The number of failed auditions increased along with the passing of the months. Right from the start, Woobin knew it wasn’t going to be an easy route. But with rejection after rejection, he couldn’t help but begin to feel discouraged.

Looking at Woobin like that, it felt all too familiar for Jongsuk. The look of disappointment on Woobin’s face with each failed audition reminded him so much of his own failed auditions, and more than that, it reminded him of the dejected look on Jonghyun’s face when he failed his last ever audition.

Jongsuk tried his best to shake out all the negative thoughts from his head, telling himself that whatever had happened to Jonghyun would not repeat itself on Woobin.

It had seemed that Woobin performed better when Jongsuk was there with him, whether he was backstage in the waiting room or if he was part of the audience watching him. Woobin didn’t really understand why, but knowing that Jongsuk was there had given Woobin a lot of reassurance and comfort.

However, Jongsuk hadn’t been able to go with Woobin for as many auditions as he hoped that he could. Besides having his own part-time job, school was getting more and more hectic with the entrance tests getting nearer. Despite Woobin telling him that it was fine, Jongsuk had actually felt really bad about not being able to always be there for Woobin like he promised. 

“Yah, don’t worry about it. I’ve the dinosaur you gave me, remember?” Woobin smiled, waving the little dinosaur charm in front of Jongsuk’s eyes. “This will do the trick.”

“I still want to be there personally…” Jongsuk said, sulking. “It’s not like it’s /any/ audition. It’s going to be the last audition before you take a break from it to focus on your entrance exams, and it’s for your favourite designer….”

“Buy me food after that if you feel bad about not being there,” Woobin chirped, giving Jongsuk a light pat on his back.

“Tsk, whether or not I’m there, I’m always the one buying us food anyway,” Jongsuk replied, getting his bag up from the floor and slinging it around his shoulders as he began making his way out of school. “Ah, whatever, do well tomorrow!”

“Yah,” Woobin heard a familiar voice from behind as he approached the audition venue the next morning. Instinctively, Woobin turned to see where the voice was coming from, but he hadn’t seen anyone.

That voice sounded strangely similar to Jongsuk’s. If Woobin didn’t already know that Jongsuk was in school then and that he wouldn’t be seeing him until after the audition, he would definitely have thought that voice belonged to Jongsuk. “I must be hearing things,” he murmured under his breath, tensed and nervous as he continued towards the audition venue.

“Yah, Kim Woobin!” The voice called out again. Hearing his own name, Woobin turned around again, frowning.

The frown on his face was immediately replaced by a surprised look when he saw the familiar figure step out from behind a pillar. Jongsuk stepped out from behind the pillar, a really bright smile plastered on his face. “Yo.”

Watching the dumbfounded Woobin in front of him, Jongsuk couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle, walking over to the other boy who was now already slightly taller than him. “What is with that face? Did you see an alien or something?”

“Yeah, I saw a talking duck,” Woobin snapped out of his surprised state, quickly throwing a reply at the other.

“Tch, ungrateful.”

“But really, why are you here?! Shouldn’t you be at school??”

“Called in sick! I just HAVE to be here. I can miss all the other auditions but not this!” Jongsuk shrugged. “C’mon, you are gonna be late. All of this doesn’t matter now!”

It was amazing how Jongsuk’s mere presence did wonders to calm Woobin’s nerves. The tension and nervousness he had just felt a moment ago had all disappeared upon seeing Jongsuk in front of him. He grinned, quickening his pace as he approached the venue.

It was a rather large-scale audition with more than 200 people auditioning for the show. It was probably the largest-scale audition that Woobin had attended. There was even a proper stage and lightings set up just for the audition.

With the scale of the audition and the number of people around, the situation was rather chaotic. The make-up artists were running around helping with the make-up, the staff was ensuring that everything was in place, the wardrobe manager was handing out the outfits to the auditionees, and the auditionees were busy getting themselves ready for the audition.

The two boys just stood there in awe as everything happened around them.

“Hey…you know, it’d be fun if the both of us could be on that stage together…” Woobin mumbled, still impressed by the entire set-up.

“Eh?” Jongsuk tilted his head slightly.

“I mean…uh…” Woobin turned, smiling sheepishly. “For this audition, we’ll have to do a partner walk, and we can either bring our own partners or work with another of the auditionees. And since you are here….?”

“No,” Jongsuk replied flatly. “I’ve got absolutely no experience in this and I don’t want to spoil your chances. You’re much better off pairing up with another of the auditionees who actually have been trained in this.”

“You won’t spoil my chances. You are the one I’ve practiced most with. You are probably the one who can catch my rhythm the best, and you can’t deny that the both of us have amazing chemistry. Besides, the concept for this audition is ‘Brotherhood’ and there really isn’t anyone who is more suitable for this other than you.”

“I’m going to screw up really badly and it’s going to be embarrassing when I do! And really, you’ll be able to do much better without me---“

“Please? Pretty please?” Woobin blinked, putting on his cutest face. “Just this once? You know how much this audition means to me. It’d be even more meaningful if you were actually part of this too…”

Jongsuk refused. Or rather, he wanted to refuse. But it was hard to refuse any of Woobin’s requests when he had that look on his face. Jongsuk rolled his eyes and snorted, to which Woobin quickly responded with a bright and victorious smile, chirping, “You’re the best!!!!”

