~Time skip: 1 week~
Juyeon and the other trainees sat in a room as they waited for a higher up to come. He found himself searching for Kevin and spotting him by the window. He left his spot near Taesil then squatted in front of Kevin.
"Hey." he called out in a soft voice.
"Go away." spat Kevin.
"Come on, don't push me away..." Juyeon muttered, following Kevin's lead.
"How's everything? Nervous about the results?" Kevin asked, glancing in a certain direction. "I said just leave me alone."
"Of course I am. I could be booted despite working so hard." Juyeon replied before running a hand through his hair. "So you're really going to act like this?"
"I'm not acting. I said long ago our friendship is over. Why can't you understand that?" Kevin barked, gaining the attention of a few nearby.
Juyeon pursed his lips before walking away. They had recently started play acting in accordance to Kevin's wish. He still doesn't know any of the details, but if it meant they could be around each other again, he'd go along with it.
"I don't get it. Why do you continue to torture yourself with this? Kevin doesn't want to be friends anymore." Taesil said in a low voice.
"Tell me, if you had a best friend that you've known for nearly a decade and they suddenly stopped wanting to be friends, would you simply just give up without ever finding out why?" Juyeon posed, finding himself going into his best friend album on his phone.
Taesil glanced over and saw the numerous photos of Kevin and the both of them. It was clearly obvious from these pictures they were extremely close and cared about one another. He felt a bit for the two of them.
"Kevin really means a lot to you, huh?" Taesil asked softly.
A gentle look settled within Juyeon's eyes as he looked up at the uninterested Kevin. Taesil's smile turned sour at the sight of such a look. It disgusted him. The door opened and in stepped the woman from last time. She silently handed out papers, providing no context whatsoever.
"Ah, if anyone has a big green stamp, your time at Ruse is done. Thanks for choosing us. Audition again next year." she said cheerily.
Juyeon watched as numerous people got up from their seats and left in a foul mood. He quietly counted the people that remained. He involuntarily let out a relieved sigh at the sight of Kevin still in his seat. Kevin briefly glanced up at Juyeon, his heart contracting slightly at the sight of Juyeon still seated. They made it past their first hurdle.
"To the rest of you, good work. We hope you see you further improve yourselves from here on out. Do note that we won't hesitate to cut you off if we see that there's no improvement." she said, giving them her 1000 watt smile. "In some other news, you will all be put in new groups. As you can see, quite a few of your group members left. Your new group should be at the bottom of the paper I gave you all."
Juyeon looked at his. He was in 2.
"Ah, we aren't in the same group again. Is fate against us?" chuckled Taesil, giving Juyeon an eye smile.
"Maybe so. But it's not like we can't hang out like we do now." replied Juyeon happily.
Taesil nodded in agreement. Soon Seohoon and Sam were making their over to them.
"Are any of you in group 3?" Sam asked. They shook their heads. "Dammit..."
"Oh, we're in the same group Tae." said Seohoon, giving him a high five.
Juyeon noticed Kevin starting to leave, sending a brief gesture his way before leaving the room. Juyeon excused himself a bit later, seeing that Kevin wanted him to follow. Just as he stepped out, he felt someone seize his wrist and start dashing down the hall with him in tow.
He found himself squished inside a restroom stall, a bit close for comfort to the person who kidnapped him. He stepped back a bit, giving himself some space.
"Sorry for this all of a sudden. It was... wasn't a good idea to talk so close to that room." they said, glancing back.
"I do wish you'd tell me what was going on Kev. Maybe I could help." Juyeon commented.
Kevin pursed his lips while shaking his head. Juyeon absolutely couldn't get involved. He didn't want to imagine what would happen.
"It's just people being an ass to a newcomer. That's all." said Kevin with a forced smile.
"But I don't see why we can't talk normally if that's the case." Juyeon countered.
Kevin remained tight lipped, causing Juyeon to stop pressing. They heard the door open and Kevin quickly moved so his feet wouldn't show.
"You can't walk away from me now." a voice said.
"What? What could you possibly need to say to me?" a familiar voice rang in Juyeon's ears.
"You're trying to separate Juyeon from us." the person said. Juyeon finally recognized this voice too. "It's becoming more obvious."
