Me and THEM

13: Closer

The talent portion ended fast like a blink of an eye. And even though I should be suspensing myself because of our performance, I'm not anyway. I can't sop thinking about how Jin held my hand so tight a while ago. Was he tensed? Why am I making a big deal out of it anyway?

I sit silently on one of the vacant couches and stay. My mind keeps on wandering different things: did I do good? Why did Jin had to hold my hand? Did Baekhyun watch? Were the audience satisfied? Am I in trouble or not?

I remember Suzy and Taeyeon's warning that if ever I win this, they will surely kill me. I don't stand a chance against them. But Jin is my partner and it will be a burden to pull him down if ever I lose so I want to win instead afterall.

"Hey," I hear his voice so I look up. He smiles faintly and squats down to level with me.

"Gwaenchana?"

"Ne..." I say. He pats my knee lightly and holds my hand.

"C'mon, they're gonna announce the winners" Jin pulls me up. The contestants were lined up on the backstage, waiting for the cue. It was completely awkward because Jin was standing beside Suzy, so automatically, I had to stand beside Baekhyun. I breathed deeply before I went to my place there: in the middle of Jin and Baekhyun.

I play with my fingers so that I get myself distracted. I'm not wholly expecting to win but I'm also not expecting to lose. I don't know what I feel anymore.

"Hey, um..." my whole vody froze after Baekhyun speaks. I barely heard it because of the audience's noise. I slowly turn my head to him. He was scratching the back of his neck and avoided my eyes.

Stay cool, Yunji.

"Y-you did great a while ago..." he starts and my heart raced faster and faster.

He's just saying that to find a way to talk to you. Okay?

"Kamsamnida." I shortly say.

"I didn't know you can sing well." he followed. I smiled faintly at him. I can see it again. There's pain and longign in his eyes.

"I don't." I just lightly laughed at my answer. He laughs too. And we both end up in an awkward stare.

"Goodluck." I said before I turned around. I didn't want to make our conversation anylonger.

"Oppa, how much longer?" I said to Jin. He heaved a sigh.

"The judges are taking too long to choose." he whispered. I took a peep outside. They were announcing the other class' winners. And in our class, it took them long enough to announce

"The winners from Class A are....KIM TAEYEON AND BYUN BAEKHYUN!" immediately, Taeyon ran to the stage, a bit too enthusiastically. Baekhyun followed him. They recieved their awards and pins that had a crown as a design. They were to wear it in the sholdays to show the students that they are semi finalists of December Royalty.

W-we're losing..

"The other winner from class A are....KWON YUNJI AND KIM SEOKJIN!" My heart leaped in joy as I came out the backstage with Jin. The bright lights started to blind me again. I saw class A happily sheering us. Since V was one of the judges, he was the one who pinned the pin on my dress. He lightly and quickly brushed his finger on my cheek while the others' attention wansn't on us. He winked.

"You did great." he said before going back. I felt heat on my cheeks.

Before the program ended, we had photoshoot for the semifinals posters. We took twenty minutes to change to our normal clothes from our itchy formal attires. While I was fixing my hair, suddenly, Suzy pulled my hair.