Chapter Text
“Choir?” Daniel mutters, with as much distaste as he can muster.
“Really, Teach? In this class? Do you think any of these morons can hold a tune?” He complains, but his voice is drown out by the similar protests from 29 other students around him, resulting in a squeaky cacophony of teenage frustration noises.
“Silence!” Teach shouts, banging his wooden ruler on the desk a few times before sighing heavily. “We have about two months of time guys. We can make it if we practice hard enough.”
“Why do we have to do it?” Seongwoo raises his hand and asks.
“Because the senior class has their matriculation exam coming up and the junior class is below the age limit.” Teach replies. “C’mon. You guys will be graduating next year. You should look forward to making as many memories with your classmates as you can!”
Everyone simultaneously groans.
“The prize money is 500,000 won.” Teach says, and everyone shuts up. “If we win, I’ll push the principal to use that money for our class field trip this year.”
“Jejudo!” Daniel shouts. He is tired of their field trips always being to Taejeongdae or Gamcheon. They live in Busan for crying out loud. All of them had been to those places even before they start school.
“Call.” Teach nods, and the people around Daniel give impressed oohs. “Plus, it’ll look good on your college application letters.”
There are still a few groans but most people seem to be onboard with the idea. Teach nods happily, and pulls out a stack of papers from his bag. “Sungwoon, help me distribute these. I am gonna make sure to teach you guys so well that I’ll be crying at how good you all sound by the end of May.”
“No, we don’t want to see you cry.” Someone giggles from the back rows.
Daniel takes two sheets of paper from the class monitor and passes one to Seongwoo.
“Is all-boys choir even a thing?” Daniel asks, skimming over the music notes and lyrics printed on the paper. “What are these?”
Seongwoo shrugs from beside him. “Fuck if I know.”
“Daniel and Seongwoo,” Teach calls. “Since you guys are already done reading apparently, you want to start?”
“Err..” Daniel drawls. “We would love to, but we can’t read music notes.”
“Aren’t you two in a dance group?” Teach asks back.
“The best dance group in Busan. Yeah, absolutely.” Seongwoo grins and Daniel gives him a thumbs up under the desk. “But they don’t teach us these over there.”
“Then, you’d better shut up and listen.” Teach says, and Daniel gives him a mock salute. Teach just rolls his eyes, and pulls out a legit folded keyboard from his gym bag.
Seongwoo snorts before leaning in to whisper. “He must have been looking forward to this.”
“Let’s start.” Teach says, fingers tapping at a couple of keys. “From the first line.”
They tried for about 20 minutes, and it sounds as ear pleasing as 30 deaf pterodactyls screeching in chaos, so yeah.
That’s that.
“Wanna go eat ramen after dance practice?” Daniel asks Seongwoo. They are in front of the lockers, Seongwoo dumping all his books into his locker since this week is Daniel’s turn to do homework and Seongwoo to copy.
“No, let’s get something now.” Seongwoo replies. “I’m starving. I want burgers.”
“Cool,” Daniel nods. All this food talk just reminded him that he needs to bring back the lunch box his mom packed the egg rolls in this morning. The lunch box, which, great, he has left under his desk in class.
“Ergh,” he groans. Guess he will be getting extra leg exercise today because now he needs to climb back 3 sets of stairs to go and get his lunch box.
“McDonalds? Go ahead and get us a table. I forgot my lunch box in class.” He says to Seongwoo, who just waves back at him without even a glance. Daniel skips down the hallway, hands in his uniform pockets. He could have left it until tomorrow but then his mom would scold him and derail into him being irresponsible, just like the last time he had forgotten his lunch box. He doesn’t even need a lunchbox since they have school lunch but his mom insists from time to time, especially on days when she cooked too much dinner the previous night and has leftovers. Daniel could also, of course, talk to her about being responsible with her cooking portion, but then, that’d just be asking for pain and death.
“Lunch box. Lunch box.” Daniel sings quietly to himself as he gets to the top of the stairs. Can’t wait until he graduates to senior class and can move to the senior homeroom which is on the ground floor.
Someone is singing.
