Realistic or Modern Haenghada University//Closed

[Sir Damien]

Zane

It was rare that Zane let down his guard. Fuck, he didn't even drop his guard that much with King and he was what he would consider to be his best friend. His only friend? He liked to consider Somin a friend but, she didn't give him the time of day before she started dating King. He grew up lonely jumping school to school, nobody gave him the time of day when he was himself. Then he created, well, Zane and everyone loved him. Charming, suave, funny, the type of guy always welcomed into a crowd. It felt like crap knowing that his true self wasn't popular but, hey, he was getting attention and friends. That's all he ever wanted.

Hanging out with Somin made him feel comfortable enough to let down his guard and he didn't even notice. While he liked that it was also scary. If Zane lost himself then what would he do with his life? Show business was everything he knew. He'd fail his dads, he'd fail himself. That's why he never aimed to get close to a girl. Just seeing Somin smile caused his heart to flutter and he knew he was in trouble.

The only thing that could of dampened his good mood was King, he just hadn't expected it to be so quick. Zane's mouth literally fell open at King's horrid comment and he just stood there for a second. Zane was really trying to play it cool with King. The guy obviously was going through some shit, this mystery woman appears and is suddenly blowing his world apart and he could only imagine what was going on. He wasn't the only one fucking hurting though, it wasn't fair of him to be attacking Somin like that. Especially when she wasn't even here to defend herself!

Before he could even comment back though King was out the door. With an angry huff he shut the door to their room so he could change into his shorts before storming down after his supposed best friend. The red haired fuck was already in the pool and he furrowed his brows with a small huff. No, no I'm sorry was not getting him out of this. Walking straight past everyone he cannon balled into the pool, popped out and shook out his silver locks. "King, buddy." He shot the fakest smile over at his friend as he approached him and wrapping his arm around his shoulders, his large hand giving King's shoulder a strong squeeze. "I get shit's going on, I respect that. You ever say that again about her though? I'll make you eat your fucking words there, buddy. Good chat, we're good now."

With that said the toned messy haired man swam to the stairs to the pool and stepped out of it, grabbing a towel off the table and wrapping it around his neck. "What do you say Somin? Seems like the initiation I've ever had to do in a group. No way dancing queen and his snowflake princess could really be all that." Zane plucked a beer out of the cooler, popped the top, and took a long drink. Chicken was no fun sober.

 

[Colt Voltage]

Tae

Somin stopping him made him arch a perfectly plucked brow, she was the last one he'd ever expect to stop him. But the fact that Somin could see through their relationship said volumes. Wasn't she herself in a farce of a relationship with King? It wasn't like Tae ever even asked the brat out, she just started saying he was her boyfriend! They hadn't kissed, he avoided it like the plague. She had almost gotten him once or twice but, Tae was a dancer and quick on his feet. Holding hands? Not even with his gloves on. She had somehow found out about him and Suua and started chirping in his ear about this whole lap dog thing though and that made him stick around. She said dating her would make things better between him and Suua, though at this point it was only making things worse.

Suua meant safety, she meant comfort. She was everything good in this dark, miserable world and he lived to see her smile. An annoying spoiled brat wasn't going to make him forget his love for her, no one would be able to. So why was he even with Eun at this point? "Oh, ho ho. You have jokes now don't you?" His steely eyes shot a quick glare at Somin. "Oh you're funny now too, huh?" JUNG was even joining in on the heckling, his partner in crime. Bastard. "Jung you're just mad because Lee is tougher than you. Maybe you'd win if she was carrying you, yeah?"

It was all in good nature though... most of it. "Jesus Zane! You almost got my gloves wet!" A silver haired idiot rushed past them and made a large splash in the pool that almost got them, though he moved in front of Suua to prevent her from getting the brunt of the splash. Tae shook off the water before he took off the black leather gloves and deposited them next to his seltzer. That was it, Zane was the final straw. "Don't worry Suua, I brought sunscreen this time so you won't burn. Somin I hope you don't mind getting the skunk on your head wet because we won't be going easy on you."

The thing that probably made him and Suua an unbeatable force was that he simply just refused to let her fall. Growing up he'd always try to catch her before a fall, he seemed to have a sixth sense for impending danger. Plus, again, dancer. Good on his feet. "Zane I've seen you dance and it's absolutely appalling that you've got into this school." With an frustrated huff his warm hand grabbed Suua's and walked to the pool with her. Again, Tae didn't do touch without his gloves, even as a boy he was particular. Suua was always that exception, her hand was the only one he's ever held. It just felt... natural? He didn't think twice about it. "C'mon, up you go." Tae knelt down in the water so Suua could climb up on his shoulders. They had this in the bag, Zane and Somin were going to be humbled today.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Sora

Where do you even start in this situation? Sora never stopped loving King, she thought of him daily. Whether it be on a walk, listening to music (his music more often than not), hell just even doing homework she thought about him. All this time she thought that she was doing right by him, in reality she blew up his world by running away. Behind her fake smile Sora felt like a monster, like she didn't even deserve to be in his presence. Like a fucking idiot for believing his father had the best intentions for him, a fool for listening to him without talking to King first. His head had to be spinning and there was no taking back the last few years of pain and suffering. King wanted her in his life as much as he wanted music, Sora needed to give this her all too.

Doe like brown eyes watched King drop into the pool face first and all she could do was wince slightly. She couldn't even begin to imagine the hurt he was going through. Zane was pretty much right behind him and making a large splash with his cannon ball, water soaking the deck around them. "Hey kids, the water stays in the pool!" Sora spoke with a sweet smile on her face before turning to grab one of the cups Lee made. It probably wasn't the best idea, the girl was a horrible light weight, but she needed liquid courage. "Suua I love you but I'm rooting for Somin! The newbie has to dethrone you."

Hopefully they could all just unwind for the night. She could remember King and her participating in these games back in the day, they didn't win much but they had a good laugh about it. Just as Sora began to move over to the edge of the pool she found her foot slipping. Luckily she managed to not fall in the pool but she happened to crash closer to King than she intended. "Ow." With a small giggle she deposited her soft pale legs into the water, her manicured hand instinctively brushing through King's red locks affectionately. It wasn't intentional, it was just something she used to do help him relax. "O-Oh, sorry." It took a good minute but she finally realized what she was doing, quickly retracting her hand and plopping it in her lap.

