Awards Night. (1/1)

January 1; HyunMi’s POV “You look beautiful,” Yu Na said as I got down the stairs.“I feel naked,” was my prompt reply, accompanied by a blank expression. I was wearing a fancy dress, like I was on a cosplay or something. Its design was like that of the coat of a chef’s uniform, just that the collar had ruffles, and the sleeves were puffed on the forearms and fit up to my wrists. The skirt was ridiculous; it was ballooned because of the petticoat underneath. The skirt was up to my knees, and there on my legs it was seen that I was wearing a net stocking. My hair was tied up in twin ponytails on both sides, and I was crowned with the miniature version of a fedora hat with little feathers on it. Everyone wouldn’t stop gushing at how delightful I looked. “Whoever the top three will be…and whoever the winner will be, you deserve it guys,” So Eul unnie said as the painters made a circle with our hands held out in the center. When we let go we cried altogether, “Hwaiting!” We then moved out of the house. I was the last one to get out of the West Wing because I left my phone in my room. Before I closed the door I took one last glance inside. It all comes down to this. I sigh inwardly. “Stop fidgeting!” Shin Ye told me, with a slap on my leg. “What’s wrong with you?!”I stopped wringing my hands. “I’m just…tensed. Are they here?”“Yours or mine?”“Both.”She looked around. “There’s unnie. As for you…well, we don’t see them, do we?”On the table just near SNSD’s, sat a group of five cool-looking boys.“Seongjin-ah,” I turned to Changmin-oppa’s partner.“I know,” he nodded once. “I’ll greet them later.”“You’re nervous, aren’t you?” I said teasingly.He glared at me.

“Well…I guess not,” I smiled sheepishly, and wound in my seat. Our table was the one nearest to the stage. All seven of us painters sat behave, trying to keep our cool.The hall looked like it was going to hold a concert event. Fandoms gathered themselves at their own areas, and it never failed to amaze me how pretty they looked like once they’re together. On my right were SHINee’s fans, and as I looked at them, I caught the eye of one fan. She gave me a thumbs-up. I responded to this with the same gesture, with a hopeful smile. I was surprised when their group cheered. I peered over my shoulder, and who else would it be—they’re oppas of course. “What are you doing?!” Yu Na gasped with a hint of annoyance as I went under the table. “HyunMi get a hold of yourself!”“Hide me!” I covered myself with the skirted cloth.“You little—“ she sighed, exasperated. “Don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll like what you’re wearing.”“It’s not that—““—your proper seat. NOW.”“Okay…but…at least… switch places with me!”“Oh, for crying out loud…” she groaned, and sat on my chair. I slowly climbed up hers. “Good evening ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Kwan Art Institute New Year Painting Contest Awards Night!” the MCs said together the jolliest way.“So! How have you been for the passed three months, partner?” the male MC said to his partner.“Very good, Dongyu. Oh, how about our painters? I’m pretty sure they enjoyed it. Working with their partners, that is. How lucky they are!”All eyes were on us and we all smiled. They didn’t hear the mumbling going on there, though.“So now to start off, we’ll be giving the floor to the founder himself, Mr. Kwan, for his remarks,” the Dongyu-MC said, and the old guy went up the stage to give his speech. So fast forward, the speech was given, we were thanked, blah blah blah; it was followed by groups that performed. Fanservice here and there, which made not only the fans squeal, but also us, the painters, ourselves. We also enjoyed fan-chanting along with the fans. I suddenly had the urge to look at their table, but I didn’t find them there. Then I realized they were to perform soon. Suddenly my phone rang. It was Taemin. “Yes, hello?”“Noona, can you please come here to the waiting room? Pretty please?” his voice sounded troubled.“Why? What’s the matter?”“Just come here, please! Key-hyung needs you.”I grunted. “My dear, you are not being convincing,” I sweet-talked sarcastically.“Aww, noona! Please! You can come here, right? I know you can. Just come here, okay? ‘Kay-bye!” and he hung up.I stared at my phone in disbelief. “What the--? What’d that kid say?” Nevertheless, I stood up, with the excuse of going to the powder-room.When actually, I smuggled myself to the waiting-room. I asked for directions to where it was, and I ran around like crazy because I didn’t know how to follow instructions.We all know that when at the back-stage of some big concert event one is supposed to look at the tag at the door to determine which artists are staying in there. But, well, you know me. Moon stupid HyunMi, I was too preoccupied on frantically looking for Kibum I realized that late. Please, just let me die of embarrassment. “Is this the room of—“ My heart  jumped all the way to my throat when I opened the door of the wrong room. Feel free to guess whose it was that I opened. ………………………Giving up? Truthfully, it was— “HyunMi-ssi?” he was the only one in the room and he clutched the arm of his chair when he saw me, with the matching tilting of his torso backwards. Indeed, he was surprised to see me.“I—uhh—I was—uh—looking for—uh—I mean—I—was—excuse me—uhh--“ I stammered, succeeding in jumbling my words. “Sorry, wrong room.” The better side of me regained its wits and said as a final statement, before I closed back the door.“Wait!” Dongwoon rose from his seat.“Wha—?“ I turned.