Daniel stops in his track. The voice is coming out from his class. Good thing it is like 5 in the evening. It’d be downright spooky if this is late night and he is standing in a deserted school hall way, the only noise being a sharp singing voice coming out of an empty school room.
“I see in your eyes turning to me… the new leaves that are growing…”
Huh. Those are the lyrics to the song they are practicing for the choir festival.
Daniel slides the class room door open to see someone sitting on their desk, with their back to where Daniel is standing. The stubborn door gives a loud squeaky creak, and the lone occupant of the room turns their head.
“Yo,” Daniel gives an awkward wave to Sungwoon, the class monitor and the dude he really knows nothing much about. He only knows that Sungwoon is kind of a teacher’s pet and always at the top of the class. But apparently, he can sing too, huh? The universe is so generous sometimes.
“Hey,” Sungwoon says, gripping at the lyrics sheet in his hand.
“Forgot my lunch box,” Daniel gestures towards his desk and makes a dash for it.
“Right.”
“You … sound nice.” Daniel says, grabbing his lunch box out of his desk drawer and shoving it into his backpack. “I mean, better than what we practiced earlier.”
“Anything is better than what we practiced earlier.” Sungwoon snorts.
“Yeah,” Daniel raises his eyebrows and laughs. “You can read music notes?”
“Played piano when I was younger.” Sungwoon says.
“Huh.” Daniel just says. “How do you sing the second line again? I couldn’t get it right earlier but when you sings, it kinda sound …” beautiful “… okay.”
“Oh.” Sungwoon says and looks down at the sheet in his hand. “The new leaves … that are growing…” He sings, quietly without much waver in his tone.
“That are growing.” Daniel repeats after him.
“Not like that.” Sungwoon says and gets down from where he is sitting to come next to Daniel and points his pen at the line where the lyrics are written. “See here. There is a pause and then an upbeat. You need to bring that part to a higher note.”
“The new leaves … that are growing.” Daniel tries again.
“Better,” Sungwoon nods and points his pen at the next line. “The wind of the spring rustling, in the land full of trees … someday they’ll come with you.”
“We haven’t done that part in class yet.” Daniel raises an eyebrow at him.
Sungwoon just shrugs. “Yeah, but just looking at the score…”
“You are a musical genius. I got it,” Daniel laughs and Sungwoon takes back his lyrics sheet.
“I’m just saying. Don’t be patronizing.”
“Sorry, I’m just messing around.” Daniel quickly says. Sungwoon gives him an unsure smile. “Anyway, I’m just kind of surprised that you are into this … choir thing, you know. You never really do any kind of extra activities.”
“Most extra activities are after school and I usually have after-school study sessions and night classes.” Sungwoon shrugs. Right. Top of the class. “Plus, In Cheol hyung … I mean, Teach is really into this so I don’t wanna let him down.”
In Cheol hyung, huh? Guess there are some grounds to rumors of Teach favoring Sungwoon because their families know each other.
“You don’t have after-school things today then?” Daniel asks. Whatever Teach and Sungwoon’s relationship is, it is none of his business.
“I have at 6.” Sungwoon says, grabbing his backpack. “I actually need to leave now. Bye.”
“Do …” Daniel calls before Sungwoon can go out of the class room. “ .. you want to meet? To practice singing? Well, to teach me singing, I guess. Until the choir festival?”
Huh? is written all over Sungwoon’s face. Then, he leans forward slightly and says “Uh… sure.”
Daniel is surprised at the yes but to be honest, he is more surprised at himself for making that offer.
“See you then,” Sungwoon says, before sliding the room door open and disappearing into the hall way.
Huh.
So, this has been Daniel’s weekly schedule lately.
8:00 AM – 5:00 PM – Suffer through classes as usual.
5:00 PM – 5:45 PM – Singing practice with Sungwoon, which sounds so formal when in fact, they are just squatting inside the class room or the empty benches in the football field or stairways cases depending on availability, and Daniel doing his best to sing after Sungwoon.
