The Boy Next Door | Taegyu ✔️

65

Warm morning sunlight poured through the glass panels of the living room as the room slowly bustled with life; Yeonjun was in the kitchen, cooking away a wholesome breakfast for the boys; Hueningkai occupying the shower; Beomgyu tuning his guitar; Soobin helping the others clean up their sleeping bags; Taehyun still sound asleep.

"Has Taehyun waken up yet?" Asked Hueningkai from the stairs as he made his way towards the living room. Beomgyu looked up to see the brunette still fast asleep.

"Nope."

"It's about time he wakes up," said Soobin as he got up."Taehyun, wake up." He poked the side of the boy's face, who showed no response.

"Damn, his face is so soft," complimented Hueningkai rubbing the sleeping boy's cheeks vigorously with amusement. Taehyun's eyes fluttered open.

"EEK—"

"God damn, about time you wake up," Yeonjun said, walking out of the kitchen by the sound of Hueningkai's shriek. A savoury aroma followed with him as he brought out their breakfast.

"What time is it?" Taehyun gasped, his eyes wide-open as he realised that the others had already gotten up.

"Don't worry, it's only 9 in the morning," Beomgyu replied.

"Then you should've let me sleep longer," he muttered, closing his eyes as his head was about to touch the pillow once more before being stopped by a hand.

"No can do, sir," said Soobin, "it's an important day, remember?"

Taehyun was caught in a daze, blinking at the boy's words... and then the realisation had hit him. "THE COMPETITION—how could I forget? Tell me we still have time to practise—"

"Hey, hey, hey, chill. As long as we arrive at the venue by 5, we'll be alright. Now, if you'll just get up and change already because we have a long day ahead of us," reassured Hueningkai.

"Anyway, look what arrived earlier!" Beomgyu said excitedly, getting up as he brought a parcel. "I ordered temporary coloured hair spray the other day in case any of you would like to try coloured hair on the day of the competition," he continued, ripping open the box.

"I bought light blue, blonde, brown, and pink!" ("I won't be needing any of that," muttered Yeonjun from the dining table.)

"I wanna try them on later," said Soobin, reaching for the light blue can.

"Breakfast is done!" Yeonjun called out as the others immediately got up and took their seats by the dining table, helping themselves to the food as they recharged for the long day that awaited them.

»»—— ♡ ——««

A few hours went by in a flash as they now found themselves backstage in the fitting room. Since they have arrived, they've bumped into some of their classmates, who were either here to just enjoy the show or they were participants in the competition too.

The muffled screams of the crowd and the songs of the band currently playing could be heard from backstage as the five of them were waiting for their name to be called to perform next; they were all already dressed in their outfits and their hair dyed to the pastel colours each of them had personally picked too—Taehyun, light blonde; Soobin with light blue; Beomgyu in umber brown; Hueningkai with dark brown as well, and Yeonjun with his already dyed pink hair.

"Has anyone requested to see me?" Asked Taehyun to a nearby security guard for what seemed like the 100th time.

"No," he replied sternly. Taehyun's shoulders slumped in disappointment before sitting back down in the armchair. He didn't know why, but a part of him was still hoping that his parents would visit him backstage—he didn't even know if they came to watch him perform.