DK (이석민):
“Perfect: What It Means To Be A Singer”
After years of competing with each other in high school singing competitions, of course, you and Seokmin would always be fighting for first place. However, one day, he approaches you and asks to sing for you, and little did you know, that day would change everything about you and him. <Link to part 2> | <link to part 3> competitor/rival!classmate!student!seokmin x student!singer!reader
The auditorium was dim lighted and everyone waited in silence, only the whispers of the judges could be heard.
It was nothing new to you or Seokmin, who was standing beside you but a bit further. Both of you had your hands clasped together, in front of your bodies, anticipatingly.
It was always you and Seokmin in the end, at the finals of every competition. Sometimes you would win, and sometimes he would win. You barely knew him but from so many competitions together, he was more of an enemy than a friend.
He had always held himself up to a high standard, but you would hold your standards even higher if you could. Evey competition, he was there. It was disappointing for you whenever you lost, and it only made you want to win against him even more. You were sure that he felt the same. If he can't win, he'll try to win, and his efforts will lead him another victory. It was just repetitive at this point.
You saw him glance at you, so you turned to face him, but he turned away. Without a word, you turned back to the audience.
“Both of your voices are very beautiful, and it honestly pains me to see you two always competing,” one of the judges began, “because to me, your voices together, would create such amazing harmony. Seokmin's voice is powerful and Y/N's voice is soulful, both together would make such an unbelievably beautiful sound.”
Another judge picked up her microphone. “I agree completely, but since this is a competition, I just want to say that you two are equally good. It's always going to be hard to pick a winner considering song, voice, technique, everything.”
“You two are very professional, I believe you guys have a great future ahead. Don't ALWAYS compete with each other!” A different judge said. He had been one of the judges since you two began competing.
“Through careful considerations, we will announce the winner.” A female judge said, holding a paper on one hand and the microphone in another. “Both of you are equally talented and bared no mistakes, but after careful considerations... how about a drumroll?”
You heart was beating nervously. You had to beat Seokmin. If you didn't, then it would be repeating again. Him win, you win, him win, you win.
“Lee Seokmin! Congratulations on getting 1st place!” You let out the breath you were holding and clasped your fingers, not glancing in Seokmin's direction. You bit your bottom lip, squeezing your eyes shut.
Seokmin was the winner, but he wasn't smiling. As the judges gave him a bouquet and the prize for winning first place, he had a rather sad look on his face. His eyes couldn't help but glance in your direction.
“So Seokmin won?” Your friend asked as you two walked out of the school after the competition ended.
“That's right.” You replied, looking down on the floor.
“Oh come on, it's not that bad, you won last time.”
“I know, but I want to win twice in a row, that's the only way to prove I'm better than him. That's the only way for me to confidently sing, knowing that I no longer have competition.”
Your friend widened her eyes as you two walked down to the school gate.“I just don't understand, both are you are amazing singers but why is victory so important?”
“You'll never understand anything if you don't understand this much.”
Suddenly, your friend tapped you on the shoulder, she had a lollipop in her mouth and looked ahead with a smile.
You turned and looked ahead to see a tall man with a broad figure. He was leaning on the gate, wearing a grey hoodie and had his black backpack on his back. His hair blew a little as the wind passed by. He was staring right at you as he stood up straight.
You two continued to walk forward, but as you passed Seokmin, he grabbed your arm.
“Can I talk to you for a moment?” He asked in a soft and shy voice.
Before you could even reply, your friend let go of your arm and walked forward, waving goodbye as she quickly ran away. She mouthed, ‘BYE BYE!’ as she left.
“So what do you want to say?” You asked, staring down at your hands that were on your lap. You two were sitting together on a park bench.
Seokmin was fidgeting with his hands too.
“You- I want to... Can I sing for you?”
You glanced at him. “Why? Are you trying to brag that you won?”
He defensively shook his head and waved his hands, smiling slightly. “No no no, it's just, I want to sing a song for you.”
You were a bit confused and flustered at his sudden request. Why was he suddenly... Why did he want to sing for you?
“What song are you going to sing?” You finally replied.
You smiled at the song choice. “I sang that one in the competition today. Are you sure you're not trying to brag that you're better?”
A small leaf fell on his forehead from the tree beside you. He took it off innocently.
“You can sing with me if you like.”
You gestured for him to start, and turned to face him, anticipating his performance.
Seokmin took a deep breath and began to sing. Instead of always having the thought of how to win in your mind while he sang, you paid full attention on his voice. It was indeed beautiful, like an angel was right in front of your eyes. The emotions in his voice made your heart drop.
He continued to sing, and then turned to you. You smiled and began to sing with him. For the first time, you heard both of your unique, different voices colliding so beautifully, it was indeed a different sound.
When the high note approached, you heard Seokmin lower his voice, and you sang powerfully, at the line, hitting the high note beautifully. Seokmin smiled, and after killing that high note, you smiled too. Your voices mixed together was a different kind of beauty, a beauty you didn't realize you could be apart of.
While finishing the song out in the daylight, you two sang beautifully, proudly, and confidently together. It made you forget that he ever was a competitor, because your voices together made something so gorgeous it couldn't be explained.
At that moment, you felt like a real singer. A person who sang, simply because they loved it, and it sounded so beautiful.
While walking to the bus stop, you and Seokmin couldn't stop giggling for some reason. Walking side by side, your shoulders would sometimes bump into each other.
“Good job.” He said in a small voice.
“You too.” You glanced at him, trying to keep in the smile on your face. In the end, you just laughed out of the blue, holding your stomach because it just seemed so funny.
“Why are you laughing?” he asked with confused eyes but also a smile.
“Its funny how great we sounded together but yet we hated each other for so long for simply being competitors against each other. It's really funny.” You straightened your back and then turned to Seokmin who was still gazing at you.
“It's also funny how you're nothing I thought you were and how I want to ask you to come to karoake with me right now.” Seokmin replied, smiling. You laughed again. He turned around the opposite way that you two were heading.
He faced you while walking backward. You just chuckled and walked after him. Seokmin smirked, his handsome face made your heart skip a beat.
You two sang together in the karoake room, hyping each other up. The flashing lights made you two dance around as you both sang. From time to time, Seokmin would make a few witty remarks that made you crack up.
You blushed every time he made one.
His smile was starting to completely blind your eyes as you both sang. He wasn't a man who only wanted to sing to win. You weren't a person who only wanted to be on top. You two sang and sang, sang so happily, with smiles on both of your faces.
You two sang all types of songs from emotional ballads to hard rock songs. He wasn't a man that always wanted to win and sing seriously, but instead he was a chaotic and childish boy that seemed to fit you perfectly.
While you two were singing a song, you couldn't help but stare at him, who was smiling so cutely while singing the song. Of course it was a love song. A song about loving someone. You felt your heart beat faster when he turned to you while singing. His messy hair, his hood, the way he was holding the microphone.
Suddenly, he stopped singing.
“Are you going to sing your part?” He asked innocently. You didn't reply with words but just continued to stare at him.
Seokmin slipped the microphone into the pocket of his hoodie and then cupped your face, giving you a kiss. You were a bit surprised by his sudden kiss, but it would be a lie if you said that you weren't thinking of doing the same thing.
With the evening that you two spent together, it was hard to believe that you had already fell so hard for this handsome man.
-serenityseventeen
This one is a bit longer than usual, around 1.5k words (and it was going to be longer) but I cut it short... What an amazing evening, I'm jealous. TuT
