Luhan wasn’t sure what exactly to expect from Sehun’s training, but this certainly was not it. He had thought that they would just go over some speeches, get dresses fitted, maybe work on the performances. 

He did not see himself tottering around in killer heels, following behind Baekhyun like a toddler just learning how to walk as Sehun barked instructions at him.

“No! Keep your head up high, your back straight. One foot in front of the other, not splayed out like a duck!” Luhan tried to follow what Sehun was screaming at him, he really did, but he’s not a girl! How is he supposed to know how to do this? Granted, Baekhyun was doing great, strutting in his heels, swaying his hips like he owned it. “How can you not walk properly in heels? Becca’s doing great...” Sehun questions exasperatedly, sighing as Luhan tumbled to the floor after another round of the practise catwalk that had been set up. 

“I’d like to see you try do better,” mutters Luhan, glaring at Sehun.”You can’t tell me to walk well in heels if you can’t,” he adds huffily. He doesn’t know what made him say that out loud, but he he regrets snapping when Sehun just looks at him with narrowed eyes marching closer with a flaming gaze. Luhan thought that he would be getting it (maybe Sehun decided that it was more worth it to punch a poor innocent girl than suffer a terrible loss), closing his eyes in fear, but they snap back open when he feels a finger trailing by his ankle. Sehun is gently taking the stilettos off of his feet, fingers lingering his the sole of his feet. “Wh--”

“If I can master this, you have to do everything as I say, and that includes practising until your feet bleed. Understood?” Sehun’s voice was sweet, but the underlying threat was there in his eyes. Luhan gulps, nodding. Besides, Sehun couldn’t possibly be able to walk in heels. Unlike Baekhyun, Sehun was your stereotypical ‘manly man’ as Luhan would say. 

Sehun looks at the heels in his hands, belatedly realizing that his feet are quite a bit bigger than Luhan’s. But he doesn’t back down, hastily stuffing his feet into the stilettos. It was quite an odd site, the new rising fashion designer who was usually his handsome and charismatic self trying to squish his feet into women’s shoes. Luhan and Baekhyun had to stifle their giggles which were threatening to burst from their lips. The urge to laugh only increased when Sehun finally got back up, taking a few hesitant steps, wincing. 

“See? It’s not that easy--” the words die in Luhan’s throat, along with the laughter, as Sehun begins to walk more confidently, smirking at him. Sehun walks right up to him, so that Luhan has to crane his neck up to look at the older in the face. In addition to his usual height (which was almost a head taller than Luhan), the heels added about another ten centimetres, making Luhan feel much smaller. He shrinks back, stepping back, only for Sehun to step forward with him, the distinct clacking of heels sending chills down his spine.

“You were saying?” says Sehun, tilting his head at Luhan, smirk still on that smug face of his. Luhan can only groan, resisting to slap both Sehun and Baekhyun (the latter because he looked just as amused as Sehun, still strutting around as if rubbing it in his face).

Sehun takes off the heels, dangling them off his pinky, swinging them slightly in front of Luhan’s face.

“Your turn again, sweetie.” Luhan almost flushed at the new nickname, but then again, maybe it was some sort of fashion designer thing, not specially directed to him (although not once had Sehun called Baekhyun sweetie...).

Luhan takes the proffered shoes, slipping his feet back in, frowning when he finds himself still shorter than Sehun, even with the heels (although it can be said that they were now at the perfect height ratio of boyfriend and girlfriend to kiss). It didn’t help at all that Sehun was as smug as ever, Baekhyun disappearing for a break.

“Go on then, time to walk until your feet bleed.” And the hellish training resumed, without Baekhyun or Becca or whatever, Luhan was too irritated to care. He was cursing at Sehun in his head, cursing the pageant, cursing Sehun. Luhan couldn’t wait for training to be over for the day, but it seemed never-ending. However, random moments with Sehun had his feelings of irritation faltering, being replaced with something warm and fuzzy. 

Luhan had been on his nth loop around the catwalk, and his legs starting to lose strength from being used in a way that he’s not exactly accustomed to. Sehun was still pushing him, telling him to go again. And again. But finally, his legs couldn’t take it anymore, and his knees buckled. Although, before he could fall, strong arms captured him, easily lifting him up. In his panic, Luhan does the first thing that comes to mind. He presses down on the front of his dress, stopping it from fluttering upwards.

Only then does he turn to his saviour, eyes widening when he sees that it’s none other than Oh Sehun himself. 

“Let-- let me down,” he stutters, weakly protesting. He still had to cover up his lower half, so he couldn’t use his full force (it’s not because he’s weak!). But Sehun doesn’t listen, not until they reach one of the couches, gently placing Luhan onto it. Sehun bends down onto one knee, and Luhan wants to scream in shock. “What are you doing?”

