The Trials of Neo City [WINWIN • YUTA]

🖤 8. Confident 🖤

"Woah. I'm... I'm hot." Renjun blurted, Lay doubling over in laughter at the statement's bluntness. The entire day was spent with the Choi duo making finishing touches on their costumes, hair pulled and face yanked, but Renjun sure found it worth it.

Sicheng hadn't seen himself in the mirror yet, but his heart pounded in his chest in anticipation of what he would see. If he looked anything even a fraction like his brother did, he wasn't sure he'd live to even see the Games; he'd die on the spot at his reflection.

✨💚✨

"So... Sicheng Dong is a son of District Seven, child of one deceased parent, the other a baker. Interesting." Soobin looked over his notes, Sicheng itching at his thigh in discomfort. He nodded nonetheless as the stylist kept going. "He likes to hide in the woods with his brother and likes to write, but not read. Interesting." He sucked in a breath and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, staring at him. "And he says red is flattering on him? We'll see how well that holds up."

There was some amusement in Soobin's voice as he backed away, retrieving his tape measure for last minute double-checking of limb size.

"Lastly... he thinks he's not pretty. Despite having a pixie face? Hm." Soobin's measuring tape clicked as he retracted it and moved to his legs. He said nothing else, jotting down a few numbers and offering a smile.

"Are we done?" Sicheng asked, tired. It was surely late at night, as they arrived fairly late in the evening. Soobin laughed softly and nodded as Sicheng yawned, the stylist situating his pen in his hair.

"Yes, Taeh- Sicheng." His voice wavered as he spoke the wrong name, but the boy didn't notice it, eyes drooping. "We're finished. I'll see you tomorrow for the fitting, okay?"

✨💚✨

The two stood in a mirror, the stylists standing behind them excitedly. Sicheng eyed himself and his brother in awe, mouth agape.

Renjun's hair was washed and bleached blonde in the back, the front black. Two silver dangling clip-on earrings hung from his ears, matching his expensive looking watch. Plain black dress pants and a white shirt half-unbuttoned. Tall combat boots and a dusty-looking belt on his waist, holstering an axe identical to Sicheng's own. A muted red jacket drowning in plaid fitting his thin arms perfectly. Renjun's eyes accentuated with dark eyeshadow and some dusted gray color on his top lip.

Sicheng stared at himself, nearly looking the same with his hair brushed to exposed his forehead. Dark makeup, but his eyeshadow had a tinge of crimson when he looked closer. Same small axe in the holster. A slit in his eyebrows.

Yeonjun clasped his hands together as the boys stared at themselves in the mirror, barely recognizing themselves. "Is it okay? We're better with female tributes, I think."

Soobin nudged him. "But, we did attempt our best nonetheless! Really, we hope you like it." He admitted, Sicheng turning to him with glassy eyes.

There was so much he wanted to say; He wanted to admit that if he died tomorrow, way before the Games even started, he'd be okay. He looked beautiful, more beautiful than he'd ever seen himself. Any insecurity he'd ever had seemed to wash away in that moment.

And yet, nothing came out. Just a deep bow and a sigh, a sigh to keep from crying. Renjun smiled slightly, tugging at his hair.

"Not too bad." Renjun shrugged, turning back to himself in the mirror. Soobin let out a sigh of relief at that, Lay shaking his hand and then Yeonjun's.

The two were escorted into a hallway. Again, Sicheng soon fell into a blur. Somehow, he found himself backstage after being escorted to a room with other tributes chatting in their costumes and makeup. Some sat tiredly on sofas and others stood in corners, away from each other. But mostly everyone talked to each other.