A/N: Finally an early update! (Funny enough, I wrote the previous chapter yesterday evening, but had this one almost-finished months ago already) Ly and enjoy!🧡 (btw: this is the last official chapter)
Smiling idiotically happily, I climb up the stands to the highest row of seats to watch San from there.
I have to wait in the aisle for at least twenty minutes, but finally, in the break for the evaluation of group three, a couple gets up to leave their seats, mere seconds before San's quintet enters the stage.
San smiles brightly as they introduce themselves as Seoul's Vocal Quintet – not the most creative name, but whatever – in unison, and bow simultaneously to the judges. Then one of the girls sits down at the piano to hit the first chord, someone else of their group begins with the lines and melody of Leave the Door Open, and San and the two others start background singing.
Since I know that it was mainly San who designed their little choreo, I pay extra attention to the moves – they're good. One gesture flows into the next, and even though I remember San asking if I could look over it to give him feedback on it – another thing we didn't have the time to do during the past weeks – I don't see anything that I'd want to change. It's light, perfectly fitting their focus on singing, and it's really, really good – I can't believe that San did all of that on his own.
But then he takes the lead for singing the refrain, and I forget to focus on the choreo. I suddenly feel like I've never really heard San sing live before, like he was always holding back something, and only now he isn't, because his voice sounds fuller and softer and so much more confident than I've ever heard it before – and if I wasn't already head over heels for him, maybe this would be the moment that I'd completely fall for him.
San's gaze doesn't skim over the crowded ranks as he sings; he doesn't spot me like I hoped he would. It's a little bit disappointing – but then, who am I to complain while I'm comfortably sitting on the stairs, watching other performances after having passed my own?
I still feel like every single one of San's words is directed at me – I mean, sure, this is what pop songs are made to do, appealing to everyone... but still. Every word that I say is coming straight from the heart / So if you're trynna lay in these arms- "I'ma leave the door open", San declares - and for a moment he seems anxious, which immediately makes me anxious too. "I'ma leave the door open..." There's a terrible pause, because I know the lyrics well enough to tell that one word is still missing-
"... boy", San concludes, slightly off in timing – and it takes me a few seconds to get the change in lyrics, and why his fellow quintet members all take a moment to stare at him, astounded, disbelieving, surprised.
San doesn't pull any more stunts in their remaining four songs, and I'm a bit glad he doesn't because I don't know if the jury appreciated even his one change in Leave the Door Open, from girl to boy – but at the same time, I would've liked to listen to some more of his spontaneous decisions.
When San's quintet has ended their last song on a beautiful major-something – even though the song itself was pretty sad – the jury is already quietly conversing, while I'm still clapping as loudly as possible together with the rest of the audience.
San and his team choose to wait on stage for their results, looking nervous, and the guy next to San leans over to whisper something in his ear, to which he sends him a timid smile and shrugs.
It takes an eternity – but finally, when the noise has died down, the person in the middle of the jury stands up again, thanks Seoul's Vocal Quintet for their performance, holds up a 90, and all hell breaks loose again. Another surge of applause rises up, the guy standing next to San breaks down into tears, and San- San dashes from the stage, running, and it takes me a second to get that he's running to me, running in his smart suit and dress shoes, and it should look funny, but it really doesn't look like anything but everything I ever dreamed of.
I barely have time to get up from my seat before San slams into me, glowing from the heat of the spotlights on stage and wrapping his arms around me, tightening his embrace until I get a bit of trouble breathing.
"Sannie – too much", I gasp in his bone crushing hug.
San loosens his grip and leans back for just a second. But when I'm about to tell him that he did so, so amazing, and that he deserves even more than some 90 points, and that I'm sure that his group will make it to the festival with that score so he'll have to perform there twice, but I know he can do it- Before I can say any of that, he kisses me.
He kisses me for a second before pulling back again, and I'm gasping although this time it's just because of my heart that's suddenly pumping so much blood through my veins, so fast, and I feel like I'm high on adrenaline and dopamine and whatever other happiness-hormones there are in my body.
"San. Be my boyfriend. - I mean: be my boyfriend?"
"Yes." San blinks rapidly. "Oh God, yes, of course, Woo, I can't believe you asked."
"What do you m-"
San presses his lips on mine again and I instinctively pull him closer, running my fingers into his pink hair that's a bit stiff with hair spray but soft underneath, and I feel like everything of this, having San close to me is all I'll ever need. "You did amazing", I mumble against his lips when we part for a second. "You are amazing." I kiss him again. "What was the lyric change about?"