5:45 PM – 6:00 PM – Makes a death dash to the dance practice that starts at 6 but he never made it earlier than 6:15 because evening traffic is a joke and the subway does not reach to their dance studio.
6:15 PM – 8:00 PM – Stretching exercises and basic move practices and listening to Seongwoo’s judgment on why Daniel even cares about singing well for the Choir. He wants to reply that it is for the potential Jejudo trip but Daniel is not even sure about that himself.
8:00 PM onwards: Dinner, and family affairs and homework and suppressing the urge to stab himself with a pencil every time Calculus comes up in the homework stack.
It is kind of impressive how much time he actually has to think about Sungwoon throughout this much packed schedule.
Sungwoon is everywhere on his mind, much like Sungwoon’s handwritten notes scrawled all over Daniel’s crumpled lyrics sheet.
He said to Sungwoon when he was scribbling those notes down on Daniel’s sheet. “Your handwriting is kind of shit. Could it be that teachers keep giving you a high score on every test because they can’t read your handwriting?”
“Yes because that makes absolute sense.” Sungwoon muttered without looking up. His glasses had fallen onto his nose bridge and Daniel can see his eye lashes casting small shadows on his cheek from the way Sungwoon’s eyes are down casted and focused on the paper in front of him. He was pouting slightly, either because of Daniel’s non-sense or just because.
He looked … interesting.
Interesting because it is interesting how Daniel can feel this … warm just by looking at him.
The funny thing is Daniel can sing now.
Ok. That’s an exaggeration, but he can follow along the melody and sounds pretty nice in his range – that Sungwoon pointed out to him – when he tries. Even Seongwoo, after a couple rounds of scolding from Teach and a quick crash course from Daniel, is sounding nice. He also has a nicer tone than Daniel, which Daniel is absolutely not jealous of. No.
“Oh my god, you guys.” Teach says, one sunny afternoon in May. Daniel gulps down the water from his bottle as Teach claps his hands together almost reverently. The weather is killing him lately with the heat, and singing four times in a row in a class room that has the direct path of sun shining the shit out of itself doesn’t help.
“Didn’t I tell you that you guys can do it?” Teach laughs. “Look at me. I am totally tearing up right now.”
“Gross,” Someone laughs but Teach doesn’t seem to care. “Totally honest, I thought you guys would crash and burn.”
“Gee. Thanks.” Seongwoo mutters.
“But you guys made it and we even have a couple of days left before the choir festival. I am so proud of you.”
The guys around him make smug noises, some calling for a free period tomorrow as reward, but Daniel is focused on Sungwoon, standing two seats away from him, hands still clasped in the choir position, and just staring at Teach with a smile on his face.
Daniel does not think Sungwoon has ever smiled at him like that.
He wonders why it stings.
“Ok.” Teach says. “Let’s go one more round, yeah?”
“Noooo.” Seongwoo yells loudly from beside him. Sungwoon turns his head and their eyes meet. Daniel looks away.
He kind of wishes Sungwoon was still smiling when he was looking at Daniel.
“Here,” Daniel hands out the ice cold soda bottle he got from the vending machine into Sungwoon’s hand. “My treat.”
“Thanks,” Sungwoon says and twists the cap open.
They are at the school fountain today, late enough that no one is around to hog the spot. Daniel cancels dance practice today because Sungwoon says they should go through the whole song since tomorrow is the day of the choir festival.
He has never stayed this long alone with Sungwoon.
“Nah.” Daniel shakes his head, and sits down next to Sungwoon on the stairs that lead down to the fountain. “I owe you a lot. Thanks for sparing your time for, what, two months, man.”
Sungwoon just nods, sipping at his soda. Daniel opens his own bottle, swallowing the icy sharp beverage. The school yard is quiet, apart from the water running from the fountains and the occasional cricket sounds. They don’t even have that many trees around the school. Where are these crickets chipping from?
“How do you know Teach?” Daniel asks. It might have sounded out of the blue but he has been contemplating on how to ask that question for the past few hours. He finally decided the simple straightforward way is the best. “I mean, you called him hyung once. You guys sound close.”
Sungwoon stares at him, hand frozen in front of him.
