Now that the performance was over, San felt that maybe this was probably a better time to wolf whistle and applaud his friend. He stood up rushing to the stage, eyes now wide.
"Yeo that was fantastic! I told you that it would go well!"
Yeosang placed his hand on the back of his head, looking down at the ground. The tips of his ears were burning up.
"Ahh, I feel like I could have done a bit better. I was nervous so my pitch was a little shaky," he replied.
Seonghwa and the others had all stood up and made their way over to where San and Yeosang were huddled.
"Wait you mean to tell me that it gets better?" Seonghwa clapped, bouncing lightly on his toes.
"I think you're brilliant," a black haired boy softly spoke from the side. He had shuffled forward to extend a hand to a blushing Yeosang. "I'm Hyunjin."
San looked between the two, watching as Yeosang returned the handshake. His face had begun to heat up even more, now practically on fire.
Their hands stayed clasped long enough for the air to grow slightly awkward to the rest of the room.
Seonghwa softly cleared his throat and the two slightly jumped, letting go.
They finally broke eye contact and stepped apart, a rosy glow in both of their faces now.
He raised his eyebrows and chuckled, giving Hyunjin a knowing look and continued the greetings.
"Well like I mentioned before, I am Seonghwa, this is Wooyoung, Hyunjin, and Hongjoong, he continued, pointing at each person respectively.
Hongjoong gave a small wave. "I think your performance was really great."
One small hand was laced into Seonghwa's as he spoke, his long patterned shirt making the sleeves fall down over their connected hands.
Their attention moved to San, still eyeing his best friend who hadn't stop making shy glances in Hyunjin's direction.
He had seen that look only one other time on a crush that lasted for the better half of two years in 9th grade.
It ended with him not being able to confess, afraid of what his classmates would think about his romantic interest. He decided he didn't want to be the focus of any school bullies.
The boy eventually moved away without the slightest clue.
They sat in Yeo's bed the night he left, eating snacks and playing games while San cursed the world for putting standards and restraints on things like who you should love.
"Are you here for an audition too? My dad didn't say anything about another."
San pointed to himself in question, and then in realization he chuckled out, "Oh no, I just came here to support my best friend. I don't sing."
"My name is Choi San."
"Oh! Any chance you're related to Choi Jongho?"
San made a quizzical face at Hongjoong's question, "Jongho? I don't think so. Is he a friend or..."
Hongjoong continued, "Yeah he's a friend of ours, he fights nationally in mixed martial arts."
Before his sentence was given a chance to end, San immediately whipped his head between the two, "I fight nationally!!'
Yeosang raised an eyebrow at that.
"Well not officially, but I am training to get sponsored!"
Before Yeo could interject San quietly added on, "Kind of."
"Oh, maybe you can meet him at the show and talk about it," he suggested.
Yeosang perked his ears at that and repeated, "Show? What show?"
"YOUR opening show of course, small set, three or four songs. We do it all the time when we get new musicians. Dad likes to show off his scouting abilities because Utopia has a reputation for producing undiscovered talent. Which is you this time."
San knew (from his friend's excessive rant about it) that artists didn't last long playing here because they eventually got signed to a record label or agency.
"That sounds like there will be a lot of people there," he replied, mainly just focused on the number of watching eyes.
"It's actually pretty exclusive, you don't have anything to worry about, small crowd at most. Plus we will all be there to support you."
"Obviously, I will be too," San input.
"I'll definitely be there," Hyunjin added.
"Well, it sounds awesome, when is it?"
Seonghwa thought for a moment, "It's usually the Saturday that follows the audition, so for you it would be the day after tomorrow."
Hyunjin and Wooyoung began to walk back to the bar to continue preparations.
San noticed the pair shuffle off and followed, thirsty for a drink as Yeosang continued questioning Hongjoong and Hwa about the upcoming show.
Reaching the bar, he sat down in a high plush rotating stool that was fixed to the ground, letting his feet dangle just above the floor.
"Is there anyway I could get a drink?" San asked.
Wooyoung threw the towel he had just began cleaning glassware with over his shoulder with a subtle eye roll.
"We're not open yet, plus you don't even look old enough to."
San was unsure were the sudden heat was coming from in the other's eyes, but being a man of competition in any form, he returned the intensity.
"Well first, I am twenty two. Second, I just meant a soda or something seeing as you looked like you didn't know what you were doing back here earlier."
Wooyoung's eyebrows raised in irritation and he stepped closer to the bar's tabletop leaning over it.
An empty glass was placed with a loud thud in between the two by Hyunjin who gave Woo a glance that read 'seriously?'
"Damn. Hwa said I was going to have to watch out for your temper but I didn't think it was gonna be this bad."
The other grabbed the glass, mumbling under his breath and not looking away. A long hose with a nozzle that was connected to a tap under the bar was placed in his hands as Hyunjin pointed to which button supplied the cola.
Instead of it going into the glass though, it shot out of the hose in a rapid, fizzing stream and Wooyoung directed it at San before Hyunjin reached down to cut it off.
"What the fuck!?" San spat, yelling in the direction of the two boys with his eyes closed.
His head was covered in soda, making his hair drip down into his eyes and on his shirt that was now also partially drenched.
"Oops, sorry. I don't know what I am doing back here."
Even with his eyes shut, San could see the smug expression that voiced the sarcastic retort.
A warm wet cloth was pressed to his face by Yeosang who came running over to the commotion.
"What the hell is going on over here?" a startled Seonghwa approached the scene.
"Your bartender needs an attitude adjustment," San snapped.
Hongjoong had stepped in front of Wooyoung and slapped a hand over his mouth that was about to fire a response, "I agree with that one hundred percent."
"We should probably head out, you guys need to finish setting up. Thank you for watching my audition. I am so excited to play here."
A sweet smile broke out on Yeosang's face as he forcefully turned San away to go pick up their belongings.
As soon as they were out of sight backstage his smile turned into an angry pout, "Will you please not mess this chance up for me," he whispered harshly.
"That guy came at me! Plus I didn't even do anything, he should be lucky," he answered.
Yeo sighed, "I know, but I don't want anything to happen that would cause me to have to stop playing here."
San felt apologetic and remembered what they were doing here in the first place.
"You're right," he tried to bring his mood back up and focus on the other, "my best friend is playing at Utopia!"
They both giggled in excitement, forgetting all about the soda incident and quietly jumped up and down behind the curtains, trying not to be heard.
a/n sorry this was supposed to be updated a few days ago. I wanted to do daily uploads but my schedule got busy with work, and then I got busy with getting tickets for the ateez tour and omgsdkjhfdsfhk somehow I got VIP right before the site crashed I am just so happy!!!!! Who else is going to see the boys in April??
I will try to go back to daily uploads and get the story underway.
Also holy poop, I wanted to celebrate 100 reads. It is nothing compared to the numbers in the stories I have read but I was so scared the first chapter was gonna get like 4 lmao, so thank you to the little jellybeans that keep reading! It's gonna get real so stay tuned!