Serendipity | SunKi Au

28: The Grand Festival

"Qualifiers are starting soon," Jay states the following Monday morning as soon as he was with both of his friends, the other two on either side of him as they walk. Riki furrows his eyebrows with no idea as to what he was talking about while Sunghoon only calmly nodded as if it was a usual encounter--which seemed like it was.

They continue to walk to the school gates. "What do you mean Qualifiers?" Ni-Ki asks, turning his head to look at the oldest.

"Ah, right, it's going to be your first," he says with a proud smile as he opens the door for the other two to enter the school first before he goes in as well.

"Heeseung-Hyung told you that there are competitions at the studio, right?" Sunghoon intervenes. The youngest nods. "The Grand Festival is the most important one of the year," he begins seriously. "It is a competition between studios or other individuals competing in Vocal, Dance, and both. The first step to the 'Grand Festival' are qualifiers where the top 10 are chosen to then go to regionals. 

"Personally, within our studio, people get to sign up and try out to be chosen for the competition- this is called an 'internal competition.' The competition has three categories; solos, duos, and groups. Usually, as for us, it's two solos that get to compete, two duos, and one group. The winners of the studio go to qualifiers, then regionals if they're in the top five, then state, and lastly to international competition," he explains. "We've actually never made it as far as internationals," Sunghoon confesses in disappointment.

"And who chooses who can go?" Riki questions, sitting down at their usual table in the cafeteria in front of the other two.

"Of course, it's Heeseung-Hyung, the director and owner of the studio," Jay answers with a smile. "He doesn't necessarily choose the top people but those he feels are unique, have high potential, and will improve."

"Have you guys ever gone?"

The two glance at each other with a smile, "We've gone for the past three years as duos, top three every time," Sunghoon answers proudly, his dimple popping out. 

"So to compete we don't have to necessarily be good at both but rather either, right?" He asks.

"Well, for the solos, there is a dance student and a vocal student, Heeseung-Hyung usually doesn't join the all-rounder competition for solos but for the other divisions they are supposed to sing and dance," Sunghoon replies. 

"Does he choose the group that will participate?"

They nod, "He chooses those he thinks will have the best teamwork and best synergy but for the others, you're free to try out," Jay states. "Will you try it?"

"Um... maybe for dance? I'm pretty confident in it," he answers with a sheepish smile.

"Yes! You definitely have to! If those words didn't come out of your mouth, I would have forced you to join, either way, I was already planning on what to do," Sunghoon exclaims, his lips tugged up widely making them all laugh.

Soon enough, Ni-Ki found himself distracted as his other two friends continued on conversing. They were talking about one of their trainee friends or something when he caught sight of Sunoo who was across the cafeteria. Jungwon was babbling on about something which he was listening to, nodding his head or shaking it every once in a while.

He wonders how is it that the boy never smiles especially when the person in front of him had such a contagious smile. Does everything just not give him a reason to smile? Surely, he has smiled before without a doubt but what was the reason? It was intriguing to think of those possibilities.

Then, he remembered the one time that he caught a smile on his face. That day late at night that they both happened to be at the studio and leaving at the same time. It was beautiful, he recalled. His cheekbones came up high, almost all the way to his eyes, and his eyes basically disappeared.

He smiles unconsciously as he remembers. It was precious, that's the best way to describe it, he concluded. 

"What's up with you?" One of the boys in front of him asks in a tone that seemed like concern. He turns his head to him quickly, it was Jay who was raising an eyebrow expectantly. 

"N- nothing," he stutters out as his cheeks became hot. 

Was he just thinking of Kim Sunoo like that? Was he describing the most minimal things? 

His heart begins to raise as he begins to think of some excuses for the abnormal thoughts and the weird feeling in his stomach but there wasn't any. There was no real, scientific explanation to it. Well, not one that he knew off.

"Hey, Nishimura Riki," Jay calls out, snapping his eyes in front of his face continuously.

"I'm okay, Hyung," he says with an unsure tight-lipped smile. 

Giving him a suspicious look, Jay decides to give up with a slow nod while the other boy next to him turned to look in the direction that had gotten the youngest distracted and smiling like an idiot. There was no one that they knew there besides Kim Sunoo but he and Riki weren't close and barely knew each other. The only commitment that they had was that the younger's mother worked for the other's father. He decides to also shrug it off and turn to his friends.

They were back into another random conversation. Unknowingly to the elder, Ni-Ki kept glancing back at the silver head who still seemed not to budge at anything that his only friend did. He waited and waited, glancing at him until the bell rang and it was time to go to their first period. 

As he stood up from his seat, he has one last glance, and disappointedly there was no tug in his lips. Rather, it seemed his lips had become a frown.

He frowns too, he should smile more and if it was him that had to force it out of him then so be it.