Quietly she cleared her throat and took a long drink of the horribly strong drink. It may have seemed stupid but she had complete and total unconditional love for him, something that neither of them ever had in their life. Maybe being friends would be harder than she thought. After chugging the whole drink she quietly coughed into her arm and shook her head dramatically. "Lee that was awful, are you trying to kill me?" Already her cheeks were red. "Oh, Ji, do you still play beer pong? Maybe we could play a game? We were the reigning champs back in the day, it was so fun." They were absolutely horrible at chicken (mainly because Sora was horrible at pushing people) but she was at least a good beer pong partner.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Woo Lee

"Sour sport? You guys are psychos when it comes to that game. No one should be that competitive, it's like you have split fucking personalities." Lee genuinely liked Somin, she was just as much of an honest bitch like Lee was. With a small smirk Lee moved over to the lounger next to Jung before taking a seat. It was weird being on good terms with him again, she had missed him something fierce this summer. She'd never admit it though. "Tae would sooner drown himself than let Suua's hair get wet, it's a hopeless cause. Jung's right though, think of it as initiation." Lee took a long drink before setting it down, her fake blue eyes looking over to Jung at the mention of beer pong.

"Oh, you think you're cute? Rematch? We own fair and square until you can prove to me otherwise." Of course she cheated, the woman was a natural at cheating and hustling people. The girl looked all sweet and innocent but it was like Lee was born into the wrong family, she took after her mobster family members more than she did her perfect parents. Maybe she 'accidentally' kicked the beer pong table, but that was nothing that Jung could prove was intentional. "I'll give you a pity rematch though, babes."

As she sat down her cup to say something sassy again she noticed his screen light up with a text and she couldn't help but narrow her eyes slightly, her blonde brows furrowing ever so slightly. She didn't mean to be nosey by any means but she did notice that it was from his dad. "I figured you needed something strong." Her voice lost her playful tone as she wracked her brain of something to say. Lee wasn't good at much, the only long term friends she had were basically family and Jung was the only idiot to actually enjoy her presence. She wanted to do her best to cheer him up.

"You got plans after the opening? Cancel them." God, eloquent as always. Why did she always come off as a bully? She genuinely meant well! Just the way it came out made her wince slightly. Fuck, she was trying to be nice here! "We're going out. To a movie, drinks, whatever it doesn't really matter. We'll have fun." While she already had plans to hang out with Kang that night Jung needed her more than he did. Plus, Jung was far more fun to be with. "Don't get too drunk, you'll be drinking plenty of beer later when Suua and I kick your ass again." And there she was heckling him again, typical Lee.

 

[KAYDEN]

Jung

“I know I am.” Jung leaned back in the chair with a cocky grin at Lees comment, his arms up with his hands tucked behind his head. “I think we both know what really happened, but hey I’ll take the rematch. Even if you have to pretend that it’s out of pity.” He winked at her before adjusting to free one of his his and taking another long drink of the overly strong beverage. The change in her tone didn’t go unnoticed by Jung but he truly didn’t want to talk about anything right now. It was just all too much to process right now and despite it only being the first day of this mess it was already like beating a dead horse.

Jung and his father weren’t close, they weren’t estranged by any means but they also weren’t going to baseball games together. Honestly Jung couldn’t remember the last time the two of them even sat down for dinner together, he had a lunch with him in his office when Jung had gotten back from visiting his mother this summer but that was about it. It had been that way ever since she left, Jung would have loved to go with her instead but she knew her lifestyle wasn’t fit for a child. His mom traveled everywhere, sleeping wherever she could find for a few nights and making money painting on the streets of various cities. She wasn’t poor by any means but wanderlust called to her. His father was a good man, always made sure the kid had whatever he wanted or needed but he wasn’t exactly warm.

“Strong helps. And no plans, my mom was going to try and come to watch in between France and her trip to New York but her flights got moved around.” Jung shrugged, “Sounds like a plan then. Maybe we can go get some food at that diner we used to go to a lot last year. Oh! Or we could go bowling. I haven’t been bowling in a long time.” Thankfully neither of them were recognizable yet, they had both been in a few projects but never as anything at the forefront. That meant they could still go out and do normal people things, he didn’t understand how people like King and Zane did it. Even if the two weren’t huge names yet, they had their fair share of fan girls from the school and city. “Yeah yeah. Maybe that’s my secret, I play better buzzed.” He chuckled and finished off the drink before looking over at all the idiots in the pool. “I hope someone finally beats them, something needs to be done about their streak.”

 

[EclipseRosee]

King

There had only been one other time that King had seen Zane be so scary and honestly he couldn’t even remember what it had been about. He knew that what he said was terrible the moment it left his mouth, that was why he ran away so damn fast. “Christ man, okay. Back off.” Zane had a point, he couldn’t just be a fucking asshole because he was in a mood but he couldn’t help himself sometimes, it was like the worst form of word vomit. He had spent a lot of time up until this last two years trying to prove that he was better than his father, that he wasn’t that type of guy and that he cared about people and wanted to be a good guy. He did! King knew it wasn’t fair to blame genes on this sort of thing but Jesus sometimes it felt like it didn’t fucking helped!

After Sora left King fell into a bit of a depression, he hadn’t ever been super close with the others but at that point he definitely wasn’t. That was when he met Zane and the two of them started hanging out. They made quick friends after realizing that both of them were hiding their true personality behind a persona, from there it was smooth sailing. Up until then Sora was the only person King was ever close with. Then he met Somin, another people who got along with him and Zane and the three of them became the three musketeers. At some point people began to assume he and Somin were dating, it just sort of happened from there. But now here he was, completely fucking up all three friendships he ever truly had because he was a fucking mess of a person.

Sora slipping pulled him from his thoughts, standing up a bit and moving out one hand to make sure she didn’t fall in but it seemed she corrected herself. When her hand moved towards him however King nearly flinched, the feeling of her hand moving through his hair so familiar but shocking at the same time. King felt like he should gently pull away but he didn’t, instead he leaned against the wall of the pool again and resting his head on his arms. After a moment or two she pulled away and apologized, King kept him head down and just hummed. “It’s ‘kay.”

King sat back quietly and watched as everyone got more and more lively, between chicken and the squawking from the peanut gallery on the lounge chair he wasn’t sure what was more obnoxious. Besides him Sora brought up beer pong and he lazily lifted his head, “I mean I’m sure I could figure it out, it’s like riding a bike yeah?” He mustered up a small smile and stretched his arms above his head for a moment. He needed to shake the funk for the rest of the group. Everyone else was trying to have a good time so he should as well. “Come on, let’s see if Jung and Lee want a warm up round before Suua and Tae are done.”

 

[ZombieBaee]

Somin

These people were all pulling her leg right, trying to make fun of her and Zane since they were new? That had to be it because there was no way twinkle toes and his starry eyed girlfriend were good at any sort of competitive game. Well, she supposed as the thought about it , maybe it was possible. Somin and Tae were both specialists for dance. That meant they had crossed paths quite a few times, the guy was impressive when you got passed the outer shell. And those leader types, the ones that focused on public image and personality, were almost always some form of insane. Take Zane for example. So maybe just maybe everyone was telling the truth?

