𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 - 𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐣𝐢𝐧 ✓

Track 13: Lifeboat

"What the hell was that?" Ms. Son berated Hyunjin. "This scene is normally no problem for you. Why did you suddenly choke? This is the final stretch, Hyunjin, I need 110% effort from you."

Hyunjin nodded, staring at his feet. "It won't happen again, I promise," he muttered. "I was just... kind of surprised when I saw Seungmin in costume, you know?"

The director pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "You're telling me you blanked on all your lines because you saw Seungmin in a short skirt?"

"Wouldn't you freak out, too, if you saw someone you liked wearing that?" Hyunjin asked, exasperated and embarrassed by the conversation.

"What?"

Hyunjin and Ms. Son both looked up and saw Seungmin standing in the doorway with his mic pack in his hands. He had brought it up to the light booth because its batteries had died, and he ended up hearing something he wasn't meant to. He set the mic pack down next to the lightboard and walked out as fast as he could, not even looking up when Hyunjin called out his name. He just grabbed his bag and walked out.

Since they no longer had Seungmin for the day, his understudy would have to fill in. Hajoon donned the same Veronica costume and the show picked up again at 'Fight for Me'. Though the songs and lines were all the same, Hyunjin felt completely different performing these scenes as they were not with Seungmin.

During 'Dead Girl Walking', Hyunjin performed well as always, but the fire was gone. Without Seungmin, the scene didn't hold the same intensity, and the chemistry between Hyunjin and Hajoon was nonexistent, a stark contrast from the electric tension Hyunjin usually felt with Seungmin. During 'Seventeen', Hyunjin seemed somewhat dejected when he was supposed to be in love. It was almost pathetic to see how distant Hyunjin's mind was.

They ran through the rest of the show with Hajoon as Veronica, and things went smoothly for the most part aside from Hyunjin's constant expression of worry. Once rehearsal ended, Felix approached Hyunjin on his way out.

"Hey, Hyunjin! Wait up!" He chased after the boy in the parking lot. When he finally caught up, he placed his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Normally Hyunjin would've found it funny, but he was too preoccupied mentally kicking himself over what he'd accidentally said in front of Seungmin. Finally Felix stood and spoke again. "What happened to Seungmin today?"

Hyunjin groaned and leaned against his truck. "God, Felix, I'm so stupid," he whined, "He hates me. You know that, right?" Felix nodded. Hyunjin covered his face with his hands and sighed. "He heard me say I like him, and then he just left. Dude, I fucked up so bad. Can you please talk to him for me? He definitely would not want to see me right now."

Felix placed a hand on Hyunjin's shoulder. "I can try," he offered "But I can't make any promises. And just between you and me, I'm not convinced he hates you, but that's just speculation. He's kind of hard to figure out."

"Yeah, no kidding."

~

published july 4
almost 5hrs early bc my family is over yeehaw