Sehun slips off the stilettos, cradling Luhan’s aching feet. A few blisters had formed, turning his pale skin an angry red, especially where the shoes pinched his toes. Sehun’s large hands started massaging the swollen limb, his eyes trained on the foot. Luhan wants to pull away, but the feeling is too good, relief finally getting to his feet after a horrendous day of torture. Unconsciously, a mewl escapes his lips when Sehun hits a particularly sensitive spot on the sole of his feet, and he clamps his mouth shut when Sehun’s head snaps up at the sound.

“Uhm--” Luhan coughs awkwardly, reaching to take the heels with his right hand. “Can I go for the day?” Sehun just nods dismissively, retracting his hands. For some strange reason, Luhan felt a wave of disappointment hit him. He doesn’t know what he was expecting, Sehun certainly wouldn’t have time to take care of him.

“Luhan!” Baekhyun’s voice is calling him, coming closer. “Are you okay?” he asks, noticing that the heels were no longer on Luhan’s feet.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Luhan says with a laugh, turning away from their mentor, who was still on his knees in front of him. Luhan leads Baekhyun away without a backwards glance, hurrying to their hotel room. He tries to ignore the snickers coming from Baekhyun, turning in early for the night.

“Someone’s got a crush on our teacher,” Baekhyun says out loud, facing Luhan’s bed. “Teacher and student relationship, how scandalous,” he sings. Silence returns to the room when Luhan finally decides that he’s had enough and needs his beauty sleep, chucking a pillow (and threatening to throw the lamp as well) at Baekhyun.
 

When he had finally mastered the heels, Sehun went back to fix the two’s overall posture, even when sitting down.

“How you carry yourself is very important, and it all starts with immaculate posture no matter what you’re doing.” Luhan wants to roll his eyes at Sehun’s tone, but Baekhyun is nodding along to their mentor’s words, humming his approval, so it felt slightly out of place. “Becca, from what I’ve seen from your walk, and the way you’re sitting now, it seems that your posture is near perfect.” 

Baekhyun claps his hands happily, and again Luhan has to resist the urge to frown. He was happy for his friend, but it did get frustrating, hearing praises only for Becca, and not for Lulu. 

“Lulu,” he waits for the complaint that he knew would come from Sehun’s mouth, “you slouch pretty much all the time, be it when you’re sitting or standing.” And there it was. But it seems that Sehun wasn’t done nitpicking on his posture just yet. “And what girl sits with her legs wide open? In a dress as well!” Sehun sounds exasperated, waving his hands around, gesturing at Luhan’s current state. Sure, he was doing all the things mentioned. But he was a guy! Guys do not cross their legs, nope. 

Although, when Baekhyun is dismissed much earlier than himself, Luhan starts to regret not faking his appearance better. Sehun had his measuring tape, which was usually looped around his neck loosely, in his hands, pulling it taut, much like a whip. It instilled fear (and a little something else) in Luhan, and he gulps, stuttering.

“Wh-- What are you doing?”

“We spent two days. Two whole days on teaching you how to walk a few metres. I was too kind.” Sehun sounded nonchalant as he paced around Luhan, who was still sitting down. His legs were more decent though, side-by-side, his hands clasped, resting on his knees. 

“Huh?” he asks dumbly. Alarm bells were ringing in Luhan’s head, especially when Sehun suddenly lashed out with the measuring tape, hitting the side of the chair with a resounding thwack.

“No more kindness.” When were you ever kind??, Luhan wants to shout, “Neither of us will leave this hall until you are a perfect lady at all times, and even when the other contestants are on the stage, you will not be caught off guard by stray cameras.”

“Won’t we be backstage?” Luhan blurts out, shrinking into the chair when Sehun glares at him. The measuring tape has been recoiled into his fist, ready to be used again.

“No, that would mean less time for the audience to ogle at the contestants, which would definitely cause an uproar.” It made Luhan uncomfortable to know such things, but at least he could take comfort in the fact that they’d be ogling Lulu, and not Luhan. As soon as the contest was over, he would shed the persona anyway. 

Out of nowhere, Luhan was pulled out of his thoughts by a sudden lashing to the back of his head.

“No slouching!” admonished Sehun as the younger rubs the now sore spot, hissing like an angry kitten. But that was only the beginning of the fashion designer’s hellish training. Luhan had thought that the heels had been bad enough, the blisters on his feet still fresh evidence. He was proven wrong.

The measuring tape was put to good use over the span of the training, alternating between a whip and restraints. One second, Luhan would be flinching away from the sharp lashes every time Sehun saw his back even curve in the slightest. The next, he’d be screaming profanities at an apathetic Sehun who was tying his legs together, forcing them to close with the measuring tape. Struggle as he might, Sehun could tie his knots well, and the man just watched over Luhan until the smaller calmed down enough. Or at least pretend to. There was nothing much that Luhan could do when bound to the chair, and sometimes Sehun would even take out sellotape to tape Luhan’s mouth.