Somin turned to say something to Tae and Suua about playing but stopped as she saw King and Zane in the pool. What the hell was that death grip for? She has known Zane about two years now she in that time she couldn’t think of a single other time he had such a serious look on his face. It wasn’t a long interaction and before she knew it Zane was heading towards her from the pool.

It would be stupid to pretend that the man wasnt insanely handsome, that handsome was only so much harder to ignore when he was walking towards you out of a pool with a towel around his neck. “Sorry?” She stammered slightly, unsure exactly what his question was at first but quickly her mind caught back up to current events. “Right, yeah. I mean if everyone here is so hell bent on sticking with this story might as well put it to the test right?” She reached up and took off her sunglasses, placing them on the table besides the cooler and reaching in to grab her own drink to chug before heading into the pool. “Well let’s do this I guess.”

Somin finished off her drink in a few solid chugs and then headed to the water while fixing her bun. Tae and Suua were already getting ready and Somin turned to look at Zane. He and Tae were pretty close in height but Somin had a good few inches on Suua, not to mention she was meaner by nature. She was going to be genuinely shocked if this wasn’t a piece of cake. “If you end up dropping me just please make sure I stay under because I don’t want to face the embarrassment if we lose this okay?”

 

[ZombieBaee]

Suua

Why was everyone picking on them so much! Suua stood on the top steps of the pool with her arms crossed and a pout on her face. “No one gives Lee this much trouble when she is literally impossible to play ANY card game with! You think we’re evil at this you should see her play Uno!” She turned around and stuck her tongue out at her best friend on the lounge chairs before huffing and turning as Zane cannon balled into the water. Suua had always been a water child so she didn’t really mind the splash, swimming, beach, tubing, water skiing; you name it. So honestly just being in a pool was enough to take a huge weight off her shoulders. Everyone seemed like they were getting along and in good spirits so maybe Lee and Jung’s idea of a pool party was actually a great one! The only person who seemed slightly sulky was King but that was par for the course as of lately.

Behind her Tae scolded Zane for the large splash and Suua turned around to give him a reassuring smile. She knew how he felt about his gloves and that most people didn’t understand. Which was okay! Suua didn’t really fully understand it either but she didn’t have to, she just had to respect it. Although she supposed it was easy to say that when she was the only one allowed to constantly break the touch rule. Tae moved towards her after safely placing the gloves on the table, grabbing her hand as the two made their way fully into the shallow end of the pool. The contact made her face flush, Suua really didn’t think she would ever get used to holding Taes hand. Even being the exception to his rule, it was rare.

“Thank you.” Suua hummed as Tae leaned down, her hands moving to her shoulders to gently lift herself up a bit and after a moment she found herself resting securely on his shoulders, her hands brushing back his hair from his face before resting on the top of his head while they waited for Somin and Zane to be ready.

Suua and Tae had always been a team, not just in chicken. That was why his absence hurt her so much, to a lot of people it was probably strange how dependent she was on him but oh well. Suua loved Tae, always had and always would. So much so that she would do her best to just sit back and watch him shine, as long as he was happy that was what she cared about. All she wanted was to be a part of his life still no matter what.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Sora

At party's Sora always was the one to sit back and take it all in. She felt like a mother hen more often than not, always making sure that everyone was taken care of and having a good time. That was what she liked doing. So seeing that King had people that cared about him (though slightly tense right now) warmed her heart. A part of her felt guilty, like her presence was the one straining their relationships. It was her fault he was hurting. Should she had even come back? That thought was like a punch to the gut and it instantly made her want another drink.

Thankfully King seemed to be somewhat interested in playing a game! "Really? Yay! I'm sure it'll all come back to us." A bright smile took over her lips as she practically bounced to her feet. "Leee, Jung! Ready the beer pong table!" They were already taking way too long! The bubby girl bounced over to the cooler to grab a couple beers and solo cups, completely and totally geeked about playing.

--

Before she knew it the sun was setting and signifying the end of their momentous day. It started out so emotional but had turned into something that they all apparently needed. The tension that was there all week? Some of it was still lingering in the background obviously. A day full of drinking, games, food, and good spirits though was enough to make everyone relax. At least, that was how Sora felt. It felt nice to do something so familiar. Hell, she was pretty sure she saw King crack a smile a time or two! Especially when they dominated in their game of beer pong. While Lee was better at card games last night Sora had a deadly aim and landed every shot.

Once the sun had officially set Tae had set the bonfire. Well, correction. Tae had to literally fight Lee away from the lighter so he could light it versus her. In the end Lee was drunk and Tae won, it was all very comical. All those years in America was lonely, she didn't get along with many people there despite loving what she was doing. Just work, school, and studying. So being around all her friends, even her new friends, it was all just so perfect and she hoped that this peace could last for a minute.

It also turns out that Sora had way more to drink than she should've. "Tae Iseriously can't believe you dropped Suua. I thought a gentleman would never drop a lady." Sora was wrapped up in a blanket tucked in a chair near the fire giggling quietly, her third glass of Lee's concoction in her hands. This would all hit her like a truck in the morning but she needed a way to numb all the guilt weighing on her. Besides, she was having fun! Somin and Zane beat the dynamic duo not once, not twice, but three times! It was worse and worse each time, not once in their lives had she seen Tae so defeated. The obvious decision here was to poke fun at him.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Woo Lee

Lee couldn't help but crack a sweet smile at Jung. Honestly? she didn't know how he did it. Lee fucking hated just being related to a teacher. Don't get her wrong she used to adore her dad growing, but once she got in high school and people started recognizing her? Embarrassing didn’t begin to cover it. Lee had never wanted to be the front runner to anything and she was always content just hanging back. Write music, rap, watch everyone else shine. That was the goal. That's why the rumors about her being scary and a thug didn't bother her, it made people leave her alone. But Jung? This rumor was an attack on his confidence and yet, here he was smiling and joking through it.

"Yeah, that works. Bowling sounds fun." So long as it was just the two of them she wouldn't obsess over winning, she was actually able to enjoy a game with Jung without threatening him with a fork. "We'll have time to hit up that diner another time though, you’re stuck with me all year again." The next thing she knew was Sora was yelling at them about a game of beer pong and it caused her to roll her eyes. "How about YOU get everything and we'll meet you at the table?" With a small sigh the pale woman stood to her feet, her black black manicured fingers reaching down to ruffle Jung's pretty hair. "C'mon, you’re on the winning team this time." With a smirk she headed on over to the table. Sora had been gone for years and King wasn’t ever interested in playing games with them, there was no way they’d win.

--

She was sorely disappointed. Honestly though they both cheated! King was so tall he could practically reach across the table to drop the ball in the cup. Sora was actually a robot and you couldn't convince Lee otherwise. To make matters worse, Lee bumped the table during Sora’s shot and she STILL got it. It also didn’t help that the blonde was a sore fucking loser. So on top of the strong drink, all the beer she had to consume from Sora’s deadly accuracy, Lee was in rare form. It wasn’t often she let go of her tough girl act, if it wasn’t for the joy of seeing Tae and Suua dethroned she would’ve been in the pool drinking her loss away. Instead she was sitting on the ground roasting her tenth marshmallow of the night.