After Woobin reported to the staff in charge, the two boys were handed their outfits and ushered into the waiting room that was shared with 14 other people. Jongsuk reluctantly followed, himself feeling strangely nervous. It had been long since he last felt like that, and to his surprise, he actually missed that feeling.

Sensing Jongsuk’s nervousness, Woobin reached out to give his shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Yah, don’t worry. You won’t screw up. I’ve a really good feeling about this, it might just be my best audition ever, because of you. Trust me on that.”

After changing and getting their make-up done, a staff entered the room to give everyone in the room a short briefing and to inform them that the auditions would officially start in 5 minutes.

The individual segments were up first. As Woobin got into line for his walk, Jongsuk stood at the side, giving Woobin a thumbs-up. “Do well!” He mouthed out, to which Woobin responded with a smile. That thumbs up had helped to calm whatever jitters he had, and his facial expressions underwent a huge transformation as he put on his show face.

That focused look of confidence on Woobin’s face was something Jongsuk really enjoyed seeing. That look exuded a charm which really attracted Jongsuk. That look of confidence was something that Jongsuk wished would always remain on Woobin’s face. Seeing that look on Woobin’s face, Jongsuk was all the more determined not to screw up Woobin’s chances and to perform to the best he could.

Woobin did relatively well in his individual segments, and what was left was just the partner walk. Woobin was still in his show mode when he returned to the waiting room where Jongsuk was. He gave Jongsuk a look, followed by a confident and reassuring nod.

Their walk went well, very well. It went better than they both had ever imagined it would, and as Woobin had predicted, it was definitely his best performances out of all his auditions. The both of them showed amazing rapport and chemistry, as if they had practiced it countless times before. While they both looked really different in style and feel, they complemented each other really well. They shone on stage, like it was just where they both belonged.

“That was the best walk I’ve ever had. It was amazing. You know, even if I never ever become a model, to be able to have done that, it’s probably the best consolation I’ll ever get,” Woobin said excitedly as the both of them sat in the room, waiting for the announcement of the results. “Ah, you’re the best.”

Jongsuk grinned. While he couldn’t fully understand Woobin’s excitement, he couldn’t deny that it was kind of fun. He didn’t think he would want to do it again though. Doing it for fun with Woobin, that he didn’t mind, but modelling in itself really wasn’t his kind of thing.

“Uhh…is there a Lee Jongsuk in this room? Can we have a word with you?” a staff popped in from behind the door and called out. Jongsuk looked at Woobin in confusion, and was faced with an equally confused look. He really couldn’t think of any reason why the staff would want to talk to him. He apprehensively got up of his seat next to Woobin and followed the staff out of the room.

Jongsuk was led to another room where the judges from before were seated. He couldn’t help but tense up, now that Woobin wasn’t next to him. He didn’t really know what they wanted with him, and he really didn’t like that feeling of all the attention on him.

“Lee Jongsuk,” the judge seated in the middle spoke. “What are your thoughts about becoming a model for our upcoming show?”

“H-huh? I’m not here to audition for that. I really was just here to help out a friend. Kim Woobin.”

“We know that you aren’t here to audition, which is why we are asking, what do you think about becoming a model?” The judge at the side spoke.

“I wouldn’t want to take the chance away from the other people who auditioned. I didn’t even do the individual segments.”

“Well, you wouldn’t be taking the chance away from anyone. We were thinking of making an exception and engaging an additional model if you were interested. You were spectacular on stage. We don’t need to watch you do the individual segments to know you have got it in you.”

“Uhh…thanks..? But I really am not that interested,” Jongsuk replied awkwardly, trying his best to sound as polite as he could. He forced a smile on his face, nodding a little as he began to make his exit.

“The thing is…” the judge in the middle spoke again. Jongsuk stopped in his tracks, turning again to face the judges. “Your friend, Kim Woobin, he’s good. His techniques are really on point and he really has the charm. But there was something lacking in his walks when he did his individual walks...something like…the soul? It’s all too technical and emotionless. It was when he did the walk with you did he suddenly come alive.”

Jongsuk furrowed his brows, uncertain of what the judges were trying to say.

“But Woobin can do well even without me. He really can, you guys just need to give him some pointers here and there. I’m sure he’ll grasp it.”

“Of course he can. But don’t you get it? What we are saying is that, we want you. And if you come, we will take Kim Woobin too.”

“And if I don’t? Like you said, Woobin is good. You won’t want to miss out on someone that good, would you?”

“He is good, but there are people better than him. Honestly, we are picking thirty models from today. Unfortunately, he is tied at thirtieth with another person. But well, if you decide to join us, then that really isn’t a problem.”

Jongsuk stared at the judges. He wasn’t in the least expecting a situation like this.

Jongsuk understood that rejecting the judges would possibly strip Woobin of his chances of being selected. But at the same time, Jongsuk knew that given Woobin’s personality, the only acceptable reason for ever being selected is because he is good enough.