The Grapevine

Chapter Ten

The morning light peeked through Eric's window, but he wasn't sure if he'd even slept at all. His mind had been racing with thoughts of the performance, spinning in circles as if the night itself hadn't been long enough for the storm of emotions inside him to settle.

He rubbed his eyes and dragged himself out of bed, still wearing the same half-grin that had crept onto his face the moment Sean agreed to join him later that night. Performing with Sean was something Eric had secretly dreamed of, but now that it was happening, he couldn't help but wonder if the butterflies fluttering in his stomach were from the performance or something else.

His bandmates were already sending group messages, sharing hype about the festival and talking about their set later that night. The band was always a huge hit on campus, drawing crowds every time they played. The anticipation was no different today, but for some reason, Eric was more nervous than usual.

Maybe it was the dance cover the dance club had requested. He still had to go through with that—the one he had agreed to as a way to make up for his absences after he had signed up but failed to show. The request had been a joke at first, but somehow, now it felt like a real commitment, something he couldn't back out of. Yet, that wasn't what made him restless this morning.

It was Sean.

That was the real reason he was jittery.

Eric chuckled to himself, shaking his head. Why am I so nervous?

The more he thought about it, the more he realized it wasn't just about performing. It was about Sean—his performance, their performance together. Sean had agreed to accompany him later with his guitar, and yet... "he still hadn't told me what he was going to play.''

Eric couldn't help but laugh at the mystery of it all. Sean had agreed to perform with him, and yet, in his usual elusive way, hadn't bothered to share a single detail. It was funny how Sean could manage to remain so elusive, even after everything that had happened between them.

"He trusts me enough to just go with the flow... to do it impromptu, with no practice, no warning," Eric thought, his grin widening.

A small thrill ran through him. The idea that Sean believed in him like that—trusted him enough to follow his lead—filled him with both excitement and a deep sense of responsibility. He knew the night was going to be special. He could feel it in his bones.

With a sigh, Eric pushed himself off the bed and grabbed his phone, scrolling through the messages his bandmates had sent. Mingyu was already teasing him about how he was "obviously in love with someone." Eric rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling. It was true. He'd caught himself staring at his phone screen more than once, waiting for a message from Sean.

Meanwhile, across campus, Sean was having a hard time deciding how he felt about the day.

He woke up early, the sky still tinged with the light of dawn, and got ready for the festival. His heart felt like it was in two places at once—part of him was eager, excited for the performance with Eric, while the other part was hesitant, unsure of what was about to happen.

The drive to campus had been the longest part. As he parked his car and stepped out, the atmosphere of the campus seemed to shift from his usual mundane surroundings to something more electric. The festival preparations were in full swing, banners hanging from lamp posts, food stalls being set up, and groups of students bustling around with excitement. The air was full of the usual energy, but today, Sean couldn't help but notice how much more vibrant it all felt.

He checked his watch—still a few hours until the performance. But he needed to find Hyun Jin first. He knew she would be buzzing around, probably in the midst of all the campus chaos, managing her booth with a combination of efficiency and enthusiasm.