"I still don't understand why you guys wouldn't let me light the fire. My straightener only set a towel on fire that one time, and even then I was the one that put it out! Isn't it bad enough you don't let me around cutlery during games?" Lee was pouting as she pulled the black marshmallow from the flames, not even giving it a minute to cool down before plopping it in her mouth.

 

[Colt Voltage]

Tae

Why was Lee joining in on heckling them? She had no room to talk, she was way worse than them when it came to card games! Plus the little shit always cheated, Tae and Suua won on pure skill. He felt his face heat at the mention of Suua being his princess and all he could do was roll his eyes. "Whatever. They'll eat their words when we beat the newcomers." Despite his confident words it never failed that his heart skipped a beat as she climbed onto his strong shoulders, his face heating when he felt her push back some of his hair. This woman. She was the only person in the world to make him feel like this. Tae was toned and clearly took good care of himself, he made sure he was in the gym five days a week, but he focused on stamina versus muscle. He was 100% positive that they'd be able to thoroughly embarrass Zane and Somin.

To say Tae was eccentric was an understatement. He was protective over his friends, over Suua, to a fault. He hated germs, blood, failing. That was probably the biggest thing for him right there, Tae detested failing. This summer Tae had been blinded by work, by Eun, he hadn't seen how much he had failed his best friend until Minho said something. It resonated with him, it left a hole in his heart. Tae couldn't fail Suua anymore. For fucks sake that was the whole point of associating himself with that ignoramus Eun! It was so he didn't let his feelings ruin things with his best friend. Tae depended on her just as much as she did him, he couldn't lose her. "Don't worry Somin, we'll put you out of your misery quickly." With that said he stood straight up, his large pale hands holding onto Suua's hips as always to secure her. Game on.

--

"It may have been one towel Lee but it was fucking torched by the end of the ordeal. Who forgets to turn off their straightener? So, no. I don't feel like having the fire department come out today. Thanks though." Almost comical coming from Hoya spawn, dear old Hoya that literally set an entire kitchen ablaze. But, he digressed. Tae was trashed. In all his years of pool games he'd seen some shady shit, but he had never had someone sweep his leg before. In mere seconds they had dethroned them but, of course, Tae was not satisfied. Beginners luck. Oh, if only. The second time Somin came off hot and completely knocked Suua out of his grasp. Best three out of five. Third round came up and Tae was determined; he was drenched and had a grudge towards Zane at that point. Suua was able to put up a fight, a damn good one at that, but in the end it was for naught.

"You almost stabbed me during Uno. Quit your whining and eat your bag of sugar." It wasn't that Tae was as competitive as Lee was but he hated Zane. He hated the drama that followed him, hate how he thought he was fucking perfect. The man stole the spotlight at every given point, so Tae was just counting his blessings that he got King in his group for the performance. He'd much rather deal with his cranky ass. The dark haired man let out a heavy sigh from his chair before he took a long drink of his glass of whiskey. He switched to the hard shit after those losses.

"I've seen Lee and King do some shady shit to win before, but you guys really take the cake. Guess you fit in around here whether you like it or not." And trust me, Tae did not like it. But, hey, at least Sora and King ended Lee's reign of terror in beer pong. "Anyways. King, Jung, we're going to need to get together tomorrow at some point to plan out our showcase. We can use my family's studio downtown so I don't want to hear anything about you not being able to make it, King." Jung? He was reliable. King? Not so much. Tae had high expectations for their group, he was sure that him and Jung would be able to keep King on track. Hopefully.

 

[Sir Damien]

Zane

Somin's glance didn't go unnoticed, it actually made Zane's face heat up slightly. All this time he thought Somin was immune to his good looks and charm. Why wouldn't he think that though? She went for cranky ass King with his obnoxiously colored hair. Not to say the guy wasn't a catch, he was a good guy deep down, but Zane and Somin always had fun banter! It never made sense to him, never ever. Somin was gorgeous, she was dedicated to her dreams, she needed a guy that would support those dreams. Plus, lately she didn't seem to entirely hate his presence! That alone was the confidence boost he needed to knock glove boy and doe eyed Suua down a peg.

When they had all gathered in the pool and Somin was on his shoulders Zane quickly assessed the situation. What was the easiest and most guaranteed win? Taking out the dancers leg. They were all so focused on Somin that they didn't even notice until they were falling back into the water. Tae demanded a rematch and Zane was nothing but a gentleman, of course he obliged. Somin dominated that round, and the third round was just fucking pitiful. Victory had never been more sweeter.

"Aha, Tae you sound so bitter! Accept defeat like a man, buddy. If you want a round four though I'd be happy to embarrass you in front of your girlfriend again." Zane was lounging in one of the chairs placed around the fire as he nonchalantly drank another beer. What number was this? Did it really matter? That was the point of the whole night, drinking and fun. It appeared that, once again, King was the only one that didn't get the fun memo. After their little interaction earlier though he didn't feel like he was the one to bring him out of this funk so he didn't bother pointing out his friends crank ass attitude. "Somin, babe, if we tackle this showcase like we did that match we'll have no competition. So what was the decision? Noon to dance, right? That gives me enough time to put on my face and do my hair."

A cocky smile was plastered on his face and at this point he was sure that nothing could rain on their fun day they just had.

 

[ZombieBaee]

Somin

It appeared as if everyone had been telling the truth about Tae and Suua, they were pretty decent when it came to chicken and even more decent when it came to being absolutely terrifying while playing. That didn’t keep Somin and Zane from whopping their ass though. Three times. It was like the other two REFUSED to take a hint, there was a new champion in town. At first Somin was kind of not into it but seeing how serious Suua was taking it was kind of enticing, maybe the mouse girl wasn’t as boring as Somin once thought. It made everything so much more worth it seeing Tae’s ace as Suua was knocked back and caused both herself and him to go under. Tae looked terrified meanwhile Suua popped back up, stunned for a moment then started giggling furiously. Scary. Somin on the other hand remained perfectly dry until it had been time for Zane to let her off his shoulders.

Tae maintained that they had cheated during the first round and was still salty about if after two more losses. Just let it go!

-

Now they all sat around the fire, cozy and all at least slightly buzzed. Somin was in one of the deck chairs, when the sun started to go down she had gone inside and quickly changed out of her damp suit and into a large black hoodie and a pair of super short black shorts. Part of her had thought about just staying inside but honestly she was kind of having a good time.

The other houses she had been in up until this year didn’t operate like this, they weren’t friends like this. Mostly they were literally just crash houses, everyone would be gone all day with classes or jobs and would only come back to really sleep. Somin had thought she preferred it this way but she had to admit that this was nice… even if she was forced to breath e the same air as King.