“Ladies shouldn’t have such a potty mouth.”

“Mmph-- Uumph--- Hhhmppp---!” Luhan sounded absolutely pathetic with his grumbles, but what he was trying to say was ‘Men shouldn’t treat ladies like this! You’re a prick! Harassment, this is ual harassment!’. Of course, Sehun couldn’t hear, much less care.

That is, until it was time to take off the restraints. Sehun’s fingers would linger on his skin, cold tips raising goosebumps on his skin. And since the measuring tape was always tied around his thighs, all the way down to below his knees, Sehun’s fingers would brush against the bare skin there as Luhan’s dress fluttered with the movement.

However, the moment (and any residual feelings) would quickly disperse, Sehun dismissing him with a careless wave of his hand. Sometimes it happened earlier, Baekhyun walking in on them and quirking his eyebrow at the situation. He never said anything out loud, but he would always grill Luhan when they were back in the safety of their room.

“Lu, I don’t mean to pry, but like, damn.” Baekhyun was shaking his head in, was that disapproval? Although there was a hint of smirking beneath the frown.

“What?” asks Luhan, clearly confused. What had he done to upset Baekhyun?

“, man, no other way to say it.” ? What the hell?

“What?!” Luhan burst out, unable to contain his shock. “What is?”

“I mean, , whipping, even taping your mouth shut so you can’t scream--” Baekhyun lists everything he had witnessed, watching in amusement as Luhan’s eyes widened in realization.

“It’s not what you think it is!” he shouts, moving over to shake Baekhyun by the shoulders.

“Uh-huh,” Baekhyun deadpans, a face-splitting grin stretched onto his face.

“Seriously,” insists Luhan, voice taking a whiny tone.

“Whatever. You still have feelings for each other.”

“Ridiculous.” Luhan scoffs, frowning at Baekhyun. “No way does he like me.”

“You’ll see.” Baekhyun notes that Luhan didn't deny his own feelings.
 

It’s the last day before the pageant, and tension is running high as the girls flitter about backstage, practising lines and performances. It was time for the dress rehearsal, and Luhan and Baekhyun would finally see the dresses that Sehun had made for them for the first time ever. They were excited (although Luhan chided himself for being so, I’m not a girl, why am I excited to see a dress??) and hurried their way to their designated changing room, furthest away from the exit. They had dressed simply, loose tops and tracksuits, knowing that they would be changing out of them soon enough.

They open the door to see Sehun doing some last minute alterations to a row of dresses, and they can’t help but to gasp in awe.

“Are those--”

“My eyes. They must be deceiving me.”

In front of them, two rows of the most absolutely beautiful dresses were lined up, side by side. Each row had three dresses, for each round of the pageant.

“Lulu, yours is the one on your right, Becca, yours to the left,” says Sehun, stepping back to allow them to look at his masterpieces. Baekhyun and Luhan breathlessly make their way to their respective dresses, murmuring quiet whispers of wonder.

Luhan let his fingers brush by the first dress made for his introduction and Q&A session. It was a dark purple, almost onyx, that contrasted against his pale skin. It was sleeveless, but Luhan was glad that at least it wasn’t completely strapless (he didn’t have the s to keep a strapless dress up), two strings of what looked like amethyst looping from around the shoulders. The bodice was covered in small shining speckles, making it look like a mermaid’s tail, whilst the skirt reached to where he assumed would be just above his knees. It was made of a velvet that was the same onyx as the bodice, blanketed by a veil of thinner mesh. The outfit was already prepared with accessories included, delicate black bracelets made of fabric and matching necklaces hanging on the mannequin.

Next in line was the one that he would be wearing for his performance. Sehun had decided that Luhan should sing a ballad, whereas Baekhyun was adamant on performing ‘Genie’ by SNSD. Unsurprisingly, Luhan could see that Baekhyun got himself a sailor uniform for the second costume, but his attention was solely on his own dress when he spotted it. This time, it was a simple soft baby blue dress with a halter neck. The skirt was made in a way that he could just see it flowing around his ankles as he walked, as if a breeze was walking along with him. The straps and neckline were lined with diamonds, adding a bit of flair to the otherwise plain dress. But it definitely suited his performance, elegance in simplicity. 

And last, but definitely not least. His final dress for the closing ceremony. Out of the three, this one was definitely his favourite, and he could tell that Sehun put a lot of work into it. It was a long dress, like the baby blue one, but this dress was a pale rose pink decorated with tiny, immaculate rose stencils in white. The back was very low cut, the V-shape closing up just above his tailbone. It looked risque, but the slit was covered by rows of lacing which kept the back together, the strings crisscrossing loosely across the space where his bare skin would be showing. 