“C-congratulations.” He muttered.“Thanks,” If only it wasn’t rude, I would’ve immediately shut the door and go run to Kibum wherever he was and vent out my emotions on how embarrassing this is.“And—HyunMi-ssi?” he took a step forward.“Mwoh?”“I…I’m—““—I’m sorry,” we said at the same time. We looked up at each other, our faces both wearing flabbergasted expressions. I bowed my head with a lame chuckle, and so did he, with a scratch of his head.“Because—““I—““Um—““You see—““You go first!” we exclaimed, yet again together. The boy shyly bowed his head. When I had enough of how corny we were, I clutched both my hands on his mouth and—“Son Dongwoon, I’m sorry. I’m very, very sorry. What I did back there was awful and utterly reckless, I was just so upset back then I didn’t know what I was doing. I know what I did should not be excused for it was unwomanly of me, and am penitent now; I ask you to pardon me for the wrong I have committed and please—do not ever go near me ever again. I mean—I am in shame and will forever be. Please do not go near me for I’ll only be reminded of how despicable I am. The next time we meet please treat me as a total stranger. I know the chances that that will occur again are slim, but, please. Just in case. Bear with me. I have disgraced myself forever in your eyes.” I said in one breath.He held both my wrists and put them down. “HyunMi-ssi…”“Please don’t say it!” I held out my arms as if to shield myself.He must be really nice, that his reaction was, he laughed. “HyunMi-ssi. You’re still as funny as ever,” he mused.“I…I am?” staring at him with a puzzled face, I asked.His amusement shifted to gentle gravity. “You know, I should be the one saying all of that. That was terrible of me, you know. So…” he fell on one knee and bowed his head. It was so déjà vu. “Please just hit me. That way it’ll be a relief for both of us.”I stared at the dark, messy hair below. Knowing that the last time was not as the same as now, I figured out how to respond to this, but not the same as before. “Dongwoon-ah…” I squatted down to level my gaze with his. “You know…”He looked up.“Can we…just…forget about it? It’s not that easy, I know. But just…let’s just be free of that. Can we be friends again?”His mien softened. “Sure…”“Because…in truth…I miss you,” I touched both of his cheeks. “We miss you.”We stood up together. “HyunMi-ssi, I want to tell you something. You see, I like you.”I chortled. “I do, too. I mean, I did, but—““—but it’s Key, isn’t it?” he interjected.“Please don’t say that. I feel like a terrible flirt.” I shook my head. “Neither of you, Woonie. Romance is useless. I’m leaving tomorrow,”“What?” he made a silent gasp.I bobbed my head twice with a pretentious smile. “By the way, I gotta go now,”“Okay…”I turned my back on him but then I realized it wouldn’t be complete without—“Hey,” I gyrated my body to look at him again. I spread out my arms.He looked quizzical.“It’s called a hug, Arab Prince,” I chuckled.“Oh,” he was hesitant at first, but as I made my hug tighter on his back, he relaxed. “I’ll miss you, HyunMi-ssi,”“Me too.” Was my meek reply, with the slight warming of cheeks. And as I left the room, I was at peace. “HyunMi?” Kibum was the only one I found when I entered the correct room. “What are you doing here?” as he stood up.I quickly jogged towards him and embraced him.“Y-y-y-y-yaaaa, what’s the matter with you?”“”I’m gonna miss you, HyunMi-ssi,’” I said while my head was on his chest, quoting Dongwoon.“Wha…?” then I felt his body tense, and he got it. “Oh…so you’ve finally confessed to him?”“More like he confessed to me,” I separated myself from him.“So you told him you love him too?” he asked mockingly.“Nah,” I shrugged. “I was thinking of some certain egocentric diva while I was there,” from my peripheral vision I could see he turned pink. “What’s important is we’re friends now. We’ve apologized to each other,”A moment of pause, then, “Why’re you here, anyway?”I looked around, noticing that no one else was there. “Taemin said you’ll tell me something,”He glared at the door. “Those horrid people. This is a setup!”I laughed, ignoring this. “Good luck on your performance, punk magician,” I said, staring at his outfit.“Ne,” he grinned. “Does my bow look right?”“Wait…it’s a little asymmetrical,” I stepped closer, and fixed the position of his bowtie.“Oh, hey, your hat! Wear it properly!” he corrected my head ornament.I looked up at him, feeling a sense of déjà vu yet again. “Hey doesn’t this seem familiar?”As if in synch, we turned our heads to the door. Yes, just in time, Taemin came bursting in, and Kibum and I sprang apart.