Chapter Text
It was late July. Hot winds blew outside where some people were playing on the basketball court. Their laughter and screams floated into the music room, where six students were working their asses off to perfect their performance songs for Founder's Day. The music room was painted white with a rainbow on the wall and random musical notations scattered here and there. The covers of the instruments and amps lay on the risers, alongside water bottles.
“One two three four.” A voice screeched at the top of her lungs, accompanied by the beats of the drumsticks. “LUKA. SING. YOU’RE OFF-BEAT AGAIN.”
“What scale are we singing in again?” Luka asked shamelessly.
“WE HAVE GONE OVER THIS A MILLION-” That voice's owner, Hyuna (the drummer), started to seeth.
“D major.” A sharp, velvety, and deep voice cut in.
“Thanks, Ivan.” Luka huffed.
“I swear to god if you don’t want to sing your parts right now; don’t SET OUR GODDAMN SCHEDULE BACK.” Hyuna snapped.
“Look, the room’s stuffy, and we don’t have good ventilation,” Luka explained.
“SO? I’M PLAYING THE DRUMS AND SWEATING BUCKETS. AM. I COMPLAINING?” Hyuna scowled at him.
“Hyuna, calm the fuck down.” The lead electric guitarist yawned lethargically.
“Calm down, huh? Isn’t it nice not to have a fire-breathing dragon go after your head about how the practice for the final day is going?” Hyuna snapped.
“Well… we’ll be okay as long as the dragon is busy with the others.” Ivan interrupted.
“Anakt Garden feels more like a hellhole for all the students who end up dying in the end than a school,” Till snickered.
“I regret coming here. Especially because I feel like a mother hen disciplining you all.” Hyuna shot back.
“Hyuna, want to get tea or coffee with me and Sua? You’re overworked and burnt out. Let’s take a break hm. The constant practice is kinda overwhelming.” Mizi, the first violinist, suggested timidly.
“Sure, darling.” Hyuna sighed, calming down. “I honestly can’t stand to be in the same room as these infuriating males for another second.”
“Let’s go then.” Mizi beamed, interlocking her arms with Sua and Hyuna.
“GET ME A HOT CHOCOLATE, SIS.” Ivan prodded Sua as those three started to leave the room.
“Get it yourself.” Sua waved him off.
“OH AND A VANILLA FRAPPE FOR TILL,” Ivan added, running off next to Till, pinching his cheeks.
“But I don’t like sweet things.” Till protested too late, pouting as he caressed his sore cheek. The three girls had already left the room with Luka trailing behind them.
“Trust me. You’ll love it.” Ivan winked back. “Anyways, help me play the electric guitar, na.”
“Don’t you know how to play it?” Till mumbled, sprawling on the floor, eyeing Ivan with distrust.
“Yeah, but I’m bored. C’mon, it won’t hurt anyone, will it?” Ivan begged, rolling down next to Till.
“Fine, hold your guitar and stand. I’ll drink water and come.” Till resigned, snatching his bottle from his bag.
As Till gulped the water down, Ivan connected his electric guitar to his AMP and stood there innocently, watching Till’s Adam’s apple bob up and down. Till set his bottle down and approached him. “Did you forget how to hold your guitar properly or something?” he asked judgmentally.
“Give me your guitar.” He motioned. Ivan handed it over, and Till lengthened the strap.
“Why are you doing that?” Ivan asked him curiously.
“It’s too short. The best height to hold your guitar is at your waist. Not the upper chest area. Here, hold it like how I just showed you.” Till ordered him.
“Like this?” Ivan showed him that the guitar was positioned at the level of his navel.
“Better,” Till remarked offhandedly, going behind him and pressing himself against Ivan’s back. He traced his fingers over Ivan’s veins on the hand before almost clutching the bridge of the guitar.
“Your hands are so small.” Ivan cooed.
“S-shut up.” Till stammered, nuzzling his blushing face into Ivan’s back.
“How do I smell good?” Ivan questioned him.
“Like flower forests after rains,” Till replied, sniffing Ivan’s scent.
“Thanks. You can start strumming.” Ivan muttered under his breath.
“H-Huh. What do you mean, start strumming?” Till spluttered.
“God. I meant that you can start the strumming pattern, I’ll do the chords and all.” Ivan chuckled, turning around to face Till.
“H-Hey. T-Turn back.” Till’s voice wavered as he hid his face behind his palms in embarrassment.
“Aye aye, cap.” Ivan mock-saluted him before kissing him on the forehead and turning around to let Till hug him. A comfortable silence settled over the room as melodious chords began to play.
“You know what? You’re hopeless.” Till laughed quietly, releasing his embrace with Ivan and stepping in front of him after getting him to set the guitar aside. Till wrapped his arms around Ivan's neck and sighed, feeling content.
I'm happy I could make you laugh genuinely for once . Ivan thought, but his mouth betrayed him. "Hopeless in love, we call it dear.” He joked, leaning his head inches away from Till’s as he circled Till's waist.
BANG. The door opened, hitting the side wall. The noise made Till flinch, hugging Ivan tighter. Ivan gently tilted Till’s face to meet his gaze. A cold breeze snuck in through the door and hit Till’s leg, sending a shiver down his spine. Ivan smiled, closing the gap between them, and kissed Till before hugging him again, chuckling softly. “It’s just a breeze.”
“Well, well, well, look who's here. Bastards who love doing PDA and have no shame or self-respect.” Sua sassed, entering the room with a smirk on her face. Hyuna and Mizi followed her. A fidgeting Luka stood behind Hyuna. Seeing her enter, Till pushes Ivan onto the floor without any second thoughts.
“That hurts. You heartless bastard.” Ivan groaned, rubbing his back as he got up.
“I got the drinks,” Mizi waltzed inside the room cheerfully, handing over the drinks to Till and Ivan.
“Finally.” Hyuna sighed, plopping down on the risers, taking a long sip from her Americano, watching the rest who were joking around, causing chaos and playing shit on their instruments.
You could hear Ivan grumbling about his chance to confess to Till lost, or Mizi talk brightly as Sua lay on her lap, smiling. Till was trying to comfort a moody Ivan when Ivan pulled him into a sudden hug and planted a brief peck on his cheeks.
"Ivan." Till's voice came out dangerously low.
"I'm sorry. Sua barged in before I could tell you. I'm sorry I stole a peck from you." Ivan rattled on, rubbing the back of his neck in nervousness.
He exhaled, eyes flickering to Till's, "I love you."
"If you feel sorry, let me steal a proper kiss from you then," Till shut him up by placing his left index finger on Ivan's lips. Hyuna energetically jumped up, announcing, " PRACTICE STARTS AGAIN."
Okay. Maybe having a couple in the group wasn't that bad. Sure, you’d have to watch cringy acts of affection, but you could annoy them easily, too. Bring it up that they'd have to concentrate on their instruments and not each other on the final performance day, and you might as well be as good as dead.