𝟜𝟠

"hey, Jeongin-shii"

He heard his name being called on his way to his dorms.

He turned around to see Lea, an accounting student, she was also this college beauty as well as other students here and he recognized because she was one of his friends that liked to invite them to a drinking party where they eat pork and beef.

Jeongin:"ohh lea, what's up?"

He said in a loud tone for her to start getting closer with every step she takes and stop a little far Showing Jeongin the posters that were on her hand.

Lea:"you must have heard of the college's festival that is going to be held here next week"

Jeongin looked at the posters as he nodded his head with being familiar with the thing she's been talking about.

Despite him not taking college seriously but he comes everyday just so he could stay a little bit more at the dorms while looking for a place to rent.

Jeongin:"yeah, I do"

He wasn't interested in it, he wanted to avoid it as much as he could because he no longer had the ability to stay in the crowd as he always felt anxious on what facade he should put in.

He wants to avoid it because he doesn't have to be fake to anyone yet to himself again.

Lea:"my club had decided to drop a talent show for all the business students for a chance to share their talent with everyone, and I want you to be a part of"

She said for Jeongin to shake his head immediately, he can't risk singing in here.

Jeongin:"wait Lea I can-"

Lea:"please Jeongin-shii, I listened to your voice when you were with white teddy, you have a wonderful voice"

She cut him before he could decline, Jeongin wasn't surprised that people are still listening to white teddy songs where he used to be with them.

Jeongin:"sure, but only one song...i don't know what people would say after the scandal I went through"

Lea looked at him with a raised eyebrow as she brought her phone and stopped typing something.

Lea:"wait...you didn't know? White teddy got disbanded because apparently the CEO's daughter had slept with Jaewon and the scandal went viral than yours"

She showed him the scandal after she found it pretty quickly due to the scandal being recent.

Jeongin's eyes were wide as he was in total shock at hearing the news.

He was busy with therapy, Jisung and resting these past weeks that he didn't even search about white teddy's current band state.

Jeongin:"Wait...how can that even happen?"

He asked not believing that such a talented band with talented bandmates got disbanded, after their debut for 2 years.

Lea:"his daughter revealed the real reason why you got kicked out from the band to Jaewon who announced that to the fans after his scandal and the CEO was mad his daughter was getting this treatment so he disbanded them with your image getting cleared"

She explained the situation to him, Jeongin knows about how that CEO is just an a##.

Jeongin:"why is that old man so messed up and protective over his slut of a daughter"

He commented, losing his patience to leave a bad word behind the same man he made him go through all of this and his daughter's fault for forcing Jeongin to have s#x with this in high school just because she was being in pain in the a## for spreading rumors about him.

Lea:"i know...he needs help for real, anyway, here are the posters, feel free to invite your parents to watch you as well"

She gives him two of those decorated papers, when Jeongin holds it he could see a mic on the poster with big fonts "your talent can take you far away!"

Jeongin:"can i invite my friend?"

He asked Lea to nod her head.

Lea:"yeah of course, have a good day Jeongin-shii"

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Jisung:"talent show? you're joining in?"

He asked, both of him and Jeongin are sitting on the college campus on a bunch under a tree while having their lunch.

Jeongin:"yeah, I thought of giving a try after the false scandal that was on me had disappeared...I'll start from zero"

He explained taking a bite from his burger to have extra sauce around his lips to wipe them with a tissue.

Jisung:"saw the scandal, that boss really needs to go to jail for making those poor idols suffer including you"

He really wishes for that man to rot in hell after what he made jeongin go through the past months.

Jeongin:"yeah, that's why I'm thankful to Chan-hyung for finding me, the company he works at might not be popular but that's okay for me"

He smiled still not believing about him being picked up to be a singer again, he's glad that come across Jisung because if he didn't and ignore him instead, he wouldn't be meeting hyunjin and if he didn't meet hyunjin he wouldn't be meeting Minho and without Minho, he wouldn't be meeting Chan.

So everyone was connected to each other and he was grateful that the reason he was going to be a singer again was none other than Jisung coming into his life again.

Jisung:"I'm sure you're going to make known with your fabulous presence on stage"

Jeongin stared at Jisung with heart eyes as he listened to him say those words, he wanted to hold his hands and kiss him for the second time, because Jisung was looking beautiful under the sunlight with his front hair spread in half showing his forehead with his mask that was no longer there.

Jeongin:"fabulous...hha?"

He smirked at him still admiring his facial expressions who was a whole tomato upon seeing that sly smirk from the younger.

Jisung(blushing):"of course you are!!! I'll be there to root for you"

Jeongin chuckled nodding his head then reaching his hand to pinch Jisung's cheeks who slapped his hands away and told him to not miss with his cheeks.

Jeongin:"have you joined any festival activity?"

He asked still scratching his hand from the hit he received, Jisung crossed his arms with shaking his arms.