“Woah… Your final dress is beautiful.” Luhan almost jumps out of his skin when he hears Baekhyun right beside him.

“Oh my God! You scared me!” He hits Baekhyun on the shoulder, pouting.

“Sorry,” the blonde chuckles, “but it’s not my fault that you were just staring at your dress for five minutes straight.”

“I-- I was?” stutters Luhan, glancing at Sehun, who had a small smile on his face which was quickly masked into an unreadable expression.

“Yeah, Sehun asked us to try them on but you weren’t responding.”

“Oh…”

“Sehun!” Baekhyun turns to the designer. “Luhan’s finally gotten his act together, so we’ll try the dresses now.” Luhan groans, embarrassment flooding his system.

“Okay, I’ll leave you two alone for a while, just tell me if anything needs to be altered.” Sehun walks out of the room, closing the door with a soft click.

Baekhyun squeals with glee as he picks up the first dress, spinning round and round. 

“I cannot believe that I have, not one, but three ing dresses from Oh Sehun himself!” he exclaims, stopping his turning and pressing the dress to his chest, hugging it close. “Come on, Luhan, let’s try them on!” he adds, taking Luhan’s first dress off the mannequin and handing it to him.

“Okay, calm down, Baek.” Luhan accepts it, masking his excitement with a small smile. He was probably just as excited as his friend, but there was no way that he was going to admit it.

They start changing, admiring how the other looks in their dresses, twirling this way and that. Sehun had told them to go to him for alterations, but the dresses fit them perfectly, complementing their body shape to make it look more feminine. The skirts weren’t too tight, keeping their goodshidden, and neither were the bodices. But they fit tightly around the waist, revealing their petite waists that were simply to die for.

Once they had finished trying on all three dresses, Luhan and Baekhyun started to change back to their normal clothes.

Out of nowhere, the doorknob started to turn. Luhan and Baekhyun could only stare at each other in horror as they realized that neither of them had bothered to lock the door after Sehun’s departure. It was too far to run to the door to slam it in the intruder’s face, any attempt would have been made in vain.

“Sehun are you in here---” A tall, frizzy-haired male walks into the room following his deep voice, freezing when he sees Luhan and Baekhyun only wearing their tracksuit pants, chests bare. His eyes flickered to the rows of dresses behind them, his mouth dropping open as the pieces started to click. There was a full minute of silence before the stranger screams, strangely high-pitched for someone who had such a deep voice. “Sehun!” he hollers, and the two contestants in the room cringe as they hear the pounding footsteps belonging to who they could only assume to be Sehun.

“, , .”

“, , .”

“Chanyeol, what’s wrong?” Sehun rushes in, halting when he too sees Luhan and Baekhyun.

“Oh my god, what did I get myself into?” wails Chanyeol, lunging at Sehun to grab him by the collar. “I only asked for this job to cover my expenses, I didn’t expect that I’d get caught in some sort of crossdressing fraud-- scandal-- I don’t even know!”

Sehun was silent, staring long and hard at his two mentees. Breaking under the sudden reveal of their secret, Luhan grabs Baekhyun’s wrist, running out of the room, still half-dressed. They both have their shirts bunched in their hands, covering their bare chests, but they just ran. Ran all the way to the hotel room.

When the were in the safety of their room, Baekhyun slumps down onto the floor, panting heavily. Luhan, on the other hand, walked robotically to the bathroom, looking himself in. He strips down, dumping the clothes into a pile on the floor. He steps into the shower, turning the water on to full blast, the heat misting up the small bathroom.

He tries to dispel all thoughts, focusing on the water pounding on his scalp, the running water on his skin. But it’s hard, so very hard. He doesn’t know when, but he starts tasting saltiness from the water. Wait… That’s not water. It’s my tears, he thinks sadly, reaching up to rub his eyes. I was so close, I could have done this for mum, but now I’ve messed up. I’ve messed up so bad and now they’ll go looking for her, and it’s all my fault.

Luhan just stands there, letting the water run over him as he continues to think of what would happen next, what would happen to his mother. He stepped out only when he started to go slightly lightheaded from the heat, skin wrinkled from being in water for so long. Taking a towel, he wraps it around his waist and stands in front of the mirror, covered in condensation. He wipes away a small circle, allowing his reflection to be seen, although it was still a little fuzzy.