It was Taesil and Seohoon. He looked at Kevin who sat uncomfortably on the toilet.
"You know, you're smarter than I give you credit. It's true. He has untapped potential and I'm going to use it to my benefit. We'll do wonders together." said Taesil, turning to face Seohoon. "You and that foreigner are just going to bring him down. And that Kevin guy too."
"I can agree with Kevin, but Sam and I are pretty damn capable of reaching new heights with Juyeon. We don't plan to use him like you are. We actually care about him." Seohoon growled.
"It's kill or be killed in this industry. And you don't want to make an enemy out of me. I have connections everywhere." Taesil threatened, pushing Seohoon.
They continued to hold their breath as the door opened and closed, signaling someone had left. They flinched as a loud thump could be heard against the wall. The door opened and closed again. Kevin looked at Juyeon with a pitiful look. He left his spot and promptly gave him a hug, knowing he definitely needed it. He looked up at him then decided not to say anything.
"He doesn't want to be friends..." Juyeon whispered, staring down at the floor.
"I'm sorry..." Kevin whispered back, rubbing Juyeon's back. "It's good to know now than when it's too late, right...?"
Kevin felt Juyeon leave his arms then leave the stall. He bit his lip, wanting to go after him but fearing he'd make things worse.
도보
Sam silently ate then frowned as Juyeon hadn't touched his food at all. Seohoon and Taesil noticed as well.
"You know, you never did tell us where you went after the reveal." Taesil mentioned, earning nods of agreement from the others.
How was he to act around them after hearing what they said in the restroom? He finally took a bite out of his salad, relieving them some of their worries.
"So, I just got a new game. Anyone wanna come over?" Sam piped up, seeing Juyeon wasn't going to answer.
"Sounds fun." Juyeon mumbled.
The others agreed before eating in silence. Seohoon took out his phone and excused himself. Sam glanced back at him, full of suspicion. Taesil excused himself and headed for the restroom.
"Ju, I know something's up. It has to do with them doesn't it?" Sam asked.
"How did you know...?" Juyeon asked in surprise.
"You passed by the restroom too, right? I happened to overhear a bit. They were discussing you." Sam said with a frown.
"Oh... I did hear a bit but I quickly left..." lied Juyeon.
Seohoon and Taesil came back and took their seats. Sam gave Juyeon a small smile before going back to eating. He knew that smile meant he was plotting.
도보
Juyeon found himself panting inside Sam's place while Sam didn't seem the least bit tired.
"We lost them blocks ago. Why did we... keep running?" Juyeon asked.
"Wanted to make sure. Now you can enjoy yourself without feeling stifled." Sam said with a grin.
Juyeon quietly thanked him as he gave him slippers to wear. It had been awhile since he had come over. Everything looked the same. Juyeon sank down onto the floor, resting his somewhat tired body. He closed his eyes and listened to the sound of Sam's footsteps.
"Juyeon, mind if I speak for a bit?" Sam asked, turning on a gaming console.
"Go on." Juyeon said.
"When I saw you for the first time, I thought, 'Wow, this guy is definitely idol material. He's got killer looks'. And then when you starting dancing, I was mesmerized." said Sam in a gentle tone. "Your voice blew me away as well... Beautiful could only describe it."
Juyeon opened his eyes and saw the dark haired and doe eyed Spaniard looking down at him.
"No matter what anyone says, I want you to know that I find you as a person beautiful and you should see yourself as such." he said before smiling kindly.
Juyeon felt his cheeks flush from embarrassment. It sounded like a love confession with how he said it all.
"Thank you... I appreciate it..." Juyeon whispered, covering his face.
He felt Sam move his hands then looked up at him. What was going through his mind? He felt his grip tighten slightly on his wrists.
"There's something I want to say..." Sam whispered, leaning in close.
Juyeon squirmed, trying to free his wrists and move away. He didn't like where this was going. Sam pressed a kiss onto his forehead before releasing him.
"I treasure our friendship." he said before starting up a game.
Juyeon blinked, truly not expecting him to say that. Then again, what exactly was he expecting? A love confession was out of the question. Or was it?