stardust | park seonghwa - Chapter 13: Chapter 13

"OH my God!"
The angels from high up in the heavens and the devils down in hell are probably questioning why I'm currently silently screeching in my seat, squirming around like a burnt sausage — very attractive, I know. Any fangirl just like me I guarantee could probably relate to the state I am in, you know, the state where all you want to do is scream until the Goddess of Fortune hears you tearing your vocal cords apart and grants you whatever you want?
It's honestly not that complicated: just B-TEEZ releasing dates for their upcoming world tour... and how I might not even have enough money to go and see them. And how at times like this, I wish I should've went out of my way to secure myself a part-time job and save up. I bet a lot of people could relate with me and it's a tough life, huh?
Wooyoung, who had found a comfortable spot next to me lately, looks over my shoulder. Without even bothering to glance back at him, I could tell he was wearing his usual questioning look as he too scans the screen of my phone. My hands are shaking right now, the boy next to me is probably holding the urge to hold my hand steady or something by how much he's fidgeting.
He leans more to my side. "Can you stop your hand-tremor?" he whispers from the corners of his mouth.
"Sorry, I was just excited," I whisper-yell, my eyes now trained on the professor as I slide my phone across the table so Wooyoung could see. As he reads my phone, I rest my elbows on the table, letting my hands cradle my head, letting the feeling of overwhelm take over me.
My eyes carefully follows the professor to make sure he doesn't catch Wooyoung looking at my phone. I don't pay attention to what he's saying anyways, my head was spinning in the daydreams of finally meeting them in real life and I was making scenarios that I was sure was impossible to actually happen.
"Seonghwa hyung is gonna flip," I hear Wooyoung remarks from next to me, whistling lowly as he scrolls down through the comments on the post. "You know he's been saving up ever since that one time he lost his tickers to this thirteen year-old girl at the computer cafe from their showcase like, a year ago?"
"That's harsh," I say. I wasn't even in the fandom back then, but sure I've heard about them and their hype. I can imagine Seonghwa's facial expression, however, how he tries to look polite and kind to the thirteen year-old when inside, he's trying not to break down and cry.
This is some good material to tease him with later on.
"You like them too?" he asks after sliding the phone back and I place it in my back pocket, wanting for it to be as far from my sight as possible for the longer I look at it, the higher my hopes fly.
"How can I not?"
"Right, damn."
"Are you planning to go?" Wooyoung asks without turning to look at me.
I give him a slight shrug. "I don't know," I tell him, "if you ask if I want to, then hell yeah I do. But if it's possible? I don't know, I have other priorities to sort out."
"I just hope my parents give me extra Christmas money this year if I ever want the slightest chance," my fingers draw invisible shapes on the top of the wooden desk, sighing a little. "Otherwise, I'll probably not go."
After a small pause, I continue. "Funny how people say money doesn't bring you happiness when in reality, as much as you deny it, it does in a way, don't you think?"
"I suppose."
"So you're saying if you had the money and the chance, you're good to go, yeah?" he asks, in a tone as if double checking what I said.
"Most definitely, yep. Why?"
"Oh, no reasons," he says before focusing on the lesson, which only happens once in a while for Jung Wooyoung and every time it happens, time become sacred.
However Wooyoung and I don't speak to each other for the rest of class — I find myself waking up slightly teary eyed from a short nap after class with the boy already out the door, leaving behind a crumpled paper plane sitting on his desk. The room is already half empty, just a couple of people tidying up their bags or catching up with friends. So, figuring I have nothing else to do in the room, I pick up my bag from the floor and snatch the paper plane off the table as I head out.
The first person that came to my mind as soon as I step out was Seonghwa. I can just imagine his face, features lighting up with excitement as he babbles on about them. With a smile on my face, my feet take me to the music building not far from the art department in quick steps. On my way there, I've recognised a few people Seonghwa's introduced me to and bow politely to them before continuing up to the third floor.
Multiple doors line up the hallway, small glass windows in the middle and numbers on the side, letting people know which room is which. Producing and recording studios, they are, some of the best in the country and one of the best features of this university.
Despite knowing how expensive rooms are, I continue to press my face close to the windows, trying to find out which room Seonghwa is in — he should be in one of these booths somewhere...
The dirty blonde-haired almost dropped out of his seat when I bang his door open, placing his hand over his heart as his eyes almost jump out of his sockets.
"Hyeshin!" he yelps, positioning himself back on his chair. "At least give me a heads up you'll be barging in here, I thought there was an earthquake!"
Laughing, I plonk myself down on the couch behind him. "Stop being overly dramatic, old man," I say as he returns to his work. Seonghwa doesn't say anything else, focusing on the macbook in front of him and occasionally taking a sip from the cup of coffee on his table.
He's been working all day, hasn't he?