His hair is dripping water droplets onto the counter, and it’s grown longer over the past week, the fringe down to his cheeks, the back even longer. His eyes were red-rimmed, lips tinted pink. He lifts a hand to his face, noting that the nails are longer than ever, filed neatly into ovals, ready to be decorated with nail polish tomorrow. If he doesn’t get disqualified by tonight that is. He traces his reflection in the mirror, lingering by the eyes, the cheeks, the lips.

Who is that girl I see staring straight back at me? When will my reflection show who I am inside?

He watches a teardrop fall from the corner of the reflection’s eyes, and then he turns away.

.

.

.

“Luhan?” Baekhyun’s muffled voice calls out into the darkness. The minute Luhan had finished drying up, he shuffled out of the bathroom and got dressed quickly, flying under the covers and stayed hidden. Baekhyun had said nothing, taking his turn in the bathroom and switching off the lights when he returned, slipping into his own bed. But it seemed that neither boy could sleep; Baekhyun just happened to be the one who initiated conversation first.

“Yes?” mumbles Luhan, turning over so that he would face the general direction of Baekhyun’s side of the room.

“Do you think we’ll be disqualified?” The usual sassy Baekhyun was nowhere to be seen, the insecure crossdressing boy that he truly was coming through. Luhan didn’t know what to say so he decided to reply honestly.

“I don’t know.” Because he really didn’t. 

“I--” Baekhyun seemed hesitant to continue.

“You?”

“I know you said that you came here for personal reasons, and I respect your privacy…” Luhan waits for him to continue. “I’m not losing anything other than my pride, but what happens to you if we get disqualified?”

“It’s not what happens to me that I’m worried about,” sighs Luhan, thinking of his mother once more.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s my mother.” Luhan doesn’t know what compelled him to reveal everything to Baekhyun, telling the blonde everything that his mother had to go through, why he was doing what he needed to do. But it gave him comfort when he felt his covers being lifted, Baekhyun’s small body joining his.

“I’m so sorry…” And Luhan just cries, cries for his mother, cries at the expression on Sehun’s face before he fleed, cries at the squeezing in his chest that still won’t go away, as he hugs Baekhyun.
 

They still wake up in time for the pageant, walking with heavy steps towards the changing rooms. Unsurprisingly, Sehun was already inside, facial expression not giving anything away, almost apathetic. Luhan and Baekhyun had already come across Kris and Suho earlier on, but there was no news of disqualification. In fact, both judges had just smiled at them (well, Suho had) before returning their attention to their contestants.

“Get dressed. Makeup will be here in ten minutes.” Sehun keeps his sentences curt, not once looking at his mentees in the eyes.

“But--”

“Just get dressed.” Sehun exits the room without a backwards glance, leaving behind two very shocked figures, frozen on the spot.

“Wh--” Luhan is incoherent, pointing between the door and the dresses all lined up.

“I don’t know either, but let’s not waste our second chance.” Baekhyun hurriedly grabs onto his first dress, stripping. “Let’s just trust him on this.”

Luhan is still hesitant. What was Sehun’s motive? But Baekhyun’s right. I’ve somehow got a second chance to save Mum. And with those thoughts, he too began to get dressed, picking up his first dress, the dark onyx, on the rack.

True to his word, the makeup artists came in soon after, although they knocked first before entering, leaving the boys enough time to do a final check. They were pushed into the seats in front of two big mirrors, the two girls armed with makeup brushes and palettes starting to work on their faces. They did the bare minimum, just a bit of foundation and blush to make them shine under the spotlight, neutral eyeshadow that would fit with all three of their dresses.

The next few hours were a rush, running here and there backstage as the hall filled with people. It was a blur of movement, and Luhan only collected himself when the beginning of the pageant rolled around, Suho’s warm voice reverberating through the speakers, the iconic Ms. Perfection theme song serving as a background. The sound made him want to puke, everything was just too real.

“Ladies and gentleman, television viewers at home, I would like to welcome you to the ‘2014 Ms. Perfect Pageant’!” Claps echoed for a few seconds. “As you all know, there have been some changes to the system, with one hundred percent of the results relying on audience views, so we hope for your active participation!” Luhan zoned out of the rest of Suho’s prepared (and overly preppy) speech; he had already heard the man practise his lines during the dress rehearsal. His thoughts were elsewhere, specifically the young judge sat beside Kris.

Luhan still couldn’t fathom the designer’s intentions. Sure, Sehun would lose both of his contestants, but was he really that convinced that one of them would win? Was it really worth the risk?

He was brought out of his thoughts by a sharp jab to his ribs, courtesy of Baekhyun. 

“The Q&A session is starting,” he whispers. “I’ll have to go soon, so good luck, okay?” He still has worry reflected in his eyes, and Luhan’s sure that he looks just the same. But he gives a quick squeeze of the hand to reassure the blonde, whispering ‘We’ve got this’.