San laughs breathlessly. "All those people thinking that only girls dating boys and boys dating girls is only normal. In songs and in ads and everywhere. It's always the norm, and it's so freakin' annoying, so I, I don't know... just did it."
I pull him close to kiss him again. I didn't see myself falling any harder for San, but somehow it's still happening, over and over again... When I can feel San opening his mouth, his tongue prodding at my lower lip, I let him in, let him take control the way I know he likes, kissing me harder and scraping his teeth lightly over my lower lip-
Someone clears their throat.
Around us, the volume has risen, people getting up from their seats, talking and chatting away for the fifteen-minute break that just started before they do the second half of performances. It's gotten kinda loud, but the person who cleared their throat is sitting right behind us.
San slowly detaches himself from me, and I turn around. Behind us is an older man with a stupidly long beard. He's eyeing San and me sternly, with judgmentally raised eyebrows.
My first instinct is to take a step back – this man is probably one of those allegedly only 'conservative', but in reality just plain homophobic people who won't exactly burn a homosexual couple, but probably still try to find a legal conversion camp for them while attempting to justify it all with some evolutionary bullshit...
I take a step back, and then I take a step forward again, trying to pull San behind my back. That old man may be conservative, he may be homophobic, but whatever he is, I'm going to stand to my and San's relationship, even more so now that we're official, and I don't care what arguments or insults he might throw my way-
"Grandpa?", San asks.
'Grandpa'? My face feels numb.
And there's a woman sitting next to San's grandpa, too – probably San's grandma.
Fuck.
San's grandpa raises an eyebrow dismally. "San-ah. What did we tell you about smooching in public places? Didn't we raise you better than that?"
San turns red. "I- I didn't- We didn't-"
"San-ah", the woman interrupts, "you were so amazing, honey – oh my Goodness, we are so proud of you. And two stages on one day, look at you! And – oh my God, why didn't you tell us that you have dyed your hair?"
San lets his grandparents pepper him with hugs and compliments for a while, alternating between grinning broadly and smiling shyly, depending on what they say. Then his grandpa looks over to me, and I immediately straighten my posture.
"San-ah", his grandfather calls his attention, "don't you want to introduce us?"
"Huh?" San emerges from another one of his grandmother's hugs. "Oh!" He hastily climbs back over the seats next to me to my side, blushing furiously as he takes my hand. "This is Jung Wooyoung. My boyfriend." He sends me a soft smile before gesturing over to his grandparents: "Wooyoung, these are my maternal grandparents, Lee Gyeoul and Park Beodeul."
Nervousness almost clogs my throat. "It's a pleasure to meet you." I bow my head, and although I know that I'm being perfectly polite, I'm still afraid to not have bowed deep or long enough when I straighten up again.
San's grandparents bow their heads too, and for a second I could've sworn that I saw a smile on the face of San's grandpa, Lee Gyeoul.
"It is nice to meet you too, Wooyoung", San's grandma, Park Beodeul, says.
"And you don't need to be that formal with us", his grandpa remarks. "You're our San-ah's boyfriend after all."
My face feels burning hot – but maybe it's just never cooled down ever since San flung himself into my arms five minutes ago. "Yes. Okay. Thank you."
"Could you give us a minute?", San softly intervenes, squeezing my hand. "Wooyoung and I want to... uh..."
"No smooching in public", his grandpa reminds him sternly.
"Yes, of course not!" San's voice sounds slightly higher than usual – and I can see his grandpa trying his best to hide a grin.
San doesn't notice it. He drags me along towards the exit of the concert hall, and it's only when we've reached the gateway that he finally pauses and turns around.
"So... you've met my grandparents." He sounds a bit embarrassed and the tips of his ears have turned a light pink.
"They seem really nice", I admit, deliberately omitting the part where I thought his grandpa was homophobic.
"They are. I'm glad you think so too." San sends me a smile. Then he starts stroking his thumb over the back of my hand. "Let's not talk about my grandparents now though." He takes a step closer to me, his gaze wandering down to my lips...
No smooching in public. I flinch and take a step back.
San frowns, and a look of hurt flashes across his face. "Didn't you kiss me and ask me to be your boyfriend just a few minutes ago?"
"B-but", I stutter, taking another step back as San takes another step closer to me, "your... your grandpa."