Sighing, I get up and stand next to him to look over his shoulders. He spares me a quick glance before continuing on. So I lean on his table to look at him and slam the screen down. Seonghwa gasps.
"My work!" he cries in protest, "I haven't saved it!"
"I'm guessing you haven't seen it," I say, pulling out another chair and sit next to him. "Oh that's right, you've been cooping yourself in here all day," I add before he could say anything, pushing my index finger on his forehead, "that is unhealthy, my dear."
"One, I have not been here all day," the blonde denies, "I've only been here since nine and second, show some respect, I'm older."
I snort. "Sucks for you because I'm not calling you anything," I say before pulling up B-TEEZ's post on my phone, showing it to him with a bright smile on my face. "But here's what I came to show you," I continue and hand him the device, pointing at it when his eyes question me, "that, my friend, are the B-TEEZ tour dates."
Seonghwa's eyes grow wide, grinning. "You're kidding!" he exclaims before gasping, fist covering his mouth as his other hand scrolls down the feed. "This is crazy! Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow..!"
"Thought I'd share... especially since you didn't get tickets a year ago because of a thirteen year-old," a smirk of amusement spreads on my face when Seonghwa pauses and tilts his head in curiosity.
"Who told you that?"
"Jung Wooyoung," I tell him, laughing a little seeing his reaction which is a mix of surprise and annoyance. Seonghwa does this thing when he's irritated but trying to calm himself where he clicks his tongue, rolls his eyes and inhales deeply.
"For your information, I didn't lose my tickets to her, I was simply being nice and gave mine up for her," he reasons in an obvious pout.
"Gave yours up, sure," I repeat after him. The blonde in front of me mumbles something inaudible whilst tapping on the screen of my phone, so I lean forward to rest my elbows on my knees and watch the screen along with him.
"I didn't want a girl to come home crying, okay?"
"Sure, sure, whatever floats your boat."
"So, will you go?" Seonghwa asks, lifting his head suddenly and almost bumping into my forehead.
I flinch when his face gets a little too close to mine, showing me his dark brown eyes and how they seem to sparkle under the yellowish studio lights. So I push him away slightly and clear my throat. "I-If I have the money," I tell him, cursing at myself when I hear my voice stutter.
Straightening my posture, I regain my composure and tuck my hair behind my ears. "Will you?"
"My fate will not be the same as last year's," Seonghwa announces, "we have to fight for it! I don't care if a thirteen year-old will take my tickets now, I've had enough!" He takes an aggressive sip from his cup of coffee and slams it back down, with an almost hilarious determined look on his face.
Then he lets out a small gasp. "Did they have Korea on the list?" he says, sounding like he's asking himself as he hurriedly checks my phone once again and making me lift my eyebrow.
"Seong—" Before I can say anything, he pauses then mutters a quiet 'oh wait'.
"They live here," he taps the phone lightly on his forehead, making me sigh. I sometimes honestly don't know how and why he's even here. So I say, "exactly".
"Anyways, that's all I came here for," I tell him, getting up from my seat. I brush the back of my thighs and collect my things off the couch, "honestly, I was expecting a wilder reaction but I guess this works."
As I pick up my things, I hear some rustling of paper from behind me and I look back to see Seonghwa tidying up his notes and his laptop, sliding them to the side. "Oh? Where are you going?" I ask him when he flicks the recording booth lights off.
"You said I've been cooping myself here for an hour? Have you had lunch?" he asks me, putting his coat on that had been hung on the back of his chair.
My body pauses in the middle of grabbing my bag from the couch. "No," I answer carefully, "why?"
"If you're not waiting for Yeosang... maybe you could join me?" the blonde speaks in a hopeful tone that I'm hopefully not imagining.
I swear to God if human malfunction actually freezes in real life, above my head will be a speech bubble reading 'error code 404' right now. Definitely the right definition of no thoughts, head empty because I really am surprised and taken aback just a tiny bit. Okay, sure, I've eaten out with Seonghwa for maybe more than a couple of times but every time he does that I just. Can't. Help. It.
You feel?
"I—I um... —isn't your next class in like, half an hour?" I ask him with my fingers playing with the hem of my sleeves.
"B-TEEZ concert tickets are way more important," he grins at me. Seonghwa buttons his coat as he walks to the door, opening it and stands by it as if waiting for me to follow in suit. "You're going to tell me all about it!"
We walk side by side not long after, with an unbothered Seonghwa and his arm looped around mine as he nonchalantly goes on and on about how he will stay up late to whatever time KR Entertainment decides to sell the tickets. I only smile half heartedly as Seonghwa makes over the top gestures about how he'll become best friends with Hongju — I had other things to worry about and I hope he doesn't realise the red on my cheeks aren't from the cold.
Suddenly, the idea of going to see the B-TEEZ tour was something even worthier to save up for.