“Why are you asking?”
“Do you …” Daniel says, finger scrapping at the cheap paper wrapper on the bottle. “… like him?”
“What?” Sungwoon gasps. The bottle in his hand drops, fizzy liquid spilling out of the opening as it bounces down the stairs.
“Shit,” Daniel says and gets up to grab at the rolling bottle.
“I’ll get it.” Sungwoon is saying next to him and Daniel barely saw a blur before a soft palm is resting on top of his gripped hand on the bottle and a warm presence crouched down next to him.
Sungwoon lets out a soft noise, looking down at his hand on top of Daniel’s.
Daniel stops for a moment, and grabs at Sungwoon’s neck with his other hand, lifting his face up towards Daniel before pressing his lips tight onto Sungwoon’s. His fingers are on Sungwoon’s jaw and neck and he can feel a tiny neck vein throbbing under his ring finger. Sungwoon is still, so still that Daniel might wonder if he is a ghost if not for the small breaths tickling on Daniel’s cheek. His glasses are digging into Daniel’s nose bridge and Daniel can feel the spilled liquid flowing under his crouched knees.
The bottle rolls out from under their hands since neither of them is thinking about actually holding it and makes its noisy way down the stairs until it reaches the bottom. The sound shakes Daniel out and suddenly he is aware of everything so clearly – like the wet patch on his knee or the running water sound or Sungwoon’s lips on his.
Sungwoon’s lips.
“Shit.” He immediately lets go of Sungwoon. “Shit. I am sorry.”
Daniel stands up, so fast that he almost trips over his own shoe laces and grabs at his bag lying in a pile on the floor. “I need to go.”
“Daniel,” Sungwoon calls after him, but Daniel does not look back, and run straight up through the football field and the school gate. He just runs.
This is bad, isn’t it?
Images and sounds keep swirling around his brain. Sungwoon’s voice hitting a high note. Sungwoon focusing on his homework while Daniel practices singing do-re-mi for the 15th time while his eyes stay on Sungwoon next to him. The feeling of lips on lips and hand on face.
Sungwoon smiling at Teach.
Fuck. This fucking sucks.
Love fucking sucks.
“We tried our best, guys. That’s what it matters.” Teach is saying. “3rd place isn’t that bad.”
“We can barely do anything with 75,000 won though.” Someone complains from among the crowd squeezed into the tiny waiting room the choir festival host school allocated to them.
Daniel loosens his tie and wipes at his sweaty forehead.
He barely even remembers how their performance went but at least, he didn’t fuck up.
Thanks to Sungwoon, he guesses.
Who was standing so prim and proper in the row in front of him during the performance, hands clasped tight and head held high like he cannot feel Daniel staring at him the whole time.
He probably doesn’t. It’s not like he has not been ignoring Daniel for the whole of bus ride here.
Yeah, just his luck for Daniel to go and fall for the guy who is probably in love with a dude 12 years older than them.
Fucking bullshit.
Daniel slammed the water bottle in his hand onto a nearby table pretty roughly. Seongwoo turns to him and raises a questing eyebrow. Daniel keeps his eyes on Sungwoon who is talking to Teach, hands behind his back like a model student. Teach says something and Sungwoon gives a small shy laugh, and you know what? Daniel does not have to stay here and watch that shit.
“Daniel?” Teach calls for him as Daniel pushes through his classmates and pulls the door open. “We should be leaving soon. Where are you going?!”
Daniel doesn’t answer and slams the door back shut. Yeah, he is behaving like an emotional teenager. But he is an emotional teenager. With a broken heart to boost.
He doesn’t really know this campus well but he follows out the EXIT sign into a small garden/greenery area. The sun is pretty unforgiving but whatever, he’ll live.
“Daniel!” A familiar voice pants after him. “Why are your steps so big? Jesus, I had to run.”
“Go back in, Sungwoon.” Daniel grits without looking back.
“What is wrong with you?” Sungwoon pushes him from the back, packing a surprisingly amount of strength for someone his size. “You keep looking like you want to die. Do you regret it that much?”
“Regret what?”