Soon enough, the girls went on stage one by one, getting called up in the order decided since day one. When Baekhyun, or more accurately, Becca was introduced, Luhan holds his breath, watching his friend step up with unrivaled confidence to the X mark at the centre of the stage.

The questions were asked by the three judges, it seemed like they had collected them beforehand from the audience. For Baekhyun, it was mostly about his online blog where he posted daily pictures of himself. He kept waiting for the question regarding his gender, but it never came, Sehun following his list of questions, not bothering to think up his own like Kris and Suho.

However, the number four comes not too much earlier than seven, and Luhan’s heart feels like it’s about to beat right out of his chest as he tries to take confident steps like Baekhyun had. He thinks back to Sehun’s lesson, but that weird twinge is back so he pushes the thought away. When his feet are on the X, he finally looks up, momentarily stunned by the ocean of flashes, the judges on the forefront.

“Lulu, are you ready to begin?” asks Suho with a small smile.

“Y-yes.” Luhan almost cringes at his stutter, what a way to start off a competition. 

“First of all, I’m sure everyone else is as curious as me…” Uh-oh. “Why is our beloved Qian, the last winner, your mother, not participating this time?” Kris asks the first question, his gaze piercing, and Luhan has trouble not squirming under it. He wracks his brain for an answer but comes up blank - other than the truth that is. His palms are feeling sticky, and the stage feels strangely warm, stuffy. His knees are feeling weaker and weaker as his gaze darts around the hall, hoping to find an answer. The silence only stretches on, and Luhan gulps as he takes in Suho’s and Kris’ curious looks.

“I--” Luhan’s brain is a mess. He can’t think of how to answer without outright lying.

“Yes?” prompts Suho, smiling expectantly down at him from behind the judges’ table. But Luhan has no answer.

“That’s not a fair question, it’s not about Lulu.” Sehun’s voice cuts through the silence like a knife, a clipped statement that started a flurry of hushed whispers. The cameras all turn to him, focusing in on the youngest judge. “This Q&A session is about the contestants, not past contestants.”

Kris is stunned as he gapes at Sehun, clearly unaccustomed to the talking back. Suho, noticing how the situation could turn hostile, quickly turned back to the stage.

“Well, moving on!” he says loudly, shuffling his cue cards. “Lulu, what do you feel about the week you spent here?”

Luhan was glad to answer, talking mostly about his time with Baekhyun-- no, Becca. The questions only became more generic after that, so he allowed himself to slowly relax, managing to smile at the end as he walked off to join Baekhyun, already dressed for his performance, on the other side.

“You okay?” he whispers, reaching over to hug Luhan, who just nods numbly. “Sehun really saved you back there, and he hasn’t said anything about us.”

“I wonder why...” He himself sounds stunned at the turn of events, but he has no time to ponder over it as stylists usher him into the changing rooms, throwing the baby blue dress into his arms. They left him alone to change, but stayed outside the door, muttering urgently to hurry him up. He tumbled out of the room, barely managing to slip on the snow white heels, pulled along to contestant area to the side of the judges’ table. 

Since it was the performance section, the contestants would have a little breathing time before being called on stage. And although he appreciated, Luhan felt apprehensive about being so close to the judges, especially Sehun. He was so distracted, surreptitiously stealing glances at his mentor every few seconds, that he barely noticed the other girls’ performances. He managed to smile at Baekhyun’s though, his friend rocking the sailor costume and nailing the moves that he choreographed from the original queens.

And it might have just been his imagination, but he swears he feels Sehun’s gaze on him more than once, but every time he turned to check, Sehun’s eyes were on the stage. 

His name was called out soon enough, and he walks up to the stage with shaky steps as he downs the last remnants of water in his water bottle. His throat was going parched from nervousness, but he couldn’t afford to mess up, not after he was given his second chance. The microphone was handed to him by the backstage workers, ironically it was Chanyeol, who just gawked at him with slack jaws, and then he was back at the centre of the stage, lights dim for his performance.

“So what will you be performing for us today, Lulu?” It was too dark to see, but it sounded like Kris’ voice that spoke this time, the ever present bitterness giving him away.

“Life is like a boat, by Rie Fu.” Luhan swallows his nervousness, tugging the waist of his dress down.

As the music starts to play, the lights brighten slightly, and he could clearly see Sehun’s intense gaze on him. But that made sense, considering that Luhan changed his song last minute (with Baekhyun’s help). And he was okay with Sehun staring, because he needed Sehun to listen to him, one last time.
 

