'' To be Liu Zhiyu was to be patient.
But he had been patient enough. ''
Can't change the weather, might not be forever
But if it's forever, it's even better
-BILLIE EILISH, BIRDS OF A FEATHER
He is okay with being unloved.
They refuse to accept...
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April overtook the last remnants of March, and as time advanced, the weather slowly began inching towards brighter horizons. The rain that had speckled the past few weeks fizzled to a stop with the beginning of the new month, and in an effort to take advantage of the sunshine, Soonyoung offered to treat Seungkwan and Vernon for a day out around town. The entire music troupe had made leaps and bounds in progress recently, their trio most of all. It seemed appropriate to celebrate their hard work, and since the skies were forecasted to be clear, what better time than the present?
The sweet aroma of the boba shop disappeared behind them as the three exited the establishment, sipping at the drinks they'd ordered. Soonyoung savored his passion fruit tea, mindlessly sipping at the beverage as they continued making their way towards the karaoke lounge that was their final destination. There was a relaxing breeze sweeping through the region today, massaging the tension out of his body. He felt himself relaxing with every step he took, fully enjoying the break from all the effort he'd been exerting for the past few weeks.
"Thanks for the boba, Soonyoung!" Seungkwan's exclamation carried an impressive amount of gratitude, pure exaltation on his face as he gestured towards his coffee themed drink. "My throat has been dying to get a treat like this. We've practiced so much that I'm starting to lose my voice!"
Vernon nodded sagely, swirling his oreo milk tea as he posed his own comment. "It does feel like we've been preparing a lot lately. Or maybe that's just because we're split into individual trios for this year's festival. There's much more to be done when there's a greater number of groups to organize."
"You're so right! Last year, we only had to worry about three group performances. I guess the academy noticed how popular our acts were and gave us more slots to get more people to attend the festival." Seungkwan theorized verbally, gaze darting around as he formulated his words. "It's probably beneficial to the school monetarily, but it means there's a ton of additional work for us."
Soonyoung frowned at his friends' ramblings. While they had been very busy recently, the whole purpose of this outing was to help them relax. He didn't want them to get entangled in responsibility when they were meant to be taking a break. "Whatever the case, we've been amazing so far, so let's stop talking about work! You guys have been so invested in the performances that you've forgotten to prioritize your own health and sanity!"
"None of us have been as committed as Zhiyu, though." Vernon made the remark poignantly, albeit somewhat randomly, his tone a mixture of awe and concern. "He's so devoted, practicing with one hundred percent effort all the time. I've even seen him stay after our club meetings are over to keep rehearsing. The amount of work he puts in is actually starting to worry me."
It was all true. Almost everyone in the troupe had realized just how invested Zhiyu was. Soonyoung had noticed the newest member's overly enthusiastic behavior a while ago, but he'd never thought much of it. However, he began to wonder if he'd been a tad too unobservant in this situation as Seungkwan gasped, lurching forward to reply. "You're totally right again, Vernon! Since our trios are almost polished, Jihoon started teaching the songs for the group performances to those of us with the most lines. It must have been a few days ago at most, but Zhiyu's already memorized all the lyrics—including the ones he doesn't sing! He's genuinely such a sweetheart, and I really hope he isn't pushing himself too hard in an effort to assimilate. I mean, we already adore him, no? He shouldn't be overcompensating just because he's new."
