My Muse [Jungkook x Reader]

CHAPTER 27 - THE SEMIFINALS

CHAPTER 27 - THE SEMIFINALS

The dress I had picked out for myself was baby blue with cascading ruffles in a sheer, glittery tulle material. The bodice of the gown was corset-style with delicate sleeves that hung just off my shoulders. I had certainly never dressed up in something this fancy before. Looking in the mirror was surreal- I looked like a princess.

The stylists began to prod at me with their brushes and tools, just like usual. I provided the direction of the styling as was expected for this round of the competition, but their skill brought my vision to life. Loose romantic waves framed my face which was masterfully painted with various shades of blue eye makeup.

"You never disappoint, Eunji," I sighed out- feeling a mixture of relief and anxiety as I took in my appearance.

"You look gorgeous," Eunji beamed, giving my face a final mist of setting spray to seal the look. "Go out there and kill it like you always do!"

"It's show time! Please line up!" A voice shouted from behind us.

Eunji gave me a final thumbs up and whispered words of luck before shooing me out of her chair and on my way. I carefully walked to my spot to standby, still cautious of my injured ankle. I had taken every precaution possible- choosing a low wedge heel to pair with my outfit. Unfortunately, with this gown a flat shoe was simply not possible. Dancing in heels was nothing new to me, but I took some extra time to practice with them on to make sure that the pain was bearable.

The next few moments passed in a blur. It felt like everything around me was white noise- a dull and constant buzzing in the background. My eyes were staring straight ahead, but not focused on anything at all. I had a plethora of thoughts bouncing around my mind, but I couldn't describe a single one. I heard my name called out like an echo in a tunnel and suddenly all my senses returned. It was time.

I took my position on stage and waited for the music to begin. Closing my eyes and sucking in a deep breath, I stood in the darkness until the stage lights slowly brightened. My eyes lifted to peak at the audience- and there he was. My wonderful, beautiful muse. He gave me a slight nod, and that was enough to give me the confidence I needed to transform. My eyes narrowed with intent.

My song started and I sang with all the emotions I had felt writing my lyrics, letting them wash over me. As I danced across the stage, the pinging pain in my ankle was hardly noticeable. I was too invested in the performance to feel anything other than the message I was trying to convey. This was the power music had, and why I so desperately needed it in my life.

Minutes felt like hours before my performance concluded and the small audience erupted into applause. I gave a bow and rushed backstage, my mind almost immediately slipping back into its previous state of disassociation. I was too terrified to think. Was it enough? Had I done enough?

"Time to go back on stage!" the same voice from before shouted to the contestants. "Please line up to stand for your results."

I snapped to attention at his words. "Already?" I panicked, scanning the figures next to me, looking for Mina. Her eyes met mine and we quickly joined hands.

"We've got this, okay?" She reassured me with her usual cheery smile.

"We're going down to two..." I mumbled softly, biting my inner cheek. Insecurity creeped up inside me as I glanced over to Jia and Joo-Won whose performances I hadn't even really heard or seen. I didn't have time to worry any longer as we were motioned onto the stage to join the MC, Da-Eun.

"Wow, really amazing performances, as always," Da-Eun chuckled, clapping, and bowing to us. "Unfortunately, you know what comes next. There can only be two of you that move on to the finals."