PEACE {SOOGYU}

TWO

"So you're seriously playing Juliet?"

Beomgyu just sighed at Yeonjun's pestering, walking faster to his homeroom. He could feel the stares and whispers behind his back; although they might not be ill-meaning, it still made him uncomfortable. 

The character list was announced two days ago, and #ChoiBeomgyuplayingJuliet became the most talked-about gossip of the entire school. 

Oh, and Astra Lin's friends literally pounced on him when she found out she was playing Rosaline. 

"How dare you!" One sad follower of hers, probably named Jimmy or something, screamed in front of the entire cafeteria after deliberately bumping into Beomgyu, making him drop his lunch. "Astra was made to play Juliet!"

Beomgyu just frowned, wiping the strawberry milk from his shirt. "She can't dance and needs eye drops to gather up tears. That says something, don't you think so?"

Jimmy fumed. "You're just a disgusting fag that's jealous of Astra because Soobin very clearly likes her better!"

Wow, that really stung. Beomgyu could feel the entire crowd holding their breath.

"What's wrong with being gay?" Beomgyu frowned deeper. Hell, people lately are getting crazier. "Surely, you don't think you're more of a man, following that girl around?"

Yeonjun was going to say something insulting when someone spoke. "Jimmy, stop it," came a sweet, quiet voice. "Don't insult someone's sexual orientation. It's not polite."

Jimmy looked at Astra and apologized. "Sorry, Astra. He was insulting you--"

"He was saying the truth, I can't dance," Astra interrupted smoothly. "And he's the one you should apologize to."

Jimmy scrunched up his eyebrows. "Fine, sorry," he spat. "Astra's being so nice to you and you're just insulting her out of nowhere!"

Beomgyu just sighed and walked away, Yeonjun walking closely after. He was clearly irritated, smoothing through his hair. "That son of a bitch-- "

"It's okay, man. People are stupid sometimes. Plus we have to get to theatre practice," Beomgyu said. 

"It's not just Jimmy," Yeonjun started with a frown. "That Astra girl... I have a bad feeling about her."

Beomgyu shrugged. "She seems reasonable enough."

"She likes Soobin," Yeonjun reminded him, "and she's a girl. You aren't even sure Soobin's gay."

Beomgyu's shoulders sagged a little at the thought. "Let's just get to practice, okay?" he snapped. 

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Taehyun stuck a heavy paper booklet into Beomgyu and Yeonjun's hands when they walked into the noisy auditorium. 

Today was the first practice, and everything is messy and in the planning phase; the script was finished alright, the stage-set group was just starting to discuss all the details, the dance club and the choir are choreographing and writing songs, and of course the actor group had to memorize their lines. 

They sat together in a circle and recited their lines one time. 

"Two households, both alike in dignity; In fair Verona, where we lay our scene; From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean... " Hyunjin said dramatically. He's playing Prince Escalus and extremely happy about it: "I don't have to be on stage all the time," he said when the characters were announced.

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" ...For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss." Beomgyu read, trying to keep a straight face. 

He had been dealing with this for two years. Two whole years. It isn't the first time he had to deal with a situation like this, but then, his crush on Soobin isn't really a secret. 

Soobin was sitting just next to him, with freshly dyed purple hair and wire-framed glasses, reading out loud: "Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?"

"Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer." Beomgyu read, skimming to the next lines. Okay, he had not imagined Romeo and Juliet so poetically teasing.

Soobin smiled in his direction. "O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair." 

"Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake." Gosh, this whole talk about lips is making me--

"Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take. Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged." Soobin read on, wetting his lips. Beomgyu could not help but stare.

"Then have my lips the sin that they have took." He breathed. 

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Soon, Jin and Namjoon went over to their circle. 

"Is everything going fine?" Namjoon asked as they were wrapping up, the last lines said finally. "The choir will come and join practice next week, so you all have to sing," he added.

Jin cleared his throat. "So, is Romeo and our dear Juliet doing okay?" 

Everyone laughed and Yeonjun even whistled as pink crept up Beomgyu's cheeks. 

Jin smiled, his eyes turning into crescents. "Get comfortable with each other, okay? Now there's something we have to discuss."

"So, the rules of the talent show have come out, " Namjoon said, "It's going to last a week with performances every day. In the end, there's going to be a popularity vote."

"The winner will get to perform at the city hall," Jin added. "Next week we'll go pick when are we performing, so... I'll probably take care of that."

"We decided to give the script group another job-- they're in charge of promotions. So later today, Soobin and Beomgyu, you two are going to film a little interview with them. The video will be on our youtube channel and Namjoon arranged for it to be on the school channel too."

"Just enjoy yourselves," Namjoon said, "Don't get too nervous, okay?"

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i'm sorry i haven't updated for a long time

things have been... a rollercoaster

I've got things planned out for peace so please look forward to future chapters~