“You know what!” Sungwoon replies indignantly. “You ran away last night and you won’t even talk to me today.”
“How am I gonna talk to you when you are glued to Teach’s side for all this fucking time?”
“What does Teach got to do with anything?” Sungwoon hisses. “Why do you keep bringing him up?”
Really now?
“Because,” Daniel runs his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Because I like you, and you obviously like that guy, and he is our teacher! I got that he is handsome and all that …”
“I don’t like him!” Sungwoon interrupts him. “Why would you even think that?”
“Have you seen your face when you are looking at him?” Daniel snorts. “You even practiced for two months straight when you can probably sing the whole choir song on the first day all because you don’t want to let him down.”
“I don’t like him. I …” Sungwoon stammers. “Fine. I used to have a small crush on him, but it is just that. Some useless childish crush since long back. It’s not like he’ll like me back or I even have a chance in hell.”
“Yeah,” Daniel laughs bitterly. Apparently, the confirmation from Sungwoon himself is the final stab that kills the man.
“But I was not practicing for two months because of him.” Sungwoon says firmly. “I don’t even need to do it, but I did it because …” He stops, breathing in harshly. “Because I wanted to spend time with you, you stupid idiot.”
“Don’t,” Daniel whispers. “Don’t say things if you don’t mean them.”
“Why would I lie?” Sungwoon splutters. “Have you seen my face when I am looking at you? No. Because you always look away whenever I look over at you.. you … you dumb idi..”
Daniel shuts him up with a kiss, both hands on Sungwoon’s face.
Sungwoon stills for a second before pulling back. “Don’t do it here!”
“Then where?” Daniel asks but stops when he sees the building door to the exit opening up. “Wait. Someone’s coming. C’mon.”
“Where are you …” Sungwoon asks but Daniel pulls him into the small tool shed he spotted earlier off the main road. The little shed is full of dust and gardening tools stacked haphazardly but it has enough space for both of them to stand.
“We need to go back,” Sungwoon looks through the gap between the shed door panels and says. “I think that was Teach. He’s probably looking for us. The bus is leaving soon.”
“Can I kiss you again?” Daniel asks and Sungwoon turns his head back at him. “You were saying before that you like me. Right?”
He is pretty sure Sungwoon was but suddenly, he needs to hear the affirmation.
“I…” Sungwoon parts his lips. “I don’t know.”
“You were yelling!” Daniel splutters “In my face! Because I didn’t notice that you like me too.”
“Shut up,” Sungwoon hisses, his ears flushing red.
“Do you…” Daniel asks, leaning forward so he is eye to eye with Sungwoon. He runs his fingers along the rim of Sungwoon’s glasses, feeling the cool metal edge. “…think glasses get in the way of kissing?”
“I…” Sungwoon starts but Daniel is already pushing his glasses onto the top of his head, thumbs rubbing at the slight indents on Sungwoon’s nose bridge that the spectacle support flaps had left behind. Sungwoon stares up at him, eyes wide and lips apart and really, who is Daniel to resist that?
Sungwoon does not pull away this time, not until a good long minute anyway. And when he did pull back, his hands were gripping at Daniel’s loosen tie and his eyes are half closed.
“We really should go back.” Sungwoon whispers softly.
Model student even in this situation.
“Ok,” Daniel nods. He heard Teach pacing and muttering outside earlier anyway. He’s gonna get .. they are gonna get an earful if they turn up any later than now.
“Just,” he says, patting down to tame Sungwoon’s messed up hair once he put the glasses back on to his face. “Sit with me? On the bus?”
Sungwoon adjusts his glasses quietly and nods. “Ok.”
“You go in first.” Daniel says and re-adjusts his tie. “I’ll follow after a while. I’ll just tell Teach I have a bad stomach or something.”
“Fine,” Sungwoon nods and steps out first but not before looking back at Daniel with a small smile.
The sun seems to be shining brighter than ever but the heat doesn’t seem as annoying now.
They ended up going to Gamcheon again for their school field trip, but Sungwoon is next to Daniel the entire trip, and it doesn’t feel as tedious as before.