Speaking of King, why was he sitting there like a dark cloud? He was the one who was being a jerk! Well so was Somin but at least she kind of had an excuse. “Would you just stop?” She set down her beer and adjusted in her chair to stare over at King for a moment before deciding she could no longer keep her mouth shut. “What is your problem? Why are you sitting over there like a sad puppy? Everyone is having a good time and yet you’re like a dark cloud cast over this great day. Stop scribing like a victim when you’re the one who caused half of these issues everyone is having.”

Zane spoke up and pulled her attention form King to something a bit more pleasant. “I will be at the gym at 9 am, which is two hours of sleeping in for me. You can either choose to join me then or I will beet you noon in the studio. Side note though, if you wake up and join me at the gym I may just allow you to go get breakfast with me. Maybe.”

 

[ZombieBaee]

Suua

The first fall into the water was a complete shock, honestly Suua hadn’t seem it coming. One minute they were upright and the second they were both popping up from under the water. Tae had been angry but Suua, after a moment of confusion, burst out into giggles. She tried to explain to him that this was all for fun and while he agreed with her, the look on his face told her that he was still grumpy. They played two more rounds and by the end of it Suua looked like a waterboarded rat, that was when it was time to call it. They spend th rest of the daylight hours playing other games and swimming, Suua spent most of the time splashing around in the pool, occasionally being yelled at by either Lee or Tae to get out and put on sunscreen. At the end of the day it was a lot of sun exposure and drinking.

Now it was nighttime, a fire had been started and everyone was sitting around winding down. Well at least that was the intention. However when everyone had been drinking all day, winding down was a harder task than normal. Tae and Lee were bickering at each other about starting the fire causing Suua to giggle from where she sat in her chair between the two of them. “I remember that day. Lee was all what’s the big deal and Tae was all AHHHH.” She giggled again and pulled her legs up into her chair, pulling the fuzzy throw blanket tighter around her shoulders. It was definetlyclose to bedtime for Suua, she hadn’t drank that much but when she was this tired she got a little loopy.

Everyone kind of started talking about starting practice the next day and Suua turned to talk to Lee only to be met with the image of the woman shoving a burning hot marshmallow into her mouth. Was that even done being on fire? “You’re terrifying. I love you.” Suua giggled for the millionth time and opened her mouth to say that they should work from campus tomorrow but her thoughts were cut short when she heard Somin across the fire. It was weird to have another person as blunt as Lee around but maybe it was a good thing! King needed to be knocked down a few pegs and usually Suua was the first to see the good in everyone. It wasn’t that she hated him or thought he was bad, clearly he was good somewhere because Sora loved him… but it shouldn’t take Sora to make him not be a jerk!

 

[EclipseRosee]

King

While he hadn’t been super excited about the prospect of playing beer pong at the start of the game, by the end of it Kingwas actually having a great time. Was part of it because Lee lost? Yeah. But still a good time nonetheless. Plus Sora was happy, that was all that mattered. King knew that most of this house hated him, al the work he had put int those friendships got burned when Sora left. She had been kind of the glue that had these people tolerating him, he had even thought about asking to be moved into another group for the last two years of school but at least these people he didn’t have to pretend around.

By the time they were all sitting around the fire King was fairly inebriated, lounging in one of the chairs with a seltzer in his hand as the others all bickered. He was stuck in his head, depression was a hell of a thing to overcome and while King had a glimmer of a good time earlier, it was gone now. Around him he could hear the others all talking but he did his best to just rune it out, they didn’t want his input anyways.

King was more than knowing that he had done this to himself and maybe that’s why he was taking it so hard. It was so diffucult for him to admit when he was wrong but in his own mind he was self aware. That was what started off his anxiety and ultimately his anger. Anger that erupted the moment that Soming addressed him.

“My GOD would you back OFF? I’m literally sitting here silent and minding my own business and yet you still find something to gripe with me about.” King sat up in his chair and set down his drink, he was probably a bit louder than he should have been but he was past reason at this point. “News flash Somin, we are not longer dating, you are no longer my girlfieind and my I add THANK GOD. You don’t get to comment on my life anymore ok? How about you focus on your own shit. I forgot you were so so perfect that you should be hanging out advise.”

“Yeah I’ll be wherever whenever, just text me I’m going to bed, fuck this.” King stood up and grabbed his half full drink before stomping off into the house to pour it down the drain and get ready for bed.

 

[KAYDEN]

Jung

The entire day Jung’s phone was blowing up with various text messages, most from his father, a few from his mother and a lot from random students who were telling him to drop out. All of them anonymous of course, no one was brave enough to say that to his damn face they would just text it from behind a screen and fake phone number. Jung tried to just ignore it all, focus on hanging out with his friends but it was hard. He had started the day convinced this would all blow over and be a non issue but maybe not… these types of comments weren’t new. Jung heard a comment here and there throughout his years at school but nothing as serious as this. He knew it was hard being a child of someone with any sort of power, people normally wrote you off and assumed you had everything handed to you. Jung had always tried to make a point to prove them wrong. This just was starting to feel different…

Playing beer pong with Lee helped distract for a while, plus he was decent at putting on. Fake smile and dealing with it. He supposed he got that trait from his mother. After a few rounds of drinking it became easier and easier to ignore the phone and at a certain level of drunk Jung fully lost the thing somewhere in the back yard. Good.

Now, after having to help Tae get a lighter from Lee, they were all sitting around a peaceful fire. “Suua is right you know, you didn’t even slightly care about the fire. Like I’m still not fully sure that you even learned your lesson.” Jung laughed from his chair and peered over at Lee from te corner of his eye. “You are aware that the lesson there was to turn off he straightener, not that you shouldn’t use a towel right?” He took a sip of his drink and pulled his own marshmallow from the fire, much less burnt than Lee’s but still on the well done side. “Aish woman don’t burn yourself!”

Tae brought up the plan about tomorrow for practicing and Jung nodded, “Workswith me, I just have to run to the tech center to pick up my new laptop for the year, I was supposed to today but we all see how today went.” He paused and gave him a sheepish smile before continuing, “But I can do that anytime before 3 so super open!” He turned his attention to King and saw hat Somin was digging into him a bit, bad choice. King went off yelling at her and then stormed off. Well now this was awkward….

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Sora

Was it just her or was King extra agitated? While they had been drunk numerous times before she had never seen him so... aggressive? Yeah, that was the word. He was always his biggest critic so she knew he was beating himself up over something, but she didn't quite know what. Clearly there was some drama between him and Somin, that alone wasn't enough to set him off like this though. The only logical conclusion was that it was her. With her showing up out of the blue, dropping the ball on him about why she left, he seemed miserable. He said he still wanted her in his life, but was that true? He had more people now that genuinely cared about him than when she left and now all of a sudden he was at odds with everyone? Suddenly the fun of the night was washed away and the guilt was ever so present again.

