Eunkwang peaked from the curtains as students started to file into the auditorium. He was beyond nervous seeing how what started as a challenge from their rivals became a huge school event. He slipped his head back behind the curtain and began to hyperventilate when Ilhoon handed him a paper bag.

            “Don’t focus on the crowd,” Ilhoon assured the leader. “Just focus on singing.”

            “Yeah,” Changsub smiled. “Focus on not singing the wrong note. As the main vocal, you’re representing the group as a whole. One wrong note and you spoil this for all us.”

            Eunkwang’s breath hastened earning, a smack to the back of Changsub’s head from Hyunsik.

            “What did I say?!” Changsub rose his hands in defense.

            “Anyway.” Ilhoon rolled his eyes and patted the leader on the back. “Breathe in, breathe out.”

            Eunkwang began to calm down when music began to play over the speaker. The sound once again increased his panic causing Eunkwang to exhale hard enough that the bag popped and the boy screamed.

            ‘Calm down, Eunkwang, calm down! They’re just playing some music to warm up the audience.’

            Eunkwang took in a deep breath before relaxing slightly, “Oh yeah, Doojoon, I knew that.”

            The shadow giggled at his link, causing Eunkwang to pout.

            ‘Hey, I know this song,’ Hyunseung remarked.

            ‘Duh,’ Yoseob replied. ‘It’s Wow, BtoB’s first song.’

            ‘Well forgive me if it got buried in the sea of ‘Infinite’ songs that is my mind.’

            ‘Don’t make me have to hit you,’ Doojoon commented before surveying the backstage area.

            “How’d they get our song to play anyway?” Peniel asked.

            “I gave it to Miss Gina before our first performance at the hospital,” Ilhoon replied. “She must be using it to hype up the audience.”

            ‘And if tonight is a success,’ Junhyung chimed in, ‘I’m thinking of selling the mp3 for both this and Thriller online.’

            “Way cool,” Sungjae cheered. “It feels like this is a real concert. I feel so professional.”

            “Next, let’s make a music video!” Changsub cheered. “I have such a cool concept in mind for Thriller.”

            “No!” The other five BtoB boys all chimed at once.

            “Geez,” Changsub pouted. “Can’t you guys trust me? I already designed our logo for the show.”

            Ilhoon’s eye twitched, “You did what?”

“I submitted it to Gina to be displayed on the big screen before our performance. If Vixx has a logo, why shouldn’t we?”

“You could’ve run it by us before submitting it!” Hyunsik yelled.

            “Hyunseung liked it.” Changsub smiled before reaching into his backpack. “And I know you all will too.”

            “Please, oh please don’t be a copyrighted symbol from an anime with ‘BtoB’ scribbled on it,” Ilhoon chanted before opening his eyes to see the large black and white print Changsub pulled out from bag.

            “Tadah!”

            The five boys and four shadows stared at the emblem. It was a perfectly symmetrical symbol that read B II B. The logo seemed to be a mirror image of itself with an angel wing drawn on either side of the lettering.

            “This is awesome,” Sungjae cheered.

            “You really made this?” Peniel inquired.

            “More or less,” Changsub smiled proudly.

            ‘Technically, Changsub just came up with a vague idea,’ Hyunseung explained. ‘Jihoon came up with the concept and sent it to J to draw. We just got the print from Jihoon this morning.’

            “Oh!” The boys and shadows all chimed in unison.

            ‘That makes much more sense.’ Yoseob replied.

            “Spoilsport,” Changsub frowned.

            As Changsub returned the print to his knapsack, the music over the speakers changed to a song unfamiliar to all the boys.

            “What’s this?” Hyunsik asked. “It sounds like a video game.”

            “Never heard it before,” Eunkwang replied.                                   

            “Wait.” Sungjae paused, listening to the introduction of the song by a familiar voice.

            “Uh, let the games begin. Check it out V. I. Double X in da house.” ♫

            “VIXX!” The six boys all yelled in unison.

            “You mean to say they have experience making songs?” Changsub asked.

            “We did catch Ravi once performing his own original rap before,” Peniel commented.

            “And Hakyeon did love dancing back in grade school,” said Eunkwang.

            “Aww man, this is actually a good song,” Hyunsik commented.

            ‘I’ll say,’ Hyunseung replied, dancing to the music.

            “Don’t dance to the enemy!” Changsub yelled to his shadow.

