it was almost like the sight of the large public had knocked the air out of moonbyul's lungs. the auditorium was packed, a sea of faces that blurred together under the glaring stage lights. the gentle hum of conversation and occasional coughing here and there buzzed in her ears.

she had never been one that had feared speaking in front of people, but this time, she was nervous, very nervous.
after peeking through the stage curtains she places a hand on her chest, taking a profound breath to calm down her racing heart. the sheer magnitude of the event seemed to press down on her, making it difficult to breathe.

"you will do great byul, this is your moment to shine. you worked so hard" sunoo reassures, his voice steady as he grabs  her shoulders, the grip of his fingers firm and comforting, grounding her to the present. she chuckled softly at the sight of him in his caesar costume, the fabric draped dramatically over his shoulder, his head adorned with a laurel wreath. his regal attire with his concerned expression made her smile, momentarily making her forget about the bad feeling that was gnawing at her gut.

moonbyul sighs deeply, looking around to make sure everyone was there. her eyes scanned the flurry activity in the backstage. her gaze falls on the list of names in her hand again, double checking. someone was missing. and it was no other than riki. biting her lip in frustration she looks for her phone, fingers moving quickly over the screen

idiot
7:55 pm

wya
7:55 pm

hurry
7:55 pm

you rat
7:55 pm

answer the phone
7:56 pm

the show is about
to start where are you
7:56 pm
delivered

panic began to set in, he was not answering.

her heart races faster as the minutes tick by. the distant murmur of the audience seemed louder, more pressing. the tension in her chest tightened like a vice, and it felt almost as if her heart was not working correctly.

"i'm right here byul" his deep voice calls from behind her, startling her out of her thoughts. there he was,his familiar figure emerging from the shadows of the backstage. relief washed over her, but it was short lived as her gaze fell on his face. her hand flew to her mouth, stifling a gasp.

"what happened to you? gosh you're unbelievable" she brings a shaky hand to his face, on the scrape on his cheek. it looked a lot like he made contact with the ground, and not gently. she notices similar injuries on the back of his neck, the bruises blooming on his arms and knuckles, bloody and raw.

moonbyul thanked the heavens that she was not present this time, because the sole thought of yet another fight made her want to rip her hair off. i mean, why does everyone keep fighting?

riki flashes her a full grin, a mischievous glint in his eyes, one that moonbyul knew far too well against her will. despite his disheveled state, it was undeniable that he had his own charm. even injuries looked good on him, his messy black her falling on his face in a way that was almost unnecessarily attractive.

"oh don't you worry dollface, i had to take care of something on the way" he says as he gently takes her hand away, holding it for a moment longer than necessary, his thumb brushing her skin.

his eyes trail up her arm, to her face, drinking up her features. she looked breathtaking in her backless blood red dress, the satin elegant and fierce on her body. her long dark waves fell perfectly on her shoulders, a stark contrast to the pale, flawless skin of her back. it was impossible for anyone to not stare, and riki was not an exception.

"don't worry moonbyul" he reassured, his tone suddenly serious. she lets go of a deep breath. she could not afford to worry about him right now yet she couldn't shake the slight feeling of concern. as the lights of the stage turned off, casting the auditorium into darkness, all the reflectors pointed to where she was supposed to stand.

moonbyul looks back at riki one last time and he flashes her a charming smile. "show em what you got" straightening her posture, moonbyul finally stepped on stage, the world narrowing to the spotlight that awaited for her.

despite her initial nervousness, moonbyul delivers the opening speech flawlessly. her voice rang out, loud and clear, her presence charismatic, drawing the audience in as she presents the upcoming theatrical show the other students had poured their hearts into. the public clapped, their applause thunderous in the otherwise silent auditorium, and as the lights dimmed down, moonbyul allowed herself a small smile of triumph.

she rushes to the backstage, thanking everyone complimenting her quickly before looking at the acting crew. "were is that moron?" she grits her teeth. nishimura riki was missing. again.

"he said he had to do something important" sunoo explains and if anything it only makes moonbyul panic more. she wasn't sure of how many more heart attacks riki was going to give her that night. the minutes dragged on, each one an eternity, until . . .

"okay i'm here, let's get ready" riki chimed in, his voice light and unconcerned as if he hadn't just left her on the verge of a meltdown. she notices his hands dirty with dust as he grabs a wet wipe to clean them, but she doesn't question it. where was he?

he chuckles softly as he approaches, his movements confident and smooth. once he was close enough he placed a finger under her chin before pressing a kiss on her cheek. "for good luck y'know" he winks charmingly before stepping on stage with his classic satisfied grin.

moonbyul stood there frozen with her jaw dropped in disbelief. she could feel the heat slowly rising to her face, her heart pounding in her ears.

she carefully wiped her cheek, trying to not ruin the makeup she had spent hours on. the warmth of his kiss still lingered on her skin, distracting her more than what she would have liked.

ugh riki, you idiot.