"And on that note I'll be calling it a night as well." With a small forced smile she stood to her feet, collected her drink and her fluffy ugg blanket, and followed after King. Inside she found him dumping out his drink and Sora instantly wanted to hug him. Hell, she even moved next to him to do just that but she froze. He was just tolerating her presence, he didn't want anything to do with her. The smile on her face fell and she quickly dumped out her drink, tossing the solo cup in the trash dejectedly. Think Sora, think. "You know, I'm so glad to see you've got people to look after you now. I- I think Somin just wants you to have a good time. It'd be easy to do that without me here, right?"

With a nervous smile she smoothed out her matching black tank and shorts, trying her best to think of a way to word this that wouldn't make him yell at her. Hell, maybe she deserved it at this point. "I hate seeing you miserable, Ji. You've been doing fine without me, you've made friends." C'mon Sora, out with it. "I... want you to enjoy your last year. Would it be best if I left? If so I can go pack and be on the first flight out in the morning. Don't get me wrong, I want to stay and be in your life again more than anything. I just don't want to cause you anymore pain, Ji." Tears were stinging in her eyes but she tried her best to swallow them down and put on a brave face. A lonely life thousands of miles away would be worth it if she knew he would be happy.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Woo Lee

As Tae heckled Lee about everything all she could do was flip him off while she chewed. Even Suua seemed to be having a laugh at her! But really, she didn't see the big issue. Still didn't. Lee always danced to the beat of her own drum though; she liked weird things like bugs and plants, obviously she was a little different personality wise. When she was younger she was outgoing and nice like her mom, but once she started school that quickly changed. People would be nice to her, pretended to be her friend when in reality they just used her. Toys, parties, one person seriously was friends with her just to meet her mom and ask for an autograph! It made her the quiet, jaded person she was today, that was why she was so protective of her friends. People were assholes.

So did it shock anyone that Lee was the culprit of Jungs phone disappearing? People were being awful to him! Cowards, all of them. Even if the rumors about his dad were true that did not give them the right to say things like this. Lee was pissed, she wasn't going to let him read that anymore. He didn't deserve this shit. "I'll have you know I learned to leave the towel on the floor." With a small shrug she took a swig of her drink to wash down the burnt sugar, her brows quirking slightly as Somin went in on King. She had heard the two of them broke up again yet the way she hounded the man was like they were still together.

King snapped harder than she had ever seen and she felt a little bad for the guy. Did he create the drama himself? Most of the time, but the man was literally such a loner he didn't let anyone in. After Sora left he pushed them away, acted better than them more often then not and didn't want anything to do with them. What did he expect people to do when he acted like this? "Let him wallow in his own self pity, Sora." Too late, she was gone and Lee already lost interest.

"Tech center is going to be swamped. I'll tag along." Typical bossy Lee. "Want to text me when you guys get done and I'll head up with you?" As if she didn't already know that was impossible to do with his phone upstairs in her room. She had a few choice words for the mystery texters. With a small yawn Lee stood to her feet and stretched her arms from side to side. "Suua let's go before you fall asleep in the chair. It's past your bedtime."

 

[Sir Damien]

Zane

"I do like breakfast, and I do like the gym." Zane was sitting there totally intoxicated and dramatically weighing out his options. Beauty rest, facial and hair care vs the gym and breakfast with his dream girl. Obviously there was only one choice, he just didn't want to seem entirely stoked about it. "Alright alright, sold. I'll take it easy on you in the gym though, I don't want to overwhelm you with my pro level skills day one." Okay, maybe that came off a bit chauvinistic, but was raised by two catty, overly confident gay men! It's not like he ever worked out with a woman, he was always in male groups. He knew how to charm them pretty much and that was it. Hell, Somin was the first girl he had ever gone out with one on one before.

Then King popped off and Zane got completely side tracked. Why his dude so fucking HOSTILE? Was this seriously about a girl? One fucking girl put him in this foul of a mood to where he attacks his friends this bad? Somin wasn't just an ex-girlfriend, her and King were friends before they ever even dated! THEY were all friends! Of course he was King's friend first, but there was no way he could side with him on this. He just couldn't. Somin was just trying to tell him to pull his head out of his ass. He was being downright disrespectful to everyone at this point!

Truth be told, if Sora hadn't of gone after him Zane would've just so he could punch the fucker in the face. Zane wasn't the violent type but with the mixture of King's attitude and liquor was certainly making him into one. It took a minute before he finally took a deep breath, not realizing how hot with anger his face had. They were making plans, right. "As his friend I apologize for the shit he just said, but also as his friend fuck that guy. Forget that guy Somin. Let him rot in his own self loathing and he'll eventually come around. Probably." With King though he couldn't guarantee it.

"Can we get back to the topic at hand, please? Are you telling me that you get up at 7 every day? As in, AM 7? No wonder you're so cranky all the time." Was Zane trying to distract her from King being a prick? Correct. Was he opening himself up to be insulted? One hundred percent. Hopefully it worked.

 

[Colt Voltage]

Tae

What Somin was saying wasn't necessarily wrong, everyone had been doing their darndest to get along and have a good time. King being the odd one out was par for the course but even this was excessive for him. It wasn't like the group hated him for any particular reason. They invited him to everything still, tried to make him feel included. The guy just never joined them! He may not have grown up with them but neither did Jung and he fit right in. King didn't fit in many places, but he was always considered part of the group whether he liked it or not. "Well of course it would be impossible for us all to end on a good note, that would make far too much sense." A heavy sigh passed Tae's lips as King flipped out. The guy was far more toxic than usual today.

Thankfully everyone seemed to be ready to turn in, which suddenly caused Tae to remember his dear, loopy little Suua. "Here. I've got you." With a small smile Tae stood to his feet and reached down to help her to her feet. He remembered a time she had been so tired that she ran straight into a wall, right now that was the last thing they needed. Make sure she gets to her floor safely and then crash for the night. Hopefully King actually plans on responding to their text tomorrow.
---

"Now you're sure you remember the steps King? I'd hate for you to slip up on stage and crush the hearts of your fan girls." Already he was trying to get King fired up. Could you blame him though? King was the wild card and he never really knew what to expect from him. It was better to amp him up before a show then let him be his usual pessimistic self. Tae was standing in front of the mirrored wall of the dressing room adjusting the strap across his chest. Black leather jacket, gloves, pants, the stylist really nailed the outfits this time. The group had met up a few times during the week to go over this performance, and while a week was rather short notice that was the whole point, right? Figuring out something in a small time frame tested their abilities.