Luhan couldn’t help it. He had tears pooling in his eyes as he hurriedly stepped off stage, claps resounding in the background. He shoves the microphone into Chanyeol’s waiting hand, before running off for the changing rooms. He didn’t know if what he was trying to get across to Sehun made it, but it helped him realize something. Sehun changed him. Sehun made him fall, and he was hoping that Sehun was going to catch him too. But he couldn’t look at Sehun’s face to gauge the other’s expression, he was still too strung on his own nerves that were threatening to fray at the seams. Baekhyun hugged him when he got to the changing rooms, seeing the glistening tears on the corners of his eyes. He had said nothing though, just helped Luhan into his final dress for the final ceremony.

“It’s time to see if our second chance meant anything…” whispers Baekhyun, searching Luhan’s face for something, what exactly he wasn’t sure.

“Yeah, you did great though, you rocked that stage more than the other girls,” says Luhan, managing to crack a smile.

“And you sounded so beautiful singing that song, it was a great idea to change it.” Baekhyun returns the compliment.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, Chanyeol’s deep voice calling them. They open the door, seeing an awestruck Chanyeol gaping at them (when was he not??).

“We have to go-- Oh my god. I almost forgot that you were guys for a second, you guys look absolutely breathtaking.” His ears go red as he clamped his mouth shut after realizing that he had said everything out loud. And although he used the plural, his eyes were only for Baekhyun, who giggles, pulling Luhan’s arm.

“Thank you,” he titters, a pink blush forming on his cheeks.

“Ah! We have to go hurry…” And with that they made their last trip to the stage, getting in line amongst the other contestants, sending last wishes of hope before walking onto the stage, spacing themselves as had been practised.

.

.

.

“For the past few hours, you, the audience and viewers, have been busy judging, voting, for these ten ladies. Now, it’s time for the results to come out! Is everyone is as excited as me?” As always, Suho was leading the crowd along, Sehun and Kris just watching on. “In my hands, the results have been tabulated to give the final winner of this year’s Ms. Perfection. Everyone has done amazingly, but there can only be one winner.” He pauses, taking in a deep breath.

Luhan can feel his heart rate increasing, the dress suddenly feeling tight. He doesn’t know why, but he feels so nervous. It’s not like he needs to win. He just needs to survive, to finish the pageant without a hitch, so that he could go back. But there was a part of him that wanted to win, so that his mother would be proud of his actions, so that Sehun would be proud of him.

“Without further ado.” Suho rips the envelope loudly, the sound making everyone hold their breaths. There’s a long silence as Suho takes out the piece of card with a contestant’s name out painstakingly slow, purposely teasing everyone. Too add to that, he says, “Actually, we’ll be announcing third place first, followed by the runner-up, before the actually crowned winner!” That guy sure is sadistic, thinks Luhan. 

“So third place, goes to the beautiful Seohyun!” Claps ensue and Suho waits for them to finish. Seohyun takes a quick bow, smiling and waving at the cameras flashing. “Next, runner-up. Congratulations to Qian’s lovely daughter, Lulu!” Luhan froze, eyes widening as he heard his name being called. He looked over to Baekhyun, who was clapping for him, and then he saw Sehun looking at him with a small smile. It was probably the best reaction he could count on. Suho was still speaking in the background, but he couldn’t concentrate. He had actually come out second! However he forced himself to focus when he heard Suho about to announce first place.

“And truly, without further ado this time,” Suho chuckles, “I shall announce the honorary first place. Truthfully, the votes between the first and second were very close, but the wonderful Becca managed to beat out her new friend by just a few points. Congratulations!” Luhan turned to see a shocked Baekhyun, who was opening and closing his mouth. Without thinking, Luhan ran over, pulling Baekhyun into a bone-crushing hug.

“I’m so happy for you, Baek-- Becca!” Confetti started to rain down on them, floating like colourful raindrops.

“Wait!” one of the girls suddenly shouted, Minah was it?, trying to grab the judges’ attention. “Wait! Becca and Lulu aren’t actually girls, they should be disqualified!” They stop celebrating, the fear from yesterday returning at full force, maybe worse. It was over, but now--

“That is a very strong accusation,” states Suho, gaze hardening. The cameras had stopped rolling, but the live audience could still witness everything. “What is your proof?”

“I saw them yesterday as they were going back after rehearsals. Sehun saw them too!” Minah points to said judge, who frowned at being called out. His fellow judges turn to him, expressions looking horrified.

“You knew?” asked Kris, glaring at Sehun, who just shrugged. “Answer me, Oh!”

“Yes, I did. So what?” Sehun replies, shrugging his shoulders again.

“Excuse me? So what?” repeats Kris, getting up from his seat.

“Sehun… You should know how serious this is--” Suho reprimands, pulling Kris back.

“Is it really?” Sehun questions, standing up to tower over Suho.

“What-- Of course it is!” Suho splutters, clearly flustered at Sehun’s blatant opposition.

“Then show me where it says that only female family members were invited in Qian’s place. Suho, you designed those cards right?” challenged Sehun.

