The Dream Chapter (TXT X Reader)

Distractions

Chapter 55

  You never really saw the whole thing coming. You didn't really expect it. It wasn't that you thought you were unlikable or anything, you knew you were an absolute delight, and you couldn't deny it. But you never expected this... It always started off little, but then it grew more extreme.

  Taehyun would offer to help you in math when you needed help. He would start by hovering by your desk and pointing out a mistake you'd made. You'd correct it to the best of your abilities. Then he'd do the same, but you didn't correct it properly. He'd grab your pencil, making sure to brush your fingers together and then he'd move in closer, kneeling so that he was at your level. It sounds weird to say, but he would get so close that you could smell him. You could hear his small breaths as he showed you how to correct the equation. Then, he would turn to you, his breath fanning your face, and he would ask if you understood, to which you would say yes, even though you couldn't pay attention for part of the time because of the close proximity between the two of you.

  It was almost unbearable. Not only would he do that, but his small habit had grown bigger. You knew this before, but Taehyun would constantly hold onto someone's arm because he got lost easily. He'd only done it with you a few times, sometimes opting for Soobin or Kai's arm instead. He seemed to be clinging onto your arm in the hallway more. He would hug your arm close to him, making sure he stayed by your side so he wouldn't get lost in the crowd. For all you knew, it could just be his habit, but there seemed to be another purpose behind it.

Kai grew slightly more clingy too. It started with casual tummy rubs, the odd back hug, but those things were somewhat normal to you. It escalated slowly to him resting his arm on your shoulder while you sat for lunch, or placing his hand on your back in the hallways. Small little things that may seem subtle to others, but that felt like an astronomical change to you. He would also ruffle your hair too, reaching up gently and pushing strands from your face, sometimes leaving his hand to linger on the side of your face for an extra second.

Beomgyu had probably changed the least, but that being said, it made you wonder if he was progressing slower than the others, taking his time. Or maybe he was just always the way that the others were starting to act now. When you avoided Taehyun and Kai during lunch and you ran into Beomgyu, he would stand just a little closer to you, so that your hands brushed together slightly. He was always talkative so nothing much changed there. He seemed like he never ran out of things to say. Maybe his actions were covered by his speech. You couldn't really tell.

Yeonjun wasn't subtle about anything. There was nothing subtle about him. When you thought of him, subtle wasn't a word you would even begin to think about. He would send you casual winks in the hallway, the occasional air kiss too. That was the easiest part. You could shy away from that by blending into the crowd. The harder part would be when you were with him without a big group of people around. Like the times when it would just be you and the other five. He would lean casually against the wall and smirk as you talked to him, calling you pretty every chance he got, sometimes even sneaking a hand up to pinch your cheeks gently. He would slip an arm around you during movie nights too. Despite all these advances, he was constantly looking for signs of discomfort. You could tell. He was watching. Any sign of discomfort and he would cease his actions.

And if all of them weren't enough, there was Soobin as well. The change in his behaviour was definitely something... Being the only introvert in the group, he preferred to be more subtle, but still noticeable. He would start conversations more often. He would joke around more comfortably. The one that really stuck out from the rest was when he would message you before bed time, asking how your day went. Very subtle, but still noticeable.

Now you weren't stupid or naïve or dense. You knew exactly what was happening here. It made you feel horrible. Knowing that whatever way you go, someone will get hurt. That made you feel awful.

Even then, you didn't want to choose at that moment. There were more important tasks at hand. You still had a competition to compete in. You had performances to do. This couldn't be a thing that was happening. You were too stressed. Too busy. That's why you were as quick and polite to turn down their advances. When Taehyun got close, you'd move over an inch. When Kai put his arm around your shoulder, you'd shrug it off gently. When Beomgyu's hand would subtly brush against yours, you'd clasp your hands together behind your back. When Yeonjun did his little advances, you'd shy away. When Soobin would message you, you'd give him shorter answers. Even doing these things made you feel horrible, but you were trying to look at the bigger picture. That prize money. If your group won it, it would mean the world. Some of you had had a discussion on where it should've gone and a decision was made. That meant it was really important to get it.

You couldn't be distracted. You had to keep your eye on the prize. You couldn't help but feel guilty. You felt so bad just brushing them off like that. You even started to avoid them. Not to the same extent as you had before, but you found yourself shying away from them more and keeping in your own little bubble, attempting to stay away from the distractions.

You definitely had a lot to do still, but not as much as you had prior. Everything was coming to a close. All tracks were finished and you had edited the trailer so the only thing you needed to do was worry about their promotion performance. Even that had you stressed. You knew they would get nervous and then you would have to calm them down, thus undoing all the distancing you'd been working on. You could feel yourself getting a headache.

You constantly reminded yourself. No distractions. You'd bury yourself in your work, going over parts that you'd already edited and tweaking them, seeking perfection. Who knows. Maybe you made it worse, but it was something to do. You also buried yourself in school work. You found yourself laser focused as you continuously reminded yourself to stray away from any distractions. Even when Kai would come over to do homework, you kept the chat at a minimum. No distractions, no distractions, no distractions.

This prize was important to you. You had to get it. Despite being the only group of high school students, you'd managed to make it this far because you knew what the public wanted to see. You just hoped that held true for the actual short film.

The only dialogue it had was a few screens with text on them, but otherwise, the short film transcended language. You just hoped that you could continue to stay near the top. If you suddenly dropped down to last place, you would feel like a disappointment. It wasn't something you could handle. It didn't even have to be first. Maybe second. That's what you hoped for. Hell, you'd even be content if you managed to get fifth. You just wanted to show off your hard work. Even though you weren't in it, you saw how hard the boys worked, despite all their challenges in the process of making this. You'd truly gone through a lot together. That's why this whole situation felt distracting.

You sat in the dance practice room, watching more clips again, sorting through them and editing them appropriately. You were laser focussed on your task. You couldn't help but drift off slightly. Their second ever festival was the next day, so worry was inevitable. They'd be performing both 'Drama' and 'Run Away'. You'd finally come up with a name for your final trailer track. 'The Night The World Burned Down, We... (Can't You See Me?)'. That was yet another ridiculously long title that you'd come up with to fit your brand. It took a bit of thought but after seeing the gorgeous burning set in the background, you'd decided on your title. Honestly, if it weren't for that crew that the competition lent you, the short film would look like it was made by toddlers.

Your attention, previously focussed on sorting through clips, was grabbed when two people sat beside you, three in front of you. Definitely something you weren't expecting. They started off the conversation with a simple observation.

"You're avoiding us again."