It also served as a good distraction during the week. Suua in his life again felt right, it had made him realize just what was missing during the summer. He missed her, his other half. It made this whole Eun thing far more complicated though. She was a coworker (not a great one), her dad was a major director and pissing her off meant getting possibly blacklisted. He... had gotten himself in a predicament and he realized that now. But it wasn't his fault she refused to leave him alone! So he was struggling internally trying to balance his life at the house and whatever this weird shit with Eun was. There had to be a way to break things off cleanly, he just didn't see that answer quite yet.

"Anyways. You boys ready? Let's go wait backstage for the girls." With that said his combat boots carried him to the other side of the room and out the door. The girls hadn't said much about their performance and he couldn't deny that he was extremely curious.

 

[EclipseRosee]

King

Sora following after him made it hard for King to not freak out more, this was all just so overstimulating he wasn’t sure what to do. The tears in her eyes and her words broke his heart, he didn’t want her to leave and he didn’t want her to feel like she was the issue because she wasn’t. It would be a lie to say that her arrival didn’t mix up his world and affect his emotions but it was no one’s fault but his own that he was being so … whatever this was…. About it all. “Sora, come on.” He reached out and gently smoothed over her hair with one hand, wiping away some tears with the other. “You’re not going anywhere, Lee and Suua are so excited you’re here, Tae too. And I don’t want you to go, I’mhappy you’re here its just all a lot.”

“I don’t think we can expect things to change in a week. I was hurt for two years, you were traumatized and gaslight by my dad. I’m a fucked up mix of angry and sad and ashamed. I’m not handling things well, but I’ll get there. I don’t deserve asking anyone to be patient with me while I do that but, I would appreciate it.”

The mention of his friends only turned the dagger, she was right that Zane and Somin were two of the best friends he ever had but things were weird. He and Somin should have beer tried dating, any of the times they tried. They had gotten pushed into that situation and it went fairly well for a few months then blew up, but then it felt weird to just be friends. Then there was Zane, who trulydidin’t deserve any of King’ attitude right now but it felt clear which friend he chose in the “divorce”.

“Don’t worry about all that, that’s my battle not yours. Let’ just get to bed. Everyone has been drinking…”

—

King tried his best to just lay low the next week up until the welcome showcase, he went to practice, most of the time, and went home and stayed in his room. He just needed to stick to not pissing everyone off and that would be golden. King was sitting in a chair, close up to the mirror and fixing his usual stage make up The more he looked like a vampire the better, his red hair was a stark contrast to his pale skin and black outfit. He worse a tight. Long sleeve black shirt ad a paif of black leather pants that were completed with a few chains hanging from here and there. “So funn Tae, at least girls like me,you can’t even seal the deal with the girl you’ve known since diapers.”

King stood up from his chair and stretched, looking himself over in the mirror to make sure everything was in place, he may have been a mess but he was a professional mess. He grabbed his headset from the chair and moved to follow Tae and Jung to meet up with the others backstage. He had to admit he was excited to see what everyone came up with, especially Sora. Being a soloist would be quite the feat for her, she was an excellent singer and had a gorgeous voice but stage prescience had never been her strong suit.

 

[ZombieBaee]

Suua

Lee and Suua were close, it wasn’t hard to work together and come up with ideas but what was hard was finding a concept that fit them both. Minho had made sure to share with the group about the expectations of this performance, it was just like an icebreaker to the year and to mostly help showcase to the incoming freshman, and other students, what seniors at this school were capable of. They didn’t have to have a solid concept for their group as of yet or their plan for the year. However Suua and Lee strived to go above and beyond, especially when they felt they were expected too. All the two girls knew was that for now they were really going to lean into the opposites attract type of direction, this first performance they decided to go with angel and devil themes. Suua let Lee do the writing, that was more her thing that her own and Suua went to work on planning outfits and a routine. Neither girl were great dancers and Suua mostly stuck to typical girl group type dances so that would have to be what they went for for now, especially when it was just the two of them.

Thankfully it seemed as if the week of working on performing made everyone calm down a bit, or at the very least they were too busy to be at each others throats. “They were pretty good!” The school was fairly small and not all of the seniors would be performing, their house and two other groupings of 8 students who made up the top third of the class would be part of the showcase. They would all be the closers and it seemed like Suua and Lee would be next! Suua was wearing a light blue mini skirt with white clouds on it, a white halter top on top with a light blue mesh cropped cardigan that tied at the neck. Her feet were in a pair of bulky pastel yellow heels that matched the yellow star hair clips in her hair. The makeup was kept soft and innocent looking. Most others used stylists and makeup artists but this was honestly one of the best parts of performing to Suua so she always took control!

The boys joined them backstage and Suua turned with a bright grin. Today was going to be so great! It was their first real performance of the year and her and Tae had plans to hang out afterwords! Normally she would be nervous but right now she felt on top of the world.

-

The boys trio were the last group to go, followed by the interim university president stepping in to give a closing speech. Suua barely paid any attention to that back stage and instead found herself nearly tackling Tae as he exited the stage with a giant hug. “You guys did so good!” She whispered, trying to not make too much of a commotion while the man was still just feet away on stage giving his speech to a room full of underclassmen.

Suua let go of Tae but didn’t pull back too far, instead she reached up and wiped some sweat from his brow and fixed his hair. It was always impressive to watch him dance, she was nearly in awe every time. “I brought a change of clothes with me in my duffel back in our dressing room. I didn’t want to waste time running home.” She blushed slightly, it was kind of embarrassing how excited she was just to go hang out but they hadn’t had time to just be them since last school year, even now at the house there was always something else going on. Hell they couldn’t even watch a movie the other night without being joined by half the others and none of them would shut up the whole time!

 

[KAYDEN]

Jung

“Ouch.” Jung made a fake stab to the gut motion at Kings comment back at Tae, making an attempt at lightening the mood with a joke. The man fell dramatically to the floor and faked his own death for a moment before opening his eyes and jumping back to his feet. Things had been tense, Tae and King had never really gotten along and things were only worse this year. Thankfully everyone was professional enough to still finish the task at hand, and pretty well he may add. Their routine was actually pretty good. “Let’s just get through this yeah? This is supposed to be a good day!” Jung put his hands on Kings shoulders from behind and gave the red haired male a shake, “This is fun, just keep telling yourself that and eventually you’ll believe it.” Jung refused to let King ruin his mood!

-

All the performances were great, Jung was really impressed with Somin and Zane, being a mixed group was hard and he had to imagine it was even harder as just a duo. It was assumed everything between a man and woman in a duet style would be a love song but they didn’t stick to the norm, which was good because the style they went with really seemed to fit them. Then there was Sora who was insanely talented! Jung knew first hand how hard it was to solo so he gave her props. Then Suua and Lee, those two looked like seasoned vets. They had a solid concept that made sense, even more so if you actually knew the girls. Despite neither being extremely strong main vocals or dancers they looked like the real deal out there. Their group was… well it went well. Jung missed a step at one point and his voice cracked on a high note but, he was always more critical of himself than others. Especially during the current circumstances surrounding his father, he couldn’t give anyone a reason to question him.