            ‘He’ll dance to anything.’ Junhyung apathetically remarked. ‘And don’t let Vixx’s music get you down. They may sound good together but so do you. Don’t be intimidated today. Just perform the music in your hearts, and above all, have fun out there. Can you do that for me?’

            The six boys nodded as sounds began to erupt from the audience. They couldn’t fight their curiosity and pulled back the curtains. They watched as an important gentleman walked the aisle with Gina and two teenage boys.

            “Dude.” Peniel nudged Sungjae. “That’s JJ Project!”

            “That’s not JJ Project. Why would JJ Project come back here?” Sungjae asked.

            ‘Who’s JJ Project?’ Kikwang couldn’t help asking.

            “Only the coolest dance team to come out of this school!” Hyunsik answered.

            “Eh, they’re not so hot,” Changsub remarked.

            ‘Honestly, I have no idea what you’re talking about,’ Hyunseung commented.

            “JJ Project is a song and dance duo formed here last year,” Ilhoon explained. “They actually performed last year at Korea’s Youth Music Festival in Seoul. Now they’re training under JYP to debut next year.”

           ‘Oh yeah,’ Junhyung spoke up. ‘I remember reading about them online when searching the festival. They were a pretty hot topic.’

            “Ah man.” Peniel was practically drooling over the soon to be idols. “If only Minhyuk were here. He’d love seeing JJ Project.”

            “Did someone call for a devilishly handsome red-haired Casanova?”

            The six boys quickly spun around, removing their attention from the audience. Smiles spread across their faces as they came face to face with their missing member.

            “I don’t recall anyone ever calling you that,” Eunkwang chuckled after a short moment of silence.

            “MINHYUK!”

            Peniel, Sungjae and Changsub all leapt up capturing their shorter hyung in a group hug.

           “You came!” Hyunsik cheered and Minhyuk pulled free from the group hug to greet the other boys.

            “Took you long enough!” Eunkwang cheered, earning a noogie from the other senior.

            “I couldn’t let you guys have all the fun,” Minhyuk replied. “And someone’s gotta keep this leader from running away.”

            “Doojoon won’t let me,” Eunkwang replied.

            ‘Damn right I won’t’

            The large group laughed as Ilhoon approached the older boy. Minhyuk paused, looking at the younger’s stoic expression. He expected a tongue lashing but instead, he received a hug.

            “I knew you’d be back.”

            Minhyuk smiled, pulling away before standing in front of his team. “I’m sorry for acting so stubborn. I was wrong in doubting that Beast’s intentions were pure. I must’ve really worried you all, but it just took me a little longer to remember just how much Dongwoon, Beast, and all of you meant to me. I really caused you all a lot of trouble. I’m sorry.”

            The other members simply smiled at the senior, simultaneously forgiving him. Minhyuk was nearly in tears when a thought crossed his mind and his sentimentality fell apart.

            “There’s something else I have to tell you, something really important. Something happened last night and-”

            “Minhyuk!”

            Before the red-haired boy could continue a certain shadow walked up, carrying a black velvet cape.

            “You ran off without your cloak,” Dongwoon yelled. “Don’t you know how awkward it is carrying this stuff in the shadows?”

            “Oh sorry, Woonie,” Minhyuk grabbed the cloak from his shadow’s hand and wrapped it around his shoulders. He sighed and glanced up at s, all with stunned expressions. “What, are we not doing the cloak thing anymore?”

            “Dongwoon is out,” Ilhoon finally spoke up. “During the day.”

            ‘How’s that even possible!’ Junhyung yelled. ‘Last time one of us tried even putting a hand outside, the sunlight started to dissolve it immediately!’

            “True,” Dongwoon replied, “But this is a closed off auditorium. Sunlight can’t enter at all.”

            The other five boys felt entirely stupid. Perhaps it was fear of disappearing that kept them completely confined to the shadows during the day but none of them had ever thought of coming out in a closed off environment.

            “You mean to say that we could’ve come out anytime?” Kikwang asked as he pulled himself out from the ground behind Hyunsik.

            “Probably not always.” Dongwoon replied. “I think that being with BtoB has made us stronger. I doubt we’d be able to pull it off if we were still stuck in the old school.”

            Yoseob quickly emerged from the floor and hugged his two links. “You guys are the best.”

            The other shadows emerged from the ground and walls, each greeting their links. The Beast members had to admit, it felt nice to be able to physically show their support for the BtoB boys.