“Noona?” he looked at us, puzzled, as we laughed. “Hyung?”The other three then followed. “Key-goon, it’s show-time,” Onew-oppa intoned, and they went as quickly as they came in. On their egress, they brought along Taemin, feeling that Kibum and I needed a private time together. “Bye-bye,” I bid Kibum. “Good luck. Sing for us, okay?” I kissed his cheek and went out. Taemin’s viewpoint :3Key-hyung came to us panting, his face red.“Hyung, what’s wrong?” I queried.He seemed to be a little off-the-reality. “What? Nothing.” Before we performed, we did our ‘obligatory pre-performance chant’ and up we went the stage, dancing and singing to our heart’s content. Noona was staring at hyung with this dreamy expression on her face. This, two. Really. When we went back to our table, hyung was as lively as usual, but something was bothering him. I asked him what it was, and it was quite a shock—noona was to leave on the morrow.I saw Changmin-hyung go to the painters’ table. He invited HyunMi-noona. She asked a boy, and he just jiggled his head upward, permitting noona. As she was brought to TVXQ’s table, HyunMi-noona was introduced to the members and she was polite at the same time bashful. I must say Key-hyung  was a little jelly. If only glaring could burn, what he’s looking at right now would probably been reduced to ashes.Soon noona was returned to their table. I looked at Key-hyung, waiting for him to make a move. He didn’t disappoint me. “So now, we are here—the most crucial part of the program!” the MC-noona announced. “Top three pictures will be picked, and among the three painters will be the representative on the Art Convention in France later this year. Very well then, good luck, everyone!”As soon it was announced, Key-hyung stood up. And everyone—and I mean LITERALLY (I don’t know how any more literal that could get) but really, everyone looked at him. He marched towards the painters’ table coolly. He stopped behind HyunMi-noona’s chair. The one sitting beside noona elbowed her, and when the latter spun her head she almost fell out of her seat. Hyung offered his hand with a slight bow, and if I hadn’t known him I’d say he looked like a ladies’-man. But if you ask me it was quite romantic, actually. Noona took his hand, and, hooking her arm with hyung’s, they walked towards our table. Noona was still pink when she stood before us. “Uhh…hi…guys…”I instantly offered noona my chair. “Here, noona! Take my chair. I’ll just ask for another one,” before she could protest I trotted away. “Oh, the copy-cats,” hyung sniggered. Following hyung’s example, the artists did the same. They invited their partners to their tables, leaving the painters’ table empty. It was a touching scene, proving their friendship that was strengthened through the project. “We want everyone to know that the names that will be called are in no particular order,” the MC said in grave parlance. His partner opened a white envelope, and both announced, “Park So Eul and Lee Gikwang’s ‘Deception’!” followed by a big round of applause. Gikwang-hyung and his partner went up the stage.A moment later, another envelope was opened.“That sure is not us,” HyunMi-noona shrugged.“Shut up, pessimist!” hyung hushed her.“Choi Yu Na and Lee Donghae’s ‘Post-War Scenes’!” and noona was right. “So for the last one. Are you ready, partner? Ladies and gentlemen? Because here it is, the last but definitely not the least—“ they carefully opened the sealed envelope and I was deafened by the Shawols’ cheers at the sound of—“Moon HyunMi and Key’s ‘DEPARTURE’!” Hyung was the first one to recover his wits. He sprang out of his chair in the calmest way his excited self could manage. Noona stood shakily.“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Don’t faint now, HyunMi-ssi. I didn’t hear them saying they had paramedics outside,” Jonghyun-hyung giggled, holding one of noona’s arms.“Congratulations!” Onew-hyung, Minho-hyung and I said.Noona looked at us with a pale face, undecided whether to laugh or cry.“You can bawl your eyes out later. After we climb that stage. Yes?” Hyung smartly recommended. Noona took confidence in this and refrained from bursting into a cry.  With linked arms, they mounted the stage. ---------------------SO?SO?SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?HYUNMI x DONGWOON SUPER LAME-O PEACEMAKING HAHAHAignore me. ignore me.and ohI was thinkingwhy don't I make this fic a spin-off? on the dumped guy's POV, that is. LOLOLOLbut nah never mind oh heyI was thinking (again. yes I know how to think)what ifwhat if HyunMi and Kibum's kiss wasn't c/blocked there in the kitchen? omg my malicious mind rly - -") I have to keep on reminding myself that AMHM is NOT Tumbling Dice. if you know what I mean hey subscribers. any last words before this fic ends? I know I'm a bit attention seeking right now but OOOHH I JUST WANT TO TALK TO U SO BAAAAAAAAAD . tell me how suckish my fic has been! yolo