Off the stage they met up with the others back stage, Jung laughing as Suua flew passed him and straight into Tae. Jung walked up to Lee, crossing his arms across his chest with a smug smirk on his face. “Do those two know they’ve been dating for years?” He nodded his head back at Tae and Suua before shaking his head and continuing, “Anyways, you guys did great, I hope we get a chance this year to collaborate with each other even outside of the groups we’re in now. I think combining us for a project would be amazing.”

As Jung thought on that he moved to grab his water bottle and give his headset back to the PA backstage. As he did the side stage door opened and a few men in suits and stoic faces came in. Jung eyed them curiously but didn’t pay them any mind for more than a minute and went back to Lee. “I believe we have plans then yeah? I don’t think anyone would mind if we sneak out before this joke of a speech is over.” Just as he said that a commotion occurred on the opposite side of the stage, Jung turned to peer into the darkness and saw the group of men had made their way around the back and were on top of someone on the ground, putting them in handcuffs. Then all the yelling began.

“I’ll sue you for the way you’re treating me! This is assault! You have no right!” The voice made Jung’s face go pale as he watched the man attempt to hit the officer attempting to handcuff him. The fighting got so bad that another of the men stepped in and soon they were pulling the man off the floor and pushing him along as he continued to yell. At this point it had gained the attention of everyone in the auditorium. As they got closer to them Jung realized that his realization was true, the man getting arrested was his father.

 

[ZombieBaee]

Somin

Somin spent the week out of the house, after her blow up with King she didn’t want to face him or Sora. The woman may not be super sociable but she wasn’t stupid, she could tell her roommate felt weird about everything between the three of them and Somin felt bad about it. Sora wasn’t to blame in anything from what Somin gathered, it was all King and his shit attitude. Literally all Somin wanted was to know which person was the real him, she was holding onto her friend and hoping for an apology for the shit he has said but each day that he maintained this shitty off putting persona made her lose hope. So instead she just avoided it all like a real adult! Most of the time that meant Zane begrudgingly joining her despite her telling him many times that he didn’t have to. He complained like hell about waking up but was still there every day, waiting for her downstairs on the couch. Actually it was kind of cute… you know if you liked that sort of thing…

The two of them worked hard on their song and routine, they refused to do the easy thing and sit on a stool and sing a duet. That’s what people expected. Somin was a dancer but her next best skill in a group was her rapping, nothing like what Lee could do but she could hold her own as a secondary or alternate in a group. Zane was the charming pretty boy but he was edgy, being boring didn’t fit either of their styles. Plus a love song would have had his fan girls after Somin with knives.

Speaking of, Somin was fairly sure they were already after her. After a few days of the two of them going to the gym and cafe together she found a note taped to her locker at the studio. It was a cheesy typed up thing that basically said to back off Zane or else. She crumbled up the thing and tossed it. First off she wasn’t afraid of any woman weak enough to be that big of a fan of a stranger, clearly unhinged. Second, they were friends and for the time being group members. They lived in the same house. They were going to be around each other. Lastly? Zane was a fucking person. He deserved to live his life free of people trying to control any of it. So Somin simply chose to ignore the stupid note and move on.

-

“Everyone did better than I thought.” Somin said simply from where she sat on a folding chair back stage, halfway undressed already. For their performance she had worn a oversized white button up as a dress with a denim corset, fishnets and thigh high denim boots. Her hair was in two braids that had chain woven through them and her makeup was icy with thick black liner. However as soon as she came off stage, off came the corset and the damn boots. Somin LOVED a good outfit but she loved comfort too. “You did good, maybe we can sleep in tomorrow.” She chuckled and winked over at Zane before her attention was drawn over to a commotion backstage.

“What in the fuck is that?” Somin pulled out her phone and turned on her flashlight, pointing it towards the noise and instantly noting that it was their currently suspended university president getting arrested and he clearly wasn’t going down quietly.

Around them people quickly began to whisper, hell they really weren’t even whispering. They were talking loudly and coming quickly to assumptions and starting to record and take photos. Somin didn’t know Jung well but she knew damn well that scandal wouldn’t go well for their household, a household that was already very much not peaceful and didn’t need more nonsense.

“Aye! Don’t you low lives have somewhere else to be.” Somin barked, grabbing her bottle of water and harshly throwing it towards the head of another student who was recording and narrating like he was some sort of gossip reporter. Score. Dinged him right on the noggin. That made people move. Somin had quite the reputation for being a bitch and a bit scrappy, she wasn’t afraid to use it.

 

[Pax Pardus Hale]

Sora

While her dreams over seas weren't what she thought they were she had never given up on her passion for singing. It wasn't that she didn't like what she did but it was isolating. Her exuberant personality was never received well, for the most part she either worked or stayed in her apartment. It also gave her plenty of time to get better at dancing and performing. And time to write some songs, one of which she found perfect for the solo! Everything else fell in place.

Normally she would've tried to find out why Somin was avoiding her but that just left Sora more time to focus on everything. Nervously she smoothed out her perfectly straightened hair for the millionth time as the girls stood backstage. From her hair and makeup, to the silver metallic turtle neck crop top, to the black skirt with long sequined fringe everything looked great! Even her sparkly black boots matched. She was so excited to see what everyone came up with! "You girls totally got this!" Everyone who went on before them were good but, she knew that everyone here would blow them out of the water.

--

Everyone did AMAZING. Somin and Zane? They meshed perfectly together, who would've thought? Lee and Suua's performance was astounding, Lee was a magician with lyrics and Suua always made everything come together. Sora didn't want to brag but she was pretty sure she nailed it, and the boys- Well, they were spectacular, but she couldn't take her eyes off King most of the time. He was always a show stopper and a heartbreaker, it was totally surreal to being able to watch him in person again. "I think you're even better than you were when I left, if that's possible." Sora smiled sweetly at King as the guys made their way off stage, handing him a water that he most likely needed. While she knew that she had a good voice and everything she was always trying to play catch-up with everyone, hoping that she’d be good enough to share the stage with him in real life.

Over the week Sora gave him the space he wanted and she did her best to not bother him, she was way too focused on todays performance. It didn't happen often but he was right, the last two years fucked everything up. Things were weird, she didn't know how much space he wanted, but he was still her best friend. She couldn't completely avoid him, especially after such an awesome job out there! Besides, it seemed like everyone at the house had plans for the night and that just left them on their own.

Her attention was so focused on not getting rejected that she didn't even notice the men walking in. "So, um, want to get some takeout or something? Or not if you have plans. Or---" The yelling and Somin nailing the guy in the head with the water bottle pulled her focus away from him (probably for the best anyways) and all she could do was smile nervously. "On second thought maybe we should all just go?"