kdrama | l.jn

t w e n t y t w o

After two weeks of preparation, the night of the singing contest finally came. Donghyuck was really really nervous about it and it showed. He was pacing back and forth, in front of his friends, "What if my voice crack? What if I forget the lyrics? What if the music stops? What if no one claps at the end? What if-"

"Can you shut up?", Renjun asked.

"I'm panicking! Let me panic in peace!", Donghyuck said, running a hand through his hair.

"Calm down, it's okay. It's not like we're the first to go on that stage. Our turn is just in the middle, perfect place. So breathe okay?", Aerin put her hands on his shoulders to stop him from moving, motioning to him to breathe in and out which made Jeno frown unintentionally at their closeness.

All of them walked to the gymnasium that was completely transform with balloons here and there, a long table with snacks and drinks against one of the walls and the giant stage that was placed at the end of the room. There were lots of lights slightly illuminating the room, giving it a concert vibe.

"Is Mark coming?", Donghyuck asked Aerin.

"Yeah, he's just late as usual, didn't even left the house yet but he'll be there on time for our performance."

"1...2...1...2...test.", the students heard someone test the microphone through the speaker, "Good evening everyone, I hope you are ready for the incredible performances of tonight.", the students cheered at the mc's comment, "Let's not wait any longer! Everyone welcome our first contestants The Somins!", everyone clapped as three girls walked on stage.

"Wow all three of them are named Somin? Like one wasn't already enough.", Aerin muttered the last parts and only the maknaes heard it, making then chuckle.

Not far from there, behind the stage someone was really confused, "Uhm Hyunjin this is not the song they're supposed to sing.", the girl said to the technician boy.

"Yeah but last minute they asked me to put that instead.", Hyunjin answered, not knowing why she was so bothered.

"Shit.", the girl walked out of backstage, her eyes looking around the room for two person in particular. Her eyes lit up as she finally found the people she was looking for, "Aerin, Donghyuck!"

"Oh hey Yeji, what's up?", Aerin asked the girl who just ran towards them.

"The girls- your song-", she managed to say, out of breath. She breathed in and out a few times before saying, "The Somins, they chan-", she was interrupted by a familiar tune playing through the speakers.

"Are they singing our song?!", Aerin almost shouted but her voice was muffled by the music.

"That's what I came to tell you. They wanted to change their song last minute...to this. The same song as you two."

"What are we going to do?", Donghyuck said, already starting to panic again.

"I'm going to see if I can move your performance from the middle to last. It'll give you more time to figure something out.", Yeji said, giving the two a reassuring smile.

"Thanks Yeji! We owe you big time.", Aerin smiled at the girl before she ran back backstage.

"What are we gonna do? Why did they change their song last minute? Did Somin do that on purpose?", Donghyuck started to ask many questions as his panic started resurface.

"Calm down okay? Chenle, Jisung, Jaemin and Renjun, can you take Donghyuck somewhere quieter to calm him down?", her friends nodded, "Jinhee, here's my phone. Call Mark and tell him to bring his laptop. Given how late he usually is, he probably didn't left the house yet.", Aerin said, giving the girl her phone, "You and me, we need to have a talk.", she said, grabbing Jeno's wrist and walking out of the gymnasium with the rest of the group.

"We're going to be in the art room.", Renjun told Aerin before leaving with the rest.

Aerin gave him a smile before turning to Jeno with a stern look, "You're the one who told her about what song we were going to sing, am I right?"

Jeno looked at the ground guiltily, "Yes...but I'm sure there must be an explanation. I know she can be a little too much sometimes but she wouldn't do something like THAT on purp-"

"Of course, she would do something like that on purpose, Jeno.", Aerin interrupted him, rubbing her face with her hands in frustration, "Can you stop acting like a stupid kdrama boy in love and actually open your eyes?", she snapped at him, "You telling your girlfriend what song we were going to perform and her group changing their song last minute to our song? That is too much for it to be just a coincidence. I know you want to believe that after your girlfriend redeemed herself somehow she's been this nice little angel but she's not. So sorry to pop that bubble of yours but she probably did that because she hates me, I'm not trying to be self centered here, just seems like she's being a bitch for no reason."

Jeno sighed and said, "Fine, I get your point of view. I'm going to talk to her later."

This time it was Aerin's turn to sigh, "What are you gonna do if- no, WHEN she tells you that she did it on purpose?", Jeno stopped moving for a moment to think, "What are you going to do when she's going to apologize again and again? When she's going to cry and beg for you to forgive her? When she's going to promise she won't do it again?"

"I-", Jeno stopped, seeming to hesitate.

"LEE JENO ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS RIGHT NOW???!!", Aerin screamed at him in disbelief, "I understand that you don't care about me but think about Donghyuck. You've known him for years, even before you started dating Somin, from what he told me. You saw how much this singing thing means to him. Poor boy has been waiting to do this for TWO YEARS and he's been panicking about the whole performance during the two weeks we had to prepare. I get that you love your girlfriend but what about your friends? You know, Jeno, I really didn't think you were that kind of person.", Aerin said, her eyes full of angry and frustrated tears. She left him there, walking to the art room to join the rest of her friends while blinking her tears away.

a/n: my girl snapped for real!! oof 🥵