeon and she began to take pictures of Myungsoo and Baekhyun. We probably would've gotten things finished earlier if Myungsoo had cooperated, but he kept complaining how he was tired and how he wasn't going to get close to Baekhyun–"

Less skin-ship with other people; Myungsoo has less skin-ship with everyone compared to Jieun, Daehyun remembered. He suddenly began to feel sick in his stomach as they neared the stage. A student who was working backstage quickly placed a V.I.P. pass around their necks and directed the duo closer to the side of the stage. Jieun gave Daehyun a worried look, waiting for him to say something about the piano.

"–Anyways, we'll be there in about ten to five minutes with Chen and Taeyeon. When do we go on?" Yoseob asked. 

"Daehyun! It's time!" Jieun whispered, listening to the band in front of them finish up their song. Daehyun widened his eyes, then nervously shook in fear.

"Daehyun? Daehyun! When are we on?" Yoseob repeated.

The leader is not here, Daehyun reminded himself. The leader is not here. I am alone with Jieun, who's feeling restless. Yet, I still can't think of anything to do. He almost felt tears swell up in his eyes. I am weak.

"Jung Daehyun, hello? Did something happen?" Yoseob cried out, desperate. The blond boy looked at Jieun, whose eyes widened when the band in front of them bowed at the audience. Minwoo came by, informing the two that they were on.

"You got your instruments, right?" Minwoo asked, looking down at the clipboard. "Go up in five…"

"W-What are we going to do?" Jieun stuttered, looking at Daehyun with helpless eyes. "Hello? Daehyun?"

"Four…"

"Jung Daehyun, are you okay?"

"Three…"

"Daehyun! Daehyun, we're up! What are we going to do?"

"Two…"

"Daehyun!" Jieun shouted, shaking Daehyun's shoulder. He snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Jieun face-to-face. Then, he scanned his surroundings, wondering what was going on. When he saw how the band in front of them were leaving the stage, he knew that he would have to go up. He glanced at Minwoo, who only smirked at Daehyun's pathetic actions. 

I need to step it up, he realized. In a blink of an eye, Daehyun pushed his phone towards Jieun's hand and grabbed a jacket.

"One," Minwoo counted down, shaping his hands into a fist. He pushed Daehyun, who seemed ready, onto the stage. The boy took a deep breath, glanced behind him, and saw Jieun's confused expression. He softly smiled at her, then walked up on stage.

"Who's he?"

"Is he called Everest Five?"

"How disappointing. I actually wanted to see five people on stage, not one."

Daehyun nervously wrapped his sweaty hands around the microphone. He stood alone on stage, with the hot spot lights shining on him. The only sound he heard were the audible whispers among the crowd and his heart thumping against his chest. The corner of his eyes rolled over to the side, where he saw Jieun's lips move near his phone.

"Hello? Daehyun, are you still there?" Yoseob asked.

"It's not Daehyun, Yoseob. It's just me," Jieun said, glancing back at stage. "We're on right now!"

"What? Are you serious? Hold up, we just got a taxi, so we'll be there in just two minutes. Tell him to stall some time!" 

"But he's up there and I'm over here! I can't go and just walk up on the stage right now. It'll be weird," Jieun pointed out.

"Give us two minutes!" Yoseob repeated, ignoring what Jieun had said. He hung up, leaving Jieun staring at Daehyun's lonely figure. She bit her bottom lip, then looked over at Minwoo, who gave the blond boy an amused look.

"He's scared," Minwoo commented.

"Huh?"

"Look. He's scared."

Jieun studied Daehyun, trying to find out if he really was scared. "How do you know?"

"Just look at him. He's staring at the crowd with wide eyes, his lips aren't opening, and his whole body is shaking. The microphone just sits on his hand, waiting to be spoken or not to be used at all. I say that he's planning to do something daring," Minwoo explained, rubbing his chin.

