And Then You Came... [Eunhae] |✔

12. Qualities

''When you burry emotions,
you burry it alive."

-Joe Vitale.

Days blurred into weeks, and it was the same monotony of work for Donghae. He didn't even try to talk to Eunhyuk at Professor Kim Jong's class, and he answered Hyukjae in syllables while Hyukjae studiously went back to being his old snappy self.

Finally it was three months since Donghae had come to the university, but to him, it felt like he had been living there for two years atleast.
Their dance was complete, and both Donghae's and Eunhyuk's moves were perfectly in sync with eachother since they were determined to have a perfect performance.

Although their moves were perfect, there was something Professor Jong felt that didn't add up to their perfomance. He was so disturbed by this and he often found himself fretting in the staff room.

"Hundred points performance wise" drawled Jong. "but zero for facial expressions"

He sighed and looked at the other two.
"I don't know what to do with them" he sighed again.

"Maybe it's because Hyukjae doesn't like being friendly?" suggested Rumi who was busily marking the 3rd year student's assignment papers.

"It could be that" agreed Sook.

"NO! that's not it! the first time they showed it to me there was no problem with facial expessions" thundered Jong. "the only thing they have for each other now is grudging respect! It's almost like watching two razor sharp edged knives dancing to see who bleeds first" he shouted
"There is only tenson in their faces and I CANNOT have it!"

"Maybe something might have happened between them to be like this?" said Rumi.

"could be"

"What I actually suggest is for you to do nothing, Hyukjae is a spiky little brat but when the time comes he'll pull himself together and somehow do it, and I know Donghae would do the same" said Professor.

"I wish I had your faith" grunted professor Kim Jong and left the room.

*******

The professors weren't the only ones who had felt this weird behaviour between them, even their friends noticed it. On the day before Half term, Heechul and Yesung decided to talk to Donghae when they met him near the garden in the afternoon.

"Donghae! come with us for a bit" said Yesung.

Donghae came looking slightly hooked, and they all went near the back hallway which was secluded from the rest of the university.

"Why hyung?" asked Donghae puzzeled.

"We wanted to talk about your performance" began Yesung, but Heechul cut him off by his usual mode of talking.

"Donghae! what the devil is wrong with you and that other brat!?" he yelled. "It's like watching a powerfully dead performance! can't you two smile at least? It isn't working! Donghae you're going to perform infront of parents idiot! your own mother will be there, are you going to give her a rotten performance to watch?!"

For all this time, it had never occured to Donghae that his mother and little brother would actually see him performing. He went white as paper.

"Donghae what Eunhyuk has more than you is experience. He is almost like a darn professional, his fear would melt away the second he gets up on stage and his expressions will natually come out. Can you say the same for yourself?" Heechul asked while Yesung nodded along mutely.
Donghae gave a small shake of his head.

"Exactly" said Heechul. "So don't be an idiot and work on it for heaven's sake!" he said and left with Yesung.

Donghae went slowly to his room after dinner. He had been so foccused on ignoring Hyukjae that he had completely missed his base. Donghae felt ashamed as he flopped down on to the bed with a sigh. What Heechul had said was true, Eunhyuk's reactions and his powerful aura will come naturally during a performance, but Donghae doubted if it would happen to him.

Suddenly his phone rang, when he looked, Donghae couldn't believe what he saw.

It was Eunhyuk.

Eunhyuk waited till Donghae picked up the call.

"that brat can really ignore people when he wants to" muttered Hyukjae.

Donghae picked up at the 4th ring.

"What?" asked Donghae unceremoniously, and Hyukjae's eyes widened,
was he still mad? probably yeah, with the way I treated him

"I want to talk to you brat" he said gruffly.

"you are talking to me, so get on with it"

"fine" said Eunhyuk and rolled over his bed.

Donghae listened, feeling a little breathless. It was after a long time he was hearing Eunhyuk speak...

"Donghae?"
Just one word made Donghae feel electricity go up and down his spine. There was a hint of what Hyukjae used to talk like before they started ignoring each other. Donghae felt his carefully burried emotions spill out inside, and it made him clutch the phone more tightly.

"ye-es?" he said.

"Look Donghae I won't be able to stop from giving the best of myself tomorrow and- and I don't want you being...cheated because of me." said Eunhyuk stiffly.

For a moment Donghae felt a warm sensation. It was nice of Hyukjae to tell him this even at the last moment. Donghae almost felt like smiling but he remembered that Eunhyuk had no reason to know that he was really happy at all.
Let's play this game a bit more Hyukjae he thought.

"Oh that's fine" said Donghae, his tone cool. "Heechul told me too so I guess I know what to do"

Just as the words were out of his mouth Donghae started regretting. Eunhyuk was stressed! what if he-

"all right then" said Eunhyuk huskily "I just didn't want to play dirty with you"

Donghae blushed at the double meaning. He managed to control himself by tightly gripping the bed sheet with his other hand.

"ok" he said calmly, and was just just about to cut the call when he heard Eunhyuk speak.

"Good luck brat" said Hyukjae soflty, "I know you can do it."

A/N: *ahem* please vote...