San needs a few moments to get what I'm implying – then he bursts out in giggles. "Are you scared of him, Woo?"
"Well, sure", I start defensively, "because I don't have the benefit of being their beloved grandson – I'm dating their grandson! Doesn't that automatically make me suspicious of anything for them, because they want to protect you?"
"Bullshit", San states, somehow still smiling as he pulls me closer at our intertwined hands. "They like you already. And... Can you say that again?"
"What – that your grandparents are-"
"No", he interrupts me softly. "That we're dating. I really like the sound of that."
I cast a glance around. We're out of sight of the audience, especially its back rows. "Okay. Yeah. Me too."
San giggles. "You're cute, Woo."
When I don't answer immediately, too busy with trying to not blush any more, he continues teasing: "See? You're flustered. It's cute. I never knew I could make you blush until-"
I shut him up by kissing him – although I can still feel him grinning against my lips.
Him. San. My boyfriend.
I'm kissing my boyfriend.
"You know what makes this day even better?", San murmurs when we part for a bit.
"What?" I caress his cheekbone with my thumb. He's lost weight during the past few weeks – same as I and many other contestants who were waiting and training for this day – but some good, decent-sized meals will hopefully bring him back on track. I could try cooking jjajangmyeon this evening; it's kind of... our thing, our dinner now?
"We can watch the auditions for the Festival of Lights for our one year anniversary too."
When I take a few seconds to stare at him, disbelieving how I ever got so lucky to meet him, San starts to squirm. "Sorry, was that too forward? I'm just... really happy."
Silently, I shake my head, trying to find my voice again. "And", I clear my throat, "also maybe for our two years anniversary."
Before I have the time to even blink, San kisses me again, almost feverishly now moving his lips on mine while his hands are working their way up my shoulder and nape to gently tug at my styled hair...
"Don't worry, they're just in their honeymoon phase", says someone very close to my ear, and San and I jump apart.
Mingi grins at us before stepping back next to Yunho.
"I would hope so." Yunho rolls his eyes before turning to San and me. "I also hope you're official now? Hearing San whine about it was almost as painful as when you guys were so distant a few weeks ago."
San scowls at him. "Don't exaggerate."
"He isn't", Mingi backs him up. "But anyway – where do you want to go to to celebrate our ninety-four? Any restaurant is fine. Hongjoong and Seonghwa said that it's on them because they've got some leftover money from sponsors that Yun and I didn't even know we had, but..." He shrugs. "Free food. Where do you wanna go?"
"Um..." San and I exchange a glance. "Today?"
"Of course today!", Yunho cries out dismally. "What do you think – that we should celebrate our win - or rather wins", he pats San's shoulder affectionately, "the day after?"
"Actually..." San hesitates.
Mingi groans. "Wooyoung won't run away from you if you don't manage an immediate date on your first day as a couple."
"No, that's not it!", San protests. "It's just... My grandparents are here, y'know? I'd like to take them to a restaurant before they have to travel back home tomorrow morning..."
I slump. But it's fine, I'll survive an evening without San-
"And I'd like you to come with us", San tells me softly, his eyes wandering over my face searchingly. "If you want to."
"A-Are you sure?"
"Of course." San lets his fingertips wander across my back in circles. "I want some of the most important people in my life to know each other. And maybe under less... uh, compromising circumstances."
I want to kiss him so badly. But Mingi and Yunho are still there, and- oh. Yunho is pouting, and it doesn't look nearly as playful as the way he does it during dance practice because of Hongjoong being over-demanding. "And what about us?", he wants to know, pointing at Mingi and himself. "And Jongho?"
San's expression falls to a rather guarded one. "They already know you guys", he starts carefully, "They love you! But- But they don't know Wooyoung yet, we just met them by coincidence when Woo and I were, uh, kissing at the stands, and it's just... I really want them to get to know him too, y'know?"
There's a couple seconds of silence. Then Yunho apparently pulls himself together, because he takes a few steps forward to San to hug him. "Okay. Have fun. And tell your grandparents Hi from me and Mingi and Jongho."
"Will do", San replies.
Mingi sighs when it's his turn to hug first San, then me. "God, I really hope you two will get back to normal soon."
"I don't", I answer.
Yunho laughs at that. "You two could've passed as a couple two weeks into the semester already. There's really no need for you to be afraid of normal."
A/N: An epilogue will follow! And then a little A/N chapter :)