"Daehyun? Daring? No, that's impossible. He's really passive and quiet, and he won't do anything–"

"Hello. My name is Daehyun," the fellow band mate finally said. The audience kept quiet, and Daehyun decided to continue. "I am part of a band called Everest Five–"

There were a couple of cheers amongst the audience. Jieun gulped, realizing that two minutes had already passed and Yoseob wasn't here with the piano.

Yang Yoseob, Kim Myungsoo, Byun Baekhyun–anyone–I beg you to hurry and save this show! Jieun prayed, clasping her hands together.

"–Yeah, thanks. Anyways, there's only one member from Everest Five who's with me right now. The others are running late and they're bringing a piano." Laughter echoed in the air. "Yes, my band is clumsy, but they're good people. That's why I never want to do anything that will break apart the bond we have. However, there's a little someone who's caught my attention for the past few years. She knows that I like her, but I've never confirmed it."

Girls began to squeal in excitement, as the guys only grinned at Daehyun. However, Jieun widened her eyes, knowing where this was going.

Oh my gosh. Please, this can't be happening right now, she thought.

"I know I'm going to get rejected…"

"Jieun!" a voice behind her cried. Jieun turned around, finding that the three other friends had arrived with Chen and Taeyeon. The five walked up to the startled girl.

"Baekhyun! You guys are all late!" she cried out. She quickly grabbed ahold of Myungsoo's hand. "Quickly, we have to go up."

"Whoa, whoa! Easy there. This piano wasn't very easy to bring," Myungsoo said, struggling to hold the piano with just one arm. 

"What have we missed?" Yoseob asked. He looked at the stage, then frowned. "What's Daehyun doing up there alone?"

Jieun began to whimper. "He's about to–"

"Lee Jieun, will you please come up on stage?" Daehyun announced. This time, girls began to scream and the guys hooted. "Oh, and if there's anyone with a piano behind stage, can you come up here, too?"

Baekhyun took the piano from Myungsoo's hand. "He's probably calling us one by one. I'll go up, since I'm playing the piano. Let's go, Jieun."

"U-Uh, yeah. L-Let's go," she muttered, slowly going up on stage. When Daehyun saw Baekhyun with the piano, he was surprised. Nevertheless, he was still going to continue with his secretive plan. The blond boy walked over to Baekhyun, handing him a music sheet.

"Oh, don't worry, Daehyun. I've practiced enough," he said, pushing away the crumbled paper. However, Daehyun insisted that Baekhyun would play the very notes on the piano. Thinking that this was some sort of revision, Baekhyun took it hesitantly and walked over to a spare chair, where he began to set up a piano. Daehyun took a deep breath, cleared his throat, then gently brought Jieun closer to the center of the stage.

"If this is going to ruin our friendship, then let it. People think I'm a joke when I'm around you, and I think I've been seen as a joke for too long. Lee Jieun, this song is for you," Daehyun said softly. He cued Baekhyun to play, and he did just as he was told to. The high-pitched sound of the piano fluttered in the air, causing all the hearts to be moved.

I didn't know the reason I changed 

I thought about it for a long time

After I met you, I think I changed a lot

As I hear this song, oh

Please, Daehyun. Please don't do this to me. Why in front of everyone? Why? Jieun wondered, feeling the hot tension around her. By now, Baekhyun had realized that this wasn't their song. He frowned, looked up at Daehyun, who had a new expression on his face. It was full of bliss and joy; his new expression caused Baekhyun to be somewhat afraid.

"He's not calling us up, Yoseob. What's up?" Myungsoo whispered, raising an eyebrow.

"Wow, you guys are all idiots," Chen muttered, causing Myungsoo to glare at him.

"Oh my gosh. What if this song is also for Myungsoo? Think about it, Chen! Baekhyun can be playing the piano for Myungsoo!" Taeyeon squealed, wrapping her arms around his in an excited manner. Yoseob furrowed his eyebrows.

"What's going on? I'm still confused," Yoseob asked.

"Is there more to ask? Daehyun's out of the love triangle!" Taeyeon exclaimed.