“I-- This is Ms. Perfection!”

"And they won as girls. There has never been any concrete gender requirement--"

“But--” At this moment, Minah spoke up again, only to be cut off by Sehun.

“It’s neither Becca’s nor Lulu’s faults that they managed to beat all you other girls. They deserved it, since not a single person voting knew their true identities. If you failed to beat them as girls, question your own inner beauty.” It was a harsh blow, but it was a truth that not even the audience could deny. They didn’t know, and they voted purely based on what they saw.

And the judges could see it on their faces, their slow nods, their standing ovation for the two boys. There were even a few whistles, that sent their cheeks blazing, but they were thankful nonetheless. Most of the other girls seemed to have accepted it too, although some stomped off stage, screaming in frustration. But amongst all that chaos, Luhan could’ve cared less.

Someone was descending the stairs that connected the audience to the stage. And it was a face that was clearly recognizable, even with the thick scarf hiding everything up to the woman’s face.

“Mum?!” he screeches, running over to barrel into his mother, who opens up her arms for her son. The three judges, seeing the commotion, decide to join the remaining two contestants on stage, occasionally slipping on the fallen confetti. A few times, Kris was sent crashing to the floor, a laughing Suho pulling him up.

“Hello there, my beautiful daughter,” teases Qian, her laugh tinkling in the air. “I would punch you, but you did get second, so I think you deserve a little leniency.” Baekhyun chuckles, but Luhan shivers at her words. She was probably serious. “What’s your name, darling?” Qian turns to Baekhyun. “I’m thinking it’s something similar to Becca?”

“Baekhyun, Ms. Qian,” replies Baekhyun with a small nod, and anyone could see that he was holding back the urge to hug Luhan’s mother.

“Come here, the newly-minted Ms. Perfection should get a hug from the previous one,” she says, pulling in a grinning Baekhyun. Luhan watched the scene from the sides, slightly jealous that his mother was nicer to Baekhyun.

“Don’t worry, in my eyes you’re forever first place, my garden of roses.” Luhan jolts at Sehun’s smooth voice beside his ear. He turns around to find himself in the taller’s embrace, Sehun’s face in the crook of his neck.

“Se-- Sehun?” breathes Luhan, his ability to speak flying away.

“See, I knew I was gay.” Sehun’s hot breath tickled his collarbones, warming up his skin.

“Huh?” What does that have to do with anything?

“I’ve always known I didn’t like girls, but there was something about you that attracted me.”

“Attracted…?”

“I brushed it off, because maybe it was just something stupid. But yesterday, it all made sense. Why I was pulled to you like a bee to his rose.”

“And why was that?”

“Because to me, there is no-one more worthy of Ms Perfection than you.” Sehun’s fingers trace Luhan’s spine, tugging at the drawstrings across it. Luhan had to suppress a low moan, the sensation sending zaps of electricity coursing through his body.

“....Even with my genes, my Lulu only manages to come second, not even a medal--” Qian was talking to Baekhyun, but suddenly stops when she sees Sehun practically undressing Luhan. “My baby has grown up! Forget the medal, the trophy, whatever, he’s got Oh Sehun, oh my god!” she squeals, turning to shake Baekhyun by the shoulders.

“You should have seen them throughout the week,” informs Baekhyun, winking at her.

However, Luhan jolts away from Sehun when he realizes that they have an audience, blushing profusely.

“Mu-- Mum--”

“No need to explain, my son. At least you got something out of dressing like a girl.”

“Mum!”

“Not to mention those beautiful dresses, did you make them, Sehun?” Qian ignores her flailing son’s whines, swooning as she started rambling about Sehun being her new protegee.

“Yes, ma’am.” Sehun bows slightly, intertwining his fingers with Luhan’s.

“No need to be so formal, call me Mum,” she says with a wink. “Baekkie over here already is.”

“Okay! That’s enough mum, we should go home now,” pleads Luhan.

“Aww, I’m having fun with your new friends. But if you want to be punished with those punches sooner, let’s go then.”

“Just--”

“Oh, and make sure to bring Sehunnie and Baekkie along!” she sings, leaving the hall with a skip in her step.

Everything was just going too quickly for Luhan. One second, he was about to be disqualified for entering a pageant for females, the next he was being congratulated by his mother, Sehun all over him. What.

Speaking of Sehun all over him, said man was leaning down his head to meet Luhan in the eye.

“I’d love to go back to your place,” he pauses, pressing his lips against Luhan’s, “to stay for the night.” Luhan gulps as he feels Sehun’s finger tugging on the lace on his back one last time before following behind Baekhyun, who was shouting for Luhan to hurry up.

Oh my.

~

As always, thank you for reading!~