Off Key

#13

Changbin and Chaeryeong finished their project early so they decided to go to the store for snacks.

"Okay since we're alone, I need you to be completely honest. No lying." Chaeryeong froze in her spot, holding a bag of chips. "What?" Changbin smirked. "What's going on with you and Yuna?" Chaeryeong let out a sigh of relief. "Shit, don't scare me like that." Chaeryeong put the bag of chips in their cart and continued walking. "Don't change the subject now. What's up with you two?"

No response from Chaeryeong. "I knew it. You like her, don't you?" She stopped in her tracks, turning around to face Changbin. "I think? I honestly don't know." Changbin felt a little proud of himself for figuring it out. "It's just, she's my brother's best friend." Changbin grabbed two sodas, continuing their walk. "So? Why does that matter?"

"It feels wrong. It feels like I'm betraying him." Changbin scoffed. "Would you feel bad if I dated Felix?" Chaeryeong didn't say anything. "Exactly. There's nothing wrong with it. I say go for it." Chaeryeong sighed, "I don't even know if she likes me." "Uh, have you seen the way she looks at you? I'm surprised Felix doesn't feel the tension between you guys..."

"Felix is the definition of clueless. Good luck with that.." Changbin looked at Chaeryeong curiously. "What's that supposed to mean?" Chaeryeong giggled. "Oh, nothing." Changbin ignored his weird friend and continued walking to the cashier.

"Oh, Yuna texted me. She wants to hang out.." Chaeryeong felt her cheeks turn pink. "Can you drop me off at her house?" Changbin smiled and nodded.

~~~

"Okay, so I'm pretty sure I like guys." Jeongin scoffed. "Well duh." Hyunjin slightly pushed the younger but quickly pulled him back, hugging him. "Don't hug me." This made Hyunjin hug Jeongin tighter. Jeongin gave up.

"So when are you gonna ask Seungmin out?" Hyunjin let Jeongin go. "Who said I liked him?" Jeongin rolled his eyes. "It's obvious you guys like each other." Hyunjin felt shy. No, I don't have a crush on him. "He's just a friend.. that's all." Hyunjin started getting his stuff together, realizing he needs to head home soon.

"Okay, well, if you do like him, don't let time slip away. Ask him out before you run out of time." After hearing this, it made Hyunjin think. If I run out of time? He'd be with someone else? Why do you care, Hyunjin? Just a friend. "Okay, whatever." Jeongin sighed giving up, yet again.

"Anyways, I have to go. Thank you for your.. help?" Jeongin laughed. "Don't worry about it. Let me know if you need help with your feelings with Seungmin." Hyunjin slightly glared at the boy and started packing faster. "For the last time, I do not like him."

Jeongin laid back and covered himself with his blanket. "Yeah, okay." Jeongin soon fell asleep after, leaving Hyunjin to walk himself out.

~~~

The next day, everyone had to meet at Chan's place for their first practice. Seungmin ended up falling asleep in Chan's room from hours and hours of talking about different topics that would come up. Jisung and Changbin were the first ones to arrive at the house.

"Hey, guys!" Chan said with enthusiasm when the boys walked in. "Hi," Seungmin said from the dining room table, with a cup of coffee in his hands. "Hey, are we the first ones here?" Chan nodded his head.

"Oh, okay. Chan where are we practicing?" Chan motioned everyone to follow him, leading them into his backyard. "There." Chan pointed to his back house, next to his swimming pool. "You have a pool? And I thought Felix and Minho were rich..." Changbin said, mesmerized by the pool. "A pool doesn't make you rich..."

"Yes, it does." The three boys said in unison. "Wait Seungmin, didn't you say you have a pool?" Seungmin nodded his head. "Damn I feel poor," Jisung said. "You are." Jisung glared at Changbin. "ANYWAYS.." Jisung said very loud. "This is where we are practicing?"'Chan nodded his head and opened the door.

"Wow, we have enough space for everything." Jisung looked around and noticed a drum set, but a familiar drum set. "Is that Minho's drum set?" Chan turned around to see Jisung looking curiously at the drum set. "Oh, no this is an old friend's drum set. He wanted me to keep it safe for him, so he left it here with me. I forgot it was here." Jisung let out a small 'o' but couldn't help but think this drum set was so familiar. Where the hell is this from?

Chan suddenly got an alarm on his phone, signaling him that the rest of the boys are here. He texted the guys that the front door is unlocked and to meet him in the back. He realized that they've never been there and don't know where the back is, so he showed them the way.

"Okay, everyone's here. Do you guys want to get started or...?" Everyone nodded their heads and got into different positions. They all had brought their instruments with them, so they were good with that.

"Okay let's start."

After some hours of some revisions and edits, it wasn't half bad. In the beginning, they were terrible. They were all going at different tempos and it all sounded off-key. Sometime later, with Chan's strictness, it all came together and sounded amazing.

"Holy shit, we're good," Hyunjin said. "Chan, I have a question," Minho said while getting up. "Yes?" Chan took a sip of his water bottle. "So, we'd only be performing for the N.C.W.F?" Chan thought for a second. "Wait, he's onto something.. the N.C.W.F isn't until like the end of the year." Felix piped up.

They're right. We'd only perform for the N.C.W.F? 

"I got an idea."

"Let's throw a party," Chan said with a smile. "Uh, we need more songs for that," Changbin said. "Unless we just do covers," Jisung said sitting down on the ground. "Nah, we'll make them. Us three, and if the rest want to help out with lyrics and stuff." Jisung and Changbin thought for a second. Yeah, they've made songs before but performing them? That was nothing they've never done.

"What about our parents? Shouldn't they know what's going on?" Jeongin asked. "No. Our siblings and some friends can but parents, not yet, at least." Chan said. "They'll tell us to quit and stop, and that it's getting in the way of our 'education'," Hyunjin said, making air quotes with his hands. "That's exactly right," Chan said giving a high five to Hyunjin.

"Hold up, so where would we throw this party?" Minho asked, now sitting next to Jisung on the floor. "Here. My parents are in Australia and I have a big backyard if you couldn't tell." Changbin snickered. "Oh, we could tell."

"What if nobody comes?" Jisung asked thinking that nobody would even show up. "I'm pretty sure the whole school will come whenever they find out that Lee Minho, Hwang Hyunjin, and Bang Chan are gonna throw a party with each other." Jisung looked at Seungmin confused about what the point was. "Ugh, look, the three most popular guys in our school throw a party, and there will be live music? That's gotta be epic, right? Do you get it now?"

"OH, THAT'S SO SMART!" Jisung had a big smile while Seungmin just sighed. "So, the introduction of the band will be presented at the party," Chan concluded. "Wait, we need a group name!" Felix said realizing they needed to be called something. "Hmm, how about Kids." Chan liked that but it needed something else. "What about Straight Kids?" Everyone shut down Minho's idea, especially Jisung. "Sad kids?" Jeongin asked. "I like it," Changbin said but everyone dismissed that idea.

"Stray Kids." Chan said. They all looked at each other and immediately knew that one was the one for them.