"What?"

"Daehyun's confessing," Chen explained. "Don't you hear the lyrics? It's a love song. He's confessing his feelings towards Jieun."

Yoseob and Myungsoo widened their eyes and stared back at Daehyun, who was already finishing up the song

I'm so thankful for you, oh baby

You are so pretty, oh

I can't take my eyes off of you

In my eyes, I only see you

I only want to look at you, oh, really

Baekhyun, after understanding the lyrics, widened his eyes and stopped playing. He didn't finish the song, and he couldn't. His fingers froze at the spot, and he slowly looked up at Daehyun, who had put his microphone down to the side. Everyone looked at the possible new couple, who stared at each other with nervous eyes.

"Are you mad?" Daehyun asked through the microphone. Instead of anger or happiness, he saw tears stream down her cheeks. He was taken aback, shocked to see Jieun cry. Were they tears of happiness or disappointment?

"I…I…" Before Jieun was able to answer Daehyun's confession, a jacket was put over her head. She tried to look back, but just by looking down at the man's shoes, she already knew that it was Yoseob who came to the rescue. She heard him sigh, and the crowd mutter confusion. She slowly looked up, noticing how Yoseob snatched away the microphone. He smiled at everyone, but his eyes were cold.

"Thank you for watching our performance! As you could all see, this was a little skit we prepared," Yoseob lied. The audience groaned in disappointment, not liking how they were being played. "This was Everest Five! Unfortunately, the skit ran longer than we expected, so we'll end it with the meaningful song he just sang. Thank you for listening!"

Just like that, Yoseob pushed Jieun off the stage and dragged Daehyun away from the curtains. Baekhyun followed behind them, still stunned over how Daehyun managed to confess. Myungsoo caught up with them, glancing at Jieun's pale skin.

"What on earth were you thinking?" Yoseob shouted angrily, crossing his arms at Daehyun. Daehyun looked away.

"I'm sorry," he muttered. "I couldn't think of anything else."

"So you decided to just confess to Jieun in front of a ton of people? Don't joke with me, Daehyun. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that I needed to catch up!" Daehyun yelled back, making a fist. "I've been holding my feelings for so long, and Jieun knew about it. Was I supposed to hold back any longer? Is it my fault that I like Jieun? I'm... I'm different from all of you guys. I'm weak. I can't even tell my dad about my love for music, and I know that I have no right to confess, but I just want to show that I'm not as weak as everyone think I am!"

"Well, then you could've just told us–"

"Sometimes words don't do anything, just like words have no affect on my father. I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry that I ruined this performance, and I'm sorry that I'm weak. I'm just sorry!" Daehyun cried out, refusing to look up at Yoseob. The group became quiet. Then, Yoseob heaved a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Okay, fine. I'm sorry, but the person you really have to apologize is Jieun."

"I'm sorry, Jieun. I promise I won't do anything like that again," Daehyun apologized, turning around at Jieun. The girl sniffed, then just nodded her head as if she was forgiving him. Yoseob examined his band members, and realized that something was different. Baekhyun was still pale and stiff, Myungsoo seemed a bit depressed, Daehyun looked miserable, and Jieun was still in tears.

"I think we need to have a small break," Yoseob whispered.

"Y-Yeah," Myungsoo said. "I'll get some juice–"

"No, Myungsoo. I mean, like a real, big break."

"Huh?"

"Okay, guys. Starting from today, I want Everest Five to go on a two-month hiatus!" Yoseob announced. "Whether it's persuing your dream, your love for music, or maybe romance, the band will not perform or meet for practice."

Baekhyun glanced at Yoseob. "What are you saying…"

"You guys don't like it? Fine, then I'll start first. However, when we meet again in two months, I want you guys to be back into shape and remember what this band is for," Yoseob said. "See you guys later, I guess."

With that, he turned around and left, leaving the group puzzled about the sudden announcement.

Song Mentioned:

'Baby Baby' – 4Men