            “All this aside,” Minhyuk interrupted the group. “There's something really important I have to tell you about-”

            “You guys better hurry up! We have a show to put on!”

            Minhyuk paused at the voice of the Vixx leader emanating from around corner.

            “Oh no!” Dongwoon cried. He quickly grabbed the wrists of the two closest Beast members, Kikwang and Yoseob, and pulled them into the floor. ‘Hide! We can’t let Vixx see us!’

            The three elder Beast members were a bit confused but quickly vanished as per Dongwoon’s instructions.

           The Btob boys immediately grabbed the matching black velvet cloaks they had set aside on a rack, and draped them around their shoulders, covering their stage clothes. After less than a minute had passed, a tall group of six boys rounded the corner. Half were dressed in white, while the other half dressed in black. All the Vixx boys had their hair individually styled and black eyeliner shaping their eyes while Leo, Hongbin and Ravi’s was more predominant than the other three. Their stage presence gave off the heavy concept of good and evil.

            “Look who showed up?” Ravi smirked. “I’m impressed all seven of you actually made it.”

            “Yeah right, Ravi,” Peniel chuckled. “You knew well enough there’s no way we’d chicken out.”

            Ravi lightly punched the foreigner’s shoulder. “Then you better be ready to lose.”

            “Keep your hands off my brother!” Sungjae growled and Ravi narrowed his eyes at the freshman.

            “Nice cloak,” Ken chuckled at Changsub. “Are you going for the vampire concept?”

            “Nice eyeliner,” Changsub retorted, grinning, “Are you going for the ‘Twilight’ vampire concept?”

            Ken mocked being hurt as Changsub giggled at his classmate.

            “Well,” Hyunsik smiled, approaching Hongbin. “I have to say, this plan seems more effective than playing in garbage.”

            “Shut up!” Hongbin yelled. “Hyeri will be mine.”

            ‘So desperate,’ Kikwang remarked, causing Hyunsik to smile.

           While the BtoB and Vixx members interacted with each other Minhyuk slipped back and observed. He couldn’t help but watch Hyuk, who seemed a bit detached from the situation. The boy seemed nervous, shying away whenever he made eye contact with the older go player. He had a feeling Hyuk wasn’t able to brush off their encounter so easily and that uneasiness around the two would impede both their performances.

            ‘Minhyuk, check out Leo.’

            At Dongwoon’s remark, Minhyuk took his attention from the maknae and turned it to the black dressed senior. Where it wasn’t particularly queer seeing the Leo in all black, it was a little off seeing him wearing something without sleeves, but what really through Minhyuk off was Leo’s hair, long and pulled back into a ponytail.

            ‘His hair grew fast,’ Minhyuk telepathically remarked.

            ‘Too fast.’ Dongwoon replied. ‘And don’t you think his description matches the rei that told Sungjae about us to begin with?’

            Minhyuk thought for a moment. ‘Long black hair, tall, kinda pale, sharp scary eyes. You’re right, he’s a perfect match.’

            ‘We should tell the others.’ Dongwoon commented, about to approach the other Beast members.

            ‘Wait,’ Minhyuk halted him, returning his attention to the Vixx maknae. ‘Let’s wait ‘till after the performance. If we tell them now, they’ll become unfocused, like Hyuk is now. We have to make sure this show goes off without a hitch.’

            Dongwoon sighed before agreeing with his link, ‘But what about Hyuk, do we leave him like this? As much as I want you guys to win, I don’t want it to be because that boy is so shaken up.’

            Minhyuk leaned against the wall before turning to his backpack. ‘I have an idea.’

            “So may the best group win,” Eunkwang smiled, holding his hand out to the Vixx leader.

            N simply shrugged, swatting the orange-haired boy’s hand away. “Don’t get so friendly. In case you forget, we’re enemies.”

            Eunkwang looked towards the ground as N walked back towards Leo.

            “Geez, what a jerk,” Ilhoon commented as he approached his leader.

            ‘Are you sure that guy was ever friendly?’ Junhyung couldn’t help asking.

            “He was.” Eunkwang chuckled sadly. “He really was a kind soul. Sometimes, I say I’d do anything just to see my kind friend Hakyeon again.”

            After interacting with BtoB, the Vixx members headed to the opposite end of the stage. They were all individually mentally preparing themselv