Jisung:"I'm still an outcast in this college, and I don't like crowded places and I can't say the same for the squad since all of them were nice and because you were there besides me"

He said, remembering the day Jeongin brought Hyunjin, Felix and Seungmin to his dorm for him to get anxious that he locked himself in his bathroom.

Time changed and he changed and that all thanks to Jeongin for being there by his side.

Jeongin:"so I brought you out of your shell?"

Jisung chuckled at what he said as he closed the lunch box and turned him to say.

Jisung:"yes...yes you did"

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A week later, the festival got held around the college and everyone was having the time of their lives, going here and there trying different booths.

On the other hand, Jeongin was getting highly nervous that he was going to perform after so long and not in the Karaoke room alone but an actual live show with a lot of people.

When people around the college know about Jeongin singing, the whole audience room gets filled with students.

Lea:"come on!! You've done this before, you're a professional"

The host of the talent show came from behind and hit his back lightly encouraging him with boosting his confidence.

Jeongin:"easy for you to say, you didn't get a false scandal slapped into your face"

He sascramed with a loud tone making Lea flinch at the sudden jump scare.

Lea:"but look at the bright side, people aren't seeing you like they used to be"

Jeongin signed at what she said, the fact that everyone ignored him before and now he was getting noticed again.

Jeongin:"that's how a famous person survives, he has to deal with people's opinions on him every single day"

Lea:"yeah, I have to go now...GOOD LUCK"

The girl said before she left Jeongin at the backstage, the blonde turned towards the stage taking a deep breath, his turn was up next and he couldn't help but be nervous again.

Once those who were before him were done with their talent show, it was his to step into the stage. And when he did that he didn't expect so many people to be watching him.

Jeongin reached the mic and stood in front of it as he fixed it up to reach his mouth, he let all his stress out closing his eyes trying to imagine the presence in the middle of thousands of fans.

Jeongin remembers those days, where he sang his whole lungs out, when he drained his body while dancing, when he pulled his tears out when Fans accepted him for the fish time.

He wants to go back to those days and to do that, he should leave a big mark on this talent show.

As he opened his eyes, he scanned the audience room -that wasn't that big- just to spot Jisung, Jeongin smiled knowing his hyung came to watch him.

But his smile soon had dropped upon seeing his parents.

Jeongin(💭):«what's are they doing here?»

He asked himself just to change his gaze to Jisung again who was signaling him with pointing at his parents then pointing at himself.

Jeongin understood that as Jisung bringing his parents here?

He shook his head, clearing his mind not caring if his parents came to watch him or scold him because it was too late for that since he started singing.

The audience wasn't expecting less from the ex-idol, the professionalism that Jeongin held while doing his performance was enough for them to stay silent and listen to his angelic soothing voice.

Once he was done with the performance, everyone clapped for him Including Jisung, his mom and his little sister except for his father who sat there crossing his arms wearing his usual expressionless face.

He went backstage to take off the sound budgets around his neck and drank a whole bottle of water because that singing made him thirsty.

His phone vibrates in his pocket giving him the access to bring his hands and slides it inside his pockets to pick up his phone.

He turned on his phone and he could see the message on his locker screen.

It was from Jisung, and it says that him and his parents are outside waiting for him so they could drive him back home with both knowing that their son isn't attending college lectures anymore.

He went outside really nervous that he had to meet his parents again after so long, only his father because he called his mother daily and she came to visit him at the door.

He spotted Jisung outside the business college and he took that chance to ask him.

Jeongin:"Hyung, why did my-"

He was cut from the other with being grabbed in his hand and getting dragged not Jisung towards his father's car.

Jisung:"there's no time for explaining, your parents are waiting for you in the car"

He said opening the door for him whsre his little sister was playing was fixed on the back while his parents took the front seat.

Jeongin:"you're not going to come with me"

He said looking up at his hyung waiting for him to get up with him but Jisung only shook his head and closed the door.

Jisung:"no, it is between you and your parents, I'm not a part of it and please be patient with your dad, he really regrets pushing you away"

He said smiling waving at him through the glass and then the car started moving.

Jeongin:"wait...HYUNG!!!"

He shouted with his head outside the widow looking back at where Jisung was standing who was still waving at him.

Ms.Yang:"you were amazing Jeongin"

that caused him to slide his head inside and look at his mother, she was smiling at him, Jeongin knew how much of a big supporter his mother is.

Jeongin:"thank you mom"

Ryuna:"oppa have amazing voice"

Jeongin smiled at his little sister complimenting his singing which caused him to ruffle her hair.

He then looked at his father who still didn't say anything until now which made Jeongin drop his head, not knowing why he was expecting his father to say something.

Mr.Yang:"i am impressed, Jeongin...you weren't picked up by that company for no reason"

Jeongin's eyes got wide hearing his father say those words, his heart started beating so fast knowing that he got accepted by his father.

Jeongin:"tell me how you guys ended up in my college?"

The parents look at each other, trying to know how to answer their son.

Ryuna:"jisung-oppa bring us hehe"

Jeongin:"jisung-hyung?"